How to evaluate candidate in behavior interview

Dec. 15, 2019

Introduction

It is my task to write something I learn from Google interview video. The topic is called how to evaluate the candidate. 

Candidate evaluation

. Did the candidate understand the question, including the basic problem?
. Did they ask clarifying questions?
. What relevant information, stakeholders, and variables were considered?
. Did the candidate identify multiple solution options?
. Were they able to reasonably justify why their solution was the best options?
. Did the candidate listen to incorporate any feedback/ hints from probing questions?

Case study: How to plan an event of new Google office opening?

Dec. 15, 2019

Introduction

I like to learn how to make a plan, since I make mistakes recently in Willingdon Chinese small group reunion. I like to use this case study to help me to learn better.

Case study

Here is the video including this case starting from 7:00/ 11:02.

Framework to answer GCA interview

Take a moment before responding
Ask clarifying questions
Share logical assumptions
Show your work
Consider the pros and cons
Think about how you measure success
Tie it back to the role

General cognitive ability interview

Dec. 15, 2019

Introduction

It is interesting topic and I like to look into called GCA interview. It is to test interviewee's general cognitive ability. 

GCA interview

General cognitive ability - GCA interview, behavior interview, past behavior, sample interview question: what did you fail? tell me the time you fail? How to break complex problems into small solvable pieces, thoughtful solutions. 

What is a GCA interview?
Evaluation of your problem solving skills
Insight into your work style
Opportunity to talk through situations you may face at Google

Actionable Items

I need to evaluate myself as a problem solver. 

Prepare for your Google Interview: Tips and Example General Cognitive Ability Question

Here is the link.

How a candidate thinks
Leadership skills
Role-related knowledge
Googleyness - intellectual curiosity

Emerging leadership - how do you come out leadership at job? Take initiative, and

General cognitive ability - GCA interview, behavior interview, past behavior, sample interview question: what did you fail? tell me the time you fail? How to break complex problems into small solvable pieces.

What is a GCA interview?
Evaluation of your problem solving skills
Insight into your work style
Opportunity to talk through situations you may face at Google

3:03/ 11:02
What is Google assessing?
Understanding of the question
Preparation strategy
Ability to identify solutions
Justification for a specific solution
Communication

3:21/ 11:02
What is Google assessing?

Understanding of the question
Preparation strategy
Ability to identify solutions
Justification for a specific solution
Communication

4:16/ 11:02
How to build a strong response

Take a moment before responding
Ask clarifying questions
Share logical assumptions
Show your work
Consider the pros and cons
Think about how you measure success
Tie it back to the role

Thought process

Consider pros and cons
How to measure the success
specific to the role

- Example
Where is office?
Budget
How many people attend?

Assumptions 1, 2 and 3

thoughtful questions
Show your work

Communicate your solution

Measuring success
Sending out a post event survey

Candidate evaluation

. Did the candidate understand the question, including the basic problem?
. Did they ask clarifying questions?
. What relevant information, stakeholders, and variables were considered?
. Did the candidate identify multiple solution options?
. Were they able to reasonably justify why their solution was the best options?
. Did the candidate listen to incorporate any feedback/ hints from probing questions?

Actionable Items

I have to work on this technique how to build strong response. I have to learn the framework to answer the question.

I still have problems to answer behavior question, and answer people's question.

Investment profit review

Top 10 talents I work with in 2019

Top three hard level algorithms in 2019

Top 10 my favorite meetups in 2019

Top 10 habits to review in 2019

Top 10 helpful skills for my full time job

Top 10 exciting projects in 2019

Top 10 wasting-time projects

Top 10 frustrated moments as a software programmer

Top 10 my favorite blogs

Top 10 favorite mock interviews in 2019

Dec. 15, 2019

Introduction

It is a good idea to find top 10 favorite mock interviews in 2019. I like to write down what I learn from the interviewee, and also I like to review the code as well.

Top 10 favorite algorithms in 2019

Dec. 15, 2019

Introduction

It is hard for me to review algorithms in such short time. I decide to work on 24 hours count down. So I like to write a few blogs and work on a few topics. This one is top 10 favorite algorithms in 2019.

