Programmer, engineer, scientist, critic, gamer, dreamer, and kid-at-heart.
Answers I’ve written on Quora.
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Someone on quora asked:
Would you let a junior developer be the only developer on a project?
There are projects where it would be acceptable. Generally small, low-risk projects where there is a sufficient library of similar enough projects for the junior developer to reference how to do the more difficult common stuff (security, auth, audit trails, etc)
Someone on quora asked:
What part of software development makes people leave the profession?
Most common is burnout due to inordinate amounts of stress. It’s usually the schedule pressure + some form of bad management.
Some things that can stress software developers out:
All of the above are part and parcel of “enterprisey” software development though, but combined with intensive schedule pressure it can make developers question the industry altogether
Someone on quora asked:
How does one improve themself when they feel they don’t deserve it?
You have to feel you deserve it. If you don’t, then fake it until you do. Convince yourself, day after day
If you are feeling sad or depressed for an extended period, please consider talking to a professional
Someone on quora asked:
The options should be fairly obvious:
Someone on quora asked:
How do I identify a good programmer? Do I start learning how to code so it is easily identifiable?
Learning to code is not strictly necessary. It would be sufficient to simply have an understanding of how programs execute step-by-step instructions and algorithms. If you’re interviewing programmers, you can simply give them a moderately complex problem and ask them to verbally walk through / explain to you how they would approach the problem (you yourself would need to understand how the problem is typically solved). Sorting algorithms for example, can easily be explained with a few whiteboard diagrams instead of writing code
The larger problem is that it is never easy to identify a good programmer. Even for people who do know how to code! The best way to identify a good programmer is actually to work with them on a project, but of course that option is unlikely during an interview. In general look for high-level skills: ability to step through the solution to a problem (and explain it well), ability to spot possible problems in a given solution (you might try describing a problem you encountered in a previous project and ask how he would address it), ability to work well with others, etc
Someone on quora asked:
Practice doing without thinking. Be spontaneous
It can be small, low-risk things. Say hi to strangers. Impulse buy a chocolate bar. Take a different route to work. Eat at unfamiliar restaurants. Buy a book in a genre you don’t usually like. Skip work one afternoon to see a movie. Etc
Someone on quora asked:
What’s the best way to document coding projects so non-technical people can make sense of them?
It depends on what the purpose of the documentation for the non-technical people is
If you’re trying to convince them to try/buy your software, that’s marketing and copywriting, and you have to focus on feature sets and how it will be used by the end user
If it’s for users, to give instructions on how to use the software, typically developers will include some sort of user manual detailing the way to execute various tasks within the application
Regardless of the purpose, documentation written for nontechnical people will tend to focus on use cases and how the software satisfies requirements
Someone on quora asked:
Show an interest in what they’re into. Say you’re not too familiar and ask for details. People who like things like it when other people ask about those things.
Please note though that it’s perfectly fine to have different interests from other people. People don’t have to like the same things. It doesn’t mean you can’t hang out with them or anything unless you really want to
Someone on quora asked:
For native mobile applications, there is little choice.
Applications running on iOS must be written in either Objective-C or Swift.
Applications running on Android must be written in Java.
That being said, there are frameworks that allow you to write an application in a common language and export the output to be compatible for either Android or iOS. Unity is an example of such a framework, although it’s focused on games
Someone on quora asked:
Probably not more than inefficient people.
The whole point of being efficient is to be spending less time doing things you don’t like so that you have more time to spend on things you don’t like (which presumably you don’t find boring). So it’s more likely that efficient people are less bored than inefficient ones
Additionally, efficient people will usually find the act of optimizing to become more efficient in and of itself to be an endeavor worth their time, so that part is not boring either
Someone on quora asked:
This is something that often comes up in science fiction.
Think about the scenario where you are stranded in a foreign country where nobody speaks your language. How would you communicate with the locals? You would look for common signals or signs that they would interpret the same way. For example, if you were thirsty, you would mime drinking from a glass and hope that they get the message. If they don’t understand you would need to try different signs or words and hope that they recognize one of them
Any contact with extraterrestrial intelligence would likely proceed the same way. We have no guarantee of what medium of communication they would use (it is possible they do not use visuals or sounds, but instead through some sort of E-M radiation), so we would have to try all sorts of things to see what they would recognize. Obviously we can’t send out signals in English or such as this would be meaningless to them. One possibility is to use a universally recognizable language - mathematics. We can transmit recognizable mathematical patterns or sequences to establish that we are an intelligent species capable of communication. If we are lucky enough that the alien species can understand visual signals we can show them images to try to explain what we mean, then use a secondary medium such as sound to try to establish our language.
