DynamoSunshirt's recent activity
-
Comment on Calvin Jones' retirement announcement in ~transport
-
Comment on You are a better writer than AI (yes, YOU!) in ~creative
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentYou misunderstand me: it isn't supposed to be a good thing. I was attempting to contrast the bad parts of human writing (imperfections) with the good parts (intention, emotion, and novel ideas)....You misunderstand me: it isn't supposed to be a good thing. I was attempting to contrast the bad parts of human writing (imperfections) with the good parts (intention, emotion, and novel ideas).
AI is great at not committing those sins. But it also lacks those merits.
I have edited hundreds of pages of human and AI-generated writing at this point for my job, and it doesn't take me long to understand when someone has submitted AI slop or bullshit. It then takes me ages to whittle the crap and bloat down to the three bullet points they originally provided the AI. I would much rather just read the human-generated lazy bullet points than wade through a sea of empty bullshit sentences generated because they probably sorta kinda perhaps fit into the context of those bullet points.
Human language is a beautiful kernel of meaning wrapped in a hard shell of imperfection. LLM output is fucking bullshit.
-
Comment on You are a better writer than AI (yes, YOU!) in ~creative
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentI do technical writing, documentation for software and hardware products, specifically. I've seen quite a lot of chatter in my industry about LLMs writing documentation for engineers based on PRs...I do technical writing, documentation for software and hardware products, specifically.
I've seen quite a lot of chatter in my industry about LLMs writing documentation for engineers based on PRs and scope docs and JIRA tickets. All of the output I've seen has been bloated, poorly organized, often subtly incorrect trash. Can't follow style guides. Can't verify code snippet correctness. Can't verify high-level systems description correctness.
It's kind of like having a clueless high-level manager drop into the docs codebase with sweeping PRs. More work to verify, correct, and understand than it would be to simply write from scratch.
-
Comment on Pebble Round 2 announced in ~tech
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentYeah, that is a bit of a shame. But I don't begrudge it too much, since I understand that the slim form factor imposes some constraints. It's much sillier when fatter watches like the Apple and...Yeah, that is a bit of a shame. But I don't begrudge it too much, since I understand that the slim form factor imposes some constraints. It's much sillier when fatter watches like the Apple and Pixel watches lack screws!
-
Comment on Has anyone else intentionally lowered their phone's screen's saturation? in ~tech
DynamoSunshirt LinkI've tried it several times, but I always wind up switching back because I want to see full color photos. Perhaps I should try setting the global color settings to greyscale, but configuring the...I've tried it several times, but I always wind up switching back because I want to see full color photos. Perhaps I should try setting the global color settings to greyscale, but configuring the photo and messenger apps to allow color?
-
Comment on You are a better writer than AI (yes, YOU!) in ~creative
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentAs a professional writer, I have to disagree. LLM writing is painful to read. It feels like someone bullshitting, and no matter how much people prompt it, it never quite escapes that "uncanny...As a professional writer, I have to disagree. LLM writing is painful to read. It feels like someone bullshitting, and no matter how much people prompt it, it never quite escapes that "uncanny valley" for me.
Human writing is full of grammatical mistakes, imperfections, typos, idioms, cliches, and all kinds of structural issues. But it's the output of a conscious mind attempting to convey an idea. Maybe I'm an idealist, but I think there's something special about real communication. Sure, if you're a massive bullshitter you're no better than AI. But if you even have w kernel of genuine emotion behind your writing, you have an edge over AI.
-
Comment on Scalable oral exams with an ElevenLabs voice AI agent in ~tech
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentI imagine it's a bit like taking a test on a computer for me. I have next to no nerves during paper tests. But any test on the computer shreds my psyche. It's worse if I have instant feedback on...I imagine it's a bit like taking a test on a computer for me. I have next to no nerves during paper tests. But any test on the computer shreds my psyche. It's worse if I have instant feedback on each question (even one messup is demoralizing) but there's something different about pressing the submit button compared to turning in paper. Maybe it's the idea that a machine is processing my input, not a human?
-
Comment on Pebble Round 2 announced in ~tech
DynamoSunshirt LinkBeen wearing my PTR every day since 2015. This is amazing news! I've been following the Pebble revival for months now hoping for PTR news, and this is better than I could have imagined. Same...Been wearing my PTR every day since 2015. This is amazing news! I've been following the Pebble revival for months now hoping for PTR news, and this is better than I could have imagined. Same design. No bezel. 2 weeks (instead of days) battery life? I love my PTR for being sleek, slim, and not obviously a smartwatch, But charging has always been a pain point, especially if I just travel somewhere for a couple of days. It's nice to know that with the 2 I'll be able to leave my charger at home for all but the longest trips. My OG's battery life has dropped from 2.5 days on average to more like 1.5 after a decade, so I'm confident that the 2 will last me a long, long time.
