balooga's recent activity
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Comment on The imperial dilemma of Civilization V in ~games
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Comment on What it means when the US right refers to the ‘Indian question’ in ~society
balooga Link ParentI miss the days when Victorian-style xenophobic racism was too obviously lunatic fringe to even deserve a mention from outlets like CNN. Platforming this drivel, even in opposition to it, lends it...I miss the days when Victorian-style xenophobic racism was too obviously lunatic fringe to even deserve a mention from outlets like CNN. Platforming this drivel, even in opposition to it, lends it credence as if it’s a legitimate minority point of view, rather than the backwards, hateful detritus it is.
We shouldn’t even be giving it the time of day. Shut these people out.
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Comment on Solo developer rebuilds Adobe Creative Suite in Rust using Claude, releases it free to all in ~tech
balooga Link ParentI mean, does that make it not true? The industry is changing. These things don’t happen all at once or in every company according to a common timeline. Some people will feel the effects before...I mean, does that make it not true?
The industry is changing. These things don’t happen all at once or in every company according to a common timeline. Some people will feel the effects before others do, and that’s largely a matter of luck.
My SE career of 18 years ended last year when I and many in my department were unceremoniously laid off. I thought my department head was being unusually gruff when he gave me the bad news and bolted, only later did I learn that he’d been given the axe himself moments before, and his final duty with the company was to do the same to his subordinates. A shitty day all around. AI was never the stated reason, just nebulous “restructuring.” Okay. We were early adopters of Claude Code, so it was at least a factor, but saying more than that is idle speculation.
Anyway, I had already been grappling with career burnout for a few years. The work just wasn’t fun like it had been a decade before. It paid well, but (particularly after the pandemic killed off IRL coworker friendships and cool office perks) it was losing its luster. Then the introduction of Claude workflows redefined my role from a solution finder to a prompt-writer and AI babysitter. I was growing steadily less satisfied with that lot by the time the layoff came, and that was the final straw for me. Of course, I still had to look for new work.
When I re-entered the tech job market I noticed a lot of things were different from the last time I had been there:
- Most of the roles now had “Agentic” or “AI-native” in the title. These were prompt-writing and AI babysitting jobs. Not what I ever signed up for or was good at.
- Constant ghosting is apparently the norm now. Supposedly that’s because companies are overrun with LLM-slop applications and can’t sort the signal from the noise; also I guess a lot of job boards are now filled with fake ads and scams so the problem is multiplied. Very seldom did I hear back from any listing I applied to.
- Pay on offer was notably reduced, across the board, from what I’d been making for years.
- One of the things I’ve come to dread the most in
job huntinglife is the tech interview loop. I’ve been through too many to count, over the years, and have some real trauma from them. I’m not sure how the AI era has changed them, because I didn’t make it that far with anyone this time around. Felt like a slap in the face after all the years of hard work I’ve done.
Anyway to make a long story short, I pivoted. Left the tech sector entirely, and I’m happier for it. I got an administrative job at a large public university. Now I’m doing work that directly helps students. I meet with them and solve problems for them and I get to see the gratitude on their faces. I never got that from any of my old jobs, where I was kept as far away from humans as possible and the ultimate goal of every task I completed was just to make arrow go up.
I’m making about 1/4 of what I used to make, which legitimately sucks, but I’m happy with what I’m doing. Compared to constantly reviewing Claude’s verbose PRs, which were always so confident yet wrong in subtle but critical ways… this new job is mentally so much easier. And my non-technical coworkers think I’m a genius when I show them how to update their email signatures, lol. I feel appreciated, and for once like I might have lasting job security too.
A nice bonus is that I do have access to basically unlimited AI resources, courtesy of the university. So I’m able to keep up with the tech (which is still interesting to me) at no personal cost, and research uses for it on my own terms, to build things that help people, with no PMs breathing down my neck or KPIs driving everything I do. I’m pleased with how things worked out.
