[Launch School] Community Update - April 26th, 2023

Hi everyone, it's Clare; I'm back again with more controversial takes! Nothing as controversial as sc-own-es because how could anything be? Still, there's enough here to provoke some debate. See [the previous Community Update]( if you're lost! For Christmas, because I don't have an office to work in, my daughter gifted me one, and we have finally completed the build: [lego_office] I love these Lego sets. There is so much detail ... so much so that I can tell this is based on the US version of The Office, rather than the far superior British version. I'm outraged. Let's move on... --------------------------------------------------------------- Important Updates Capstone Presentations There have been some wonderful Capstone presentations over the last couple of weeks. I've linked to the recordings where they are available and this [link]( to keep an eye out for recordings yet to be released: - [Test Lab]( - an open-source, self-hosted feature management and A/B testing platform. - [Edamame]( - a distributed load testing framework for real-time collaboration apps that use both HTTP and WebSockets. - [Otter]( - an open-source, cloud native framework that enables peer-to-peer video communication within web applications. - [Seamless]( - an open-source, low-configuration CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment) framework that streamlines the development and deployment of containerized microservice applications. It automates the building, testing, and deployment of code, enabling developers to deliver software quickly and reliably. - Herald - an observability solution that simplifies the deployment of the ELK stack, a popular set of tools commonly used for monitoring the health and performance of software systems. It allows software developers to conveniently collect and explore telemetry data, including logs, traces, and metrics, through a user-friendly interface. - Symphony - an open-source framework designed to make it easy for developers to build collaborative web applications. Symphony handles the complexities of implementing collaboration, including conflict resolution and real-time infrastructure, freeing developers to focus on creating unique and engaging features for their applications. [capstone_logos] Once again, our Capstone students have come up trumps with some fantastic projects. If you are new to Launch School, it is worth checking out the recordings to see what could lie ahead for you. Capstone Information If you think Capstone may be in your future but would like to know more, there is an info session all about the Capstone program on Thursday, April 27, at 1pm Pacific/4pm Eastern. The session will cover the following topics: - An overview of the schedule and curriculum - Workload expectations - Transition from Core to Capstone - Support during the job hunting process - How to increase your chances of being admitted into the Capstone program - Capstone timeline details and how to apply to the Capstone Program If that piqued your interest, you can register [here](. Don't be sad if you cannot make this session since we have created a new Slack channel to spread the word about Capstone and provide a place to ask questions about this program. The channel is [#capstone_info]( and is available for anyone to join. Coding Pawzzles On May 1, we are launching a cat-themed puzzle mailing list. It's called Coding Pawzzles, and you can check out our [Twitter page](. This will be a lot of fun, so join in and don't miss out. Now, if you have a cat that enjoys the limelight, we would love to include their photo in this venture - there is an upload link on the Twitter page. In particular (but please don't feel limited), we are looking for photos relevant to Star Wars Day (May 4), Mother's Day (May 14 - to be delivered May 15), and Memorial Day (May 29). So, get your cats posing and send us your photos. Note, this is for cats only, so this: [daisy] NOT this: [menagerie] (It should go without saying that I was not involved in the cat-only decision. All these animals have paws, and it is "Coding Pawzzles." This is not a controversial thing, Pete!) --------------------------------------------------------------- Routine Updates Women's Group We have our regular Launch School Women's Group coming up on Sunday, April 30, at 12pm EST (link [here](). I'm looking forward to this one since there will be a Q&A with a Core grad - someone who has finished the core curriculum and can tell us all about what is on the other side. Meetups There is no controversy in this update regarding the meetups. New York has delivered as always, as well as New England and Toronto: [meetups] There are a couple of meetups in the pipeline: - If you are in the Bay Area ([#california-north](), there is a meetup this Saturday, April 29th, at 1pm. This is in a Mexican restaurant, [@dona](, which looks yummy. - [#vancouver]( have a meetup scheduled on Sunday, April 30, at 12pm, at 33 Acres Brewing, and possibly migrating to Jonathan Rogers Park, if the weather cooperates (I'll have fingers crossed for you!) Remember to browse the Slack channels to find a region near you or start one up if you see a gap in the market. If you plan a gathering, consider adding it to our [events calendar]( to advertise to a broader audience. Student Articles At Launch School, we have built up an impressive library of articles written by our talented students, which you can check out [here](. This month has not disappointed us as we have two more great articles. First, [Weston Ludeke](westonludeke/dont-learn-a-programming-language-learn-software-engineering-7068f4cb7e57) has described the advantages of learning about software engineering, rather than focusing on learning a specific programming language. [articles] This is not a controversial idea at Launch School. We are all about learning the fundamentals. We often hear from our alums about their experiences of turning their hands to new languages. Bob Rodes shared his experience of turning his hand to Python. Check out his [Slack post]( and the discussion in the thread with other students. Last but very much not least, I come to Chelsea Saunders' [article]( on imposter syndrome. This is something many of us grapple with, and Chelsea has an interesting perspective we can all learn from. --------------------------------------------------------------- On the Lowdown In this section, I have gathered some fascinating discussions happening on our ever-busy Slack channels. The robots are taking over AI is suddenly everywhere. ChatGPT has taken the world by storm and generated much discussion. Blake Fromkin kicked off such a conversation [here](, asking about the benefits of Capstone given the current AI revolution. Check out the thread to see Chris's thoughts. Additionally, Miten Patel shared a link to an article [Community is the future of AI]( that he hopes will "assuage some fears or anxiety around AI for any Launch School students who need some encouraged." This is a great read and provides a much-appreciated valuable perspective. For me, I'm enjoying the more humorous takes on this revolution, care of [Mitch Mills](: [ai] The worst interview question It's that question where you're asked for a negative, but should you really give a positive answer in response? Interviewer: Tell me about your weaknesses. Me: Lego. Interviewer: Thank you for coming to meet us today. We'll be in touch. Mai Khuu started this [conversation](, which I'm summarising as whether it is better to answer honestly or use it as an opportunity to humble-brag. There are some interesting and helpful viewpoints on the thread, including Katherine Morayati's link to a helpful [article](. All is forgiven, JavaScript Is there anything more controversial than this? In Javascript, NaN === NaN evaluates to false. Huh? What's that about? Elie Asmar has found the [answer](... --------------------------------------------------------------- And Finally Here is a sneak peek at the Lego town we are building in our house. We had a lot of fun, and this has turned into a spot the differences* challenge. Ignore the junk in the background; the room looks 42% tidier than last week! [lego_town] *There are at least 10, could be more. My daughters got carried away with this assignment. Keep studying hard, and remember, as Bertrand Russell said: ​ "The most savage controversies are about matters as to which there is no good evidence either way." --------------------------------------------------------------- If you wish to stop receiving emails from us, you can use the one-click link below to unsubscribe. [Unsubscribe From All Email]( [Unsubscribe From Weekly Summaries](