Coralie @globcoco@social.cleverlibre.org

@k11m1 Yeah, it was something that was needed when computing power was a precious resource, much less common, and we needed to conserve it.

Good things resulted from that - people created solutions to enable remote access, shared systems, one large machine that processed tasks from many people or departments; scheduling, so you could slot a job for some late hour when there were less people around.

Following the logic is a good thing, as you write line by line, it should make sense, and flow -- or else, why did you use that line, and the next?

There are pesky typos that break things, but other than those small input errors, the code should be understandable and make sense.

Someone else might have to work on it someday, and that will make their job easier and faster too.

Back in time programming languages were developed to cater to some specific need or group of users; making it easier to create the projects they needed.

We used Fortran, which is Formula Translation; it was created for Science and Engineering students and professionals.

I had a room mate who was in the Math department, we were both 1st year students, had the same Profs (from Math department), and the same assignments.

But his class used another language, called Algol - which was a better fit for Math people's needs.

We enjoyed comparing the finished results of our assignments; quite simply, we looked at the thickness of each other's stack of cards. Sometimes, Algol would win (win being a smaller deck, less processing time), other times Fortran got it. 😄

It was my first time ever seeing and working with a computer -- a mammoth Burroughs 5500 mainframe, and I loved every aspect of it.

Over time, I observed that I could tell right away when something was broken in a new project.

* When I had my source code written up, the next step was to hand it in, for a pool of secretaries who would prepare our cards, overnight. Or find a spare IBM punch machine somewhere (my preferred, faster route).

* Got the cards? Processing time! Go to the computing center, and get in line with other students with their own decks; we lined up outside, in front of a room that contained a card reader (input) and a large printer (output). This was a smaller room, wired to the computer next door which was all air conditioned to around 18 degrees C year around.

* The card reader had two doors, it's own Input and Output of student processing; in via one, hand in the deck, watch it be read, get a printout, out via the other door.

* As the deck was handed in and loaded into the card reader, we stood watching, hoping for a good run. Any result would produce a paper printout, those continuous paper forms. Many times, it was a report of an error at some point.

* processing took some seconds; and I noticed that sucess or failure was indicated by the card reader behaviour; a perfect program would pass thru the reader in linear fashio, smooth flow. I got excited, maybe this time it's all Good!!

* I also noticed that hesitations in the stack flow indicated errors; it would stop at some card, pause or a few seconds, Bad sign! 😔 Soon it would resume, a short report printed, and a more or less dejected student headed out door #2.

...to go back to his desk, his notes and code write up. Read the report (quite cryptic usually), and trace thru the programme to find what was wrong.

Getting a smooth card reader flow was an instant sign I might have made it - and at best happened at the 3rd try or so (worse sometimes, in harder jobs or if you weren't focused enough).

Some great work was done in developing whole languages to be used for teaching Programming, like Pascal -- good habits would carry on into a professional's work life, and be appreciated by anyone working with this person, or later maintaining their legacy code.

#QotoJournal #History #Technology #Programming #Retro #IT

Welcoming Our Partner, Cloud68 https://write.as/blog/welcoming-our-partner-cloud68

@globcoco Nah, but I find that a very annoying thing for people to say.. Who the hell cares who speaks last, why is it relevant. Talk until you dont want to then stop.

If you are complaining that someone keeps talking when your done, then clearly **you** are the one who wants to get the alst word in, not them.

@hansw @globcoco @freemo @design_RG

Also called remaining neutral.

@hansw

Emacs was written by jesus himself, dont mess with emacs :)

@globcoco @design_RG @zleap

A free introduction to quantum computing and quantum mechanics

https://quantum.country/

#introduction #quantum #computing #mechanics

@globcoco @hansw

Oui, j’ai un cœur et une âme européens, semble-t-il -- je le sens fortement quand je suis là, c’est difficile de retourner en Amérique du Nord.

Je n’ai eu Français classes que pendant deux ans, en tant que sujet à l’école primaire; Je peux comprendre beaucoup plus, lire, que je ne pouvais parler ou écrire. Mais c’est une belle langue.

En voyageant dans ma patrie ancestrale bien-aimée, le Portugal, j’ai rencontré et conversé avec des gens de nombreux pays.

