DEV Community: Yan Fernandes

Becoming Smart: The No-Nonsense Guide

Yan Fernandes — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 15:40:19 +0000

You don’t need 12 years of school + 4 years of college + 6 years of graduate school to become smart. Seriously, if it took that long, we’d all still be swinging from trees. Genetics? Meh. Habits are what really matter. So, let’s dive in.

Why Become Smart?

For what? To get money? To impress people? Any answer works. But first, know yourself and figure out what kind of approach you’re willing to take.

How to Become Smart

Most advice on the internet is as useful as a screen door on a submarine. Socrates himself would have accomplished nothing with the internet’s wisdom. Here are some gems:

Eat fruits
Drink coffee
Sleep more
Take IQ tests
Listen to classical music

Sounds good, right? But at some point, you actually need to LEARN something.

"So what can I actually do to become smart?"

Read. Just this. But it depends on what kind of reading you do and what skills you want to achieve and improve.

Fiction books: More likely to improve your vocabulary than teach you a high-income skill.
Non-fiction books: You’ll understand more about how the world works in certain areas.

How to BE Smart

If we become smart, do we need to correct other people? My answer is yes, but it’s much more important how you do this.

Take this dialogue as an example:

Bob: Crazy how we evolved from chimpanzees, right?
Alice: Well ACTUALLY, evolution is NONLINEAR,
and SEVERAL human-like species inhabited Earth SIMULTANEOUSLY, none of which could even be REMOTELY CONSIDERED as chimpanzees.

Here, Alice just sounds arrogant. So, how can we approach this more politely?

Bob: Crazy how we evolved from chimpanzees, right?
Alice: It is crazy, right? You know, I was reading the other day that humans and chimpanzees share a common ancestor from 10 million years ago. Since then, we've been evolving separately. I always thought we evolved FROM them, but it turns out we just evolved side by side.

You can be smart and humble (and also sound like you occasionally touch grass).

The key is to teach people what you know without making them feel dumb. That way, people actually learn from you, and you’ll be seen as a smart and respectful person.

Where to Find These Books

You don’t need to read all five books that everyone tells you to read. Just choose a topic you want to understand. For example:

Data Structures: Go on Google and search “data structures book,” then choose the one with the best reviews.

Books usually cost money, and for legal reasons, I always recommend you buy these books. But you might accidentally come across a website named Library Genesis. You might accidentally search for the title of the book, click on the first link, download a file, and open it in a proper book reader. I’m not responsible for that, feds.

How to Use What You Read

So, now you know how to get a book (buying), and you know that this book contains skills and information to use in conversation. Good! But how do you actually learn these skills, you ask? I have this other article about retaining knowledge that will really help you.

But here are 10 fast tips to know before learning from a book:

No practice -> Brain forgets
20% knowledge -> 80% results

And that’s it. It’s the 20% of the list.

Some Cool Graphics

This is the learning curve:

As you can see, the first 20% gets you a lot of progress, but YOU NEED to practice. Books only make you smart if you give your brain a reason to remember them.

"But can I practice while reading the book?"

Let’s suppose you’re reading a book about mechanics. You can’t change the battery of your car just because you’re reading, right?

Ideally, you should, but you can still practice by imagining the situation. Watch a video of someone doing what you’re studying, visualize yourself taking the same steps, and, if you can, take notes. This way, you’re telling your brain it’s something you want to remember instead of just memorizing it.

Our school system is built on this principle. The teacher teaches you a lot of stuff you’ll never use, or if you do, it’ll be in 10 years. To get a graduation, the teacher applies a test. If you study and practice, you get good grades; if you don’t, you get bad grades. Or, if you’re South Korean, you go to prison (joke—you only go to prison if you cheat).

But now we have a problem: once you’ve taken the test, there’s no need to remember that information. So how can we remember something? To answer that, check this article.

disclamer: this article is based on this cool video from easy,actually
yt channel

How to use Semantic commits properly

Yan Fernandes — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 18:10:48 +0000

Semantic commit messages provide a structured and standardized way of communicating the nature of changes made in a commit. By adhering to a specific format, such as the Angular convention, developers can easily understand the purpose and impact of each commit within a project's version control history. Below are examples of semantic commit messages along with their descriptions:

`feat`: Adding a new feature

*Add user authentication*

Adds a new middleware to handle user authentication in the system.

