Very occasional postings.
October 29, 2017
I just read this interesting post on the benefits of Neovim over Vim. I thought the author made some good points, but I also lack the perspective of a contributor; I’m only a vim user. I decided to install Neovim (brew install neovim) and take a quick look.
Right off the bat, I noticed two things:
- Neovim is configured to use a bar cursor (
|) in insert mode, and a block otherwise. This visual indicator makes it really easy to keep in mind what mode you’re in. When I tried to add a configuration to my .vimrc, I found that it wasn’t easily doable in macOS’s Terminal.app. Perhaps there’s a way to get it going—I’ll have to do some more digging—but I’m not interested in switching to iTerm 2. I like my tmux setup quite a lot, thank you.
- Neovim was, in a way, painfully slow. Switching out of escape mode took longer than my fingers are used to. I’m wondering if that’s expected, or a unique issue. Admittedly, I haven’t yet done any serious programming in Neovim. I’m going to give it a shot.
Both programs have the same UI that I know and love. I’m torn whether it’s worth switching to something that has been carefully developed under the hood, and may allow for me to contribute to development down the road, or if I should stick to the tried-and-true.
April 22, 2015
I once watched a TED Talk called Try Something New for Thirty Days. Well, without even trying, it looks like I’ve done it. Every day for the past 32 days, I’ve pushed something to my GitHub. What started as a way for me to work consistently on Squadfinder has evolved into a push to learn something new every day. Now, whether I’m working on a side project, pushing to this website, or just learning more about GitHub’s tools, I’m making a conscious effort to expand my knowledge. And even though the thirty days have passed, there’s no end in sight for this streak.
January 28, 2015
As part of my Calculus IV class, I’ve started working in LaTeX for publishing equations. My only exposure to it so far has been exams from my Calc III class, so I’m really starting with a blank slate. Though it’s definitely not code, LaTeX is a powerfully customizable markup system, and one that requires a lot of care to get right. A couple observations:
Shifting Aesthetic
I’ve always been a fan of the slightly decorative, clean aesthetic that’s commonplace on the web nowadays. You know—sites that aren’t too gaudy, but also not barren. But LaTeX, similar to my professor’s website, adopts a much more spartan feel. I’ve found myself appreciating the simplicity of alignment, balance, and whitespace that LaTeX is so generous with—those components that often go overlooked in other mediums.
Sleuthing
I really dove right into LaTeX. Instead of reading a formal guide, I’ve just started with tex.stackexchange.com and a wealth of examples online. As a result, I’m finding myself learning about the language by trial and error. The ‘$’ symbol, for example, makes a world of difference in the way your text compiles.
Clarity
In writing solution guides, it’s important to display only what’s necessary. If expressions can be eliminated without sacrificing understanding, they should be. I’ve had to analyze my work for redundancy, and make assumptions about what can be understood and what can’t be.
There’s something to be said for the fact that LaTeX always looks the same. It’s refreshing, and exactly what I should be emphasizing. Rather than decoration, I’m drawn to focus on organization and content.
ShareLaTeX
ShareLaTeX is the best way to do it. Period.
Just a few thoughts—LaTeX is fun, efficient, and something I’m going to be seeing a lot of.
November 24, 2014
A few principles I like to follow when I’m writing:
- Sans serif for getting ideas down
- Monospaced for drafts and anything remotely technical
- Caslon for when I want to sound like I’m writing for The New Yorker
The link between typeface and voice is known to be profound for readers, but I’m increasingly noticing its effects on me as a writer. Using the right typeface can make an essay flow—it’s too bad all of my schoolwork has to be submitted in Times New Roman.
October 23, 2014
The MIT Technology Review recently published a previously undiscovered Isaac Asimov essay. It’s a great, simple piece that you should read if you haven’t already.
Asimov presents the idea that creativity is simply a series of links—that a creative’s job is to connect the threads between two ideas, thereby forming something greater than the sum of its parts. He explains the idea using an interesting example example:
Obviously, then, what is needed is not only people with a good background in a particular field, but also people capable of making a connection between item 1 and item 2 which might not ordinarily seem connected.
Undoubtedly in the first half of the 19th century, a great many naturalists had studied the manner in which species were differentiated among themselves. A great many people had read Malthus. Perhaps some both studied species and read Malthus. But what you needed was someone who studied species, read Malthus, and had the ability to make a cross-connection.
Steve Jobs, many years later, touched on this idea of connections. It’s almost eerie how similar the ideas from a Wired interview he did back in February 1996 are to those of Asimov:
Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was that they’ve had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people.
Jobs was no thief, though—remember, Asimov’s essay was recently discovered, untouched, in some old files. The fact that two of the century’s most revolutionary minds conceived such similar theories suggests that they must have been doing something right.
Asimov’s writing also reminded me of the philosophies of Pixar’s Braintrust. (The whole story of the Braintrust appears in Creativity, Inc., but you can read a bit about it here). In short, the Braintrust is a roundtable meeting of trusted Pixar wizards that is designed to maximize candidness, effectiveness, and success. Some hallmarks of the system include “people with a deep understanding of storytelling, who usually have been through the process themselves” and a distinct lack of authority—every idea offered is simply a suggestion. Pixar executives maintain that this method is the key to the studio’s unparalleled success.
In describing his own version of a Braintrust, Asimov offers similar ideas that focus on fostering creativity:
But how to persuade creative people to do so? First and foremost, there must be ease, relaxation, and a general sense of permissiveness. The world in general disapproves of creativity, and to be creative in public is particularly bad. Even to speculate in public is rather worrisome. The individuals must, therefore, have the feeling that the others won’t object.
Asimov, as one of the greatest authors of science fiction, was no stranger to creativity. The same principles that he regarded as crucial to the creative process are the principles responsible for many of the best movies of our generation. Next time creativity must flow, openness and candidness must be of paramount importance—they’re the vehicles for effective brainstorming.
Just as Isaac Asimov’s literature foretold of the future in a science fiction universe, his prose foretold the future: the future of creativity and self-awareness, the future of a hugely successful animation studio, and the future ideas a brilliant innovator. His essay is a time capsule, and a reminder that some things never change.
October 21, 2014
I’ve never pushed before.* So far, all of my web projects have been theoretical sites created so that I could teach myself a little bit about how the web works. I’ve decided to create a personal page so that I have something to refine and practice with. It will (hopefully) be constantly evolving.
Here are some things I’d like to add:
Wish me luck!
*Now that I think about it, that’s a lie. I made my own Tumblr theme.
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