Code in an Academic Paper? No, Thank You.

Let’s be brutally honest here: there’s something painfully awkward about stuffing blocks of code into an academic paper. You know the type—pages upon pages of impenetrable black text, each line looking more threatening than the last. And for what? So that the 1.5 people who might care can grab a magnifying glass and attempt to decipher your curly braces?

Why It’s a Bad Idea:

1. No One Reads It
   You think your readers are going to flip through your 40-page magnum opus and pause to admire your meticulously spaced code? No—people skim for the interesting bits, like your hypothesis, your findings, and maybe your conclusion. Detailed code is about as riveting in paper format as reading a phone book.
2. Adds Bulk, Not Value
   Sure, code inflates your paper’s page count. But more isn’t more if it’s meaningless. If the real purpose is clarity and sharing, then a massive code dump does neither. You’re better off providing a link to a GitHub repo or a supplementary file.
3. Low Readability
   Code that reads well in your favorite IDE doesn’t magically transform into a well-structured exposition when copy-pasted into a PDF. Syntax highlighting is minimal, line breaks get weird, and crucial context is lost.

What to Do Instead:

1. Diagram the Process
   A picture is worth a thousand lines of code. Creating a clear flowchart or system diagram not only looks neat on your poster or slides, but also helps people understand the logic.
2. Explain the Thought Process
   Your paper should be about the why rather than the what. Readers want to know the reasoning behind your methods, the decisions that led you to that final algorithm, and how it ties back to your research question. This context is what sparks interest and fuels further discussion.
3. Link to Repos
   If you really want to share the code (and believe me, that’s awesome for reproducibility!), pop it on a version control platform. Stick a tiny URL in your paper or slide deck, and voilà—everyone can explore your code if and when they want, in its natural habitat.

Bottom Line
Stop cramming lines of C++ or Python into that gorgeous LaTeX doc just so you can say, “Look, it’s all here.” It’s not a show of strength—it’s a show of clutter. Diagram it, explain your process, and let your readers actually learn something from your research. Because at the end of the day, clarity beats extra pages every time.

Whether it’s a corporate white paper, a thesis, or your team’s internal project report, spare your readers (and yourself) from the headache of static code dumps. Show the bigger picture with diagrams, share your insights, and let them chooseto view the code in a dynamic, interactive space if they want. That’s how you really add value—and no one will ever complain about too few pages!

And if the code is truly that interesting, trust me: your audience will thank you for a link instead of a messy PDF labyrinth.

Everyone is Now a Product Manager

I’ve been observing a curious shift in the world of programming. As powerful AI tools like Cursor and Copilot have emerged, the focus has moved away from the nitty-gritty of coding and towards a more strategic, product-centric approach.

Programmers are no longer just grunts toiling in the codebase. They’re now elevated to the role of product managers, responsible for crafting the vision and guiding the development of complex, AI-powered solutions.

I first noticed this transition when I found myself spending more time conceptualizing the bigger picture rather than hacking away at the keyboard. The actual coding felt almost secondary, like an implementation detail.

As AI-powered assistants take on more coding tasks, programmers must evolve their skillset and mindset. They must become part architect, part product visionary, embracing techniques like:

1. Riding the wave of code-generating LLMs: I’ve had to embrace the power of large language models (LLMs) to generate code, freeing me up to focus on high-level design and problem-solving. It’s been a bit of a learning curve, but the efficiency gains have been undeniable.
2. Becoming a big-picture architect: My role is now more about conceptualizing solutions, designing systems, and ensuring the overall coherence of the product, rather than getting bogged down in the details. It’s a welcome change, but it also requires a different mindset and skillset.
3. Constantly switching to the best AI tools and models: I’ve had to stay agile and adaptable, continuously evaluating the latest AI tools and models to ensure I’m using the most effective ones for the task at hand. It’s like I’m constantly on the lookout for the latest and greatest tools to enhance my productivity.
4. Designing with natural language first: I’ve started to leverage the natural language capabilities of AI tools to ideate, prototype, and refine my solutions, before diving into the technical implementation. It’s a more intuitive and collaborative way of working, and it’s helped me to be more creative and innovative.
5. Avoiding competition with AI and using it to work better: I’ve realized that AI is not a threat, but a powerful ally. By collaborating with these tools, I’ve been able to enhance my own productivity and problem-solving abilities, rather than trying to compete with them.

