Jim Henderson wrote:

> So summarize a bit on the projects that impressed you the most ("I've 
> written simple raytracers, foobars, and binfizes.").  Supply the code and 
> let them evaluate.  Remember that an application isn't a confessional of 
> the things that don't work in things you've built, it's a place to talk 
> positively about what you've built.

It's more the fact that I didn't know how a raytracer worked (nor how to 
solve simultaneous equations, by the way), and I worked it out from 
first principles, and it actually worked when I typed it in. I was ilated!

...until I discovered that everybody else has already done it, and it's 
considered a trivial college student exercise.

> So use the DR project because it was finished.  I imagine that given a 
> professional goal to complete some of the projects you've started on, 
> you'd finish them, but your interests are so varied that it's difficult 
> to focus on a personal project for a long time.  I know a lot of people 
> like that.
> 
> And for people like that, being paid to do what they find interesting is 
> a good incentive to finish a project that's been started.

I agree.

>> That's what I'm using. The form is basically filled out and ready to go.
> 
> Good. :-)

The form is sent.

>> I don't know - is dumping a bunch of Haskell code on them which they
>> have no way of compiling going to prove anything? I could be making it
>> all up for all they know...
> 
> Don't assume what their capabilities are.  You compiled it, they can get 
> a compiler.  They may even look at it and say "hey, I've never heard of 
> this language before", in which case you get bonus points for introducing 
> them to a new language.  (I know it's hard, but resist the temptation to 
> reply to this with "well, obviously it's not useful for anything so why 
> would they have heard of it?" or something along those lines.)
> 
> Like I said, don't do their thinking for them.  They're capable of doing 
> that.

This is Wolfram. I'm sure they'll have heard of a heavily accademic 
language such as Haskell. Doesn't mean they use it.

Anyway, I don't have any "working" code to hand right this exact second, 
and the application has been sent in now, so...

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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