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Definitions Are Important (really)

 Definitions Are Important (really)   Some time ago, I got myself wanting to read economics books. I remember that I picked up "The Constituition of Liberty" by Friedrich Hayek—worry not, your death by boredom or scientific jargon overflow is beyond the scope of this post. One of the things that really stuck with me was on the very first pages, where Hayek identifies a harmful problem surrounding the subject matter of the book: most people have no concrete grasp of what "liberty" means . He spent roughly 10 pages of his book setting up what he meant by the term and comparing his definition with the many others that are out there.   "And why is this important?" Everyone has seen this before: two people seemingly arguing about the same subject, but in reality, their perceptions of it are so dissimilar that the entire conversation is pointless. Definitions are crucial because,  without a shared understanding of the meaning of the terms we employ, communic
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What is Programming?

 What is Programming? "Programming" has been around for nearly a century and a half, not a few years, and it has become one of the key aspects of our everyday lives in the past two decades. So, what is it anyway? What's my current understanding of this? Let's define it and continue our journey from here.   Programming  is  the process of writing, testing, and maintaining computer programs.  Those who work with computer programs are called  programmers .   A  computer program  can be defined as a  computational algorithm  executed by a computer and designed to accomplish a specific goal .    Defining " computational algorithm " First, let's build a brief understanding of what an algorithm is.  An  algorithm  is  any set of sequential, unambiguous, and precise instructions  designed to   accomplish a specific goal .    For example, an oversimplified algorithm for posting on Instagram:   1 - Pick up your phone; 2 - Enter your password; 3 - Cl

Disclaimer! One Blog to Rule them All(?)

 Disclaimer! One Blog to Rule them All(?) Before uncomfortable situations arise, a few facts about this blog need to be made clear in this post: I'm going to exclusively talk to you about my experience with computers and programming, which is my chosen topic. This blog is only "personal" in the sense that it is written and owned by one person with a personal goal; it does not mean that I will divulge or discuss completely unrelated personal information , such as my mother's cake recipes—though you would wish I did in this case. I'm not an authority or a professional in the subjects I write about! Any information provided here should not be taken carelessly, and my posts should not be viewed as lectures.  It's possible that I provide inaccurate information or fail to include crucial details or subtleties along the way. As a rule of thumb, you should always check the information for yourself. But don't worry, I do my research before writing any posts, and I

Learning Programming in 2023

Learning Programming in 2023 Earlier this year, I finished the equivalent of high school in my country (Brazil). Admittedly, I felt lost. "Where I will go" and "What I will do" were the types of questions that stormed my head through days, which turned into weeks and then months. Not that I had never asked myself such a question before; rather, it's just that I had never really answered it . The mental pressure to conform to a new life, a life that requires a level of autonomy that I had never experienced before, coupled with a heavy dosage of self-criticism, was exhausting and nearly led to depression.  In spite of this, I now realize how fortunate I was to have had this time in my life, as many people in my nation and over the world lack it. Many drop out of school to work on the streets as early as 10 years old because their family will starve if they don't. Many others graduate in fields they detest because they never saw or were never given another opt