Go back

What Grinds Our Gears: I’m out-pacing my computer with these datasets

If you’re going to give me massive files to process, could you at least give me new hardware too?

By: Nathan Tok, Peak Associate

As I am writing this, my laptop is labouriously trying to load some data files for a class. And it is taking forever

Seriously? I am not a Big Data person or some hot shot researcher. Why am I being given all these absolutely massive datasets that take so long to load? I’m sorry if my laptop only has 8GB of RAM but you know, having a laptop with all the top specs is kind of expensive. 

I suppose there are some benefits to slow processing speeds. I can go find snacks to eat as I wait for these maps to buffer, or maybe I can contemplate my life choices that led to this moment as the software tries to run the datasets. I actually think I am learning to be more of a Jedi in these moments. To control myself and to be more mindful of the present and not letting my mind wander off to what could have been, and the future . . . 

Oh look the dataset has loaded. OK, now let me try modifying just one single parameter and . . .

Crash.

Well, guess I can go run a marathon or something while it loads again.

 

Was this article helpful?
0
0

Leave a Reply

Block title

Burnaby apologizes for historic discrimination against people of Chinese descent

By: Heidi Kwok, Staff Writer On November 15, community members gathered at the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown as the City of Burnaby offered a formal apology for its historic discrimination against people of Chinese descent. This included policies that deprived them of employment and business opportunities. The “goals of these actions was exclusion,” Burnaby mayor Mike Hurley said.  “Today, we shine a light on the historic wrongs and systemic racism perpetuated by Burnaby’s municipal government and elected officials between 1892 and 1947, and commit to ensuring that this dark period of our city’s history is never repeated,” he stated. “I’ll say that again, because it’s important — never repeated.” The earliest recorded Chinese settlers arrived in Nuu-chah-nulth territory (known colonially as Nootka Sound) in 1788 from southern China’s...

Read Next

Block title

Burnaby apologizes for historic discrimination against people of Chinese descent

By: Heidi Kwok, Staff Writer On November 15, community members gathered at the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown as the City of Burnaby offered a formal apology for its historic discrimination against people of Chinese descent. This included policies that deprived them of employment and business opportunities. The “goals of these actions was exclusion,” Burnaby mayor Mike Hurley said.  “Today, we shine a light on the historic wrongs and systemic racism perpetuated by Burnaby’s municipal government and elected officials between 1892 and 1947, and commit to ensuring that this dark period of our city’s history is never repeated,” he stated. “I’ll say that again, because it’s important — never repeated.” The earliest recorded Chinese settlers arrived in Nuu-chah-nulth territory (known colonially as Nootka Sound) in 1788 from southern China’s...

Block title

Burnaby apologizes for historic discrimination against people of Chinese descent

By: Heidi Kwok, Staff Writer On November 15, community members gathered at the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown as the City of Burnaby offered a formal apology for its historic discrimination against people of Chinese descent. This included policies that deprived them of employment and business opportunities. The “goals of these actions was exclusion,” Burnaby mayor Mike Hurley said.  “Today, we shine a light on the historic wrongs and systemic racism perpetuated by Burnaby’s municipal government and elected officials between 1892 and 1947, and commit to ensuring that this dark period of our city’s history is never repeated,” he stated. “I’ll say that again, because it’s important — never repeated.” The earliest recorded Chinese settlers arrived in Nuu-chah-nulth territory (known colonially as Nootka Sound) in 1788 from southern China’s...