----BEGIN CLASS---- [13:23] #startclass [13:23] Good evening everyone [13:24] Firstly, I am running on battery and on a mobile connection; so please bear me with me for at least an hour as we get through today's session [13:24] I hope we will have a fruitful session [13:24] #rollcall [13:24] Bhavin Gandhi [13:24] Ashwani Kumar Gupta [13:24] Shivam Singhal [13:24] Chandan Kumar [13:24] Santosh Kumar Shaw [13:24] Sandeep Kumar Choudhary [13:24] Suraj Ghimire [13:24] yurii pylypchuk [13:25] So, in today's session I want to discuss few important points on reading and writing habits [13:25] I do observe that most of you are not writing, and that needs to change [13:26] Anu kumari Gupta [13:26] And hence the need for this session; in general, the ratio of reading:writing is 10:1 [13:26] So, if you read 10x, you will write 1x [13:26] I shall begin with reading and then we can move on to writing [13:27] It is very important that all of you allot time for reading; indeed, time is hard for people to get these days, but, reading is something that can be done in short sips [13:27] Early morning is a good time to read, when your mind is fresh and after you have had a good night sleep [13:27] Your reading environment should be quiet, where your mind absorbs the material that you are reading [13:28] If your surrounding environment is noisy, you can wear earplugs [13:29] For example, I use the following ear plugs http://www.elvexsa.co.za/products/hearing-protection/elvex-quattro/ [13:29] They are quite effective and the noise reduction rating is 25 dB [13:29] The important point is that you should make it a habit to read every day; and try to allot a fixed time during the morning to read [13:30] In our field, it is important to keep ourselves uptodate with what is happening, and hence reading helps you with the same [13:30] There are different sources of reading material that you can use - books, blogs, journals, magazines etc. [13:30] For your area of interest, try to find the resources and read regularly [13:31] You can also take a subscription to a library (offline/online) for reading material [13:31] When you work, you will of course use a search engine to help you in your work; such information can come from forums or IRC chat discussions as well [13:32] The reading genre need not necessarily be technical; you might want to mix both technical and non-technical ones that are of your interest [13:32] so, try to balance them both, so that you don't get bored reading just one genre [13:32] it also helps to refresh your mind with different types of reading material [13:33] it doesn't mean you should read only comics all the time; make sure you balance the content you are reading [13:33] whatever you read should add value to yourself [13:33] sometimes, you might want to read motivational books as well, to improve your morale; which is fine too [13:33] a number of YouTube videos are available for the same [13:34] or, you will want to watch videos from a technical conference to motivate you more; so, prepare a reading list, set monthly targets, weekly deadlines and daily targets and read daily [13:34] ! [13:35] if you continue to do this for a period of time, you will enjoy the fact that you are learning new things along the way [13:35] One important thing you can do with reading, is take notes that are useful for reference [13:35] next [13:36] Which type of reading material one should avoid according to you in both technical and non-technical domains? [13:36] Deepika Upadhyay [13:36] ! [13:37] ashwanig, that is a personal preference; to me comics doesn't add value, unless it is for a time pass; occasionally this is fine, but, it should not become a habit [13:37] ! [13:37] next [13:38] mbuf , i tried to make habit to study , but everytime i failed . what can i do ? [13:38] championshuttler, where did you fail? what is stopping you or distracting you from studying? [13:38] championshuttler, when you read, you should not have distractions (turn off Internet, messengers etc.) [13:39] championshuttler, you should only focus on the content you are reading [13:39] like i follow blogs of some developers , i can read them , but when it comes to tutorials or documentation i failed :( [13:39] championshuttler, exception is when you are reading online, in which case, don't login to social media sites [13:39] championshuttler, what is it that you don't understand about tutorials? [13:39] next [13:39] Should watching only relevant videos on YouTube be counted in our reading time? [13:40] mbuf , there is something like i prefer videos for learning [13:40] santoshShaw, if it is relevant to the subject you are learning, yes; but, you should always consult multiples sources of information [13:40] santoshShaw, it can be books, journals, blogs, videos, IRC discussions, forums etc. [13:40] mbuf: sure [13:40] championshuttler, videos are intuitive and good to follow through; I like them too [13:41] ! [13:42] so, before you begin again on your attempt to read, you should note down the time that you spend for reading [13:42] you can put a budget time every week, and then clock down the time you have actually spent [13:42] this way, you know whether you are progressing or