I personally really like the way wasm modules work. The modules all have a particular interface so you know exactly what they can do to the outside world, it's very clean.
The truth is very often offensive and being upset by it is the first step in solving the underlying problem. All of us know exactly what the article means by that phrase and everyone (especially the Chinese) would probably be happier if the Chinese (and US) hardware industry was more professional with its software.
I've switched to Yandex over this (using it as a home page since it looks like the search extension was removed) and am looking at Alexandria. One thing I've noticed is that Yandex video search is actually pretty good.
Z might be bigger, but are the CS class sizes larger? I went to a fairly large university but it had a small CS department and most classes had <25 students which meant you got a lot of attention from your professors. Also keep in mind that CS curricula are more or less standardized by ACM/ABET so the largest differences will be in electives/research projects.
Arguably the most important part is social. You've read SICP and already contribute to OSS so I'll assume you already know you can teach yourself. Understand that modern university is mostly a social thing and less of an educational thing. Look at the clubs on campus and see if you think you'll enjoy them. Most of my friends and a couple people I dated came from the robotics club for example.
Don't underestimate the value of the financial aid. Not having everything paid for can add a lot of stress and once you start getting internships you'll probably want to use the money for side projects/investments/dates etc.
I've talked to people at Z, and it seems like the CS program is fairly standard and on the whole pretty good.
I think that, given that I have a lot of family and friends in the area, I might have an easier time getting started socially at Z. But at the same time, I grew up out of state and have never lived there so I can't be sure for sure.
Thanks for taking the time to write a thoughtful reply!
One thing I'd like to point out - carefully consider whether having friends and family in the area is actually what you want.
Going to university should be all about new experiences, and those can often be quite limited by your previous connections. Meeting an entirely new group of people, having to be more independent (in terms of living, socially and work), and a "blank slate" are all really important for growing as a person.
Regardless, last time I was in Walmart Chromebooks where the only laptop available. For better or worse (mostly worse IMO) as far as a large portion of the population is concerned "regular laptops" are specialized equipment that they won't have.
The incentives of the two organizations are aligned. It makes sense and is very unfortunate that they capitulate so easily. It's yet another example of why you shouldn't rely on anything from Google.
