Mahdi Yusuf

Remember to Experiment

15 ♥

This is mostly a note to myself that will probably come back and reference/update from time to time.

Remember to Experiment

Do not forget this. Experimenting is how you find and create new things. Attempt new things, look for interesting problems. Plus its just plain old fun. Do the wacky stuff.

Think like a beginner

Take a fresh look at problems, don’t go through your mental catalog of past problems. Each problem is unique and it has its own set of unique solutions. You might surprise yourself, with what you come up with.

Thought catalog

Remember to jot down recurring thoughts, you are likely not the only one who has them, there might be just something to them.

Take your time

This isn’t a sprint it’s a marathon, slow down silly rabbit.

Independent Study

Just learn for the fun of it, you never know what might come in handy. Derive your own conclusions, share with others.

Be positive.

Affects both you and others.

Kickstarter Cop Out

2 ♥

So this morning I saw Ghost a pretty cool blogging platform by some awesome people (web developers, designers).

They recently have started a Kickstarter to raise funds to get the product finished. From what I can see on the site and the Kickstarter they are almost there.

So lets go through the things they might need money for:

Developer time? They are developers
Design time? They are designers
Server time? I believe they have held jobs previously/currently server time is cheap.
Not for profit doesn’t mean you don’t cover your expenses. Reach out to platforms. I am sure they would love to host the best thing to happen to blogging.

They did mention a bunch of times that they were an not for profit and will remain open source. Then why not share the code now develop in the open, that doesn’t mean that you lose control.

Maybe they are looking for another feather in their hat. I don’t know.

Kickstart projects sometimes just seem like a cop out to me. You either want to build this thing or not. If money is in the way, then do a Kickstarter.

What is Python?

12 ♥

I am not talking about the giant snake, I am talking about the programming language.

Today I was playing around with Google’s Adwords Keyword Tool. I was just plugging in things I find interesting and seeing how many other people shared my enthusiasm for chocolate milk, and gummi bears.

I eventually got around to my favorite programming language. Then I saw something crazy that globally that the search ‘what is python’ is googled 16.6 million times monthly and 5 million times in the United States alone.

That is crazy. Take that in. That being said quite a few of these might be attributed to the massive snake. That doesn’t mean we can’t turn our reptile loving brothers and sister into programming language lovers. Although the phrasing leads me to believe that programming language might be what they are looking for.

So I ran the search myself in a incognito window, and the results very bland and along the lines of:

Python is an interpreted, object-oriented, high-level programming language with dynamic semantics. Its high-level built in data structures, combined with dynamic typing and dynamic binding, make it very attractive for Rapid Application Development, as well as for use as a scripting or glue language to connect existing components together.

And

Python is an agile programming language.

There, I said it, so now everyone can stop using terms like scripting and interpreted or high-level that either have negative connotations or don’t really get across why Python is so great. Just say Python is an agile programming language. Note that Java and C# are not agile languages, but that Ruby probably is based on what I know about Ruby. If you use Jython with Java that also counts as agile.

What? An agile programming language that is interpreted and object orientated? Holy ghosts Batman! Count me in.

Python is all those things but much, much more.

Hopefully this post will provide a more human touch to my favorite programming language and the amazing community around it.

Python is fast much like Usain Bolt.
Python is beautiful much like Helen of Troy.
Python is friendly much like Mr. Rogers.
Python is good at math like Mr. Einstein.
Python fights for equality, like that guy Abraham Lincoln.
Python is worldwide, you know like Pitbull.
Python is well documented, like if Mark Twain did documentation.
Python is generous, like Mother Teresa.
Python is fun, like Six Flags.
Python is open, like public records.

Python can be almost anything you want it to be, that might not be intrinsic to Python alone, but certainly embodied by it everyday.

Already a Python convert, you might want to check out, my Python screencasts to sharpen your Python skills, or keep up with weekly python news at Pycoder’s Weekly.

Neckbeard Republic

3 ♥

I recently released my latest project called Neckbeard Republic. It’s a screen casting site where I cover various topics in Python. Invariably teaching the viewer something new or a new way to think about something.

Collection of Technical Newsletters

22 ♥

Our industry is an extremely fast moving one, and we spend a lot of time driving innovation. Its often hard to look to the right and see what our peers are working on.

As a curator of a newsletter, this is an excellent medium to receive weekly happenings in your industry of choice, without the torment and constant review of the same old sites.

That being said I have compiled a list of newsletters you might be interested in. If I missed anything please hit me up and I will update it accordingly.

Just to name a few.