Update wiki as of 2021-04-07

2020-04-12-10-24-25.org

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 #+author: "Gabriel Arazas"
 #+email: "foo.dogsquared@gmail.com"
 #+date: "2020-04-12 10:24:25 +08:00"
-#+date_modified: "2021-04-05 18:20:22 +08:00"
+#+date_modified: "2021-04-05 21:22:54 +08:00"
 #+language: en
 #+options: toc:t
 #+property: header-args  :exports both

2020-07-01-23-19-07.org

@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@
 #+author: "Gabriel Arazas"
 #+email: "foo.dogsquared@gmail.com"
 #+date: "2020-07-01 23:19:07 +08:00"
-#+date_modified: "2020-09-09 05:09:40 +08:00"
+#+date_modified: "2021-04-06 23:11:42 +08:00"
 #+language: en
 #+options: toc:t
 #+property: header-args  :exports both
+#+tags: personal-info-management
 
 
 Information literacy is defined as the ability to search information, sort the results, verify for legitimacy, and share the information effectively.

2020-12-25-21-05-59.org

@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#+title: When creating a line, be confident and sure
+#+author: "Gabriel Arazas"
+#+email: "foo.dogsquared@gmail.com"
+#+date: "2020-12-25 21:05:59 +08:00"
+#+date_modified: "2021-01-04 11:05:19 +08:00"
+#+language: en
+#+options: toc:t
+#+property: header-args  :exports both
+
+
+When [[file:2020-12-26-13-30-39.org][illustrating]] an accurate line, leave out the saying "slowly but surely" and put "quickly but surely" instead.
+To make an accurate line reliably, we just need more confidence in what we're doing.
+That's because when we drawing slowly, we tend to put more time thinking about how to create the line instead of controlling our arm.
+Our brain also tends to course-correct while on the way resulting in an inconsistent line.
+
+For a more memorable reminder, [[https://drawabox.com/comic/1][here's a comic about it]].

2020-12-26-13-30-39.org

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#+title: Illustration
+#+author: "Gabriel Arazas"
+#+email: "foo.dogsquared@gmail.com"
+#+date: "2020-12-26 13:30:39 +08:00"
+#+date_modified: "2020-12-26 14:22:50 +08:00"
+#+language: en
+#+options: toc:t
+#+property: header-args  :exports both
+
+
+Illustration is the art of creating illustrations. :)

2021-02-28-14-52-58.org

@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+#+title: Create examples of ranking complexity when documenting your project serving as a quick glance
+#+author: "Gabriel Arazas"
+#+email: "foo.dogsquared@gmail.com"
+#+date: "2021-02-28 14:52:58 +08:00"
+#+date_modified: "2021-04-07 16:17:57 +08:00"
+#+language: en
+#+options: toc:t
+#+property: header-args  :exports both
+
+
+Some projects such as user applications should include examples of usage varying of the complexity from a simple "Hello world"-esque example to a real-life example that the developer uses.
+This gives a quick introduction to the tool as well as subtly giving hints about what you can do with the program.
+Examples include the manual pages from [[https://www.freebsd.org/][the FreeBSD project]] where each tool is given a dedicated section for example usage.
+Another that stuck out to me is the README of [[https://github.com/naelstrof/maim/tree/b1b28fcb0c3a44e699fd879189316440b7edff22][maim]], a screenshot capture tool, where one of the examples demonstrate that you can pipe binary output which leads to useful things such as [[https://github.com/naelstrof/maim/tree/b1b28fcb0c3a44e699fd879189316440b7edff22][OCR selection]] or a colorpicker.
+
+This is not only useful for software documentation, it is also useful for technical writings especially applied with [[file:2021-04-07-15-09-24.org][Classic prose]].
+This makes it easier to skim (see [[file:2021-04-05-12-43-36.org][Speedreading is all about skimming well]]) and review it as a future reference (see [[file:2021-04-06-22-25-17.org][Learn more with referencing with a bit of remembering]]).