Top 10 favorite algorithms

24 hours count down

Dec. 15, 2019

Introduction

I like to run a 24 hours count down project. I like to make a plan first and see how many things  I can work on.

24 hours count down

First thing  I like to do is to go out, and spend time to walk around central park, and also do some grocery shopping.

Next thing is to start to review some algorithms and OO design, and then behavior interview questions.

I can think about going over all linked list algorithms, tree algorithms, graph algorithms.

SOLID principles

Dec. 15, 2019

Introduction

Object-oriented programming is something I like to learn more. One thing I can review is about SOLID principle. Also I like to review the design question 1 + 2 * 3 and how the pattern is applied to solve the problem. I do not have a lot of time to review.

My past blogs about 1 + 2 * 3

 I spent over one hour to review the principles with an example. I like to look into how many more minutes I can spend on to review.

 I am working on 24 hours count down to study.

Here is the link of SOLID principle from my blog.

Why I continue to attend HackerX event?

Dec. 15, 2019

Introduction

It is such great learning experience for me. I attended the HackerX event on Dec. 10, 2019. I like to write a few things I learn through events.

Three things I learned

Difference between RDBMS and HBase

Here is the article.

I like to read the following content, and then get an idea to search for better content. I like to find out why Facebook messenger system design from grokking system design argues that HBase should be used instead of relational database for messages.

HBase –
HBase is a column-oriented database management system that runs on top of Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS). It is well suited for sparse data sets, which are common in many big data use cases. It is an opensource, distributed database developed by Apache software foundations. Initially, it was named Google Big Table, afterwards it was re-named as HBase and is primarily written in Java. It can store massive amount of data from terabytes to petabytes. It is built for low-latency operations and is used extensively for read and write operations. It stores large amount of data in the form of tables.

Difference between RDBMS and HBase:

RDBMS	HBASE
It requires SQL (structured query language)	NO SQL
It has a fixed schema	No fixed schema
It is row oriented	It is column oriented
It is not scalable	It is scalable
It is static in nature	Dynamic in nature
Slower retrieval of data	Faster retrieval of data
It follows the ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation and Durability) property.	It follows CAP (Consistency, Availability,Partition-tolerance) theorem.
It can handle structured data	It can handle structured, unstructured as well as semi-structured data
It cannot handle sparse data	It can handle sparse data

Binary Reed–Solomon encoding

I like to spend less than 20 minutes to understand this encoding. Here is the wiki article.

Little Mix - Black Magic (Dance Tutorial) | Mandy Jiroux

Here is the link.

I said so many nos

Dec. 14, 2019

Introduction

It is hard for me to learn how to get most from my limited time after work, in weekends. 

Say nos

I have to say so many nos to avoid time consuming activities. 

I said so many nos to social event and vacation plan. I asked my friend to repair my rental condo in Florida in October 2019, and sent him a payment $300 US dollars. I did not want to fly to Florida and clean the kitchen and bathroom; I offered $850 dollars for rent even the market rate is $1200 US dollars. I like to spend less time to work on rental business and attract best renters as possible. 

I learn that I only have limit time to spend on algorithm and data structure practice. Usually it is perfect time to work on the project since November and December is holiday season. I have to work on basics, make sure that I can strength the foundation and meet the challenge for another business year. 

My journey to the fourth onsite in 2019

Dec. 14, 2019

Introduction

It is my personal finance research. I could not explain what is going on. I just did something so quickly and then I will have an onsite interview on Dec. 16, 2019 in the city of Vancouver.

My journey

I got a message from the recruiter from dialpad on Linkedin.com on Nov. 15, 2019. The recruiter was so friendly, he sent me a message in April 8, 2019. After six months, he sent me another message.

So I just followed up,  and I had a chat with the recruiter on Nov. 21, I got a code screen on Nov. 21, and I worked on code screen on Dec. 1, 2019, and then I also got a phone screen on Dec. 10. So I will have an onsite on Dec. 16, 2019.

