TITLE: StrangeLoop: This and That, Volume 2
AUTHOR: Eugene Wallingford
DATE: September 28, 2013 12:17 PM
DESC:
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BODY:
[My notes on StrangeLoop 2013:
Table of Contents]
I am at a really good talk and look around the room. So many
people are staring at their phones, scrolling away. So many
others are staring at their laptops, typing away. The guy
next to me: doing both at the same time. Kudos, sir. But
you may have missed the point.
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Conference talks are a great source of homework problems.
Sometimes, the talk presents a good problem directly. Others,
watching the talk sets my subconscious mind in motion, and it
creates something useful. My students thank you. I thank you.
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Jenny Finkel
talked about the difference between two kinds of recommenders:
explorers, who forage for new content, and exploiters, who want
to see what's already popular. The former discovers cool new
things occasionally but fails occasionally, too. The latter is
satisfied most of the time but rarely surprised. As conference
goes, I felt this distinction at play in my own head this year.
When selecting the next talk to attend, I have to take a few
risks if I ever hope to find something unexpected. But when I
fail, a small regret tugs at me.
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We heard a lot of confident female voices on the StrangeLoop
stages this year. Some of these speakers have advanced
academic degrees, or at least experience in grad school.
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The best advice I received on Day 1 perhaps came not from a
talk but from the building:
"Please do not climb on bears." That sounds like a
good idea most everywhere, most all the time.
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