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Investing is a complicated field. Anything impacting people’s money needs a high level of accuracy, but predicting the future of a market with so many influencing factors is anything but easy. That perfect storm of complexities makes it ripe for tech disruption. Informed investment decisions need information — today, that means digital data. Consequently, technologies like AI and automation that unlock data’s full potential could be game-changers in the investing space. Here’s a closer look at some of the tech making waves in this area. AI Risk Assessment AI-driven risk assessments are some of the most valuable tech use cases. Investing — whether in the stock market, property or anything else — is inherently risky. More than 70% of individual investors lose money instead of making more because it’s hard to weigh risks accurately, but AI is much better at this kind of analysis than humans. Machine learning algorithms can pick up on subtle trends people may miss and factor in years of historical data to accurately predict how an investment may perform. They can then compare this to an investor’s profile to determine how risky it is for that particular person. Even more importantly, AI can perform this analysis in seconds, whereas it may take a human hours — if not days — of research. That way, people can make decisions based on the most up-to-date data and act before the market changes again. Personalized Recommendations Similarly, data analytics can tailor recommendations to individual investors. This goes beyond determining if a potential investment is too risky. AI can also compare options to find which stocks or properties benefit each person’s needs and goals most. What makes an investment ideal for one person may be different for another. Differing budgets aside, some investors may need something in their portfolio to make it stronger. One may be more interested in selling stocks to make money, while someone else looks at investments as a retirement vehicle. AI can account for these differences and bring the hyper-personalization people expect in social media to investing. This personalization is becoming increasingly important, too — 66% of high-net-worth investors want more tailored advice from their wealth management partners. As investing becomes more accessible, this trend will also help people with lower net worths get into the field safely. Robo-Advisors As these analytics technologies become more reliable, they’re going beyond mere recommendations. Robo-advisors automate the investment process, automatically investing money or selling stocks based on investors’ unique goals. From an investor’s standpoint, the process is essentially the same as using a managed investment account. Unlike human advisors, though, robo-advisors can use AI to make accurate, complex predictions in minimal time. Consequently, they can act faster to capitalize on changing market conditions at the perfect moment. Robo-advisors may also make investing more accessible. Total fees for these bots average around 0.37% — significantly less than a human financial planner usually charges. Remaining Challenges Given these benefits, it’s little surprise that 61% of investors today think faster AI adoption is important. Still, some obstacles could hinder this technology’s growth. AI Hallucinations One of the biggest challenges facing this tech transformation is AI’s reliability. As accurate as machine learning can be, it can still get things wrong and hallucinate. In investment, that can affect financial outcomes and limit investor confidence, which isn’t good for investors or the companies offering these services. Of course, humans can get things wrong, too. But it’s easier to recognize that and see who’s to blame if things do go poorly. Responsibility isn’t as clear with AI, and stories about its accuracy mean people may trust it too much. This technology will get more reliable over time, but for now, this grey area holds it back. Legal Hurdles The use of AI and similar technologies in the financial industry could also lead to legal complications. As you’d expect from anything where other people’s money is at stake, investing faces some stringent regulatory guidelines. While the SEC has proposed a few AI regulations for clarification, it hasn’t finalized anything yet, which could cause some enterprises to remain cautious about new tech. There are also privacy regulations to consider. Personalization is great, but it requires a lot of personal information. Consequently, this technology could put people’s privacy at risk or introduce complications under data laws, which are becoming increasingly common. The industry may have to wait for legislation to catch up to technology before going much further with it. New Technology Will Revolutionize Investing Like the stock market, technology moves quickly. It’s still the Wild West in some ways, but it has the potential to disrupt the financial industry thoroughly. Tools like AI and data analytics could make investing safer, faster, more personalized, and more accessible than ever. The companies making and applying this technology still face some challenges, so this disruption won’t happen overnight. However, businesses will overcome these obstacles with time and research — when they do, investing will be a better practice for everyone involved. Investing is a complicated field. Anything impacting people’s money needs a high level of accuracy, but predicting the future of a market with so many influencing factors is anything but easy. That perfect storm of complexities makes it ripe for tech disruption. Informed investment decisions need information — today, that means digital data. Consequently, technologies like AI and automation that unlock data’s full potential could be game-changers in the investing space. Here’s a closer look at some of the tech making waves in this area. AI Risk Assessment AI-driven risk assessments are some of the most valuable tech use cases. Investing — whether in the stock market, property or anything else — is inherently risky. More than 70% of individual investors lose money instead of making more because it’s hard to weigh risks accurately, but AI is much better at this kind of analysis than humans. 70% of individual investors 70% of individual investors Machine learning algorithms can pick up on subtle trends people may miss and factor in years of historical data to accurately predict how an investment may perform. They can then compare this to an investor’s profile to determine how risky it is for that particular person. Even more importantly, AI can perform this analysis in seconds, whereas it may take a human hours — if not days — of research. That way, people can make decisions based on the most up-to-date data and act before the market changes again. Personalized Recommendations Similarly, data analytics can tailor recommendations to individual investors. This goes beyond determining if a potential investment is too risky. AI can also compare options to find which stocks or properties benefit each person’s needs and goals most. What makes an investment ideal for one person may be different for another. Differing budgets aside, some investors may need something in their portfolio to make it stronger. One may be more interested in selling stocks to make money, while someone else looks at investments as a retirement vehicle. AI can account for these differences and bring the hyper-personalization people expect in social media to investing. This personalization is becoming increasingly important, too — 66% of high-net-worth investors want more tailored advice from their wealth management partners. As investing becomes more accessible, this trend will also help people with lower net worths get into the field safely. 66% of high-net-worth investors 66% of high-net-worth investors Robo-Advisors As these analytics technologies become more reliable, they’re going beyond mere recommendations. Robo-advisors automate the investment process, automatically investing money or selling stocks based on investors’ unique goals. From an investor’s standpoint, the process is essentially the same as using a managed investment account. Unlike human advisors, though, robo-advisors can use AI to make accurate, complex predictions in minimal time. Consequently, they can act faster to capitalize on changing market conditions at the perfect moment. Robo-advisors may also make investing more accessible. Total fees for these bots average around 0.37% — significantly less than a human financial planner usually charges. these bots average around 0.37% these bots average around 0.37% Remaining Challenges Given these benefits, it’s little surprise that 61% of investors today think faster AI adoption is important. Still, some obstacles could hinder this technology’s growth. 61% of investors today 61% of investors today AI Hallucinations One of the biggest challenges facing this tech transformation is AI’s reliability. As accurate as machine learning can be, it can still get things wrong and hallucinate. In investment, that can affect financial outcomes and limit investor confidence, which isn’t good for investors or the companies offering these services. can affect financial outcomes can affect financial outcomes Of course, humans can get things wrong, too. But it’s easier to recognize that and see who’s to blame if things do go poorly. Responsibility isn’t as clear with AI, and stories about its accuracy mean people may trust it too much. This technology will get more reliable over time, but for now, this grey area holds it back. Legal Hurdles The use of AI and similar technologies in the financial industry could also lead to legal complications. As you’d expect from anything where other people’s money is at stake, investing faces some stringent regulatory guidelines. While the SEC has proposed a few AI regulations for clarification, it hasn’t finalized anything yet, which could cause some enterprises to remain cautious about new tech. has proposed a few AI regulations has proposed a few AI regulations There are also privacy regulations to consider. Personalization is great, but it requires a lot of personal information. Consequently, this technology could put people’s privacy at risk or introduce complications under data laws, which are becoming increasingly common. The industry may have to wait for legislation to catch up to technology before going much further with it. New Technology Will Revolutionize Investing Like the stock market, technology moves quickly. It’s still the Wild West in some ways, but it has the potential to disrupt the financial industry thoroughly. Tools like AI and data analytics could make investing safer, faster, more personalized, and more accessible than ever. The companies making and applying this technology still face some challenges, so this disruption won’t happen overnight. However, businesses will overcome these obstacles with time and research — when they do, investing will be a better practice for everyone involved.

