#Android P dev

[sad--tree]

it's an instant -30% if u don't demo but...... is that only if it works???? i don't wanna lose unnecessary marks bc lord knows ill be losing plenty already bc my assignment is a piece of crap but god..... the STRESS of running a program u KNOW won't work IN FRONT of ur instructor ????? dread. despair. dying

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Lina Khan’s future is the future of the Democratic Party — and America

On OCTOBER 23 at 7PM, I'll be in DECATUR, presenting my novel THE BEZZLE at EAGLE EYE BOOKS.

On the one hand, the anti-monopoly movement has a future no matter who wins the 2024 election – that's true even if Kamala Harris wins but heeds the calls from billionaire donors to fire Lina Khan and her fellow trustbusters.

In part, that's because US antitrust laws have broad "private rights of action" that allow individuals and companies to sue one another for monopolistic conduct, even if top government officials are turning a blind eye. It's true that from the Reagan era to the Biden era, these private suits were few and far between, and the cases that were brought often died in a federal courtroom. But the past four years has seen a resurgence of antitrust rage that runs from left to right, and from individuals to the C-suites of big companies, driving a wave of private cases that are prevailing in the courts, upending the pro-monopoly precedents that billionaires procured by offering free "continuing education" antitrust training to 40% of the Federal judiciary:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/08/13/post-bork-era/#manne-down

It's amazing to see the DoJ racking up huge wins against Google's monopolistic conduct, sure, but first blood went to Epic, who won a historic victory over Google in federal court six months before the DoJ's win, which led to the court ordering Google to open up its app store:

https://www.theverge.com/policy/2024/10/7/24243316/epic-google-permanent-injunction-ruling-third-party-stores

Google's 30% App Tax is a giant drag on all kinds of sectors, as is its veto over which software Android users get to see, so Epic's win is going to dramatically alter the situation for all kinds of activities, from beleaguered indie game devs:

https://antiidlereborn.com/news/

To the entire news sector:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/06/save-news-we-must-open-app-stores

Private antitrust cases have attracted some very surprising plaintiffs, like Michael Jordan, whose long policy of apoliticism crumbled once he bought a NASCAR team and lived through the monopoly abuses of sports leagues as an owner, not a player:

https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/michael-jordan-anti-monopolist

A much weirder and more unlikely antitrust plaintiff than Michael Jordan is Google, the perennial antitrust defendant. Google has brought a complaint against Microsoft in the EU, based on Microsoft's extremely ugly monopolistic cloud business:

https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-files-complaint-eu-over-microsoft-cloud-practices-2024-09-25/

Google's choice of venue here highlights another reason to think that the antitrust surge will continue irrespective of US politics: antitrust is global. Antitrust fervor has seized governments from the UK to the EU to South Korea to Japan. All of those countries have extremely similar antitrust laws, because they all had their statute books overhauled by US technocrats as part of the Marshall Plan, so they have the same statutory tools as the American trustbusters who dismantled Standard Oil and AT&T, and who are making ready to shatter Google into several competing businesses:

https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/8/24265832/google-search-antitrust-remedies-framework-android-chrome-play

Antitrust fever has spread to Canada, Australia, and even China, where the Cyberspace Directive bans Chinese tech giants from breaking interoperability to freeze out Chinese startups. Anything that can't go on forever eventually stops, and the cost of 40 years of pro-monopoly can't be ignored. Monopolies make the whole world more brittle, even as the cost of that brittleness mounts. It's hard to pretend monopolies are fine when a single hurricane can wipe out the entire country's supply of IV fluid – again:

https://prospect.org/health/2024-10-11-cant-believe-im-writing-about-iv-fluid-again/

What's more, the conduct of global monopolists is the same in every country where they have taken hold, which means that trustbusters in the EU can use the UK Digital Markets Unit's report on the mobile app market as a roadmap for their enforcement actions against Apple:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/63f61bc0d3bf7f62e8c34a02/Mobile_Ecosystems_Final_Report_amended_2.pdf

And then the South Korean and Japanese trustbusters can translate the court documents from the EU's enforcement action and use them to score victories over Apple in their own courts:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/10/an-injury-to-one/#is-an-injury-to-all

So on the one hand, the trustbusting wave will continue erode the foundations of global monopolies, no matter what happens after this election. But on the other hand, if Harris wins and then fires Biden's top trustbusters to appease her billionaire donors, things are going to get ugly.

A new, excellent long-form Bloomberg article by Josh Eidelson and Max Chafkin gives a sense of the battle raging just below the surface of the Democratic Power, built around a superb interview with Khan herself:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-10-09/lina-khan-on-a-second-ftc-term-ai-price-gouging-data-privacy

The article begins with a litany of tech billionaires who've gone an all-out, public assault on Khan's leadership – billionaires who stand to personally lose hundreds of millions of dollars from her agency's principled, vital antitrust work, but who cloak their objection to Khan in rhetoric about defending the American economy. In public, some of these billionaires are icily polite, but many of them degenerate into frothing, toddler-grade name-calling, like IAB's Barry Diller, who called her a "dope" and Musk lickspittle Jason Calacanis, who called her an all-caps COMMUNIST and a LUNATIC.

The overall vibe from these wreckers? "How dare the FTC do things?!"

And you know, they have a point. For decades, the FTC was – in the quoted words of Tim Wu – "a very hardworking agency that did nothing." This was the period when the FTC targeted low-level scammers while turning a blind eye to the monsters that were devouring the US economy. In part, that was because the FTC had been starved of budget, trapping them in a cycle of racking up easy, largely pointless "wins" against penny-ante grifters to justify their existence, but never to the extent that Congress would apportion them the funds to tackle the really serious cases (if this sounds familiar, it's also the what happened during the long period when the IRS chased middle class taxpayers over minor filing errors, while ignoring the billionaires and giant corporations that engaged in 7- and 8-figure tax scams).

But the FTC wasn't merely underfunded: it was timid. The FTC has extremely broad enforcement and rulemaking powers, which most sat dormant during the neoliberal era:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/10/the-courage-to-govern/#whos-in-charge

The Biden administration didn't merely increase the FTC's funding: in choosing Khan to helm the organization, they brought onboard a skilled technician, who was both well-versed in the extensive but unused powers of the agency and determined to use them:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/18/administrative-competence/#i-know-stuff

But Khan's didn't just rely on technical chops and resources to begin the de-olicharchification of the US economy: she built a three-legged stool, whose third leg is narrative. Khan's signature is her in-person and remote "listening tours," where workers who've been harmed by corporate power get to tell their stories. Bloomberg recounts the story of Deborah Brantley, who was sexually harassed and threatened by her bosses at Kavasutra North Palm Beach. Brantley's bosses touched her inappropriately and "joked" about drugging her and raping her so she "won’t be such a bitch and then maybe people would like you more."

When Brantley finally quit and took a job bartending at a different business, Kavasutra sued her over her noncompete clause, alleging an "irreparable injury" sustained by having one of their former employees working at another business, seeking damages and fees.

The vast majority of the 30 million American workers who labor under noncompetes are like Brantley, low-waged service workers, especially at fast-food restaurants (so Wendy's franchisees can stop minimum wage cashiers from earning $0.25/hour more flipping burgers at a nearby McDonald's). The donor-class indenturers who defend noncompetes claim that noncompetes are necessary to protect "innovative" businesses from losing their "IP." But of course, the one state where no workers are subject to noncompetes is California, which bans them outright – the state that is also home to Silicon Valley, an IP-heave industry that the same billionaires laud for its innovations.

After that listening tour, Khan's FTC banned noncompetes nationwide:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/25/capri-v-tapestry/#aiming-at-dollars-not-men

Only to have a federal judge in Texas throw out their ban, a move that will see $300b/year transfered from workers to shareholders, and block the formation of 8,500 new US businesses every year:

https://www.npr.org/2024/08/21/g-s1-18376/federal-judge-tosses-ftc-noncompetes-ban

Notwithstanding court victories like Epic v Google and DoJ v Google, America's oligarchs have the courts on their side, thanks to decades of court-packing planned by the Federalist Society and executed by Senate Republicans and Reagan, Bush I, Bush II, and Trump. Khan understands this; she told Bloomberg that she's a "close student" of the tactics Reagan used to transform American society, admiring his effectiveness while hating his results. Like other transformative presidents, good and bad, Reagan had to fight the judiciary and entrenched institutions (as did FDR and Lincoln). Erasing Reagan's legacy is a long-term project, a battle of inches that will involve mustering broad political support for the cause of a freer, more equal America.

Neither Biden nor Khan are responsible for the groundswell of US – and global – movement to euthanize our rentier overlords. This is a moment whose time has come; a fact demonstrated by the tens of thousands of working Americans who filled the FTC's noncompete docket with outraged comments. People understand that corporate looters – not "the economy" or "the forces of history" – are the reason that the businesses where they worked and shopped were destroyed by private equity goons who amassed intergenerational, dynastic fortunes by strip-mining the real economy and leaving behind rubble.

Like the billionaires publicly demanding that Harris fire Khan, private equity bosses can't stop making tone-deaf, guillotine-conjuring pronouncements about their own virtue and the righteousness of their businesses. They don't just want to destroy the world - they want to be praised for it:/p>

"Private equity’s been a great thing for America" -Stephen Pagliuca, co-chairman of Bain Capital;

"We are taught to judge the success of a society by how it deals with the least able, most vulnerable members of that society. Shouldn’t we judge a society by how they treat the most successful? Do we vilify, tax, expropriate and condemn those who have succeeded, or do we celebrate economic success as the engine that propels our society toward greater collective well-being?" -Marc Rowan, CEO of Apollo

"Achieve life-changing money and power," -Sachin Khajuria, former partner at Apollo

Meanwhile, the "buy, strip and flip" model continues to chew its way through America. When PE buys up all the treatment centers for kids with behavioral problems, they hack away at staffing and oversight, turning them into nightmares where kids are routinely abused, raped and murdered:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/they-told-me-it-was-going-be-good-place-allega-tions-n987176

When PE buys up nursing homes, the same thing happens, with elderly residents left to sit in their own excrement and then die:

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/12/24/nursing-homes-private-equity-fraud-00132001

Writing in The Guardian, Alex Blasdel lays out the case for private equity as a kind of virus that infects economies, parasitically draining them of not just the capacity to provide goods and services, but also of the ability to govern themselves, as politicians and regulators are captured by the unfathomable sums that PE flushes into the political process:

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/oct/10/slash-and-burn-is-private-equity-out-of-control

Now, the average worker who's just lost their job may not understand "divi recaps" or "2-and-20" or "carried interest tax loopholes," but they do understand that something is deeply rotten in the world today.

What happens to that understanding is a matter of politics. The Republicans – firmly affiliated with, and beloved of, the wreckers – have chosen an easy path to capitalizing on the rising rage. All they need to do is convince the public that the system is irredeemably corrupt and that the government can't possibly fix anything (hence Reagan's asinine "joke": "the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help'").

This is a very canny strategy. If you are the party of "governments are intrinsically corrupt and incompetent," then governing corruptly and incompetently proves your point. The GOP strategy is to create a nation of enraged nihilists who don't even imagine that the government could do something to hold their bosses to account – not for labor abuses, not for pollution, not for wage theft or bribery.

The fact that successive neoliberal governments – including Democratic administrations – acted time and again to bear out this hypothesis makes it easy for this kind of nihilism to take hold.

Far-right conspiracies about pharma bosses colluding with corrupt FDA officials to poison us with vaccines for profit owe their success to the lived experience of millions of Americans who lost loved ones to a conspiracy between pharma bosses and corrupt officials to poison us with opioids.

Unhinged beliefs that "they" caused the hurricanes tearing through Florida and Georgia and that Kamala Harris is capping compensation to people who lost their homes are only credible because of murderous Republican fumble during Katrina; and the larcenous collusion of Democrats to help banks steal Americans' homes during the foreclosure crisis, when Obama took Tim Geithner's advice to "foam the runway" with the mortgages of everyday Americans who'd been cheated by their banks:

https://www.salon.com/2014/05/14/this_man_made_millions_suffer_tim_geithners_sorry_legacy_on_housing/

If Harris gives in to billionaire donors and fires Khan and her fellow trustbusters, paving the way for more looting and scamming, the result will be more nihilism, which is to say, more electoral victories for the GOP. The "government can't do anything" party already exists. There are no votes to be gained by billing yourself as the "we also think governments can't do anything" party.

In other words, a world where Khan doesn't run the FTC is a world where antitrust continues to gain ground, but without taking Democrats with it. It's a world where nihilism wins.

There's factions of the Democratic Party who understand this. AOC warned party leaders that, "Anyone goes near Lina Khan and there will be an out and out brawl":

https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1844034727935988155

And Bernie Sanders called her "the best FTC Chair in modern history":

https://twitter.com/SenSanders/status/1843733298960576652

In other words: Lina Khan as a posse.

Tor Books as just published two new, free LITTLE BROTHER stories: VIGILANT, about creepy surveillance in distance education; and SPILL, about oil pipelines and indigenous landback.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/10/11/democracys-antitrust-paradox/#there-will-be-an-out-and-out-brawl

[a-fox-studies]

Saw your recent post and wondered, are you learning C? If yes, sorry for not knowing that, how it's going? I tried learning it once and it feels oddly simple? I think after you learn so many C-like languages, C itself is like a subset y'know. But I haven't gone deep into memory management at the time, just basic syntax.

It's alright that you didn't know that lol. It's because I don't talk about it much, because I don't like it :P

C programming was taught in my first semester, and @studaxy is starting uni for comp sci engineering soon, so I am giving them some lessons so that they are familiar with the basic stuff.