Mock interview weekday - My blessings

Dec. 14, 2019

Introduction

There are so many ways to find joy and happiness in the life. I just could not believe that working as an interviewer on interviewing.io in weekdays is such a blessing. Since I will have another onsite interview, I think that my interviewer experience is such a s great marketing tool for me to reach out community, and also I grow my technical skills as well. My blessings are growths of technical skills.

My mock interviews as an interviewer

From August to December, I spent over two months to ask interviewees on interviewing.io to work on word ladder - find all path algorithm. I worked with so many outstanding engineers, and then I have great time to master the algorithm.

When I slow down and learn something patiently from engineers all over the world, I am really the master to work on word ladder algorithm.

Dance tutorials

Dec. 14, 2019

Introduction

It is my personal finance research. Today I had so much joy to watch dance tutorials, and I have great time to enjoy workout inside my home office.

Dance tutorial

I like to watch those dance tutorials. I just could not believe that those videos are so good for me to learn, and I can have good workout to warm up my muscles, work on agility training.

Career choice - taking risk

Dec. 14, 2019

Introduction

It is time for me to write something encouraging myself to take risk. I met my friend last night, we went to Suspension bridge park together, and then we had dinner together. What we talked in dinner is so interesting, I like to bring up a topic how to make good career choice even when I am 53 years old.

The career talk conversation

I had chance to talk to my friend, and she asked me if I have experience to lead a big project. Can I do very good system design? How Facebook engineers work in the first three months? Every week the engineer in boot camp does a project.

They all are in 20s. How I can survive to work with them?

Another topic is to work for a startup company.

I learn that it is not easy for me to come out a clear idea what I should work on my career next move. Maybe I should stay on the same job, and then I become an expert on algorithm problem solver, I can finish 700 algorithms on Leetcode.com.

DDS wireless - 30 minutes study

Dec. 14, 2019

Introduction

I went to hackerX event, so I had chance to meet peopel from DDS wireless. I like to spend 30 minutes to follow up with some reading on Linkedin.com.

Skybox labs - skyboxlabs.com

Dec. 14, 2019

Introduction

I went to hackerX event, so I had chance to meet people from Skybox labs. I like to write a blog and see what I should do to help myself to learn more about the company, technologies they used.

30 minutes time to learn 

I like to explore linkedin.com and see how curious I am in terms of learning the new game industry. I also like to ask  a few questions to look into more.

3 Companies That Could Buy Netflix

Here is the article.  I like to read the article, so I can understand how business works. Apple, AT & T and Comcast are three possible buyers. 

Disney+ and Apple TV+ are certainly not making life any easier for Netflix, with single-digit monthly price points that make Netflix seem like a luxury instead of a necessity. Martin argues that Netflix should consider an ad-supported platform at roughly half of the platform's current price, but since Netflix has long argued that it's not going that route, Martin feels that the best course of action would be for the company to put itself up for sale. She realizes that there aren't too many companies that can afford to buy Netflix. It has an enterprise value of nearly $140 billion, and if you tack on a 30% premium to potentially sway Netflix, that pushes the price tag north of $180 billion. 

Case study: Facebook messenger system design

Dec. 14, 2019

Introduction

It is my idea to study system design. I should learn the basics first, and then I should be able to come out good ideas to give a tech talk on system design interview.

Case study

I like to read the grokking system design lecture notes, and also take some notes as well.

Capacity estimation and constraints

500 million daily active users
average each user sends 40 message daily
total 20 billion message per day.

storage estimation:
average a message is 100 bytes, to store all the messages for one day, 2TB of storage
 20 billion messages * 100 bytes => 2 TB/ day

To save five years of chat history, 3.6 petabytes of storage
2TB * 365 days * 5 years = 3.6 PB

Besides chat message, users' information, messages' metadata (ID, Timestamp, etc. )

Bandwidth estimation:
2 TB every day, 25 MB of incoming data for each second
2 TB/ 86400 sec ~= 25 MB/ s

same amount of bandwidth 25 MB/s for both upload and download.

Apple stock - a short research

Dec. 14, 2019

Introduction

I had a short road trip to Capilano suspension bridge park on Dec. 13, 2019, so I had chance to chat with my friend. She told me that Apple stock went up last year tremendously. I like to take a look.

