This pattern (set up, do work, clean up) is common across many different problem domains, so Python has a language feature to help with it. Context managers, defined using the with keyword, manage the setup and cleanup processes. Python's file objects support them, as do most database libraries.
If you can’t easily explain why something is difficult, then it’s incidental complexity, which is probably worth addressing
My favorite manager in my career had a habit of pressing me when I would claim something was difficult to implement. Often his response was something along the lines of “isn’t this just a matter of sending up X when we Y”, or... See more
Performance is about using resources efficiently to deliver fast, responsive software. Prioritizing performance early helps you design systems that meet or exceed user expectations.
The digital dominance of the 21st Century has sorted us into our own tailored versions of online reality, where we drown in ads and information. It's overwhelming, noisy, and ephemeral. It's hard to have a simple conversation, let alone align the globe on a future worth building.
The qualities that make someone a dependable source of excitement are generally the opposite of those that make him or her a dependable source of stability. Seeking both in one real human isn’t much less absurd than dreaming of a partner who’s both six and five feet tall.
The serious scholars in non-Western thought should bring us the powerful texts they know of to help us. For the true canon aggregates around the most urgent questions we face. That is the only ground for the study of books. Nietzsche did not seek out Socrates because he was part of the classical canon German boys learned in school. He did so in... See more
Limit function length : Keep functions concise, ideally under 70 lines . Shorter functions are easier to understand, test, and debug. They promote single responsibility, where each function does one thing well, leading to a more modular and maintainable codebase.
Of course, therapy and its vernacular are not solely to blame for our era of isolation. Rather, therapy and other tools of introspection have become ways to justify our lack of access to external stimulation. Instead of using therapy to untangle our desires and fears so that we may effectively act on them, therapy becomes the goal in itself—to... See more