Hello World.
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Note: If you like my Friendster blog, check out my other blogs on Google Blogger: My All-Purpose Blog, My Tech Blog, My 100 Goals ).
Saturday, November 19, 2005.
I allowed myself to use part of the biweekly paycheck from Analytic on books. Amazon has good deals on older books (Linux in a Nutshell for two dollars…). One of the newer books I bought is "Google Hacking For Penetration Testers" (GHPT). I like the title, and so far I like the book. It’s interesting that I interviewed with Google for a position awhile back, and was told that I don’t have enough statistics to satisfy the position’s requirements. I was also presented with another opportunity, for which I expressed my opinion and interest. Now, reading the "GHPT", and also browsing another book, called "Google Hacks: Tips & Tools for Smarter Searching", gives me insight into Google’s products and methods and reach, so to speak, whereas when I interviewed for the position, I viewed Google as a sort of cool-startup-turned-corporate-beast.
The good news is that whether I work at Google or Analytic, my growth as a programmer shall surely steadily rise. I mustn’t overdo programming, overzealous at the newfound hobby, means of self-expression, and livelihood, lest I lose interest in it, or fatigue myself. But there is so much to learn!How wonderful it is to do a lot of reading, and after some thinking and implementation, present your boss with something you made that does what he wants it to do. And there are so many ways of making a program better, more reliable, simpler, more secure. There’s so much potential at Analytic in terms of learning and making things better and making things happen, that I wonder whether I’ll get it all done by December 31st, when my internship is officially over.
On the other hand, I think, what if programming sucks me in, and I find myself 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years later, without a PhD or masters in mathematics. It’s too challenging a question. I do not really know how deeply I yearn to study graduate-level mathematics anywhere from 2 to 10 years (2 for a masters, 10 for one of the harder mathematics PhDs, in logic, for example). Maybe my view of graduate school is too influenced by sights at Berkeley, and that getting a mathematics masters or PhD is not as difficult (e.g., it takes persistence, careful planning, and a healthy work ethic). Just to start, I’d want to ace the GRE Subject Test in Mathematics (I think the best score is 800). I’ve looked at the questions, and there’s some heavy-duty upper-division mathematics there.
And how to keep up with the study of mathematics–let’s call it, GRE Preparation (GREPREP)–alongside the study of computers and computer-related things. And why mathematics and computers? Why not underwater basketweaving?
PS Oh, and the Spring 2006 classes are finally up at the College of San Mateo website! A programmer at Analytic tells me that he learns better autodidactically and doesn’t take classes. I somehow like the structure of a class. Taking and finishing a class gives me the feeling like something was accomplished, like I can put this concept on my resume. Plus, it’s a chance to ask professors questions. Anyhow, I signed up for three or four classes, not being sure which one I’ll end up taking. Some choices are: C++ Data Structures, HTML/Javascript (a lighter classes). There is also a Java Data Structures class. I ought to take the C++ class I think–I’ve already taken a Java class–but something that’s (temporarily, I can only anticipate) unsettling, is that I can’t get Eclipse with a C/C++ add-on to compile my Hello World application. I have a feeling (directly inspired by a certain "Help" page) that some of the three programs marked as essential are not functioning or are absent. The three programs are gcc, make, and gdb, or their equivalents. And this is just to get Eclipse running! I feel like such a newbee (granted I haven’t tried to compile in C or C++ using Eclipse ever before), maybe I’m eating too much honey.
For now, if you’re reading this, be well!
–Shurik
November 20th, 2005 at 2:42 am
everyone and their mother tells me Eclipse CDT sucks. I don’t use it; I use a text editor and then compile from the command line these days, although I find Visual Studio to be the best environment for C++. By far. In fact, I’m currently planning to try to set up VS so that it works with the google codebase and runs external compiles on other computers. Once I finish my current project, anyway….
December 28th, 2005 at 12:00 am
CDT, that’s right, that’s what it’s called.
It’s good to hear from you, Ben. Having said that, maybe a little later down the road, I’ll figure out what exactly you are talking about, using Visual Studio to run external compilers on other computers. I’m not such a master yet.
It’s interesting to hear about compiling a text file from the command line. Rock on! And do you use Unix too? What, do you work for Google or something?