I myself only know a little bit of C, the rest of it is this huge scary world I do not want to get into XD

(also fun fact, my main programming languages are python and Java, since rn I'm learning GUI programming in python and Android app dev using Java :P)

[king-fae]

11/100 days of code.

1.19.24

today im starting on my java learning journey, with the book Introduction to Java: Programming and Data Structures 12th Edition by Y. Daniel Liang. before jumping in, i cant help but be very excited to learn java for the explicit purpose of coding minecraft mods, as that sounds like a super fun project and usage of this language for me :P ultimately game dev is why im learning c++, so having a game dev equivalent usage for java will help me retain it in the long term, as i already have interest in that application. i intend on eventually learning pygame to retain and stretch my python knowledge for the same purpose, though i dont have something specific like minecraft modding to work towards, so we'll see.

in the introductory section, im also learning that android phones are developed in Java, making it promising to be able to make android compatible (which is the phone i use) mobile software without much hassle, which is super cool. i also learned that java, like c++, is a compiled language, uses classes (namespaces in c++), has the same commenting system, same use of ; to end statements, and more. while there are a vast amount of differences, finding these similarities is both cool and helpful for retention!

public class Welcome {

......public static void main(String[] args) {

..........System.out.println("Welcome to Java!");

.....}

}

[anandtechverceseo]

Best Software Development Company in Chennai: Your Partner for Digital Excellence

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[mediamonarchy]

https://mediamonarchy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240827_MorningMonarchy.mp3 Download MP3 Suspended campaigns, arrested dev element and UBI elections + this day in history w/faulty solar panels and our song of the day by Jody Bigfoot on your #MorningMonarchy for August 27, 2024. Notes/Links: Vinyl Prices Have Outpaced Inflation. Are They Finally Flattening Out?; Experts say an improvement in COVID-era supply chain issues should be good news for physical music purchasers — though other factors may lead to a continued creep in prices. https://archive.is/3qpiy Fed’s Jerome Powell Signals Rate Cut: ‘Time Has Come for Policy to Adjust’; Inflation and labor market data indicate U.S. economy experiencing an evolving situation. https://archive.is/CPWSm Vo-Tech Education Is Taking Off, And It’s Not Your Dad’s Shop Class Anymore https://www.zerohedge.com/political/vo-tech-education-taking-and-its-not-your-dads-shop-class-anymore Foo Fighters Did Not Allow Donald Trump to Use ‘My Hero’ at Rally, Will Donate Any Royalties to Harris Campaign; Trump played the 1997 hit to bring Robert Kennedy Jr. to the stage in Glendale, Arizona. https://www.billboard.com/culture/politics/foo-fighters-donald-trump-my-hero-rally-1235760416/ Pop Star-In-Chief: How Politics Can Echo Fan Armies; The real fan army face-off is the election, where two icons with very different worldviews rally die-hard devotees. https://archive.is/7TMpG RFK Jr. Suspends Presidential Campaign, Backs Trump; Kennedy is withdrawing from the ballot in battleground states https://archive.is/LjqHk Video: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspends presidential campaign, endorses Donald Trump (Audio) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESpNZNrWWQg LA Dreams – “Awakening” (Inst. // Vinyl // Audio) https://ladreams.bandcamp.com/track/awakening Your Android devices will soon join the Find My Device network https://support.google.com/android/answer/14796936?p=find_offline_devices&rd=1#finding_offline_devices People are now blurring their homes on Google Maps to deter potential burglars https://abc7.com/post/homeowners-now-blurring-properties-google-maps-deter-potential-burglars/15205761/ Pavel Durov detained in France: All you need to know about the Telegram founder https://archive.is/YXc0d Video: Telegram CEO reportedly arrested in France (Audio) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH1-KjrdGzg Instagram Connects Vast Pedophile Network; The Meta unit’s systems for fostering communities have guided users to child-sex content; company says it is improving internal controls (Jun. 7, 2023 ) https://www.wsj.com/articles/instagram-vast-pedophile-network-4ab7189 Speedworld – “Pacesetter” (Inst. // Cassette // Audio) https://www.discogs.com/release/30981802-Speedworld-Safari // https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYawktw52sQ NASA Decides to Bring Starliner Spacecraft Back to Earth Without Crew https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-decides-to-bring-starliner-spacecraft-back-to-earth-without-crew/ NASA: Astronauts stuck in space will not return on Boeing Starliner; Will wait for SpaceX https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2024/08/27/astronauts-stuck-in-space-with-boeing-starliner-will-wait-for-spacex-nasa/74962955007/ Oregon Voters to Consider Approving Nation’s First Universal Basic Income; The proposal is meeting stiff bipartisan resistance from elected officials and pushback from the business community. https://archive.is/HQNKH Video: Oregon votes on taxing corporations for $1,600 rebates. #oregon #rebate #universalbasicincome (Audio) https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HNFWn-TfCiM Hatchie – “Sleep” (Vinyl // Audio) https://www.discogs.com/release/12434721-Hatchie-Sugar-Spice // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_&_Spice_(EP) // https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icad1HjrmXs August 2014 – Page 1 – Media Monarchy https://mediamonarchy.com/2014/8/ Flashback: New Age Bullshit and The Suppression of The Sacred Masculine (Aug. 27, 2014) https://mediamonarchy.com/new-age-bullshit-and-suppression-of/ #MorningMonarchy: August 27, 2018 – John McCain Dead ...

[interact-if]

do you have any sci-fi or post-apocalyptic themed IF recommendations? thank you!!

[ID: An anonymous ask that reads: “hello! do you, perhaps, have sci-fi focused recs? i only found out about event horizon awhile ago, and loved it!” /end ID]

[ID: An anonymous ask that reads: “Hello 👋 thank you for your work for this community. I have a question. I really like sci-fi, do you have any recs for sci-fi IFs? (I wouldn't mind science fantasy too :) I'm specifically looking for works set in a world where civilization managed to master space travel, but anything would do, really” /end ID]

[ID: An anonymous ask that reads: “hello! so i don't know if anyone has asked about this yet, but i'm wondering if you have any games to recommend that are apocalyptic IFs, but I think those will be interesting! Also, thank you for the hard work in maintaining this blog! It really helps the whole community. ✨” /end ID]

As per popular request, Sci-Fi and Apocalyptic games coming right up! 

If you have any recommendations for either of these genres, please feel free to let us know and we’ll add it! 

Sci-Fi - Completed

Andromeda Six by Wanderlust Games

Belle Automata by @jelpiparade

Choice of Robots [Steam] [Apple] [Android] by Kevin Gold

Creatures Such as We by Lynnea Glasser

DOL-OS by @manonamora-if

Heaven Will Be Mine by pillowfight

I, Cyborg by Kevin Warnick

Lifeline (app) [Apple] [Samsung] by 3 Minute Games 

Love Shore by Perfect Garbage Studios

Mnemonic Devices by @harlevin

Nebula by @nebulathegame 

Pirated Coded by @hollowmend

PROTOCOL by @thirtybythirty

Reclamation by @groggydog

SPS Iron Hammer by @manonamora-if

VA-11 Hall-A by Sukeban Games

Sci-Fi - Demo

Abyss by @abyss-if

Attollo by @attollogame

CLOSELOOP by @if-closedloop

Event horizon by @if-eventhorizon (hiatus)

Mirror Mine by @if-mirrormine

Infinite Stars by InfiniteStarsVN

Project Hadea by @nyehilismwriting

P-Rix - Space Trucker by @manonamora-if

Remember, You Will Die by @vapolis

Solid Ground by @solidgroundif

Supernova: Renegade by @jupitergames-if

Valhalla by @palette-jack

Up & Coming (no demo yet!)

All Paths Lead to the Underground by @pol-writes (demo unavailable)

Novus by @novusgame

Unmourned by @unmourned

The Everheart Thief by @everheart-if (discontinued)

What Remains of the Cosmic Dream by @fizmowrites

(Post) Apoc

Aloners (Redux) (VN) by @sonnet009games

As We Know It by Jaime Scribbles Games

Creatures’ Cradle by @thecuriouseye

Hybrid by @heart-forge

Scout: An Apocalypse Story by @anya-dev

Two Sides of a Robot War by @tsoarw-if

Virtue’s End (fantasy post-apoc) by @crimsiswrites​

[welllpthisishappening]

Welllp This is...Books. Lots and Lots of Books

That gif is something of a lie. Some of these books were not great. But! Some of them were very good! And some of them were marketed weird — seriously, what does qualify as YA — and some of them I read in, like, six hours and some of them I raged about for six hours after I finished them.

Or: 2020!Laura reverted to 2004!Laura and read just a lot of books and then her husband got her a Kindle and she read even more books and has thoughts on most of those books that she is now going to share with the internet while also making absurd category names. Note that these are only books I read for the first time this year. So, the list is missing some of the stuff I used as coping devices. ALSO SOME SPOILERS AHEAD, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

FAVORITE BOOKS THAT MADE A SHITTY YEAR SLIGHTLY BETTER AND ALSO LIKELY MADE ME SWOON A BIT

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.

At least, he's not a beast all the time.

As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin-and his world-forever.

— I kid you not, I had to do a lap around the apartment after reading the second book in this series. Why didn’t I read this before? Why isn’t there more fic? Why I am constantly falling for dark-haired sad dudes in love with their wives??? I cannot rec this series enough. It’s got world building and found families, and that dark-haired sad dude, and magic and lore and banter, and it’s so good and I don’t understand why it was marketed as YA. The literary world is weird, guys.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians (and the Heroes of Olympus) by Rick Riordan

Accompany the son of the sea god Poseidon and his other demigod friends as they go on a series of quests that will have them facing monsters, gods, and conniving figures from Greek mythology. Do they have what it takes to save the Olympians from an ancient enemy?

— Straight up, how did you guys cope with Percy and Annabeth when you were kids reading this? I would have been OBSESSED. Quarantine felt like the perfect time to finally read all of these books, and I know it’s sacrilegious to like Heroes of Olympus, but I might have liked parts of that series more? Just because it felt like they were older and I was super into Percabeth being properly in love. Also, now I get why everyone was so upset about the movies. Fair.

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl. . . .Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.

— Yet another YA series that I will admit to loving this year. Started off a little slow, but once the world building really got underway —and it gets underway — I was hooked. If I had read this at an age-appropriate time I would have been super in love Captain Carswell Thorne. I was still kind of in love with Captan Carswell Thorne. So it should come as no surprise that Cress was my favorite of the series, but I enjoyed the whole thing, really.

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.As a huntsman of the Church, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. But when Lou pulls a wicked stunt, the two are forced into an impossible situation—marriage.Lou, unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, must make a choice. And love makes fools of us all.

— YO. Y O. THIS WAS SO GOOD. World building! Magic! Marriage of convenience! Well-written enemies to lovers! As soon as I finished this, I bought the sequel. And then got upset the third book in the series isn’t out yet! That’s a frustrating theme for me this year.

The Roommate by Rosie Danan

The Wheatons are infamous among the east coast elite for their lack of impulse control, except for their daughter Clara. She's the consummate socialite: over-achieving, well-mannered, predictable. But every Wheaton has their weakness. When Clara's childhood crush invites her to move cross-country, the offer is too much to resist. Unfortunately, it's also too good to be true.

After a bait-and-switch, Clara finds herself sharing a lease with a charming stranger. Josh might be a bit too perceptive—not to mention handsome—for comfort, but there's a good chance he and Clara could have survived sharing a summer sublet if she hadn't looked him up on the Internet...

Once she learns how Josh has made a name for himself, Clara realizes living with him might make her the Wheaton's most scandalous story yet. His professional prowess inspires her to take tackling the stigma against female desire into her own hands. They may not agree on much, but Josh and Clara both believe women deserve better sex. What they decide to do about it will change both of their lives, and if they're lucky, they'll help everyone else get lucky too.

— I LOVED IT. L O V E D. As I told Justin “there was more porn than I was expecting,” in that porn and the adult film industry was a legitimate plot point and not just a part of Josh’s character, but it was incredibly well written and interesting and I cared about the plot. Sometimes I also wanted to shake Clara, but that was kind of the point.

The Marriage Game by Sara Desai

After her life falls apart, recruitment consultant Layla Patel returns home to her family in San Francisco. But in the eyes of her father, who runs a Michelin starred restaurant, she can do no wrong. He would do anything to see her smile again. With the best intentions in mind, he offers her the office upstairs to start her new business and creates a profile on an online dating site to find her a man. She doesn't know he's arranged a series of blind dates until the first one comes knocking on her door...

As CEO of a corporate downsizing company Sam Mehta is more used to conflict than calm. In search of a quiet new office, he finds the perfect space above a cozy Indian restaurant that smells like home. But when communication goes awry, he's forced to share his space with the owner's beautiful yet infuriating daughter Layla, her crazy family, and a parade of hopeful suitors, all of whom threaten to disrupt his carefully ordered life.

As they face off in close quarters, the sarcasm and sparks fly. But when the battle for the office becomes a battle of the heart, Sam and Layla have to decide if this is love or just a game.

— More well-written enemies to lovers! It’s possible! Seriously, the banter was so good. The kissing was even better. Ridiculous and interfering family is one of my favorite things, and this had it in SPADES. It also made me want to eat samosas, which is kind of my base setting, but I really wanted Indian food whenever I was reading this. Also, the end scene was so goddamn cute I cannot believe it actually happened.

Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev

— The one that got away is one of my favorite tropes, and this modern version of Persuasion did it so well. Everyone was annoying, but in an almost understandable way that made me ache and I just wanted them TO KISS. And then they did kiss! And it was so good! Plus, at the risk of being a little self-indulgent, it was kind of Out of the Frying Pan esque and I liked that a lot. If there is a downside: it’s how quickly the relationship starts up again, like zero to 60 in two seconds flat, and that there were a lot of POVs. Which wouldn’t have been an issue if they’d been labeled, or weren’t bouncing around the timeline randomly. Sometimes I’d have to be like—wait, who’s talking about what?

