devalexwhite's recent activity
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Comment on Job hunting absolutely sucks right now in ~life
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Comment on Job hunting absolutely sucks right now in ~life
devalexwhite LinkI've been a software engineer for 16 years, and have moved into management. Reading through a number of comments here, figured I'd leave some advice from my perspective. As a hiring manger, I can...I've been a software engineer for 16 years, and have moved into management. Reading through a number of comments here, figured I'd leave some advice from my perspective.
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As a hiring manger, I can attest that our internal recruiters are completely overloaded by spammy AI applications, making it very difficult to find the few real applications.
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This obviously differs person to person, but the key points I care about on a resume are:
- Do you have the tech stack we're looking for (if it's a mid+ level role)
- How did you apply the tech stack in previous roles
- Lots of extra bonus points for a personal website with blog and side projects (I've reviewed hundreds of resumes and maybe 1 person had this)
- Things I don't give 2 shits about on a resume:
- Design/layout/number of pages (but keep in mind I'm reviewing tons of resumes, so if it's too long I'll skim most of it)
- "Achieved 95% Increase in Customer Satisfaction Rate". I know the stats are bullshit, I hired a resume writer in my earlier days and know they just pump in random numbers.
- Any type of progress bars on your skill. Just show me how you've applied this skills, not "3/5 turtles of proficiency in LLMPoweredMonstrosity.js"
- Education history
- Resume aside, the number 1 thing you should do is work with a third-party recruiter. Linkedin is garbage, so are every other online job board. Find someone local, ask friends for recommendations. As a hiring manger I've engaged the same third party recruiter across multiple roles, and have worked with him to get offers myself. Any recommendation that comes from him goes straight to interview.
If you get to the interview stage, here's some recommendations:
- Don't use a fucking LLM during the interview. You're not covering up the awkward pause as you read the output then canary a word soup of an answer
- Be friendly, present yourself professionally. Throw on a button up, have good lighting and a decent camera. Just because the interview is remote doesn't mean you should roll out of bed and take the call on your phone.
- Frame answers in the context of previous experience as much as possible
- Ask questions about the role. Doesn't matter if it's the third round and you've heard the answers, it shows interest.
- Have questions about comp, WFH policy, benefits, etc? Ask the recruiter.
- Send follow-up emails, it's insane how few people do this anymore. You have the emails from the meeting invite. Thank the interviewers for their time at the bare minimum.
- Do some preparation. You should know the company name, what we do, etc.
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Comment on What do you think about putting your driver's license in your digital wallet? in ~tech
devalexwhite LinkLast time I checked it was basically a useless feature since it's not recognized by law enforcement as valid ID. Maybe that's changed, or maybe it's state by state, but I don't see the point if...Last time I checked it was basically a useless feature since it's not recognized by law enforcement as valid ID. Maybe that's changed, or maybe it's state by state, but I don't see the point if that's still the case.
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Comment on Can coding agents relicense open source through a “clean room” implementation of code? in ~comp
devalexwhite Link ParentHmm so either they actually are providing the service or it's a scam...makes this website a lot less funHmm so either they actually are providing the service or it's a scam...makes this website a lot less fun
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Comment on Can coding agents relicense open source through a “clean room” implementation of code? in ~comp
devalexwhite Link ParentInterestingly enough if you upload a package.json file it does redirect you to a Stripe page for payment…..wonder what happens next lolInterestingly enough if you upload a package.json file it does redirect you to a Stripe page for payment…..wonder what happens next lol
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Comment on Lenovo’s new ThinkPads score 10/10 for repairability in ~tech
devalexwhite LinkBeen casually looking for a replacement to my M1 MacBook Pro for a bit now, was leaning towards Framework but this is a bit more appealing!Been casually looking for a replacement to my M1 MacBook Pro for a bit now, was leaning towards Framework but this is a bit more appealing!
