learning

writing to learn (william zinnser) this is not really what i was expecting it to be and it was surprisingly engaging. broadly, this is an argument for using writing as a mechanism for learning vs. learning to the test or via standard educational practices. he highlights institutions that have incorporated writing deeply into their programs. i have a natural bias towards organizations that have a culture of writing and this is perhaps the one thing that’s intrigued me about amazon work culture from what i’ve heard from friends....

links, etc An Insider’s View of the Love Affair Between Hungary and the American Right - TPM – Talking Points Memo much has been made of the conservative love with orban and hungary. none of that is encouraging. what’s less covered in much of the reporting on this that you see in the US is the environment that this was allowed to take place in, within hungary. there are a number of interesting things to take away from in this article which looks at this from the perspective of an actual hungarian with some context....

links, etc 10 Things Software Developers Should Learn about Learning there so much good stuff in here. i’ve only poked at formal learning processes but these are solid glimpses into we need to remember when learning. not quite what i was expecting, but fun.

in the mid-90s someone gave me a copy of engines of creation. this blew my mind. well, more accurately, that, plus a copy of neil stephenson’s the diamond age, blew my mind. nanotech is still a ways off from realizing the vision laid out in either of these books. but we’re starting to see the nascent forms of this kind of create your own product with the emergence of low cost stereolitho gear and and micro-manufacturing....