Tech-Driven Analysis for Enhanced Investment Decisions

Mark Twain's Speeches by Mark Twain, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . ON POETRY, VERACITY, AND SUICIDE here ON POETRY, VERACITY, AND SUICIDE ADDRESS AT A DINNER OF THE MANHATTAN DICKENS FELLOWSHIP,
          NEW YORK CITY, FEBRUARY 7, 1906

          This dinner was in commemoration of the ninety-fourth
          anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens.  On an other
          occasion Mr. Clemens told the same story with variations and a
          different conclusion to the University Settlement Society. I always had taken an interest in young people who wanted to become poets. I remember I was particularly interested in one budding poet when I was a reporter. His name was Butter. One day he came to me and said, disconsolately, that he was going to commit suicide—he was tired of life, not being able to express his thoughts in poetic form. Butter asked me what I thought of the idea. I said I would; that it was a good idea. “You can do me a friendly turn. You go off in a private place and do it there, and I’ll get it all. You do it, and I’ll do as much for you some time.” At first he determined to drown himself. Drowning is so nice and clean, and writes up so well in a newspaper. But things ne’er do go smoothly in weddings, suicides, or courtships. Only there at the edge of the water, where Butter was to end himself, lay a life-preserver—a big round canvas one, which would float after the scrap-iron was soaked out of it. Butter wouldn’t kill himself with the life-preserver in sight, and so I had an idea. I took it to a pawnshop, and [soaked] it for a revolver: The pawnbroker didn’t think much of the exchange, but when I explained the situation he acquiesced. We went up on top of a high building, and this is what happened to the poet: He put the revolver to his forehead and blew a tunnel straight through his head. The tunnel was about the size of your finger. You could look right through it. The job was complete; there was nothing in it. Well, after that that man never could write prose, but he could write poetry. He could write it after he had blown his brains out. There is lots of that talent all over the country, but the trouble is they don’t develop it. I am suffering now from the fact that I, who have told the truth a good many times in my life, have lately received more letters than anybody else urging me to lead a righteous life. I have more friends who want to see me develop on a high level than anybody else. Young John D. Rockefeller, two weeks ago, taught his Bible class all about veracity, and why it was better that everybody should always keep a plentiful supply on hand. Some of the letters I have received suggest that I ought to attend his class and learn, too. Why, I know Mr. Rockefeller, and he is a good fellow. He is competent in many ways to teach a Bible class, but when it comes to veracity he is only thirty-five years old. I’m seventy years old. I have been familiar with veracity twice as long as he. And the story about George Washington and his little hatchet has also been suggested to me in these letters—in a fugitive way, as if I needed some of George Washington and his hatchet in my constitution. Why, dear me, they overlook the real point in that story. The point is not the one that is usually suggested, and you can readily see that. The point is not that George said to his father, “Yes, father, I cut down the cheery-tree; I can’t tell a lie,” but that the little boy—only seven years old—should have his sagacity developed under such circumstances. He was a boy wise beyond his years. His conduct then was a prophecy of later years. Yes, I think he was the most remarkable man the country ever produced-up to my time, anyway. Now then, little George realized that circumstantial evidence was against him. He knew that his father would know from the size of the chips that no full-grown hatchet cut that tree down, and that no man would have haggled it so. He knew that his father would send around the plantation and inquire for a small boy with a hatchet, and he had the wisdom to come out and confess it. Now, the idea that his father was overjoyed when he told little George that he would rather have him cut down, a thousand cheery-trees than tell a lie is all nonsense. What did he really mean? Why, that he was absolutely astonished that he had a son who had the chance to tell a lie and didn’t. I admire old George—if that was his name—for his discernment. He knew when he said that his son couldn’t tell a lie that he was stretching it a good deal. He wouldn’t have to go to John D. Rockefeller’s Bible class to find that out. The way the old George Washington story goes down it doesn’t do anybody any good. It only discourages people who can tell a lie. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Mark Twain (2004). Mark Twain's Speeches. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/3188/pg3188-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

