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Today, nearly 12,000 developers will see a new badge on their GitHub profile celebrating their contributions to the specific versions of projects and libraries used by NASA to fly the Ingenuity Helicopter on Mars. How can we make this all about us? Mars flight edition
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Why can't I avoid thinking that there will be someone sueing the NASA for Copy-Left or something like that?
M.D.V. 
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Microsoft announced the preview of Rust for Windows, which aims to enable creating Rust apps for Windows using any Windows API. A little WD-40 can usually clear that up
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Although I have my reservations about Rust, this is actually quite exciting.
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I'm curious. What are your reservations? I'm learning at the moment, mainly because I'm out of work and out of curiosity. Professionally, I'm largely .NET but did do some years of C++ back in the day.
Incidentally Microsoft themselves have a nice little course at Microsoft Learn. I've worked through that but I'm now back in "the book."
Kevin
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For me this is awesome news. I've been writing Rust recently, and having got used to it, find the idea of using C++ to target Windows distasteful.
Once you get over the learning curve, Rust is simply a safer, more expressive, modern language.
"If you don't fail at least 90 percent of the time, you're not aiming high enough."
Alan Kay.
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Rob Grainger wrote: Once you get over the learning curve, Rust is simply a safer, more expressive, modern language.
I've been learning and it's certainly proven frustrating. I recently finished rewriting one of my existing programs (C# and Python versions) in Rust and at one point got stuck for a few days re ownership and borrowing. I never got to the bottom of it but tried a slightly different approach and got to the end. My first objective was just to reproduce the results any way I could before trying to get too clever.
My guess is once you get to a certain level and you've encountered all the ownership and borrowing scenarios it will be smoother sailing?
Kevin
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I feel your pain - initially I found much the same with ownership issues - it takes a while to get used to Rust's demanding approach here. Especially if you're coming from languages with Garbage Collection, the learning curve is very steep, if you're used to C/C++ that will help somewhat, but it can still be a struggle to get things compiling at first.
With time it gets easier. Also, the Rust community can be very helpful when you're struggling. The Reddit group in particular can be very helpful when you raise questions, with no question being too stupid.
Stick with it. When it all groks, it begins to become much easier.
"If you don't fail at least 90 percent of the time, you're not aiming high enough."
Alan Kay.
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Rob Grainger wrote: Especially if you're coming from languages with Garbage Collection, the learning curve is very steep, if you're used to C/C++ that will help somewhat, but it can still be a struggle to get things compiling at first.
In my case my dev career started with several years of mainly C++ on Windows with some VB Classic. But then it's mostly been .NET (mostly C# with some VB). However, I'm also familiar with F#, mostly in my own time. But even with all this it's still pretty tough! I've not done C++ for about 15 years now and I'm aware it's changed quite a lot!
I also think with Rust you definitely need to do more studying before getting productive than you do with many of the other languages.
My motivation for learning it is
- It's good to explore other languages from time to time, even if you don't get to use them commercially.
- I'm a "resting" freelancer.
- I'm interested in Blockchain and notice some projects are written in Rust.
- WebAssembly is looking like a Rust sweet spot. So script high-perf Rust components (e.g., AI/ML) from JavaScript. 💯 Performance advantages of Rust and WebAssembly
- Microsoft (and other Big Tech) is making a non-trivial investment in Rust.
Kevin
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My career largely parallels yours, although I kept up to date with C++ until 2/3 years ago, and I learned Haskell rather than F#, which probably gave me an advantage as Rust traits are much more akin to Haskell type classes, and many Rust standard library parts are influenced by Haskell (Option type, Result type, etc.).
But I agree, there is a steep learning curve with Rust. It took a while for it to all settle down. I'm glad to report you've been saved some pain - the borrow checker has become much more forgiving over the years, as they've added cases that are proveably safe over time. It took me about a year to be fully productive, but that's working in my spare time (which as a single parent is surprisingly sparse).
Stick with it. After a while it becomes easier and more natural. Now I just cannot think of going back to C++ for any projects.
"If you don't fail at least 90 percent of the time, you're not aiming high enough."
Alan Kay.
