CODE Kaizen

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This is The End

The ending of this blog is here. Lots of things have happened since my last posting. In a brief summary, I completed my first freelancing project. I did not get the remaining balance so it has remained unreleased. I got another small freelance project which I completed. I do not think it ever got released. I got a contracting position as the lead developer. I had that for several months before I got a full-time position from a different company which is where I am now. My current position has been extremely educational.

I have now been there several months. Although my learning journey is far from complete, I now have a job in Android development. I still have much to learn. It took a long time but I have become an Android developer.

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R/image

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R/image

I did get paid for the first instalment of the freelancing gig. I can tell freelancing is a bitch. After the first installment it took him maybe a month after I completed the milestone for him to pay the next installment. I hope he will not continue to be flaky.

I have been trying to leverage my title as freelancer. I do not know if it is working but I can tell you I feel like a badass being a freelancer instead of being a salesman.

I am currently working on the next milestone. It is a bigger milestone. Since he was so delayed in paying me I do not feel super inclined to work in haste. I have been taking it at my own pace. This means in the last 5 days I have worked on it one day. I will pick up the steam.

Programming has been going well. I am growing. My knowledge is increasing and I am getting better. I have just implemented two different local databases, Realm and SQLite. Awesome. I have only got the basics down but I have got both implementations to do what I want. To be completely satisfied I want to connect the database to parse as well. 

I am working on a practice app with Animesh. Just to work on a project and to get experience working with each other. He has recently been busy so it has been on hold. Which is OK because I have been working on R/image and on other stuff. I do look forward to completing the app. Not for the app just for the experience of making an app with someone else.

I have released R/Image. Which started out as a practice app. It is a Material reddit image browser. It looks good and is fast. It is the best bit of code I have written. I think because of reading about some design pattern stuff I have become better at coding. Although I did not read too much. I feel like my code has greatly increased. It might be because of being friends with Animesh and talking shop with him. Maybe it’s many things combined.

I think I plan to fix up Native speed and Nume3. Make them Material and refactor. I know I could make them way better now. I am hesitant to fix up Native speed as it will be a lot of work and I don’t really like it that much. But I think it will not be too much work to fix up Nume3.

Before I start on a new app I want to do an algorithm class. I think I should work on my fundamentals more.

I bought a new computer. It was expensive. I have financed it. It is worth it. I am in love with it. 

I will become and Android rock star.

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a la MVP. IM?

I closed the freelance deal. But the payment has not come. I think it has been a week and he still has not paid the initial installment. I should not put so much weight on this gig. But. I am financially hurting. If the gig goes through I can pay my rent without selling my guitar or taking money out with my new :( credit card. I am honestly being to dependent on this deal. I need to look for more menial work. Dread. I will prevail.

In other light programming is going very well. I have been reading about design patterns. Design patterns have upped my game more than I could have imagined. They are putting together some of the random bits of theory I have read and heard about. I have already noticed a difference in my code. This makes me happy. I look forward to learning more about DP. Once I finish Head First Design Patterns I will move on to learning more about algorithms and data structures.

I am currently working on a small project. I am using it as a learning tool. So far it has been fun. I am wondering how far I will get with it. I want to implement the DP MVP on it. I am trying to follow MVP but it is hard. I somewhat get it but it has many components. I believe I am getting closer. I will try and conquer understanding MVP a few more times before I take a break and get through more Head First.

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SS

The next few hours could be the entrance of my professional career. 

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Native Speed:BUS New York City

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Release of Native Speed:BUS New York City

I lost my job with google. This put me in a huge cyclone of depression. I stopped working on PokeBus. I have been a grumpy ass hole.

I have not been programming. First because I was too depressed and worried. Second, I found a new job and I have been strapped for time. I am currently working on a way to make money for rent and spend a good amount of time programming. I may have found a way with a new job I might be starting next week. Many prospects are on the horizon, that's why I am unsure.

The two month break from programming I think has been refreshing. I feel recharged and ready to fucking conquer. I don't think I was burnt out from programming. I think I was burnt out from sitting in the house all day, having no money and not being social.   

