hdkmraf's comments

Location: Spain

Remote: Can be remote, can be on location, no preference

Willing to relocate: Yes, within Spain

Technologies: Mostly Python ecosystem. Comfortable with Azure, GCP or AWS. Mostly machine learning, data science and AI stuff

Résumé/CV: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hdkmraf

Email: [email protected]

Wow, this is such an eye opener. I have always considered myself an ok programmer, but always struggling with trying to be effective.

Your four points on effectiveness happen to me on a daily basis, but I tend to see them as annoyances, mind you, I rarely refuse to help and advice. This gives a whole new light and meaning to all those interruptions.

This made me burst in laughter. I am indeed using Java and Elasticsearch, and no PyTorch, but Spark for an app I am working on. Way more complex than it should be.

Full metal-head in his 30s here, gotta admit I am a much different person and much happier now than when I was 22, sometimes I would like to go back in time and punch my younger self. The body is failing already, but the spirit is getting stronger.

Farming

I used to be contacted by Amazon a lot around 4 years ago, to work with their data science team. At the time I was busy helping build up a startup (and a data science team), so always turned them down, I always put my people first. The startup turned out to be quite profitable, they are up and kicking nowadays, I am very proud of my time with them.

Nowadays I am looking for a new permanent position (have been freelancing for a couple of years). My wife happens to be a headhunter and knows how most HR and internal recruitment teams think and work. She tells me with Amazon in my CV many more doors would open. I don't regret turning them down, I know for sure had I accepted to work with them I would have never met my wife, who brings me more joy than any job would ever do... But I can't help to wonder...

As an old AI researcher, I was expecting some words on how everyone and their grandma try to solve every "AI" problem applying neural networks nowadays, and how other algorithms (e.g. nature based, genetic, hive minds) are not even given a glance anymore.

Instead I get some racial and sexist controversy... Disappointing...

Edit: We have a diversity crisis in AI indeed, but it is in everybody thinking and trying to solve things the same way. Give a chance to other algorithms, not just what the big guys shove down your throats.

Herder.

Most likely taking care of goats.

Space-Time Structure, by Erwin Schrödinger. Great read to understand complex systems, manifolds and tensors.

And...

A History of Warfare, by John Keegan. Great analysis of various cultures and how they have approached war across history.

Wasting 3 years of my life doing a PhD

What's wrong with Philippines? I have several friends living and making families in Philippines, and been there a few times. I would prefer my kids growing up there than in most western "first world" countries. Things are more chaotic yet strangely more relaxed, people on average have a much higher breaking point too. About Colombia, Colombian friends tell me is not a bad life either.

Same here, for almost the same reasons (down to wife being Bulgarian). I would add that the girls are quite hot too (it has been a driving force in my life up to before marriage).

I was shoehorned into "data science" some years ago. Ever since, I have been looking for ways to get out (always wanted to play with HR or PR), but people keep hiring me as a data scientist.

I filled in my skills and the first option it returns is "Data Scientist"... Even robots won't let me go...

Anyway, are you guys using some classifier to return the fitness of the seekers? I am guessing each skill represents a dimension, interesting stuff.

Don't, just don't.

I moved from algorithmic optimisation and old fashioned stats and computer science into data science, I was mostly shoehorned into it back when it wasn't hot.

The money is ok, but the problems you solve tend to be extremely inane and unfulfilling, mostly having to do with clicks, products, and how to divert people's attention to generate revenue. Sometimes I really feel I am just contributing to the evil of the world.

There is an emerging market for data science into energy, one of the few industries where you can do some good. I have been trying to move into it but seems DS is extremely tied to web and finance...

I would stay in physics if I was you, it is an intrinsically beautiful science along with mathematics.

Disclaimer: I will leave the field soon and dedicate myself to bug farming, among other projects.

Was working on an automated cricket farm. Worked like a charm and didn't have to worry about water. But then got a mite infestation and had to release the little fellas. Will start again with a different design.

Working with life is awesome.

Being homeless myself I can say most homeless people I have met do it on choice. Not sure about the USA, but here in Tokyo people become homeless after realizing they are wasting their lives working for goals and objectives that benefit nobody. Eventually you realize you don't need most of the "commodities" and "comfort" of modern life. Maybe it is my engineering background speaking, but you learn to maximize output and minimize input in all aspects of life. Sure, sometimes simple pleasures as sleeping can be hard sometimes (some hot nights, some cold ones). But on the other hand there is a feeling of freedom that comes from the lack of material possessions, nothing to take care of, nothing to protect, no attachments, no home to go back, no bills to pay, no future to worry about... just freedom, and it feels great :D