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2023 Year-End Summary: Thirty and Established
·1648 words·8 mins
In 2023, I turned thirty. As Confucius said, “At thirty, one establishes oneself.” I’ve managed to accomplish something - started a family, built a career, gained some technical reputation. A year-end review to commemorate 2023.
Modb Interviews Industry Leaders - Feng Ruohang
·3908 words·19 mins
Recently, a historic debate in the database industry has sparked heated discussion. The post-90s entrepreneur Feng Ruohang, known as the “ace debater” in the database community, has come into public view. Why did he participate in such technical debates that could potentially “start flame wars”? What are his views on the future development of databases? In this exclusive interview, we invite him to discuss his technical journey and hot topics in the database field!
ISD Dataset: Analyzing 120 Years of Global Climate Change
·1153 words·6 mins
ISD stands for Integrated Surface Dataset, a dataset published by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). I recently reorganized this dataset and provided related analysis tools.
Post-90s, Quit Job to Start Business, Says Will Crush Cloud Databases
·3270 words·16 mins
Recently gave an interview to OSC Open Source China, discussing the motivation behind quitting my full-time job to start a business with Pigsty: making PostgreSQL easy to use for everyone, and crushing cloud databases!
The WeChat Photo Album Access Issue
·771 words·4 mins
I saw news about WeChat accessing user photo albums in the background. While such shady behavior from Chinese apps doesn’t surprise me, in the spirit of seeking truth, I got up this morning to investigate whether WeChat is actually doing something malicious.
Life at 28
·1435 words·7 mins
My solar birthday falling on Mid-Autumn Festival is something that will only happen three times in my lifetime. Theoretically, this should be a memorable day, but the events of this year have left me numb.
Farewell to Grandfather
·2088 words·10 mins
Grandfather has passed away. I am beyond grief, but I should still write something in his memory.
Practical Cryptography Made Simple
·1360 words·3 mins
A classic problem in cryptography is how to transmit data securely and reliably through insecure channels. Protecting your chats and communications from surveillance and monitoring - easily achievable with just a computer.
The Sorrow of the Internet
·2860 words·14 mins
In Understanding the Internet, I discussed my views on the internet. Today, let’s talk about the part I deliberately omitted: the setbacks the internet will face.
New Year Reflections
·4686 words·22 mins
The future is not necessarily bright, but the path is definitely winding. During this rare leisure time alone in the New Year, I write these random thoughts, writing wherever my mind wanders.
Knowledge of China's Administrative Divisions
·2318 words·11 mins
China’s administrative divisions are divided into several levels. The constitution stipulates three levels, but there are actually five levels: the four-tier system of “province—region—county (district)—township,” which becomes five tiers when including the central level.
The Internet Winter
·2199 words·11 mins
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. We were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way.
Understanding the Internet
·2346 words·5 mins
The world trends flow mightily. Those who follow prosper; those who resist perish. This article discusses the essence of the internet, the world under internet rule, the transfer of power, and future impacts.
Several Levels of Learning Knowledge
·2843 words·6 mins
Through observation and contemplation, we can divide the process of deepening understanding in the mind from accepting knowledge to the highest level of “intuition” into four stages: knowledge, understanding, consciousness, and intuition.
Basic Principles of Neural Networks
·4499 words·22 mins
Neural networks are inspired by how the brain works and can be used to solve general learning problems. This article introduces the basic principles and practice of neural networks.
Inferential Statistics: The Past and Present of p-values
·1659 words·8 mins
The core of inferential statistics lies in hypothesis testing. The basic logic is based on an important argument from philosophy of science: universal propositions can only be falsified, not proven. The reasoning is simple: individual cases cannot prove a universal proposition, but they can refute it.
Statistics Fundamentals: Descriptive Statistics
·5845 words·28 mins
Statistical analysis is divided into two fields: descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Descriptive Statistics is the technology for describing or characterizing existing data and is the most fundamental part of statistics.
Basic Concepts of Probability Theory
·1941 words·10 mins
Basic knowledge notes on probability theory: axiomatic foundations, probability calculus, counting, conditional probability, random variables and distribution functions
Starting from /0: Understanding Errors and Exceptions
·2145 words·11 mins
What happens when you divide by 0 in a computer? The answer isn’t fixed - it can differ across different operating systems, programming languages, and even different compilers.
Tag Classification Theory
·2076 words·10 mins
Recently, I needed to design a tag management system for a business. During the process of organizing existing tags, I developed this theoretical framework.
Overview of Sorting Algorithms
·3621 words·17 mins
Sorting algorithms are the most fundamental, widely applicable, and frequently tested algorithms in interviews. This article summarizes classic sorting algorithms: selection sort, insertion sort, bubble sort, shell sort, counting sort, quicksort, merge sort, and heap sort - their principles and implementations.
Fundamentals of Information Theory: Entropy
·1371 words·7 mins
Reading notes on ‘Elements of Information Theory’: What is entropy? Entropy is a measure of the uncertainty of random variables, and also a measure of the information needed to describe random variables on average.
Baiji 1509 Training Reflections
·1813 words·9 mins
I once thought all day but learned nothing, which is not as good as what I learned in a moment. I came to Hangzhou to attend Alibaba’s Baiji training to learn from seniors and improve my knowledge level!
2014 Year-End Summary
·1620 words·8 mins
Unable to sleep in the dead of night, spending the last hour of 2014 reviewing this year and looking ahead to next year seems quite appropriate.
On Computational Thinking
·2628 words·13 mins
A paper for “History of Secrecy and Secrecy Systems” course, discussing computational thinking and its significance in undergraduate education, as well as methods for cultivating computational thinking among undergraduates.
In Praise of Mathematics
·178 words·1 min
What a wonderful subject mathematics is
2013 Year-End Summary
·498 words·3 mins
In the final half hour of 2013, reflecting on my experiences this year fills me with deep emotion.
Humans, Society, and Neural Networks
·1070 words·6 mins
Neural networks emerged inspired by the human brain, so the operational mechanisms of human society also have various similarities and connections with neural network training. Some thoughts on reading Wiener’s “The Human Use of Human Beings - Cybernetics and Society.”
Computer Networks and Logistics Systems
·2109 words·10 mins
Computer networks are like a logistics system, with the only difference being that logistics systems transmit material entities like mail and packages, while computer networks transmit intangible information.
Worldview, Values, and Life Philosophy
·2474 words·5 mins
One inevitably traces back to questions about the world’s origins, and answering these questions is the process of establishing one’s cornerstone principles.
On the Hierarchy of Knowledge
·1555 words·8 mins
Through observation and reflection, we can divide the mental process of deepening understanding from accepting knowledge to the highest level of ’enlightenment’ into four stages: knowledge, understanding, consciousness, and enlightenment.
Thinking Characteristics of Eastern and Western People
·766 words·4 mins
Eastern people emphasize macro-to-micro thinking, while Western people emphasize micro-to-macro thinking. In my view, this is the philosophical root of East-West thinking differences and many macro distinctions.
What Exactly Are Natural Numbers?
·1532 words·8 mins
The concept of natural numbers should have been learned in elementary school. The foundation of all elementary mathematics begins with such a definition. However, when I entered university, I encountered this question again in discrete mathematics.
Fundamental Concepts of Linear Algebra
·2631 words·13 mins
Connecting all concepts in linear algebra through one main thread
Views on Love
·2461 words·12 mins
Recently, my roommate broke up with his girlfriend. What was once a lovey-dovey, inseparable couple suddenly separated just like that. This inevitably made me start thinking about some questions I hadn’t carefully considered before: What ultimately determines romance and marriage?