Chef Ashna Raje desperately needs a new strategy. How else can she save her beloved restaurant and prove to her estranged, overachieving mother that she isn't a complete screw up? When she's asked to join the cast of Cooking with the Stars, the latest hit reality show teaming chefs with celebrities, it seems like just the leap of faith she needs to put her restaurant back on the map. She's a chef, what's the worst that could happen?Rico Silva, that's what.Being paired with a celebrity who was her first love, the man who ghosted her at the worst possible time in her life, only proves what Ashna has always believed: leaps of faith are a recipe for disaster.FIFA winning soccer star Rico Silva isn't too happy to be paired up with Ashna either. Losing Ashna years ago almost destroyed him. The only silver lining to this bizarre situation is that he can finally prove to Ashna that he's definitely over her.But when their catastrophic first meeting goes viral, social media becomes obsessed with their chemistry. The competition on the show is fierce...and so is the simmering desire between Ashna and Rico. Every minute they spend together rekindles feelings that pull them toward their disastrous past. Will letting go again be another recipe for heartbreak—or a recipe for persuasion...?

The Good Luck Charm by Helena Hunting

Lilah isn't sure what hurt worse: the day Ethan left her to focus on his hockey career or the day he came back eight years later. He might think they can pick up just where they left off, but she's no longer that same girl and never wants to be again.

Just when Lilah might finally be ready to let Ethan in, though, she finds out their reunion might have nothing to do with love and everything to do with improving his game. But Ethan's already lost her once, and even if it costs him his career, he'll do anything to keep from losing her again.

— HOCKEY ROM COM. HOCKEY. ROM. COM. Apparently this lady is regarded as the queen of “hockey romance,” which I kind of take offense to, but will give a pass on because this was a very cute book and everyone was cute in it and I was only marginally frustrated by those same people being idiots. As is required by rom coms. Hockey, or otherwise.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Fall in love, break the curse. It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she's instead somehow sucked into Rhen's cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom. A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn't know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what's at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

— Beauty and the Beast AU!!! Fantasy! Magic! Romance! I loved this, even when Rhen was being a whiny idiot. But he was also cursed, so like—fair. This dives into the politics of a cursed kingdom, puts a fun spin on the original fairy tale and also has a sequel. Which I read, and possibly enjoyed more. Only to realize the third book isn’t published yet, and then got annoyed by that.

QUESTIONABLY-GOOD FREE FANTASY BOOKS ON AMAZON

The Silver and Orchids Collection by Shari L Tapscott

What happens when a feisty adventuress, a lord looking to make his own way in the world, and a handsome sea captain set out to find Kalae’s rarest and most valuable flower?

Trouble—and lots of it.

— Snarky flirting! Adventure! Sword fights! Listen, this is not prize-winning fiction, but Lucia is a fun heroine, the rest of her adventure-seeking friends are an absolute delight and you don’t have to think too much while reading it. All four books wrap up their individual storylines, but help set up the next one and while the ending felt a little forced (and way too quick) I didn’t hate it enough to throw the Kindle across the room.

Forest of Firelight by Shari L. Tapscsott

After the sudden death of her brother, Princess Amalia is charged with what feels like an impossible task—she must choose the next king. Youthful thoughts of love are pushed aside as she accepts her fate, setting upon a quest throughout the kingdom to find a man worthy of her father’s throne.

Little does Amalia know, someone has already set his sights on her.

Rhys is a man of secrets, and his mission is simple: befriend the princess of Renove. Coax her to trust him, convince her to follow him.

Betray her when it’s time.

All goes according to plan until Rhys meets the princess. Amalia is a disaster. Never has he met someone so drawn to trouble. Never has he met someone so irritatingly likable.

He’s not allowed to fall for her.

She could never entrust him with a crown.

But, unbeknownst to them, their unlikely partnership might be the key to saving their entire world from a darkness that’s slowly creeping from the wounded earth that separates one kingdom from the next.

— FORBIDDEN LOVE! It’s good! Real good! I read this whole series (or the three books in it, so far) in a questionably short amount of time. Again, not the deepest story, and Amalia is occasionally frustratingly dumb. While Rhys is also sort of all-knowing in that fantasy hero sort of way? Y’know what I mean? Still, they banter very well, and eventually kiss even better.

LESS GOOD FANTASY BOOKS THAT PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE JUST BEEN AVAILABLE FOR FREE ON AMAZON

Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Fire Queen, was murdered before her eyes. On that day, the Kaiser took Theodosia's family, her land, and her name. Theo was crowned Ash Princess—a title of shame to bear in her new life as a prisoner.

For ten years Theo has been a captive in her own palace. She's endured the relentless abuse and ridicule of the Kaiser and his court. She is powerless, surviving in her new world only by burying the girl she was deep inside.

Then, one night, the Kaiser forces her to do the unthinkable. With blood on her hands and all hope of reclaiming her throne lost, she realizes that surviving is no longer enough. But she does have a weapon: her mind is sharper than any sword. And power isn't always won on the battlefield.

For ten years, the Ash Princess has seen her land pillaged and her people enslaved. That all ends here.

— I wanted to love this series. So much so that I read the whole thing. All three books. And I’m still not sure why. The world building, maybe. Which was very good, and the politics actually kept me interested, but every single character was the absolute worst and I kind of wanted them all to die. That’s not even an exaggeration. Spoiler, they didn’t all die. I was only marginally disappointed.

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

When the ruthless Pirate King learns of a legendary treasure map hidden on an enemy ship, his daughter, Alosa, knows that there's only one pirate for the job—herself. Leaving behind her beloved ship and crew, Alosa deliberately facilitates her own kidnapping to ensure her passage on the enemy ship. After all, who's going to suspect a seventeen-year-old girl locked in a cell?Then she meets the (surprisingly perceptive and unfairly attractive) first mate, Riden, who is charged with finding out all her secrets. Now it's down to a battle of wits and will... Can Alosa find the map and escape before Riden figures out her plan?

— Alosa was kind of the worst? Like, STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER who had to keep reminding you how strong she was because she would kill anyone, and had an all female pirate crew. And the whole time I was just like, ok...cool. Still, I read the sequel too and that was slightly better.

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

Alessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power:

1) Woo the Shadow King.

2) Marry him.

3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.

No one knows the extent of the freshly crowned Shadow King's power. Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and she's going to do everything within her power to get it.

But Alessandra's not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen—all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, who better for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen?

— I cannot explain this book any way except to tell you it is so weird. Like, sometimes I remember I read this and all I can think is: why did this book happen? It felt like it started in the middle of the story, which is not a knock on the story itself, but mostly on the world building. Which was lacking to say the least. Also the resolution was super rushed and even more weird and I was like—why does he like her??? I still don’t know, honestly.

The Stars We Steal by Alexa Donne

Engagement season is in the air. Eighteen-year-old Princess Leonie "Leo" Kolburg, heir to a faded European spaceship, has only one thing on her mind: which lucky bachelor can save her family from financial ruin?

But when Leo's childhood friend and first love, Elliot, returns as the captain of a successful whiskey ship, everything changes. Elliot was the one who got away, the boy Leo's family deemed to be unsuitable for marriage. Now he's the biggest catch of the season and he seems determined to make Leo's life miserable. But old habits die hard, and as Leo navigates the glittering balls of the Valg Season, she finds herself falling for her first love in a game of love, lies, and past regrets.

— Another book whose lack of world building hurt it. Stuff just happened, and we were expected to understand it and be into it and I was neither. I had no reason to care about anyone in this book, especially Elliot who seemed like an asshole.

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian's heart to the Sea Queen and or remain a human forever.The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it's his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she's more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind's greatest enemy?

— This book did not go the way I thought it was going to. Not a bad thing, but also not the best and the ending was...bleh. The middle, though? That was legit, and the action was good. I am always a fan of sword fights. Still, there was something that left me waiting for the final push towards great and it just never really came.

ROM-COMS WITH ONLY PASSABLY FRUSTRATING PLOTS AND GOOD KISSING

Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory

Dating is the last thing on Olivia Monroe's mind when she moves to LA to start her own law firm. But when she meets a gorgeous man at a hotel bar and they spend the entire night flirting, she discovers too late that he is none other than hotshot junior senator Max Powell. Olivia has zero interest in dating a politician, but when a cake arrives at her office with the cutest message, she can't resist—it is chocolate cake, after all.

Olivia is surprised to find that Max is sweet, funny, and noble—not just some privileged white politician, as she assumed him to be. Because of Max's high-profile job, they start seeing each other secretly, which leads to clandestine dates and silly disguises. But when they finally go public, the intense media scrutiny means people are now digging up her rocky past and criticizing her job, even her suitability as a trophy girlfriend. Olivia knows what she has with Max is something special, but is it strong enough to survive the heat of the spotlight?

— It was cute. Max was occasionally an idiot. The kissing was legit. Most of their problems could have very easily been solved, but that’s kind of this genre’s schtick.

The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa

A wedding planner left at the altar? Yeah, the irony isn't lost on Carolina Santos, either. But despite that embarrassing blip from her past, Lina's offered an opportunity that could change her life. There's just one hitch... she has to collaborate with the best (make that worst) man from her own failed nuptials. Marketing expert Max Hartley is determined to make his mark with a coveted hotel client looking to expand its brand. Then he learns he'll be working with his brother's whip-smart, stunning—absolutely off-limits—ex-fiancée. And she loathes him.If they can nail their presentation without killing each other, they'll both come out ahead. Except Max has been public enemy number one ever since he encouraged his brother to jilt the bride, and Lina's ready to dish out a little payback of her own.Soon Lina and Max discover animosity may not be the only emotion creating sparks between them. Still, this star-crossed couple can never be more than temporary playmates because Lina isn't interested in falling in love and Max refuses to play runner-up to his brother ever again...

— Once you got past the hooking up with your ex’s brother thing, it was cute. Max was endearing in an earnest sort of way, even when Lina was STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER in a cliche sort of way. More solid kissing. Side note, why are so many rom com dudes named Max? Does it sound hip? Passably cool, but also approachable? Discuss. 

Not that Kind of Guy by Andie J. Christopher

State attorney Bridget Nolan is successful in all aspects of her life—except romance. After breaking up with her longtime boyfriend, she's been slow to reenter the dating scene. To be honest, she has more important things to do like putting bad guys behind bars. But with her brother's wedding right around the corner, she suddenly needs a date and fast. Lucky for Bridget, the legal intern is almost done with his program.

Matt Kido is dumbstruck by Bridget—total love at first sight—but there's one problem. She's totally off-limits while she's his boss. But the moment he no longer reports to her, Matt asks her on a date. An impulsive decision takes them to Las Vegas where, as the saying goes, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

Unless you put a ring on it.

— Having written the “wake up in Vegas married” trope before, I know it’s difficult to do right. Consent’s a thing, y’know? And stuff gets dicy with forgotten memories, and all that, but mostly what kept me from truly loving this book was the intern thing. Don’t date your interns guys, it’s weird and off-putting. Literally if he’d just been a junior partner, or a visiting partner or something else I would have been all in.

Meet Cute by Helena Hunting

Kailyn Flowers was always calm, rational, and controlled—until she ended up sprawled all over Daxton Hughes, the former actor she totally crushed on as a teenager. Then she did the unthinkable: She became a mortifying fangirl in five seconds flat, which may or may not have included professing her undying love. And oddly, he didn't run away. In fact, their meet cute led to a friendship she never saw coming. Of course, she never saw his betrayal coming, either...Now Dax needs her help. As guardian to his thirteen-year-old sister, he's in way over his head. And though Kailyn hasn't forgiven Dax, she isn't heartless enough to make him fend for himself, either. Soon their friendly meetings turn into flirty dinner dates, and Kailyn can feel their chemistry is as explosive as ever. But how can she possibly let down her guard again to a guy who has heartbreak written all over him?

— Once again here for the one that got away trope, even if this comes with dead parents and some sad storylines. It still managed to be cute. Everyone was cute in it. Occasionally Daxton was a dick. As rom com male leads are apt to be.

If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane

If faking love is this easy... how do you know when it's real?When her partner of over a decade suddenly ends things, Laurie is left reeling—not only because they work at the same law firm and she has to see him every day. Her once perfect life is in shambles and the thought of dating again in the age of Tinder is nothing short of horrifying. When news of her ex's pregnant girlfriend hits the office grapevine, taking the humiliation lying down is not an option. Then a chance encounter in a broken-down elevator with the office playboy opens up a new possibility.Jamie Carter doesn't believe in love, but he needs a respectable, steady girlfriend to impress their bosses. Laurie wants a hot new man to give the rumor mill something else to talk about. It's the perfect proposition: a fauxmance played out on social media, with strategically staged photographs and a specific end date in mind. With the plan hatched, Laurie and Jamie begin to flaunt their new couple status, to the astonishment—and jealousy—of their friends and colleagues. But there's a fine line between pretending to be in love and actually falling for your charming, handsome fake boyfriend...

— FAKE DATING THAT LEADS TO REAL FEELINGS. The ex-boyfriend was an assssss, the fake boyfriend was charming, everything was good AND THEN WE GOT TO THE END. Which felt more than a little rushed, unexpected and not really in line with the rest of the book?? Give ‘em a slightly better, in-character ending, and I would have been sold.

BOOKS THAT I WAS LIKE...EH, OK

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. Despite the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences, and leaving the lives of everyone, from the performers to the patrons, hanging in the balance.

