This is what I do as well, I don't understand why programmers try so hard to avoid ever taking notes (or reading a manual). It's somehow too boring for programmers to work in a structured way, they want to pretend that their job is like playing a video game. I don't understand what the problem is of looking something up, and why is it so "bad" to read a little syntax before you get started, especially if it gives you better solutions.
Imagine having this attitude towards tools in general, you'd throw out most of everything. Anything that's powerful has a learning curve
Re:Useful sed scripts and patterns
by rustyminnow on Friday November 12, 2021 @02:03PM
(#29203251)
I 100% agree: If I have to look something up twice, it's going in my wiki.
The first time you look something up, it might not be obvious if you'll ever use that info again, so why waste the time and clog up your notes with a bunch of noise? But if you've had to look something up twice, odds are good you'll have to look it up again someday.
And like you said, writing a note in a way that's clear and understandable helps you to recall the thing a little better next time
Re:Useful sed scripts and patterns
by stjohnswarts on Friday November 12, 2021 @03:49PM
(#29204354)
I do the same thing with obsidian and use the git plugin to keep it in sync (via gitlab) across everywhere that I use it. I know people who similar with .org emacs files. It works pretty well. I don't have the patience to maintain a wiki :)
> personal wiki open at all times
Any suggestion for a remotely accessible personal wiki? (I'm assuming that access is restricted for potential "personal" stuffs).
Re:Useful sed scripts and patterns
by stjohnswarts on Friday November 12, 2021 @03:51PM
(#29204384)
I'm not big on wiki's but almost everyone I know hosts one on something like vultr/digital ocean, backs up to home, and does what OP mentioned about updated it in the backgroung. Personally I use markdown files+gitlab+obsidian. there are a million ways. You might like like twiki for a "standard" wiki or tiddlyWiki for a more eccentric one :)
I'm going to let you in on a little secret: many of us who have been doing development or systems administration in some form another for multiple decades are the same way. I have a terrible memory, but it turns out that does not have to be a big hindrance for tech work.
When I'm working (or tinkering at home), I keep a tab to my personal wiki open at all times. I will not usually bother to write something down the first time I do it. But I have to google it twice, I throw it into my wiki. This does two things: 1) It makes me (slightly) more likely to actually remember it for next time, and 2) The next time I need the information, I know where I can find it without having to wade through SEO-encumbered blog spam or outdated StackOverbutt answers.
A database of personal notes is a powerful multiplier for technical ability and productivity. To the point that whenever I interview a candidate for a job, one of the things I ask is what system they keep their notes in. Their system doesn't matter at all to me but if the answer is none, that's a definite strike against.
>I really don’t think non-interactive CLIs are a good way to do complicated tasks.
Many of us thrive on the Unix command line because of the raw power you can wield with it. "Why waste time trying to learn arcane shell commands when you can just write a script in Python?" is a common refrain I hear from developers with only a few years under their belt. My response to that is, "Why would I waste time writing a Python script when I can do it in one line of shell?"