Beginner Boost FAQ#
Where can I watch and participate?#
Weekly video sessions are simultaneously livestreamed to Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, and Kick. Twitch is the primary platform and required for anyone who wants to play the games during the breaks. Chat from any of these platforms is visible but not necessarily relayed to the other platforms. In addition, Discord #live-chat channel contains all the chat from each session in a searchable format.
Warning
Everything you write in the chat is saved forever with the livestream video session. It is up to you to remain professional and civil. If not, you'll be banned. It is also up to you to maintain your own level of privacy.
What if I cannot make the live sessions?#
Twitch is where the learning party is. We encourage you—above all—to join us live on Twitch for all the fun, learning, music, and hype. Who knows? You just might be gifted a free subscription by another kind community member, or win the Stream Avatars battle royal! What will your avatar be?
However, we understand not everyone can make the party, plus there are some serious party-poopers who might not even want to party.😬 So, within about 24 hours a tame, edited video from the live session is posted to YouTube without the Beginning, Ending, breaks, q&a, games, stories, music, silliness, and raiding. Beginning, Ending and breaks are also never streamed live to YouTube (mostly because music triggers stream suspension on YouTube).
What is the session format and when are they?#
We do one video per week that is broken up into five parts with the core 40 minute blocks having a six-minute break between each:
| Time | Minutes | YouTube | Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:40 | 20 | No | Beginning |
| noon | 40 | Yes | First Block |
| 12:40 | 6 | No | Break |
| 12:46 | 40 | Yes | Second Block |
| 13:26 | 6 | No | Break |
| 13:32 | 40 | Yes | Third Block |
| 14:12 | 6 | No | Break |
| 14:18 | 20 | No | Ending |
| 14:38 | 2 | No | Raid! |
The Beginning and Ending are for learning hype and answering questions about homework and such.
Note
There's good science that shows the average attention span of a person between 12 and 20 is a maximum of 48 minutes (but as low as 20 minutes). Hence, the 40 minute blocks.
The flow of the video content is just Rob doing stuff and talking about it along the way, occasionally taking live questions. Chat is never included in the videos but can be followed by those participating live. When following YouTube videos those learning can still ask questions in the Discord where the community can help and Rob can occasionally follow up.
What is needed to participate?#
Boosts are always free (although donations, subs, and tips are appreciated and motivating). You will need a secure Internet connection, a capable computer with minimal admin permissions and skills for installing stuff into that computer. (Windows and Mac administration is not covered by the Boost.) Here are the specs for your main computer:
- Win/Mac/Linux
- 4 Core (CPU)
- 8 GB Memory (RAM)
- 100 GB Free HD
This computer will be a reliable place from which to participate and onto which you will install a minimal Linux virtual machine.
Why every year?#
We do the Boost every year mostly because technology is advancing at an exponential pace. There is something substantially new every single year. A key skill as a technologist is being able to distinguish the trends from the long-term changes and invest our previous learning time on what matters. Working in tech is not unlike betting on stocks, you pick the right tech to master at the right time and you can win big, or you can quickly become irrelevant and get "down sized." Therefore, having a Boost every year allows the community to contribute their observations about what is current and—most importantly—relevant.
The Surfer Analogy
Surfing requires a well-developed ability to see the ocean's minor undulations in the distance and predicting which will crest at the optimal time. As the wave takes more form, a skilled surfer will know when to start paddling in order to match the speed of the wave. If they take too long they won't be moving fast enough to catch it, too fast and they might overshoot it. When the wave crests the surfer can then stand on the board and ride it to glory before hopping off and paddling back out to sea to watch for the next one.
Such is the life of a good technologist. Paddling equates to learning the technology as it forms and producing proof you have mastered it. Standing up on the board is like landing a lucritive tech job having prepared in advance and being one of only a few who can demonstrate mastery. Surfers wipe out, miss waves, or, on occasion, have sharks take bites out of them. Surfing is inherently risky and demands constant focus and fitness. Those who opt for tech careers commit to a similar lifestyle with its constant learning demands and very real risks. Tech jobs are not for everyone, but for many the continual challenge is exactly what they crave.