slacking [13:42] next [13:42] mbuf, according to you how much hours of sleep is must for a person as it is important to fresh ours mind [13:43] sandeepK, I am not a doctor, so I cannot comment on that [13:43] roll call: Farhaan Bukhsh [13:43] sandeepK, but, what I have heard and read is that 6-8 hours of sleep is required; but, consult a doctor [13:43] sandeepK, it varies with age as well, IIRC [13:43] mbuf, ok [13:44] sandeepK, even after you have done some physical exercise, you work out or have sweat it out, your mind becomes fresh [13:44] sandeepK, so, you can read after that as well; but, if you have done weights in the gym, your body may be tired [13:44] sandeepK, so, it depends from person to person; we have been having some discussion on this channel that people need to do some physical exercise [13:45] but, we can have a separate discussion on exercise and food [13:45] use a time tracking tool to track down how much time you spend for reading [13:46] few people here use Org mode, but, you can use whatever tool that is comfortable for you [13:46] the key take away is that reading helps you to learn new things, and gives you the knowledge to improve yourself [13:47] it is very important to inculcate this habit [13:47] I also see that many people are not writing to blogs, for example; [13:48] note-taking during reading will help you when you want to refresh a particular subject, instead of you having to read through the entire book again [13:48] this is one form of writing; [13:48] if you are trying a procedure or tutorial, you can of course document it in your own words as a blog post [13:48] you can write reviews on the material that you are reading [13:49] you don't necessarily have to write essays, but, even short articles (~ 500 words) of meaningful information that will help others matters [13:49] many a time, my own blog posts, and notes have helped me to recollect what steps were followed to fix a problem or to proceed to a solution [13:49] and hence, it is important to take notes, and you can put together these notes into a blog post that others will find useful [13:50] in general, technical documentation can be HOWTOs or manuals [13:50] you can contribute to these documentation as well [13:50] you don't necessarily need to write in English, it can be in your native language as well [13:50] When you do so, you can share it with your friends, and ask them to review it [13:51] It can be for grammar alone, or for content as well [13:51] I have mentioned this many a time, and I will suggest it again that you read the book "On Writing" [13:52] "On Writing:A Memoir of the Craft" by Stephen King [13:52] I don't want to give away the details, but, I shall tell the important points briefly [13:53] He suggests you to write the first draft with the door closed, so you are focussed on transferring your thoughts to paper [13:53] Subsequent edits can be done with the door open, when you may have other noise and distractions [13:53] A good piece of writing can take 8-9 re-writes, he says [13:53] The first half of the book covers on writing, and the second half is mostly on fictional writing [13:54] But, overall it is a very good read [13:54] Also, when you are writing, you can refer books to improve your writing; [13:54] I have some references in my book, which you can also refer [13:54] Similar to reading, try to allot some time for writing, and try to write regularly [13:55] It also gives you a medium to express yourself and your views to others [13:55] To begin with, you can start by writing short articles, and once you start liking it, you can go ahead and write a book too! [13:56] Again, ideally you want to have a quiet place to write, as your thoughts need to flow and your hand must write [13:56] Mornings are also good time for writing; [13:56] But, I'd leave this to you; if you have time during some other time during the day, you can use it for writing [13:57] in F/OSS, we like to share whatever we have learnt, and hence, writing helps others as well [13:57] You can also contribute to translations for F/OSS projects if your language skills are good [13:57] there are many non-native speakers of the English language, and they would prefer to use their native language for their work [13:58] although the number of words are not a significant measure to assess the quality of the writing, it is one of those attributes that you want to keep track of [13:59] when you get feedback from your friends, and with your reading habit, your vocabulary will also improve [13:59] there is immense satisfaction when someone tells you that they have referred your documentation and found it useful, and that it helped in their work [14:00] so, don't be afraid to write; you want to write for your own reference too [14:00] you can also maintain a personal journal on what you do daily, so that, it becomes a good historical reference on how you have been doing [14:01] the choice of whether you want to write in the computer or on paper, and then type is left to you [14:01] *type it into the computer is left to you [14:01] ! [14:01] next [14:01] Being a beginner can we actually write something that can help others? Generally we are the audience who read