This transformation is only just beginning. As AI continues to reshape product development, the successful programmers of the future will be those who can adapt and evolve from coders into strategic product managers.

This is how you 10x.

Racing Against the Machine

The pace of new technology seems to get faster every year. In my job doing automation engineering, I’ve seen how once all the parts of a system are ready, progress can explode exponentially. I’m worried as AI and agent swarms get closer to generalized intelligence, they will quickly make many jobs and skills obsolete – including my own.

Just last week, I was telling my parents I’m concerned I may not have unique skills to offer anymore. Right now, connecting all the pieces of AI into a fully autonomous system is still complicated. But not for long. When those last key elements like agent coordination arrive, everything will work together and we’ll see sudden rapid advancement.

I’m not sure if most people are ready for this pace of change. I’m not even sure if I’m ready myself.

Multiple exponential technologies will boost each other, speeding things up even more. There may come an abrupt point where progress becomes so fast it’s hard to control and uses enormous resources.

I worry about new graduates entering a job market changed by AI. But I also know we humans don’t understand exponential change well. The future may look very different than we expect.

For now, I’m reassured that building AGI is like making an engine – it needs all parts to work seamlessly together. We still lack some essential pieces.

For now.

But once that last piece clicks into place, the engine of AI will roar to life and race ahead faster than we can foresee today. My goal is to enjoy the ride, and adapt my skills to stay ahead of the tech changes as long as I can.

The power of Now

Time is a powerful thing. We all have it, and not enough of it. It is precious. The best moments happen in the Now, because when we’re in Now, we’re truly living our lives to the fullest.

Not every day do we feel motivated or “feel it”. The trick is to just spends 5 minutes on it. Let’s have a scratch or two on it. That 5 minutes is all we need. Loosen up all the expectations.

Usually, that 5 minutes will be 10 or 15 minutes. Just let that sink in.

Later that you know, you are one hour clock in.

You just accomplished one task.

I’m not saying we should never work on projects or learn, but we should let projects and learning go when we feel it. That way, we will only feel the emotion of joy and passion when we’re in the Now.

The more we give attention to Now, the more we can be happy and appreciate it every time we remember it, even if only for 5 minutes.

Here you go, that’s my five minutes post.

Persona Part I

I think people are getting weird and weirder; unparalleled with my reality. The society is unwelcoming. It is a flat world out there. I sealed the room so lot lesser lights can bright my space. No windows. Only the sound of cars passing and pedestrian interactions. Oxygen, is more consumable this way. The world should night all the time. No sun, but lively.

Oftenly, I think myself is merely an unreasonable centre – as an unnoticed moving vehicle. Unsure with direction to where – but I know how to describe hereabout the destination. Where it is, how it looks and who are there.

Many times, I cannot tell which one is real, which one is not. The reality is not really a reality to me. Sometimes I find myself quiet bemused about how we human a rather confused race. I may had become rough mentally and physically, but the heart was full of sorrow. I lay there that night and I thought, I have none in life. I have accomplished nothing. I barely can feel my skin and face too – but I know that I have to keep moving. But, how?

Quiet. Loneliness. Withdrawn. All the time feeling stuck. Barely can think of any solutions.
– Later I know, I must get out of here quick. To lead. There.

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. [18:24]

Please tell me you seen this too?

What is like to be alone? You do understand it, and you know well the pain. You trying to protect people from it. You trying to protect me from it. I appreciate that.

But, what about you? You are denying denials – You hide the truth to out of yourself.

I understand how the feel to be different. Because I am very different too.

Ahoy, earth.

Welcome on board.

I had this domain with my name for quiet sometimes, and I frankly hosted few blogs on other place and I scraped all of them, including the one that with  Posterous.

It was funny sometimes when attempt to put up of something to available then realised no longer have an open platform or blog. Usually, Evernote has been my best pal and to the Note to share thoughts. Yikes.

During I write this – It is Christmas Eve and 8 Celsius outside in Liverpool. Made myself a cup of light roasted coffee and green tea. It was been a good week for myself; I managed to read 5 to 7 books (I lost count already) and that should stay as a habit.

So I guess this is a reboot.