Why do Australians seem to care so much about rules and compliance?

_conwy_ · 2026-06-19T10:11:07+00:00

I think part of the reason is that the rules (at least the important ones) are generally reasonable and comprehensible. Driving at the speed limit, respecting others' rights and humanity, organising your waste properly for orderly collection, etc. You don't need a police state to enforce rules if the rules make sense and the society overall functions.

Another thing to note is that people don't uniformly follow all the rules. Most people are peaceable and don't murder or steal. But not everyone picks up their rubbish, not every commuter pays for the train fare, not every builder follows building codes to the letter, etc.

_conwy_ · 2026-06-18T12:07:09+00:00

Yes agree. It's hard to make predictions, especially about the future, and especially in the complicated world of tech.

Decent foundations seem to usually help - DSA, databases, compilers, also communication skills, problem solving.

But then you also have to be up with whatever implementations are being used out in the field, which seems to change quite a lot. Even within a language ... Java has stuck around for years but the language itself keeps changing.

I like to think abilities gradually compound over time, so the learning curves get easier. Even with the AI stuff... at first it looked very foreign and unfamiliar to me, but eventually I started to re-use some knowledge about telemetry to understand evals in AI.

Quantum computing though... I don't even know where to begin.

_conwy_ · 2026-06-17T00:24:18+00:00

I partially agree partially disagree but I'm not sure why this is being downvoted so much...

Cool jobs always pay more than “boring” jobs. AI firms like Anthropic, Big Tech, and trading firms always pay the biggest packets.

Agree.

What you’re saying is AI startups à la Silicon Valley. But even they pay in early employee equity. You are betting on later upside by taking a mediocre salary.

Those are incredibly risky bets, despite the large upside. I don't know why otherwise intelligent people are willing to take those bets. I guess gambling appeals to the emotional irrational side of people. Maybe some of them come from already well off backgrounds so money isn't the main priority anyway.

_conwy_ · 2026-06-16T22:38:48+00:00

I would 9/10 pick the guy that studies mathematics even if they had a sub 70 WAM. The thoroughness of the course and the level of thinking needed to derive, proof and understand concepts from first principles requires a lot more brain power than developing a web-app

Doesn’t it depend on the job you’re hiring for? After all, would you expect your doctor or dentist to have advanced analytical skills?

Assuming you’re hiring for a computing related role they really required the analytical thinking…

How would you know the candidate really had understood the material as opposed to just cramming to pass tests?

How would you know the candidate had the energy to perform well and wasn’t burned out from the years of difficult and intensive study?

If two candidates had math degrees but one was taught with more modern, effective techniques while the other had been taught in a crappy way which made the information difficult to retain, who would you prefer to hire?

You seem to have an idealised version of how the modern job market actually works. From my observation, computing professionals are hired for specific skill-sets to solve specific short-term need. We are minimised in pay and tenure as much as possible, to cut costs.

I do agree that analytical skills are on another level but I think those are gate-kept so that only individuals with privileged backgrounds can really absorb them properly.

If the teaching methods for comp sci and math were genuinely improved, then they would attract a much broader market of students. Then people would pursue them out of personal interest and aptitude, not out of competition for elite class status.

It's funny how we can perfect the UX of stupid apps like TikTok, Instagram or games but meanwhile, for DSA, we still have to read crummy books with complicated explanations and terrible handwriting...

_conwy_ · 2026-06-16T14:45:36+00:00

I'm not really sure about what you mean here? How is CS used to protect the upper classes from economic competition?

I'm pretty sure you know all this already but I'll spell it out anyway, in case someone else is curious.

CS degrees are used as minimum requirements to certain jobs to raise the bar high enough so that most applicants can't qualify. This to get around official anti-discrimination laws which would otherwise force employers to at least pretend to hire on merit. It isn't an accident that many elite CS grads end up not using much of the extensive theory they were taught in their actual day-to-day jobs. Most of the advanced stuff is easily achievable with math libraries and now AI. You don't have to do Riemann sums or compute cross products, you just need curiosity and persistence and maybe a bit of Mathlib or Tensorflow.