I have released Native speed, which was previously called PokeBus. It has not been received that well. I have not heavily marketed it. I have decided that before I really push it I should clean it up a little bit more. It has minor issues. A good week of polish will put it in a place where I want it to be. I look forward to it being super clean. Its not too far off.

I have decided when I am finished with Native Speed I am going to spend some time on my fundamentals. I would like to get a good grasp on the concepts I have been implementing. I recently found the way I have been creating objects is completely wrong. The new way of me creating objects should dramatically increase my code quality(fix my static everything problem). I think a lot of the fundamentals I know half of. I look forward to learning the other half.

I think what I might do is alternate between creating an app and programming concepts.

Animesh has a hot lead for an Android freelance gig. I have a meeting in two days. I am excited.  Animesh said easy and lucrative. I don't want to get my hopes up too much. But I am fucking excited. HAHA. I hope this is my entry. I think once I enter I will snowball. 

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PokeBus

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*Since there has been a large gap in writing I am sure to miss something.

My Canon job ended. It was giving me the oomph in my paycheck. As a result of this I have had so little money. I have been trying to be as frugal as possible. The hole gets deeper and so does my frugality. Now I am working more but generally I have been working very little. This has enabled me to really work on Android. I have been pushing myself to try and work everyday. Previously I was going for large sprints several times a week. Since I have been working a lot less that was not optimal. I have picked up the pace. Since I have started to push myself more I have gotten much better.

I have been having more and more Android opportunities. Non of which I have got yet. That is fine. I am getting ever closer. In the last 2 months I feel like I have grown huge amounts, especially for the time.

I am at the end stages of releasing my second app. I hope to have release it or in beta within a week. It is very close. I am excited. It is my best work in life so far. I hate to say that as it is a small product. But I have nothing else I am more proud of. A second would be guitar stuff. But with programming I have all the time to get my product exactly how I want it. I feel like I have developed something that is a solid product. Regardless of how successful it is, it works and I think it works well.

I am really excited to release PokeBus. This time I am going to try hard at the marketing. Unlike Nume3 PokeBus has a real place in the world.

I am becoming more and more comfortable with all the different things that encompass programming. Things are becoming less scary. 

I have become a copy and paste coder. I don't know how unfortunate this is. But I feel like it is enabling me to produce. My goal is not so much to be the best programmer but to make the best products. I hope this does not hinder getting me a job. I think I will most probably door poorly on a programming interview.

I believe I am going to see Adam next week. I plan to ask him what my angle should be as far as getting a job. I don't really know what my approach should be. I don't know where to sell myself and where to admit weakness. Its hard as many things I do not know but I image I could implement.

I have joined twiiter and Linked in to try and aid my job  and app related stuff. I am not too interested in them but perhaps it will help me.

On April first 2014 I made a goal list:

“

3 month. Publish a decent app. Polished,  serves a purpose. learn an api. 6 months feel comfortable with android. Be able to find and learn what I        need on my own. Understand documentation.  Get an internship paid or working within my field of interest. Creative android apps. A social network of peer coders. Participated and positively contributed in a hackathon. 1 year April 1 2015. Have a job working in android development.  Have a wealth  of self published polished apps. Have collaborated with others to make an app, not for the man.

“ 

I am happy with how far I have come. I have not accomplished all that I set out to but that’s OK. I have published a polished app. I have learned an api. I feel somewhat comfortable with Android. I am getting better with documentation. I did get an internship, even though it did not pan out well. I have a few programming friends now(WOO).

I would say I am lacking on the hackathon, job and the collaboration. Could be worse. I know need to make next years goal!

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Release of Nume3 and my first programming job

Nume3 took me a long time to develop. I had to change the name as someone had already claimed Num3e. I got the load times down to nearly instant, this was with Adams help. I released a relatively clean app. I got reddit to give feedback. After perhaps a month the app is now polished. I am happy to say that it is done. It is a chapter I am ready to close. It could still use a reshuffle button but I do not have much drive to implement one. I may add a reshuffle button in the future.

I am currently working on a new app, BUS. It is working with technology I am unfamiliar with so development is slow. I am doing much more reading than coding. It seems I am slowly making progress.  Once I get a better understanding of getting information from online (XML, JSON)  the app will be close to done. I am really excited to start work on the app after BUS, Sidewinder - the live wallpaper.