In effect we would have to spend effort to learn how to communicate with each other, largely through trial and error until a reasonable approach can be found. It’s not too different from the usual scientific method approach
Someone on quora asked:
The technology stack certainly isn’t very relevant unless you are hiring for a position where you cannot avoid the additional spin-up time of someone having to pick up your technology stack. For very good developers, the spin-up time will be very low, on the order of 1–2 days or maybe a matter of hours, so it’s unlikely that the technology stack is super relevant.
The two things to look out for are personality (whether the person can work well with your culture or with a team; whether he can communicate well; whether he can be trusted to work independently with minimal guidance; etc) and general technical skill (how easy it is for him to pick up new technologies, assess technical options, etc.). Both of these can be difficult to interview for though
Someone on quora asked:
How come some intelligent people don’t take much action towards their goals?
(a) Knowing what is the right thing to do
(b) Getting the right thing done
The above two are two very different things. A person can be good at one but not the other. Being an intelligent person isn’t particularly relevant to (b), although it can be relevant to (a). (b) is more determined by drive, determination, motivation, etc. than intelligence
Someone on quora asked:
Where can I find the best web developers in the Philippines?
The best web developers are working for other people/firms and don’t need to advertise themselves. They always have work lined up so they don’t need to be camping oDesk, Freelancer, etc
What sort of work are you looking to provide?
Someone on quora asked:
Would venture capitalists invest money in a 16 boy that can code?
Thousands, maybe millions, of people know how to code. Anyone can have a killer idea. I literally had two of them right before going to bed last night.
Therefore, there is a nontrivial number of people who both know how to code and have at least one killer idea. Many of them will be way be more experienced than a 16-year old kid and will have a better idea of how the world works and will have better reputations and will be more likely to have contacts who can hook them up to VCs.
If you are a 16-year old kid who knows how to code and has a killer idea, the best way to attract a VC’s attention is: implement your idea already. Start to finish, top to bottom. Prototype, iterate, then release it. Gather users, build a following. Be so big you become impossible to ignore.
Someone on quora asked:
You should start with Servlets and JSP as these are the basic building block technologies. For people new to Java web development I always recommend the book Head First Servlets and JSPs, as it builds up from these base technologies and moves towards establishing something similar to an MVC framework like Spring
Someone on quora asked:
As a teacher, how do you grade an hand-written programming exam?
As a computer science teacher, you really shouldn’t give this kind of an exam. It’s in no way reflective of how code is written in the real world
If you must have an exam of this sort, you should focus on making sure the algorithm used in the code is conceptually correct, and disregard any problems in syntax that may fail a compiler. In fact, it’s probably better to have the students submit their answers in some sort of pseudocode or other informal format instead of actual program code, so they know not to focus on syntax
Someone on quora asked:
There are three steps.
It’s really straightforward!
Someone on quora asked:
There is no need to feel guilty about your background, that’s not really something under your control or something you can change.
Being close-minded however, you can do something about that. While you may never fully understand their situation, that shouldn’t stop you from being able to empathize with them. Spend some time with people worse off than you, treat them to a meal every so often, listen to their stories, see what you can do for them.
There is great inequality in this world. It’s something we may never be able to eradicate. But that shouldn’t stop us from trying, from reaching out to one another and trying to connect, even with those who live different lives than us
Someone on quora asked:
Regardless of being mentally ill or not, you should take a little time after a psychotic break to put your life back into perspective
Someone on quora asked:
First, it isn’t necessary for you as a programmer to know these things
Second, do you have a computer of your own? I’ve had and maintained my own computer for almost two decades now, so most of my knowledge of how computers work comes with that experience. I’ve encountered a lot of problems and researched how to fix each one so I have a good idea of how computers work and what fixes are available to common problems. Having your own computer for personal use (not just the one at work) will help a lot. Desktops are better than laptops, since they are more easily customisable
Third, if you don’t already have a computer, build one yourself. Or even if you already have one, either build a second one for yourself and help a friend build one. And by “build” I don’t mean buying one fully assembled already; I mean buying each part individually and putting it together yourself. That means researching what parts are needed and what will serve your needs best and what will be compatible and canvassing for the best prices and finally sitting down and opening all the boxes and putting it all together. I’ve put together five different desktop builds over the past twenty years myself
Someone on quora asked:
It’s probably really easy to explain it to a doctor, since they have specialties in their field too. “It’s like if you used to be a dermatologist, but now you handle internal medicine too”
Someone on quora asked:
What is the best book to learn enterprise application development?
