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susodapop

80 karma · joined August 29, 2019

I write Python & Javascript for Databricks as a part of the Redash core team. Contact details at my website: whitehouse DOT dev
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susodapop··on Subway crime plummets as ridership jumps significantly in congestion pricing era
As a NYC resident and white man, I found the subway broadly safe from _violent_ crime. My female and/or asian friends had significantly worse experiences: some were grabbed, others followed, some verbally harassed. It's not a dystopian nightmare — at the end of the day everyone just has somewhere to be — but regular ridership (particularly in Brooklyn and Queens) increments the bad experience counter regularly.
susodapop··on Introducing Operator
Yep, and on Windows this is exposed through the COM api.
susodapop··on The 'Return to Office' Lies
> All of us are better with access to frequent informal communication, shared meals, and walking.

Back when I was healthy, I would have agreed with this. Nowadays, chronic illness forestalls shared meals or casual walks. Informal communication doesn't need to be over the top of a cubicle wall. It can be as simple as switching from Slack to Signal/Whatsapp/iMessage.

As with most things, cohesive dynamics are achieved by working with the tools and limitations that _exist_ rather than assuming everyone can relate in the same way. If I worked on a team where all the above were socially expected, I'd feel excluded and probably leave.

It's perfectly fine to acknowledge that _you_ require those walks and meals to lead effectively. And I'm sure that your non-handicapped team members appreciate it as well.

The rest of us, however, still have a lot to contribute and shouldn't be implicitly (yes) punished for not fitting into that mold. We're good engineers and good colleagues.

susodapop··on The 'Return to Office' Lies
It also doesn't need to be all-or-nothing. I'm a "full-time" WFH team-lead. But when I'm onboarding a new engineer, I travel to wherever they are and we share an office for a couple weeks while I bring them up-to-speed. After that point, they can WFH or come into the office to suit their preference.

While this is less convenient for me (a fact which is reflected in my compensation), it flattens the onboarding curve without requiring a complete RTO for everyone.

susodapop··on A magnificent 1850s house dubbed the Blue Belle of Brooklyn
I just moved to Brooklyn and have seen this property. Stories like this are precisely what gives this city texture and excitement. Just about every visible feature has a long and compelling history.
susodapop··on Reddit Is Down
For me reddit.com is alive and well but old.reddit.com has CDN issues.
susodapop··on Universal flu vaccine against all known subtypes takes promising first steps
That makes sense to me. The population has increased since 1980 but flu deaths remain constant, which means a lower mortality rate. Presumably there is some correlation between increased flu vaccination rate and decreased mortality rate.
susodapop··on Earth might be experiencing 7th mass extinction, not 6th
Failing to engage with ideas you find distasteful just creates a vacuum of good information; which is the environment where conspiracy theories thrive. I've followed Graham Hancock for twenty years and have yet to see anyone properly dismantle his positions. I don't believe everything he says: but dogmatically dismissing him only fuels his narrative that mainstream archaeologists are trying to suppress him in order to save their jobs (and grants).

Given the highly falsifiable nature of his claims it should easy enough to disprove them. That nobody chooses to do so is quite curious. I can watch a hundred spirited debates and proofs on both sides of flat-earth, fake moon landing, essential oils curing cancer, and evolution vs young-earth creationism. What is so special about archaeology that it needn't mount a similar, vigorous defense?

susodapop··on Ask HN: Why do some people not communicate clearly?
Furthermore, a pareto distribution likely applies. 80% of the talent is concentrated in 20% of the population, regardless its size.
susodapop··on Why does everything on Netflix look like that?
I first heard about network styles listening to Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould on the _Better Call Saul Insider_ podcast. Many studios have them.

A unified style streamlines production at the cost of artistry. A typical television episode has just a few days to film. So the more creative a crew becomes in their framing, lighting, audio recording etc. the less time they have to move through the shot list. It takes a talented (and expensive) crew to make this magic happen within 5-10 days.

It's to the credit of Sony and AMC that they gave Marshall Adams et. al. the flexibility to make a masterpiece out of _Better Call Saul_. But it was expensive and risky. Not every script justifies that risk and expense. Without a style guide to fall back on I think we would see fewer series overall.

susodapop··on Marc Andreessen says he’s for new housing, but records tell a different story
There are advantages to multi-unit housing that you have not included in your analysis:

- No garden maintenance / snow removal

- Dedicated maintenance staff / landlord pays for it

- Generally lower intrusion risk

- Smaller footprint than most single unit homes: not everyone desires to clean several thousand square feet

And the disadvantages of multi unit housing you listed have their analogues in single unit homes:

- Neighbours are still loud and smelly

- Putting a hole in your wall and fixing it is expensive unless you have the tools + experience to do so yourself. Not everyone enjoys this.