2021-04-04-11-24-56.org

@@ -0,0 +1,165 @@
+#+title: Learning how to learn
+#+author: "Gabriel Arazas"
+#+email: "foo.dogsquared@gmail.com"
+#+date: "2021-04-04 11:24:56 +08:00"
+#+date_modified: "2021-04-07 17:33:35 +08:00"
+#+language: en
+#+options: toc:t
+#+property: header-args  :exports both
+#+source: https://www.coursera.org/learn/learning-how-to-learn
+#+tags: @fleeting courses personal-info-management
+
+
+This course is one of the more popular metalearning courses especially on those who look for more ways to be more productive such as students.
+I studied with this course for the exact title: learn the mechanics of learning and how to apply it for me to learn more effectively.
+
+Not all of the details are listed here, just what I think I need for review.
+
+
+
+
+* How the brain works
+
+In order to understand the inner mechanics of metalearning, we have to familiarize with the brain (at least a little).
+The brain, while physically small, relates to a lot of things: our thought processes, motivations, emotions, tendencies, and memory.
+Thus, it is one of the more expensive organ in our body requiring more oxygen relative to its mass.
+
+Inside our brain houses a lot of smaller things called *neurons* where they store information.
+Each neuron may then form connections to other neurons called *synapses* where they form neural pattern representing a web of thoughts.
+
+There has been a staying belief from studies that the brain is in development from birth up to 25 years of age.
+After the maturation is complete, no further developments will occur and slowly degrade with the neurons will slowly decrease in number with age.
+With recent developments in brain imaging technology, it is shown that neurons can still develop in the adult stage.
+Furthermore, it form new synapses with only changes in activity including resting.
+
+
+
+
+* Focused and diffused mode
+
+The brain goes into two modes: *focused* and *diffused*.
+
+- Focused mode is when we actively remember familiar information.
+  It usually occurs when we're actively doing a task like cooking a meal, solving a math problem, writing your notes, programming software, composing music, etc.
+
+- Diffused mode is when there is state of clarity in the mind.
+  This is when we relax: taking a break, walking in the trails, doing a power nap, sleeping for hours, hanging out with friends, etc.
+
+In other words, our brain is working 24/7.
+Similar to ourselves, the brain has a routine to follow not only to make our body function as-is day-to-day but also improve ourselves in terms of habits and skills when we put the effort.
+Nonetheless, both of these modes can be used to our advantage to familiarize with new information, see the bigger picture, and learn a new skill.
+
+
+
+
+* Procrastination
+
+Procastination is a problem all of us faces.
+When we procastinate, the things we avert are associated with pain thus we turn our attention away from them.
+To mitigate against this:
+
+- Just start working.
+  The discomfort of facing it goes away after a while.
+- Use the Pomodoro technique to create interleaving segments of focus and relaxation.
+
+
+
+
+* Memory and sleep
+
+The brain is mostly compared to a muscle in a way that you have to do work for development.
+The analogy couldn't be more apt as the development of a neural formation is dictated by how much work you put.
+A neural formation is stronger if you use it more often while it decays if you neglect for some time.
+This is the basis of memory.
+
+The memory can be separated into two parts:
+
+- The *working memory* contains information that are required immediately.
+  It is like the working desk where you place all of the required materials and tools to do your current task.
+
+- The *long-term memory* contains all of the information that you've stored and it is where your working memory gets its on-hand information from.
+  It's like the storages of all of the materials and tools you may need in the future.
+
+The following practices are recommended to strengthen your memory:
+
+- Spaced repetition.
+  That is, repeating what you've practice over a period of time whether by days, weeks, or even months.
