Technologies Supporting the Chuunibyou Engineer

"Technologies Supporting xxx (Disease Name) Engineers" has been a hot topic lately, and to ensure the good old blog culture doesn't die out, I've decided to write one as well.

Here are the articles from other people so far.

1. Technologies Supporting Engineers with Back Pain
2. Technologies Supporting Engineers with Numb Hands
3. Technologies Supporting Engineers with Hemorrhoids
4. Technologies Supporting Engineers with Fractures

By the way, I got the title for this article from this tweet.

https://twitter.com/mattn_jp/status/1622501276155256832?s=20

Introduction

• This article is not for becoming a real hacker, but rather for Chunibyo engineers who want to become hacker-like.
• What I mean by "hacker-like" here isn't an over-the-top portrayal with gaming devices or masks, but rather a more (seemingly) authentic image of a hacker.
• This article consists of 95% jokes and prejudice, and 5% content that might actually be useful? to some people.
• Since much of this is just me stating my personal opinions (actually, that's all it is), please close this page quietly if it bothers you.
• By the way, since I am a sufferer (currently showing symptoms), my environment is almost exactly as described here.

I hope this helps you in your quest to become (at least look like) a hacker while in the midst of your Chunibyo phase.

Gadgets

First of all, let's get the gadgets necessary for an IT engineer.

PC

Your PC is your partner and your best friend. Choose a ThinkPad because it's rugged and cool.

https://www.lenovo.com/jp/ja/c/laptops/thinkpad/

The protagonist of the manga Kings' Viking is a hacker, and he also uses a ThinkPad.

When an enemy asks, "Why not a Mac?", here is your counter:

• ThinkPad's keyboard is easy to type on.
• Productivity drops without a TrackPoint.
• It's easy to install Linux.

Keyboard

You chose your laptop because you care about the keyboard, but you should primarily use an external keyboard.
Because that looks more like a hacker.

While a custom keyboard is fine, let's choose the Happy Hacking Keyboard (HHKB). After all, it has "Hacking" in its name.
As for the keycaps, they must be blank (non-printed). Printing is just for decoration; ordinary people just don't understand that. (Note: I use one too, but I'm still shaky on everything from Fn+7 onwards).
And of course, it should be a US layout. You have to keep your eyes on the world.

https://www.pfu.ricoh.com/direct/hhkb/detail_pd-kb800bns.html

When someone tells you a cheap keyboard is fine, win the argument by saying things like:

• Long typing sessions are tough without electrostatic capacitive switches.
• The keyboard is the interface between humans and PCs. Are you really okay not being particular about it?
• Compact keyboards are supreme.

Pointing Device

Don't use a mouse because everyone else uses one. Go for a trackball (index/middle finger type).
If you're buying in Japan, the recently wireless Slimblade Pro might be a good choice.

https://amazon.jp/dp/B0BN8224SY

If you really want to choose for yourself, this site might be helpful:
https://kohzuka-trackball.netlify.app

Clothing

As a hacker, you must also pay attention to your attire. First, the formal wear for work—the hoodie. The GitHub Hoodie is black and looks the part, so let's go with that. (Be careful with the sizing as it's American size).

https://www.thegithubshop.com/products/invertocat-hoodie

You can also get T-shirts and small items from an overseas site called Zazzle (some purchases even donate to projects).

https://www.zazzle.com/developer+gifts

Shipping to Japan was around 900 yen.

Software

Now that your appearance is quite authentic, let's enhance the contents (the software side) as well.

Web Services

First, register accounts for various web services.
Your account name is for life. Choose carefully.

Below are the 7 guidelines for creating an account.

1. Easy to remember and easy to type.
2. Pronounceable: Because you might be called by your account name at study sessions or events.
3. Not too "edgy" (Chunibyo).
4. Consistent across all services.
5. Almost unique when searched on the web.
6. Don't use underscores or hyphens: Because some sites allow them while others don't.
7. Around 8 characters or less.

Point 3 is a common pitfall and requires caution. Avoid carelessly adding things like "dragon" or "dark" to your account name!
I recommend deriving it from your name or nickname.

For checking duplicate account names (for point 4), you might want to use a site like:
https://instantusername.com/#/

From a hacker's perspective, you should be fine as long as you register for:

• Google
• GitHub
• Twitter
• Reddit
• Hacker News
• Discord
• Matrix (Element): A chat (IRC) that feels like it's favored by hackers.

OS

Assuming Linux is a prerequisite, the question is which distribution to use.
Let's go with Arch Linux, under the pretense that you sympathize with its "simple, lightweight" philosophy.

https://archlinux.org

It used to be famous for being difficult to install, but with the advent of archinstall, it has become much easier.

https://github.com/archlinux/archinstall

Desktop Environment

It's more hacker-like to operate a PC using only the keyboard rather than a pointing device.
Therefore, we will use a tiling window manager. sway / i3 would be a safe choice.

https://github.com/swaywm/sway

Terminal

We will adopt WezTerm, which has been a hot topic lately. Polish your sense of style by touching the latest trends.

https://github.com/wez/wezterm/

Editor

Writing code relentlessly on a black terminal looks cool and hacker-like, doesn't it?
So, we'll choose Neovim.

https://github.com/neovim/neovim

Shell

We should have learned from Dragon Ball Z that "Z" means the ultimate. It is self-evident to use a shell that bears that "Z". Your only choice is zsh.

https://www.zsh.org

Browser

You are someone who should use something different from others. So, instead of Google Chrome or Firefox, go with Vivaldi.

https://vivaldi.com

Programming Language

When asked for your favorite programming language, answer Rust. Why? Because it's difficult. Use this to earn the respect of your rivals.

https://www.rust-lang.org

To You Aiming to be a Real Hacker

If you've built your environment to this point, you'll look exactly like the authentic hacker seen in movies and anime!!

---

That said, what I think when watching live coding by actual hackers (super elite engineers) is not that:

• Their work environment is amazing (OS, editor settings, etc.)
• They use implementations you'd never think of
• Everything is stored in their head without needing to look things up

But simply that:

• They type fast
• Their thinking is fluid
• They work for long hours
• They are consistent
• They don't get distracted

...and things like that 💥

So, if you're aiming for the real thing, what's written here won't be of much help lol.

George Hotz
https://youtu.be/JjOLG5AjLqg

mattn
https://youtu.be/5EpCYdXpd4Y

Conclusion

Chunibyo is really tough... I'm gaining a new appreciation for the greatness of people who can work in "normal" environments, such as:

• A PC bought without caring about the manufacturer
• A cheap keyboard found lying around
• Pre-installed Windows
• VS Code, which everyone uses

I hope the day comes soon when my Chunibyo is cured and I can work without relying on the technologies introduced here 🥲