It’s not often that academia analyzes the unix tools we use everyday.
But rsync is one fortunate exception as Andrew
Tridgell not only wrote rsync
while pursuing his PhD, but also published a short and accessible
paper
outlining its inner workings. While I’d highly encourage reading the entire paper, I took away
one major tl:dr; from the rsync algorithm: be lazy.
This lesson will be applicable anytime I write performance conscious code.
Few programming experiences are more informative or rewarding than meaningfully contributing to open-source software. However, even programmers with strong technical skills can experience discouragingly high barriers to entry when contributing to a new project. This barrier to entry feels particularly high for the popular, high-velocity projects. Unfortunately, these projects are often those which first catch the eye, and attract us to open source. Overwhelming. Perhaps Steve Harvey shows it best…
Like over 3 million Americans, I struggle with OCD. OCD has impacted, and probably always will in some capacity impact, my life a lot. Unfortunately, software engineering, both my career and one of my favorite hobbies, is no exception.
Everyone who suffers from OCD has a different experience. For me, OCD manifests as certain distorted thoughts sticking in my brain. These sticky thoughts are typically catastrophic events touching on some of my deepest fears and most cherished values. Intellectually I know these events have little chance of happening, but OCD doesn’t care.
Like many others, I’ve spent the last couple of weeks since the election thinking a lot about new ways to empower and amplify all the voices fighting for justice. While it’s not easy to know what to do in a situation like the one we find ourselves in, I’m reminded of words from Bryan Stevenson, a civil rights lawyer, who spoke at my graduation back in June. His entire speech was insightful and inspiring, and one particular request stuck with me: get proximate. In other words, be as close as possible to the situations in which you most want to see change.