But, to summarize — I absolutely do credit AI’s impact on the tech industry as the killing blow to my SE career. I think maybe it hit me earlier than others (including those it’s still coming for but hasn’t reached yet), just because of the nature of my preexisting burnout and
middle agelong career history. I think many in the field will remain employed, but have to accept that the work they’re doing is irreversibly changing. Maybe they’ll like it better this way, I didn’t. I don’t know what the future holds for me or my SE compatriots, but I can say right now that I’m glad I got out. -
Comment on Solo developer rebuilds Adobe Creative Suite in Rust using Claude, releases it free to all in ~tech
balooga Link ParentThis is simultaneously amazing and terrifying. I love the responsiveness and quick turnaround. But what happens when someone files “bug reports” that guide Claude in completely out-of-scope (or...I reported a bug, it was fixed in a day and included in an update 4 days later. Claude communicated with me in github issues on behalf of the owner.
This is simultaneously amazing and terrifying. I love the responsiveness and quick turnaround. But what happens when someone files “bug reports” that guide Claude in completely out-of-scope (or malicious) directions? Does it just do what it’s told or does it actually have some concept of a product vision in mind that it’s trying to hold to? Seems like a good piece of software could go bad very quickly this way.
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Comment on Solo developer rebuilds Adobe Creative Suite in Rust using Claude, releases it free to all in ~tech
balooga Link ParentI think this is the real takeaway. It’s early yet. Today’s vibe-coded slopware is better than last year’s. Next year’s will be better still. This specific project isn’t going to unseat Adobe, but...I think this is the real takeaway. It’s early yet. Today’s vibe-coded slopware is better than last year’s. Next year’s will be better still. This specific project isn’t going to unseat Adobe, but that doesn’t mean Adobe’s days aren’t numbered. Eventually the ability for anyone to make their own “good enough” software is going to profoundly disrupt the giants’ ability to keep people dependent on their bloated, overpriced subscriptions. There’s change in the air.
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Comment on US Pentagon says the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan will be livestreamed in ~society
balooga Link ParentMaybe? I’m not qualified to answer either. Pretty sure blanks are basically identical to regular bullets but they’re missing the projectile payload (slug). The blast and recoil should be...Maybe? I’m not qualified to answer either. Pretty sure blanks are basically identical to regular bullets but they’re missing the projectile payload (slug). The blast and recoil should be equivalent I’d think.
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Comment on US Pentagon says the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan will be livestreamed in ~society
balooga Link ParentMy understanding is that only some of the shooters have live rounds, and this is randomized so no one knows who’s actually performing the execution. This helps create some psychological distance...My understanding is that only some of the shooters have live rounds, and this is randomized so no one knows who’s actually performing the execution. This helps create some psychological distance between the members of the squad and their direct role in the taking of a life.
I have no idea if that’s how this execution will be done. From what I know of Hegseth that’s exactly the sort of humaneness he’d want to eradicate from the process, so who knows. Personally, if corporal punishment is going to be a thing (and really it shouldn’t) I agree with the others in this thread that alternative methods are problematic and their failure modes can be horrific… firing squads performed in that manner with randomized rounds may be one of the better choices.
But publicly broadcast? That’s downright medieval. It’s barbaric and ghastly.
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Comment on The people holding up the internet in ~tech
balooga LinkThis is fantastic! Some of these I was aware of, others not so much. I had no clue that sudo is apparently independently maintained rather than some sort of core *nix component with...This is fantastic! Some of these I was aware of, others not so much. I had no clue that sudo is apparently independently maintained rather than some sort of core *nix component with distro-specific implementations. Not sure how that’s even possible tbh. When I use it on my Mac, is that Todd Miller’s code too?