ON POETRY, VERACITY, AND SUICIDE

Margaret began to wonder whether all offers were as unexpected beforehand

A blog is a useful piece for many reasons not only to you but to other software developers in tech. Technical writing helps a software developer to share their technical knowledge/experiences with other software developers in software engineering. Technical writing is a writing discipline that involves communicating complex information to those who need it to carry out a certain task or achieve a certain goal. Because of this, technical writing is often defined as “ .” simplifying the complex It also boosts your understanding of the topic you’re writing about and shows your technical expertise clearly. The most unique thing about technical writing is not only you have been able to generate excellent future opportunities (a remote job in tech, a freelance writing contract or a guest post opportunity at a big tech company website etc), but it can help you build an online presence which eventually helps you in your career being a software developer. Sometimes, I do go back and read my blog posts when seeking information on a specific topic. If you did something interesting in your software engineering career but you're keeping it to yourself, you're missing out on a big generator of opportunity. Start writing and it’s an effective way to promote your ideas on the internet. “Write the blog you wish you found when… https://t.co/PcXR0fL9QF — Ankur💻🎧💪 (@TheAnkurTyagi) October 3, 2023 Also If you like helping others learn, enjoy being part of open-source projects and showing others how to join in, or find satisfaction in explaining complex ideas in easy-to-understand ways through your writing, then technical writing is a great fit for you. In this article, I aim to explain how programming and writing can merge to elevate our developer skills. Yes, writing! I genuinely think we all possess some level of writing ability. I’m here to provide you with writing tips, advice, and examples to help you become a more proficient developer and communicator. What is Technical Writing Technical writing is all about giving clear and detailed instructions to help users, fellow developers or managers to help them understand a technical product or a technical skill or idea. A technical writer is someone who creates these tutorials and technical documentation. Technical writing could be: or integration between How to user guides two technical SaaS Online support articles that present information on a specific topic, often after conducting research or experiments. They are common in scientific and engineering fields. Technical Reports , These documents outline a plan, idea, or project clearly and persuasively. They are used to seek approval, funding, or collaboration. Technical Proposals Internal metamaterials for programmers and for developers. API documentation In essence, a technical writer conveys technical details in a manner that allows the reader to effectively apply that information for a specific purpose. If you are starting in technical writing and trying to write about software development/programming or what you’ve learned in tech, but haven’t written your first blog yet, you’ll find the largest amount of value in the first two sections of this blog post where I talk about how to get started as a technical writer or blogger and how to scale your blog. The rest of the blog you’ll find useful to fill in any knowledge gaps you’ll need to succeed as a software developer writer and thrive in the workplace and advance your career. “If you have a dream, you can spend a lifetime studying, planning and getting ready for it. What you should be doing is getting started.” —Drew Houston Writing is Everywhere? The top two online resources people use to learn to code are technical documentation and Stack Overflow, with blogs rounding out the top three. The trifecta of enabling people to teach themselves about technology includes clear documentation, a vibrant community offering solutions, and frequent posts. Developers value a wide range of additional sources, including how-to videos, written tutorials, books, and forums– they put together the sources and formats that suit their learning style the best. Being able to express your ideas clearly within the team and online is a valuable skill, as many developers find it challenging. Just think about how much writing you do every day that doesn’t involve writing code. This skill is a superpower. You engage in various forms of writing like Slack chats, emails, internal developer docs, RCA drafts, readme, code comments, Git commit messages, pull requests, code review comments, annual performance feedback, meeting notes, and more. Mastering writing is crucial for software developers. Inadequate writing skills can impede their career advancement beyond a certain point. Many engineers come to realize later in their careers that “soft skills matter just as much as code.” Youngsters: Your software engineering career will significantly improve and you’ll get better future opportunities in tech if you start writing for 30 minutes each day and post 2-3 blogs online each month, but very few developers are actually able to do this over the long term. https://t.co/damIJ5gXys — Ankur💻🎧💪 (@TheAnkurTyagi) October 4, 2023 Why Writing is Crucial for Developers JavaScript, TypeScript, PHP, Go, Java — there are so many different programming languages out there and you may even be fluent in many of them. As we strive to produce higher-quality code in our tech careers, the ability to write and communicate effectively in everyday language becomes a crucial skill, one that may be underestimated in the field of software engineering. Software engineering is not just about code. It’s about people + code. How I Become a Better Writer as a Software Engineer How engineers articulate their thoughts about the code can be just as critical as the code itself. Regardless of your stance on this matter, we can unanimously acknowledge that our words have the power to either enhance or hinder the effectiveness of the code. Writing can help you increase your luck surface area. L = D * T, where L is luck, D is doing and T is telling. – Jason C. Roberts 6 Major Benefits of Technical Writing It helps you understand concepts on a deeper level. You need to research the concepts you’re explaining, which exposes you to different ideas, applications and gotchas. The concepts sticker better in your brain when you explain them to others. By structuring and presenting information for others, you often uncover gaps in your knowledge. As a result, it also helps you progress faster in your dev career. Technical writers are lifelong learners because with each new technical blog, you research and write, you will become an expert on that subject. Writing also fosters a deeper understanding of user empathy. It prompts you to focus more on the perspectives and feelings of the readers or product users, rather than solely relying on your viewpoint. Here are some additional benefits: Furthermore, you can generate income as a technical writer by contributing to various organizations. Check out these . Awesome-Companies-Who-Pay-Technical-Writers In College, I Studied by Tutoring Others in a Hostel Explaining something, or even pretending to, forces you to organize your knowledge coherently, exposing gaps in your knowledge and reinforcing the parts you do know. The best way to learn is to teach and writing is a great asset for every developer. Instead of just paying attention, people and businesses reciprocate it to you. When you write a technical blog post, you receive instant feedback. Your technical writing also aids in spreading the word, opening doors to even more intriguing opportunities. There’s also a lucrative career to be had in technical writing if you find you like it and Pretty much everything I write on my these days is concepts I’m trying to get a better understanding of. If I can’t explain it in writing, I don’t have a proper grasp of it. blog What are the Examples of Technical Writing? As a technical writer, your role involves translating intricate technical information into accessible and user-friendly language. Technical writing encompasses various forms, including creating step-by-step tutorials and comprehensive guides. The primary goal is to facilitate understanding of any technical aspects of a product or service, whether among internal team members or end-users. With that in mind, the following examples of technical writing should provide you with a clear understanding. SuperTokens Review– an Open Source Alternative to Auth0, Firebase Auth, and AWS Cognito. This is a very simple example of supertokens review and how it is why “supertokens” is good user authentication. How to Use Medusa to Create Next.js E-commerce Store This is a very good example of how you can build a tutorial along with building an app. In this blog, I’ve shared a step-by-step guide to build an e-commerce store by Medusa which is an open source alternative to Shopify. How to Deploy LLMs with MindsDB and OpenAI In this guide, I shared how you can deploy LLMs with MindDB and OpenAI How to Migrate Your Database From Supabase to HarperDB A complete tutorial on how you can migrate your database from Supabase to HarperDB 5- Product Documentation The product documentation includes instructions on effectively using and integrating with other developer tools. Writing a product documents requires good technical writing skills and organizational knowledge. These are just a couple of examples that come under technical writing which require high levels of skill in research, visualization, and the ability to connect with a wide variety of audiences. Tip- “Ask yourself, ‘Does the title capture the reader’s interest?’ If it does, they’ll likely delve into the introduction and then decide, ‘Is it worth investing my time in this entire piece?’ One prevalent mistake I often observe in technical posts is an excess of introduction or, conversely, too little. A precisely crafted paragraph can effectively set the stage for a technical blog post. How do I Start as a Technical Writer By far, the most common question I get about “Technical Writing or Blogging” is about how to get started. In life, it seems the biggest obstacle to doing something and becoming what you want to become is getting started. The worst enemy is “self-doubt.” pic.twitter.com/fw1691QRSY — Ankur💻🎧💪 (@TheAnkurTyagi) August 10, 2023 Whether it’s starting a new workout regimen, training for a marathon, starting a business, writing a book, or—more specifically, in this case—writing, the most difficult part is always getting started. It’s easy—and tempting—to waste countless hours debating what you should do. It’s much easier to “read”, “read” and “study” than to start “writing”. But, the secret is, you only need to take one step at a time. Build at least one compounding asset in ur software engineering career – Start a blog– Start a newsletter– Start recording YT videos– Start a podcast– Start building networks Build, Publish & Repeat Future opportunities are waiting for u on the internet Cc @TheAnkurTyagi — Kap.ts (@Kaperskyguru) February 17, 2023 And look around; most developers in software engineering aren’t writing code 24/7; most of us spend plenty of time doing other things every day. That includes: Demoing a new functionality across the team within a company or customers. Documenting a new or an old feature in your product. Updating a JIRA ticket-related. Creating backlog work to support that new feature. Of course, there’s always time for bathroom/lunch breaks and scrolling too 😉 Twitter so don’t overthink- just start “Writing is like learning to play basketball.” – David Perell To be a successful writer and find opportunities, you must have 3 skills. Coding Writing English Yes, Before you even begin writing, you must first understand English, including its tenses, spellings, and basic grammar. Your readers do not want to read an article that is riddled with grammatical errors and poor word choices. In the tech industry, English has become the de facto language for communication among software developers, engineers, and other tech professionals worldwide. It is the language used for documentation, programming languages, and tools used for development. Learn to Communicate Ideas Simply and Clearly Knowing how to implement a technical feature does not necessarily imply that you can explain the process to others. Being a good teacher requires empathy and the skill to convey information in a manner suitable for your target audience You don’t understand something if you can’t explain it to a six-year-old. Einstein, Albert There isn’t a flawless strategy for becoming an exceptional writer. You might wonder, then, why I’m discussing this topic. It’s because it’s crucial to address this right from the beginning. “Don’t look for a strategy; look for your unique voice in writing and build your style.” The only writing hack you should know. Less tech is more, I work with React 90% of the time. If you’re writing for the first time, give yourself more time to figure it out. Allow yourself to write poorly. Stop preparing and start acting. How to Become a Standout Writer in the AI Era: Before writing your next blog post, ask ChatGPT to write one on the topic and show you what generic things are already available on the internet so you can avoid saying that and write what's important and unique to the audience. — Ankur💻🎧💪 (@TheAnkurTyagi) February 16, 2023 To understand your audience, ask these questions before you start writing. Who are your readers? What do they search for on Google or what problem they are facing? Which blogs they are reading currently? How will they be reading? How To Come Up With Blog Post Ideas Write the article that would have prevented you from spending hours Googling and scratching your head. Whenever you learn something new, write about how you learned it and what you learned. Write a story about your field, interest, or profession. Select a blog post from your favorite blogger that you found enjoyable and explore the same topic from a fresh perspective, or tackle a different subject from a similar angle. Write the blog post you wish you had found when you googled something. — Ankur💻🎧💪 (@TheAnkurTyagi) March 20, 2023 Note- If you did something interesting in your software engineering career but you’re keeping it to yourself, you’re missing out on a big opportunity generator. The internet is best navigated through writing when it comes to promoting your ideas effectively. There is a sweet spot for writing technical posts and tutorials. Write for the professional who hasn't had time to learn that thing yet, and link it back to things they already know. For example explaining a modern JS technique to someone who knows jQuery. — Rachel Andrew (@rachelandrew) February 20, 2019 Conclusion Writing is a low-hanging fruit for most skilled developers. If you think you can learn a lot in tech from reading a blog post; try writing one this week. — Ankur💻🎧💪 (@TheAnkurTyagi) October 2, 2023 The reason every developer should write a blog post about what they learn in software engineering is that writing makes them discover that perhaps they don’t understand something as well as they thought they did. Teaching and writing about anything is the best way to learn about it, and it’s a low-hanging fruit for you to start a new lifestyle because you already have firsthand experience, so all you have to do is show up, write a 12 blog post this year and evaluate the outcomes, and plan your next move! “Read to collect the dots, write to connect them.”— David Perell The bottom line is that honing your writing skills and putting in a little extra effort in your writing can genuinely enhance your abilities as a developer. You might find these tips useful for collaborating with other developers, maintaining your work, creating your content when needed, or even drafting project proposals, among other tasks. Technical Writing Resources (A well-written blog post by Chris from CSS Tricks) Advice for Technical Writing (A GitHub repo by ) Technical-Writing-Resources Cynthia Peter Google’s Technical Writing Guide Technical Writing Fundamentals Write the Docs Also published . here

