samh748

Sometimes I'll be "done" exploring a topic/project, but haven't yet found another one to dig into (or just run into some sort of a break/gap in mental activity), and I'll basically get depressed (not technically, just temporary low mood) without having something keeping my brain engaged.

I wonder if any of you have advice on managing these gaps. Or maybe strategies you've adopted to always have something keeping you engaged?

Graduated with my bachelors (in biology) 10 years ago, been working in retail/warehouse ever since. Some recent life events have finally inspired me to take action on building a better life to support my little family. I want to get into tech, but I don't know how.

I loved programming and coding way back in highschool, but I haven't touched any code since then as I shifted focus onto biology in university. Biology never went anywhere and I ended up working at the university bookstore's warehouse, boxing and unboxing and also doing some customer service.

My resume up to this point is basically: 1) warehousing, stock 2) customer service / retail 3) science research 4) education/outreach - science TA, tutor, park/museum outreach

I don't have any experience in tech at all. What could I do to transition? I'm especially wondering about how the industry looks like now, as it seems to have changed drastically from what I saw many years ago.

I can't afford to do a degree as I gotta work. But I could do lots of self-studying and projects on my own time. I could probably do some online certifications or courses. Are these still valued in today's market?

What area of tech should I go into? I enjoyed coding and problem-solving at a relatively basic level, but I don't think I'm smart enough to do the complicated algorithm-heavy things. And it seems basic coding jobs are not in demand / are oversaturated now? What about something like UX research/design? I find the topic really interesting but I dont know what the actual job entails.

Sorry for all the random info. I've always felt bad looking back at my experiences that went nowhere. But I want to change that. It would be amazing if you guys could offer some advice! Thanks so much in advance!

So I'm a hobby musician and lately I've been learning lots of theory and everytime I discover something interesting I always have the urge to share it in some way. Sometimes I'll ramble to my supportive partner who has barely any clue what I'm talking about (love her!). Other times I'd make Reddit posts asking for feedback and just the process of sharing and discussing it is so interesting and exciting to me.

So I got an idea to start a YouTube channel as an outlet to share these "in process" learning moments. (It might also help me be more disciplined and thorough with what I learn!) And to clarify I don't mean to "teach" these things, though people can hopefully learn something. But the goal is more about sharing that process. So it's gonna be somewhat loose/organic in terms of what I share.

Anyway, since you folks likely have experience creating/consuming this sort of learning-focused content I thought I'd ask here for any suggestions or advice. I'd love to hear your experiences/lessons/opinions!

Years ago I would always use KM Player on PC for its advanced filters so I can listen to specific parts/sounds on a particular song. For example there were features like, vocal focus, vocal remove, left-only, right-only, etc. Now KM is all bloated with ads and no longer includes these features.

Does anyone know of any PC software or Android apps that can do something similar?

I can find plenty of apps that can control basic EQ or have presets like bass boost, or "rock"/"pop" EQs etc, but nothing advanced like the ones I mentioned for old-KM.

Ages ago I used a program on Windows that extracts all the files from a webpage, allowing you to download images and videos etc. I've completely forgotten what it's called and dont exactly want to google keywords and get all sorts of junk/virus.

Does anyone know programs that does this?

Fellow lifelong learners and anyone who loves to learn new things: What would you say are some of the downsides of wanting to learn new things all the time? And how did you work around or improve on those things?

For context I've been realizing how little I have achieved in any particular area because of my inability to stick to a topic of focus and it's kinda getting to me.

It's been like this for many months now.

I'm an occasional Prime subscriber, and I cancel the subscription whenever I'm done using it. Several months ago I noticed that my subscription was renewed despite I had turned off the renewal. I thought it was my own mistake at first, but after several iterations, I've concluded that Amazon is forcing the renewal on me every time.

Thankfully each time I can request a refund because I didn't shop during those times, so I'm not too bothered personally.

But I can't help but wonder how many people are being charged unknowingly and not catching it. This can't be legal right?

I want to interview interesting people and the people that inspire me in general. I'm friendly and personable but I'm not big on socializing and definitely have no "radio personality". I just really enjoy talking to interesting people and digging their brains and hearing their wisdom.

Starting a podcast is an obvious option but the podcasting space seems so saturated now, especially for the topics I have in mind (eg creative routines, working towards your dreams). Are there other formats for interviewing people?

Dear HNers who engage in any form of "thinking in public" (whether that's blogging, posting notes online, or maybe even participating in HN/Twitter/forum discussions): What are some of the pros and cons of thinking in public vs thinking in private?

Since it's relatively easy to find the benefits of blogging and other ways of thinking in public, I'm especially curious to hear about some of the potential cons of thinking in public / the benefits of thinking in private?

And with that in mind, how does one effectively manage both to make the best out of both approaches?

On one end we have the centralized "Everything in one place" approach, whether it's done semi-automatically with a smart-app or manually in a digital/physical commonplace notebook. And on the other end we have the context/technology-specific bookmarks, saves, highlights, etc. dispersed throughout various places.

The former often seems more organized, though it's hard to implement well, takes a lot of work, and often misses out on context. The latter is often the default, baked-in option, but when there's many sources it can feel very scattered.

Where do you sit on this spectrum? What's your strategy to managing information from various sources?

On one end we have the centralized "Everything in one place" approach, whether it's done semi-automatically with a smart-app or manually in a digital/physical commonplace notebook. And on the other end we have the context/technology-specific bookmarks, saves, highlights, etc. dispersed throughout various places.

The former often seems more organized, though it's hard to implement well, takes a lot of work, and often misses out on context. The latter is often the default, baked-in option, but when there's many sources it can feel very scattered.

Where do you sit on this spectrum? What's your strategy to managing information from various sources?

I've only recently started to appreciate piano music and would love to increase my repertoire.

I'm open to anything, from classical to contemporary, pop to metal, doesn't have to be purely instrumentals either.

Look forward to hearing any and all of your recommendations!

In what ways have the knowledge, skills, etc you've gained in your area of study/work helped you in other areas?

For example, how has programming helped your thinking skills in other subjects or in life?