`fix`: Fixing bugs

*Fix typo in login form*

Corrects a small typo issue in the HTML code of the login form.

`chore`: Maintenance tasks

*Update project dependencies*

Updates dependency versions to the latest stable releases.

`docs`: Updating documentation

*Update API documentation*

Includes additional examples and details on using the REST API in the README.

`style`: Code style improvements

*Apply consistent code formatting*

Standardizes code formatting using prettier to ensure consistency.

`refactor`: Code refactoring

*Refactor authentication logic*

Reorganizes code to improve readability and maintainability.

`test`: Adding or modifying tests

*Add unit test for user service*

Includes a new unit test to ensure the integrity of the user service.

`build`: Changes affecting the build system or external dependencies

*Update Node.js version to 14.0.0*

Updates the Node.js version to the latest available LTS version.

`ci`: Changes related to configuration and continuous integration

*Set up GitHub Actions for test execution*

Defines a workflow in GitHub Actions to automate project testing.

These examples demonstrate how semantic commit messages can provide clarity and context to the changes made in a project. While the specific keywords and formats may vary, maintaining consistency and informativeness in commit messages is essential for effective collaboration and project management.

How to Never Forget: Mastering the Art of Retaining Knowledge

Yan Fernandes — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 00:05:47 +0000

This article comes from a YouTube video titled I learned a system for remembering everything by Matt D'Avella, a YouTuber focused on productivity content, and Ryan Holiday, described as "one of the world's bestselling living philosophers" in his bio on Amazon.

Basically, we will pass through important insights to fix the content that you can retain when reading a book.

How to Read a Book

First and foremost, we really need to relearn how to read a book. When we are starting out, we often think that reading a book simply involves spelling out words sequentially, constructing phrases, followed by paragraphs, and eventually chapters. However, this approach is perhaps the least effective way to truly absorb and retain the content. It leads us directly into the pitfall of the forgetting curve, which is a topic I address more thoroughly in another article.

Reading should be a positive experience, a pleasure. It's not about rushing through the material as quickly as possible. Nobody boasts, "Dude, yesterday I had the fastest sex ever, it was awesome." If you feel like you're a slow reader and want to pick up the pace without sacrificing comprehension, consider the approach outlined in the book How to Win Friends & Influence People (I believe this is a common feature in all editions of the book, mine being the Portuguese version from Companhia Nacional). Here's how you can read non-fiction books and still extract valuable content:

Cultivate a deep and dynamic desire to learn everything the book has to offer. Approach it with a genuine hunger for knowledge and an eagerness to explore its insights.
Read each chapter at least twice before moving on to the next one.
While reading, take breaks to reflect on how you could apply the content to your own life. Ask yourself, "Where in my life could I use this information? In what types of situations?"
Highlighting is more crucial than you might think. Pause periodically to highlight any passages that you believe will be useful for future reference.
Start journaling. Keep a simple notebook handy and jot down any insights or lessons learned from the book, along with the situations they apply to and the source book.

How to Take Notes

We often wonder why we should bother taking notes. Initially, it may seem like a tedious task that only prolongs the time it takes to finish a chapter. However, it's essential to understand the purpose behind note-taking. What sets apart a stored datum from a book and a stored datum that you'll inevitably forget? It's not about hoarding every note and rereading them tirelessly or feeling compelled to tattoo information onto our bodies to ensure we won't forget it.

I refer to this concept as the Life Cycle of Information.

Collect/Create: This stage involves gathering information either by creating it yourself or collecting it from external sources.

Store: Once collected, information needs to be stored in a way that is easily retrievable and comprehensible. This might involve organizing notes in a systematic manner or utilizing mnemonic devices.

Use: Information serves its purpose when it is applied in relevant contexts. This stage involves actively incorporating the stored knowledge into decision-making, problem-solving, or creative endeavors.

Share: Knowledge gains value when shared with others. Whether through teaching, discussing, or collaborating, sharing information enriches collective understanding and fosters collaboration.

Archive: As time passes, some information may become less immediately relevant but still valuable for reference or historical purposes. Archiving ensures that valuable insights are preserved for future use.

Destroy: Not all information retains its usefulness indefinitely. Some data may become outdated, irrelevant, or even harmful. Knowing when to discard or update information is crucial for maintaining an accurate and manageable knowledge base.

The Analog vs Digital

In Matt D'Avella's video, Ryan Holiday suggests favoring the analog path over the digital one, arguing that it allows for a deeper immersion in the content and enhances understanding of the book.

