Any other professionals here? Those learning have any questions for one?

[AutomationSorcerer]

This forum seems relatively dead, and recent threads aren't exactly mentally stimulating.

Any other professionals here? If so, give a brief background so we can get to know each other?

My profile has my professional background typed out, but short version is 15 years of experience, 7 hobby, 8 professional. Specialize in C#, back-end infrastructure development, AI, API development, performance optimization, security and business model design/development.

I learned software development in a master/apprentice styled way (few still god-like developers compared to me 1 on 1); so I have a soft spot for helping junior/mid-level developers. So if anyone wants to take this opportunity to ask random questions, go for it!

 

[Approachable]

Hmm.. Professional? Nope... Basically a C++ Intermediate(Maybe).. Now trying to learn HTML,CSS, and Java. Random questions ahh? Which language do you think is the toughest to climb from the intermediate to pro level?

 

[AutomationSorcerer]

I wouldn't say a language really, but more frameworks and code analytics are the big climb. Biggest difference between junior/mid-level developers and senior developers, is senior developers have spent time learning and using many different frameworks that are pretty much standard for reliable/maintainable code; and are familiar with tools such as FxCop, ReSharper, RedGate's ANTS Performance Profiler (all of Redgate's tools are amazing).


I was tasked with improving the load time of a screen due to complaints from one of the larger clients with a huge patient database; and the screen load time was damn near 10 minutes. Took me about an hour using a performance profiler to identify the cause. Some idiot decided to iterate through the patient list in a foreach loop with an ID comparison check; rather than use a Dictionary (hashtable) based lookup by ID. Ended up cutting the screen load time to 1.5 minutes by that one change. Finding it without the performance profiler would have taken far longer.

Regardless of language (eh, HTML/CSS aren't really included here), there are plenty of development frameworks that you should learn. I'll use the Java or .NET ones as an example for now.

1. Object-relational mappers like Hibernate/NHibernate/Entity Framework make developing database backed applications much easier.

2. Logging frameworks like NLog/log4j/etc provide powerful/configurable and easy to use logging capabilities to applications.

3. Unit testing frameworks (JUnit/NUnit) allow for rapid identification of bugs/implementation errors after any change, even if it's on the other side of the project.

4. Inversion of control (NInject/etc) is pretty nifty too, but that's still magic to me though in WCF, so I tend to let the ones familiar with it handle it. Hell, ASP .NET projects in general just have too much magic code and convention based design patterns for my liking.


I could go on I'm sure, but you get the idea. After a certain point, you understand the fundamentals of programming well enough that which language you use isn't a major hurdle. The next phase in your path to mastery is to learn the tools that allow you to do in 1 hour what it would take a junior developer a week to do.

You also tend to memorize more "gotchas" over time. I had a tendency of almost leaving the office and then being called over to help a coworker with a problem they'd been working on for awhile with no luck. Usually I'd look at it for a second and go "oh, change that, and you're good; have a nice day!". For instance he had an issue with parsing dates in a new file format we needed to support with the months being off. Saw his parser code had "mm/dd/yyyy" and just said "capitalize the M's and it'll work". "mm" is minutes.

Hope that helps, even if it probably wasn't what you were expecting.

 

[Trepanated]

This forum seems relatively dead, and recent threads aren't exactly mentally stimulating.

It's one of the most visited sites on the net, so it's hardly dead.

And there are threads appearing daily with plenty of creative ideas about making money.

What were you expecting then?

 

[AutomationSorcerer]

For there to be you know.... programmers with professional experience in the programming forums... and maybe some interesting discussions relating to the purpose of the parent site?

Not a sub-forum which for the most part is full of threads hinting at a median skill level above illiterate, but below competent :/

 

[jazzc]

For there to be you know.... programmers with professional experience in the programming forums... and maybe some interesting discussions relating to the purpose of the parent site?

Not a sub-forum which for the most part is full of threads hinting at a median skill level above illiterate, but below competent :/

This isn't stack overflow. These subforums are more targeted for IMers trying to get a grasp of programming for their day to day tasks. It's not like we're going to be discussing things like "under which conditions a lamda-definable function is closed?" and come up with formal proofs for each case...

 

[AutomationSorcerer]

It's not like we're going to be discussing things like "under which conditions a lamda-definable function is closed?" and come up with formal proofs for each case...

I think I'd be equally disappointed if that were the case. I mean I'd like to see more people talking about the technical / programmatic aspects of the industry; suggest ideas for tools that could be done for IM, or problems that still need to be solved for IM.

Doesn't have to be a clone of stackoverflow and ideally wouldn't be. The forum should have it's own identity, a subforum dedicated to the technical aspects of the industry and discussions that are interesting. Currently, it's no different than any other random programming subforum anywhere else .

 

[Wilson Grant Fisk]

I think I'd be equally disappointed if that were the case. I mean I'd like to see more people talking about the technical / programmatic aspects of the industry; suggest ideas for things that could be done, or problems that still need to be solved.

