

Ask HN: I want to build/learn something this weekend - suggestions? - commiebob

I have a free weekend and my ankle is busted so I can't do any running around. I was thinking of spending the inside time in learning something new/building something for fun, just looking for some suggestions....<p>I'm extremely familiar with php/mysql and asp/sql server so a change of pace would be nice.<p>Thanks!
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DocSavage
Try building a program on Google App Engine. I personally like python, but you
could go with any JVM-targeted language. The particularly new part for you is
the datastore:

<http://code.google.com/appengine/docs/python/datastore/>

No joins (except for "self joins"), entity groups, sharded counters, and the
mindset that computations should be on write instead of on query. At the end,
you can work through this article that shows how to implement a YC-style
decaying vote score purely on writing of entities (records):

<http://code.google.com/appengine/articles/overheard.html>

~~~
commiebob
I signed up for an app engine account when it first came out and I haven't
touched it, so I think this is what I'm going to do. Thanks for the info and
links!

Everyone else that replied thank you as well, some stuff that I will file away
for next time. :-)

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csbartus
Take a look at multitouch systems.

The rise of a new hardware platform is a rare occasion compared to the many
fresh software products coming out on a regular basis.

~~~
csbartus
To be more explicit (and avoiding further downvoting) multitouch systems are a
new hardware platform to be programmed at various levels: driver/tracking
library, development framework, end user interface (web, flash, python,
processing, ruby, pure data, etc.)

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gruseom
If you want a total change of pace, check out J. It's one of the two main
successors to APL, meaning the primitives are arrays and you write programs by
composing very general operators. I recommend it for two reasons: 1. it will
open your mind and perhaps blow it altogether; 2. the software comes with a
bunch of tutorials that are well-done and fun to work through.
<http://www.jsoftware.com/start.htm>

p.s. Don't expect it to be like what you'd normally call a programming
language.

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rman666
Work on you. Go to the gym. Eat healthy. Catch up sleep. Organize for next
week. Drink water. Meditate. Journal.

------
sown
<http://www.overthewire.org/wargames/vortex/>

It's a race against time and terror!

Hurry, CommieBob, _Before there's still time!!_

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Steve0
You can virtually attend the Hacking At Random festival.
<https://wiki.har2009.org/page/Streaming> <https://har2009.org/program/>

Educational and fun.

------
gosub
<http://papersincomputerscience.org/>

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kcy
Read HN all day looking at all the interesting ideas people are posting! C'mon
you know this is what you're going to do anyway. Just kidding. But, hopefully
we don't see you back here till Monday w/ some more wisdom and knowledge to
drop on us all.

Just to add to the mix. How about TED Lectures, youtube around for old Feynman
or Steve Jobs videos, check out OpenCourseWare or any of those online learning
sites and make a dent in an interesting course. Catch up w/ friends on the
phone.

I also second the jQuery, Python, Django, Google App Engine, and Processing
crews.

Hope your ankle gets better soon!

------
YuriNiyazov
Read "restful web services" and "programming collective intelligence"

~~~
dejv
Programming collective intelligence is good book, but Algorithms of the
intelligent web is much more deeper and better book.

~~~
eel
Hmm, I'm currently reading Programming Collective Intelligence myself, but I
will check my library for Algorithms of the Intelligent Web too. Thanks!

Any other reading suggestions along these lines (or similar)?

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chops
Erlang is fun and a weekend read. I recommend "Programming Erlang" by Joe
Armstrong.

~~~
huhtenberg
That is hardly a weekend read. It's a good book though.

~~~
chops
A weekend is enough to get you started, to get your appetite whetted. From
there, yes, multiple readings to fully digest it (which I certainly don't feel
I have fully done yet)

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JMiao
a processing.js visualization.

~~~
adw
Or just Processing!

------
pizza
Python!

~~~
plinkplonk
"Python!"

If you decode to explore Python, try the Dive Into Python tutorial
(<http://diveintopython.org/>) followed by the Django tutorial (
<http://docs.djangoproject.com/en/dev/intro/tutorial01/>) seeing as how you
know php and two databases. Both are short and can be completely finished in a
weekend of work.

Do let us know what you learned !Good Luck!

~~~
jacquesm
third that :), And I'd like to add 'using Django'. It's been a long time since
I did anything in Python and I'm sort of re-learning it right now to build
something in Django. Django is one way to get 'into' python, it is not the
easiest way but you will have a new foundation to build stuff off by the end
of your weekend.

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learnalist
Something not computer related? Read a book? Plant something? If computer
related... Play with html 5 canvas, its so en vogue at the moment.

------
known
Alternative algorithm to PageRank.

------
jmtame
hndir.com built in codeigniter - will let you build some stuff on top of it if
interested. the project really has potential, I'm just too tied up with
graffitiGeo.com atm

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mechanical_fish
jQuery, and/or "Javascript: The Good Parts".

Alternatively: Pick a power editor (I recommend emacs) and practice with that.

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indrax
So what did you learn?

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erlanger
I'm doing the Python challenge because my Python's getting rusty. So far it's
been pretty enjoyable.

Edit: Don't waste your time. I stopped because you end up spending most of
your time figuring out little well-concealed clues that have nothing to do
with programming at all (after you get past the easier ones. I'd had enough at
6).

------
321abc
Take a look at this MetaFilter thread about simple, useful skills that can be
learned quickly:

<http://ask.metafilter.com/125874/Simple-useful-skills>

~~~
jacquesm
don't bother wasting your time there, someone should make a digest of it. Here
are the few things that were in there that you might find useful if you can't
do them yet and that you could learn in a weekend when your leg isn't
functioning the way it should: (remotely related to hacking)

\- Learn to Pick a Lock.

\- soldering (though any hacker worth his/her salt can do this already)

\- read braille

\- juggling

\- sign language

\--

I'd like to add my own here: basic electronics

~~~
serhei
How did sign language get on there? It's like learning any other foreign
language AND it's harder to find materials to study alone AND there's an
entire shift in mindset from expressing things in sound to expressing things
by position and movement. Pretty sure this is a task for more like 200
weekends.

~~~
jacquesm
excellent point, I should have left that one out because of the time
constraint.

It _is_ a very useful skill though! (but then again plenty of things are).