The best way to learn is to actually participate in an enterprise application project. You won’t get everything you need from a book, particularly things on how to work well and communicate well with a team. That being said, I would suggest reading the following books:
That should give you a relatively good/balanced foundation to build on
Someone on quora asked:
I suppose it depends on what you mean by “real story” and where you want to draw that line
I mean, a plumber’s girlfriend is kidnapped by a giant ape and he has to climb some ladders to get to her, that’s a story. Donkey Kong (1981). It’s not particularly long or complicated, but it’s a story
The first game in the Ultima series (1981), told a more complex story involving an evil sorcerer, a powerful artifact and a time travel twist
Super Mario Bros (1985): Later they extended that concept to create an entire fantasy kingdom with a lineup of bad guys and castles, it was still a story then
The Legend of Zelda (1986): How about a young boy who is given a sword by a mysterious old man and he has to wander lands filled with dangerous monsters cryptic npcs and recover powerful artifacts from deep dungeons?
Dragon Quest (1986) and Final Fantasy (1987) introduced the epic fantasy tradition to consoles
Maniac Mansion (1987) kicked off a whole new genre of adventure that focused entirely on story and puzzle-solving
Someone on quora asked:
Why is much of the game industry moving away from campaigns?
It’s almost certainly market-driven. While the core, long-time gamers are used to having single-player campaigns to enjoy on their own, the mass market is more focused on multiplayer, both offline and online, so we will continue to find many of the bigger AAA releases deciding to focus less resources on single-player stuff
Someone on quora asked:
It would be a large and costly endeavor. Think about the cost involved to rewrite things like official documentation, street signs, that sort of thing. For many people it would also involve a lot of effort for very little gain. Older people especially wouldn’t take too well to having to learn a new language. People who don’t really need to communicate with people outside their local sphere of influence won’t have a great need of it.
Sure, it would be good, but it’s largely unnecessary. Right now the people who need to communicate with foreigners on a regular basis already use English as a lingua franca for their business. The other big affected market would be tourists, and some even enjoy the idea of going to a place where people speak a different language.
Lastly, take a look at current events around the world. We can’t even get people to agree on how to treat other people, how to end conflicts, which religion to follow, etc. We are a ways off from being modern enough as a species to be able to unify around a single language!
Someone on quora asked:
It’s a bit like how some people are scared of math. It’s hard and it looks arcane and exact and unforgiving and if you don’t understand it too well it’s easy to get lost and have no idea what’s going on.
Sometimes it’s just a matter of presentation though. Maybe those people were first exposed to programming in a difficult way, focusing more on syntax and other arcane things instead of programming as a way of thinking and stepping through problems. Math has this same problem too!
Someone on quora asked:
The difference between front-end and back-end is on which side executes the relevant code. HTML, JS and CSS are all interpreted, rendered, and in the case of JS, executed by the client browser. These parts are the front-end. The code for those parts is basically meaningless to the server. The server program looks at these parts and only sees simple text and just sends it through to the browser (or whatever client program made the request)
For example in a *.php file, anything outside the <?php ?> brackets is not interpreted by the PHP runtime, they are just returned to the browser as-is. The server does not “load the HTML for the user”, it simply returns the HTML code to the browser and the browser loads that HTML and displays the rendered HTML.
Someone on quora asked:
As long as you understand what the code you’re copying is doing and how it applies to your needs there should be no issue. This is something perfectly normal and most devs will do it. The internet is pretty much one of the most important tools for the modern-day developer
Someone on quora asked:
Well, first you have to have a better of idea of what the “something” you want to do is. It doesn’t have to be super detailed or anything, just a direction you want to go. Then list down whatever small steps you need to do to take you down that road. You don’t need to figure out a complete roadmap, just something to get you started. And if you can’t figure out what steps there are, then that’s one of your first steps. After that, it’s like walking - you simply take one step after the next.
I don’t know what it is you plan or want to do, but here are some general ideas for next steps:
Good luck!
Someone on quora asked:
I suspect that in the long run this will be one of those things that doesn’t matter and it will turn out that either before or after works. I would guess that Nick Spencer is writing his first story arc independently of Civil War II. Besides, the focus of CWII is on Tony Stark and Carol Danvers, apparently Steve Rogers doesn’t have that big a role
Someone on quora asked:
Playing against better people forces you to improve faster. But at the same time, if there is too large a gap in skill level, you may not be learning too much because what they’re doing may be too far above your skill level. Losing too much due to the skill gap will also increase frustration which will dampen your learning as well
There is a sweet spot where you are playing against people who are slightly better than you such that you still have a small chance of winning and at the same time you are still able to effectively learn and sharpen your skills.