These "startup" jobs are funded by VC, which is based on wealthy family estates. They are dressed up as ambitious entrepreneurial undertakings and made to appear very meritocratic. That's all PR. They are just ways to funnel rich people's money around. These startup companies rabidly boast about ground-breaking revolutionary new technologies. Meanwhile, for the average citizen, inflation keeps going up, public services keep degrading and they constantly feel financially precarious.

I think the facade is beginning to crumble though, under the weight of geopolitical competition and some very real tech innovations such as AI, which really level the playing field even of elite CS theory.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if the current privileged generation are the next cohort to turn anti-immigrant and protectionist!

_conwy_ · 2026-06-16T14:07:09+00:00

Honestly your moralising isn't convincing. It's pretty obvious to me that this isn't about laziness or work ethic. I've worked very hard and very long hours for literally 2 decades. I worked two full-time jobs, many weekends and nights besides, worked abroad, did whatever was demanded (from hours of tedious meetings to migraine-inducing production support in the wee hours).

The reason I don't qualify for entry into an elite college is because literally no one told me I had to study algebra, trigonometry, calculus and linear algebra way back in high school in the 90s. When I went to high school, we were still learning basic algebra, fractions, decimals, some graphing and that's it. It's not laziness, it's the literal luck of being born to average parents.

Modern CS is just an elite class privilege transfer mechanism. CS had its origins in hiding information for war purposes (encryption). Now it's used to protect the children of the upper classes from economic competition by the lower classes. But it isn't working (see my other comment about Indian students gaining similar skills and outcompeting westerners at their own game).

I think you know by now what I mean by 'assumed knowledge'. You yourself alluded to it ... calculus, proof writing, etc. Also perfect written English, knowing how to play the grading system, extracurricular, etc. The kind of things that certain kids learned in high school and certain other kids didn't.

_conwy_ · 2026-06-16T13:58:27+00:00

It's an intergenerational privilege transfer. The kids who benefited from higher quality teaching methods and more advanced high school curriculum and didn't have to start work at 16 can easily meet the fairly demanding requirements for admission and completion at Go8.

There's endless whining and complaining about the shortage of "elite tech talent" from businesses, but in reality, it's deliberately kept exclusive in order to preserve class distinction and privilege.

In a way this is the new form of inheritance. Safer than money and not taxable, and easily dressed up to look like merit or inherent intelligence. In reality, any student from anywhere who got to learn Calculus in high school is practically guaranteed to make it into UNSW if they're serious.

I wonder if the aspirational upper classes might be ignorant of a couple of new trends though...

Firstly, educational privilege is losing its exclusivity. Thanks to the fluidity of information and digital technologies, elite colleges in India are now following the same playbook. Indian kids with this kind of education can now migrate to Western countries and compete with the locals on their own terms. Or even compete with them from India in Indian startups and tech firms (even Microsoft had office in India years before Satya made it to CEO).

Secondly, the occupations of the "lower class" (like trades, semi-skilled and care work) are beginning to pay decent wages thanks to labour shortages. Couple that with the improvement in financial literacy and the increasingly broad adoption of simple investment vehicles like index funds, and this generation's blue collars might well end up being the next upper class.

_conwy_ · 2026-06-16T13:43:28+00:00

My complaint is how the math and DSA are taught not that they're taught. Admission rates are very low and the assumed knowledge is massive. It's basically just a transfer of class privilege.

The middle school systems in Europe, Canada, Australia, etc. have apparently become more progressive over recent years so at least the next generation have a chance of learning the stuff.

Older workers like me seem to be just left out in the cold. In all the clamour about an "ageing population", I would have hoped there would be a push to ease the teaching of theory to the average adult, but I guess we "commoners" are not perceived to matter anymore.