Easiest $200 I ever spent.
-
Comment on US strikes Venezuela and says its leader, Nicolas Maduro, has been captured and flown out of the country in ~society
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentThanks for all of the context, it helps a great deal. No thanks for coining the new phrase "vibe governing" that's now going to live in my head forever as an explanation if MAGA and Trump 2:...Thanks for all of the context, it helps a great deal.
No thanks for coining the new phrase "vibe governing" that's now going to live in my head forever as an explanation if MAGA and Trump 2: Electric Boogaloo in particular. Yuck. (but it's nice to have a name for it)
-
Comment on Clicks Communicator: the ultimate communication companion in ~tech
DynamoSunshirt LinkI have high hopes for this. Form factor is fatter (in depth) than my 13 Mini, but close enough. Camera probably sucks. Security updates promised for 5 years is probably... fine, if the company...I have high hopes for this. Form factor is fatter (in depth) than my 13 Mini, but close enough. Camera probably sucks. Security updates promised for 5 years is probably... fine, if the company survives.
Skeptical after the fiasco that was the Minimal Phone (lots of bugs and minimal support after a very delayed launch). But a lot of the Minimal Phone's problems are a result of the e-ink screen -- a small OLED screen is probably a lot easier to support and test.
Honestly, I have no desire to buy anything larger than my 13 mini, so I'll probably keep an eye out for reviews and deals on this over the next year or two. It's unlikely that Apple or any other Android OEM is going to build something that meets my size criteria, so eventually it's either this or a dumb phone. I'm very sad that foldables are likely going to remain the (expensive, unsustainable) hotness in smartphones instead of simply creating big, medium, AND small phones. But capitalism gonna capitalize.
-
Comment on Not-so-humble brag: What are you proud of that you don't normally get to talk about? in ~talk
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentDisclaimer for anyone who has tried this and not seen success: if you're a fish out of water in a small or niche place, this can fail spectacularly. For example: my entire high school career. Grew...Disclaimer for anyone who has tried this and not seen success: if you're a fish out of water in a small or niche place, this can fail spectacularly. For example: my entire high school career. Grew up somewhere small and isolated where my nerdy interests were not shared by a single person in adjacent grades (30-40 kids per year doesn't exactly cast a wide net). Years later, when I visit, I can still feel the cultural gap. In these situations, you can try to find common ground. But places like tildes are worthy substitutes.
-
Comment on How do you want to define 2026 for yourself? in ~talk
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentForcing yourself to exercise daily is so so so so important. I've done a small, primarily body weight strength routine every day since I was maybe 12, and it makes me feel like I accomplished...Forcing yourself to exercise daily is so so so so important. I've done a small, primarily body weight strength routine every day since I was maybe 12, and it makes me feel like I accomplished something even on my worst days. And after all these years I can tell it keeps me significantly more fit than most of my friends, despite never setting foot in a gym. These days my routine is a bit long, but since I work from home I can fit it in without too much trouble. The key is to start small to build the habit. Do 10 sit ups a day for the year, or maybe 5 minutes of yoga. Do it every single day, even if you're sick or traveling or camping. Ramp it up to 20 sit ups or 10 mins if it feels ludicrously easy, but at this point it's more about the habit than the numbers. Eventually you can figure out a size that keeps you feeling fit even on the laziest days.
-
Comment on Jon Stewart is our only hope in ~society
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentIf Kamala runs again, I have little doubt we'd wind up with a Vance presidency or possibly a Trump switcheroo/third term. Honestly Kamala running again would be a great way to fully tank the DNC...If Kamala runs again, I have little doubt we'd wind up with a Vance presidency or possibly a Trump switcheroo/third term. Honestly Kamala running again would be a great way to fully tank the DNC and fuel a true third party, so maybe I should actually hope for that outcome? Seems like it would be astonishingly easy to run a candidate somewhere in the McCain vein and capture 60% of the vote from both the radical republicans and the social issue-fixated democrats.
