what do you wish you knew more about?

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FerrelGeek

Diamond Member
Jan 22, 2009
4,669
266
126
Ancient technology - Blacksmithing, Smelting, Wood working, Glass Blowing, Farming, Leather working, Pottery, Animal husbandry, Dyeing, Weaving, Tannery, Kitchen Chemistry, Brewing, Stained glass, Armory, Siege Engines, Castle management, Herbs, Milling, Bee keeping etc.

Absolutely! If our current society/tech collapses, people who know this will be gods.
 

IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
70,099
28,689
136
I want to visualize the intesection volume (union) of two orthonogal cylinders of equal diameter. The intersection of an infinite number of cylinders on a common plane would produce a sphere but I can't quite visualize the intersection of just two. I've thought about buying a block of cheese and using a copper tube to just make one to look at.
 

rudeguy

Lifer
Dec 27, 2001
47,351
14
61
Coding as well. The learning curve is too steep.

I am a good learner. I learn things fast, always have. I also teach myself, always have. It pisses me off to no end that I can't even begin to learn coding. I wrote the "hello world" program and it was beyond stupid at how hard it was for me.
 

disappoint

Lifer
Dec 7, 2009
10,132
382
126
How to code programs for the human mind. Good ones too, that are useful and benefit everyone not the shitty programs you see floating around either that end up with people out of touch with reality. I'm starting to pick up a bit here and there.
 

Belegost

Golden Member
Feb 20, 2001
1,807
19
81
I want to visualize the intesection volume (union) of two orthonogal cylinders of equal diameter. The intersection of an infinite number of cylinders on a common plane would produce a sphere but I can't quite visualize the intersection of just two. I've thought about buying a block of cheese and using a copper tube to just make one to look at.

Easier way, grab one of the trial copies of a 3D modeling program, making two cylinders and doing the intersection wouldn't take long to figure out.
 
Feb 16, 2005
14,057
5,398
136
Electrical wiring and guitar work (luthier). I would save a bunch of money if I knew how to do some more advanced setup on my guitars.
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
52,991
5,887
126
cars.

i wish i could work on my own car instead of having to take it somewhere to get worked on. i mean i know the very basic stuff about cars but it would be nice to know more about it.
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
52,991
5,887
126
I am a good learner. I learn things fast, always have. I also teach myself, always have. It pisses me off to no end that I can't even begin to learn coding. I wrote the "hello world" program and it was beyond stupid at how hard it was for me.

i don't think i would have ever learned how to code without going to college for it. i mean it's possible, don't get me wrong, i just don't think i personally would have had the will power to learn it and get as far as i have now.

"learning to code" is pretty much about teaching yourself how to think a certain way and understand concepts. it's not really about learning the languages.

once you "learn how to code" it doesn't matter which language you are using, you will be able to code and will "get it" at that point.

like i have written a mobile game in my spare time using cocos2d, and now i'm in the middle of writing one that uses unity. i've never used either of those before, but i am learning as i go along because i am in the right mindset and understand concepts, and know how to read api's.

same with objective c in general when i began ios development. i had no clue wtf objective c was but could pick it up easily because i understand the concepts and just how things work. languages definitely aren't a barrier of coding.
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
52,991
5,887
126
java ... I do web programming but this crap is my everest. It would open so many more doors. But it would also probably bore me to death. Hence why I'm not all over it like flies on shit.

Next in line - gambling... I think most of you call it investing. It is a necessary evil if you want to grow any kind of wealth.

you must mean you do only front end web programming, because a lot of backend web stuff is done in java (and groovy which compiles to java).
 

ControlD

Diamond Member
Apr 25, 2005
5,440
44
91
Investing. I know how to buy/sell stocks but that's about it. The more advanced stuff (shorts, etc.) just never makes any sense to me. Even if it did I wouldn't know how to apply that knowledge. I'm not looking to strike it rich, would just like to be able to finance my hobbies!
 