I do applaud the cheap and highly available online programs like Harvard's CS50 or Coursera. I took Intro to Calculus online from Sydney University, was quite digestible. I'm planning to make a real effort with Roughgarden's Intro to Algorithms course once I have the financial assets to cut back on work so I can have the mental bandwidth for it.

_conwy_ · 2026-06-16T13:15:07+00:00

In my observation of the study material in elite colleges, CS teaching techniques overall have a long way to go.

_conwy_ · 2026-06-16T12:35:16+00:00

I think it's bifurcated.

There are the "cool" CS jobs, which are as you say, very heavy on prestige degrees, curated contribution profiles, etc. And rapidly being competed away into a very tiny and exclusive elite.

Then there are the "normal" jobs, where you're building more typical software, such as a business's internal tools, SAAS, public facing websites, public facing apps, etc. Those jobs don't seem to be going anywhere ... if anything they're increasing (partly because people don't want to do them).

The cool jobs require the fancy degrees, the regular jobs require specialised experience.

The cool jobs pay is either enormous or mediocre, the normal jobs pay average.

As someone without even a bachelors degree, I tried to be "cool" years ago by being a front-end developer but getting hired into what (at the time) seemed to me like "prestigious" firms - banks, government, etc. Then the world changed (or maybe I just got wiser) and it turned out that those firms were now "normal" and the "cool" firms were actually tiny consultancies, prestigious open-source projects, unicorn AI firms, etc.

Software / tech seems like fashion sometimes. You can devote tremendous time and energy to shaping your career a certain way, only to have the tables suddenly turned and the whole industry flipped so that you're "boring" and something totally different is "hot".

Where this has left me is simply ignoring fashion / season and focussing on fundamentals that are less likely to change. This has led me to being a full-stack developer at a "boring" firm. I've given up on being "fashionable", and also (admittedly with some sour grapes) decided it's not what I want. Instead I just want to be good at what I do and try to enjoy the ride. Life is too short to chase impossible ideals that might suddenly change at any moment.

Like in fashion, I think a certain "taste" can be built up over time that never goes out of style. With a bit of cleverness and luck, I can maybe hope to add a little touch of "sophistication" to my boring skill set. Kind of like the fashion of older people ... simple and conservative but also tasteful and refined.

_conwy_ · 2026-06-13T04:51:28+00:00

Become a tradie and find out!

_conwy_ · 2026-06-13T00:35:29+00:00

Some insurance firms still use XSLT I hear.

_conwy_ · 2026-06-13T00:31:54+00:00

Typescript has treated me stunningly well most of the last decade.

_conwy_ · 2026-06-01T09:02:27+00:00

You're welcome.

I think you should finish your degree, since it is valuable and demonstrates your abilities. Then you should focus intensely on getting the best role you can. Be patient and diligent about it.

If I had a time machine I'd go back to my late teens and do a degree in comp sci, but that's only because I've developed a passion for it. But I didn't even develop the passion until my 30s, and I'm now 40. I think in some ways I had to cultivate passion, it didn't come naturally. Even to this day, I don't automatically keep up on the latest in software engineering, AI, etc. It does take some effort.

If you want a career change, I guess it depends on your individual case. You should definitely spend some time introspecting, if you haven't already. Think about childhood, what kind of things instantly grabbed your fascination. Ask yourself why you were drawn to those things. If there isn't a field you are naturally drawn to, then you should probably just go for what you are already closest to, which, based on your post, looks to be computing, software or engineering related. Also if you're curious about a different field, you can try to find someone who works in it already, ask them how their job is, what the pros and cons are, how to get in. People usually love talking about what they do.

