DEV Community: Bryn

Data Structures for Everyone!

Bryn — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 20:59:10 +0000

As part of my code camp experience we've been introduced to a lot of new terminology and CS concepts. The bulk of them have been primarily practical in nature; how to use ruby to implement a search, how to connect models in ORMs, what a route actually is and how to configure it, etc. Some of the more interesting theoretical concepts aren't as routinely discussed but are crucial for grasping the purpose behind any particular algorithm utilization. One of those core computting concepts is Data Structures.

The concept of data structures is easy to grasp when you recognize how you already use them in your daily life. As humans, figuring out how to keep useful information around is a component of culture and our ability to work together on larger projects.

Human Centered Examples:

*Dictionaries *Maps *Tables *Programming Conventions

Everyday examples of data structures abound, they're ,very simply, the ways we've decided make the most sense for the type of information we have to store, in order to recall or present that information. During medieval times, we used songs and poetry to store data- because most people couldn't read, encoding the information of the day in an auditory format made the most sense.

Today, we use dictionaries for words in new languages, we store location information as gps coordinates and present them on a map; a 2-d, visual data structure with distance and terrain information encoded in the colors, topography, and oriented on a grid with cardinal directions. If you wanted to keep track of your book keeping information, you may prefer a balance sheet or an excel table. Programming conventions help us keep track of our code in an understable and transferable way. Often the purpose of our programs is to track, analyze, and present huge amount of data that very few humans would be interested in storing inside their heads.

Computer Centered Examples:

*Arrays *Linked lists *Hash Tables *Graphs *Trees

When working with particularly large data sets we turn to computers, and we've worked out ways to structure that information in ways that are better suited to their functionality. Arrays, queues, stacks, linked-lists, graphs, trees and their sub-derivative heaps, and hash-tables are some of the structures that we use to efficiently access the information again when we want it.

One of the key data storage possibilities is the array. Arrays are the basis for just about every other data storage structure. An array is a linear chunk of determined length as stored in memory. It will keep track of your information, in order, and it's very hard to access anything from the center. When you fill your array- it's necessary to find a new sequence of memory that you can copy your original information into and then specify a further amount of data for your new array, in order to add to it.

A more complex data structure is the hash-table. Hash-tables are the basis of databases. Their job is to take a key value pair, pass it through the hash function, and then use the output to precisely locate a place for it to live. When accessing the information later, we pass the key back to the hash function and it will point us to that precise spot again.

So, that's a basic explanation of what data structures are. Understanding the nuances of how a particular structure works is actually pretty good reading and food for thought. I hope this makes the concept more approachable and fun to work with!

Leave a comment below on your favorite algo/structure pairs!

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_structure

https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/data-structures/

Drinking from the Firehose and Avoiding Burnout

Bryn — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 20:51:18 +0000

Burnout is defined by three criteria by the WHO

feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion

increased mental distance from one’s job or feelings negative towards one’s career

reduced professional productivity.

You can usually identify the end stages of it- once productive members of the team now staring at their screens for large chunks of the day; less energy for interpersonal interaction, and a marked reduction in quality of the work that is completed. More than just feeling tired or unproductive, burnout can last for weeks or even months.

This is such a pervasive issue in our modern world that the WHO has updated their definition is an effort to provide a better level of acknowledgment and support around this feature of our society.

As a software developer one of the realities of the job is burnout- but it's often not really spoken about. There's a lot of value in being able to push a project through or just keep grinding away on a problem until it's done and Americans are have mastered the art of exhaustion flexing. Just think back to the last conversation you had where sleep came up- Was is someone declaiming how little sleep they got? Were they inviting compliments for their hard work and dedication in the same breath?

My bootcamp experience with Flatiron has been incredible- I never would have believed that I could learn two different languages and a library of each in 3 months and become proficient in creating front and backend apps for the modern web. Over the last few weeks though I've noticed the enthusiasm of my once cheerful and energized cohort flagging though. We're all hanging in and we keep showing up everyday to school- most of us an hour or two early and staying an hour or so afterward to finish extra reading. Our dedication is apparent and the commitment we've made is carrying us through.

