>>8364I dabble a bit in coding and web. Done a little electronics/PLC, here I prefer logical circuits (I never fully got the hang of analogue circuits).
The problem with projects I do (mostly for myself) is that with any profession the more you learn the more you know you don't know.
But could be a fun thread, not sure what to contribute, but will do what I can.
>>8373What do you code and what languages do you use?
>here I prefer logical circuits (I never fully got the hang of analogue circuits).Much easier to work with
>The problem with projects I do (mostly for myself) is that with any profession the more you learn the more you know you don't know.There are some problems I have with IT. That is one of them. The other is the lack of projects. If you have no project to work on learning a language doesn't really make sense. You learn, you don't use, you forget.
A different problem has to do with things realted to a language but are not necessarily a part of it: Compiler, Linker, Libraries, APIs. This is mostly learning by doing and can be demotivating. Combine that with a lack of time to work and it all becomes difficult.
The core of most languages is simple (Turing machine (loops, if-else, data constructs...)) but there is only so much fun you can have with these basics if there is no GUI no sound and no api to the OS or servers or whatever
>>8418>What do you code and what languages do you use?Mainly it is C# at the moment. My special love is for ANSI C, I really like the low-level coding. You are in total control and the machine must do your bidding to the teeth.
But besides that I am fairly proficient in PHP and worked with it for a long time (technically probably falls under scripting language). Done some Java (but that was just for university course).
>Much easier to work with Fully agree. But I guess once you get a hang of the different analogue circuit techniques you will probably get there too. But in today's world with high detailed A/D converters who needs to go analogue anymore (unless you are going to do 1:1 analog conversion and mixing), but I am no musician.
>There are some problems I have with IT. That is one of them. The other is the lack of projects.Oh yes that is a problem I have too. Figuring out what to do. Set a goal to work towards and learn on the way. Also I have an aversion using placement art even though that is they way to go (designing games). I am a bit impatient and perfectionist and want it to look awesome from the start.
If you want a project that was a bit fun doing and at the same time I think I learned some (though I can't remember if I did). Is to implement voronoi maps (
http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~amitp/game-programming/polygon-map-generation/ ).
But you are right the basics stays the same no matter what language you use.
>>8419>My special love is for ANSI C, I really like the low-level codingmastery comes with fundamentals plus it really helps you to really understand what you are doing down to the hardware
>PHP and worked with it for a long time (technically probably falls under scripting language). Done some Java (but that was just for university course).Never really cared much for web stuff and I HATE Java
>Fully agree. But I guess once you get a hang of the different analogue circuit techniques you will probably get there too. But in today's world with high detailed A/D converters who needs to go analogue anymore (unless you are going to do 1:1 analog conversion and mixing), but I am no musician.Analogue is much easier to deal with on a hardware level but on a programming level it is the very oposite. With all the converters and some practice it is doable but usually there is no need to.
>Oh yes that is a problem I have too. Figuring out what to do. Set a goal to work towards and learn on the way. Also I have an aversion using placement art even though that is they way to go (designing games). I am a bit impatient and perfectionist and want it to look awesome from the start.I fucking know this feel and it is hard to remind myself that every journey beginns with the first step and that the finished product never resembles what it looked like in the beginning.
>If you want a project that was a bit fun doing and at the same time I think I learned some (though I can't remember if I did). Is to implement voronoi maps ( http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~amitp/game-programming/polygon-map-generation/ ).I'll give it a look.
Got any goals?
My goals is being somewhat decent at least
somewhat fluent in every major language archetype and progeramming apps (games) and maybe know a bit abput hacking and security.
These goals are easy to spell out but extremely hard to archieve
at least for me >>8420Sadly I don't have any real goals at the moment. Just doing some small projects for myself (that never ends up in an end product). I don't think you have to look into too many languages as they all are all using the same fundamentals. I think the way to mastering coding is to read up on algorithms and pseudocode. Learn the tricks to solve problems you might face. Graph theory, Sorting algorithms, etc. Also Discrete math, and Linear algebra (the latter is not something I know how to use). Also Distributed systems and multi-threading is something that might be useful.