Arcadio

Diamond Member
Jun 5, 2007
5,637
24
81
Playing the bass. I own one and love the sound, but I am still a beginner.
 
May 11, 2008
20,136
1,149
126
Coding. also for professional reasons. But we have enough programmers on my work and us HW guys are needed. Coding guys do have it more easy. In the prototype stage, when they make an error, they just fix the error and re-flash the MCU. Us HW guys when we make an error in a schematic or a pcb error when designing the hardware, we are doomed. Because we can only fix it after a hardware revision. We have a lot of tricks up our sleeve to prevent errors, but they do happen.
 

poopaskoopa

Diamond Member
Sep 12, 2000
4,836
1
81
Aside from the obvious(stuff that makes me money), it'd be music. I think it'd be a great thing to be able to teach my kids.
 

Sho'Nuff

Diamond Member
Jul 12, 2007
6,211
121
106
Construction, coding, telecommunications, cooking, chemistry, electrical ....

Hell. Everything.
 

Fenixgoon

Lifer
Jun 30, 2003
32,048
10,822
136
cars.

i wish i could work on my own car instead of having to take it somewhere to get worked on. i mean i know the very basic stuff about cars but it would be nice to know more about it.

step 1. buy haynes manual.
step 2. buy tools.
step 3. work on car until project/repair is complete.
step 4. repeat steps 1-3.

:)

the only way i learned about cars was by diving right in, tearing everything out, and putting it back together. that's how i learn best.
 

SlitheryDee

Lifer
Feb 2, 2005
17,252
19
81
cars.

i wish i could work on my own car instead of having to take it somewhere to get worked on. i mean i know the very basic stuff about cars but it would be nice to know more about it.

This and some basic construction knowledge would be nice. I'd love to be one of those guys who could envision some kind of home remod or addition and then just do it in my spare time.
 
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Nograts

Platinum Member
Dec 1, 2014
2,534
3
0
step 1. buy haynes manual.
step 2. buy tools.
step 3. work on car until project/repair is complete.
step 4. repeat steps 1-3.

:)

the only way i learned about cars was by diving right in, tearing everything out, and putting it back together. that's how i learn best.

How have I not known about these manuals before! You have just shown me my X-mas present. Thank you good sir!
 

edro

Lifer
Apr 5, 2002
24,326
68
91

inachu

Platinum Member
Aug 22, 2014
2,387
2
41
For me, it's coding. I don't understand anything about it and believe me, I tried to learn.


The best way to learn coding is learn the basics.

Learn B.A.S.I.C. It is super easy to learn.

Next after basic you can learn S.A.S. programming.
I think the acronym stands for Statistical Analysis Software.
I found the url! http://www.sas.com/en_us/software/analytics/stat.html

My neighbor was teaching herself and I skimmed the books and it looks even easier than B.A.S.I.C. Comparing BASIC to SAS I would say SAS is a natural language programming language.
 

inachu

Platinum Member
Aug 22, 2014
2,387
2
41
Aside from the obvious(stuff that makes me money), it'd be music. I think it'd be a great thing to be able to teach my kids.

In my late teens when I still had my c-64 I programmed up some awsome stuff which was music and sound related.

I had enough knowledge to make very cool sound effects with high enough quality to be used in a band. I submitted my work on a BBS back in the day and was waiting for a reply for many weeks.

Durring those weeks of waiting I came home and my father threw my pc against the wall and broke everything saying I was on it for too long everyday.

So anyway the band manager calls me during dinner time and then told him sorry the pc was destroyed by my father and I was talking like that in front of him and he thought it was my mother(divorced) then I hung up saying "Sorry can't do it."

I looked my father in his eyes and said it was a band manager.

It made him feel like crap.
 

Hayabusa Rider

Admin Emeritus & Elite Member
Jan 26, 2000
50,879
4,266
126
I wish I knew what I would benefit from knowing, what I am better off for not knowing, and having the wisdom to know the difference.