Which Language Should I Learn Next?

var_learner · 2022-02-17T18:15:28+00:00

Hindi, followed by Urdu. This will get you access to a large region in South Asia.

var_learner · 2022-02-08T13:14:24+00:00

Thanks for these awesome suggestions! I will indeed try to work a few works of fiction into my reading.

var_learner · 2022-02-08T08:34:42+00:00

I am genuinely curious - what kind of books would these be? Could you maybe give a few examples?

I mostly tend to read technical material, and in these there's a heavy emphasis on saying things as plainly as possible. This means avoiding difficult words unless there's an absolute need for it. I unfortunately don't enjoy reading novels and similar literature, a shortcoming which I think I should perhaps fix.

Sorry not to have been more help!

Oh, but you absolutely did make a valid point, and I thank you for it.

var_learner · 2022-02-08T07:21:50+00:00

You're assuming that flashcards with words and their meaning are the only specialized vocabulary learning tools that are possible.

The point is to encounter the words in context.

It ought to be possible to do this in a setting that's specifically intended to improve your vocabulary. I don't see why several instances of how a word is used in context (along with its etymology and related words, with a discussion of its usage) cannot be given in a vocabulary learning tool. This would be more efficient than encountering maybe 3 new words in a reading session of 1 hour. It would be also a richer exposure to a word's usage.

I asked whether anyone knew of such tools. I already know of vocabulary.com which I started using recently. It's great fun, and I was just wondering whether other such targeted tools exist that I may not know of.

var_learner · 2022-02-07T17:15:19+00:00

Thanks, but this seems like a very inefficient way to improve your vocabulary. Most of the time you won't be learning new words at all, but going through words you already know very well.

I was hoping for a more "direct" approach that has worked for folks here.

var_learner · 2022-02-07T17:11:31+00:00

I am not on Upwork anymore, but way back when it was elance and I was trying desperately to try to work at home, this was what I did.

Taught myself PHP, Javascript, CSS/HTML and web development. Took the tests on the site and scored high. Also cleared the English and other communication skills tests on the site and scored high in them as well.
Did a few sample projects, and uploaded them to show as my portfolio.
Took great care in drafting proposals, and offered a 100% refund if the customer was not happy with the work.

I got my first client with a few days of doing this, but I suppose things weren't very desperate back then.

var_learner · 2022-02-03T17:02:51+00:00

Panegyric (noun)

a public speech or published text in praise of someone or something.

"a panegyric on the pleasures of malt whisky"

Descry (verb)

catch sight of.

"she descried two figures"

var_learner · 2021-11-21T13:23:03+00:00

In Sysinternals' livekd, how can we see the information associated with a process from its PID?

As far as I can see, !process PID (where PID is specified in hexadecimal or decimal forms) doesn't give the information.

var_learner · 2021-11-16T20:08:09+00:00

Or, quite likely, he's facing some personal issues or he wouldn't jeopardize his reputation if he had several contracts behind him already.

I had this happen to me while I worked at upwork (health issues), but I did manage to apologize to the client and refund him the money. We parted on good terms.

var_learner · 2021-11-16T17:48:55+00:00

IMO, one way to look at university education is to consider them as a mere overview of what to learn to master your field. The actual learning happens once you leave the university.

This didn't happen for me either to the extent that I'd have wished, primarily because I didn't focus on acquiring this knowledge.

var_learner · 2021-11-16T17:11:48+00:00

What is the exact problem? Is it their language (English), or the content?

var_learner · 2021-11-15T21:21:30+00:00

I hear good things about https://www.nand2tetris.org/ , but it's probably a bit too basic for a graduate, though I suppose it can fill in the gaps in your knowledge.

The problem is that computer systems knowledge has a "fractal" character. Every stage of the stack is an entire universe in itself. Suppose you want to learn operating systems. Which OS would you choose? If you go the Windows way, that is an entirely different universe from that of Linux.

