Obscure new skills or tricks to learn?

Sycamore Tree · 30-09-2018 11:03am #1

Has anyone ever learned/mastered a new trick or skill that most people would not be able to do?
Something odd or obscure that might take months or years to master.

For example, my brother bought a set of throwing knives several years ago and became very proficient at using them.

30-09-2018 11:44am

Hardly obscure but nothing wrong with learning a marketable skill that you may end up enjoying.

https://www.freecodecamp.org/

Canis Lupus · 30-09-2018 11:46am

I learned how to do a rubix cube but it's not actually hard. I haven't tried to speedcube yet, that I imagine will be more of a challenge and take a while to master.

engiweirdo · 30-09-2018 11:59am

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Hardly obscure but nothing wrong with learning a marketable skill that you may end up enjoying.

https://www.freecodecamp.org/

Out of interest, how do employers in Ireland view these type of courses? Are they dismissive or receptive? I'd have a primary degree in Mech Engineering but have dabbled with java and would be interested in going a bit further with tbh.

30-09-2018 12:10pm

engiweirdo wrote: »

Out of interest, how do employers in Ireland view these type of courses? Are they dismissive or receptive? I'd have a primary degree in Mech Engineering but have dabbled with java and would be interested in going a bit further with tbh.

I've no idea. I'm in Asia and working towards my own business.

It's unlikely they would be dismissive. It's well-regarded in other countries from what I've read. It's incredibly long and to do it all involves doing work for NGOs etc.

LirW · 30-09-2018 12:14pm

engiweirdo wrote: »

Out of interest, how do employers in Ireland view these type of courses? Are they dismissive or receptive? I'd have a primary degree in Mech Engineering but have dabbled with java and would be interested in going a bit further with tbh.

My best friend back home earns a small fortune as a coder, he started out with Java. He never graduated and dropped out, the companies he worked for just want to know that you can code, there's little gray area.
It's a desirable skill to have that will be assessed anyway if you apply for a coding position.

fret_wimp2 · 30-09-2018 12:21pm

engiweirdo wrote: »

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Hardly obscure but nothing wrong with learning a marketable skill that you may end up enjoying.

https://www.freecodecamp.org/

Out of interest, how do employers in Ireland view these type of courses? Are they dismissive or receptive? I'd have a primary degree in Mech Engineering but have dabbled with java and would be interested in going a bit further with tbh.

IT industry is overall quite receptive to these courses as long as they are backed up with ability to knowledgably speak about what you learned and how you applied it. Experience using a particular tech trumps any paper certification.

One person could take one of these courses, pass it with some googling and without learning much.

Another person may take the same course and be able to show projects they done, talk about the tech and projects to a good depth in understanding.

A half decent interviewer will identify which the candidate is pretty quick.

Like any course, it's only as good as what you take from it and how you use that learning.

I regularly take MOOCs to keep up to date and learn new tech. Some I have used daily and have helped me immensely and used them to help pivot jobs.

Others gave me a high level idea of the tech, but I'm far from proficient and don't use it enough to apply for a job in that area and wouldn't let any prospective company think I'm any kind of expert.

arybvtcw0eolkf · 30-09-2018 12:26pm

I'm very good at morse code.

And I can wheelie just about any motorbike (but I can't wheelie my bicycle).

Other than that I'm a useless fook.

riffmongous · 30-09-2018 12:26pm

It's not very obscure but I recently started learning a few different knots, once you know them you start to think of uses for them

JohnnyFlash · 30-09-2018 12:30pm

Hunting for food. I take no pleasure in personally ending the life of an animal, but being able to track, hunt and kill for food is an extremely useful skill to have.

Capt'n Midnight · 30-09-2018 12:37pm

^^^^

Being able to sew, knit or crochet are other handy post-apocalyptic life skills.

Graces7 · 30-09-2018 3:45pm

water divining,,, from a master

kneemos · 30-09-2018 4:15pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

Hunting for food. I take no pleasure in personally ending the life of an animal, but being able to track, hunt and kill for food is an extremely useful skill to have.

For when you're lost in the Dublin mountains and the nearest Centra is three miles away

Noveight · 30-09-2018 4:34pm

It’s good to be able to do some sort of dancing.

Waltzing or jiving are handiest, great fun for a wedding.

Irish Guitarist · 30-09-2018 5:24pm

I've fixed a few cassette tapes. I'm not an expert and it often goes wrong but most people wouldn't even have any qualms about throwing perfectly working tapes in the bin.

I recently bought a job lot of tapes on eBay. One was covered in mould. I removed the mould by wrapping an alcohol pad around a cotton bud, placing it under the tape, and spooling it to the end. I then pried the tape apart and cleaned inside the plastic shell and then glued it back together. Tapes held together with screws are easier to fix.

RiderOnTheStorm · 30-09-2018 5:31pm

I dont know if its a skill, but I train bonsai trees. Have been doing it for years. Not great at it, but getting better.