Software Developers, Why Haven't You Started Technical Writing Yet?

সফ্টওয়্যার বিকাশকারীরা, কেন আপনি এখনও প্রযুক্তিগত লেখা শুরু করেননি?

Softwareentwickler, warum haben Sie noch nicht mit dem technischen Schreiben begonnen?

Desarrolladores de software, ¿por qué no han comenzado todavía a escribir técnicas?

Développeurs de logiciels, pourquoi n'avez-vous pas encore commencé la rédaction technique ?

सॉफ़्टवेयर डेवलपर्स, आपने अभी तक तकनीकी लेखन शुरू क्यों नहीं किया?

ソフトウェア開発者の皆さん、なぜまだテクニカル ライティングを始めていないのですか?

소프트웨어 개발자, 아직 기술 문서 작성을 시작하지 않은 이유는 무엇입니까?

Desenvolvedores de software, por que vocês ainda não começaram a escrever técnicas?

Разработчики программного обеспечения, почему вы еще не начали писать технические статьи?

Yazılım Geliştiricileri, Neden Henüz Teknik Yazmaya Başlamadınız?

Các nhà phát triển phần mềm, tại sao bạn vẫn chưa bắt đầu viết kỹ thuật?

软件开发人员，为什么还没有开始技术写作？

United States Of America. v. Microsoft Corporation Court Filing by Thomas Penfield Jackson, November 5, 1999, is part of . You can jump to any part in this filing . This is part 13 of 58. HackerNoon’s Legal PDF Series here B. The Applications Barrier to Entry 1. Description of the Applications Barrier to Entry 36. Microsoft’s dominant market share is protected by the same barrier that helps define the market for Intel-compatible PC operating systems. As explained above, the applications barrier would prevent an aspiring entrant into the relevant market from drawing a significant number of customers away from a dominant incumbent even if the incumbent priced its products substantially above competitive levels for a significant period of time. Because Microsoft’s market share is so dominant, the barrier has a similar effect within the market: It prevents Intel-compatible PC operating systems other than Windows from attracting significant consumer demand, and it would continue to do so even if Microsoft held its prices substantially above the competitive level. 37. Consumer interest in a PC operating system derives primarily from the ability of that system to run applications. The consumer wants an operating system that runs not only types of applications that he knows he will want to use, but also those types in which he might develop an interest later. Also, the consumer knows that if he chooses an operating system with enough demand to support multiple applications in each product category, he will be less likely to find himself straitened later by having to use an application whose features disappoint him. Finally, the average user knows that, generally speaking, applications improve through successive versions. He thus wants an operating system for which successive generations of his favorite applications will be released — promptly at that. The fact that a vastly larger number of applications are written for Windows than for other PC operating systems attracts consumers to Windows, because it reassures them that their interests will be met as long as they use Microsoft’s product. 38. Software development is characterized by substantial economies of scale. The fixed costs of producing software, including applications, is very high. By contrast, marginal costs are very low. Moreover, the costs of developing software are “sunk” — once expended to develop software, resources so devoted cannot be used for another purpose. The result of economies of scale and sunk costs is that application developers seek to sell as many copies of their applications as possible. An application that is written for one PC operating system will operate on another PC operating system only if it is ported to that system, and porting applications is both time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, application developers tend to write first to the operating system with the most users — Windows. Developers might then port their applications to other operating systems, but only to the extent that the marginal added sales justify the cost of porting. In order to recover that cost, ISVs that do go to the effort of porting frequently set the price of ported applications considerably higher than that of the original versions written for Windows. 39. Consumer demand for Windows enjoys positive network effects. A positive network effect is a phenomenon by which the attractiveness of a product increases with the number of people using it. The fact that there is a multitude of people using Windows makes the product more attractive to consumers. The large installed base attracts corporate customers who want to use an operating system that new employees are already likely to know how to use, and it attracts academic consumers who want to use software that will allow them to share files easily with colleagues at other institutions. The main reason that demand for Windows experiences positive network effects, however, is that the size of Windows’ installed base impels ISVs to write applications first and foremost to Windows, thereby ensuring a large body of applications from which consumers can choose. The large body of applications thus reinforces demand for Windows, augmenting Microsoft’s dominant position and thereby perpetuating ISV incentives to write applications principally for Windows. This self-reinforcing cycle is often referred to as a “positive feedback loop.” 40. What for Microsoft is a positive feedback loop is for would-be competitors a vicious cycle. For just as Microsoft’s large market share creates incentives for ISVs to develop applications first and foremost for Windows, the small or non-existent market share of an aspiring competitor makes it prohibitively expensive for the aspirant to develop its PC operating system into an acceptable substitute for Windows. To provide a viable substitute for Windows, another PC operating system would need a large and varied enough base of compatible applications to reassure consumers that their interests in variety, choice, and currency would be met to more-or-less the same extent as if they chose Windows. Even if the contender attracted several thousand compatible applications, it would still look like a gamble from the consumer’s perspective next to Windows, which supports over 70,000 applications. The amount it would cost an operating system vendor to create that many applications is prohibitively large. Therefore, in order to ensure the availability of a set of applications comparable to that available for Windows, a potential rival would need to induce a very large number of ISVs to write to its operating system. 41. In deciding whether to develop an application for a new operating system, an ISV’s first consideration is the number of users it expects the operating system to attract. Out of this focus arises a collective-action problem: Each ISV realizes that the new operating system could attract a significant number of users if enough ISVs developed applications for it; but few ISVs want to sink resources into developing for the system until it becomes established. Since everyone is waiting for everyone else to bear the risk of early adoption, the new operating system has difficulty attracting enough applications to generate a positive feedback loop. The vendor of a new operating system cannot effectively solve this problem by paying the necessary number of ISVs to write for its operating system, because the cost of doing so would dwarf the expected return. 42. Counteracting the collective-action phenomenon is another known as the “firstmover incentive.” For an ISV interested in attracting users, there may be an advantage to offering the first and, for a while, only application in its category that runs on a new PC operating system. The user base of the new system may be small, but every user of that system who wants such an application will be compelled to use the ISV’s offering. Moreover, if demand for the new operating system suddenly explodes, the first mover will reap large sales before any competitors arrive. An ISV thus might be drawn to a new PC operating system as a “protected harbor.” Once first-movers stake claims to the major categories of applications, however, there is a strong chance that the new operating system could stall; it would not support the most familiar applications, nor the variety and number of applications, that attract large numbers of consumers, and there would no longer exist a first-mover incentive to attract additional ISVs to the important application categories. Although the upstart operating system might find itself with enough applications support to hold a fraction of the market, the collective-action phenomenon would still prevent the system from gaining the kind of positive feedback momentum that can turn a fringe entrant into a rival that would put competitive pressure on Windows. 43. The cost to a would-be entrant of inducing ISVs to write applications for its operating system exceeds the cost that Microsoft itself has faced in inducing ISVs to write applications for its operating system products, for Microsoft never confronted a highly penetrated market dominated by a single competitor. Of course, the fact that it is extremely difficult for an efficient would-be rival to accumulate enough applications support to compete with Windows does not mean that sustaining its own applications support is effortless for Microsoft. In fact, if Microsoft stopped investing the hundreds of millions of dollars it spends each year inducing ISVs to write applications for Windows, it might become easier than it currently is for a competitor to develop its own positive feedback loop. But given that Windows today enjoys overwhelmingly more applications support than any other PC operating system, it would still take that competitor years to develop the necessary momentum. Plus, while Microsoft may spend more on platform “evangelization,” even in relative terms, than any other PC operatingsystem vendor, it is not difficult to understand why it is worthwhile for the principal beneficiary of the applications barrier to devote more resources to augmenting it than aspiring rivals are willing to expend in speculative efforts to erode it. 44. Microsoft continually releases “new and improved” versions of its PC operating system. Each time it does, Microsoft must convince ISVs to write applications that take advantage of new APIs, so that existing Windows users will have incentive to buy an upgrade. Since ISVs are usually still earning substantial revenue from applications written for the last version of Windows, Microsoft must convince them to write for the new version. Even if ISVs are slow to take advantage of the new APIs, though, no applications barrier stands in the way of consumers adopting the new system, for Microsoft ensures that successive versions of Windows retain the ability to run applications developed for earlier versions. In fact, since ISVs know that consumers do not feel locked into their old versions of Windows and that new versions have historically attracted substantial consumer demand, ISVs will generally write to new APIs as long as the interfaces enable attractive, innovative features. Microsoft supplements developers’ incentives by extending various ‘seals of approval’ — visible to consumers, investors, and industry analysts — to those ISVs that promptly develop new versions of their applications adapted to the newest version of Windows. In addition, Microsoft works closely with ISVs to help them adapt their applications to the newest version of the operating system — a process that is in any event far easier than porting an application from one vendor’s PC operating system to another’s. In sum, despite the substantial resources Microsoft expends inducing ISVs to develop applications for new versions of Windows, the company does not face any obstacles nearly as imposing as the barrier to entry that vendors and would-be vendors of other PC operating systems must overcome. Continue reading . here About We bring you the most important technical and insightful public domain court case filings. HackerNoon Legal PDF Series: This court case Civil Action No. 98-1232 (TPJ) retrieved on 1-24-2023 from is part of the public domain. The court-created documents are works of the federal government, and under copyright law, are automatically placed in the public domain and may be shared without legal restriction. justice.gov