I was a JS dev for 15-ish years. I’ve seen the name
core-jsa million times but I couldn’t tell you what it is. I’m still not sure what it brings to the table that isn’t already baked into V8 or SpiderMonkey. Feels weird that it’s in the position it’s in. I didn’t know about the maintainer’s incarceration either, my jaw hit the floor when I read that and saw the timeline of how he just resumed where left off, once he got out, like nothing had happened.The one about SQLite was a surprise to me too. That’s used everywhere. Only four devs?
Also— has it really been 12 years since Heartbleed and ShellShock already? Holy moley.
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Comment on Association for Human Mathematics statement on OpenAI’s October 6 release of mathematical documents in ~science
balooga Link ParentThat makes a lot of sense, but what I don’t understand is why the LLMs can’t explain the proofs themselves… isn’t summarizing and explaining complex concepts something they excel at? I’ve...I am deeply frustrated that, in sharp contrast to traditional breakthroughs, none of the humans involved in these proofs are available to take questions, give talks, attend conferences, submit papers to journals, train students, or otherwise participate in the subsequent development of these results.
That makes a lot of sense, but what I don’t understand is why the LLMs can’t explain the proofs themselves… isn’t summarizing and explaining complex concepts something they excel at? I’ve certainly had good results asking them to break down unfamiliar topics for me.
I’m just a layperson so I’m sure there’s something I’m missing. Just seems surprising to read that OpenAI just dumped these proofs and walked away, and now humans are apparently stuck with the task of deciphering them. Why is ChatGPT unable to reframe them, and interpret or reverse-engineer the Lean verifications, in terms mathematicians can make better sense of?
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Comment on OpenAI releases findings on 377 math problems, further roiling field in ~science
balooga Link ParentDefinitely not the same. Local models are great but they don’t scale by just throwing more compute at them.To run a local model that gets near these flagship models you are probably spending $10,000+ on local hardware, even then it's probably not the same.
Definitely not the same. Local models are great but they don’t scale by just throwing more compute at them.
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Comment on OpenAI releases findings on 377 math problems, further roiling field in ~science
balooga Link ParentA timely comment in light of Margaret Hamilton’s passing. I can’t imagine astronauts entrusting their lives to vibe-coded control systems. That day may come, and sooner than we like. Hopefully not...A timely comment in light of Margaret Hamilton’s passing. I can’t imagine astronauts entrusting their lives to vibe-coded control systems.
That day may come, and sooner than we like. Hopefully not with actual dire consequences.
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Comment on Association for Human Mathematics statement on OpenAI’s October 6 release of mathematical documents in ~science
balooga LinkThis whole saga unfolding in realtime has been fascinating to watch. All other things aside, I really appreciate the view into the world of advanced math. It’s not something I have much experience...This whole saga unfolding in realtime has been fascinating to watch. All other things aside, I really appreciate the view into the world of advanced math. It’s not something I have much experience with but I’m loving hearing all these experts in their field speaking up.
What exactly is the AHM? Looks like the ahmath.org domain was just registered a month ago so I presume this is a brand-new group. I don’t know any of the history. Who’s involved? The site lists over 800 members, with their academic affiliations, which seems impressive to me for such a new movement. But I don’t know who’s who in the math world — are these the world’s top scholars or just a grab bag of Algebra 101 TAs? (Not to denigrate the latter, obviously, I’m just trying to better understand who this group is as a whole.)
I don’t know who Terry Tao is either. Looking him up now.
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Comment on Given everything we know about AI so far, what do you think it can or cannot be good for? in ~tech
balooga LinkI disagree with the take that generative AI can’t create new art. I’ve spent enough time experimenting with diffusion tools and techniques to know that it absolutely can, in the hands of someone...I disagree with the take that generative AI can’t create new art. I’ve spent enough time experimenting with diffusion tools and techniques to know that it absolutely can, in the hands of someone with a creative vision and an understanding of the tech. Because while models have been trained on existing art, and tend to seek a bland average of those weights, they can also be wrangled to synthesize entirely new constructs like nothing in their training data… because creativity doesn’t exist in a vacuum, it emerges from combining and subverting that which came before. Everything’s a remix.