Apple stock

I was so busy to learn as an investor starting from May 2019. I almost checked every day S & P 500 index. But what happened is that once I met my friend on Dec. 13, 2019, I learned that it is the first time I should pay attention to Apple stock as well.

May 2019 - Apple stock price is around $178.00 dollars.
Dec 2019 - Apple stock price is around $275 dollars.

The increase can be calculated 97/178 = 54%.

Memcached - Web Development

Here is the link.

2003 Danja -> LiveJournal

Facebook
Reddit
Youtube
Twitter

In-memory cache

key -> value

Caching Techniques - Web Development

Here is the link.

complex inserts vs DB reads

App Server Scaling - Web Development

Here is the link.

App server scaling
- process the request
-


App servers
user - server


load balancer - algorithms to use -
Load balancing algorithms
- random
- round robin
- load based

Scaling Databases - Web Development

Dec. 14, 2019

Introduction

System design is like I give out tech talk on a topic given by the interviewer. What I like to do is to work on some basics again. One of my favorite is to watch udacity.com lecture notes.

Udacity - scaling databases 

Here is the link called scaling databases - web development.

Facebook Messaging Architecture - A Lecture By Joydeep Sen Sarma On The Facebook Messaging Structure

Here is the link.

Episode 06: Intro to Architecture and Systems Design Interviews

Here is the link.

In this episode, I walk through the context and goals of a systems design and architecture interview. If you're considering working for a tech company, you'll almost certainly be asked to tackle a high-scale systems design problem. This video explains why companies ask this of you, how to prepare for this interview mentally and emotionally, and what success or failure might look like.

Here is the transcript.

I like to share my most favorite reading in the following:

At any point if you’re looking to your interviewer for guidance about how to proceed, you’re losing points. Now, don’t get me wrong on this point. Needing to bounce ideas off the interviewer or get clarification is fine. Also, you might be legitimately stuck on the problem. If so, by god man — ask for a pointer. I’ve seen many interviews that resulted in a job offer include feedback like “The candidate started off strong but needed a small pointer on X. After that, she did really well.” Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Still, you should bear in mind that the more help you need, the more likely it is that you’re showing lack of experience, creativity, and/or technical leadership.

Another no hire by a director level. 

Mental math

When the interview feedback made it up to the director level, the director stopped us and rejected the candidate. I was confused. Turns out the director did some mental math that I didn’t have the foresight to do. Yes, the coding skills were good and the candidate was a reasonably good communicator, team player, etc.. However, he was lacking in design/architecture ability. This on it’s own is no failure, but the candidate had 8 years of industry experience. He had worked in a strongly technical company for that long without ever taking on enough leadership to get good at reasoning about large scale systems. That is a red flag.

Actionable Items

I also think about a few mistakes I made in 2019; Google map offline story in Oct. 4, 2019, I spent over three hours to drive from Seattle downtown to Botholl, my friend's house. 

If I have strong analysis how Google map works, I should expect myself to learn that offline map is a must. The user chooses a route to the destination, Google map does not automatically save the map in the memory. Driving direction is lost once the internet is not available. 

Design Dropbox | OneDrive like Services

Here is the link.

Requirements: User should be able to upload & download content It should sync with all devices for a user User should be able to share content User should be able to edit the content Extended: Should limit storage for non-premium user. Exposing the service through REST APIs Analytics: Recording different parameters Should maintain different versions of a file. API Creation: Database Design (Table creation) Logic to solve Problem System Workflow Load Balancer Caching Sharding Indexes Messaging Queue (Kafka) Hashing (Consistent Hashing) LRU Hadoop (HDFS) Cassandra Microservices This problem is similar to following: Dropbox Designing system, Dropbox components Design, How to design Dropbox, what is Dropbox, how Dropbox works, how Dropbox is implemented, Dropbox Implementation, Dropbox System design, Coding Simplified

18:00/ 20:46
Points to consider for system design
1. requirements
2. API creation
3. Database design (table creation)
4. Logic to solve problem
5. System workflow
6. Load balancer
7. Caching
8. Sharding
9. Indexes
10 Messaging queue (Kafka)
11. Hashing (Consistent hashing)
12. LRU
13. Hadoop (HDFS)
14. Cassandra
15. Microservices

Fifth Harmony - Work From Home ft. Ty Dolla $ign (Dance Tutorial) | Mandy Jiroux

Here is the link.