In this approach, after highlighting key passages in the book, we transfer the important information onto flashcards. Subsequently, we revisit and reread the material, organizing it into categories and connections. Employing diagrams or maps can further aid in this process.

However, as a software engineer, I believe we could utilize tools like Obsidian and Excalidraw to organize and revisit the content we need to read, along with our note-taking system. Excalidraw could serve as a comprehensive tool for creating diagrams or mind maps, streamlining the digital note-taking process.

Revisit and Revise

At this point, we understand why we should take notes and how to take them effectively. Now, I feel that this is the most intuitive chapter of this article. Seriously, once you have all your notes, it's faster and more efficient to simply read through them or refer back to the book directly rather than sifting through tiny letters to find the specific chapter you're looking for.

Give It a Try!

Now that you've learned about this system for remembering everything from the books you read, why not give it a try? Start implementing the strategies discussed in this article and see how they work for you. By taking notes effectively, organizing your thoughts, and utilizing tools like flashcards or digital note-taking apps, you can enhance your ability to retain and recall information from the books you've read.

Remember, it's not about completely overhauling your reading habits overnight. Start small, experiment with different techniques, and gradually incorporate them into your routine. Over time, you'll likely find that you're retaining more information and gaining deeper insights from your reading material than ever before.

So why wait? Start now and take advantage of the opportunity to remember everything from the books you read—or at least more than before.

Unleash the Power of Obsidian with GitHub: A Guide to Organizing Your Digital Brain

Yan Fernandes — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 02:43:41 +0000

In today's fast-paced digital world, the need to manage and organize information efficiently has never been greater. Whether you're a student, a professional, or someone looking to simply organize your thoughts, you'll undoubtedly appreciate the magic of Obsidian, a dynamic note-taking app that revolutionizes how you capture and connect ideas. In this article, we'll explore how to harness the capabilities of Obsidian and enhance your note-taking experience by integrating it with GitHub for secure storage and version control of your notes.

What is Obsidian?

Before delving into the details of the Obsidian-GitHub integration, let's provide a brief introduction to Obsidian itself. Obsidian is a powerful cross-platform note-taking program designed to help you build a digital brain. It leverages the concept of knowledge graphs, allowing you to create interconnected notes through bidirectional links. These links facilitate navigation between your notes, the discovery of new connections, and the generation of fresh ideas.

Obsidian doesn't impose a predefined structure; instead, it offers the freedom to create a personal knowledge base that suits your needs. You can write notes in plain text or use Markdown, making it easy to format your content and even embed images, videos, and code snippets.

What truly sets Obsidian apart is its vibrant user community that develops plugins to extend its functionality. One such plugin, Obsidian Git, opens the doors to version control, enabling you to manage your notes like a software project.

The Obsidian Git Plugin

The Obsidian Git plugin is a game-changer for Obsidian users looking to ensure the security and accessibility of their notes. By integrating with Git and platforms like GitHub, it offers the following benefits:

Version Control: With the Obsidian Git plugin, you can treat your notes like a software project. Each change you make is tracked, timestamped, and archived as a separate commit. This means you can easily revert to previous versions of your notes if you make a mistake or want to revisit past ideas.
Secure Backup: By syncing your Obsidian base with a GitHub repository, your notes are automatically stored in the cloud. Even if something happens to your local computer, your notes remain secure and accessible from anywhere with an internet connection.
Collaboration: GitHub is a well-known platform for collaboration, and its integration with Obsidian opens possibilities for co-authoring and peer reviewing your notes. You can invite collaborators to your GitHub repository, work together on shared notes, and resolve conflicts using the powerful merging and conflict resolution tools of Git.
Remote Access: By hosting your Obsidian base on GitHub, you gain the ability to access your notes from any device with an internet connection. This makes it incredibly convenient to work on your notes while on the go.

Getting Started

Getting started with the Obsidian-GitHub integration is simple:

Create a Repository on GitHub: Go to GitHub and create a new repository to store your Obsidian notes. You can choose to make it public or private, depending on your preferences.
Clone the Repository: Clone your GitHub repository to your local machine using the git clone command.
Install the Obsidian Git Plugin: Open Obsidian, go to Settings, and access the Community Plugins section. Look for "Git" and install the Obsidian Git plugin.
Configure the Git Plugin: In Obsidian settings, go to Obsidian Git and set the local directory path to the GitHub repository you cloned. Customize other settings according to your preferences.
Start Organizing Your Digital Brain: Obsidian, with its flexible note-taking capabilities and the version control and collaboration features of the Obsidian Git plugin, allows you to build and manage a digital brain that evolves with you. Whether you're a student, a researcher, or someone who simply enjoys note-taking, the integration of Obsidian with GitHub makes the annotation process more efficient, secure, and collaborative.