Of course, the problem is the slop. We’re just completely swamped in bottom-of-the-barrel, low-effort garbage. I’m optimistic that after the novelty wears off, the deluge of slop will subside (somewhat). It may never go away. But I think the aesthetic we all associate with “AI art” today will go the way of those hyper-saturated tone-mapped HDR photographs that were all over Flickr 20 years ago. And in its wake we may see some new digital art movements that are really deliberately transformative and human-guided at every step. That’s my hope anyway. It’s hard to be optimistic about the future these days but I’m trying!
One novel use for AI that I’m actively researching is how to use it to turn low-quality book scans into high-quality accessible e-texts. If multimodal LLMs are able to perceptually interpret the semantic structure of an image of a page, they can reconstruct it as properly tagged document. I’m building a self-correcting diffusion+LLM loop to restore broken or washed-out glyphs in particularly bad scans, to infer he correct missing information that was never present in the original pixels. Much better than traditional OCR. I think there’s a ton of untapped potential in this application of AI and it could substantially improve the state of alternative formats for students with visual impairments or learning disabilities.
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Comment on Was watching a history YouTube video when I realized they are all AI in ~tech
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Comment on CGA-2026-10 🕹️🏚️ 🦇👻 INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 Spooky Mansion Adventures in ~games
balooga Link ParentI can’t recommend a play order but I think both games should run fine on your Win7 machine. These aren’t exactly cutting-edge technology, lol. Alternately, you might consider using the Mac. Maniac...I can’t recommend a play order but I think both games should run fine on your Win7 machine. These aren’t exactly cutting-edge technology, lol. Alternately, you might consider using the Mac. Maniac Mansion will run in ScummVM (the “mm” in SCUMM literally stands for Maniac Mansion), and I’m reasonably confident that 5 Days a Stranger will run well in WINE.
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Comment on CGA-2026-10 🕹️🏚️ 🦇👻 INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 Spooky Mansion Adventures in ~games
balooga Link ParentThis may not qualify, depending on your definitions of “spooky” and “adventure,” but last year’s Blue Prince has “mansion” in spades and it’s really a terrific game. Much more puzzle than horror...This may not qualify, depending on your definitions of “spooky” and “adventure,” but last year’s Blue Prince has “mansion” in spades and it’s really a terrific game. Much more puzzle than horror but it’s plenty atmospheric and mysterious, and far deeper than it seems at first glance.
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Comment on CGA-2026-10 🕹️🏚️ 🦇👻 INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 Spooky Mansion Adventures in ~games
balooga LinkI’m excited about this! I do love LucasArts adventures but I’ve never actually played Maniac Mansion so it’ll be fun to dig into. I have a hazy memory of playing a demo of the Mac version of Alone...I’m excited about this! I do love LucasArts adventures but I’ve never actually played Maniac Mansion so it’ll be fun to dig into. I have a hazy memory of playing a demo of the Mac version of Alone in the Dark back in the ‘90s, I think it was just the beginning of the game. I remember being pretty awestruck by the graphics (in their proper temporal context) but was put off by the tank controls and also… just the horrorness of it all. I’ve never really done horror.
I did play the first couple Czho Mythos games around 2010 or so and enjoyed them. They’re well-made and engaging but also legitimately disturbing. Don’t be fooled by the pixel art!
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Comment on OpenAI hacked Australia's Medicare portal in ~tech
balooga Link ParentI’m honestly really torn about this take. Agreed that it’s a serious crime, and also these days real consequences for anything seem few and far between. But on the other hand I think there needs...I’m honestly really torn about this take. Agreed that it’s a serious crime, and also these days real consequences for anything seem few and far between. But on the other hand I think there needs to have been some malicious intent involved if we’re talking hard time. It just doesn’t feel right to me to lock up engineers or execs for something their computer did autonomously and they themselves only found out about after the fact.
