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davidarkemp2

73 karma · joined July 27, 2012

[ my public key: https://keybase.io/davidarkemp; my proof: https://keybase.io/davidarkemp/sigs/j3R-cz6LW9FP4EOKaylJWm8pr9lhWBgQdu3vaNX7Vv8 ]
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davidarkemp2··on Using CUE to unify IoT sensor data
That's a really nice article, thanks. And I can see how separating the validation logic from processing code is useful.

What's not clear to me is why you chose this approach over existing OOP techniques, such as GoF Adapter Pattern, or even just interface implementation (as Go looses a lot of the ceremony of Java/C#).

davidarkemp2··on Ask HN: Any weird tips for weight loss?
* Don't have high fat/sugar snacks in the house - but do have an alternative you'll eat * Move - low intensity exercise uses your body's stored energy (i.e fat) rather than using carbs * Find other people to help get you through the tough patches - for me, making a commitment to someone else makes me more motivated.
davidarkemp2··on Ideas to improve the user and developer experiences of databases
The author doesn't state what RDMS he's used, but I think Microsoft's SQL Server Platform covers a lot of these, and third party tools, such as Redgate's amazing suite of DB tools, fill in a lot of the gaps.
davidarkemp2··on Stop donating your customers' data to Google Analytics
I'd check your filters - EasyPrivacy has -google-analytics- blocked in the URL

I got to it by adding the following filter

    @@||dev.to/goatandsheep/stop-donating-your-customers-data-to-google-analytics-191?i=i$xhr,1p
davidarkemp2··on How to make biodegradable 'plastic' from cactus juice [video]
It says it degrades after a few days left in water, so not really viable to replace plastic bottles
davidarkemp2··on I've stopped flying to conferences for climate change reasons
If it's the UK, then you can book a seat on most services... if you're travelling distance during peak time, and you know in advance, then I'd recommend it - and being prepared to politely but assertively ask people to move if they are sat in your seat.
davidarkemp2··on Ask HN: What is your comfort book?
I bought Cormac McCarrthy's Border Trilogy on a whim (had seen and loved the film of No Country for Old Men before). I'm based in the UK, but it honestly takes you places you can never go. Read the whole three books four or five times nows.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6163.The_Border_Trilogy

davidarkemp2··on Christopher Nolan: The power of people and why 2001 should be preschool viewing
I agree with this - his works may have a logic of their own, or they may not, or the logic may not be a logic that can be understood by any human. For me, it helps to think of them as dreams - there's some normal looking stuff, but then there's that bit where you're cycling up a lane that looks like one you used to ride almost weekly, with the head of the sister of a teenage girlfriend looming large somewhere you can't quite place. It doesn't have to mean anything.
davidarkemp2··on Go func: Reducing cognitive load
You could always declare the method on the Printer type...

https://play.golang.org/p/4MG8kgGEGM

davidarkemp2··on Could These Intersections Make Us Safer? (2013)
What about it?

(As a former Swindon resident who used to cycle across it with an E-flat tenor horn strapped to the rack, I don't really have a problem with it)

davidarkemp2··on Freelance or job?
So, here's what I did when I dumped a (well paid) full-time job in order to start my own company/freelance full-time:

* Took advice from people already doing it

* Looked really hard at my living costs, savings, etc, and figured out that, probably, I could survive for 6 months or more without an income

* Made sure I had some work (a bit of repeat work, and some other projects) lined up.

* Spoke to as many other people as I could (I'm lucky, I have a solicitor and accounts in the family, as well as someone who started a company which now employee >5 people)

Talking to my wife about finances and stuff was a big deal, as she had just decided to go part-time in order to study. But we did the sums, and realised it would have to go really badly, and really we had enough of a cusion that I could find a paid position if it didn't work out.

Here I am, 18 months later, still paying the bills, still with enough money to live comfortably, and still working freelance. There are times when I'm scared stiff about money (I don't think this will go away) and other times when I'm working 10+hours 7 days a week, for a month or two at a time. I had a death in the family this month, which knocked me off schedule, and had more of an impact that I'd like to admit on my productivity, but I communicated with clients that, unfortunately, their projects were going to be pushed back, and it's been ok. Even when my second project was 2 months late, nobody complained. The client was paying a fixed-cost, so they essentially got two months free.

If you're going to do work fixed cost, do not be afraid to hold your ground when you quote for it. I sometimes even quote a little high because I know I'm really rubbish at doing estimates, and it hasn't got better in time. You know other people are going to be late with key information and decisions, and there will be somethings that you miss when you first quote, but keep communicating with your clients and alert them early when things don't go to plan, and most people will be fine - and the rest you probably don't want to work with anyway.

davidarkemp2··on Clone Dropbox with a Raspberry Pi and BTSync
with a 150Mbps wifi adapter
davidarkemp2··on How to Build a Raspberry Pi File Server
This just basically tells you how to mount a disk and install samba. You could equally well apply these instructions to any debian-based system.
davidarkemp2··on Want to learn to code? Don't copy and paste, type out other people's code
Just out of curiosity, how many people took their first steps in programming by typing out code from a book or magazine?