— I think this book was too smart for me. The prose was gorgeous, and the whole thing was very pretty and I definitely swooned when Marco said he wished for Celia. And yet. By the end I was like...eh, ok. Maybe it was the timeline? Jumping around, or how little dialogue there was. I wanted to like it all so badly, and I’m just not sure I did.

Acting on Impulse by Mia Sosa

After a very public breakup with a media-hungry politician, fitness trainer Tori Alvarez escapes to Aruba for rest, relaxation, and copious amounts of sex on the beach—the cocktail, that is. She vows to keep her vacation a man-free zone but when a cute guy is seated next to her on the plane, Tori can't resist a little harmless flirting.Hollywood heartthrob Carter Stone underwent a dramatic physical transformation for his latest role and it's clear his stunning seat mate doesn't recognize the man beneath the shaggy beard and extra lean frame. Now Carter needs help rebuilding his buff physique and Tori is perfect for the job. It doesn't hurt that she makes his pulse pound in more ways than one.Sparks are flying, until a pesky paparazzo reveals Carter's identity. Tori is hurt and pissed. She wants nothing to do with another man in the limelight, but she's still got to whip him into shape. Can Carter convince Tori he's worth the threat to her privacy that comes with dating a famous actor, or will Tori chisel him down to nothing before he even gets the chance?

— Dudes have gotta stop lying about who they are. It’s not a great trope. Other than that, the kissing was good. The romance was like...eh. I honestly don’t remember much else.

Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren

During a whirlwind two-week vacation abroad, Sam and Tate fell for each other in only the way that first loves do: sharing all of their hopes, dreams, and deepest secrets along the way. Sam was the first, and only, person that Tate—the long-lost daughter of one of the world's biggest film stars—ever revealed her identity to. So when it became clear her trust was misplaced, her world shattered for good.

Fourteen years later, Tate, now an up-and-coming actress, only thinks about her first love every once in a blue moon. When she steps onto the set of her first big break, he's the last person she expects to see. Yet here Sam is, the same charming, confident man she knew, but even more alluring than she remembered. Forced to confront the man who betrayed her, Tate must ask herself if it's possible to do the wrong thing for the right reason... and whether "once in a lifetime" can come around twice.

— This book was...weird. The early romance was wonderful and delightful, but then shit hit the fan and Sam and Tate are adults and...weird. Like, I cannot come up with another word for it. Also, they didn’t really talk much? As adults? Working on the same movie set? W e i r d.

I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella

Fixie Farr has always lived by her father’s motto: “Family first.” And since her dad passed away, leaving his charming housewares store in the hands of his wife and children, Fixie spends all her time picking up the slack from her siblings instead of striking out on her own. The way Fixie sees it, if she doesn’t take care of her father’s legacy, who will?

It’s simply not in Fixie’s nature to say no to people. So when a handsome stranger in a coffee shop asks her to watch his laptop for a moment, she not only agrees—she ends up saving it from certain disaster. To thank Fixie for her quick thinking, the computer’s owner, Sebastian, an investment manager, scribbles an IOU on a coffee sleeve and attaches his business card. Fixie laughs it off—she’d never actually claim an IOU from a stranger. Would she?

But then Fixie’s childhood crush, Ryan, comes back into her life, and his lack of a profession pushes all of Fixie’s buttons. As always, she wants nothing for herself—but she’d love Seb to give Ryan a job. No sooner has Seb agreed than the tables are turned once more and a new series of IOUs between Seb and Fixie—from small favors to life-changing moments—ensues. Soon Fixie, Ms. Fixit for everyone else, is torn between her family and the life she really wants. Does she have the courage to take a stand? Will she finally grab the life, and love, she really wants?

— Let’s be upfront, I’ve read a lot of Sophie Kinsella in my life, and more often than not I enjoy what she writes. I mostly did here. It was a book. With obvious rom com problems, that could have very easily been solved, but it wasn’t horrible. So, that was good, I guess.

The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory

Maddie and Theo have two things in common:

1. Alexa is their best friend

2. They hate each other

After an "oops, we made a mistake" night together, neither one can stop thinking about the other. With Alexa's wedding rapidly approaching, Maddie and Theo both share bridal party responsibilities that require more interaction with each other than they're comfortable with. Underneath the sharp barbs they toss at each other is a simmering attraction that won't fade. It builds until they find themselves sneaking off together to release some tension when Alexa isn't looking, agreeing they would end it once the wedding is over. When it's suddenly pushed up and they only have a few months left of secret rendezvouses, they find themselves regretting that the end is near. Two people this different can't possibly have a connection other than the purely physical, right?

But as with any engagement with a nemesis, there are unspoken rules that must be abided by. First and foremost, don't fall in love.

— Eh, this book happened. I still have no idea why they couldn’t be together from the get. Obstacles for the sake of plot, I guess. Also political side stories? I don’t know, guys.

WEIRD POST-ENDING FEELINGS WERE INDUCED

Beach Read by Emily Henry

Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast.

They're polar opposites.

In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they're living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer's block.

Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She'll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he'll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. Really.

— Listen, I enjoyed this a lot. For the most part. It was funny, and introspective in a way that didn’t make me want to gag too much, and I wanted to defend January’s love of love with everything in me. But, then it—ended. And it was like...all tied up with this nice little ribbon and happily ever after, and I was like...oh, ok. Part of me that it was glad it ended like that, mostly because of who I am as a person, but the rest of me was also confused that after everything January and Augustus had been through and how messy their lives were it could just get all wrapped up in this HEA.

HITTING JUST A BIT TOO CLOSE TO HOME

Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

Marcus Caster-Rupp has a secret. The world may know him as Aeneas, star of the biggest show on television, but fanfiction readers call him something else: Book!AeneasWouldNever. Marcus gets out his frustrations with the show through anonymous stories about the internet's favorite couple, Aeneas and Lavinia. But if anyone discovered his online persona, he'd be finished in Hollywood.April Whittier has secrets of her own. A hardcore Lavinia fan, she's long hidden her fanfic and cosplay hobbies from her "real life"—but not anymore. When she dares to post her latest costume creation on Twitter, her plus-size take goes viral. And when Marcus asks her out to spite her internet critics, truth officially becomes stranger than fanfiction. On their date, Marcus quickly realizes he wants more from April than a one-time publicity stunt. But when he discovers she's Unapologetic Lavinia Stan, his closest fandom friend, he has one more huge secret to keep from her.With love and Marcus's career on the line, can the two of them stop hiding once and for all, or will a match made in fandom end up prematurely cancelled?

— Here for plus-size heroines who get the guy and don’t have their (entire) storyline defined by their looks. Less here for the weird fandom culture, the ensuing second-hand embarrassment that came from that and the thankfulness that both Colin O’Donoghue and Bob Morley appear to be happily married so it seems very unlikely they’re writing fic about their characters under pseudonyms. Stop using Ao3 in actual published stories 2k4ever.

RAGE-INDUCING BOOKS OF ABSOLUTE FURY

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

Kristen Peterson doesn't do drama, will fight to the death for her friends, and has no room in her life for guys who just don't get her. She's also keeping a big secret: facing a medically necessary procedure that will make it impossible for her to have children.Planning her best friend's wedding is bittersweet for Kristen — especially when she meets the best man, Josh Copeland. He's funny, sexy, never offended by her mile-wide streak of sarcasm, and always one chicken enchilada ahead of her hangry. Even her dog, Stuntman Mike, adores him. The only catch: Josh wants a big family someday. Kristen knows he'd be better off with someone else, but as their attraction grows, it's harder and harder to keep him at arm's length.The Friend Zone will have you laughing one moment and grabbing for tissues the next as it tackles the realities of infertility and loss with wit, heart, and a lot of sass.

— LISTEN THERE ARE SPOILERS HERE, BUT I FEEL LIKE YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THEM BECAUSE THIS BOOK IS A SECRET GUT PUNCH AND PEOPLE SHOULD BE AWARE. Not only is infertility, like, the defining theme of this book, but the BEST FRIEND DIES. Just—dies. It’s horrible. Absolutely God awful depressing. And for a second he looks like he won’t, and it’ll be fine, but then it is not and he’s just D E A D. I know, I know that sets up the sequel, but this was so goddamn heavy in an unsuspecting way that I have absolutely no intention of reading the next one.

Well Met by Jen DeLuca

Emily knew there would be strings attached when she relocated to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, for the summer to help her sister recover from an accident, but who could anticipate getting roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire alongside her teenaged niece? Or that the irritating and inscrutable schoolteacher in charge of the volunteers would be so annoying that she finds it impossible to stop thinking about him?

The faire is Simon's family legacy and from the start he makes clear he doesn't have time for Emily's lighthearted approach to life, her oddball Shakespeare conspiracy theories, or her endless suggestions for new acts to shake things up. Yet on the faire grounds he becomes a different person, flirting freely with Emily when she's in her revealing wench's costume. But is this attraction real, or just part of the characters they're portraying?

This summer was only ever supposed to be a pit stop on the way to somewhere else for Emily, but soon she can't seem to shake the fantasy of establishing something more with Simon or a permanent home of her own in Willow Creek.

— FUCK THIS BOOK. And fuck Simon, specifically. Oh, you have a sad story? Cool, you’re still a dick. He was a dick. Listen, I know enemies to lovers is a hard trope to write, but it’s even harder to accept when those enemies just announce I LIKED YOU THE WHOLE TIME and then everyone starts ripping off their clothes. No, it’s dumb. I hate it. Apparently there’s a sequel to this book. Maybe that’s better.

Kiss My Cupcake by Helena Hunting

Blaire Calloway has planned every Instagram-worthy moment of her cupcake and cocktails shop launch down to the tiniest detail. What she didn't plan on? Ronan Knight and his old-school sports bar next door opening on the very same day. He may be super swoony, but Blaire hasn't spent years obsessing over buttercream and bourbon to have him ruin her chance at success.From axe throwing (his place) to frosting contests (hers), Blaire and Ronan are constantly trying to one-up each other in a battle to win new customers. But with every clash, there's also an undeniable chemistry. When an even bigger threat to their business comes to town, they're forced to call a temporary time-out on their own war and work together. And the more time Blaire spends getting to know the real Ronan, the more she wonders if it's possible to have her cupcake and eat it too.

— Listen, I wanted to like this one. There were plenty other Helena Hunting books on this list, so like—I don’t hate her. I just hate poorly executed enemies to lovers plot lines. Give me at least one moment where they are interested in each other aside from just being attracted to each other. Also: Stop Having Dudes Be Dicks Because Of Their Sad Backstory 2k4ever.

Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane

You always remember your first love... don't you?If there's anything worse than being fired from the worst restaurant in town, it's coming home early to find your boyfriend in bed with someone else. Reeling from the humiliation of a double dumping in one day, Georgina takes the next job that comes her way—bartender in a newly opened pub. There's only one problem: it's run by the guy she fell in love with years ago. And—make that two problems—he doesn't remember her. At all. But she has fabulous friends and her signature hot pink fur coat... what more could a girl really need?Lucas McCarthy has not only grown into a broodingly handsome man, but he's also turned into an actual grown-up, with a thriving business and a dog along the way. Crossing paths with him again throws Georgina's rocky present into sharp relief—and brings a secret from her past bubbling to the surface. Only she knows what happened twelve years ago, and why she's allowed the memories to chase her ever since. But maybe it's not too late for the truth... or a second chance with the one that got away?

— HE WAS JUST PRETENDING NOT TO REMEMBER HER THE WHOLE TIME???? WHAT?? WHY??? D U M B. Dumb boys are dumb.

Not the Girl You Marry by Andie J. Christopher

Jack Nolan is a gentleman, a journalist, and unlucky in love. His viral success has pigeon-holed him as the how-to guy for a buzzy, internet media company instead of covering hard-hitting politics. Fed up with his fluffy articles and the app-based dating scene as well, he strikes a deal with his boss to write a final piece de resistance: How to Lose a Girl. Easier said than done when the girl he meets is Hannah Mayfield, and he's not sure he wants her to dump him.

Hannah is an extremely successful event planner who's focused on climbing the career ladder. Her firm is one of the most prestigious in the city, and she's determined to secure her next promotion. But Hannah has a bit of an image problem. She needs to show her boss that she has range, including planning dreaded, romantic weddings. Enter Jack. He's the perfect man to date for a couple weeks to prove to her boss that she's not scared of feelings.

Before Jack and Hannah know it, their fake relationship starts to feel all too real—and neither of them can stand to lose each other.

— This is actually the prequel to Not That Kind of Guy and I honestly can’t believe I read that after hating this book so much. They were awful to each other! Their whole relationship was based on lies! Mean lies! Horrible lies! Don’t lie to your significant other!