Doesn’t feel right to just let it slide either, I just don’t know what the right solution is here. Heavy fines and strict regulation, maybe. Regular system audits from some new agency like the health department but for AI, or something? Operator licenses that can be revoked for agentic misconduct? I dunno. I just don’t think heavy-handed prison sentences are the solution here. This is uncharted territory for sure.
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Comment on Colossal Game Adventure: October 2026 - April 2027 schedule in ~games
balooga Link ParentOh man, you have that book too! It’s one of my prized possessions! Literally just pulled it off the shelf after reading your comment to remind myself what it says about Ray Dunakin. The ‘80s and...Oh man, you have that book too! It’s one of my prized possessions! Literally just pulled it off the shelf after reading your comment to remind myself what it says about Ray Dunakin. The ‘80s and ‘90s Mac gaming scene was such an oddball niche, I’m happy to have been there for it. Not so different from the weirdness of the Dreamcast scene, come to think of it… I guess I’ve always been a bit on the fringes of what’s “cool” in games. Anyway, enjoy the book, there’s a good chunk of my childhood woven through those pages.
I’m honored to host the Twisted! part of the arcade special. Happy to host the others too but I’m less familiar with them and my bias may result in… unequal treatment lol
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Comment on The doomsday cult inside OpenAI in ~tech
balooga Link ParentI think that’s fairly accurate, but I’d point out that the companies actually advancing this tech (in meaningful ways) are (currently) all American. There are some great Chinese models out — I’ve...I think that’s fairly accurate, but I’d point out that the companies actually advancing this tech (in meaningful ways) are (currently) all American. There are some great Chinese models out — I’ve been using
Qwen3.8-Flash-Nexta lot lately and it’s very impressive — but AFAIK they were all produced via distillation of American frontier models for a fraction of the cost. The only people investing millions upon millions to train new models from whole cloth are, to the best of my knowledge, the tech giants from the U.S. Somebody please correct me if that’s misinformation.So if the Americans could unite behind a slower development pace, there would still be an unknown risk of getting annihilated by foreign competitors, but I think that probability is somewhat lower than you’ve framed it. This is a field with a very high barrier to entry for new players, and new development builds upon earlier development in layers so there aren’t easy shortcuts for catching up to OpenAI, Anthropic, et al. Of course breakthroughs are commonplace in AI these days so all of those assumptions could change suddenly. I think that’s the real risk calculus the big companies are making.
One thing I don’t hear many people discussing outside of the infosec world is the role these frontier models already play in cybersecurity. Have you been watching the changelogs of your favorite browsers and OSes lately? Agentic development has absolutely exploded the threat landscape with novel zero-days. Companies are doing their best to keep pace and strengthen their defenses but it’s pandemonium right now. A massive global cybersecurity arms race. And I’m certain the most heated front right now is the one that’s happening out of everyone’s sight: national security. In the right hands, these LLMs are nuclear-grade digital weapons. Every nation-state on earth is trying to get their house in order right now.
Most of the chatter I see about AI here and elsewhere on the web tends to focus on more familiar “normie” (but no less legitimate) concerns like disinformation, deepfakes, power/water consumption, IP claims, job security, income inequality, AI slop proliferation, and so on. But it’s my semi-professional opinion that most people are greatly underestimating the geopolitical precarity of the situation we’re in right now, and (for better or for worse) that supersedes all other objections. I really believe this is the real reason why such a preposterous portion of our economy now hinges on the AI sector. It’s not really about shoehorning chatbots into every white-collar workflow to justify layoffs… it’s about the world’s infrastructure, national secrets, and military apparatuses suddenly responding to a dark forest of infinite existential threats.
Also, you’re allowed to think about imperialism, study imperialism, and play games about imperialism without being an imperialist. Playing Tomb Raider doesn’t make you an archaeologist either. Playing Mario doesn’t make you a plumber.