Ever Get Stuck?Ever get stuck? Writing, maybe? Or that project you keep putting off? This is a story that might help. On Being Stuck, Part 1
In mid-1987, I was in trouble. Not real, actual trouble, but deadline trouble. I was supposed to be making great gains on my master’s thesis, but I wasn’t. In fact I was stuck. “Software Testing Strategies for Automatic Test Data Generators” was going nowhere. I don’t today remember exactly what the pressure was, but I… See more ›
Tuesday ZoomEach Tuesday at 10:30am CDT (3:30pm UTC), I host a weekly Zoom call where a small group of IT professionals spend 25 minutes discussing how to make life better for ourselves and the people we serve. You’re welcome to join us. This week, we talked about a number of things, including the growing influence of AI upon our toolkits. If you're a Vim user, have a look at https://github.com/Bryley/neoai.nvim. Let me know if you've tried it. How to Make Things FasterThere are only two ways to improve the response time of a computer program. What are they? Hint: They're the same “only two ways” you can reduce the total line on your grocery store receipt. Find out in chapter 28 of How to Make Things Faster. How to Make Things Faster will soon be translated into Chinese. Stand by for news on that. Find How to Make Things Faster wherever you find books and audiobooks. |
Cary Millsap Weekly Newsletter Canceled: June 4 Tuesday Zoom There will be no Tuesday Zoom call this Tuesday, June 4, 2024. Sadly, a family friend has passed away, and her funeral service is scheduled for the same time as our call. I’ll plan to see you again on Tuesday, June 11. See more › The Fundamental Challenge of Computer System Performance This week’s featured article is one of my favorites from 2015. The fundamental challenge of computer system performance is for your system to have...
Cary Millsap Weekly Newsletter A Lesson in Writing from 1944 This week’s featured article is one of my favorites from 2008. I watched the Presidential debate tonight. One of the candidates mentioned a pair of letters that General Dwight David Eisenhower wrote in 1944. He wrote one letter that he would use in the event of a victorious Normandy invasion, and he wrote another one that he would use in the event of a defeat. I… See more › Tuesday Zoom Each Tuesday at 10:30am CDT (3:30pm UTC), I...
Cary Millsap Weekly Newsletter The Sally–Anne Skill Why won't your customer take your advice? The Sally–Anne skill will help you understand. The Sally–Anne test is a test that helps psychologists gauge a subject’s social cognitive development. Here’s the test: This is Sally. Sally has a basket. This is Anne. Anne has a box. Sally has a marble. She puts the marble into her basket. Sally goes out for a walk. Anne takes the marble out of… See more › Tuesday Zoom Each Tuesday at 10:30am CDT...