[autisticlalna]

FHSGGA no ur good ur good!!! ur so good, ive honestly consumed so many weird fandoms over the yrs, most of that lore is like. p understandable to me. honestly a fair amount of wtnv vibes. ty for the lowdown im genuinely interested!!

if og wyatt mason became microphone, how was there an existing god of blaseball? i wouldve assumed they were the same thing. there are multiple gods?

and yoooooo multiple wyatt masons sounds cool!! do they act like og wyatt did or they just share a name? mason x has fantastic vibes, that is such good art, i love all xir pink. v good style. xe seems so incredibly rad.

do all the teams actually play against each other? what happens when there are too many players on a team, do they swap out? i. i realize this may just be a baseball question but regular baseball is more confusing to me than a 15 yr old ascending to godhood, thats just the vibe sometimes

there’s like four gods total so far:

. the Peanut (who was extremely evil and got murdered in a legitimate bossfight which was INSANE to watch bc. this is a baseball simulator. and they programmed a whole-ass bossfight against an evil team made up of players of beloved teams that’d gotten nailed w a status effect over course of 9 seasons) . the Microphone (Wyatt my beloved) . the Monitor (squid, looks after the Hall of Flame where all the uh. incinerated. players go. because people die a lot in blaseball.) . and then the Coin (capitalism and kind of a shitlort)

basically the Peanut was a huge dick and the Microphone teamed up with the Monitor & the Coin as part of the bossfight to murder it, with the other half of the deal being that the Coin became the new blaseball god. and then is VERY HEAVILY IMPLIED to have been the one to sabotage the Microphone?? which like, fuck you????? no one likes the coin. i thought she was chill at first but she very much is not

the different teams have basically taken their Wyatts and ran with them so there is a LOT of diff interpretations depending on what team a Wyatt is on! like, the Tacos have Wyatt Mason IV aka Ivy, who i love, and i actually drew them w MaX today:

i think Ivy is the closest to og Wyatt in looks/personality? on account of being on the Tacos, but the other Wyatts include, like. MaX, who is very punk rock bc of the Seattle Garages being a band and all about self-expression, there’s like... Wyatt Mason 1, who landed with the Tokyo Lift, was transfeminine i think? i dont know a lot about masone id have to bug my roommate orz, uhhh the Wyatt thats with the Ohio Worms is an android i think? and super cute??? also some of them are diff ages, like Ivy is 15ish like og Wyatt (as are a few others) but Wyatt IX was... 24?, and MaX is 19.

OH also our lore for MaX is that like. bc the Garages are a band, and bc of the stadium upgrade that led to the Wyatts being sound-themed, MaX is kinda a digital ghost of sorts is the best way i can think to phrase it rn? like xe’s very physical but also xer physical form is an extension of the PA system and xe has a lot of visual + audio glitching. xe is VERY cool and very much my aesthetic. ALSO XE’S AUTISTIC :D the Wyatts are kinda neurodivergent coded overall from what ive heard talkin to the Tacos

the teams play against each other, yeah! right now blaseball is on its off-season, but:

whenever the game is actually going, teams in each league (wild high vs wild low, mild high vs mild low) will go up against each other in games of 3. whoever has the highest score of each subdivision makes it to the playoffs each weekend, where they duke it out to see who is the season champion! ....as you can see by the Garages being at the bottom of mild high, we did not have a great season ahlfxkhf;klhf

p much all the players ingame are just, like, names and stats? but the fandom go hard on giving them full designs and story that the devs then build off of bc theyre v involved in the community, which led to memorable characters like Jaylen Hotdogfingers & Mike Townsend on the Seattle Garages, who are probably the most well-known blaseball characters on account of the Garages kinda being the protagonists for a bit??? we thought we were done being the protagonists. then we got MaX. then we unintentionally committed necromancy, Again,

there’s also a lot of wacky bullshit like weird weather types (like. crows. where there’s just a fuckton of birds on the field. or feedback, where two players will switch teams, and which is potentially the Microphone’s fault) and player/team modifications that make them pitch/bat better or do weird shit (the Wyatts have a custom modification, Echo, which makes them copy other teams’ mods)

there’s some events that just, like, add a player to your team and they just have a new slot? like normally when there’s like, trades or swapping from roster to shadows (players not playing) you’re having to actually shuffle stuff around, but MaX just kinda. got added on. and the Garages have a History:tm: of collecting pitchers so we have like nearly twice the number of pitchers that any sane team should have bc we got like. 3 events that add on a new pitcher w their own slot. if MaX ended up being a pitcher we would’ve all collectively lost it but xe’s a batter thank god fghlxk;hf;klgxfh

the fun part about blaseball is i barely know fucking anything about baseball (asides from that one time i played it and hit the ball so incorrectly that it bounced off the bat and hit me in the face, which. HOW???) so ive literally been learning as i go fgxhlkhgf so im. more well-versed in the lore than i am how anything actually Happens.

but yeah The Longest Thursday was basically me being like “THANK FUCK TALES IS DELAYED BC I DONT THINK I CAN EMOTIONALLY HANDLE THIS” bc we all got buried in Wyatts and then plot Kept Happening and MaX was uhhh ACTUALLY AT RISK OF DYING??? OR AT LEAST BEING ERASED FROM REALITY????? BC IT TURNS OUT THAT THE ECHO MODIFICATION DOES NOT LIKE ECHOING THE ECHO MODIFICATION. AND JUST WIPES THE TWO WYATTS INVOLVED FROM EXISTENCE. MaX and Ivy are still alive and are in diff divisions so they’ll hopefully never meet but jesus fuck i was Goin Thru It i would not have been able to handle that AND tales on the same day. and thankfully i didnt have to! i skipped the playoffs so i could watch tales lmao

[alifgiant]

Perjalanan karir di Bukalapak sebagai Mobile Developer

Tanggal 30 Juli 2021, saya secara resmi menjalani hari terakhir berstatus sebagai karyawan Bukalapak. Terhitung telah berlalu 3 tahun 4 bulan semenjak saya bergabung. Mengingat kembali ke awal mula perjalanan ini, banyak sekali cerita, pengalaman yang sepertinya menarik untuk dibagikan. Termasuk, kenapa akhirnya saya memilih untuk mengundurkan diri dan kemana saya akan melanjutkan perjalanan karir.

Intro

Saya yakin pembaca artikel ini kemungkinan besar mengenal saya dan pasti mengetahui apa itu Bukalapak. Tapi rasanya tidak ada salahnya, kalau saya memulai artikel ini dengan sedikit perkenalan (lagi). Siapa saya dan apa itu Bukalapak.

Per hari ini, saya merupakan seorang pria berusia 25 tahun dan berprofesi sebagai mobile application developer (app dev). Saya mengawali perjalanan sebagai software developer semenjak masih duduk di bangku kuliah. Dimulai sebagai intern pada masa magang dan berlanjut freelance pada masa diluar magang. Selain bekerja, yang tentu saja merupakan sampingan, saya dapat dibilang cukup berprestasi sebagai mahasiswa. Saya terbiasa mengembangkan produk IT dan mengikuti beberapa perlombaan. Setelah lulus, pekerjaan full time pertama saya adalah sebagai seorang backend developer(BE dev). Saya mulai bekerja di Bukalapak sebagai seorang app dev terhitung sejak tanggal 2 April 2018.

Bukalapak adalah sebuah perusahaan IT yang menyediakan platform jual beli online (online marketplace). Saya yakin orang indonesia tidak asing dengan nama Bukapalak. Terlebih, karena belakangan ini sedang ramai diperbincangkan. Karena berhasil menjadi perusahaan rintisan (startup) dengan status Unicorn yang pertama melakukan penawaran umum publik (IPO) di bursa efek Indonesia. Saya sendiri bekerja di kantor RnD Bukalapak yang ada di Bandung, Jawa Barat.

Hiring Process

Seperti di semua perusahaan lainnya perjalanan dimulai dari hiring process. Saat itu saya berstatus sebagai BE dev di sebuah perusahaan software house yang ada di Bandung. Beberapa bulan berlalu, saya menyadari bahwa saya tidak merasa nyaman bekerja sabagai BE dev. Saya menyadari lebih senang mengerjakan aplikasi mobile. Mungkin karena sebelumnya, selama masih freelance, bisa dibilang saya lebih sering menerima pekerjaan app dev. Produk yang saya kerjakan pun seringkali mobile app. Sehingga saya memutuskan untuk mencari kesempatan baru sebagai mobile dev.

Saya mencoba mengirim lamaran ke beberapa perusahaan dengan Bukalapak sebagai pilihan pertama. Bagi saya, Bukalapak adalah perusahaan yang paling keren saat itu. Paling inovatif dan inspiring. Pucuk dicinta ulam pun tiba. Saya tidak menyangka mendapatkan balasan dari Bukalapak sangat cepat. Hari ini saya mengirim lamaran, 2 hari kemudian telah ada balasan. Kurang lebih hanya 2 minggu semua proses telah selesai (online test, HR interview, user interview, coding on-site, head interview, offering).

Saya sangat salut dengan recruiter yang menangani saya. Beliau, ramah, cekatan, aktif, dan sangat profesional. Yang paling keren ialah, ia membuat “saya merasa dibutuhkan”. Terimakasih mba Ibel (Belinda Rahmadara).

Sebenarnya, selain Bukalapak saya mendapatkan balasan email untuk online test dan atau interview di tempat lain. Namun karena saya sudah menyelesaikan proses di Bukalapak dan memang Bukalapak adalah pilihan utama, saya tidak meneruskan proses di tempat lain.

Interview Process

Interview proses memang adalah bagian dari hiring process. Namun, ada sedikit kisah menarik di step ini yang menurut saya sayang jika tidak diceritakan.

Setelah menyelesaikan online test saya dipanggil untuk melaksanakan user interview di kantor Bukalapak yang berlokasi di Jakarta Selatan. Beberapa hari sebelumnya, recruiter telah membriefing kurang lebih seperti apa tahapan interview ini. Hal ini ditujukan agar saya melakukan persiapan.

Saya berangkat ke Jakarta dengan persiapan seadanya. Hanya menyiapkan IDE dan membaca sekilas dasar pemrograman android. Saya berasumsi bahwa pengetahuan saya sudah cukup dan hanya butuh sedikit “refresh”. Saya besar kepala karena merasa “jago”. Tapi ini ternyata adalah kesalahan besar.

Saya di interview oleh 2 senior developer, mas Stephanus Jeffry dan mas Fikrul Arif. Ketika diinterview oleh mereka, saya kesulitan menjawab banyak pertanyaan. Kondisi yang buruk bagi calon karyawan. Hal ini bertambah parah, ketika sesi coding onsite. Saya gagal menyelesaikan tugas. Karena merasa buruk di fase tanya jawab, saya ingin mendapat poin lebih di coding on-site. Saya mencoba menerapkan semua yg saya ketahui. Namun ternyata keputusan itu malah memperburuk keadaan. Biar bagaimanapun, saya sehari hari bekerja sebagai BE Dev. Sudah berbulan bulan tidak membuat aplikasi mobile. Mendadak harus coding dengan semua best practices, jelas saya kewalahan. Waktu habis terbuang untuk Googling.

Poin di tanya jawab rasanya pas pasan. Sesi coding pun tidak selesai. Rasanya benar-benar hopeless. Tapi saya juga merasa kesal ke diri sendiri. Saya yakin bisa menyelesaikan tugas coding nya. Tugasnya tidaklah begitu sulit. Tapi kenapa tidak selesai. Semua ini karena kurang persiapan. Andai saja saya latihan dulu, pemanasan, persiapan dulu.

Masih di Jakarta, di penginapan saya menunggu kabar dari recruiter. Karena jika hari itu saya lolos. Besoknya saya perlu melanjutkan interview dengan head. Walaupun sudah hopeless, tidak ada salahnya kan berharap. Sore harinya recruiter menghubungi, rupanya saya diberikan kesempatan kedua. Saya diminta untuk mengulang sesi onsite coding. Jelas saya tidak menyia-nyiakan kesempatan. Malamnya saya berlatih terlebih dahulu.

Keesokan harinya saya datang lagi ke kantor. kali ini ditangani oleh mas Jeffry dan mas Andika Pratama. Diberikan tugas yg berbeda dengan jumlah waktu yang sama. Tapi kali ini saya lebih persiapan. Saya tidak peduli dengan best practices. Setidaknya tugas kali itu harus bisa saya selesaikan. Dan saya berhasil menyelesaikannya. Malamnya saya mendapatkan kabar bahwa saya lolos tahap interview user dan perlu melanjutkan ke tahap interview head. Tapi karena saya hanya cuti 2 hari, interview berikutnya dijadwalkan Minggu depan.

Sampai akhirnya saya menyelesaikan semua proses dan mendapatkan offering. Saya masih belum mengerti mengapa saya diberikan kesempatan kedua. Yang pasti saya sangat bersyukur.

First day(s) at office

Sejak hari pertama saya langsung merasakan vibe yang berbeda. “Oh seperti ini rasanya kerja di unicorn” pikir saya saat itu. Pegawai berpakaian kasual, muka penuh semangat, kantor yang nyaman. Disediakan makan pagi, siang dan malam. Ada ruangan rekreasi. Ada ruangan gym. Mungkin memang tidak sebagus kantor Google yang ada di youtube. Tapi jauh lebih nyaman dari sebelumnya.

Sebagai karyawan baru saya perlu mengikuti proses onboarding. Salah satunya adalah dimana saya diperkenalkan ke seluruh tim app (android) dev. Mayoritas karyawan yang hadir masih muda, saya yakin tidak jauh umurnya dari saya. Rasanya sangat rileks karena tau “jokes” kita pasti tidak jauh. Saya memperkenalkan diri, pekerjaan sebelumnya dan hobi. Yang kemudian saya mengetahui, di Bukalapak punya semacam “ekskul” atau “club” untuk karyawan menyalurkan hobi. Tentu saya bergabung dengan salah satunya.

Onboarding berlanjut, seperti mendengar sambutan dari CEO, mas Ahmad Zaky, dibagikan perlengkapan kantor lalu foto bersama. Setelah onboarding semua karyawan baru diarahkan untuk menemui head masing-masing untuk mendapatkan informasi penempatan tim / squad. Rupanya saya ditempatkan ke sebuah squad baru di Bandung. Namun sebelum saya kembali ke Bandung saya perlu “belajar” seminggu di kantor Jakarta.

Setelah menyelesaikan kursus kilat di Jakarta. Saya kembali ke Bandung. Di berikan alamat kantor tempat saya akan bekerja. Sebelumnya, saya tidak mengetahui bahwa Bukalapak memiliki kantor di Bandung. Rasa penasaran ingin melihat kantornya yang di Bandung cukup membuat saya sangat bersemangat untuk berangkat bekerja. Saya mengikuti Gmaps, memasuki sebuah perumahan dan sampai ke alamat yang tertulis. Sebuah rumah.

