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Extra learning goals follow up

Early last year, I set some personal learning goals not directly related to work projects: learn about the R language, the Node.js technology, and SEMAT. Following-up with the results…

I went through a tutorial of R, and was so disappointed that I considered the goal “done”. Maybe those that never knew about languages like Maple, Matlab or Mathematica may get some newfound productivity in R. I see yet another copycat language. No reason to proceed beyond my introduction-level knowledge, unless a specific project demands learning more.

SEMAT was another disappointment. Looks like CMM by another name. Why did CMM go into oblivion and insignificance? Because each time someone tries to create a “quality certification” mechanism in the software industry, companies divert efforts to the “certification” part, instead of the “quality” part. I quote directly from the site of CGI Federal, the company originally in charge of the Healthcare.gov site “Our core systems engineering business has been independently assessed at CMM Level III proficiency under standards established by the Software Engineering Institute”. It gets worse: CGIs India-based application development centers obtain highest quality standards - CMM Level 5 (link). And with all such certification in quality available in the company, all that quality in Healthcare.gov. Soon, we still start seeing the "SEMAT certification". I rest my case…

The bright spot was Node.js. This proved to be a very good and useful technology. With several libraries and frameworks available, it is a little confusing to decide on what to use. Yet, with Microsoft support Node.js in Visual Studio, it became almost too easy to prototype some ideas. Obviously, you have no real experience in any language/technology until you have a project with real customers, which is what I’m trying to do this year: use Node.js for a work-related project. Let’s see how that goes.

Still didn’t decide my extra-learning goals for this year in which glasses, watches and other ridiculous devices will compete to make humans look like borgs. My excitement with devices was reduced significantly after a relative that got a Surface 2 as a gift this last holiday season was robbed, and it was disappointing to see Microsoft had no anti-theft features whatsoever. Maybe studying anti-theft tech is my main goal this year.

Available link for download