Notes

Notes is an iterative collection of various things I have learned and feel is worth sharing. I may research and cite sources or I may share opinions and thoughts. These pages are also intended to grow over time and link to one another as connections between concepts reveal themselves.

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• Working Collaboratively (posted 2023-03-16, last updated 2024-11-20)

  Working collaboratively means bringing workers together and getting the input of many people into the process and effort of the work. Everyone brings their strengths to the table. Some people may be more junior or more senior than others, and some people may have more or less relevant skills to the task at hand, but everyone still has something unique to contribute to the work. Some people in the group might have more years of experience, but everyone can have a slightly different focus and have picked different disciplines, different languages, different frameworks, and different paradigms to follow and for which to have a passion.

• Break the Pots and Sink the Boat (posted 2024-11-20)

  Break the pots and sink the boat is a literal translation of Chinese proverb 破釜沉舟^[1]. It can be compared to the idiom “to burn one’s boats.” It is based on a story of an army that, after crossing a river, had destroyed most of their provisions as well as their only way to cross the river and return. They would commit to the path that had gone down and eliminated the idea of going backward.

• To Cover One's Ears While Stealing a Bell (posted 2024-11-20)

  To cover one’s ears while stealing a bell is a literal translation of Chinese proverb 掩耳盜鈴^[1]. It can be compared to the idiom “to bury one’s head in the sand.” It is based on a story of a thief who wanted to steal a large bell and thought to smash it into easier to carry pieces; when it made a very loud noise, the thief simply covered their own ears, hoping that, if they could not hear it, maybe others could not hear it.

• Hallway Track (posted 2024-11-20)

  The hallway track at a conference refers to time spent outside of planned sessions to connect with and network with other people. Its name evokes the idea that, even when sessions are planned in different rooms or spaces with different tracks, people have the freedom to not attend any of the sessions and use that time in other ways, though spending time between sessions can also be considered as attending the hallway track.

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