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Comment on Updating Eagleson's Law in the age of agentic AI in ~comp
devalexwhite Link ParentThis is 100000% the direction the industry is going in. Deadlines are becoming tighter and justifying hires is becoming harder. It's always been a fight to spend time testing or tackling tech...I suppose there is a third option: The industry lowers its standards of quality and reliability. I think this strategy is currently being beta tested at scale. The upside is that it should increase the perceived value of high quality software and the people who can deliver it.
This is 100000% the direction the industry is going in. Deadlines are becoming tighter and justifying hires is becoming harder. It's always been a fight to spend time testing or tackling tech debt, but now the expectation is that devs are 10x more productive, and the business shifts timelines with that in mind, making testing/reducing tech debt impossible. The result is devs that have to full time vibe code multiple tickets at once, pushing PRs with thousands of lines of code that get rubber stamped in order to have any expectation of meeting these new timelines.
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Comment on Supporting Markdown search for LLMs in ~tech
devalexwhite Link ParentIt's like Gemini Protocol all over again (which I love)!It's like Gemini Protocol all over again (which I love)!
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Comment on Apple TV picks up rights to Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere books for adaption in ~tv
devalexwhite Link ParentAgreed, I'm actually hopeful for this as a huge Sanderson fan.Agreed, I'm actually hopeful for this as a huge Sanderson fan.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
devalexwhite LinkBack into Animal Crossing with the latest update. I grabbed the Switch 2 update as well, can't say I notice much of a difference. It has been fun starting with a fresh island and seeing how the...Back into Animal Crossing with the latest update. I grabbed the Switch 2 update as well, can't say I notice much of a difference. It has been fun starting with a fresh island and seeing how the introduce mechanics from the new game perspective versus the periodic updates that I experienced the first play through.
All in all, it's been great. I love Animal Crossing in winter, the snow effects make everything so cozy. My son has been really into the game as well.
As for the update content itself, haven't really gotten to any of it yet except for the ability to use your homes inventory for crafting (which is great). Not super excited for the hotel as it seems like the other DLC reskinned. The Lego furniture has been super cool though!
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
devalexwhite Link ParentOh wow I'd love to have both of those in my collection, especially the Atari! My drawers are way too full of handhelds at this point though haha. I think Palm Pilots are right at that "modern...Oh wow I'd love to have both of those in my collection, especially the Atari! My drawers are way too full of handhelds at this point though haha.
I think Palm Pilots are right at that "modern enough" point to still be useful. The screens are fairly bright, the OS is snappy, the battery life is good, interfacing with modern computers is still possible and there are tons of awesome apps.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
devalexwhite Link ParentThanks! Yeah, I really feel like a modernized Palm Pilot device would really make a killing nowadays as people are getting more frustrated with how distracting smartphones are. A e-ink style...Thanks! Yeah, I really feel like a modernized Palm Pilot device would really make a killing nowadays as people are getting more frustrated with how distracting smartphones are. A e-ink style device with a month long battery and keyboard that syncs content with your computer every morning and has no WiFi/Cell/etc would rock
Until then, Palm Pilots are awesome and pretty cheap on eBay.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
devalexwhite LinkI've been working on wiring HotSync conduits so I can load up my Palm Pilot with internet content for offline consuming. So far I have a Wordle conduit that syncs the latest puzzle ID, and scripts...I've been working on wiring HotSync conduits so I can load up my Palm Pilot with internet content for offline consuming. So far I have a Wordle conduit that syncs the latest puzzle ID, and scripts for pulling articles from RSS. Want to write a VersaMail deserializer and conduit so I can sync email and send from my Palm Pilot's outbox. Have a couple other ideas I eventually want to get to as well such as a crossword of the day, daily weather (paired with a custom app), Gemini articles, Sudoku of the day, Kagi News (with a custom app), etc.
I love the idea of being connected in an offline, at your own pace, and this has been a great way for me to achieve that.
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Comment on I am kinda curious about the demographics of Tildes in ~talk
devalexwhite Link ParentHaha well if you're in Columbus there's at least a good chance we've met!Haha well if you're in Columbus there's at least a good chance we've met!
