Why HN Should Use Randomized Algorithms

Re:Why HN Should Use Randomized Algorithms by ColinWright on Monday December 02, 2013 @04:33PM (#6836685)

The fact that you're a PhD student might help to explain this. My experience is that most people just won't care, but will be reassured by seeing real code in the text. They will skim without understanding, but getting the idea that there is a concrete process being explained.

You (somewhat like me in this instance) will want to understand what's actually happening. For that case the author has in fact provided more detail, relegated to a footnote. You decry this, but you (and I) are in a significant minority in this instance. We want to understand it properly, but I suspect the vast majority or readers won't. Or if they do, not yet.

Your comment is useful, and I will keep it in mind next time I write something. For reference, when I want to tuck away technical details I do it in side-bars so it's there to be read alongside the main text.

Here:

* http://www.solipsys.co.uk/HowHighTheMoon.pdf

* http://www.solipsys.co.uk/new/TheBirthdayParadox.html

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Re:Why HN Should Use Randomized Algorithms by tehwalrus on Tuesday December 03, 2013 @10:48AM (#6840933)

Your paper (the first one is as far as I got) is much better, since it just states a simple equation which is typeset separately ("in display mode", in LaTeX-speak) with the derivation for the equation in a sidebar and a note inline in the text pointing it out.

This reads like a normal human speaking, who was asked a question and elaborated. That's fine.

The problem with the OP's article was that I couldn't skim read it, because the code didn't make obvious sense in a "reading aloud" kind of way. It would have worked much better if the footnote had replaced, or been included as padding around the code. The skim readers would still have been happy, especially if there was a carefully placed paragraph break so they could "skip over the details," and I/we would have been happy too.

Also, two code snippets out of context are anything but real code, at least in my brain :)

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