sqew's recent activity

  1. Books or other good content on software design?

    ~comp Text 108 words
    Wondering if anyone has any good books or other content to recommend on software design. I feel like when I start out on a new project I always get stuck in a rut of trying to design something...

    Wondering if anyone has any good books or other content to recommend on software design. I feel like when I start out on a new project I always get stuck in a rut of trying to design something good, then end up with an awful design anyways. On the other hand, I've been around professors and more experienced software engineers who seem to effortlessly come up with simple, powerful architectures and interfaces.

    While I know that reading a book or two won't get me the experience I need to improve, it does seem like that might be a good jump-start. Anyone have any suggestions for me? Thanks!

    9 votes

  2. Comment on Share your personal dotfile treats and Unix tool recommendations in ~comp

    sqew
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    Meta comment because I read every post like this I see but rarely end up actually learning any of the tools: How do people handle scenarios like SSHing into a machine that you don't have...

    Meta comment because I read every post like this I see but rarely end up actually learning any of the tools:

    How do people handle scenarios like SSHing into a machine that you don't have configuration control over? For me, even just the lack of my .ssh/config file on remote machines breaks my muscle memory and annoys me.

    I've wanted to build out a nice (n)vim/tmux configuration for a while, since the context switch between VS Code on my local machine and vim for little edits on remote machines is a pain, but it seems like it'll be a hassle to bring my configs along with me to every machine I touch.

    3 votes

  3. Comment on Soil compositions for succulents? in ~hobbies

    sqew
    Link Parent
    I'm glad to know about needing to fertilize a little more if I go for something coarser and increase the drainage speed. Not sure I would've realized that. I'll definitely look into smaller pots,...

    I'm glad to know about needing to fertilize a little more if I go for something coarser and increase the drainage speed. Not sure I would've realized that.

    I'll definitely look into smaller pots, too. I've started over the last few weeks to move my fastest growing plants into my larger pots and keep the smaller ones in my smaller pots to help them to get to that point of being root bound. Mine have definitely seemed happy when they can fill up the whole pot with their roots.

    Given the lighting conditions where I live, I think I'm going to have to just get all of mine a better grow light. I got an underpowered basic one to nurse them through the last two winters, and it seemed to work well for that, but they're definitely still not getting enough light with the windows that I have available to me.

    Thanks for all the advice!

    1 vote

  4. Comment on Soil compositions for succulents? in ~hobbies

    sqew
    Link Parent
    Thanks for the tip on the diatomaceous earth! I'll definitely check that out. I usually decide to water them when the leaves are starting to either be visibly parched or get softer. Typically...

    Thanks for the tip on the diatomaceous earth! I'll definitely check that out.

    I usually decide to water them when the leaves are starting to either be visibly parched or get softer. Typically every 2-4w. I've got a mix of ceramic and terracotta pots (rot does seem to have been more common in the ceramic ones...), and I do let the pots sit without their drip trays for a while before I put the plants back in their usual spot.

    It's actually been really interesting learning about how the roots die and rot - I've been doing plenty of research on it recently since the one plant that started to rot that I couldn't save was my very first succulent ever. On previous run-ins with rot, I'd guessed that it was disease somehow, but it's fascinating to learn that it's just the roots drowning essentially.

    Having read everything people have said here, I think my plan is to slow down watering even more, slowly switch to terracotta across the board, and try to get to a coarser, more inorganic soil mix.

    1 vote

  5. Comment on Soil compositions for succulents? in ~hobbies

    sqew
    Link Parent
    I definitely used too fine of sand in this recent mix I came up with... I'll have to remedy that when I get a chance!

    I definitely used too fine of sand in this recent mix I came up with... I'll have to remedy that when I get a chance!

    2 votes

  6. Soil compositions for succulents?

    ~hobbies Ask (advice)
    Curious if any of the succulent-lovers on Tildes have any tips/tricks for soil composition. I've been using the basic succulent mix from my local hardware store for years, but I've had some issues...

