Sep 16How to convert a Maven project to Gradle in real lifeBecause gradle init isn't enough. Motivation. Nearly all tutorials online will tell you to run gradle init , which will detect Maven's pom.xml and convert some basic configurations to Gradle's build.gradle. That's sweet, but you almost always need more than that. …Maven4 min read
Jun 12Convert a Google doc to a doc siteI have a huge Google doc: Unwieldy! I want to make it as approachable as documentation sites like this:Hacks4 min read
May 28What do Chinese people do in the Bay Area? — 1: The Three Banalities2 million Asians reside in the SF Bay Area. In the tech industry, more than half workers are Asian. I bet there’s one on your team. Have you ever been in a Monday 1:1 with an Asian colleague, who — upon your clichéd prompt of “so how was your weekend”…Culture4 min read
Apr 27 tools for visualizing a codebaseNeed to write a README file, but not sure what to say? If this is a frustration that bothers you frequently, you might consider beefing your document up with a diagram. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, as the cliche goes. This article collects tools that generates…Software Development4 min read
Feb 5How to host a virtual event quick and cheapWant to make an online gathering look as legitimate as possible, without breaking a bank? Let me share some tips. Before we start In their article 10 tips for hosting virtual events, Zak Ramdani spelled out some general considerations, including: Why are you hosting the event? What do you want to get out…Virtual Events4 min read
Feb 1Note-taking apps I’ve used from the age 9 to 27Since my last article on note-taking reached #1 on Hacker News, many have asked, “Have you tried X?” Let me answer this question with another post. Starting with walled gardens A Word document was my dear diary when I was 9 years old. Password protected, it felt secure enough to hide my childish thoughts…Note Taking App5 min read
Jan 31Toilet-less condos, London tube slide fails, and defensive designsWhen you prepare yourself from damages, you’re said to be defensive. When you prepare your creation against misuses/abuses, you’re said to be designing defensively. Hostile v.s. non-hostile Defensive designs can be either hostile or non-hostile. A major category in hostile designs is architecture. The most prominent example is perhaps anti-homeless measures. …Economics3 min read
Jan 25How to work with meHello! I’m Ming. You’re reading this because you are — or will be — working with me, and either you or I (preferably both) want our collaboration to unfold as smoothly as possible. Since we all come from different backgrounds and have dissimilar personalities, it might be easier for both…How To3 min read
Jan 24How I track everything with calendarsEver peeked at your manager’s/professor’s calendar? Isn’t its information density stunning! Have you ever inferred prestige and wisdom from someone’s mastery of calendars? Don’t — You don’t have to wait till you’ve climbed to the C-level to start respecting your time. I can’t live a day without my calendar. If…Calendar3 min read
Jan 22Want a pet? Choose a chair!Thinking of keeping a four-legged friend? Skip the cats and the dogs; Choose a chair! (This article is intended to be a joke.) Wanna get a dog for emotional support? Ditch that idea and choose a chair! Chairs are really supportive (often up to 300 lbs). A cat or a…Humor3 min read