It's been an intense program and all of us are learning to deal with the never ending process of learning and churning out another deliverable every three weeks. We're all coming to the realization that this is, in fact a key piece to the work that we're choosing to get into. As such, dealing with it in the long run is going to be about creating good habits now and building those into our lives and careers. Honestly, through all the reading I've done on the subject the key points are consistent-- Treat yourself like you'd treat your favourite pet!

Feed yourself- preferably foods that are high in healthy fats- like fish, nuts, cheese, or my personal favourite breakfast food- chicken liver mousse.
Exercise- even a twenty minute walk will help reduce your stress levels, but a hour of cardio/weight training a few times a week will dramatically improve your life and ability to rebound from stressful situations
Water- I know you know this, but still- get a water bottle and keep it on your desk. 32 oz a day will go a long way toward keeping yourself happy and functional.
Sleep- even under normal circumstances adults NEED between 6-8 hours of sleep a night. More and more, studies are explicitly discovering connections with lack of sleep and chronic diseases. If you don't have time to sleep- you're probably fooling yourself about the quality of work you're putting out.
Social- We're mammals, we're at our best when we have meaningful emotional connections with the people we interact and work with. You don't need to be besties with your desk mate, but it helps everyone to feel seen to take fifteen minutes and trade stories about your day or anecdotes from your life. Schedule time to hang out with the people who are important to you as often as you can, find something fun to do and make sure you're getting a least an hour or two a week.
Self-care- I usually list this as hygiene and remind people to shower every morning, but it really goes further than that and includes whatever somatic/grooming/replenishing personal care that you find restorative. If you can't think of anything in that category- definitely take a shower every day and maybe wear that new shirt that you like.
Ask for help from your team- talk to your team about what's going on for you and don't try to power through it for more than a week or two at most.

Resources:

https://www.projectmanager.com/blog/avoid-burn-out

https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/burnout-definition-world-health-organization#1

https://www.healthline.com/health/tips-for-identifying-and-preventing-burnout

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/excessive-sleepiness/support/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need

https://www.healthline.com/health/tips-for-identifying-and-preventing-burnout#how-you-can-help

https://www.thezenteacher.com/overwhelm-or-drinking-from-the-firehose/

Growth > Comfort

Bryn — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 20:59:16 +0000

Asking for Help aka Eating your Ego or Beginner's Mind is the Road to Satori

In the bootcamp experience one of the most telling differences between folks excelling and the folks struggling is the ability to ask for help in a timely way. It's an imperative skill in developing and for life in general. It also has predictable roadblocks that are built into the human psyche. Many folks find asking for help to be one of the most difficult professional and personal skills to master. It's certainly among my most limiting personal challenges, but I'm getting sooooooooo many opportunities to work on it right now. And I'm getting better all the time.

Please comment below with any things you do to remind yourself that asking questions is okay.

Why?

When a person asks for help they're expressly exposing that they don't have whatever it is that they need to accomplish their goals on their own. And while we all know this to be a categorically true statement in the abstract, it becomes more difficult to share our own personal vulnerabilities and gaps in knowledge. In a professional setting, this immediately goes along with the possibility of being judged as a 'bad hire' or someone who doesn't have an appropriate work ethic or culture fit.

An ask for help can have a lot of layered meaning, "RTFM", "STFW", "That's so basic, it's not even worth answering.", or even, "You don't know that already? Seriously?", with a sneer can shut a person down pretty quickly if they don't already have a significant level of self esteem and confidence already.

Admitting that I don't have the tools or know how to solve a problem has always had a lot of shame attached to it in my family. Anyone who was in the unfortunate position of being ignorant was aggressively derided while the more knowledgeable party had an opportunity to 'teach'. Another common response to being asked a question was to ignore it and reject the asker. I know that I'm not alone in this experience of being made fun of or to feel like not knowing something was a personal failing. These particular ways of working with ignorance are some of the least helpful and most decisive ways to get people to hide their lack of facility on a subject.