    Curious if any of the succulent-lovers on Tildes have any tips/tricks for soil composition. I've been using the basic succulent mix from my local hardware store for years, but I've had some issues with rot. Reddit seems to think that soil composition is at fault for just about all succulent ills, so I've adjusted my mix to be about 50% perlite/sand 50% organic (a.k.a the basic succulent mix).

    Still seems like the new mix doesn't dry out quite as fast as the internet thinks it should, though. Does going even more inorganic make sense? My guess from a few years of reading about succulents is that they would probably be happy in even 80-90% inorganic soil to keep their roots dry, as long as they were watered when they needed it. No clue if that's right, though.

    11 votes

  7. Comment on SpaceX accomplishes first soft splashdown of Starship, Super Heavy Booster on Flight 4 mission in ~space

    sqew
    Link Parent
    Watching that flap come apart slowly I was convinced it was going to rip off during reentry or at least when they first tried to use it. And then it didn’t! The moment in the video when it lit up...

    Watching that flap come apart slowly I was convinced it was going to rip off during reentry or at least when they first tried to use it. And then it didn’t! The moment in the video when it lit up as the engines lit and we could see it again was crazy.

    3 votes

  8. Comment on Does anyone else have succulents? in ~hobbies

    sqew
    Link Parent
    Ah, makes sense. That's really cool that they're so good about labeling them and providing information. It's so fun to interact with people who clearly are really interested in something and want...

    Ah, makes sense. That's really cool that they're so good about labeling them and providing information. It's so fun to interact with people who clearly are really interested in something and want to share their knowledge. Wish I lived anywhere even remotely nearby so I could stop in sometime!

  9. Comment on Does anyone else have succulents? in ~hobbies

    sqew
    Link Parent
    I love your collection! I know those are links you found online, but I can imagine your windowsills and outdoor space are beautiful with them. At the rate I'm going right now, I'm probably going...

    I love your collection! I know those are links you found online, but I can imagine your windowsills and outdoor space are beautiful with them. At the rate I'm going right now, I'm probably going to end up with a similar quantity before too many more years go by. The lithops and the haworthia cooperi var. truncata both look so cool.

    I have to ask, how'd you figure out exactly what yours are? I've tried figuring mine out via comparison on r/succulents and the PlantNet plant identification app, but it seems like so many look so similar that I can't be confident of anything.

  10. Comment on Does anyone else have succulents? in ~hobbies

    sqew
    Link Parent
    I have what I'm 99% sure is a jade that started out tiny and just keeps on growing! I like it, but it's going to need its own pot soon. While re-potting mine I discovered its roots had pretty much...

    I have what I'm 99% sure is a jade that started out tiny and just keeps on growing! I like it, but it's going to need its own pot soon. While re-potting mine I discovered its roots had pretty much taken over the whole pot it was sharing.

    1 vote

  11. Comment on Jack Dorsey quits Bluesky board and urges users to stay on Elon Musk's X in ~tech

    sqew
    Link Parent
    Bizarre indeed. I wouldn't have found it interesting if it was obvious he was just being buddy-buddy with Elon, but clearly there's something different here. I'm sure he has an angle to make some...

    Bizarre indeed. I wouldn't have found it interesting if it was obvious he was just being buddy-buddy with Elon, but clearly there's something different here. I'm sure he has an angle to make some money...

    23 votes

  12. Comment on Does anyone else have succulents? in ~hobbies

    sqew
    Link Parent
    I've kept all of mine in a couple little pots dotted around my windowsill. Probably every six months or so I like to take stock of how they're all doing and think about re-potting them. If any...

    I've kept all of mine in a couple little pots dotted around my windowsill. Probably every six months or so I like to take stock of how they're all doing and think about re-potting them. If any have gotten too big or misshapen reaching for sunlight, I've just lopped the tops off, let the wound callus over for a few days, and then replanted the top. They'll happily put down new roots and keep growing.

    To be honest, it seems like it's mostly a taste thing whether to do anything other than water them every few weeks as needed. I like the little activity of reorganizing them and maybe letting a few leaves that have fallen off root and turn into baby plants, but it seems like plenty of people just leave a few in a pot for years and they stay happy.

