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There is nothing about learning how basic data structures and algorithms work that won't help you in your day to day development.

You might be "fine" without it in a certain category of job, but rather than be dismissive about it you could be excited about having a massive wealth of information that you can use to do your job better.

There will always be something else to learn, wether it be how to apply Domain Driven Design to your work or how to work with graphs when munging data. It's always worth it.

[edit] Run on sentence


> There is nothing about learning how basic data structures and algorithms work that won't help you in your day to day development.

Having a basic understanding of these things is NOT the same as being able to regurgitate them on a whiteboard, under the stress of the interview process.


Exactly, I don't need to know this stuff of the top of my head. I can look it up...


The reason we test for things is to verify you have enough domain knowledge to "look it up". A bad interviewer will ask you to write quick sort on the board, because if we've already gotten to the point of "implement quick sort" yeah we can just look that up. However, if you're given a collection of nodes and asked to do something with them; that's a bit more interesting. If you know nothing about graph traversal, or have never seen a tree (both not uncommon in people claiming to be principle engineers in my industry) how do you even know what to search for? Best case is you're smart and waste time coming up with a new solution from first principles; most likely it just never gets done.


This book https://www.amazon.com/Data-Structures-Algorithm-Analysis-C-... Don't let the "in C++" scare you If you google about you'll find free copies of older editions online


The new module system makes it easy ;)


A bit more lightweight version of that is https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/installation_guide The first time I tried to install arch I had many aha! moments


Similarly, the Gentoo Installation Handbook: https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Handbook:AMD64


Gentoo taught me Linux. The Handbooks are really good.

I think that much of early Gentoo ideas - the OpenRC init system, the ports system, the handbooks - were inspired by BSD traditions. OpenBSD and FreeBSD each have good documentation. Working through the FreeBSD handbook, and then study of McKusik's BSD Book [0], are a good way to get another perspective if you get into this sort of thing.

[0] http://www.worldcat.org/title/design-and-implementation-of-t...


humility


Someone's been reading Fred Brooks ;)


I have not, does he write about the Aibo development history ?


He writes about Design, and also likes to call it a game of constraints(paraphrasing).


I'm the Riddler


* Douglas Hofstadter - Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid

* Fred Brooks - Design Of Design

* Fred Brooks - The Mythical Man month

* Eric J. Evans - Domain Driven Design

* Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software

* Kent Beck - Extreme Programming Explained

* Kent Beck - Planning Extreme Programming

* Michael C. Feathers - Working Effectively with Legacy Code

* Daniel Kahneman - Thinking, Fast and Slow

[EDIT] Correct the author for legacy code


I've just recently bought "Gödel, Escher, Bach" -- looking shortly to start it. Curious, how did it influenced you in connection to programming?


Just like the other non programming book on the list(Thinking Fast and Slow) GEB is a lot about perception to me.

Understanding that nothing is purely logical nor is it purely expressionistic; by pigeonholing your perception of any design whether it be Code, Math or Art to either Logic xor Expression you are blinding yourself

The other angle for GEB is design

I read GEB along with Design of Design years ago following my mentor at the times suggestion, I would highly recommend doing this. Think of it as the Gödel, Escher, Bach, Brooks (Although Brook's writing style can be laborious at times) Recognizing patterns in all design work helped my understand my own design process better.


That's fascinating. Just ordered Design of Design to supplement GEB. Thanks!


> * Bob Martin - Working Effectively with Legacy Code

Author is Michael C. Feathers


Nice catch, thanks :)


correction Working Effectively with Legacy Code is by Michael Feathers


https://www.offerzen.com/

* Upfront Salaries * Talent treated with dignity * Companies/Talent held accountable for showing up to interviews


South Africa only


I'd suggest you pay a visit to your nearest ER and have the staff there give you some advice. Melancholic depression, fairly often is a symptom of other known health problems, that we as humans have ways of alleviating. I'm sure you've spent time and effort towards trying to solve what you are wrestling with now, but if you would like to give it one more chance the best possible thing you could do is pay your nearest ER a visit.


Thanks for advice. This is long term. I don't need nor want er. I want to die.

This is a lifetime desire. I decided as a child this world was shit. I've since seen more and more reasons to never procreate, and my desire to die has been consistent.

I've seen enough of this world. Thank you again. You're doing your part. Some people just want out, however.


I'd recommend watching this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8Xc2_FtpHI&list=PL22J3VaeAB...

All the best on your journey.


I respect that, and accept that you have the right to your own life. You and your life have had great meaning to me and I will forever be thankful for that.


May I ask how my life has offered great meaning to you?


I have always held the belief that everyone is entitled to their own life and can do with it as they please. This exchange reinforces that.


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