-
Comment on The iPhone 16e is good, actually in ~tech
DynamoSunshirt Link599 for the 16E is a nice discount from the 17 if you really don't care about a 120Hz screen, multiple cameras, or naked phone magsafe. But it pales in comparison to the 399 2016 SE. I know...599 for the 16E is a nice discount from the 17 if you really don't care about a 120Hz screen, multiple cameras, or naked phone magsafe.
But it pales in comparison to the 399 2016 SE. I know inflation might make that number unrealistic these days, but Google was also able to sell the 3a and 4a for around 349, iirc.
Maybe it's the size of these screens and batteries that's bloated the price so much? In that case, can I please please please get a 16e mini for 499? (though, lets be real, with literally no small upgrade option from my 13 mini, I'd easily pay 1499 just for something the same size)
-
Comment on She fell in love with ChatGPT. Then she ghosted it. in ~tech
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentThere's an episode of Doctor Who where a company starts selling ghosts of your loved ones as a companionship and entertainment service. But iirc they just turn out to be Cybermen who (hilariously)...There's an episode of Doctor Who where a company starts selling ghosts of your loved ones as a companionship and entertainment service.
But iirc they just turn out to be Cybermen who (hilariously) start blowing things up the minute they all get revealed. Underutilized plot device, I wonder if there's a short story on this?
-
Comment on Statement from Mozilla's new CEO in ~tech
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentI especially love that I can manage LibreWolf updates through homebrew.I especially love that I can manage LibreWolf updates through homebrew.
-
Comment on How Wall Street ruined the Roomba and then blamed Lina Khan in ~tech
DynamoSunshirt LinkAs a big fan of Matt's writing, I think this is worth the (not too too long) full read, which elucidates exactly how iRobot transformed from innovative DARPA-funded former-MIT professor-run tech...As a big fan of Matt's writing, I think this is worth the (not too too long) full read, which elucidates exactly how iRobot transformed from innovative DARPA-funded former-MIT professor-run tech company to... a drop-shipper of Chinese hardware and software. But the last few paragraphs serve as a decent TL;DR:
In other words, the story here is Wall Street destroying a promising robotics enterprise through financial engineering, aiding the Chinese in the process, and then demanding a bailout via amnesty from antitrust laws so that shareholders wouldn’t lose any money, while refusing to acknowledge that a key Trump ally of Wall Street facilitated the transfer of the firm to China.
Of course, this bad faith is routine. None of the critics of antitrust enforcement, including Furman, care if U.S. technology flows to China or if companies fail. They in fact celebrated offshoring when it happened to 90,000 manufacturing plants from 2000 onward, and they often make the point that failure is part of capitalism. But when it comes to one specific company, where they can cherry pick information to make a case against antitrust, well then, all of a sudden iRobot’s bankruptcy is a disaster.
All that said, there is an important lesson here for anti-monopolists. Antitrust is a useful tool, but it cannot substitute for a broader national economic development strategy. Right now, America, through a whole set of policy choices, from bailouts to government contracts to pro-speculation regulations to attacks on the rights of labor and creators, ensures that financiers get an unfairly high return on capital. We can see the consequences in everything from the collapse of iRobot to the destruction of America’s cattle herd to the erosion of capacity in Hollywood to the financialized AI data center build-out. The business of America right now is extraction, not creation.
To reverse this strategy, a more assertive antitrust regime is necessary, but it’s not enough. We also have to reduce the many other public levers of support for elevated returns on capital. Only then will it make sense for companies like iRobot to invest in robots instead of share buybacks.
-
How Wall Street ruined the Roomba and then blamed Lina Khan
44 votes -
Comment on Gift recommendations in ~life
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentI got one of those can openers from my in laws a few years back. 10/10 gift, I used to be very nervous about sharp metal edges when I opened cans. No more! And it's held up well, I imagine I'll...I got one of those can openers from my in laws a few years back. 10/10 gift, I used to be very nervous about sharp metal edges when I opened cans. No more! And it's held up well, I imagine I'll get another 10-20 years out of this one unless I mistreat it.
-
Comment on What's your favorite RSS reader? in ~comp
DynamoSunshirt LinkI self-hosted freshRSS for 5+ years, no maintenance ever. Recently switched to miniflux to try something new, I slightly prefer miniflux being distributed over a package manager but they are quite...I self-hosted freshRSS for 5+ years, no maintenance ever. Recently switched to miniflux to try something new, I slightly prefer miniflux being distributed over a package manager but they are quite similar overall. 10/10 rating for each.
Love me some Calvin. I'm also (loosely) in the education space and his friendliness, consistency, and attention to detail are absolutely inspiring in my work.