Playing against others of the same skill level can also still help - but instead of learning new skills or techniques, the practice will help develop and reinforce the basics of your execution.
Someone on quora asked:
How do I get over the feeling that I’m not good enough at any job?
There is a phenomenon among competent individuals known as Impostor syndrome - it basically means that even though you are doing well, you feel like you are not really that good and maybe you’re just lucky and that sooner or later someone will figure it out
The easiest way to rid yourself of this mentality is to seek out honest feedback from your peers. Ask them if you’re doing well! Ask them what you need to improve! Be willing to accept and learn from criticism, because when people know that about you they will be more likely to give you honest feedback
Someone on quora asked:
On the one hand, the world doesn’t care if you accept it or not. It is what it is, whether you accept it or not.
On the other hand, this doesn’t mean we should settle for what the world is. It shouldn’t stop us trying to improve the current state, in whatever small way we can.
Someone on quora asked:
Is there a good web tutorial that teaches you how to make a complex inventory management system?
No. Web tutorials will only teach you the basics. Most probably you just need to learn how to implement form-based screens that do simple CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations. Your “complex inventory management system” can be built upon those basics, and most probably will have specific requirements that web tutorials can’t cover. You’ll need to learn how to do the parts of it individually and put it all together.
Someone on quora asked:
Well, the first thing to ask yourself is: do you like hanging out with him? If not, the way forward should be clear.
The second thing to ask yourself is: why are you so scared of spending money? This can happen if you grew up in a poorer family and are used to scrimping and saving, or it may simply be that your level of saving is justified and it’s your partner that has a problem because he is spending too much.
The third thing is: since you prefer staying at home you are likely an introvert. If you want to be with your partner, you should also learn how to care for an introvert. At the same time, you can ask him to be more considerate of your needs as an introvert.
Sit down with your partner and talk through these issues with him. One thing I can suggest is if the two of you decide together to allocate a budget, say a monthly budget, for “going out” activities, at a level you’re comfortable with so you don’t spend too much money. Discuss also the difference in the activities you prefer. Maybe you can agree to go out at most X times a month or a week, and he can agree to spend Y days a week at home with you, and maybe even have some days for the two of you to do things separately. Compromise on the activities you both can do together: “Okay, we’ll go out this often, but can we also spend some nights staying in and doing [activity you like]?”
Good luck!
Someone on quora asked:
Whenever I see a question like “How can I improve [skill]”, there is almost always one obvious answer: practice. Improvement only comes with practice. You can read about it, think about it, watch youtube videos, but unless you practice you won’t be improving much.
For talking to people, start small and work your way up:
At first you will find it difficult. You might even choke on what you wanted to say or say something completely inappropriate and run away. That’s fine. Failing and trying again is what practice it. Don’t worry so much about how people will react. If it’s someone you might see again (say, the cashier at the grocery or the bus driver), it gives you something to talk about again next time “Hey, sorry if I was an idiot before. I’m trying to be better at talking to people” can lead to good conversations too.
Someone on quora asked:
How long should I try to solve a bug before asking a colleague for help?
As soon as you become aware you’re stuck is a pretty good time in my opinion. If you already know you’re stuck and not going to move forward, why put it off? Sometimes a couple of minutes with a fresh set of eyes is all it takes to get some progress, so it makes no sense to hold off until you are truly desperate. That being said, be sure not to interrupt your colleagues when they are in the flow!
Sometimes you don’t even need your colleague to answer or pay attention too much, the mere act of describing the problem to him may light up some neural pathways that make clear the way forward.
Someone on quora asked:
What is the general size limit of a method or variable name?
The idea is to keep them as short as possible. If I had a variable name of say 20 characters, I’d already be raising eyebrows at that and looking for ways to trim it.
If you find that your variable or method names are generally too long, you may be violating the Single responsibility principle
Someone on quora asked:
I had a friend who underwent some serious emotional pain and it really changed her: she started distancing herself from people who used to be her friends and she became quieter and more withdrawn
There is a quote, often attributed to Stephen Aitchison:
“People change for two main reasons: either their minds have been opened or their hearts have been broken”
I have found this often to be true, though it really only refers to drastic change. People also tend to change or evolve little by little slowly over time.