I think it's a particularly difficult skillset for women entering into the notably gendered field of software development or computer science.
I can't even get through one google search for "women in tech" without running across articles about gender discrimination and Anita Sarkeesian's experiences during GamerGate. So many of us are coming into the field with a loaded sense of having to prove ourselves in a hostile environment. The sense of being able to ask questions is completely undermined when there is no sense of inclusion to the team.

All this being said, I've pulled together a list of the most helpful books, articles, and thoughts I've gleaned during my bootcamp experience. I hope that you can relate and take away some information about how to ask better questions and be a more approachable team mate or teacher.

As a beginner in anything you have the right to be unfamiliar with the topic at hand. It is your right, as a person who is learning, not to know yet. As the participant in a coding school, bootcamp, or meetup- you have the right to ask questions and expect a constructive answer. This here was probably the most difficult for me to fully embrace, but give yourself a break and remember- it's not all that personal-- let yourself revel in not knowing while you learn.

As a student, you are literally paying for the right to ask and get answers and to keep asking until they make sense to you. Do not feel guilty for asking to have it explained again.

It's your responsibility to do something with the answers you get and to creatively apply them to your learning. But there's no glory in figuring something out for yourself when your desk partner would have gladly lead you to the solution an hour ago.

How to ask a question:

-assume good will and that you deserve to ask and have your question answered
-be as specific as you can about your problem and desired outcome
-ask people to help you individually, by name
-don't give up until you actually have an improved understanding
-let people feel good about helping you
-be willing to hear "no, I can't help you with that"

Drawbacks for you:

-feeling exposed as lacking skill
-momentary shame
-fears of being judged
-fear of rejection
-developing a reputation for incompetence
-guilt in diverting resources to yourself

Benefits for you:

-actually learning and building your confidence
-developing a team mentality
-refining your skills quickly
-having an opportunity to make real connections with teachers and team mates

How to Offer Good Help

-understand the asker's perspective and level
-clarify the question
-encourage them to talk through the problem
-build a rapport

How to Offer help Poorly

-scoff, minimize, or otherwise belittle or evade the question
-allow your body language to convey your irritation
-jump in without finding out if your help is going to be helpful
-be 'helpy', don't get a clear picture of the end goal

Weird ways to ask---What to avoid at all costs.

-apologizing too much
-minimizing the ask
-manipulative asking
-un clear asks
-diffuse asks, not to a specific person

Outcomes:

Stronger cohesion of the group, better understanding, shared skills, ability to mentor and teach, positive feelings associated with helping. Better teams with more personal investment in one another and a culture that encourages questions and solution finding as a foundation for success.

Heidi Grant PhD

Youtube tedTalk
https://www.ted.com/talks/heidi_grant_how_to_ask_for_help_and_get_a_yes?language=en

Verge Article 6/22/18
https://www.theverge.com/2018/6/22/17475134/heidi-grant-reinforcements-help-social-psychology

Mindset
Dr. Carol Dweck
https://www.mindsetworks.com/science/

Specific to asking technical questions online

How to Ask for Help Without Seeming Lazy
Arit Amara
https://dev.to/msarit/how-to-ask-for-help-without-seeming-lazy-2hmh

How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
Eric Steven Raymond
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Hyper Kyphosis and Coding

Bryn — Thu, 13 Jun 2019 19:28:30 +0000

Coming into coding world from my background in health and kinesthetics was a shocker.

In my previous life- entire weekends were spent in retreats focused on spinal mobility and proper posture for strength, health, and ease of movement. As a dancer and instructor I pride myself on reading a person's physiology for clues about how they move and spend their time. Subtle developmental imbalances and reduced range of motion that could impact my student's ability to complete a set piece of choreography or inform the type or speed of response in a dance partner and allow me to lead my students toward a more natural and supportive spinal posture.

Walking into a building full of devoted code monkeys- all focused on their amazing creations and complicated form submissions was like an ice bucket challenge for me. Everyday. As a former dance instructor, my internal reaction to seeing the code monkey hunch is to immediately engage my core and ask the person to lift their chest sternum and correct their posture.

