Beware the tech tangents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m settling down to get some coding done, when I realize I need to install a dependency. I forget if I\u2019m using Conda still or venv for virtual environments. Investigate. Get confused checking the Python installs on my machine. Did I use Homebrew? Better update and upgrade that for good measure. I realize I am using Miniconda after all, but I forgot the commands. Google a cheatsheet. Okay, virtual environment is set up, should I install the package with Conda, or pip? Try both, and cross my fingers that it works. We\u2019re good to go! Start into what will surely be a long, highly productive coding session. My algorithm is not great, and I have a suspicion there\u2019s a more efficient way I could be writing this. I can\u2019t quite figure it out, so I turn to my trusty friend, the internet. I can\u2019t figure out how to describe my situation and I try some weirdly worded searches in hopes that Google will somehow read between the lines and understand what I am struggling to articulate. It doesn\u2019t work, but I do stumble across a Medium article about dynamic programming that is very good. The author is a good writer as well as a good programmer. There\u2019s a link to an algorithm course on Udemy, which, I think to myself, would not be a bad idea. I could use more practice in that area. I\u2019m on the algorithm course page, but look at all these other ones! I barely picked up JavaScript in my Web Development class, and that is an important language to know. After all, with my design background, Front-End might be the thing to focus on. On the other hand, I enjoyed Intro to Networks, and if I want to pursue that route, I really need to focus – there\u2019s so much more to learn. After looking at several CompTIA courses, going so far as to read several other articles, in other tabs, discussing the value of various certifications, I feel that I am very nervous about committing to this particular career path. I reflexively Google \u201ctypes of software engineers\u201d and read several more articles, and now I think I should maybe consider DevOps or UX\/UI. On one page I see a random stock photo showing a developer with two desktop monitors. Is that how \u201creal\u201d programmers work? Why am I doing all my work on a laptop? I need an office, with multiple screens for increased productivity. Google \u201cbest desktop for programming\u201d. After looking at many models, with wildly divergent specs and price points, I remember a) I do not have money to buy a new computer, and b) even if I did, there is no \u201cbest\u201d, just the most appropriate for a particular set of needs and\/or restrictions. Admonishing myself, I close all these tabs, including the Udemy course pages (my realization about buying a computer has shocked me out of my rabbit hole). Blinking like I just stepped from a dark room to bright daylight: what was I doing? Oh yes, I was trying to think of an improvement of my code\u2019s implementation. Opening my IDE again, and looking at the block in question – the answer comes to me instantly. It was in my head the whole time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Beware the tech tangents. I\u2019m settling down to get some coding done, when I realize I need to install a dependency. I forget if I\u2019m using Conda still or venv for virtual environments. Investigate. Get confused checking the Python installs on my machine. Did I use Homebrew? Better update and upgrade that for good measure. … Continue reading “Beware the Tech Tangents”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12210,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/awendingpath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/awendingpath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/awendingpath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/awendingpath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12210"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/awendingpath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/awendingpath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/awendingpath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12\/revisions\/13"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/awendingpath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/awendingpath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/awendingpath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}