Someone on quora asked:
I don’t know if what I am doing and feeling is right in my relationship?
Talk to your partner about your issues and see what the two of you can do. Nothing like open communication.
Someone on quora asked:
If you were hired by Amazon, they saw something in you that made them believe you would be a good hire. Nothing can take that away from you.
Look at your tasks and figure out what the problem is and try to correct.
Are you being given tasks for which you don’t have the necessary tools, skillset or knowledge? Raise it to your manager and ask whether you could be given additional time to learn the necessary tools first. Or whether there is supplemental training the company could provide.
One of the great things about working as a software developer is that we are always faced with new challenges in our chosen field. It’s never boring. You need to have that attitude of always being willing to step up to the challenge of new skills that need to be learned.
Someone on quora asked:
Channel that nervousness into excitement. Imagine how it’s going to feel after the class and you’ve learned something new!
Someone on quora asked:
Fake it ’til you make it. Don’t worry about how to be confident, just pretend that you are. Everything else follows.
Also, be more comfortable with who you are. Don’t worry too much about what other people think about you.
Someone on quora asked:
You probably mean learning programming enough to work (unless you are really a fan of the theoretical applications of computer science). There are many ways to learn programming online (regardless of whether Filipino or not). A CS degree is hardly necessary. All you need is a decent computer and internet. Lots of short courses, books, tutorials available online. You just need to choose what you want to learn
Someone on quora asked:
Is web development boring after a certain amount of time doing it?
Anything can become boring if you do it for too long and you let it. Whether you find something boring or not depends more on you as a person that the activity that you’re doing. Stamp collecting seems like the most boring hobby in the world, but there are people who have been doing it for ages.
Any kind of programming is in a class unto itself though, because technology advances so rapidly. There are always a lot of new things to learn!
Someone on quora asked:
Are the Filipino people willing or capable of inciting a bloody, French-style revolution?
Corruption is actually on the downtrend (Why Graft Is Declining In The Notoriously Corrupt Philippines)
Traffic and internet are bad, but I don’t see how you could possibly compare that to 1789 Paris, unless may alternate timelines involved.
Dissent is at a healthy level and people are perfectly free to criticize the government and oppose their actions. There is no rampant violence on the streets on a daily basis.
We aren’t perfect, and there is a long way to go, but we are in almost no way a dystopia.
Someone on quora asked:
Don’t worry too much about what people think about you. Other people generally think about us a lot less often than we imagine.
Be a true person. That means being open and honest and unpretentious. It also means being comfortable with yourself, flaws and all.
Be interested in other people. Genuinely interested. When you meet someone new, try to find something you find interesting about them and ask them more about it.
Someone on quora asked:
I feel that I’m a boring person, what should I do to be less boring?
Don’t feel bad for being a quiet person. Quiet people are cool.
Don’t compare yourself to other people. Not everyone has to be the life of the party.
Instead of worrying about being a quiet person or whether other people see you as boring, ask yourself this: are you a true person?
Being a true person means that you are honest and open. It means that you are comfortable enough with yourself that you don’t mind talking about your own interests and passions when other people are interested and keeping quiet when they are not. It means not being pretentious and not changing yourself simply to become more popular or liked.
When you are a true person, you don’t have to worry about whether you are boring or interesting. Here is a truth: every person can be boring or interesting to other people, it all depends on whether those other people share the same passions or culture with you. I work in software development, so when I encounter another software developer in the wild, we can easily have good conversations even if we are strangers. Being a true person facilitates this: when people see that you are honest and open and unpretentious, those who share your interests and passions will be more likely to gravitate to you.
Aside from that, one other tip I can give you is: be interested in other people. What you think of other people matters more to them, so if you show interest in them, they are more likely to show an interest in you. This means being willing to listen to them and their stories to figure out where their interest lies, and asking them questions to make them elaborate on those interests.
Being a true person helps here too, because people can easily spot fake interest. Be genuinely interested in other people. Even if you dislike another person, try to find something about him that you find interesting and try to make him talk more about it.
Someone on quora asked:
How do I become a kinder, selfless, generous, thoughtful person?
The fact that you recognize this as a fault is already a very good first step.
Being kinder, selfless, generous, thoughtful…these are all basically traits of empathy, which means being more attuned to the needs and feelings of other people instead of simply being absorbed in your own.
I imagine you could try one or more of the following:
Like any other skill, learning to be more empathic will take practice, so do not be disheartened if you find it difficult, just keep trying :D