- When I started out, including a floppy disk with a book or magazine was a rarity, so BBC Basic, Spectrum and PCW-9512 had to been typed in by hand, with frustrating hours trying to figure out why they didn't work (usually typos)

davidarkemp2··on Everyone Should Make a Painting
I think that everyone should make a computer program with pretty much the same approach.
davidarkemp2··on Magic Roundabout
Incidentally, most of the traffic comes from Queen's Drive, Drove Road, and Fleming Way (Shrivenham road has been closed to through traffic for many years). Having ridden across it on a bicycle regularly as a teenager, it works surprisingly well.
davidarkemp2··on [dead]
Stott Hall Farm is not a "nail house" - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M62_motorway#Stott_Hall_Farm
davidarkemp2··on Program above and beyond your actual ability by using FreeMind
I guess the memorization is why some people recommend code katas - the purpose being to learn the techniques and not the solution.

[1] http://www.butunclebob.com/ArticleS.UncleBob.TheBowlingGameK...

davidarkemp2··on Program above and beyond your actual ability by using FreeMind
It's worth taking some time to learn how to use FreeMind with just the keyboard, and to learn how to do a mind map (see [1] for an overview). It can be used exclusively from the keyboard, so you can get pretty quick with it.

I've not used FreeMind for (personal) documentation, but I've used it as a specification tool, where I think mind-maps excel as they get you to focus on all the component parts of the project - and drill down to the finest level you can.

This use seems similar to using tiddlywiki[2].

[1] http://www.thinkbuzan.com/uk/articles/view/how-to-create-a-m... [2] http://tiddlywiki.com/

davidarkemp2··on ServiceStack: new REST API for .NET/Mono
Can someone amend this post to include the project name?
davidarkemp2··on AdBlock, NoScript & Ghostery – The Trifecta Of Evil [Opinion]
Do you have sky? Sky know more about your TV viewing habits than you think. And they have the technology to sell that information. Why do you think they've been pushing new Sky+ boxes at everyone. This isn't conspiracy, I've have a Sky representative tell me this.
davidarkemp2··on Minimal Ring Alarm Clock for Couples
To quote Richard Herring:

This political correctness stick is brought up on these occasions to ridicule a world where you can't say certain things any more. But this stuff isn't about this invented construct of PCness - does anyone claim to be politically correct? It's just a pejorative term invented by people who want to still be racist and old-fashioned. It's about respecting people whatever their background and not making sweeping and offensive statements about them based on the colour of their skin or where they come from or their disability, sexuality or gender.

http://www.richardherring.com/warmingup/?id=2299

davidarkemp2··on Cookie-checker.com - check safely which cookies are set by a site
I'm guessing something like PhantomJS (other versions of QTWebKit are available) on the server - some of the samples that comes with it shows how to capture all the requests resulting from loading a URL.
davidarkemp2··on Cookie-checker.com - check safely which cookies are set by a site
If you could classify the cookies and 3rd part requests into the different functionality groups, then you'd really have a tool. That said, 3rd party cookies are usually evil.
davidarkemp2··on Fiddler has joined the Telerik family
Let's hope it doesn't go the way of Reflector.
davidarkemp2··on Slowloris: high-performance HTML5 UIs
However, the problem with Android is version fragmentation - a lot of users have phones that they can't trivially upgrade to ICS, and therefore can't use Chrome for Mobile/Android. Asking someone to root their phone and install a custom ROM, and then install a different browser is a bit crazy if you ask me.
davidarkemp2··on Slowloris: high-performance HTML5 UIs
Off topic, but according to [1], web workers have not been available in Android Browser since 2.1. There's a SO Question [2] about this, which points to [3]. Seems crazy, when Chrome for Mobile does support it [4].

1: http://caniuse.com/webworkers

2: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7523745/why-was-html5-web...

3: http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=10004#c7

4: http://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/mobile/

davidarkemp2··on Plugins you should put in your vimrc
Why are you using Vim and not your previous editor?
davidarkemp2··on Plugins you should put in your vimrc
In my experience, it's better to spend a long time playing with Vim, and then look at plugins. There's a lot that Vim does out of the box without any additional tools, and spending time learning to use (some) of it without trying to make it more like another editor is the only way you're going to get better at it. Learn about buffers and how to manage them before using BufExplorer. Learn the (many) movement keys, and insertion, append, replace, substitue, change, options before you use Surround.

It may sound odd, but learn to use the tool by itself before you try and plugin anything else, otherwise you'll just get lost.

davidarkemp2··on WAMP - WebSocket Application Messaging Protocol
Please consider changing the name - it's already in common use for Windows Apache, MySql and PHP (similar to LAMP).
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