Melihat sebuah rumah di lokasi alamat kantor membuat saya agak bingung “Ini saya ga salah alamat? Kok sepi”. Untungnya ketika saya di Jakarta saya mengetahui bahwa ada seorang senior kampus yang juga bekerja di Bukalapak Bandung, kak Primawan Satrio. Saya menghubungi dia lalu mendapatkan konfirmasi bahwa benar. Rumah yang saya lihat adalah kantor “sementara” Bukalapak di Bandung.

First Squad, First Product

Hari pertama saya di kantor Bandung. Saya datang sebagai “motor ketiga yang parkir”. Sangking bersemangat nya saya datang ketika kantor baru dibuka dan baru ada 2 orang lain di dalam. Bahkan anggota squad saya pun belum datang. Awalnya saya agak kecewa tapi setelah masuk, rupanya rumah kecil itu not too bad. Peralatan lengkap, bahkan ruang rekreasi dengan karpet rumput ada. Yah mungkin tidak ada gym, tapi yasudah lah toh saya tidak menggunakan fasilitas itu.

Sambil menunggu tim saya datang, saya mencoba mempelajari lebih lanjut mengenai code base Bukalapak. Jika sebelum masuk Bukalapak saya merasa “Jago” setelah masuk saya merasa menjadi orang yang paling “Bodoh”. Banyak hal yang baru pertama kali saya lihat dan perlu saya pelajari. Tidak lama anggota squad pertama saya pun datang. Technically sebenarnya Squad pertama saya ialah yang di Jakarta. Namun disitu saya belum mengerjakan apa apa. Pekerjaan pertama saya diberikan saat saya telah bergabung di Squad yang di Bandung.

Harapan saya untuk bekerja di perusahaan yang inovatif langsung terpenuhi di Squad pertama. Saya rupanya ditempatkan ke tim yang akan mengembangkan produk baru. Produk yang kita riset dari awal, kembangkan, publikasi dan pantau metricnya. Sangat menyenangkan saat hari dimana kami perlu lembur karena persiapan rilis. Atau ketika mendengarkan insight dan membahas hasil user research. Atau mempelajari segi bisnis dari produk yang kita buat seperti menghitung impact GMV, CAC, dsb.

Produk pertama yang tim kami luncurkan bernama “BukaNonton”. Sebuah produk yang memungkinkan pengguna Bukalapak untuk menikmati konten film lokal dan internasional secara gratis di lokasi tertentu. Tentu saja tidak semua produk menghasilkan traffic yang bagus, produk pertama kami ini akhirnya di takedown.

Setelah produk itu tim melanjutkan eksplorasi ke produk produk lain. Ada yg akhirnya di take down ada yang masih bertahan hingga sekarang, seperti sistem pembayaran pajak. Menyedihkan memang ketika harus melihat kerjaan berbulan bulan harus dihapus. Tapi kecepatan inovasi seperti ini ditambah keberanian mengambil keputusan besar adalah nilai utama kenapa Bukalapak masih eksis hingga sekarang. Keberhasilan Bukalapak masuk ke market O2O (mitra) saat yang lain belum terpikirkan dan menjadi market leader adalah salah satu buktinya.

Daily life as Engineer

Bukalapak menerapkan jam kerja dan lokasi kerja yang fleksibel. Itu berarti karyawan bebas datang ke kantor jam berapa dan bebas apakah mau datang ke kantor atau tidak. Tapi seperti hampir semua kebebasan, kebijakan ini pun memiliki syarat dan ketentuan yang berlaku. Namun sepertinya terlalu panjang kalau mau saya jelaskan, diluar kemungkinan hal itu merupakan informasi yang konfidensial.

Karena kebijakan ini, tidak jarang saya melihat orang yang datang sangat pagi agar bisa pulang lebih cepat maupun datang agak siang lalu pulang lebih malam. Tidak jarang pula saya melihat orang yang datang waktu normal tetap berada di kantor sampai agak malam. Entah karena mengejar deadline, solidaritas antar karyawan atau memang sekedar bersantai di kantor yang nyaman. Kalau saya pribadi, termasuk golongan yang ikut main PS setelah jam kantor, hal ini membuat saya cukup jago dalam bermain game FIFA.

Karyawan yang bermarkas di Bandung pada saat itu belum banyak. Tim saya pun awalnya hanya berjumlah 2 orang. Yap, hanya saya dan seorang Product manager, mas Moreno Duvadilon. Karyawan app dev yang bermarkas di Bandung pun baru 4 orang, Esa, Arifin, Fachri dan saya. Karena jumlah karyawan yang masih sedikit ini membuat hampir semua karyawan sangat akrab. Karyawan pria rutin bermain futsal (saya tidak pernah ikut) dan badminton bersama sedangkan yang wanita rutin mengikuti kelas Yoga. Ya, ini salah satu kegiatan club yang di “subsidi” kantor.

Saya sudah sempat sebut bahwa makanan disediakan oleh kantor? Di Bandung pun sama. Mungkin ini salah satu penyebab kenapa orang sangat betah di kantor. Sangat sedikit alasan untuk keluar setelah mencapai kantor. Saya tidak tau apakah semakin lama karyawan berada di kantor berkorelasi dengan meningkatknya produktivitas bekerja. Tapi yang pasti churn rate karyawan sangat rendah. Banyak orang baru bergabung namun sedikit yang keluar.

Mungkin teman teman ada yang bertanya.

Kalau jam kerja dan waktu kerja fleksibel. Bagaimana caranya memastikan pekerjaan selesai?

Di Bukalapak dan mungkin hampir semua startup, diterapkan mekanisme bekerja yang di sebut “Scrum”. Secara simpel ini berarti sebuah tugas besar dipecah menjadi pekerjaan yang lebih kecil yang akan selesai dalam 1 sprint, biasanya 2 minggu. Jadi kurang lebih, “anda bebas bagaimana cara bekerjanya selama pekerjaan anda selesai dalam 2 minggu”. Untuk detail terkait scrum silahkan google sendiri lah ya 😬.

New office, new spirit

Tidak lama berada di kantor sementara, Bukalapak meresmikan kantor baru di Bandung. Berlokasi di jalan Ir. H. Juanda, Dago. Kantornya merupakan upgrade yang jauh dari kantor sementara kami. Bahkan bisa dibilang sama lengkapnya dengan kantor yang ada di Jakarta. Karyawan saat itu sudah mencapai seratus lebih orang. Konsekuensinya tentu kini semua karyawan tidak bisa lagi saling kenal. Tapi karyawan antar tim yang tidak bersinggungan pekerjaan masih bisa saling berinteraksi di acara club.

Ada sebuah hal lucu yang terjadi, ketika awal menempati kantor baru. Kami semua melepaskan alas kaki dan kesana kemari bertelanjang kaki. Beberapa orang ada yang membeli sendal khusus untuk dipake di Kantor. Jadi ala ala rumah di Jepang lah, ketika masuk rumah lepas sepatu diganti sendal dalam rumah. Hal ini terjadi karena hampir semua ruangan lantainya dilapisi karpet dan masih baru. Kami semua “sayang” kalau jadi merusak karpet yang nyaman ini. Karena kebiasaan kami itu kantor akhirnya menyediakan rak sepatu di banyak tempat.

Kebiasaan unik ini membuat kami gampang mengetahui apakah muka baru yang dilihat di kantor adalah karyawan dari Jakarta ataukah karyawan baru. Mereka yang dari Jakarta tidak mengetahui aturan tidak tertulis ini dan kemana mana menggunakan sepatu ataupun sendal mereka. Kami lalu melihat sinis mereka, dalam hati berkata “woy, liat dong, peka, itu disini pada lepas sepatu” 😂🙏🏻.

Sharing session, talks and more talks

Sebagai perusahaan berbasis IT pengetahuan sangat berharga disini. Semua orang haus akan ilmu. Namun tidak mungkin semua orang memiliki waktu untuk belajar hal baru setiap saat. Itulah alasan diadakan banyak sekali sesi sharing internal. Engineer, bahkan non engineer, bergantian mengisi talks membahas berbagai macam topik. Malah terkadang sampai bingung karena terlalu banyak talks yang diadakan. Sehingga saya pribadi hanya mengikuti talks yang topiknya menarik bagi saya.

Sebenarnya tidak hanya talks internal yang ada. Ada juga talks kami yang dibuka untuk publik bahkan rekamannya di upload ke platform YouTube. Selain itu, sering juga auditorium kantor kami dipinjam publik untuk melaksanakan talks. Baik oleh akademisi, dari kampus, hingga komunitas tertentu. Sehingga selama bekerja di Bukalapak benar benar membanjiri saya dengan banyak sekali ilmu.

Belum lagi Wiki internal yang cukup lengkap. Jika ingin mempelajari suatu produk yang ada, cukup mencarinya dan semuanya ada. Saya sempat sekali mencoba nekat melakukan review kepada produk yang saya sama sekali tidak memiliki pengetahuan. Saya melihat data terkait, menulis analisis lalu mempublikasikannya di sebuah thread (semacam grup) pembicaraan yang sedang rame. Diluar ekspektasi saya, mungkin akan ditegur karena asal komentar. Tulisan saya diapresiasi cukup banyak pihak, bahkan dihadiahi voucher belanja 😎. Walaupun pada akhirnya saya tau bahwa data yang saya lihat sudah tidak relevan karena gudang datanya telah dipindah secara bertahap 😂 .

Internal hackathon, Hack a Fun

Banyaknya sesi talks tidak cukup memenuhi rasa haus akan ilmu di Bukalapak. Rasa haus ini menjalur hingga haus akan ide. Setidaknya setahun sekali Bukalapak mengadakan event internal hackathon. Dengan tujuan memunculkan ide baru yang “mungkin” berpotensi. Mayoritas karyawan diberikan kelonggaran untuk tidak melakukan development salama durasi hackthon, namun tetap menjaga metric yang kritikal aman. Jadi kalau ada bug atau sejenisnya, ya tetap harus diselesaikan.

Setiap hackthon mengusul tema dan kategori yang berbeda beda. Misal pernah diadakan “Testathon” yaitu perlombaan mencari bug di dalam aplikasi Bukalapak tapi tidak boleh dari produk yang dia kerjakan. Testathon merupakan salah satu kategori yang pernah dimenangkan oleh tim dari kantor Bandung. Sebuah kebanggan tersendiri bagi kami yang berjumlah sedikit dibandingkan karyawan dari kantor Jakarta.

Saya berulang kali menyebutkan kantor Bandung dan Jakarta seolah olah ada perbedaan kelas atau semacamnya diatara kami. Sebenarnya tidak ada. Secara pekerjaan tidak ada perbedaan dan tidak jarang kami saling berkolaborasi. Secara fasilitas pun tidak ada. Jadi hanya benar benar berbeda lokasi saja dan berbeda rasa keakraban antar karyawan.

Selain lomba lomba yang produktif, bagi karyawan yang telah “kalah” atau sedang menanti jadwal pertandingan, setiap hackthon juga hadir dengan berbagai macam games. Pernah ada perlombaan Counter Strike, Dota dan berbagai mini games lainnya. Saya sendiri belum pernah menang dalam kategori apapun. Jadi yah.. selalu jadi karyawan pemeriah.

Being an interviewer

Beberapa bulan setelah menempati kantor baru, saya diberikan kesempatan menjadi seorang interviewer. Saya memiliki kesempatan untuk “menguji” calon karyawan yang ingin masuk ke Bukalapak. Para interviewer di briefing mengenai mekanisme pengujian, seperti apa saja yang perlu ditanya, bagaimana cara bertanya, dsb. Salah satu pesan yang diberikan head, mas Hasanul Hakim, yang sangat saya ingat ialah:

“Jika kamu bimbang ingin meloloskan seorang kandidat atau tidak, maka coba bayangkan apakah kamu mau dia masuk ke squad kamu? Jika ya, maka loloskan, jika tidak maka tolak.”

Sebagai interviewer saya mendapatkan akes ke database hasil interview. Sudah jelas dong.. hal pertama yang saya lakukan adalah mencari nama saya. Apa sih, pesan dan pertimbangan interviewer saat itu sehingga saya diberikan kesempatan kedua. Akhirnya, setelah membaca catatan yang tertera rasa penasaran saya terpenuhi. Kurang lebih isinya tentang mereka melihat potensi saya dan mereka juga bingung kenapa saya tidak bisa menyelesaikan tugas. Sehingga untuk memastikannya saya diberikan percobaan ulang. Kalau mas jeff baca blog ini, Terimakasih ya mas 😉.

Namun ada satu hal yang menarik perhatian saya, saya diberikan level sebagai Junior Lower. Saya mengetahui dan mengakui bahwa level saya adalah junior. Sebagai interviewer pun saya hanya bisa menginterview kandidat yang di prediksi berlevel Junior, maksimal Medior. Tapi, saya tidak menyangka bahwa saya mendapatkan imbuhan Lower, ketika masuk ke Bukalapak. Imbuhan ini kurang lebih berarti saya barerly pass , hampir tidak lolos. Saya tau banyak programmer lain yang lebih awam daripada saya, sehingga mengetahui bahwa level saya saja pas pasan membuat semakin kagum kepada para karyawan lain di Bukalapak. Bagaimana jauhnya pengetahuan para Senior Engineer.