Now- having joined the FlatIron crew, I too spend the majority of my day reading from my computer screen and coaxing the code into a working order. In order to continue doing so- I've needed to step up my spinal self care to compensate. Usually I do this by busting out a dozen push-ups a few times a day and finding ways to fit some yoga into my daily life in the office. The daily demands of desk work are real and unique in modern human life. We're not actually very good at doing the same thing, all day, every day. Our bodies will adapt to the most efficient performance of our daily habits, not necessarily the healthiest.

Healthy Spines:
A healthy spine has a distinct "s" curve, really more like a series of undulations from the neck to the pelvis- pulling the head back and bringing the chest forward. The bulk of the weight of your head should be balanced over the spinal cord in the center of the spine. Feel the sensation of a heavy cloak over your shoulders, allow your shoulder blades to come together and tuck your chin. This should feel good- maybe a little stretch and warmth between your shoulders, but mainly good.

Kyphotic Spines:

Kyphosis can be slight, just a rounding of the musculature, or severe, leading to an actual reversal of the curvature of the spine. The excessive forward rounding of the shoulders caused by typing and constantly having ones arms forward will almost always lead to compression of the nerves leading from the c-spine down through the shoulder and into the arms. If anyone has ever had a pinched nerve or experienced the pins and needles feeling of sensation returning to a numb limb after sitting on it oddly for a few minutes- these are symptoms of radiculopathy. radi= radius, the fine bone of the forearm- opathy = a medical problem. Reduced sensation and strength in the side of the arms, along the triceps, down to the pinky, ring, and middle fingers are common complaints. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a form of radiculopathy.

Nerve pathways through C-spine

Brachial Plexus and nerves of the arm

Traditional tx and medical intervention:

Traditionally, once your notice the nerve pain, changes in your daily life are necessary to resolve it. Changing the height of your desk, more focus on ergonomics, an expensive MRI or two, and a few weeks of physical therapy will result in a return to function for 80% of people.

Postural correctors:

There's an entirely new set of gadgets available for this. Everything from mechanical braces, and holster style shoulder straps, to electric monitors that will shock you if your posture slips. Pavlov, anyone?

https://www.verywellhealth.com/best-posture-correctors-4171981

Prevention exercises:

With anything here- if you have doubts about your ability to perform with good form, ask for help from a professional!

Instead of waiting for the inevitable discomfort and expensive diagnostic and treatment options, setting yourself up for success and health is much easier- in the long run. To start, you may have trouble with even body weight- particularly if you haven't had the chance or inclination to develop these muscles in your life up to now. It's shocking how much functional strength I lost in the last five weeks of sitting for 8 hours a day.

Y-T-W with weights or without to start

wrist crawls up the wall

Yoga:

Cat/Cows

Down Dog

Bent Hang

Bent Hang + Superman Arms

Classics to build up to:

push ups - with your elbows tight in to your rib cage. If these aren't comfortable on the ground, find a flight of stairs or a stable desk and do them at an incline, with your elbows tucked in and your shoulder girdle "packed"- meaning with your shoulder blades pulled down along your back and the space between them engaged.

pull ups- get a bar, start with palms toward you (chin-up position, uses more of the bicep) and then hang with bent arms to start, trying to find the same kind of "packed" shoulder described in the push up.

Advanced: take these on after you're very comfortable doing at least a dozen pushups and can perform at least three sets of ten Y-T-W's with five pounds and good form.

Handstands

Handstand pushups

Citations:

Radiculopathy and Cervical Spine Compression
https://www.spine.org/KnowYourBack/Conditions/Degenerative-Conditions/Cervical-Stenosis-Myelopathy-and-Radiculopathy

Complex breakdown of nervous pathways and branches of the cervical and brachial plexuses:
https://antranik.org/peripheral-nervous-system-spinal-nerves-and-plexuses/

American Family Physicians website:
https://www.aafp.org/afp/2010/0101/p33.html