others blogs to learn [14:02] santoshShaw, if there is another beginner and they are trying the same thing that you did, they can refer to your document [14:02] santoshShaw, people who are an expert in one field, can be a beginner in another field [14:02] santoshShaw, it helps, my juniors read my blog and install Fedora on their machines [14:02] santoshShaw, so having documentation to cater to different audiences help [14:02] But they can refer to the popular blogs [14:03] santoshShaw, take popularity with a pinch of salt [14:03] mbuf: ok :) [14:03] santoshShaw, "Follow your passion, not the latest fashion." ~ Suhas Patil [14:03] santoshShaw, whatever is popular need not necessarily be right, or might suit your needs [14:04] mbuf: will remember this one while writing [14:04] santoshShaw, expensive, imported cars are popular, but, I can't drive them in Bengaluru traffic; just, an example [14:05] mbuf: I got the point ;) [14:05] so, don't assume that any document is not useful; whatever work you did is useful for others who will one day start where you are [14:05] hence, the need to write often [14:06] so, this is what I had in mind to discuss with you all today; [14:06] do we have any more questions or topics relevant to this that you would like to discuss? [14:07] ! [14:07] next [14:07] Sometimes I feel sleepy while reading although I have an adequate sleep. What should I do? [14:08] anuGupta, is the material you are reading boring, perhaps? [14:08] ! [14:08] anuGupta, if you are tired, take rest; don't read, nothing will register in your mind [14:09] No it isn't. [14:09] anuGupta, your mind should be fresh when you are reading; I hope you are eating well [14:09] next [14:09] Any advice or tips on comprehension? [14:09] I just grind away at the material until I understand it. [14:09] Is there a better way? [14:09] anuGupta, or is it the weather that is making you drowsy? [14:10] jasonbraganza, that is a good question; you can try to explain the material to your friends, and ask them if their interpretation is the same [14:10] May be the weather or the medium like I read mostly online so that might be the reason. [14:10] anuGupta, take sufficient breaks when reading online; you don't want to stare at the computer screen for long [14:10] mbuf - will try. Thank you. [14:11] mbuf, sure [14:11] ! [14:11] anuGupta, a good opthalmologist (eye doctor) will ask you to take periodic breaks from the computer; look at short and long distant objects so that your eye is not constrained only at looking at the reading material [14:11] next [14:12] how can we increase the interest in the reading stuff? like sometime i feel it is important , but when i start reading i feel sleepy [14:12] television is a major distraction, and if you can reduce watching it, it helps [14:12] championshuttler, 1. you need to read the stuff that is interesting to you 2. you need to read it from the right author [14:12] ! [14:12] ! [14:12] championshuttler, the same subject can be explained by different authors in different ways [14:13] mbuf , you are right but sometimes it leads to distraction like checking mobile notification and eventually something else. [14:13] championshuttler, it helps to understand the perspectives from different authors; I usually like to skim through the book and chapters, before deciding on reading the book [14:13] championshuttler, or I have good reviews for a book or reading material [14:13] championshuttler, don't force yourself to read something which you don't like; they will be wasted hours [14:14] mbuf , sure :) [14:14] anuGupta, that is what I meant by distractions; keep the phone only for emergency services, and switch off the data connectivity on the phone [14:14] next [14:14] question answered. Thank you. [14:14] mbuf, yes :) [14:14] championshuttler, also, if you have read and feel satisfied with a material, you should be able to recommend it to others [14:15] championshuttler, so, you should be in a position to also guide them, if needed [14:15] as I had tweeted earlier, "When one teaches, two learn." ~ Robert Half [14:15] next [14:17] ! [14:18] next [14:18] How do I improve my reading speed? [14:18] enick_443, ask your question [14:18] 1.Apart from org mode what things you adopt to keep work and time management organised , 2. How you manage to read/write when you have more 3.(would you prefer standard books or blogs/videos for technical concepts) [14:18] fhackdroid, some people I know read audio books at 2x speed, and the idea is that you don't need to read through all the words to understand the sentence [14:19] fhackdroid, if I may, Speed Reading is Bullshit - https://medium.com/the-mission/speed-reading-is-bullshit-f5acbee7f59e [14:19] fhackdroid, but, that depends on the individual and what content you are reading; it may work for fictional reading, but, technical books, you might want to take your time to understand the nitty gritty details, before proceeding further [14:19] fhackdroid, so, I prefer that you read and understand, instead of reading fast and not comprehending anything [14:20] fhackdroid, you want to absorb the content so that it registers in your mind [14:20] mbuf, jasonbraganza makes sense :) [14:20] enick_443, 