Saya menginterview banyak orang (ga sampe ratusan tapi cukup banyak sampai saya lupa berapa jumlahnya) tapi hanya meloloskan sedikit sekali kandidat. Disini saya sadar akan benarnya berita yang pernah saya baca sebelumnya, mengenai Indonesia kekurangan programmer. Sebenarnya programmer itu banyak tapi yang kualitasnya sesuai dengan yang dibutuhkan oleh perusahaan itu kurang. Sehingga tidak jarang terjadi perdebatan antara interviewer mengenai apakah harus meloloskan suatu kandidat. Bukannya kami tidak memiliki parameter kuantitatif yang objektif, tapi pada akhirnya penilaian yang dilakukan oleh individu pasti akan subjektif. Tidak disangka pesan yang diberikan sebelumnya ternyata sangat membantu di kemudian hari.

Dining, Outing and Conference

Tidak semua kegiatan di Bukalapak adalah terkait bekerja dan belajar. Ada sebuah event yang ditunggu tunggu oleh semua karyawan, yaitu dining atau makan malam dan outing atau wisata bersama. Kedua event ini pun “disubsidi” oleh kantor, dengan tujuan meningkatkan kebersamaan.

Karena dining ini pula saya mulai mengetahui beberapa tempat makan enak yang ada di Bandung. Tim saya bersepakat untuk berpindah tempat setiap event dining. Sebelumnya bisa dibilang saya adalah orang yang kurang pergaulan. Sangat jarang mengeksplorasi kota, 4 tahun berkuliah di Bandung saya seperti tidak tau apa apa tentang Bandung.

Outing atau jalan jalan ini pun sangat menyenangkan. Event ini seperti hackathon hanya sekali setahun. Outing ini diselenggarakan oleh tribe (sejenis divisi di perusahaan lain), sehingga beberapa squad tergabung menjadi satu ketika berwisata. Biasanya dilakukan pemungutan suara kemana outing berikutnya akan dilaksanakan. Secara total saya 2 kali outing, bersama 2 tribe yang berbeda, yaitu tribe society lalu tribe payment. Outing pertama ke Malacca di Malaysia lalu berikutnya ke Bali.

Kamu bisa bayangkan betapa solid nya tim di Bukalapak. Kami menghabiskan sangat banyak waktu di kantor, di kegiatan club, di sharing session dan kini di luar kantor. Tidak heran solidaritas ini tercermin dan menjadi kultur perusahaan “Gotong Royong”. Bantuan tidak hanya datang ketika diminta, para karyawan saling menawarkan bantuan ketika melihat ada yang kesulitan. Tidak ada yang saling menyalahkan jika terjadi sebuah masalah, semua orang fokus menyelesaikan masalah yang terjadi dan apa pelajaran di baliknya.

Ada satu event lagi yang memungkinkan karyawan “jalan jalan” yaitu conference. Sebenarnya ini adalah pemanfaatan dana yang disebut “Individual Development Program”, program pengembangan pengetahuan bagi karyawan. Setiap karyawan memiliki kesempatan untuk mengembangkan dirinya dan dibiayai oleh perusahaan. Nah, kebanyakan karyawan sengaja “menabung” budget ini dan menggunakan dananya sekaligus untuk mengikuti conference di luar negeri, tentu saja seperti biasa harus “nombok” tapi yah lumayan lah. Dengan budget ini saya berkesempatan mengikuti conference di Singapore, jadi kali ini lebih seperti studi tur jaman SMP-SMA. Saya bisa belajar sambil jalan jalan.

Transfer and Promotion

Saling bantu bukan hal yang asing di lingkungan Bukalapak. Sehingga seringkali jika dibutuhkan seorang karyawan perlu di transfer ke tim lain. Menariknya karena keterbukaan dan kelengkapan wiki yang ada, proses transfer ini tidak lah sulit untuk dilaksanakan. Semua karyawan memiliki base pengetahuan yang hampir sama, sehingga tidak butuh waktu lama untuk melakukan transfer knowledge. Ada transfer yang bersifat permanen ada pula yang hanya sementara. Transfer antar tim ini pun membuat tersebarnya knowledge semakin merata. Saya sendiri beberapa kali “dipinjamkan” dan akhirnya permanen dipindah ke tim payment.

Salah satu transfer yang berkesan adalah ketika saya untuk satu kuarter di transfer ke tim “Gatot Kaca”. Sebuah tim yang berfokus untuk melakukan “migrasi” ataupun “refactor”. Pada kesempatan itu tugasnya adalah “mengecilkan size aplikasi”. Secara tidak langsung tugas itu membuat saya harus membaca code milik tim lain, untuk menjaga tidak terjadi sebuah bug karena saya salah refactor. Dalam durasi yang singkat itu saya belajar banyak hal baru, terlebih karena pengalaman bekerja secara langsung dengan senior developer seperti mas Jeff (yang dulu menginterview saya) dan mas Rizky Habibi.

Selain sering ditransfer saya juga sempat mengalami promosi. Sebuah proses kenaikan jabatan. Saya dipromosi menjadi Medior Engineer (yeay… 🎉). Promosi ini saya dapatkan setelah kurang lebih 2 tahun bekerja di Bukalapak. Momen ini sungguh sangat menyenangkan bagi saya, karena jika melihat saya masuk sebagai Junior Lower kini telah naik menjadi Medior. Oh ya, saya lupa menyebutkan, terdapat 3 leveling tidak tertulis diluar title level (Junior, Medior, Senior) yaitu Lower, Solid dan Upper.

The Mass Layoff

Seperti yang semua orang tau, tidak mungkin kesenangan berlangsung selamanya. Bukalapak sempat masuk ke masa masa suram. Bukalapak melaksanakan pemutusan hubungan kerja (PHK), secara massal. Saat saat itu cukup membuat hampir semua karyawan tegang. Walaupun sepertinya engineering team tidak terlalu kena dampak. Saya pribadi tidak mengetahui apa penyebabnya secara detail ataupun berapa orang yang terkena dampak (kalaupun saya tau, tidak mungkin juga diceritakan disini 😛), yang pasti alasan resminya ialah “efisiensi”.

Selain PHK, terjadi beberapa perombakan kebijakan yang berlaku. Perombakan yang terjadi tidak sepenuhnya menghilangkan “kesenangan” yang ada, hanya lebih dibatasi. Tapi, sejauh yang saya tau tidak ada karyawan yang protes, terkait perubahan kebijakan ini ataupun terkait PHK yang terjadi. Alasannya mungkin karena rasa ownership dan semangat “Gotong Royong” yang tinggi. Kalau tempat lain, seperti yang sering muncul di TV, PHK dapat memancing “reaksi” yang besar.

Lagi lagi saya perlu bersyukur, nama saya tidak masuk ke dalam daftar potong.

Tidak lama setelah peristima PHK massal ini dimulailah transisi kepemimpinan di dalam tubuh Bukalapak. Satu persatu pimpinan berganti, sampai akhirnya CEO unicorn yang paling ikonik di Indonesia, mas Zaky, digantikan. CEO baru, bang Rachmat Kaimuddin melanjutkan kepemimpinan dengan semangat baru. Beliau pula yang mengantarkan Bukalapak mencapai IPO di tahun ini (2021).

Life in the pandemic era

Karena kebijakan bekerja yang fleksibel, sesungguhnya karyawan Bukalapak sudah terbiasa dengan remote working ataupun WFH. Sehingga selama pandemi seperti sakarang, sejauh yang saya tau, tidak ada kesulitan berarti bagi para karyawan untuk menyelesaikan pekerjaan mereka. Bahkan sejauh yang saya tau banyak pencapaian yang melebihi rekor perusahaan terjadi selama kebijakan WFH dijalankan.

Bagi saya yang seorang introvert sebenanrnya kerja remote dan WFH ini sangat nyaman. Saya tidak perlu keluar rumah dan menghabiskan waktu dijalan. Tidak perlu ribet memilih pakaian, dan kalau lagi benar benar malas, bisa mulai bekerja tanpa harus mandi (ayo jangan bohong kalian yg WFH pasti pernah tidak mandi kan 😜 ). Memang ada beberapa hal yang menjadi hilang ataupun berkurang (seperti tidak bisa outing) tapi yah tentu tidak ada yang sempurna.

Jika harus memilih satu hal yang paling di rindukan ialah kesempatan bertemu langsung dan mentoring dengan para senior engineer.

A notion to resign

Mungkin ini bagian yang paling ditunggu oleh kalian yang membaca sejauh ini.

Kayaknya Bukalapak asik banget, lalu kenapa pilih resign?

Jujur saja awal mula kepikiran untuk resign adalah sekitar saat mengetahui akan ada pergantian CEO. Saya terpikir wah Bukalapak tidak akan sama lagi. Tapi kemudian saya terpikir

Emangnya kalau keluar mau kemana? toh mas zaky juga ngga nge-start company baru

Lagian sepertinya CEO baru ini tidak kalah keren, mari lihat dulu apa perubahan yang dibawa.

Lagi lagi jujur saja, yang terjadi diluar ekspektasi saya. Bang Rachmat juga sangat keren. Mas Zaky dan bang Rachmat, memang individu yang berbeda, memiliki gaya yang berbeda tapi jelas, pilihan para stakeholder untuk memilih bang Rachmat tidaklah salah. Terbukti Bukalapak memiliki trajectory yang jelas menuju profitabilitas dan kini menjadi yang pertama melakukan IPO.

Salah satu yang paling saya sukai dari bang Rachmat adalah hampir setiap hari Senin, beliau menuliskan email yang menyapa seluruh karyawan. Email yang berisi sedikit update mengenai kondisi Bukalapak dan arahan singkat kepada kami para karyawan. Email yang terasa sangat personal, yang jelas ia tulis sendiri.

Lalu apa alasannya?

Ada 2 alasan utama kenapa saya memilih mengundurkan diri.

Arah Bukalapak selanjutnya.

Bukalapak yang lebih efisien dan mengejar profit, membuat saya merasa proses inovasi yang ada menjadi berkurang cepat. Saya tekankan bukan hilang, hanya berkurang. Hal inilah yang mendorong saya untuk "coba-coba" melihat ke sekitar.

Jadi jelas, saya tidak mengalami masalah apapun di kantor. Sehingga tidak ada urgensi untuk segera pindah. Selain itu saya mempertimbangkan ingin melanjutkan studi di Bandung. Sehingga bekerja di Bukalapak Bandung jelas adalah sebuah pilihan luar kepala. Tapi ya saat melihat lihat, kalau ada offer yang menarik, tentu akan saya ambil.

Saya terpikat untuk berpindah framework development

Alasan kedua mirip dengan alasan saya ketika berpindah dari BE dev menjadi App Dev. Namun kali ini saya tetap ingin menjadi App Dev hanya saja pindah framework, dari yang sebelumnya Android (Native) Dev menjadi Flutter Dev.

Sekitar setahun lebih ke belakang, saya mulai mengenal sebuah framework baru untuk mengembangkan aplikasi mobile, yaitu flutter. Saya belajar lebih jauh, mencoba membuat beberapa aplikasi dan akhirnya sangat menyukai flutter. Saya berfikir bahwa masa depan app dev adalah flutter. Jadi secara spesifik kini "lihat-lihat" saya berfokus kepada lowongan sebagai flutter dev.

Making Decision to Resign

Saya mulai melihat lihat, sejak awal 2021, sekitar akhir Desember - awal Januari. Ada sebuah tawaran yang menarik, tapi setelah mempertimbangkan lebih jauh tidak jadi saya ambil. Selain itu pemikiran untuk resign di tengah pandemi sedikit menakutkan. Bagaimana jika saya pindah namun tempat yang baru tidak bisa bertahan di tengah pandemi? Mencari pekerjaan berikutnya mungkin tidak akan mudah.

Sampai ketika saya ngobrol dengan teman saya, Esa, yang telah lebih dulu resign dari Bukalapak. Dari Esa saya mengetahui ada sebuah oportunity di perusahaan lain, yang cukup menarik. Saya lalu mencobanya dan Alhamdulillah lolos hingga offering. Dan offer yang diberikan sulit untuk saya tolak. Benefit yang meningkat drastis dengan possibility menggerjakan produk berbasis flutter. Sehingga pada tanggal 31 Mei 2021 saya mengirimkan formal notice kepada bagian human resource. Terhitung per tanggal 31 Juli 2021 saya sudah bukan bagian dari keluarga besar Bukalapak dan mulai tanggal 2 Agustus 2021 saya akan memulai perjalanan beru dengan Grab Indonesia. Doakan saya lulus probation ya teman teman.

My Final Work, and left over.

Selama 3 tahun 4 bulan bersama Bukalapak:

Saya dan tim merilis dan/atau mengembangkan 7 produk yang berbeda. 4 diataranya saya berperan sebagai ASL (App Squad Lead).

Melakukan modularisasi, refactor, optimisasi terhadap ribuan baris kode. Dengan belasan kalau bukan puluhan halaman wiki.

Terlibat dalam 4 squad, 2 tribe.

Mendapatkan 1x promosi.

Mengunjungi 3 negara bersama rekan kerja.

Mengisi beberapa sharing session tim.

Menjadi performer dalam 3 acara internal.

Sebuah perjalanan yang sangat panjang dan menyenangkan.

Ada beberapa hal yang terpaksa harus saya tinggalkan di tengah jalan seperti revamp sebuah halaman dan refactor sebuah SDK. Tapi saya yakin teman teman di tim pasti mampu melanjutkannya, karena semua yang ada di Bukalapak adalah orang orang yang hebat.

Terimakasih Bukalapak.

