[ale] Computer Architecture class?

Leam Hall leamhall at gmail.com
Tue Sep 3 20:25:09 EDT 2013


Understood. I have some assembler to learn as well as a lot of other 
things. Right now I'm re-shaping my career and taking some time to build 
my skills for my next career.

Something Stephen Covey wrote about in "The 7 habits of highly 
successful people" was the sadness of climbing the ladder of success 
only to realize you had leaned the ladder against the wrong goal.

I'd like to see what that goal actually looks like before I start 
climbing the ladder. In this case the Arch class would be several steps 
up the same ladder I've been on for a decade or two; Linux/Unix system 
administration.

My title has been "system engineer" for a while but we use the "E" term 
loosely. I can do my job today with no additional learning required. 
However, I like to learn, so I need to pick a path. I've tried 
networking, project management, security, big datacenters, and those 
sorts of things. Options include things like assembler, computer 
architecture, and the ilk or stuff like PHP, Node.js, MongoDB, Python, etc.

It almost seems to equate to a fantasy setting; the hedge wizard who 
does small useful things or the aloof mage up in the tower doing strange 
but powerful things. THe former has less depth but more use, the latter 
does things no one hardly ever sees.

Naturally, being an introvert gives me a leaning, but I just don't know 
yet.

Leam

On 09/03/2013 07:58 PM, Michael Potter wrote:
> If you qualify for the prereqs for the class, then it _may_ be
> worthwhile.  Even then you would be competing for jobs with people
> with PhDs.
>
> If you want to feel closer to the metal I think you are better off
> learning assembly language (including page table handling).
>
>
>
> On Tue, Sep 3, 2013 at 6:31 PM, Leam Hall <leamhall at gmail.com> wrote:
>> "this course explores techniques that go into designing a modern
>> microprocessor."
>>
>> Even deeper than the former.
>>
>> Leam
>>
>>
>> On 09/03/2013 06:15 PM, Wolf Halton wrote:
>>>
>>> computer architecture,  like mainboards and risers and backplanes; or
>>> network architecture like routers, switches and subnets and firewalls?
>>>
>>> Wolf Halton
>>> --
>>> http://wolfhalton.info
>>> Apache developer:
>>> wolfhalton at apache.org <mailto:wolfhalton at apache.org>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sep 3, 2013 4:08 PM, "leam hall" <leamhall at gmail.com
>>> <mailto:leamhall at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>>
>>>      Hey all, reverse question. Coursera has a Computer Architecture
>>>      class starting in a couple weeks.
>>>
>>>      https://www.coursera.org/course/comparch
>>>
>>>      I like the *idea* of knowing that sort of stuff but I've never been
>>>      in a job that would need it. Has anyone done so and can you tell me,
>>>      on list or off, what the job was like? I'm certain I want to know
>>>      more and do more, but don't want to spend time chasing the wrong
>>>      dream. This course is one of several I could take, so I'm trying to
>>>      pick one and go with it.
>>>
>>>      Thanks!
>>>
>>>      Leam
>>>
>>>      --
>>>      Mind on a Mission <http://leamhall.blogspot.com/>
>>>
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>>
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