Here is the second week of Not So Random Software. My mind has been on time management lately and you might notice some signal in the randomness of these links.
A random tool
I have been using Timing for the last three months to track my time automatically. It is so good that it feels like cheating. I know exactly where I spend my time and I can take actions on a daily basis to shift my focus, rather then pretending I spent time on the most important thing. Unfortunately tracking what I am doing on the command line is still not perfect, so I baked my own little solution on my vimrc.
A random video or podcast
I have always found Bayesian statistics fascinating. I randomly picked this video at PyData London from my backlog and it gives a good overview of what are the capabilities. Probably time to dig into some books, or play with Python PyMC3.
A random article or paper
Interruptions for developers are often cited as one of the biggest productivity killer. Paul Graham’s Makers vs Manager essay is often cited to describe such challenge. I wanted to understand the underlying principles of such belief and I stumbled upon Gloria Mark research at University of California Irvine who studied interruptions extensively and reading her papers can help you identify the actual risks and possible mitigations for your concentration.
A random book
In the last year and a half I switched to VIM and it honestly feels like cheating. Practival VIM by Drew Neil is the one resource that I would recommend to any beginner to get on with their journey.
A random quote
People who don’t take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year. People who do take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year.Peter F. Drucker