Doesn't have to be a clone of stackoverflow; but a subforum dedicated to the technical aspects of the industry and discussions that are interesting would be nice.

If you have the knowledge and expertise then you are welcome to create such threads.
Share some tutorials and I am sure others will join in, although as this is primarily a Marketing Forum then I doubt you will get much in-depth professional programming discussion.
I would imagine that this section comprises of people with skills of a varying level from beginner to expert but people tend to post only when they have a problem they need help with.
Your biography states that you have created Bots for account creation and posting etc, I am sure that people would love some tutorials on how to create similar bots and would welcome you sharing your code.

 

[AutomationSorcerer]

If you have the knowledge and expertise then you are welcome to create such threads.

This thread was an attempt to do so .

Your biography states that you have created Bots for account creation and posting etc, I am sure that people would love some tutorials on how to create similar bots and would welcome you sharing your code.

Definitely something I can do.
I actually have quite a few libraries I've developed that greatly assist in the process of things such as account creation. I'm discussing the idea of potentially offering these as a paid service later down the line with a guy who is more knowledgeable about the business side of this industry. I just lack familiarity with what people need and what value the stuff I have offers

For instance, in account generation; generating realistic looking details (Name, Address, etc), email verification and phone based verification I have all decoupled as independent services from the projects I had used them in. The Name/Addresses are randomly generating using public databases provided by the Social Security Administration and United States Postal Service. For names, the SSA database provides a comprehensive list of all names actually used by real people, along with the statistics concerning how frequently they appear. This allows me to randomly generate names that are indistinguishable from real names, even to the point that heuristics to detect bot created accounts by statistical analysis of names used would be ineffective since rare names appear rarely and common names appear commonly.

Then using the USPS database coupled with IP geolocation, I'm able to randomly generated addresses that would validate as real addresses for any site taking that security measure; and the addresses are generated for the regions the IP address performing the registration exists in. So Kansas IPs register accounts with Kansas addresses that would pass non-comprehensive address existence checks.

I love developing APIs/frameworks more than anything; as I actually prefer assisting junior developers through making development APIs/frameworks idiot-proof.

===

Biggest problem is I could ramble on for hours, but prefer to answer questions / solve problems that aren't open-ended. Open ended questions / problems are the bane of my existence.

 

[sanjoin]

Edit by JazzC: You need to post this on the JV section, removed.

 

[itz_styx]

don't push it or you get flamed by the hobby programmers for trying to give tips
just have a look at this thread http://www.blackhatworld.com/blackhat-seo/introductions/786858-i-will-1-bot-maker-forum.html lol
anyways nice to see that there are some other professional programmers around!

 

[mantic0re]

Sure there are bound to be programmers here(such as myself), but most of these people are marketeers who for whatever reason want to quickly slap something together.

 

[MichelBertrand]

This forum seems relatively dead, and recent threads aren't exactly mentally stimulating.

Any other professionals here? If so, give a brief background so we can get to know each other?

My profile has my professional background typed out, but short version is 15 years of experience, 7 hobby, 8 professional. Specialize in C#, back-end infrastructure development, AI, API development, performance optimization, security and business model design/development.

I learned software development in a master/apprentice styled way (few still god-like developers compared to me 1 on 1); so I have a soft spot for helping junior/mid-level developers. So if anyone wants to take this opportunity to ask random questions, go for it!

You're asking to help you write your web site?

 

[Porfoore]

Any other professionals here? If so, give a brief background so we can get to know each other?

It depends what do you mean by professional? Because, by the definition of that word, that would be someone who makes money with programming. But, in my opinion, someone who can solve hard logic problems, use and develop complex algorithms, and have never made a dime from programming, is still a much bigger "pro" than someone who has developed a simple bot, and sold 1000s of copies with good marketing.

 

[itz_styx]

with professional programmer he likely ment someone who learned being a programmer over years and not some hobby programmer who worked on 1 bot and thinks he's pro, because he knows VB.NET lol

 

[NullReferenceX]

I love it when people say they know c# but do all the work on a foreground thread

 

[itz_styx]

lol yea .. same amateurs that use Application.DoEvents() all the time

 

[NullReferenceX]

Yes those Copy Pasta Spaghetti programmers are everywhere these day's.

 

[ghostsmokie]

This forum seems relatively dead, and recent threads aren't exactly mentally stimulating.

Any other professionals here? If so, give a brief background so we can get to know each other?

My profile has my professional background typed out, but short version is 15 years of experience, 7 hobby, 8 professional. Specialize in C#, back-end infrastructure development, AI, API development, performance optimization, security and business model design/development.

I learned software development in a master/apprentice styled way (few still god-like developers compared to me 1 on 1); so I have a soft spot for helping junior/mid-level developers. So if anyone wants to take this opportunity to ask random questions, go for it!

Hey there are you still available have few questions I am a fresher looking for a job

 

[ZeroDayHunter]

Yeah, activity's been a bit slow. I'm mainly in Python/cloud stuff these days, but happy to share what I've learned from a decade in the trenches.