[rehman-coding]

. . . . Have anything to add? Feel free to leave your questions or ideas or just say hi in the comments :) Happy !🎉 💙🌬️❄️☃️ ———————————————————————— ⭐ CAREER CHANGE TIPS ———————————————————————— 📌 How to become a self-taught developer? ⚡ Useful links and roadmaps in my bio! ———————————————————————— 📌 Follow: @rehman_coding 💼 Portfolio: https://rehman-portfolio.netlify.app/ ⚙️ GitHub: https://github.com/MuhRehman 💎 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abdul-rehman-%E2%9C%94-8611505b/ ———————————————————————— #angularjs #webdev #software #softwareengineer #android #jquery #developers #peoplewhocode #computerscience #mysql #codingbootcamp #developerlife #mongodb #backenddeveloper #laravel #reactjsdeveloper #coders #programmers #programmerlife #webdesigner #technology #machinelearning #dev #web #codingdays #development #learntocode #programminglife #worldcode #programmerslife https://www.instagram.com/p/CVDYDCaD9VV/?utm_medium=tumblr

[chessandothermemes]

Okay, yall seemed to like my last minecraft opinions post so here's another one: my thoughts on the Caves and Cliffs Update Split ᵃⁿᵈ ᵇᵉᶜᵃᵘˢᵉ ᵗʰⁱˢ ⁱˢ ˢᵘᶜʰ ᵃ ˡᵒⁿᵍ ᵖᵒˢᵗ ⁱᵐ ᵍᵒⁿⁿᵃ ᵖᵘᵗ ᵃ ᵗᵃᵇˡᵉ ᵒᶠ ᶜᵒⁿᵗᵉⁿᵗˢ ⁱⁿ ᵇᵉᶜᵃᵘˢᵉ ʷʰʸ ⁿᵒᵗ

Table of contents:

1. The Split Itself

2. 1.17 Part 1

3. 1.17 Part 2

4. Archeology Postponed Further

5. Real World Problems

6. Speculation

7. Conclusion

(Post under the cut because this one is larger than most of Grian's Chest Monsters on Hermitcraft)

1. The Split Itself

I don't get why or how world generation is so much more difficult than adding/changing anything else to the point where the update itself has to be split in half but I don't know anything about coding (which is going to be incredibly annoying when it comes to.. uhh my personal life) so take this opinion with a grain of salt.

2. 1.17 Part 1

I haven't had a chance to play 1.17 at all yet (because I play on the Switch), but from what I've gathered, it looks like the best update yet by a LONGSHOT. Even without the new caves/mountains/everything else generating in worlds, I am still super excited about the Sculk Sensor new blocks and mobs.

3. 1.17 Part 2

I don't really have much to say regarding part 2, other than survival worlds of mine are about to get a whole lot better, but I do have a project planned for once the world size increases; a full sized (or maybe just more detailed than the ones I've seen) Super Mario Galaxy map, complete with teleports and possibly some way to simulate planet gravity if I can figure that out so :)

4. Archeology Postponed Further

I have 2 things to say about archeology being postponed even longer than the world gen:

1: does this include Bundles?

And 2: Does this 𝗺ean that 1.18 is going to be the Archeology Update? Because I was kinda hoping for an End update, but I'm not really complaining.

Other than that, l wasn't really focused on it, as I just kept on repeating "Warden. Sculk looks cool. Y = -64. C A V E U P D A T E ." in my head the Entire Time and was unable to process most of the other stuff until way later and even now I'm still a bit overwhelmed with information

5. Real World Problems

I completely understand why the devs did something in the way of postponing c&c because, well, COVID. (And the fact that June is in LESS THAN TWO MONTHS at the time of posting) as they just didn't have enough time to deliver something as gigantic as 1.17 is, that isn't infested with bugs and glitches by summer. But why split it in half? I really don't understand why they would do that as opposed to just postponing the whole thing a few months or so? When something is due, but you haven't finished it, what do you do? Postpone it. Not go "ah crap I've got no time uhhhhh here's half of the project other half coming soon".

Yes, I was expecting a postponed release date. Nobody's perfect. But using another analogy here, when you have a YouTube channel that posts daily, but This Particular Video is talking longer than the rest to edit, make a community post saying "Sorry, no video today, this one's taking a long time to edit." not "Today's video is taking a while to edit, so here's half of it lol. other half tomorrow"

6. Speculation

In the Announcement Video about the split, Henrik mentions blocks and mobs being the focus of Part 1. He mentions the Axolotl, Goat and Glow Squid, but there's no mention of the Warden. This could be taken in one of 2 ways. 1: there was no need for Henrik to mention the Warden because it's obvious that, since the Warden is a mob, it would be included in Part 1, or 2: The Warden is difficult enough to code into the game that it has to be included in Part 2.

Honestly, I believe number 1, as the c&c First Look video back in October of last year featured it in gameplay footage, so it's not likely that it will be pushed back to Part 2, unless the devs want to throw all of their personal growth at a cactus and push it back for suspense. That's honestly all the speculation I could get from the video, other than the obvious "what features are coming in what part" and "what are the release dates" but, on the topic of release dates, I have a theory for each of them!

Part 1: Sometime in June, if I had to take a wild guess, it would be the 14th.

Evidence: According to a Google search, "Effective in June 2021, Minecraft will no longer be updated or supported on FireTV Gen1, FireTV Gen2, and Android KitKat OS v20 and below." June is a summer month, so it would make sense for Mojang to update those platforms one last time before ending support for them. The 14th is just a complete guess though.

Part 2: Christmas Day (December 25th)

Evidence: Yeah there's not much other than "it would be a cool Christmas present for minecraft players everywhere" and the fact that most people who celebrate Christmas associate the phrase "Holiday Season" with it.

7. Conclusion

I'm excited for 1.17 no matter how long I have to wait for everything, and I honestly think the 2 release dates is for the better. Plus the Holiday Creator Features toggle will probably do something by Part 1's release, right?

[therealretrobeard]

#agarestgenerationsofwar also known as #recordofagarestwar /#agaresutosenki is a #tacticalroleplayinggame for the #playstation3 , #xbox360 , #microsoftwindows , Android & IOS platforms. This is the #ps3 version. It was developed with a combined effort by #ideafactory #redentertainment #compileheart #laughingjackal & #hyperdevbox . It was published in Japan by Compile Heart. #ghostlight published it in the European Union. It was ported in Japan in Android and IOS by Hyper Dev Box. It was published in North America by #aksysgames . It was released on PlayStation 3 in Japan in 2007, and in the European Union in 2009. It came to Japan in Xbox 360 in 2008, and in North America in 2010. It was released on Windows worldwide in 2013 and a collectors edition in 2014. It came to Android worldwide in 2013. The IOS version was released worldwide in 2014. This #playstation3games story has a great war between good and evil. The world of Agarest ends and the gods restore the world. The forces of evil return and the adventure begins. This #playstation3game has a massive epic story passing through entire generations. The world has hundreds of different monsters to battle. The turn based battle system is fantastic. You have lots of skills, special arts and overkill power to defeat epic foes. Join with a heroine and #soulbreed to create the next gen of heroes. If you wish to tip or support me please go to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/RetroBeard Please check out my Youtube channel and subscribe. The link is in my bio. Please check out the awesome tagged accounts! Please check out my gaming partner @the_legend_of_isa https://www.instagram.com/p/CN908vKnb7J/?igshid=1awpjah7pl3e7

[hersonls]

Apple M1 para desenvolvedores do zero - Part 1

Eae, essa vai ser uma série ( espero ) de artigos de tudo que fiz assim que recebi o meu Macbook Air com processador M1. Espero que te ajude migrar todo seu ambiente Intel para M1 ( arm64 ).

Infelizmente ainda temos um caminho longo pela frente, boa parte dos softwares já conseguem ser compilados nativamente, porem, outros ainda precisam ser emulados atrav'ées do Rosetta por conta de bibliotecas de sistema com "ffi" que ainda não estao 100% compativels.

Separei em topicos de passos que segui exatamente na ordem que estão, espero que ajude.

Xcode + Rosetta

A instalação é feita através da App Store. Antes de começar toda a configuração da maquina instale a versão mais recente.

Em seguida instalar componentes de desenvolvimento: xcode-select --install

Brew no M1 ( Gerenciador de Pacotes )

As instalação do brew eu segui as instruções dadas a partir do artigo:

https://gist.github.com/nrubin29/bea5aa83e8dfa91370fe83b62dad6dfa

Instalando dependências de sistema

Essas bibliotecas servirão para diversos softwares como Python, Pillow, Node e etc. Elas são necessárias para a compilação e uso dos mesmos.

brew install libtiff libjpeg webp little-cms2 freetype harfbuzz fribidi brew install openblas brew install blis brew install zlib brew install gdal brew install pyenv brew install geoip brew install libgeoip brew install libffi brew install xz

Opcionais:

brew install postgres

Instalando Pyenv no M1

Instalando pyenv para facilitar o isolavento e definição de versões do python no sistema.

Eu tive problemas instalando diretamente no sistema, utilizando o brew. Algumas bibliotecas não eram encontradas e o trabalho para configuração de PATHs me fez migrar para pyenv.

brew install pyenv

Variaveis de ambiente

Para que as futuras compilações e instalações consigam encontrar todas as bibliotecas instaladas através do brew, é necessário configurar variáveis de ambiente para isso.

Adicione as linhas abaixo em seu arquivo de configuração do shell.

Se for bash: .bashrc Se for zsh: .zshrc

Eu fiz um script onde faz cache das chamadas do homebrew. Fique atento as versões das bibliotecas, se por ventura algumas delas não forem encontradas, confira o path das variaveis de ambiente.

Obs.: A melhor forma para obter o path das bibliotecas seria através do comando brew --prefix mas fazer inumeras chamadas pode deixar a inicialização do shell lenta.

Segue o que deve ser inserido em um dos arquivos acima:

if [ -z "$HOMEBREW_PREFIX" ]; then export PATH="/opt/homebrew/bin:$PATH" if command -v brew 1>/dev/null 2>&1; then SHELL_ENV="$(brew shellenv)" echo -n "$SHELL_ENV $(cat ~/.zshrc)" > .zshrc eval $SHELL_ENV fi fi export PATH="$HOMEBREW_PREFIX/opt/openssl@1.1/bin:$PATH" export LDFLAGS="-L/opt/homebrew/lib -L/opt/homebrew/opt/openssl@1.1/lib -L/opt/homebrew/opt/sqlite/lib -L/opt/homebrew/opt/python@3.8/lib -L/opt/homebrew/opt/libffi/lib -L/opt/homebrew/opt/openblas/lib -L/opt/homebrew/opt/lapack/lib -L/opt/homebrew/opt/zlib/lib -L/opt/homebrew/Cellar/bzip2/1.0.8/lib -L/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/lib" export CPPFLAGS="-I/opt/homebrew/include -I/opt/homebrew/opt/openssl@1.1/include -I/opt/homebrew/opt/sqlite/include -I/opt/homebrew/opt/libffi/include -I/opt/homebrew/opt/openblas/include -I/opt/homebrew/opt/lapack/include -I/opt/homebrew/opt/zlib/include -I/opt/homebrew/Cellar/bzip2/1.0.8/include -I/opt/homebrew/opt/readline/include" export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="$HOMEBREW_PREFIX/opt/openssl@1.1/lib/pkgconfig" export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="$PKG_CONFIG_PATH:$HOMEBREW_PREFIX/opt/python@3.8/lib/pkgconfig:$HOMEBREW_PREFIX/opt/libffi/lib/pkgconfig:$HOMEBREW_PREFIX/opt/openblas/lib/pkgconfig:$HOMEBREW_PREFIX/opt/lapack/lib/pkgconfig:$HOMEBREW_PREFIX/opt/zlib/lib/pkgconfig" export GDAL_LIBRARY_PATH="/opt/homebrew/opt/gdal/lib/libgdal.dylib" export GEOS_LIBRARY_PATH=$GDAL_LIBRARY_PATH export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$HOMEBREW_PREFIX/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH export DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH=$HOMEBREW_PREFIX/lib:$DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH export OPENBLAS="$(brew --prefix openblas)" if command -v pyenv 1>/dev/null 2>&1; then eval "$(pyenv init -)" fi

Instalando Python 3 no M1

Para instalar o Python através do pipenv no m1 é necessário aplicar um patch para corrigir algumas informações da arquitetura.

O time do Homebrew disponibilizou esses patchs e pode ser localizado em: https://github.com/Homebrew/formula-patches/tree/master/python

Como estou instalando a versão 3.8, segue o comando:

PYTHON_CONFIGURE_OPTS="--with-openssl=$(brew --prefix openssl)" \ pyenv install --patch 3.8.7 <<(curl -sSL "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/formula-patches/master/python/3.8.7.patch")

NVM e Node no M1

mkdir ~/.nvm

Colocar no .zshrc ou .bashrc

export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm" [ -s "/opt/homebrew/opt/nvm/nvm.sh" ] && . "/opt/homebrew/opt/nvm/nvm.sh" # This loads nvm [ -s "/opt/homebrew/opt/nvm/etc/bash_completion.d/nvm" ] && . "/opt/homebrew/opt/nvm/etc/bash_completion.d/nvm" # This loads nvm bash_completion

Fim da primeira parte:

Essa primeira parte mostrei como instalar o gerenciador de pacores, Python e Node. Irei fazer Posts sobre partes especificas como Android Studio, Xcode, Docker e etc.

Espero que me acompanhem e qualquer dúvida pode deixar o comentário.

Até mais

[canecadodev]

Alguém de Android e/ou IOS? @canecadodev #coding #code #coder #coders #dev #webdeveloper #webdev #webdevelopment #developer #developerlife  #tecnologiadainformação #ti #tecnologiadainformacao #bug #bugs #frontend #backend  #programming #programmer #programador #programadores #programminglife #programming #programminghumor #programmingmemes #programmingisfun https://www.instagram.com/p/CFNM86YAj4Q/?igshid=1yhdxjr0frf2

[chill-n-play]

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