30-09-2018 5:45pm

Whistling. Not the horrible, annoying type where you badly whistle a song. The one that is so high pitched that you possibly damage your own hearing to beckon or warn a dog or in some cases a person. I have gotten the attention of the emergency services several times by whistling and they were grateful for it. I spent a good 90% of my time in 6th class teaching myself how to do that. Don't do it to a waiter or waitress though :pac:

Lyle Lanley · 30-09-2018 5:45pm

Gracelynn Embarrassed Varmint wrote: »

I'm very good at morse code.

And I can wheelie just about any motorbike (but I can't wheelie my bicycle).

Other than that I'm a useless fook.

I'm terrible at wheelies and always have been! I saw a couple of kids in the Isle of Mann years ago wheelieing mopeds up and down the road, never seen anything cooler! Can you do that?

Me I'm a commercially licenced boat captain and a scuba diving instructor, I guess both are unusual skills but ones anyone could pick up given enough time and the will to learn. If you were going for one id recommend boating as I know there is top quality instruction available in Ireland.

arybvtcw0eolkf · 30-09-2018 6:49pm

Lyle Lanley wrote: »

I'm terrible at wheelies and always have been! I saw a couple of kids in the Isle of Mann years ago wheelieing mopeds up and down the road, never seen anything cooler! Can you do that?

I can, yes. But I find it maddening that I can't wheelie my bicycle, I think that's pretty cool (wheeling a bicycle)

This guy is cool

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk3Gx9jmsg0

JohnnyFlash · 30-09-2018 7:00pm

kneemos wrote: »

For when you're lost in the Dublin mountains and the nearest Centra is three miles away

You never know, dude. You might find yourself somewhere where your survival depends on being able to catch an animal, kill it, then prepare and cook its delicious flesh. Everyone should be able to make a rudimentary trap for such a scenario.

Sycamore Tree · 30-09-2018 8:12pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Hardly obscure but nothing wrong with learning a marketable skill that you may end up enjoying.

https://www.freecodecamp.org/

To be honest I think people spend way too many hours looking into laptops these days. I was looking for more physical skills or tricks.

McMurphy · 30-09-2018 8:12pm

I am one of only 6 people in Ireland who is trained, qualified and registered to do a fairly specific type of under water/deep sea welding and steel cutting/bonding. I'm one of only two in the whole province of Leinster.

I am also a lying hoor.

Rows Grower · 30-09-2018 8:30pm

Graces7 wrote: »

water divining,,, from a master

It's a great skill.

Rows Grower · 30-09-2018 8:33pm

Johnny Dogs wrote: »

I am one of only 6 people in Ireland who is trained, qualified and registered to do a fairly specific type of under water/deep sea welding and steel cutting/bonding. I'm one of only two in the whole province of Leinster.

I am also a lying hoor.

Two great skills.

corner of hells · 30-09-2018 9:58pm

I learned a new sex position recently , it's called the JFK , I shoot my load all over the back of head in the car , jump out and run off.

harry Bailey esq · 30-09-2018 11:07pm

kneemos wrote: »

For when you're lost in the Dublin mountains and the nearest Centra is three miles away

Centra? F*ck that. I'll stick to my nettle and magpie stew thank you very much :mad:
I'm a dab hand at stacking coins and card tricks. Not a skill as such but good craic all the same, and I've garnered many a pint with them along with various other pub bets/challenges.

30-09-2018 11:59pm

I am absolutely useless at making things, fixing things, erm doing things. I tried to teach myself how to code once but I couldn't get the hang of it at all. Juggling doesn't work for me either because I have terrible hand/eye coordination. Knitting, sewing, cooking, sport, card games, puzzles, nope can't do any of them.

01-10-2018 12:01am

Johnny Dogs wrote: »

I am one of only 6 people in Ireland who is trained, qualified and registered to do a fairly specific type of under water/deep sea welding and steel cutting/bonding. I'm one of only two in the whole province of Leinster.

I am also a lying hoor.

There was an AMA a good while back with a lad who did similar to what you describe

Wibbs · 01-10-2018 12:20am

Flint Knapping stone tools. Got into it as a kid, got OK enough at it. Tried it again a few years back. Not so great. Modern human stuff, kinda OK, Neandertal and earlier? Not nearly so much. I'd be in the back of the cave with the slow learners. I can knock out a fairly OK handaxe though and that gives you a fair few sharp as fook blades as a byproduct.

JupiterKid · 01-10-2018 12:28am

At the moment as hobbies I’m very into pottery (I make and glaze vases and bowls of varying types), art (abstract) and astronomy.

I also love solving puzzles and doing mazes.

AllForIt · 01-10-2018 12:49am

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

I've fixed a few cassette tapes. I'm not an expert and it often goes wrong but most people wouldn't even have any qualms about throwing perfectly working tapes in the bin.

I recently bought a job lot of tapes on eBay. One was covered in mould. I removed the mould by wrapping an alcohol pad around a cotton bud, placing it under the tape, and spooling it to the end. I then pried the tape apart and cleaned inside the plastic shell and then glued it back together. Tapes held together with screws are easier to fix.

OP, I learned how to download something called mp3 files for free. Comes in handy now and again.

Obscure new skills or tricks to learn?

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