- Commuting becomes more onerous the farther out you live

For many people there is no living situation without it’s compromises. But for some, single-unit is ideal and for others multi-unit is ideal.

susodapop··on “Harbinger households” consistently buy products that get discontinued (2019)
You didn't happen to buy crypto currency a few weeks ago, did you?
susodapop··on Ask HN: Burnt-out, directionless but want to turn it around
Jail time.
susodapop··on How to make video calls almost as good as face-to-face (2020)
While your statement is true it reads like a non sequitur because it misunderstands GP’s objection, which is not to others’ opinions but rather to unfiltered noise in the workplace. Or rather, to a product that pipes in noise that deliberately evades filtering. To focus properly I need silence or something equivalent. This has nothing to do with others or their opinion or my subjective evaluation of the same. It’s a matter of attention.
susodapop··on Miniclip to Discontinue Desktop Site and Transition Exclusively to Mobile Games
Even fifteen years on, I ocasionally remember the cheat code “GETEMOUT” for BBV.
susodapop··on How to Live a Happy Life (2016)
At $57/year I’m struggling to see the value-add compared to a more-full featured journaling solution.
susodapop··on My macOS keyboard shortcuts
Maybe I'm missing something: how do you make uppercase letters?
susodapop··on Apple’s Universal Control
Drag and drop files between devices is handy when you quickly need to move media files from one to the other.
susodapop··on Tesla driver dies after his Model 3 stops on highway, gets hit by two other
I’m dubious that the equation is so simple.

> Road capacity is a function of number of lanes, the velocity of the vehicles traveling in those lanes, and the density of the vehicles traveling in those lanes. If you reduce the latter, you reduce road capacity.

And yet study after study shows that increasing the number of traffic lanes only worsens congestion.

susodapop··on Tesla driver dies after his Model 3 stops on highway, gets hit by two other
The headline emphasises the vehicle make, and we assume this is another criticism of Tesla’s autopilot tech. But that determination has not been investigated yet.

If the headline instead emphasised that the driver of this vehicle was seventy-four years old, we might assume it was a different criticism entirely.

susodapop··on Epic Games acquires Bandcamp
This seems like an odd move for a gaming company. But I wonder about its implication for streamers who deal with DMCA takedowns for playing copyrighted music. Perhaps a scheme where partnered streamers are granted limited license to play music from across Bandcamp while they stream games from the Epic Store.
susodapop··on Ten Years of Logging My Life
Yes Daylio exports to JSON.
susodapop··on Ask HN: Long-form info-dense videos on YouTube you would recommend to anyone?
Her video about Envy stands out as one of the best I’ve seen on YouTube. Up there with Sagan or Harari in how it’s affected my worldview.

While her videos are enjoyable to watch, they are also quite listenable during a long trip or while cooking.

susodapop··on Sonic: A fast JSON serializing and deserializing library
Released by ByteDance, who operate Tiktok.
susodapop··on Benchmarking the Apple M1 Max
If you haven't already, speak to Apple about replacement under warranty. Those numbers aren't justified by anything apart from hardcore video editing 100% of the time on battery.
susodapop··on Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?
After five years, I gave up my Matias quiet click due to its abysmal reliability. I had three units during that period: my original and two replacements under warranty. I love the keyboard and their customer service. But the interruption and administrative hassle were too much.

I use a Leopold with Topre 45g silent switches now. It’s not as nice IMO but it works all the time.

susodapop··on Woman discovers AirTag on her vehicle after receiving iPhone alert
Will an android phone alert me if I’m being followed?
susodapop··on M1 Pro and M1 Max MBP owners complain of crashes playing HDR YouTube videos
I consider myself fortunate that I don't see blooming on displays. I'm sure it happens but I just don't notice it. I sympathise with those who do.

It seems like the sighted equivalent of mp3 compression to an audiophile's ears.

susodapop··on Boeing cutting more than 12,000 U.S. jobs with thousands more planned
FWIW I grew up in Alabama in the 90’s and this expression was not uncommon. Often used to express late child-support payments.
susodapop··on What do other developers look for in a job posting?
I try to answer two questions quickly: Am I competent enough for this position? And can I see myself working there? Both are easier to answer if the posting gives solid examples, like a description of a recent project or the markets you serve. I want to understand your desired outcomes, not "required" skills.

More often than not, some "required" skills in the description become negotiable during the interview. But outcomes aren't negotiable because outcomes drive revenue.

I wouldn't abandon a job description for including the phrase "relentlessly positive attitude". But it's pure fluff and I would skim it looking for a concrete description of the work.

Recently I was impressed by this job posting from a small outfit in Kentucky [1]. It's a little long for my taste. But it was easy for me to answer my own questions.

[1]: https://www.level12.io/careers/full-stack-web-app-developer-...