Microsoft's Market Share Is Protected by a Barrier of Entry: An Explanation

Mobile has overwhelmingly become the technology we rely on every day to help us navigate through work, school, travel, and most other parts of life. Not only do we rely on it heavily, but we expect it to work for us when we need it – and to work . well The problem is, sometimes mobile apps don’t work as well as we need them to in the moment. Who isn’t familiar with the incredibly frustrating experience of an app that seems to buffer infinitely? Or, worse, one that crashes right when you need it? We wanted to explore the full scope of the problem when it comes to mobile app performance, which is crucial for mobile engineers to build better experiences for end users. So, what does a “better experience” look like? Well, to find out, we polled about 900 app users in the U.S. to understand their frustrations with the apps they know and love today. We also talked to nearly 80 mobile engineers from our own community of users to get a sense of their perspectives – what are the main challenges in building for mobile today? What are the biggest opportunities for mobile tomorrow? Here are some of the best highlights from this research: App Users Have Extremely High-Performance Demands, Yet Consistently Deal With a Spectrum of Frustrations People have incredibly high expectations for speed and performance when it comes to what their phones can do. It’s just the way we’ve been conditioned in a tech environment where instant gratification has become the norm. Through our research, we found that about 1 in 5 app users expect key app flows to be done in under 5 seconds – this means things like logging into an account or checking out your shopping purchase. The large majority of people would actually just give up if a task like that was taking over 30 seconds to do. Now, while expectations are very high, the reality of how apps perform doesn’t always satisfy. Two-thirds of app users we polled said they experience some type of performance issue at least weekly, and nearly half of people experience issues daily. These include things like crashes, slow app startup, slow loading of images and videos, and unresponsive interface elements. What’s more, there are consequences to poor performance – mobile engineers and product teams know this well. App users are very willing to delete an app off their phone entirely due to repeated poor experiences; about 60% would do this if their app crashed a few times. There’s a Misalignment Between Engineers and End Users When It Comes to Issue Prioritization Mobile engineers are very in-tune with the need to ensure their apps are performant, and a lot of money and time is spent on the broad industry of application monitoring. However, we found a few interesting points where priorities around what exactly constitutes a “good” vs. “bad” experience weren’t totally aligned between users and engineers. For more severe issues like crashes, both app users and engineers agree that these are the most frustrating and critical-to-address problems. However, for apps that have a slow startup time, opinions diverged. The slow startup was found to be on the lower frustration end for users vs. other performance issues we asked about, like unresponsive buttons or forms. However, slow startup is a big priority for engineers to fix. But fixing unresponsive buttons or frozen screens, which were a big point of frustration for users, ranked lower in the minds of engineers. This is an interesting disconnect that likely has to do with engineers’ pressure to adhere to certain industry standards. In the mobile industry, maintaining an app startup time of or less is considered best practice. 2 seconds But if users are a bit more tolerant of startup lag, might they be better served by shifting the focus to other performance frustrations? Monitoring App Performance Is Seen as a Top Priority, Both Now and in the Future Balancing user demands and ever-changing technical requirements means that many things can, and often do, go wrong with mobile. For these reasons, monitoring has become crucial to the delivery of high-quality, performant app experiences. Our research largely validates this industry observation. We found that, among engineers, they named monitoring performance as one of the top challenges they face as part of the development process, both now and in the near future. When we asked what were the biggest concerns with allowing poor performance to persist, engineers mentioned some pretty serious things - loss of brand reputation was one of the biggest threats. Aside from monitoring performance, there are some interesting shifts in what engineers see as key challenges today vs. what they anticipate for the next five years. A major reason for this is the growing complexity of mobile technology and IT infrastructure, especially as the microservices model becomes the engineering standard. Engineers recognize this as something to contend with. While only 15% of participants from our survey named building for complex IT infrastructure a key challenge for them today, 28% said it would be a concern in the next five years. Additionally, maintaining data privacy and security & authentication are both, unsurprisingly, expected to be bigger challenges going forward. If you found this insightful, check out the full report. It takes a deeper look into these findings, plus explores industry performance benchmarks and even other future trends in mobile technology. Best of all, it’s free to download . State of Mobile Experience here

Spotlight on Mobile UX: How Do App Users vs. Engineers Think About Building Highly Performant Apps? 

Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea by Jules Verne, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . THE RED SEA here CHAPTER IV: THE RED SEA In the course of the day of the 29th of January, the island of Ceylon disappeared under the horizon, and the , at a speed of twenty miles an hour, slid into the labyrinth of canals which separate the Maldives from the Laccadives. It coasted even the Island of Kiltan, a land originally coraline, discovered by Vasco da Gama in 1499, and one of the nineteen principal islands of the Laccadive Archipelago, situated between 10° and 14° 30′ N. lat., and 69° 50′ 72″ E. long. Nautilus We had made 16,220 miles, or 7,500 (French) leagues from our starting-point in the Japanese Seas. The next day (30th January), when the went to the surface of the ocean there was no land in sight. Its course was N.N.E., in the direction of the Sea of Oman, between Arabia and the Indian Peninsula, which serves as an outlet to the Persian Gulf. It was evidently a block without any possible egress. Where was Captain Nemo taking us to? I could not say. This, however, did not satisfy the Canadian, who that day came to me asking where we were going. Nautilus “We are going where our Captain’s fancy takes us, Master Ned.” “His fancy cannot take us far, then,” said the Canadian. “The Persian Gulf has no outlet: and, if we do go in, it will not be long before we are out again.” “Very well, then, we will come out again, Master Land; and if, after the Persian Gulf, the would like to visit the Red Sea, the Straits of Bab-el-mandeb are there to give us entrance.” Nautilus “I need not tell you, sir,” said Ned Land, “that the Red Sea is as much closed as the Gulf, as the Isthmus of Suez is not yet cut; and, if it was, a boat as mysterious as ours would not risk itself in a canal cut with sluices. And again, the Red Sea is not the road to take us back to Europe.” “But I never said we were going back to Europe.” “What do you suppose, then?” “I suppose that, after visiting the curious coasts of Arabia and Egypt, the will go down the Indian Ocean again, perhaps cross the Channel of Mozambique, perhaps off the Mascarenhas, so as to gain the Cape of Good Hope.” Nautilus “And once at the Cape of Good Hope?” asked the Canadian, with peculiar emphasis. “Well, we shall penetrate into that Atlantic which we do not yet know. Ah! friend Ned, you are getting tired of this journey under the sea; you are surfeited with the incessantly varying spectacle of submarine wonders. For my part, I shall be sorry to see the end of a voyage which it is given to so few men to make.” For four days, till the 3rd of February, the scoured the Sea of Oman, at various speeds and at various depths. It seemed to go at random, as if hesitating as to which road it should follow, but we never passed the Tropic of Cancer. Nautilus In quitting this sea we sighted Muscat for an instant, one of the most important towns of the country of Oman. I admired its strange aspect, surrounded by black rocks upon which its white houses and forts stood in relief. I saw the rounded domes of its mosques, the elegant points of its minarets, its fresh and verdant terraces. But it was only a vision! The soon sank under the waves of that part of the sea. Nautilus We passed along the Arabian coast of Mahrah and Hadramaut, for a distance of six miles, its undulating line of mountains being occasionally relieved by some ancient ruin. The 5th of February we at last entered the Gulf of Aden, a perfect funnel introduced into the neck of Bab-el-mandeb, through which the Indian waters entered the Red Sea. The 6th of February, the floated in sight of Aden, perched upon a promontory which a narrow isthmus joins to the mainland, a kind of inaccessible Gibraltar, the fortifications of which were rebuilt by the English after taking possession in 1839. I caught a glimpse of the octagon minarets of this town, which was at one time the richest commercial magazine on the coast. Nautilus I certainly thought that Captain Nemo, arrived at this point, would back out again; but I was mistaken, for he did no such thing, much to my surprise. The next day, the 7th of February, we entered the Straits of Bab-el-mandeb, the name of which, in the Arab tongue, means The Gate of Tears. To twenty miles in breadth, it is only thirty-two in length. And for the , starting at full speed, the crossing was scarcely the work of an hour. But I saw nothing, not even the Island of Perim, with which the British Government has fortified the position of Aden. There were too many English or French steamers of the line of Suez to Bombay, Calcutta to Melbourne, and from Bourbon to the Mauritius, furrowing this narrow passage, for the to venture to show itself. So it remained prudently below. At last about noon, we were in the waters of the Red Sea. Nautilus Nautilus I would not even seek to understand the caprice which had decided Captain Nemo upon entering the gulf. But I quite approved of the entering it. Its speed was lessened: sometimes it kept on the surface, sometimes it dived to avoid a vessel, and thus I was able to observe the upper and lower parts of this curious sea. Nautilus The 8th of February, from the first dawn of day, Mocha came in sight, now a ruined town, whose walls would fall at a gunshot, yet which shelters here and there some verdant date-trees; once an important city, containing six public markets, and twenty-six mosques, and whose walls, defended by fourteen forts, formed a girdle of two miles in circumference. The then approached the African shore, where the depth of the sea was greater. There, between two waters clear as crystal, through the open panels we were allowed to contemplate the beautiful bushes of brilliant coral and large blocks of rock clothed with a splendid fur of green variety of sites and landscapes along these sandbanks and algæ and fuci. What an indescribable spectacle, and what variety of sites and landscapes along these sandbanks and volcanic islands which bound the Libyan coast! But where these shrubs appeared in all their beauty was on the eastern coast, which the soon gained. It was on the coast of Tehama, for there not only did this display of zoophytes flourish beneath the level of the sea, but they also formed picturesque interlacings which unfolded themselves about sixty feet above the surface, more capricious but less highly coloured than those whose freshness was kept up by the vital power of the waters. Nautilus Nautilus What charming hours I passed thus at the window of the saloon! What new specimens of submarine flora and fauna did I admire under the brightness of our electric lantern! The 9th of February the floated in the broadest part of the Red Sea, which is comprised between Souakin, on the west coast, and Komfidah, on the east coast, with a diameter of ninety miles. Nautilus That day at noon, after the bearings were taken, Captain Nemo mounted the platform, where I happened to be, and I was determined not to let him go down again without at least pressing him regarding his ulterior projects. As soon as he saw me he approached and graciously offered me a cigar. “Well, sir, does this Red Sea please you? Have you sufficiently observed the wonders it covers, its fishes, its zoophytes, its parterres of sponges, and its forests of coral? Did you catch a glimpse of the towns on its borders?” “Yes, Captain Nemo,” I replied; “and the is wonderfully fitted for such a study. Ah! it is an intelligent boat!” Nautilus “Yes, sir, intelligent and invulnerable. It fears neither the terrible tempests of the Red Sea, nor its currents, nor its sandbanks.” “Certainly,” said I, “this sea is quoted as one of the worst, and in the time of the ancients, if I am not mistaken, its reputation was detestable.” “Detestable, M. Aronnax. The Greek and Latin historians do not speak favourably of it, and Strabo says it is very dangerous during the Etesian winds and in the rainy season. The Arabian Edrisi portrays it under the name of the Gulf of Colzoum, and relates that vessels perished there in great numbers on the sandbanks and that no one would risk sailing in the night. It is, he pretends, a sea subject to fearful hurricanes, strewn with inhospitable islands, and ‘which offers nothing good either on its surface or in its depths.’” “One may see,” I replied, “that these historians never sailed on board the .” Nautilus “Just so,” replied the Captain, smiling; “and in that respect moderns are not more advanced than the ancients. It required many ages to find out the mechanical power of steam. Who knows if, in another hundred years, we may not see a second Progress is slow, M. Aronnax.” Nautilus? “It is true,” I answered; “your boat is at least a century before its time, perhaps an era. What a misfortune that the secret of such an invention should die with its inventor!” Captain Nemo did not reply. After some minutes’ silence he continued: “You were speaking of the opinions of ancient historians upon the dangerous navigation of the Red Sea.” “It is true,” said I; “but were not their fears exaggerated?” “Yes and no, M. Aronnax,” replied Captain Nemo, who seemed to know the Red Sea by heart. “That which is no longer dangerous for a modern vessel, well rigged, strongly built, and master of its own course, thanks to obedient steam, offered all sorts of perils to the ships of the ancients. Picture to yourself those first navigators venturing in ships made of planks sewn with the cords of the palmtree, saturated with the grease of the seadog, and covered with powdered resin! They had not even instruments wherewith to take their bearings, and they went by guess amongst currents of which they scarcely knew anything. Under such conditions shipwrecks were, and must have been, numerous. But in our time, steamers running between Suez and the South Seas have nothing more to fear from the fury of this gulf, in spite of contrary trade-winds. The captain and passengers do not prepare for their departure by offering propitiatory sacrifices; and, on their return, they no longer go ornamented with wreaths and gilt fillets to thank the gods in the neighbouring temple.” “I agree with you,” said I; “and steam seems to have killed all gratitude in the hearts of sailors. But, Captain, since you seem to have especially studied this sea, can you tell me the origin of its name?” “There exist several explanations on the subject, M. Aronnax. Would you like to know the opinion of a chronicler of the fourteenth century?” “Willingly.” “This fanciful writer pretends that its name was given to it after the passage of the Israelites, when Pharaoh perished in the waves which closed at the voice of Moses.” “A poet’s explanation, Captain Nemo,” I replied; “but I cannot content myself with that. I ask you for your personal opinion.” “Here it is, M. Aronnax. According to my idea, we must see in this appellation of the Red Sea a translation of the Hebrew word ‘Edom’; and if the ancients gave it that name, it was on account of the particular colour of its waters.” “But up to this time I have seen nothing but transparent waves and without any particular colour.” “Very likely; but as we advance to the bottom of the gulf, you will see this singular appearance. I remember seeing the Bay of Tor entirely red, like a sea of blood.” “And you attribute this colour to the presence of a microscopic seaweed?” “Yes.” “So, Captain Nemo, it is not the first time you have overrun the Red Sea on board the ” Nautilus? “No, sir.” “As you spoke a while ago of the passage of the Israelites and of the catastrophe to the Egyptians, I will ask whether you have met with the traces under the water of this great historical fact?” “No, sir; and for a good reason.” “What is it?” “It is that the spot where Moses and his people passed is now so blocked up with sand that the camels can barely bathe their legs there. You can well understand that there would not be water enough for my .” Nautilus “And the spot?” I asked. “The spot is situated a little above the Isthmus of Suez, in the arm which formerly made a deep estuary, when the Red Sea extended to the Salt Lakes. Now, whether this passage were miraculous or not, the Israelites, nevertheless, crossed there to reach the Promised Land, and Pharaoh’s army perished precisely on that spot; and I think that excavations made in the middle of the sand would bring to light a large number of arms and instruments of Egyptian origin.” “That is evident,” I replied; “and for the sake of archaeologists let us hope that these excavations will be made sooner or later, when new towns are established on the isthmus, after the construction of the Suez Canal; a canal, however, very useless to a vessel like the .” Nautilus “Very likely; but useful to the whole world,” said Captain Nemo. “The ancients well understood the utility of a communication between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean for their commercial affairs: but they did not think of digging a canal direct, and took the Nile as an intermediate. Very probably the canal which united the Nile to the Red Sea was begun by Sesostris, if we may believe tradition. One thing is certain, that in the year 615 before Jesus Christ, Necos undertook the works of an alimentary canal to the waters of the Nile across the plain of Egypt, looking towards Arabia. It took four days to go up this canal, and it was so wide that two triremes could go abreast. It was carried on by Darius, the son of Hystaspes, and probably finished by Ptolemy II. Strabo saw it navigated: but its decline from the point of departure, near Bubastes, to the Red Sea was so slight that it was only navigable for a few months in the year. This canal answered all commercial purposes to the age of Antonius, when it was abandoned and blocked up with sand. Restored by order of the Caliph Omar, it was definitely destroyed in 761 or 762 by Caliph Al-Mansor, who wished to prevent the arrival of provisions to Mohammed-ben-Abdallah, who had revolted against him. During the expedition into Egypt, your General Bonaparte discovered traces of the works in the Desert of Suez; and, surprised by the tide, he nearly perished before regaining Hadjaroth, at the very place where Moses had encamped three thousand years before him.” “Well, Captain, what the ancients dared not undertake, this junction between the two seas, which will shorten the road from Cadiz to India, M. Lesseps has succeeded in doing; and before long he will have changed Africa into an immense island.” “Yes, M. Aronnax; you have the right to be proud of your countryman. Such a man brings more honour to a nation than great captains. He began, like so many others, with disgust and rebuffs; but he has triumphed, for he has the genius of will. And it is sad to think that a work like that, which ought to have been an international work and which would have sufficed to make a reign illustrious, should have succeeded by the energy of one man. All honour to M. Lesseps!” “Yes! honour to the great citizen,” I replied, surprised by the manner in which Captain Nemo had just spoken. “Unfortunately,” he continued, “I cannot take you through the Suez Canal; but you will be able to see the long jetty of Port Said after to-morrow, when we shall be in the Mediterranean.” “The Mediterranean!” I exclaimed. “Yes, sir; does that astonish you?” “What astonishes me is to think that we shall be there the day after to-morrow.” “Indeed?” “Yes, Captain, although by this time I ought to have accustomed myself to be surprised at nothing since I have been on board your boat.” “But the cause of this surprise?” “Well! it is the fearful speed you will have to put on the , if the day after to-morrow she is to be in the Mediterranean, having made the round of Africa, and doubled the Cape of Good Hope!” Nautilus “Who told you that she would make the round of Africa and double the Cape of Good Hope, sir?” “Well, unless the sails on dry land, and passes above the isthmus——” Nautilus “Or beneath it, M. Aronnax.” “Beneath it?” “Certainly,” replied Captain Nemo quietly. “A long time ago Nature made under this tongue of land what man has this day made on its surface.” “What! such a passage exists?” “Yes; a subterranean passage, which I have named the Arabian Tunnel. It takes us beneath Suez and opens into the Gulf of Pelusium.” “But this isthmus is composed of nothing but quick sands?” “To a certain depth. But at fifty-five yards only there is a solid layer of rock.” “Did you discover this passage by chance?” I asked more and more surprised. “Chance and reasoning, sir; and by reasoning even more than by chance. Not only does this passage exist, but I have profited by it several times. Without that I should not have ventured this day into the impassable Red Sea. I noticed that in the Red Sea and in the Mediterranean there existed a certain number of fishes of a kind perfectly identical. Certain of the fact, I asked myself was it possible that there was no communication between the two seas? If there was, the subterranean current must necessarily run from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, from the sole cause of difference of level. I caught a large number of fishes in the neighbourhood of Suez. I passed a copper ring through their tails, and threw them back into the sea. Some months later, on the coast of Syria, I caught some of my fish ornamented with the ring. Thus the communication between the two was proved. I then sought for it with my I discovered it, ventured into it, and before long, sir, you too will have passed through my Arabian tunnel!” Nautilus; About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Jules Verne (1994). Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/files/164/164-h/164-h.htm This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