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Comment on I am kinda curious about the demographics of Tildes in ~talk
devalexwhite Link34/M/Ohio (US). Software engineering manager, dad of 2.34/M/Ohio (US). Software engineering manager, dad of 2.
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Comment on Leaving Apple behind after eighteen years in ~tech
devalexwhite Link ParentHuh might have to give it a try then! Personally I'd disagree on this, Id much rather have a map. My city has a lot of terrible merges that you need to get ready for in advance, and often the exit...Theres a hard to find (for me) toggle to get it working but then it works properly
Huh might have to give it a try then!
You don't need maps on your infotainment screen to get around.
Personally I'd disagree on this, Id much rather have a map. My city has a lot of terrible merges that you need to get ready for in advance, and often the exit splits so being able to see what's coming is very helpful. I would 100% miss a ton of exits with audio only.
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Comment on Leaving Apple behind after eighteen years in ~tech
devalexwhite LinkMy first computer was a Macintosh Performa, then a transparent blue iMac followed by various PowerBooks, Intel computers and finally the MacBook 14" M1. Like the author, I too have reached a point...My first computer was a Macintosh Performa, then a transparent blue iMac followed by various PowerBooks, Intel computers and finally the MacBook 14" M1. Like the author, I too have reached a point where I can't continue with Apple anymore (and Windows is absolutely not even on the table as an option), but for me it's more the degradation of the OS. Liquid glass, the new control panel, the hoops you jump through to open an app from the internet. It makes you feel like you don't own your OS.
Unlike the author, I don't care much about a "boring" computer, a Thinkpad would actually be my dream machine. Instead I'm using my old Surface Book 2 with Ubuntu and it's been perfect. I did run Asahi on my M1 for awhile, and while the Asahi team has knocked it out of the park, the battery life just wasn't there.
As for the phone, I also switched to a Pixel (9 Pro in my case). I didn't go down the Graphene OS route (I need Android Auto until I get my Garmin up and running again). Instead I've just stopped using my phone for anything but SMS and calls. Can't harvest my data if there's no data to harvest (I know, location, phone call records, etc they still got plenty to sell).
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Comment on Leave the phone, take a camera in ~tech
devalexwhite Link ParentThanks so much for reading! This is an excellent observation, there's a whole different set of social norms that come with a proper camera. It definitely depends on the situation for me. When...Thanks so much for reading!
You get to more things around to rid the scene of mess. You can tell people to smile, you can walk crab-like from side to side, bend your knees and do all the other things that get you those good shots and memories easily.
This is an excellent observation, there's a whole different set of social norms that come with a proper camera.
I'm also willing to lug a professional camera around because that's worth it too.
It definitely depends on the situation for me. When traveling, I take the a7 IV. I get a lot of joy out of framing shots and being technical about my settings, so a professional level camera adds to the experience and makes the trip more enjoyable. I also tend to make posters out of shots from the countries I visit, so I want a full-frame with high resolution RAW files.
For everyday events and celebrations, I want to be in the moment as much as possible, not adjusting aperture/ISO/shutter speed so a compact camera on auto works better in those situations.
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Comment on Leave the phone, take a camera in ~tech
devalexwhite Link ParentThank you! A digital TLR would be very cool! Heck I'd love to try an analog one, I honestly don't think I've seen one in person.excellent title.
Thank you!
I’d love to have a digital TLR, but it doesn’t seem to exist
A digital TLR would be very cool! Heck I'd love to try an analog one, I honestly don't think I've seen one in person.
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Comment on Leave the phone, take a camera in ~tech
devalexwhite Link ParentCompletely agree, heck just having a dedicated button to focus and snap makes a camera worth it.Completely agree, heck just having a dedicated button to focus and snap makes a camera worth it.
Unfortunately yeah. There are cheat tools out there that listen to the conversation and display answers to questions on the screen.