I got hired to be an Android intern at a small start up. I was given a week trial. I failed the trail. Slightly unfortunate. I was hired as an intern but they failed to explain that I would be the only one working on Android and that I would be the one leading the development for their app. I think I was doing relatively well. Their were some communication issues. My boss knew nothing of Android. He was also un-explicit in what he wanted. I was stressed and felt lots of pressure. Regardless I have now been paid for being an Android dev, WOO! Now I just need a real internship. I hope to find one soon.

I had my first interview for a entry level Android developer.  At the time I thought it went well. In retrospect it did not go well. The few technical questions I was asked I buckled on. I should have been able to clearly articulate my understanding of what I know but I did not. I was asked about things I had worked on, hence things I know about. An internship is better suited for me anyway. The interview was good practice.

My current job is seasonal and is coming to an end. I would really like to be able to find an Android gig by the time it ends. That would make me a happy bunny. I am feeling positive that I will be able to find something.

I am getting ever more comfortable with Android. My personal situation is better and I have been able to code more. I am going to try and start a coding schedule. 

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Num3e

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Num3e

It has been a long time since my last post. I have not had too much time to progress as a developer. This was due to unavoidable circumstances. My situation is better and although I can not spend as much time as I would like on Programming I have been working on the craft.

I am about to finish Num3e. Although it seems that I have been almost done with it for a long time. I have one more feature to add which is nearly done. I also need to implement a trie to reduce load times. Currently load times are dismal, perhaps 30 seconds to a minute depending on the input. I hope to be done in a few solid days of work. I am really excited to release Num3e. I am considering making a youtube advert to accompany it.

Num3e has had some educational highlights. Other than general knowledge I have gained from making it I have learned how to use fragments, Asynchronous tasks and soon tries. Num3e has been a good project. I am eager to start my next app, exciting stuff.

I am feeling more and more comfortable with android. I am not scared of it. I feel as though I can find and answer most questions. Not including the more abstract stuff, soon.

I am also getting more comfortable using git and github. I still need to finish learning some of the basics, such as pull. But as far as saving, navigating and a general understanding I am good.

I'm not in school. Soon I hope to have a three day work week so I can spend a decent amount of time coding. Now work is interrupting, I am working four days on average but often I need to do chores on my day off leading to not enough time for coding. I should try and fit coding into the days I have work, especially if I continue to work 4 days.

I have a couple of internship leads that I want to pursue. I am not sure what my angle is now. Before I strive to obtain one I wish to get some feedback from Adam on approach. I dont know if I am ready but I would love an internship, especially if it were paid. That would make me ecstatic. Nothing would make me more happy.

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I am feeling good about Android. I have not produced anything but a  few simple apps. But I am learning. I feel like I am at a place where the learning is good and is coming relatively easily. I hope that this will remain like this. I imagine that it will for a time and then I will get to a new level where the concepts are different and it will be hard again. Its not easy now but with effort I am understanding. 

I am going to an Android hackathon this weekend. I am super nervous and excited. I am really looking forward to it. I hope that I contribute in a positive way, learn LOADS, meets some peers who are interested in the same thing and perhaps meet someone who I can look to for Android answers.

I have applied for an internship working with a small app development company. It is not for programming. They may only offer a slither of programming but the pay would be equal to what I am seeking outside the field. Working in the field would make me so happy. I would feel so accomplished. I wont get my hopes up too high! HA to late.

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HELIX

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I had a session with Adam. He toyed with Android. He has little experience with Android which was great. Because What I saw was someone finding how to do the unknown.  Since the majority of Android is an unknown seeing Adam solve a problem was amazingly helpful. It removed some of the mystic that is Android. It put what I am working with slightly more into focus.

It has been several weeks since then. Unfortunately it has not been as dense of a programming workout as I would have liked. Nonetheless my understanding of Android while still very small is much larger than it was. The ball is rolling. I look forward to being somewhat competent. Soon.

I have just started to use my Java knowledge with Android.

I have found a Coursera course which is working with me. It is on the easier side. That's OK. When it is done I think I will take the course which I started with. Which was hardcore compared to what I am taking now. But the course I am taking now is giving me tools and understandings to work with.

Android is looking really positive. I am excited to continue my pursuit.