Major Lazer & DJ Snake - Lean On (feat. MØ) (Dance Tutorial) | Mandy Jiroux

Dec. 14, 2019

Introduction

It is my Saturday. I spent whole day inside my home office. I spent time to read grokking system design. I need to take a break again.

Lean on 

Here is the link.

Case study: Design dropbox

Dec. 14, 2019

Introduction

It is challenging to be pragmatic learner to be a system designer. What I like to do is to review notes from grokking system design, and write down some notes to design dropbox.

Case study

I like to take some time to write notes for designing dropbox.

Requirements for the system:
1. users should be able to upload and download their files/ photos from any device.
2. users should be able to share file or folders with other users.
3. support automatic synchronization between devices
4. file can be up to a GB.
5. ACID-ity is required. Atomcity, consistency, isolation and durability of all file operations should be guaranteed.
6. offline editing. offline editing, once online, the change should be synced.

Extended requirement

Design consideration 

files can be stored in small parts or chunks (say 4MB), this can provide a lot of benefits.

Capacity estimation and constraints

. 500M total users, and 100M daily active users
. on average each user connects from there different devices.
. on average if a user has 200 files/photos, we will have 100 billion total files.
. average file size is 100 KB, total storage is 100B * 100KB => 10 PB
. one million active connections per minute

High level design 

Block servers will work with clients to upload/download files from cloud storage, and Metadata servers will keep metadata of files updated in a SQL or NoSQL database. Synchronization servers will handle the workflow of notifying all clients about different changes for synchronization.

client -> block server, metadata server, synchronization server -> cloud storage, metadata storage

Component design

thing I learned and like to share here is the question:

How can clients efficiently listen to changes happening on other clients?

client periodically check with the server / HTTP long polling. 

a. client

1. internal metadata database
2. chunker
3. Watcher
4. indexer

b. Metadata database

Metadata database should store those information: chunks, files, user, devices, workspace (sync folders)

c. Synchronization service

d. Message queuing service

client ->  request queue  -> synchronization service -> metadata DB

          <-  response queue 

             Message Queuing Service

3. Cloud/ Block storage

web client -  notification server - synchronization queue - metadata servers - load balancers - block server <- metadata DB -> Metadata cache server, storage cache server - block/ cloud storage

Metadata partitioning 

1. vertical partitioning 

2. range based partitioning 

3. hash-based partitioning 

Caching 

Load balancer

David Guetta - Hey Mama ft. Nicki Minaj & Afrojack (Dance Tutorial) | Mandy Jiroux

Dec. 14, 2019

Introduction

It is such a challenge dance since I have to lower down my body lower to knew, and then I also need to work on swing of my arms. Such a good workout. I enjoy the practice.



Here is the link.

eghan Trainor - Lips Are Movin (Dance Tutorial) | Mandy Jiroux

Dec.14, 2019

Introduction

It is like self-examination. Through dance moves, I have chance to examine so many muscles, joints and bones and see which ones not functions very well. I also notice that my obese weight and its side effects. I need more exercise in short future.

Learn one more dance moves

Here is the link.

Little Mix - Salute (Dance Tutorial) | Mandy Jiroux

Dec. 14, 2019

Introduction

It is very good practice for a small home office. I like to have warmup to work on my flexbilities. Last year I had shoulder issue the first time in my life, I could not lift the right arm close to my head. I recovered after more than three months sports - tennis.

One more choreography - dance tutorial

Here is the link.

Mark Ronson - Uptown Funk ft. Bruno Mars (Dance Tutorial) | Mandy Jiroux

Dec. 14, 2019

Introduction

It is a dance tutorial and I found out that it is a very good warmup indoor before I take a walk, go out to swim or play tennis.



Here is the link.

Coding Interview | Software Engineer @ Facebook

Here is the interview I watched.