    3 votes

  13. Comment on The surprising reason few Americans are getting chips jobs now in ~tech

    sqew
    Link Parent
    Similar experience here, it sucks. "Entry level" demanding multiple years of experience and expertise in all sorts of technologies. One pet peeve of mine with lots of those postings is the...

    Similar experience here, it sucks. "Entry level" demanding multiple years of experience and expertise in all sorts of technologies. One pet peeve of mine with lots of those postings is the requirements for expertise in development process things like CI/CD. You can certainly get exposure to those things outside of work, but unless you've worked on larger teams, you probably won't have too much depth on them.

    I've mostly given up on applying to big companies because it seems like they just reject you instantly - too big a pool of people applying. Small-to-medium places where there's some small chance a real human will see your resume feel like a better bet.

    3 votes

  14. Comment on Does anyone else have succulents? in ~hobbies

    sqew
    Link Parent
    Yeah, I get the impression that they're often mistreated in the stores. In service of them being low-effort for buyers, they also tend to put them in non-draining pots with a plastic spacer, which...

    Yeah, I get the impression that they're often mistreated in the stores. In service of them being low-effort for buyers, they also tend to put them in non-draining pots with a plastic spacer, which seems to inevitably lead to root rot.

    You can find pretty inexpensive cute pots that do have drainage holes on Amazon, and, for soil starting out, an $8 bag of anything labeled for succulents/cacti at Home Depot or your local garden store should work fine.

    3 votes

  15. Comment on Does anyone else have succulents? in ~hobbies

    sqew
    Link Parent
    I never really had houseplants growing up, but I've definitely grown to love them over the last few years. The little pop of green on my windowsill is great, and it feels good to take care of...

    I never really had houseplants growing up, but I've definitely grown to love them over the last few years. The little pop of green on my windowsill is great, and it feels good to take care of something alive that doesn't need pet levels of care. My collection is growing worryingly quickly, though!

    1 vote

  16. Comment on Does anyone else have succulents? in ~hobbies

    sqew
    Link Parent
    Fair warning, they're addictive! I went from one that I adopted from my mom to having a bunch over the course of the last two years. Although I'm no expert, I've learned a bit about caring for...

    Fair warning, they're addictive! I went from one that I adopted from my mom to having a bunch over the course of the last two years.

    Although I'm no expert, I've learned a bit about caring for them over time, and it's not too difficult. Being evolved for arid environments means that succulents handle abuse pretty well. My understanding is that the keys are well-draining soil and not over-watering (once every 2w is usually good, or go by when the leaves start to get a little squishy). As long as they get decent sunlight, they should do okay.

    Two little tips I've learned:

    • If the pot you got from the store doesn't have a hole in the bottom, re-pot it to one that does or the roots will probably rot
    • If you live in an environment where they won't get sun in the winter and you get them a grow light, make sure it's not on 24/7. Succulents use a photosynthesis cycle that requires ~8h of darkness.
    8 votes

  17. Does anyone else have succulents?

    ~hobbies Ask (survey)
    Spent yesterday afternoon re-potting my little collection of succulents, and it got me wondering whether other people on here might have some. Curious if people want to share their favorites or...

    Spent yesterday afternoon re-potting my little collection of succulents, and it got me wondering whether other people on here might have some. Curious if people want to share their favorites or tips/tricks, etc.

    37 votes

  18. Comment on What your next water heater will look like in ~enviro

    sqew
    Link Parent
    Saw the title and wondering “when will Technology Connections do a video on this”. Great to see he already has!

    Saw the title and wondering “when will Technology Connections do a video on this”. Great to see he already has!

    2 votes

  20. Comment on Need help planning a pseudo-upgrade for my computer tower in ~comp

    sqew
    Link Parent
    How’s the CPU during actual gameplay? My intuition would be that CPU usage might actually be higher on the loading screen due to it managing fetching data from disk and getting everything set up...

    How’s the CPU during actual gameplay? My intuition would be that CPU usage might actually be higher on the loading screen due to it managing fetching data from disk and getting everything set up for the GPU to start doing its work.

    2 votes