You could also specialize into fields like neural networks. If you get to master or get a good fundamental understanding on how they work and how to make one I think you will be set for a good job.
I'll try to think of more tips and tricks as I think of them (granted it will probably be more like an do as I say, or wish I did, not as I do/did).
Hacking/security is a separate field all in it self. I think the trick is not to spread your knowledge too much, but try to become good at one field/area. Don't be as me mediocre in many fields, try to become really good in one field , or a narrow set of fields.
>>8422> think the trick is not to spread your knowledge too muchMaybe that is part of the problem. Neural networks and deep learning is fucking awesome but somehow a little bit scarry. You can programm a neuron on any machine and all this deep learning stuff fascinates me. The Go game where the CPU came up with very unconventional strategies really makes you think in many different ways. The 128k CPUs that beat DOTA2 players as well. It bridges the gap between IT and Psychology and Anatomy.
But complex systems and paralel computing with massive amounts of data and bottlenecks are also interesting.
Hacking and securtiy has a pull to it but games fascinate.
The algorithems used for everyday tasks like image manipulation hold their very own charm.
If I just had more time and energy...
>>8422>pseudocodeCould you expand on this?
>learn the tricks to solve problems you might face. Graph theory, Sorting algorithms, etcIn this way IT is really a bridge to other science and once you lose yourself in all that knowledge and theorie there is no coming back but that is also part of the charm
>>8423>If I just had more time and energy…I feel the same.
If you want to look into games. I can recommend reading/skimming throuhg the "Game coding gems" book series. Lots of interesting tips and trick on how to solve seemingly complex problems really easy.
>>8424Pseudocode is just a way to write a "code example" that explains how to solve a problem without using language specific functions or methods.
Wikipedia actually summarizes it good in first line
>Pseudocode is an informal high-level description of the operating principle of a computer program or other algorithm.Example of algorithm where pseudocode is used to explain solution (Heapsort):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heapsort >>8426Perhaps better example to use for pseudocode
>Quicksorthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quicksort >>8426>>8427Thanks!
Looking at it from the opposite point of view the most advanced thing I made was a small programm using pygame and a background and some sprites to make a pony move and jump in on a background.
and working with PLC on industrial plantsYou got anything to show for?
Also if anyone is interested in IT I may be able to give advice or the other Anon may offerbetter advince.
I work in IT professionally NOT a programmer just normal IT if you have any questions just ask I am happy to help anyone interested in the subject.
>>8364I work as an IT and 90% of the time i'm just wondering if i am actually good at my job.
It has been years since i program something bigger than a batch script but i used to be good with pascal.
>>8428Can't say I have anything to show for. I wish I did. But like most project they died because I felt it was an mountain to climb to get anything polished and ready for market.
>I made a prototype for myself for a petition system on web long before all the petition sites popped up. Wish I had completed that project.>>8431I remember pascal, it was strict as hell when it came to deceleration of variables. (Never did any actual real coding in pascal - I fell in love with Borland C)
>you haven't declared it at the top you say... well fuck you then :) >>8432I readed somewhere that Pascal is supposed o encourage "good practices" in programming.
Ah, Pascal, what a nightmare it was, I remember programing an space Invaders in Pascal back when I was studying.
>>8430What is it you actually do in IT if you don't code?
>>8431Could you share some insight of what you do?
>>8433>I readed somewhere that Pascal is supposed o encourage "good practices" in programmingMy "conspiratorial" theory of Pascal coding style is more inclined to believe it was enforced because of lazy coding of the compilers. This way the compiler could do an easy "one to one" translation without any investigation of the code, or having to "think".
Pascal might show you how end code should look like if you did straight forward stuff. But damnit not being able to declare int's in for-loops and doing any form of testing is hell. And I still don't agree with the for-loop decelerations, and how temp vars inside these loops should be predeclared for "good practice".
>Ah, Pascal, what a nightmare it wasTrue.