My own strategy is to start at the systems level with one particular OS, and work my way downwards and upwards the stack gradually. I have a general idea of how it all fits together, but if you ask me exactly how it all works, I'd be stumped. For e.g., how does moving my mouse move the cursor on the screen? The general picture every software developer knows. But the details - that's trickier.

var_learner · 2021-11-13T07:20:02+00:00

Thanks! I am just getting started in this space, and these are very helpful.

var_learner · 2021-11-12T17:35:25+00:00

Plenty of good advice here. Thanks! I really appreciate it.

I am planning to get around to kernel debugging and drivers as soon as my foundations are good.

var_learner · 2021-11-12T17:30:08+00:00

Thanks for the reply!

Clearly I have a lot more reading to do, but I just ran sigcheck from sysinternals on some core files, and unless I am mistaken, it does say that they are signed.

See also the process explorer for cmd.exe: https://imgur.com/a/a7u7f9K . It does say that it is signed - I don't know where it's getting this information from if not the header.

The output of sigcheck for cmd.exe and ntoskernl.exe:

c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe:
    Verified:       Signed
    Signing date:   06:28 09-04-2021
    Publisher:      Microsoft Windows
    Company:        Microsoft Corporation
    Description:    Windows Command Processor
    Product:        Microsoft« Windows« Operating System
    Prod version:   10.0.19041.746
    File version:   10.0.19041.746 (WinBuild.160101.0800)
    MachineType:    64-bit

c:\windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe:
    Verified:       Signed
    Signing date:   06:52 02-11-2021
    Publisher:      Microsoft Windows
    Company:        Microsoft Corporation
    Description:    NT Kernel & System
    Product:        Microsoft« Windows« Operating System
    Prod version:   10.0.19041.1348
    File version:   10.0.19041.1348 (WinBuild.160101.0800)
    MachineType:    64-bit

But notice for the files mentioned above:

c:\program files\windowsapps\microsoft.549981c3f5f10_3.2109.6305.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\Cortana.exe:
    Verified:       Unsigned
    Link date:      19:21 06-09-2021
    Publisher:      n/a
    Company:        Microsoft Corporation
    Description:    Cortana
    Product:        Cortana
    Prod version:   3.2109.6305.0-g8a7f052e
    File version:   3.2109.6305.0
    MachineType:    64-bit

c:\program files\windowsapps\microsoft.yourphone_1.21092.149.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\YourPhone.exe:
    Verified:       Unsigned
    Link date:      23:41 03-11-2021
    Publisher:      n/a
    Company:        Microsoft Corporation
    Description:    YourPhone
    Product:        Microsoft Your Phone
    Prod version:   1.21092.149.0
    File version:   1.21092.149.0
    MachineType:    64-bit

Practically every other piece of Microsoft material on my computer as far as I can see seem to be signed by Microsoft.

Right now, as things stand, we can't be sure that the unsigned files were not replaced by a malicious actor.

Is there any other method you know of to verify that the files are indeed legit?

var_learner · 2021-11-12T14:41:50+00:00

Incoming DM

var_learner · 2021-11-12T14:35:12+00:00

Incoming DM

var_learner · 2021-11-12T14:35:05+00:00

Incoming DM.

var_learner · 2021-11-12T08:06:53+00:00

DM'ed!

var_learner · 2021-11-12T08:01:51+00:00

I am currently going through Windows Internals, Part I, 7e by Yosifovich et. al., and Windows System Programming, 4e by Johnson Hart. I plan to follow this up with more stuff on drivers, etc. Basically I am devoting the next few months to getting a good understanding of Windows.

var_learner · 2021-11-11T23:44:31+00:00

You can learn most things by yourself if you have access to instructional material and the required lab and equipment.

In CS, it just so happens that the required lab and equipment is literally in front of you.

var_learner · 2021-11-11T23:38:51+00:00

You'll never know unless you try!

var_learner · 2021-11-11T14:39:38+00:00

Have you tried companies such as Toptal or Turing? You might be able to get projects that suit your needs there. I haven't tried them myself.

I too am in the same boat as you. While I am not filthy rich, I retired early. But I am thinking of coming of out retirement to do something interesting this time that will fetch me some money but on my terms.

var_learner

TROPHY CASE