So, take the first step into the world of Obsidian-GitHub integration and unlock the potential of your digital brain. Your ideas, thoughts, and knowledge deserve to be organized, accessible, and ready to evolve. Start your journey today!

Obsidian and GitHub: A Perfect Combination for Your Digital Brain

Obsidian is a remarkable tool that transforms how we capture and connect our ideas. With the Obsidian Git plugin, you can now ensure the security, accessibility, and collaborative power of your digital brain. Embrace the future of note-taking and turn your knowledge into an organized and dynamic resource with Obsidian and GitHub.

Unlocking the Blockchain Trilemma: Scalability, Performance, and Transaction Time

Yan Fernandes — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 02:36:55 +0000

Introduction:

The allure of blockchains, spurred by cryptocurrencies and DApps, is undeniable. However, challenges in scalability, performance, and transaction time pose hurdles to widespread adoption. This exploration delves into the intricate correlation between these factors, probing how efficiently blockchains process transactions while ensuring swift confirmations.

Decoding the Terms:

Scalability: A blockchain's capacity to handle increased transactions or users without compromising performance. Crucial for public blockchains, scalability prevents overload during surges in transaction volume.

Performance: Reflects the speed and efficiency of transaction processing, typically measured in transactions per second (TPS). Higher performance ensures quicker transactions, enhancing blockchain viability across applications.

Transaction Time: The duration for a transaction to be confirmed and added to a blockchain. Varies based on factors like consensus algorithms and network load.

Our SPECIMENS :

1. Bitcoin (BTC):

Bitcoin, as the OG, played a fundamental role in popularizing blockchains. However, it faced significant challenges in scalability and performance. Bitcoin boasts 7 TPS with confirmation times ranging from 10 to 30 minutes. Source: Bitcoin Scalability Problem - ResearchGate

2. Ethereum (ETH):

Ethereum pioneered smart contracts but faced scalability issues with Proof of Work (PoW). Transitioning to Ethereum 2.0 and implementing solutions like Lightning Network improved scalability. Average confirmation time: 10-20 seconds. Source: Ethereum 2.0 - Cornell University

3. Binance Smart Chain (BSC):

Binance Smart Chain, a parallel to Binance Chain, offers smart contracts with high scalability using Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS). TPS rate exceeds 3,000, and confirmation time is about 3 seconds. Source: Binance Academy

4. Solana (SOL):

Solana, a high-performance blockchain, achieves over 65,000 TPS with Proof of History (PoH). Confirmation time: approximately 1 second. Source: CoinCodex

5. Optimism (OPP):

Optimism, an Ethereum scaling solution, uses rollups to increase network scalability. Average confirmation time: around 15 minutes. Source: Ethereum.org

6. Ripple (XRP):

Ripple, focused on international payments, utilizes Ripple Protocol Consensus Algorithm (RPCA). The XRP Ledger achieves 1,500+ TPS, with a quick confirmation time of 4 seconds. Source: Ripple

Consensus Methods:

Understanding the consensus methods sheds light on how transactions are validated and added to the blockchain. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, influencing scalability and performance.

1. Proof of Work (PoW):

Description: Proof of Work is a consensus mechanism where network nodes (miners) are Flexing computational muscles in a cryptographic puzzle battle. The first node to solve the puzzle has the right to create the next block on the blockchain and receives a reward in cryptocurrencies. The process requires high computational power and is energy-intensive.

Advantages: It is highly secure as it requires a significant amount of computational work to create new blocks, making it difficult to modify previous blocks. Additionally, it is decentralized, as any node can become a miner.

Disadvantages: It is slow and has low scalability due to the competition among miners and the time required to solve the puzzle. Additionally, it consumes a large amount of energy, raising environmental concerns.

2. Proof of Stake (PoS):

Description: Proof of Stake is a consensus mechanism in which validators make bank by staking crypto, and the more you stash, the higher the chance you get to be the blockchain maestro and of being chosen to validate transactions and create blocks. It's an eco-friendly alternative to PoW but can face challenges like the "Nothing at Stake" problem.