+  Similar to the previous point, cramming and repeating over a few times in one evening will dissipate the neural formation faster.
+
+- Another way of hardening the memory is through sleep.
+  As counterintuitive as it is, sleep does have its function that helps with the brain such as preventing sleep-related disorders such as insomnia, removing toxins that accumulate while you're awake, and strengthening relevant neural structures while erasing less important ones.
+
+
+
+
+* Takeaways from "Interview with Dr. Terrence Sejnowski"
+
+- Learn headfirst in a new topic by getting involved with peers and experts who are already invested in similar topics.
+
+- Active engagement > passive listening.
+
+- A method to capture your ideas before it evaporates — e.g., a portable pen and notebook, org-capture, the PARA system.
+
+- While multitasking is possible, it's not efficient.
+  However, being unable to multitask can make day-to-day basis difficult.
+  The more important skill is efficient context switching — i.e., being able to return to the original task after being interrupted mid-task and continue smoothly.
+
+- Being in a more reflective mode creates the best work.
+
+- Being in an enriched environment with creative people makes generating and processing ideas easier.
+  If being in enriched environment is not possible, exercise can be a good substitute.
+  The point is making a creative workspace for those ideas to roam and bounce off other ideas either with other people or idle time.
+
+- Passion and persistence > smarts.
+
+- Being able to see things at a different perspective.
+
+
+
+
+* Takeaways from "Interview with Dr. Robert Bilder on creativity and problem solving"
+
+- The criteria of creativity mostly applies to what is unique to you.
+  It doesn't mean that others solve it that you're not creative as long as you've solved it yourself.
+
+- A level of discomfort is always involved when trying to learn something new.
+  As they say, "no pain, no gain."
+
+- Personalities can relate to the creative achievement of a person.
+  It boils down to mainly five traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.
+  A more open person to new experiences can be more creative achiever.
+  Counterintuitively, a less agreeable or more disagreeable can find more creative success since they are the type to challenge the status quo.
+
+- Creativity walks a fine line of being novel and valuable to other people.
+  You can create pieces that are too strange but you may find less people finding it valuable.
+  It can impose a [[file:2020-07-06-23-55-47.org][Deliberate practice]] of trying to find balance.
+
+- While our subconscious can be more right, it doesn't mean that it is never wrong.
+  Examples include people feeling more creative while under the influence of LSD but after the session they find the product is not as close as they visioned.
+
+
+
+
+* Chunking
+
+Your working memory is said to have four chunks at a time.
+For more efficiency, your brain can link various neural structures to represent an information.
+An example is numbers and operations such as \(5 * 4 = 20\), \(1 + 1 = 2\), and \(5 - 29 = -24\).
+You know what numbers are, what do the symbols mean, and if you read the equations, you already have the answer just after you read it.
+Another example is reading the word 'electronics' may invoke an image of the common appliances and gadgets you have in home such as your smartphone, fridge, and laptop even though they are different objects.
+This is the gist of chunking.
+
+Chunking is the process of simplifying groups of information (or neural structure) as you learn and use more of them.
+
+
+
+
+* Habits
+
+The brain is responsive to various stimulus with a variety of effects of various levels.
+Examples include changing temperature, surrounding sounds, reaching smell, and the location.
+Our brain might associate certain rooms to be predominantly relaxing so we tend to relax and get lazy such as your own room and hangout places.
+Other environments such as your workplace, gyms, and schools may be associated with active work so we tend to get moving.
+
+# TODO:
+Explain 'Action, Response, and Intervene'