>>8438Coding isn't IT it is development. I work as a system admin so maintaining windows servers and working with the network and firewalls.
>>8443Would you be fine with expanding on this? I'd like to know more about this field.
Like what are the main tasks and the problems you face? How large are these servers and networks? What's the architecture?
>>8444I work in fortune 500 so I am part of a larger team. Out job for the most part is building out the servers most being 2012/2012R2 and 2016 we still have some 2008 R2s running legacy apps. The job is pretty much dealing with tickets that come in ranging from requests for us to do reboots of the box, setting up a new with down server for them after the hosting the builds out the VM dealing with alerts, restarting apps that crash things like that. For networking stuff I mostly poke with basic troubleshooting before sending it over to the networking team so using TACAS to remote into a switch checking up time, making sure the port I am using is up things like that if it is more than that we send it up to the networking team. Firewall it is same thing checking if it is up and if it isn't or if it is and still not working we give it to the Fw team. There is a Linix team they work exclusively with Redhat I don't touch their boxes and they don't touch mine. I am not a big Linux fan
>>8445Wow, that is a world I have never looked into before so thank you for sharing!
Is TACAS like a remote shell and basically managing what inputs get to what server?
Guess my aim was to get my machine to do what I want it so far.
What is the problem with Linux?
>>8474TACACS is used to speak to CISCO routers and switches so you use that like you would putty. As for getting more out of your machine Virtualbox or VMware is your best friend. It allows you to spin up a VM of any OS you want when you want and build out networks in it virtually to be honest is if fucking cool and fun to do. As for Linux just not my thing I grew up on windows I have used it my whole life and just prefer it to Linux. I am studying up on linux but I REALLY do not want to work on linux professionally my self.
>>8474>Wow, that is a world I have never looked into beforeWhat do you do in your job anon?
My job also doesn't has much to do with coding, i spend 90% of the time just fixing small network issues
How to into more security and anonymity?
>>8582Easiest first step is VPN.
There is other steps to hide even more, but for the normal person I don't think that will be needed at all.
>>8583Please tell me what other steps there are. If you had no VPN what would you do to be as safe and untraceable as possible?
>>8582>>8583>>8681I thought we used to have a board for this stuff? cyber somethin
regardless, recently i have delved into the anonymous. I purchased a VPN and also a router that is flashed with dd wrt. I'm still pretty novice at a lot of this stuff but i hardwired the vpn into the router so whenever i'm connected to that router it uses the vpn ip i put into it (have to go in and manually change for different ip/location) I usually keep it going through somewhere close (a reservoir in kansas currently kek) for speed reasons. Now currently my setup is still using the isp provided router/wifi combo and i connected my vpn router to that so i can still connect straight to isp wifi and raw dog it.
Question I have: What is more anonymous, using my vpn flashrouter hardwired to one ip (that isnt me) or using the isp wifi with the vpn enabled on my computer (allows for me to switch ip more easily)?
>>8682my guess would be changing IPs
Currently I try to learn Python and C and OS specifics and maybe some hackits.
There is so much to learn!
>>8488I never worked in IT but it always had a certain pull. I managed to learn a lot but it isn't nearly enough.
>>8445Working in a business environment currently with workstations that run on Win2012. Made me think of you.
>>8839>it isn't nearly enough.You would be surprised how little you need to know, depending on your possition.
Plus you'll learn on the go if you start with someone that knows the stuff.
The most complex thing I've ever tfried to do was install Linux Gentoo and in the nearly week-long process I bricked my computer - and somehow, the livecd USB too. So...I just want to die already.
>>8842>You would be surprised how little you need to knowAlways strive for the top
>>8843>I just want to die already.why?
>>8882Because I need a computer to set up a boot to a USB, and the library computers don't let you use USB boot loaders. Oh, and the part where my $1200 PC got fucking bricked. Y'know. That's kind of sucky.
I am thinking of going into IT and there are two paths here: System Administration and Development
Anyone here that can shed some light on the pros and cons or share some experience?
Installing Gentoo is kinda difficult but you learn a lot