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Ryan Levick has a few videos that may help. Here's Introduction to Rust Part 1 - YouTube, but there are others that may help if you check his output.
"If you don't fail at least 90 percent of the time, you're not aiming high enough."
Alan Kay.
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While the Windows 10 Spring 2021 update is going to be a minor service pack style-like with a strong focus on quality improvements for enterprise customers, reports have suggested that Windows 10 version 21H2 is going to be a big release. Updated features?
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I have everytime hoped for the best, but they have tried really hard (and successfully achieved) to make me expect the worst  
M.D.V.
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
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Kent Sharkey wrote: with a strong focus on quality improvements
How many times are "enterprise customers" going to be fooled by this statement?
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013
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The next major release of Visual Studio will be faster, more approachable, and more lightweight, designed for both learners and those building industrial scale solutions. For the first time ever, Visual Studio will be 64-bit. Forget 64-bit, we've got NEW ICONS!
Sorry to beat that dead horse into mince, but they're doing it first.
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I am kind of in two minds everytime I see such an announcement... Visual Studio team is not the windows update team, but it looks they are lately getting influenced 
M.D.V.
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
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Kent Sharkey wrote: Forget 64-bit, we've got NEW ICONS!Sorry to beat that dead horse into mince, but they're doing it first.
What? Oh yes, this is an important feature apparently.
Do you think they are perhaps, just possibly, teasing us by listing the icons here?
Anyway, not to dis Visual Studio (which is a program I genuinely enjoy using!) or the work they've no doubt put into it, but the new icons really are quite similar to the old ones. Evolution rather than revolution I suppose. But the old ones were fine. The new ones are fine too. Neither better nor worse as far as I can see.
One thing that is curious is the continued use of the 3.5" floppy disk for saving. There must be VS (and other software) users today who have genuinely never seen a 3.5" floppy. Perhaps the 3.5" floppy disk icon has simply become a generic symbol for saving files, like we have generic nouns. E.g. "Escalator", "jeep", "hoover" and so on.
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markrlondon wrote: One thing that is curious is the continued use of the 3.5" floppy disk for saving. There must be VS (and other software) users today who have genuinely never seen a 3.5" floppy. Perhaps the 3.5" floppy disk icon has simply become a generic symbol for saving files, like we have generic nouns. E.g. "Escalator", "jeep", "hoover" and so on.
It's the internet, so could be fake; but I've seen multiple screenshots from twitface from parents chuckling after their kid found a "physical save icon" somewhere in the bottom of a drawer. 
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason?
Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful?
--Zachris Topelius
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Researchers propose a method for finding and fixing weaknesses in automated programming tools. I can think of a few humans that have already been surpassed by the models
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Kent Sharkey wrote: I can think of a few humans that have already been surpassed by the models
I suppose you went to the Q&A lately... didn't you? 
M.D.V. 
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
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I figured it might be considered unfair if I called them out explicitly, but yes
TTFN - Kent
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Kent Sharkey wrote: I figured it might be considered unfair if I called them out explicitly, but yes
Don't worry... I have you covered 
M.D.V.
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
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It’s no secret that the technical interview process leaves something to be desired; it’s often riddled with anxiety and stress. In this article, we’ll take a look at seven of the most common mistakes candidates make in their technical interviews and explore ways you can avoid them. The manhole cover is not round because of amore
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Mistake #0: Forgetting to start with "Hello Mr/Ms/Mrs Interviewer, before we start, I want to confirm that you have:
1. Read my resume.
2. Perused my blog.
3. At least viewed the list of articles I've published over the years.
4. Visited at least one of my websites."
A. If you haven't done that, you're wasting my time.
B. If you have done that, you're still wasting my time with a technical interview.
Given A: Thank you for your lack interest. Marc clicks "End Meeting."
Given B: Thank you for your interest, why haven't I received a job offer? Marc clicks "End Meeting."
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While I understand (B), you have to remember that the person interviewing you has to jump through the hoops, or he/she will get dinged by Legal or HR. Hiring you without the technical interview given to all other candidates may be seen as favouritism, and in today's litigious culture, expose the company to legal action.
Yes, it's a waste of everyone's time.
Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.
-- 6079 Smith W.
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