2021-04-05-12-43-36.org

@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#+title: Speedreading is all about skimming well
+#+author: "Gabriel Arazas"
+#+email: "foo.dogsquared@gmail.com"
+#+date: "2021-04-05 12:43:36 +08:00"
+#+date_modified: "2021-04-05 15:37:00 +08:00"
+#+language: en
+#+options: toc:t
+#+property: header-args  :exports both
+#+tags: personal-info-management
+
+
+While [[file:2021-04-05-12-51-56.org][Speedreading]] has surrounding skepticism for productivity researchers, it can be repurposed as a skimming technique.
+The fast reading speed but lower comprehension fits the description of what skimming is all about.

2021-04-05-12-51-56.org

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#+title: Speedreading
+#+author: "Gabriel Arazas"
+#+email: "foo.dogsquared@gmail.com"
+#+date: "2021-04-05 12:51:56 +08:00"
+#+date_modified: "2021-04-05 15:37:27 +08:00"
+#+language: en
+#+options: toc:t
+#+property: header-args  :exports both
+#+tags: personal-info-management
+
+
+- [[https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2015/01/19/speed-reading-redo/]]

2021-04-06-22-25-17.org

@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+#+title: Learn more with referencing with a bit of remembering
+#+author: "Gabriel Arazas"
+#+email: "foo.dogsquared@gmail.com"
+#+date: "2021-04-06 22:25:17 +08:00"
+#+date_modified: "2021-04-07 11:58:29 +08:00"
+#+language: en
+#+options: toc:t
+#+property: header-args  :exports both
+#+tags: personal-info-management
+
+
+[[file:2020-07-01-23-19-07.org][Information literacy]] is not only for researching but it can be useful for programming.
+The gist of it is knowing the basics of a concept and its relations to others, enabling you to come up with a more effective search query.
+If nothing else, you could take advantage of the help system insisted by the tool.
+
+On a Unix-based environment, for example, has the manual pages with ~man~ and you can search through ~apropos~.
+This is especially needed if you're using BSD-based operating systems such as FreeBSD and OpenBSD.
+GNU also added [[https://www.gnu.org/software/texinfo/][Texinfo]] and the community also created their own solutions such as [[https://github.com/tldr-pages/tldr][tldr pages]] (as well as an offline clients such as ~tealdeer~).
+
+[[roam:Emacs][Emacs]], specifically Doom Emacs, has a great built-in help system.
+[fn:: It's a necessity after all by how massive of a software this is.]
+For example, the ~help-for-help~ is a function that gives you a metahelp interface to a plethora of options such as searching through pattern, logging the last keybindings, display the documentation from a keybinding, describe a language environment, and so on.
+Another helpful function ~apropos~, like its similarly named inspiration, searches through the entire symbol list of Emacs (e.g., variable, function) through a pattern.
+You also have a describe function for keys (~describe-key~), functions (~describe-function~), and packages (~describe-package~).
+
+This doesn't mean that you should avert remembering, that would be silly as a little remembering is still required.
+You're still trying to understand a concept, after all.
+If the system has a way of referencing something (other than the internet), use it to your advantage as it may have something valuable.

2021-04-07-00-25-19.org

@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+#+title: Doing with images makes symbols: Communicating with computers
+#+author: "Gabriel Arazas"
+#+email: "foo.dogsquared@gmail.com"
+#+date: "2021-04-07 00:25:19 +08:00"
+#+date_modified: "2021-04-07 14:30:54 +08:00"
+#+language: en
+#+options: toc:t
+#+property: header-args  :exports both
+#+tags: media.talk graphics.user-interface computer.history
+#+source: https://youtu.be/6ZdxiQoOBgs
+
+
+Graphical user interfaces (GUI) brings the possibilities of easier collaboration and accessibility for the many.
+
+- [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sketchpad][Sketchpad]] is the first documented program to use a graphical user interface and pioneered the way for computer-aided design.
+
+- Since GUI makes use of the whole screen, the mouse was used as interacting with the program.
+  It was however inaccurate for its usage requiring the user to switch back and forth so some devices such as the five-finger keyboard were invented to work around this problem.
+
+- Inspired from Sketchpad, Alan Kay worked on a programming language called Smalltalk that focuses on the visual department for computing.
+
+- Furthermore, he believed by focusing on a more specific audience like children will help getting a far more intuitive interface for using a computer.
+
+- The psychology behind user interface where based by the learning methods and its enemies (e.g., distraction).
+
+- In order to combat against distraction, you should distract the user with a lighter alternative.
+  See Timothy Gallwey on how he claims teaching tennis can be done in an afternoon for above point
+
+- Humans are thought to have a dominant mindset at different stages of their life.
+  At the age of 5 and below, they have the tendency to do something.
+  Not minding the consequences of their future actions.
+  By 6 to 11, they tend to be visual where observations are their main tools for learning.
+  Then, at the teenage phase enter the "facts and logic" phase where they usually makes use of symbols.
+
+- An experiment done by Kay's team is to gather 3 people at different stages (5 y/o, 10 y/0, and 15 y/o) and asked them to create a Turtle program that makes a circle.
+  The natural tendency is to believe the older, the better it does the task but the results are actually the opposite.
+  The 5 y/o having the simplest (and most clever) by simply doing how to create a circle.
+  Meanwhile, the 10 y/o observed the circle could be created with a compass and based their program around how to create a circle with a compass.
+  The 15 y/o wasn't able to create one focusing on the mathematical formula to create a circle.
+
+- The takeaway on this experiment is how to make use of these different mindset to create an effective environment.
+  (Which interestingly could be applied on effective learning.)
+
+- Motto: doing with images make symbols