System Design Interview with a Senior Software Engineer @ Airbnb (2019)

Here is the link.

Spend time with a friend attending conference AI in Vancouver

Dec. 13, 2019

Introduction

I like to work on a project to tour the city of Vancouver. My plan is to go out to meet my friend at 3:00 PM, and then drive to Cypress mountain sightseeing viewpoint, and then go to west Vancouver for dinner at whole food store, and then go to capilano suspension bridge to see Christmas lights.

How to make a plan?

Rush to work on system design preparation

Dec. 13, 2019

Introduction

It is so important for me to spend time regularly to work on system design study. I had Facebook and Amazon onsite in August 2019, but after that, I do not spend time regularly on study of system design. I have hard time to manage time and push myself to learn better on system design. Now I have three days to prepare until next Monday. I like to learn something, learn better this time.

System design 

What can I contribute to the community to learn better about system design? Where should I write and submit my study and understanding the importance of system design, large distributed system how to make it work first and work better?

How to Make More Money Than a Harvard MBA – The Happiness Equation by Neil Pasricha

Here is the link.

FLOW BY MIHALY CSIKSZENTMIHALYI | ANIMATED BOOK SUMMARY

Here is the video with more than 400,000 views.

Fight against mediocrity

我怎样把独处时间变为 个人成长的机会 内向还是外向更快乐？Solititude And Hapiness 人生 心理学

Here is the link.

It is such a great video. I like her analysis about asking a friend to return money if he borrowed the money but he does not like to return. How to think and analyze the friendship?

该书链接 ： https://amzn.to/2QG9OiD 人需要独处的时间来思考自己的生活，从而得到个人成长的机会。但独处的时间太多会让人不快乐，太少则会错过反思，从而成长的过程。如何顺应宇宙法则的心理学，获得正能量的人生。

1.专注自己喜欢的积极事情 2.反思生活，了解自己 3.如何过滤信息 4.独处，注意力的休息 ，冥想 ，轻音乐 5.吃健康的食物

Actionable Items

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (Harper Perennial Modern Classics) 

Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's famous investigations of "optimal experience" have revealed that what makes an experience genuinely satisfying is a state of consciousness called flow. During flow, people typically experience deep enjoyment, creativity, and a total involvement with life. In this new edition of his groundbreaking classic work, Csikszentmihalyi demonstrates the ways this positive state can be controlled, not just left to chance. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience teaches how, by ordering the information that enters our consciousness, we can discover true happiness and greatly improve the quality of our lives.

Write-ahead logging

Here is the wiki article I like to read again.

I read the book design large data intensive application, and one of the topic is about logging. How the logging is used to design Kafka and support distributed system like database, keep ACID properties. But what I do not remember is that every transaction in database is to use write-ahead logging to allow undo/ redo feature.

By checking the log, or put transaction into log first, it is easy to do, but also a good design to keep database table record ACID.

My mistake - Start too late to study Investment until 53 years old

Dec. 12, 2019

Introduction

It is my personal finance research. I started to learn how to invest from May 2019, and I have invested over hundreds of hours in my life the first time.  I like to conduct a short research to review my personal experience from 2001 to 2019. Why do I wait so long to start my research on money and investment?

Mistakes costs me thousands dollars

I can estimate that only 401 K and IRA alone costed me over $50,000 US dollars at least, since I invested into 401 K and IRA starting from 1998, and only 2010 to 2019 S & P 500 index 300% increase alone, the opportunity cost is above $60,000.

My strength and weakness 

I spent hundreds of hours to learn personal finance starting from November 2018, I chose to work on my financial problem, after six months, I started to watch how to invest videos on youtube.com. First time I spent time to watch how Warren Buffet invests and his philosophy called value investing.

I just fell in love with my new research area called investment.

Polling vs SSE vs WebSocket— How to choose the right one

Dec. 12, 2019

Introduction

It is my favorite article to read, and I spent over an hour to read.

Reading is fastest way to learn

I like to ask questions, and also read out loud, so that I can understand the topic better.

Here is the article.

two general approaches: client pull or server push.

