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We all know that intelligent species learn from mistakes, right? There's just one problem: Life is too short to make every possible mistake! Also, some mistakes are more costly than others. What's the ambitious learner to do? I'm glad you asked! I'm an expert at making mistakes, and I'm happy to share as many of them as I can possibly fit into a 45-minute time slot with you, my dear conference attendee! We'll discuss a variety of exciting mistakes, ranging from the misapplication of metaprogramming techniques to letting emotions become barriers to new technologies to why it's a horrible idea to stretch a gel keyboard wrist rest across a room, even if it seems like an awesome plan at the time. Help us caption & translate this video! http://amara.org/v/FG2E/
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In this engaging talk, Ernie Miller shares insights from his experiences of making mistakes, emphasizing that learning from errors is essential, but life is too short to make all possible mistakes. He focuses on key lessons derived from personal anecdotes and professional experiences, highlighting the importance of thoughtful decision-making in both personal and technical realms. Key Points Discussed: - **Time Management**: Miller reflects on a crucial lesson learned from overestimating available time for projects, underscored by his cancer diagnosis, which prompted him to appreciate life and time more deeply. - **Gratitude**: He encourages the audience to thank someone who positively impacted their lives, promoting a culture of appreciation. - **Childhood Anecdotes**: He shares humorous experiences with a sticky hand toy named Roderick, illustrating the consequences of stretching it across a room, which serves to highlight the concept of potential and kinetic energy. - **Metaprogramming Caution**: Miller cautions against excessive use of metaprogramming in application development, sharing mistakes he made with his library MetaSearch, where he overcomplicated the solution. - **Defensive Coding**: He emphasizes the necessity of coding defensively to avoid issues with changes in APIs and to maintain flexibility in software development. - **Addiction to Games**: He reflects on his obsessive gaming habits and the mistaken belief that such activities provide meaningful accomplishments, urging caution against the allure of illusory progress. - **Career Decisions**: Miller discusses pitfalls associated with accepting counter-offers and the importance of not letting financial incentives steer career choices. He shares a personal anecdote about rejecting a job offer and later accepting a counter-offer, cautioning against the toxicity it can create in workplace relationships. - **Health and Fitness**: He recounts his late start with exercise, encouraging perseverance and the belief that it’s never too late to improve personal health. - **Authenticity**: Miller stresses the importance of being true to oneself, sharing his awkward attempts to impress others in social situations and how that interfered with his authenticity. - **Public Speaking**: He finally recounts his journey to overcoming the fear of public speaking and how he pushed himself outside of his comfort zone to achieve speaking roles. In conclusion, Ernie Miller inspires attendees to stretch themselves both personally and professionally, emphasizing that learning from mistakes is invaluable. His key takeaway encourages everyone to embrace authentic living and make decisions that align with personal values and goals.
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