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That is a great post & exactly the type of thing I'm talking about -- all those things the authors leave out which are actually critical to understanding.
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Yep, been there. I think during my career (now over!) there's only been 3 books that
I really worked through:
1) Z-80 Microcomputer Handbook (published in 1978, when I built my first computer).
2) Starting Forth
3) Understanding Digital Signal Processing
All the other tech books I've purchased just provided bits and pieces, basically
just filling in specific blanks.
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My knock-down, number-one, all-time stranded-on-a-dessert-island favorite book is...
Programming Windows 3.1 [^] by Charles Petzold (only $99 right now at amazon )
It was a complete and thorough software development training guide.
I wonder if "kids these days" would even read a tome like that??
Now all they want is "what's the javascript that makes this do that?"
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I was deep into embedded programming by the time the Petzold book came out so I only did a little bit of it. It was a good book, but not real relevant to what I was programming for. On the Windows side I mostly did RAD (VB, Delphi, C++ Builder) programs for test equipment.
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Same with a lot of videos.
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This is extremely common and is caused by the fact that almost no authors use "test readers".
When I thought I was done writing my C++ book intended to be suitable for people with no previous programming background, I found a test reader to read it. I basically had to rewrite the entire book because as an expert, I couldn't understand how much she didn't already know.
The result? I got fan mail from readers, for a technical book.
Why doesn't anyone else do this? I don't know with certainty but I can guess: it's a LOT of work. Another issue is that you need someone who can tell you in detail what she doesn't understand. This is not a common ability.
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Great post! Is your book available on Amazon?
Thanks for sharing that great story & I agree with you about it being a lot of work.
I think that is why Charles Petzold's books were so long (and so great).
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Very interesting. Fantastic introduction by Eric S. Raymond (a world-class author himself).
Also, interesting that you explained that you thought the reader would read the chapters multiple times.
I have always had to do that (started out in 1992 with C++ for Dummies and wore that book out).
I would read 1st 3 chapters, give up for a while.
Start again, read 1st 5 chapters. Give up.
Start again, read 1st 5 chapters again. Give up.
Start again, read 1st 6f chapters. Give up. etc.
I always felt like an idiot.
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Thanks! I hope if you read my book you won't feel like an idiot.
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My cat, about 2AM, was standing on my, sinking her claws into me and purring, and my mostly asleep brain was telling me she was demanding I let her perform tensor operations. She was fed up with simple 1-dimensional operations and wanted the ability to sink her claws into my in multiple dimensions.
Do I need a break from AI stuff? Or am I reaching some weird point of true understanding? Or do I need to lay off the vegemite for a bit?
cheers
Chris Maunder
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Send me some of what you are smoking.
>64
Some days the dragon wins. Suck it up.
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You could take a break from (those overrated) AI stuff and help to fix some of the open issues from
Bugs and Suggestions[^].
Your cat could prefer bugs to AI stuff.
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Sounds like the vegemite might have fermented to me.
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
"Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Cats are obviously smarter than we give them credit for.
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I appreciate Vegemite in the same way that Honey the Codewitch appreciates Miracle Whip.
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Wait...
Why do you dream about cat stuff all the time?
Here's your dream from Dec 2021
The Lounge[^]
I'm beginning to wonder if a intervention might be required.
Psychiatrist: That's right, Chris, we are going to remove all cats & all APIs from your life for 6 months. If we discover that you become "better" we'll slowly re-introduce them back into your life. Maybe a call to a windows ShowWindow() then later you'll be allowed to view the nyanCat[^] for a few seconds.
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Talk to my cat. It's some weird cat jedi mind messing going on
cheers
Chris Maunder
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Chris Maunder wrote: Do I need a break from AI stuff? Only if our CP/AI overlords allow you.Chris Maunder wrote: Or am I reaching some weird point of true understanding? Of the AI? Possibly. Of the cat? Surely you jest.Chris Maunder wrote: Or do I need to lay off the vegemite for a bit? The Vegemite™-infused "special" brownies might be a bit too much at bedtime.
Software Zen: delete this;
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Dreams are (supposedly) the opposite of what they imply ... keep clawing ahead?
"Before entering on an understanding, I have meditated for a long time, and have foreseen what might happen. It is not genius which reveals to me suddenly, secretly, what I have to say or to do in a circumstance unexpected by other people; it is reflection, it is meditation." - Napoleon I
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It shows your true desire Chris, maybe all this time you wanted an AI cat lol
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My wife, who is EXTREMELY superstitious, believes in Dreams, and hates cats. Particularly black cats that may or may not cross her path. If she sees a black cat with green or yellow eyes, she nearly has a stroke. Her dreams are all terrible or depressing. I get to listen to them all. Me, I just dream about the sex we had when we were young.
Thank God she doesn't know anything about AI. She's a true Luddite. Despite all of that, I love her deeply and would not trade her for the Universe.
Maybe you are superstitious, at least in your sleep, too.
I like cats as they are so independent.
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No, not superstitious.
Just sad that I forgot what a Hamiltonian matrix was.
cheers
Chris Maunder
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Hamiltonian Matrix + Wikipedia = Head Hurts
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Toss the vegemite, and get some that isn't fermented, Chris. Tell her she can do all my tensor operations if she wants. I've got a book on the subject I've been trying to read since 1976 without success, so she might as well have at it.
Will Rogers never met me.
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