A few ways to implement these:

• Long/short polling (client pull)
• WebSockets (server push)
• Server-Sent Events (server push)

Actionable Items

I also like to write down my thought process. I still remembered that I failed onsite interview question from Fortinet this May 2019, if a web page has submit button, what happen if the button is clicked twice quickly?

I really like to read more carefully, and most important I should pay attention to those terms, ajax polling, long term polling, and what is TCP and how many connections stay open?

Prepare for Your Google Interview: Systems Design

Here is the link.


Googlers share targeted advice for the systems design aspects of Google's interview process for technical and engineering candidates. This video will cover tips for communication, designing to scale, trade-offs and compromises, overall best practices, and more! Skip ahead to: 0:38 - Communication 1:31 - Designing to Scale 2:49 - Concrete and Quantitative Solutions 3:38 - Trade-offs and Compromises 4:18 - Best Practices


Designing to Scale

Questions to keep in mind:
. how can we tell that the system is working
. Is there a bottleneck in the design?
. How do the components work together?
. How do we provide great service to everyone?

System properties:
. Latency
. Throughput
. Storage

Costs of operations:
. Read from disk
. Read from memory
. Local area network (LAN) round-trip
. Cross-continental network

Solution patterns:
. Sharding data
. Replication types
. Write-ahead logging
. Separating data and metadata storage
. Load distribution

Best practice

Explain
Clarify
Improve
Practice

Create for every one, design for every one

Actionable items

Follow up on Oct. 5, 2020

Plan to work on solution patterns. Start from sharding data, replication types, write-ahead logging, separating data and metadata storage, and load distribution. 

Questrade 2019 tax file application

Dec. 12, 2019

Introduction

It is my personal finance research. I have to learn all kinds of documents as an investor. Since I am 53 years old, I can no longer take risk to wish making money without learning first. I got the document to read and like to write about it.

Questrade 2019 tax file application 

Book Clubs: How to Lead Book Discussions

Here is the link.

“M. Scott Peck: Understanding Human Suffering” – Pastoral Counseling, Video 9

Here is the link.

Learn the Transforming Power of Principles

Here is the link.

I like to study one more person who likes to share what books to read. I really like to work on my English vocabulary and my understanding of life and spiritual life, specially after I turned 53 years old, and tried to understand so many dangers ahead in terms of personal health, financial difficulties. I really like to be a learner, and push myself to work hard, stay on track in this internet age.

Book Review: The Road Less Traveled

Here is the link.

Check out my Online Book Club and other awesome learning opportunities for you at: http://audreyrindlisbacher.com/! The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck is controversial with good reason; Peck struggled to live what he taught and went on to write things that some consider heresy. But in The Road Less Traveled we find a younger, more balanced man seeking truth and often, in our opinion, hitting upon it. Peck wants to show us the connection between our psychological and spiritual health and we believe there truly is an important interdependence there. As with any valuable book, we recommend you read it for yourself, embrace the truth you find and discard the rest.

The Road Less Traveled

Dec. 11, 2019

Introduction

It is a book with 10 million copy sold. I also like to read the summary from author's wiki article.

The road less traveled

The Road Less Traveled,^[7] published in 1978, is Peck's best-known work, and the one that made his reputation. It is, in short, a description of the attributes that make for a fulfilled human being, based largely on his experiences as a psychiatrist and a person.

The book consists of four parts. In the first part Peck examines the notion of discipline, which he considers essential for emotional, spiritual, and psychological health, and which he describes as "the means of spiritual evolution". The elements of discipline that make for such health include the ability to delay gratification, accepting responsibility for oneself and one's actions, a dedication to truth, and "balancing". "Balancing" refers to the problem of reconciling multiple, complex, possibly conflicting factors that impact on an important decision—on one's own behalf or on behalf of another.

In the second part, Peck addresses the nature of love, which he considers the driving force behind spiritual growth. He contrasts his own views on the nature of love against a number of common misconceptions about love, including:

• that love is identified with romantic love (he considers it a very destructive myth when it is solely relying on "falling in love"),
• that love is related to dependency,
• that true love is linked with the feeling of "falling in love".