1. A number of F/OSS software exist, please use a search engine for the same [14:20] thanks a lot for this advice [14:20] enick_443, 2. you have only 24 hours in a day, so you have to budget how much you can allot for a week [14:21] enick_443, this again is based on your monthly and yearly goals [14:21] enick_443, but, you have to maintain a reading list, then prioritize it as to what you want to finish first, based on your work and other commitments [14:22] ! [14:22] enick_443, 3. I choose both, whichever helps me to understand technical concepts. There are excellent videos that teach concepts, and good books [14:22] enick_443, they need not be mutually exclusive, you can use both [14:22] next [14:22] How do I set goals for reading, how should it be divided? [14:23] fhackdroid, you have to set long-term goals (many years); from there you set yearly targets [14:23] fhackdroid, based on the yearly targets, you find reading sources; then you put quartely plans (three months) [14:23] fhackdroid, from their you make weekly and daily deadlines [14:24] fhackdroid, everyone knows it as "divide and conquer algorithm", nobody understood it though [14:24] ohh man! that seems a lot of work, can you give insights of how you do it? [14:24] fhackdroid, Org mode [14:24] mbuf ,thanks [14:24] fhackdroid, if you want to be organized and systematic, there is only one way [14:25] fhackdroid, of course, you can use other tools, but, the underlying concept remains the same [14:25] pardon, but how do you choose what to read over the years? I’m sure even fhackdroid wants to know [14:25] jasonbraganza, that will be your domain of interest [14:25] jasonbraganza, +1 on that [14:26] jasonbraganza, for example, for Infrastructure, I might want to improve my know-how on different deployment platforms [14:26] jasonbraganza, so, then you start to create a list of topics you want to master - Docker, Kubernetes, AWS (maybe), GCE etc. [14:27] jasonbraganza, depending on your priority, you might want to start with say, Docker; then you source the available reading material [14:27] it could be books, online blogs, journals etc. which becomes a list; this list you put it in monthly and weekly targets based on the content size (a rough ETA) [14:27] so, when you do weekly sprints, these are included as part of your daily routine [14:28] mbuf, so reading is basically up skilling? [14:28] Thank you. [14:28] fhackdroid, you can use it to relax too; read fiction, but, you should budget it say, that I want to read these books in 2018 [14:28] fhackdroid, everything is a list, and then you prioritize it [14:29] fhackdroid, goals are important; what you want to achieve; then you find the means to achieve them [14:29] ! [14:29] mbuf, that helped a lot :) Thanks [14:29] fhackdroid, tasks without goals is like walking on thin ice [14:29] next [14:30] The research and the editing time scare me off from writing regularly [14:31] an indepth post takes me anywhere from 2-10 days [14:31] jasonbraganza, "To write is human, to edit is divine." ~ Stephen King [14:31] any advice on how to tackle apprenhensions of that nature? [14:31] jasonbraganza, true; editing takes a lot of time; at times, you want to keep your material aside, and look at after a gap [14:31] aaah, but then I fall off the wagon [14:32] jasonbraganza, you might want to review the material with a different mood, at different times of the day or week [14:32] jasonbraganza, I feel you (Draft blogs crying in the corner) [14:32] jasonbraganza, that is what transforms the work to a master piece [14:32] jasonbraganza, but, you have to persist and finish it; think that others will benefit from your work [14:33] jasonbraganza, that is the key [14:33] fhackdroid, ask friends to review it [14:33] jasonbraganza, hence, deadlines help [14:33] “review the material with a different mood, at different times of the day”. - huh, that makes sense. Thank you mbuf. will try that too. [14:33] fhackdroid, goals have thus deadlines [14:33] jasonbraganza, Stephen King explains that more in his book [14:33] jasonbraganza, but, you get the idea [14:34] it’s been in the pile. think I’ll pick it up to read next. :) [14:34] It has been more than an hour of good discussion [14:34] I shall end the class, feel free to write the mailing list with your thoughts (if any) [14:34] mbuf, that sounds like a solid project management [14:35] or, you can ever write a blog post on what you not done so far, where you failed, and what you think you should do to change it [14:35] fhackdroid, self-assessment, planning and execution [14:35] fhackdroid, this is only for reading and writing, but, you can apply the concepts to your work as well [14:35] #rollcall [14:35] Jason Braganza [14:36] Anu kumari Gupta [14:36] Bhavin Gandhi [14:36] Sandeep Kumar Choudhary [14:36] mbuf, that sounds like recursion writing about why you failed to write :P [14:36] Ashwani Kumar Gupta [14:36] Santosh Kumar Shaw [14:36] Yurii Pylypchuk [14:36] Farhaan Bukhsh [14:36] Deepika upadhyay [14:36] fhackdroid, I hope now you hit the base case for the induction step so that the recursion exits (once for all) :) [14:37] Thanks all for attending the session. Have a nice evening! ----END CLASS----