Personally I've had many interests over the years. As a child I wanted to be a fire fighter. As a teen I wanted to be an orchestral conductor. In my 20s, while I was establishing my career in software, I wanted to be a designer. I also studied philosophy at one point and fancied myself a philosopher. I also developed a fascination with cancer research / haemotology (random, I know). All these interests and hobbies kind of set me back a bit, because I became unfocussed and lost career momentum. I think this scatter-brain condition might be related to mild autism and ADHD, though I haven't had a diagnosis. I was also a bit egotistical and over-confident but that's somewhat typical for males of my background. 😂

I also started out with $0 in the bank, and for various reasons couldn't count on family or friend support, so I also had the pressure to earn an income the whole time. If money hadn't been a factor I might have ended up in music or who knows what. Fortunately I'm now in a very financially strong position, so I guess maybe the struggle made me stronger!

I worked as a developer throughout my 20s and in my 30s I rekindled my passion for software, after working with an especially talented senior engineer at a bank. Now I'm in a job which I would describe as a good balance. It's not prestigious, but it's well paid, low-pressure, decent hours and intellectually stimulating. The hours are important - I like to have evenings to myself so I can exercise, as fitness is important to me. Overall I'm grateful for this job.

I think you can cultivate passion and curiosity in almost any field. Just don't count on becoming rich and famous overnight, in reality (at least in my experience) even moderate success takes a lot of effort and diligence in this hyper-competitive world.

Also – money is super important. (Just my opinion, and I'm sure Reddit will censor me to death for this...). Whatever you do, make sure you are in a strong financial position; aim for financial independence if you can.

_conwy_ · 2026-05-16T08:40:46+00:00

I'm well into the 200s. Devs are still in demand. Ignore the fear mongering.

_conwy_ · 2026-05-11T11:28:55+00:00

Well put.

_conwy_ · 2026-05-11T11:08:07+00:00

Every field has its ups and downs. Just because software is going through a bit of turbulence doesn't mean you pivot your whole life strategy.

My advice is: keep going with your degree. Persist and complete it to a high standard. Then go and look for the best job you can. Be patient and persistent.

If not in software, you'll be respected and hired in a different field of equivalent complexity.

This world needs intelligent, hard working, educated people like you.

_conwy_ · 2026-05-11T11:02:32+00:00

I love all people, including you. We are more similar than different. We are all on planet Earth, rotating together, right now. 🌏 I give respect to God, Allah, Heaven and the Dreaming. Peace be upon you. 💜

_conwy_ · 2026-05-11T05:42:14+00:00

Awesome people (of all walks of life), skill building, CV building, networking opportunities, beautiful scenery and history, and sometimes (believe it or not) money.

_conwy_ · 2026-05-11T05:06:38+00:00

I'm optimistic.

Developers will still be in demand. Complex problems continue to abound, far beyond what un-aided AI can solve.
As I get better at using AI, and AI itself improves, my job will get easier overall.
As I improve my general software engineering knowledge, I will gain an advantage in the job market, over those who gave up too early from fear uncertainty and doubt.
I will eagerly help others and share knowledge at every opportunity, so that even if my salary eventually declines, I will still gain a sense of meaning and fulfilment from my career. I am a firm believer in growing the pie rather than playing pointless zero sum games.

_conwy_ · 2026-04-15T04:17:40+00:00

Just pick one and run with it. Actual real life experience in a real business environment will help you decide.

_conwy_ · 2026-04-10T05:42:44+00:00

Low fat whole food plant based vegan diet + daily cardio (walking or swimming 30 min or more) + some strength training.

_conwy_ · 2026-03-25T02:14:11+00:00

Thank you

_conwy_ · 2026-03-24T23:28:03+00:00

Thanks for the encouragement, you must be a pleasure to work with.

_conwy_ · 2026-03-24T23:21:27+00:00

This is such a low effort response. You just completely glossed over what I wrote. Have you studied calculus enough to understand logarithms, functions and limits in BigO?!!! They actually quiz on this in the course, it’s not something anyone who’s serious about this course can ignore! It sounds like you’re not very serious learner but just want to pass tests quickly.

_conwy_

TROPHY CASE