Advantages: It is more energy-efficient compared to PoW as it does not require intensive computational competition. Additionally, it incentivizes active participation of cryptocurrency holders to ensure the security of the network.

Disadvantages: There can be a problem known as "Nothing at Stake," where validators may attempt to validate on multiple chains simultaneously without cost, compromising the network's security.

3. Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS):

Description: DPoS is a variant of PoS where cryptocurrency holders elect representatives called "witnesses" to validate transactions and create blocks on their behalf. Witnesses are periodically selected to act as validators.

Advantages: Greater scalability compared to PoW and PoS, as witnesses are responsible for creating blocks, reducing competition among network nodes. It is also more energy-efficient.

Disadvantages: There may be concerns about centralization, as a limited number of witnesses are responsible for the validation process.

4. Proof of History (PoH):

Description: Proof of History is an asynchronous consensus mechanism used by Solana. It provides cryptographic proof that an event occurred at a specific time, allowing network nodes to agree on the order of transactions without the need for direct communication between them.

Advantages: High scalability and efficiency, allowing nodes to agree on the order of transactions without the need for full consensus among all nodes.

Disadvantages: It is not used in isolation as a consensus mechanism but in conjunction with other consensus algorithms like PoS.

5. Rollups:

Description: Rollups are a second-layer solution designed to improve the scalability of blockchains by aggregating multiple transactions into a single "rollup" and recording the proof of these transactions on the main blockchain.

Advantages: Increases the processing capacity of the main network, reducing transaction fees and improving efficiency.

Disadvantages: There may be a small challenge and response period before transactions are confirmed on the main blockchain, which can lead to longer confirmation times compared to other direct consensus methods.

6. Lightning Network (LN):

Description: The Lightning Network is a second-layer solution designed to improve the scalability and speed of Bitcoin transactions. It allows the creation of payment channels off the main blockchain, where transactions can be conducted instantly and with very low fees. Only when the channel is closed is the final transaction recorded on the main blockchain.

Advantages: Significantly increases the scalability of Bitcoin, allowing a large number of transactions to be processed off-chain. Fast and low-cost transactions.

Disadvantages: Requires users to lock funds in payment channels, which can be inconvenient and limit the total value of transactions that can be made.

7. Ripple Protocol Consensus Algorithm (RPCA):

Description: RPCA is the consensus mechanism used by the XRP Ledger, Ripple's blockchain. In this method, a group of validators is periodically chosen to validate transactions and create new blocks. Validators are chosen based on a voting process in which they demonstrate their reliability and reputation.

Advantages: Allows for high scalability and transaction speed. The XRP Ledger is capable of processing over 1,500 transactions per second with confirmation times of approximately 4 seconds.

Disadvantages: Some critics point out that Ripple Labs, the company behind Ripple, has control over the majority of validators, which may raise concerns about the decentralization of the network.

Visa Doesn’t Handle 24,000 TPS and Neither Does Your Pet Blockchain

Someone mentioned Visa with their magical 24k per second, and it’s stuck ever since.Only that figure isn’t entirely accurate. In fact it’s not even remotely accurate. In reality, Visa processes around 1,700 transactions per second, a figure it rarely exceeds. The larger number is the one that Visa claims, and it’s the one that’s usually referenced in comparison to bitcoin and every other blockchain. In theory Visa should be able to handle that volume – in fact it’s been reported that its servers can handle as much as 56k tps – but that’s all theoretical, much like the claimed throughput of new blockchains that can operate at the speed of light in the lab, but significantly worse in the wild. There’s a big difference between operating a testnet on a bunch of Amazon servers and a mainnet distributed around the globe.

news.bitcoin.com - Visa Doesn’t Handle 24,000 TPS and Neither Does Your Pet Blockchain

Conclusion:

In a nutshell, the blockchain journey involves a nuanced dance with three key challenges: scalability, performance, and transaction time. From Bitcoin to Ripple, varied consensus methods like Proof of Work and Delegated Proof of Stake bring their own quirks. Balancing decentralization, security, and efficiency is an ongoing puzzle. As blockchain innovation continues, the quest for the sweet spot between scalability and transaction speed persists. With a mix of research, tech strides, and collaboration, the future holds promise for widespread blockchain adoption across diverse domains.