Peck argues that "true" love is rather an action that one undertakes consciously to extend one's ego boundaries by including others or humanity, and is therefore the spiritual nurturing—which can be directed toward oneself, as well as toward one's beloved.

In the third part Peck deals with religion, and the commonly accepted views and misconceptions concerning religion. He recounts experiences from several patient case histories, and the evolution of the patients' notion of God, religion, atheism—especially of their own "religiosity" or atheism—as their therapy with Peck progressed.

The fourth and final part concerns "grace", the powerful force originating outside human consciousness that nurtures spiritual growth in human beings. To focus on the topic, he describes the miracles of health, the unconscious, and serendipity—phenomena which Peck says:

• nurture human life and spiritual growth,
• are incompletely understood by scientific thinking,
• are commonplace among humanity,
• originate outside the conscious human will.

He concludes that "the miracles described indicate that our growth as human beings is being assisted by a force other than our conscious will" (Peck, 1978/1992,^[7] p281).

Random House, where the then little-known psychiatrist first tried to publish his original manuscript, turned him down, saying the final section was "too Christ-y." Thereafter, Simon & Schuster published the work for $7,500 and printed a modest hardback run of 5,000 copies. The book took off only after Peck hit the lecture circuit and personally sought reviews in key publications. Later reprinted in paperback in 1980, The Road first made best-seller lists in 1984 – six years after its initial publication.^[6]

M. Scott Peck

Here is wiki article.

Peck was born in New York City, the son of Zabeth (née Saville) and David Warner Peck, an attorney and judge.^[1] His parents were Quakers. Peck was raised a Protestant (his paternal grandmother was from a Jewish family, but Peck's father identified himself as a WASP^[2] and not as Jewish).^[3][4][5]

His parents sent him to the prestigious boarding school Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire, when he was 13.^[6] In his book, The Road Less Traveled,^[7] he confides the story of his brief stay at Exeter, and admits that it was a most miserable time. Finally, at age 15, during the spring holiday of his third year, he came home and refused to return to the school, whereupon his parents sought psychiatric help for him and he was (much to his amusement in later life) diagnosed with depression and recommended for a month's stay in a psychiatric hospital (unless he chose to return to school). He then transferred to Friends Seminary (a private K-12 school) in late 1952, and graduated in 1954, after which he received a BA from Harvard in 1958, and an MD degree from Case Western Reserve University in 1963.^[6]

The story
A true story - depression

His first and best-known book, The Road Less Traveled, sold more than ten million copies.

The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck ► Animated Book Summary

Here is the link.

An animated book summary of The Road Less Traveled - A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth by M. Scott Peck. Video by OnePercentBetter.

0:12 - INTRODUCTION: Life is Difficult 0:36 - LESSON 1: Accept Responsibility For Your Problems 1:47 - LESSON 2: Love is Separateness 3:37 - LESSON 3: Honesty is Freedom ** SUMMARY ** M. Scott Peck is a psychiatrist who offers a way of confronting and solving life's problems. Millions of readers have grown spiritually and improved their lives. ** TOP QUOTE ** “Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult-once we truly understand and accept it-then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters.”

又聪明又努力的人却为何不能成功 Smart Harding Working People Not Always Succeed

Here is the link.

又聪明又努力的人并不是一定成功，因为成功不止需要这两个因素。他们失败有5个原因，幸运的是，可以按这5个原因改善，提高自己，改变自己，从而走向身心健康的人生成长之路。又聪明又努力的人却为何不能成功 Smart Harding Working People Not Always Succeed 自我提升 成功人生 purr w #如何成功 #自我提升 #个人成长

1.接触新的人群 2.敢于冒险 3.不认为成功是必然的 4.决定果断 5.相信自己

Warmup system design - grokking system

Dec. 11, 2019

Introduction

It is time for me to warm up system design content. I believe that best learning method is reading, so I choose to read grokking system design book first, and I like to write a blog about the study.

How to review system design?

Assuming that I will have an onsite interview next Monday, I only have a few days to prepare. How should I set up a practical project plan to review system design?

How to evaluate and make sure that I have enough preparation? How to use free resource, use my own blogs related to system design?