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Hey everyone, I just wanted to do a quick follow-up after Chris's presentation. He created a repository, and I helped him quickly draft all the advice from his presentation into this repository. This is a follow-up, and I strongly invite you to check it out. If you have any issues, maybe we can solve them together. If you have a good solution or a silver bullet for improving test speed, please share it. That's it.
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I was just encouraged to give you a hint on something you might want to introduce in your everyday workflows or behaviors in the project. I believe it's a simple takeaway that your clients could greatly benefit from. The concept is called 'blameless accountability.' I learned about it in one of the episodes of the Stack Overflow podcast, where some guests were discussing it. The takeaway is that clients value us reacting quickly to failures in production, putting all resources towards fixing those issues as soon as possible. However, we often forget to inform the client during this process.
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Instead, we tend to think that just acting on the issue without communication is sufficient. This mindset is actually false. Commonly, we use 'mean time to resolve' as a metric to measure our effectiveness in handling issues, but research shows that what clients value even more is the 'mean time to respond.' We should notify our clients that we are working on the issue while we dive into fixing it. I’ve started implementing this approach, and it’s been effective. Now, when there are problems or requests from clients, I just respond via Slack or send a quick message saying, 'I’m on it.' This has significantly improved the Net Promoter Score (NPS) and overall client satisfaction.
00:02:40.540
Yesterday, I attended a presentation about mentoring that inspired me to share how to find a mentor or mentee. I heard that starting with a GIF can make it much easier. Finding a mentor can begin in your company. I’m from Monterey, and we have a really awesome blog post on how we do mentoring from both sides—how to be a mentor or a mentee. I encourage you to read it and possibly inspire a similar initiative in your company. Mentoring is not limited to just one approach; there are many external services to help you find a mentor or mentee.
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For example, one resource is 'Coding Coach,' a site that connects people who have completed boot camps or are self-learned with mentors. I currently have one mentee from that site, and in the past, I’ve had a few others. If you're looking for someone to mentor, it's a great resource. There's also 'Mentoring Club,' where you can connect with professionals from companies like Netflix, Google, and Meta. These are experienced individuals, and discussing various topics with them can be very beneficial.
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However, be cautious with services like 'Plateau,' which charges over $200 per month. The money goes to Plateau and not the mentors, so it may not be the best option. Also, remember that there are many other places where you can either be a mentor or find one. There are various tech leaders and likely many more groups available for mentoring.
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My name is Tobiasz Waszak, and you can find me on LinkedIn if you have any questions. Once again, I’m from Monterey, and tomorrow we are hosting a local Ruby group meeting at our office at 7 PM. Thank you!
00:07:03.000
So, hey again. I wanted to discuss why password validation on websites often fails. Everyone has experienced the frustration of needing a special character, uppercase and lowercase letters, and numbers when creating a password. If you use a password manager, it’s not a problem, and you should definitely be using one. However, many users do not, leading to common yet weak passwords, such as 'password123!.'
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While such a password might pass most validations, to most users, it feels like a reasonable option. On the other hand, creating a passphrase, or sentence, might be much more secure, yet it fails the standard validations asking for specific types of characters. Additionally, while there are programs to validate password strengths, it’s essential to remember that easy configurations still invite hacking attempts. Users might try to hack such validations, replacing letters with similar-looking numbers or symbols.
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A solution to this is to use something like DropBox's 'zxcvbn,' which evaluates password strength based on how easy it is to crack. It provides a score from 0 to 4, allowing users to understand if their choice is secure without unnecessary constraints. This way, they can create stronger passwords while ensuring compliance with security standards.
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Now, if we switch to a different topic, I wanted to highlight my experiences growing up in Zimbabwe. I find it interesting to mention that I am not Black; there are indeed white people in Africa. The context in which we are discussing here gives you insight into how varied life is on the continent.
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The economy of Zimbabwe has experienced vast fluctuations; for instance, the 2008-2009 currency crisis led to millions of billionaires due to hyperinflation. Although having a bill counting as a billion does sound impressive, the reality is that the population suffered from severe economic hardships.
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Today, the situation has fluctuated significantly, with complexities arising from having multiple currencies and ongoing corruption. It's common that these injustices only benefit a few, highlighting why some people feel detached from their public services. Public transport, like many other things, faces inefficiencies and often leads to an inability to provide adequate services to the public yet resolves through informal channels.
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This informal operation can also be seen regarding the police forces, which may not own many vehicles to operate effectively. In such an environment, it's essential to navigate corruption innovatively just to ensure a smooth life experience.
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Amidst these challenges, the informal economy can sometimes present a solution. For example, fuel shortages lead to queues of vehicles waiting to fill up. Yet again, paying a small fee may grant priority access, highlighting how corruption can disrupt otherwise lawful transactions.
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Allow me to share a lighthearted note. Our national dish is called Saza, which should not be confused with Satza. The misunderstanding arose possibly due to different search engines yielding vastly different images. While I believe it's vital to appreciate distinct cultures, it’s also important to ensure accurate representations.
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Speaking of natural resources, Zimbabwe is known for its lakes, including the second largest man-made lake globally. This interests tourists or those wanting to explore wilderness, showcasing the duality of food problems and abundant water resources in certain areas.
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Ultimately, what makes my move to Poland compelling is the contrast regarding infrastructure, economy, and the general social structure. I hope this provides context for why I find my time in Poland significant.
00:16:50.620
Now, I’d like to pivot towards 3D printing, which is only loosely related to programming but remarkably fascinating. I acquired a Prusa Mark II 3D printer back in 2016, which intrigued me due to its DIY assembly kit. Using it almost feels like entering a second nature to technology.
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Among the printer's many features, one notable aspect is the ability to be updated, turning what initially appears basic into a reliable household tool for personal projects. While most users gravitate to popular software like Fusion 360 for design, I often lean towards open-source options like OpenSCAD, as they allow for a developer-oriented approach to designing models.
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Capturing the counterpart, slicing models for print efficiently can be tackled using specialized software tools. The mentioned slicers play a crucial role in ensuring the printer function optimally by managing the settings as simple and effective as possible.
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In a practical application of this capability, I often get requests from friends. Recently, a friend asked for help fixing his SodaStream, which was unusually popular due to a design flaw. I managed to design a replacement button and offered that through a local selling platform, finding lots of buyers needing similar parts, showing how emerging technologies can solve localized issues.
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In conclusion, it’s fascinating to discover how technologies can help fill gaps left by traditional systems. Thank you for listening to my experiences regarding technology and personal growth.
00:21:16.500
I'm wrapping this up; it's been a tough decision for me to share these moments. With everything shared today, I hope to enlighten you about life from various perspectives, emphasizing an environment where creativity thrives and enables mentorship.
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Lastly, I have some books to give away from Pragmatic Programmers. Thank you for your participation today. I hope everyone has a chance to win!
