Notices by Ben Zanin (gnomon@mastodon.social), page 6

@thomasfuchs why stop there when you could have one in every room?

@Gargron just gonna leave this right here

https://mastodon.social/@gnomon/108800735288373494 / @Timmy

@Gargron congratulations to you both!!

@Gargron "and also when they show up we're going to block them like a cat running full tilt into a glass patio door", yeah?

@gertvdijk @jpmens for accelerating the specific case of cloning the Linux kernel repo there is an even better option: downloading a cacheable, CDN-distributable, regularly updated bundle file: https://www.kernel.org/best-way-to-do-linux-clones-for-your-ci.html

(Mercurial had this feature available transparently since 2015: https://gregoryszorc.com/blog/2015/05/29/faster-cloning-from-hg.mozilla.org-with-server-provided-bundles/ . Git is playing catchup in this particular aspect since the feature isn't yet in core or, as far as I can tell, on the roadmap.)

@Gargron congratulations!!

@Gargron heck em up Eugen

@Gargron happy birthday!!

I love that my experience with software is so rich with documentation: the output of -h/--help, man pages, GNU info pages¹, README files in repo roots, code comments, commit messages (especially those rare but wonderful annotated git tags which explain the why and how of features being merged!), printed books about tools that have been stable and useful long enough to earn that honour, specification docs, mailing list archives... it's so deep and rich, so satisfying to read.

¹: yes, yes, I know

And research papers! About the underlying algorithms, and about comparative surveys of tools with different implementations, and about social factors of groups of people who use different toolsets! Can't forget about those, absolutely love them.

I have a particularly warm and fuzzy feeling about programming languages that allow and encourage the use of function docstrings, especially when there is accompanying tooling to make structured use of them so they're more than just code comments with bonus opportunities for syntax errors. Hypertext codebase navigation, persistent variable customization, interactive calling conventions, all that jazz.

Oh and logging! And metrics! Also delightful!

I think what I most appreciate about all this documentation is the work that goes into making complex things more understandable. (Or at least the attempt. I'll let you know if I ever build up some level of comfort about neteing kubers, but I ain't there yet.)

The thing that makes all that possible and valuable is *time*. It requires a development cadence slow enough that writing can keep up with it. It requires prioritizing a cadence slow enough for readers to internalize & understand it.

Give me smaller, simpler, slower software, written by fewer people, under less pressure, intended for longer service. Please!

@Gargron *ahem*

https://jorts.horse/@Timmy/108691429320270207

https://mastodon.social/@gnomon/108800735288373494

@offby1 @nova ??? ???

@Gargron Thank you. Both improvements are immediately noticeable.

You going to get a chance to get some sleep soon? Please don't burn yourself out. Uptime is laudable but it's not worth your health, physical or mental.

@Gargron it is a stampeeeeeeeeeeede

@Gargron jiminy cricket that's a long changelog

@Gargron hard same