THE RED SEA

The Golden Road by L. M. Montgomery, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book here . WE LOSE A FRIEND CHAPTER XXIX. WE LOSE A FRIEND Our beautiful October was marred by one day of black tragedy—the day Paddy died. For Paddy, after seven years of as happy a life as ever a cat lived, died suddenly—of poison, as was supposed. Where he had wandered in the darkness to meet his doom we did not know, but in the frosty dawnlight he dragged himself home to die. We found him lying on the doorstep when we got up, and it did not need Aunt Janet’s curt announcement, or Uncle Blair’s reluctant shake of the head, to tell us that there was no chance of our pet recovering this time. We felt that nothing could be done. Lard and sulphur on his paws would be of no use, nor would any visit to Peg Bowen avail. We stood around in mournful silence; the Story Girl sat down on the step and took poor Paddy upon her lap. “I s’pose there’s no use even in praying now,” said Cecily desperately. “It wouldn’t do any harm to try,” sobbed Felicity. “You needn’t waste your prayers,” said Dan mournfully, “Pat is beyond human aid. You can tell that by his eyes. Besides, I don’t believe it was the praying cured him last time.” “No, it was Peg Bowen,” declared Peter, “but she couldn’t have bewitched him this time for she’s been away for months, nobody knows where.” “If he could only TELL us where he feels the worst!” said Cecily piteously. “It’s so dreadful to see him suffering and not be able to do a single thing to help him!” “I don’t think he’s suffering much now,” I said comfortingly. The Story Girl said nothing. She passed and repassed her long brown hand gently over her pet’s glossy fur. Pat lifted his head and essayed to creep a little nearer to his beloved mistress. The Story Girl drew his limp body close in her arms. There was a plaintive little mew—a long quiver—and Paddy’s friendly soul had fared forth to wherever it is that good cats go. “Well, he’s gone,” said Dan, turning his back abruptly to us. “It doesn’t seem as if it can be true,” sobbed Cecily. “This time yesterday morning he was full of life.” “He drank two full saucers of cream,” moaned Felicity, “and I saw him catch a mouse in the evening. Maybe it was the last one he ever caught.” “He did for many a mouse in his day,” said Peter, anxious to pay his tribute to the departed. “‘He was a cat—take him for all in all. We shall not look upon his like again,’” quoted Uncle Blair. Felicity and Cecily and Sara Ray cried so much that Aunt Janet lost patience completely and told them sharply that they would have something to cry for some day—which did not seem to comfort them much. The Story Girl shed no tears, though the look in her eyes hurt more than weeping. “After all, perhaps it’s for the best,” she said drearily. “I’ve been feeling so badly over having to go away and leave Paddy. No matter how kind you’d all be to him I know he’d miss me terribly. He wasn’t like most cats who don’t care who comes and goes as long as they get plenty to eat. Paddy wouldn’t have been contented without me.” “Oh, no-o-o, oh, no-o-o,” wailed Sara Ray lugubriously. Felix shot a disgusted glance at her. “I don’t see what YOU are making such a fuss about,” he said unfeelingly. “He wasn’t your cat.” “But I l-l-oved him,” sobbed Sara, “and I always feel bad when my friends d-do.” “I wish we could believe that cats went to heaven, like people,” sighed Cecily. “Do you really think it isn’t possible?” Uncle Blair shook his head. “I’m afraid not. I’d like to think cats have a chance for heaven, but I can’t. There’s nothing heavenly about cats, delightful creatures though they are.” “Blair, I’m really surprised to hear the things you say to the children,” said Aunt Janet severely. “Surely you wouldn’t prefer me to tell them that cats DO go to heaven,” protested Uncle Blair. “I think it’s wicked to carry on about an animal as those children do,” answered Aunt Janet decidedly, “and you shouldn’t encourage them. Here now, children, stop making a fuss. Bury that cat and get off to your apple picking.” We had to go to our work, but Paddy was not to be buried in any such off-hand fashion as that. It was agreed that we should bury him in the orchard at sunset that evening, and Sara Ray, who had to go home, declared she would be back for it, and implored us to wait for her if she didn’t come exactly on time. “I mayn’t be able to get away till after milking,” she sniffed, “but I don’t want to miss it. Even a cat’s funeral is better than none at all.” “Horrid thing!” said Felicity, barely waiting until Sara was out of earshot. We worked with heavy hearts that day; the girls cried bitterly most of the time and we boys whistled defiantly. But as evening drew on we began to feel a sneaking interest in the details of the funeral. As Dan said, the thing should be done properly, since Paddy was no common cat. The Story Girl selected the spot for the grave, in a little corner behind the cherry copse, where early violets enskied the grass in spring, and we boys dug the grave, making it “soft and narrow,” as the heroine of the old ballad wanted hers made. Sara Ray, who managed to come in time after all, and Felicity stood and watched us, but Cecily and the Story Girl kept far aloof. “This time last night you never thought you’d be digging Pat’s grave to-night,” sighed Felicity. “We little k-know what a day will bring forth,” sobbed Sara. “I’ve heard the minister say that and it is true.” “Of course it’s true. It’s in the Bible; but I don’t think you should repeat it in connection with a cat,” said Felicity dubiously. When all was in readiness the Story Girl brought her pet through the orchard where he had so often frisked and prowled. No useless coffin enclosed his breast but he reposed in a neat cardboard box. “I wonder if it would be right to say ‘ashes to ashes and dust to dust,’” said Peter. “No, it wouldn’t,” averred Felicity. “It would be real wicked.” “I think we ought to sing a hymn, anyway,” asseverated Sara Ray. “Well, we might do that, if it isn’t a very religious one,” conceded Felicity. “How would ‘Pull for the shore, sailor, pull for the shore,’ do?” asked Cecily. “That never seemed to me a very religious hymn.” “But it doesn’t seem very appropriate to a funeral occasion either,” said Felicity. “I think ‘Lead, kindly light,’ would be ever so much more suitable,” suggested Sara Ray, “and it is kind of soothing and melancholy too.” “We are not going to sing anything,” said the Story Girl coldly. “Do you want to make the affair ridiculous? We will just fill up the grave quietly and put a flat stone over the top.” “It isn’t much like my idea of a funeral,” muttered Sara Ray discontentedly. “Never mind, we’re going to have a real obituary about him in Our Magazine,” whispered Cecily consolingly. “And Peter is going to cut his name on top of the stone,” added Felicity. “Only we mustn’t let on to the grown-ups until it is done, because they might say it wasn’t right.” We left the orchard, a sober little band, with the wind of the gray twilight blowing round us. Uncle Roger passed us at the gate. “So the last sad obsequies are over?” he remarked with a grin. And we hated Uncle Roger. But we loved Uncle Blair because he said quietly, “And so you’ve buried your little comrade?” So much may depend on the way a thing is said. But not even Uncle Blair’s sympathy could take the sting out of the fact that there was no Paddy to get the froth that night at milking time. Felicity cried bitterly all the time she was straining the milk. Many human beings have gone to their graves unattended by as much real regret as followed that one gray pussy cat to his. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. L. M. Montgomery (2008). The Golden Road. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/316/pg316-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org , located at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html .

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