CS371p Fall 2020: Nathan Jackson
What did you do this past week?
This week I started on the Collatz project. I set up my project on GitLab, invited the TA and proctor as developers, and ensured that the pipeline was set up correctly. I also spent time debugging Docker issues.
What’s in your way?
Setting up the proper tool-chain with Docker was difficult, so I pivoted to working on the project over SSH on the lab machines, which already have the tool-chain installed. This ought to make progressing next week much easier.
What will you do next week?
I’m planning to get a basic implementation of the Collatz code running, then adding the optimizations discussed in class one-by-one. Then add documentation, comments, and follow the rest of the outlined procedure on Professor Downing’s website.
What was your experience of assertions, Google Test, and gcov? (this question will vary, week to week)
I felt very good about them. I know that unit and coverage tests are extensively used in the industry so I am looking forward to gaining additional experience with them.
How are you doing and holding up? What’s been most helpful for you in terms of support at this time?
I am doing very well. I mentioned last week that I started baking again, and that has done wonders for my mood. I feel at peace in front of my stand mixer. I’ll try to put pictures up next week!
What made you happy this week?
I had lunch with a friend of mine today that I hadn’t seen in a long time. We had drifted away over trivial matters, so it was incredibly nice to meet up again and talk about everything that had gone on since we last touched in with each other.
What’s your pick-of-the-week or tip-of-the-week?
I was very glad to hear news from Microsoft on the front of deep-fake detection software (https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2020/09/01/disinformation-deepfakes-newsguard-video-authenticator/). Seeing is believing for many, and deepfakes pose a threat to truth. As the 2020 election approaches, having reliable tools to identify these videos (even if it only works for so long) can hopefully dismiss some of the impending chaos.