Un matin, je me suis même engagé dans une conversation, dans une jolie petite auberge à Lisboa, avec un couple Français, non scénarisé et sans aide par la traduction; c’était amusant.

Et je leur ai dit que j’aimais même les entendre, les sons et la fluidité de la langue.

Il m’a dit que oui, c’était comme des petits oiseaux gazouillant, et nous avons eu quelques rires, café et apprécié un bon moment.

#rgxJournal pouquoi non?

@globcoco @hansw

>> Hence what you do! This is so important!

Thank you -- your perception never ceases to amaze me. Indeed.

The Local feeds can make or break an instance. Qoto's was broken, very recently, and I nearly dispaired.

It is hard to affect change, one single user no matter how active can't do it alone.

I had some encouragement from the quality posts and support that @Phaedrus gave me -- he knows what I am talking about, as he was the first person to write about

"Make Qoto Great Again" -- and we did, managed to turn the ponderous ship, weeded out some obnoxious accounts, created a small lock at the front door (the new user questions, which surprisingly few respond to; all blank forms are rejected outright , of course.)

This, I am happy to acknowledge, was my idea and suggestion, peddled to the staff and accepted; we all are happy with the reduced intake and the amazing rise in quality of our local feed.

This depends on the contributions of our users -- but sensing a friendly and rich environment, people will come closer and interaction will happen.

On that front things are working well.

Hopefully we make progress in the instance tech side, as I am dissatisfied greatly with mastodon, as I make abundantly clear (it's a campaign, of course).

If we improve, great. If not, m presence would fade somewhat, as I pursue my own aspirations and settle elsewhere as a main account.

The Home feeds, I haven't looked at in recent times, as you can imagine my time is taken with my own active presence. But they are good to discover cool people in other instances.

And I wish to participate on them once again.

My FAB account is now Pleroma HQ for me, and there's ziliion Notis there waiting for review and responses. I love it! 📩

#rgxJournal #FediReporter

Who said scientists cant be poets?

#Science #Chemistry

@globcoco

Oh oui, sûrement. Un pot comme ça.

Il m’enchante, le Français, je souhaite tellement pouvoir m’exprimer librement et couramment pour converser avec vous sur elle.

@hansw

@globcoco

>> Thanks to the *extensive* fedireports that you made Yann, I feel we can find our way.

And on that sense, I drop a mention to my most popular Blog page so far -- take a look when you have a chance, or bookmark it. There is a section in the second part where I review and describe some of the instances I had accounts at the time. mastodon.social is included.

https://write.tedomum.net/rgx/is-it-important-which-instance-you-are-in

@hansw

#FediReporter again!

@design_RG @hansw @globcoco Yeah; for me, joining an instance with a good community, finding good locals to follow, and following people who engage with them has helped keep my timeline busy without a whole bunch of unwanted content like porn popping in my feeds. I very rarely use the Public Timelines anymore, save at night when I'm looking for new users who are across the globe.

@globcoco

Yes, in considering online communities, the platform being used is important and can affect things tremendously, but the people themselves, the interactions, it is the most important part.

Finding a good group, which we feel identified with, and being accepted is so rewarding.

The cool kids are not in mastodon anymore.

@hansw

@hansw @globcoco

Much on a user's experience depends on the instance they live in. I am very happy I selected Qoto as my first one -- based on the small amount of info displayed about each in the joinmastodon.org pages.

Turned out well, and I am still here, active and putting time, effort and love into this. But I have also kept an open eye, curiosity and have been exploring, scouting on the vastness of fedi.

There's more, lots more, and I enjoy the discovery as much as going for long walks in an European city for the first time.

No maps is my usual approach, serendipity is lovely. I end up tired but so satisfied with the experiences I find.

Mastodon.social is the Twitter of mastoworld.

If I had joined there as my first instance, I wouldn't have stayed for 3 days even, I imagine.

I do have an account there, and there's a purpose for it -- but it's minimal in the day to day operations for me.

#FediReporter on the beat, #rgxJournal logged.

Making Science more inclusive
Update from IOP Science website

IOP Publishing joins forces with other publishers to make research publishing more inclusive and diverse

* [Read more](https://ioppublishing.org/news/iop-publishing-joins-forces-with-other-publishers-to-make-research-publishing-more-inclusive-and-diverse/)

#science #inclusion #collaboration #publishing #diversity