Barney's recent activity
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Comment on "What do we do with Jacob Geller?" (Self admitted sexual assault, removed from Nebula streaming) in ~tech
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Comment on "What do we do with Jacob Geller?" (Self admitted sexual assault, removed from Nebula streaming) in ~tech
Barney Link ParentI should not even bother reading your comment after the outlandish accusation of supporting the perpetrators, but I will. When the third sentence of my post was I was neither talking about this...I should not even bother reading your comment after the outlandish accusation of supporting the perpetrators, but I will.
Your stated concerns and 'won't anybody think of the perpetrators?' line of reasoning are easily disproven by a cursory read on the subject.
When the third sentence of my post was
I have no idea who this guy is, so take everything I say as my opinion about holding people accountable on the internet decades later.
I was neither talking about this specific case, nor about sexual assault. I was talking about disproportionate outrage and response to various actions one did in the past. I was not defending anyone and the second half of my post is what I was trying to say. The fact that your accusations and attacks are marked as "exemplary" is baffling. What makes you think that you're allowed to throw unfounded attacks around? This is the internet and people are way too comfortable accusing others since there are no repercussations for their actions.
Your entire comment is about giving someone the benefit of the doubt, as if some online mob has formed and visited these consequences on him.
You're still thinking that I am talking about him and this case, when I made it clear I was not. You're really trying to read something into my post that I did not say. This is unfortunately becoming increasingly common, where people respond to what they want to engage with and not what the other person was saying. Sort of like a reverse motte-and-bailey.
I am disappointed leaping to the defense of a perpetrator is still a society-wide issue; I am angry to see it so highly upvoted here.
I wanted to have a discussion about accountability and what it means or should mean to live with a criminal past, but every debate seems to devolve into twisted interpretations and fabricated outrage these days. Truly unfortunate.
I understand what you are saying and you are preaching to the choir. I agree with the overall content of your comment, but it was neither related to what I said, nor was it appropriately phrased or delivered.
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Comment on "What do we do with Jacob Geller?" (Self admitted sexual assault, removed from Nebula streaming) in ~tech
Barney LinkI find things like this deeply unsettling. People on the internet seem to be completely disconnected from reality and digital judgment is almost always extremely overbearing. I have no idea who...I find things like this deeply unsettling. People on the internet seem to be completely disconnected from reality and digital judgment is almost always extremely overbearing.
I have no idea who this guy is, so take everything I say as my opinion about holding people accountable on the internet decades later.
First of all, what even is "sexual assault"? In many cases, certainly legally, an unwanted kiss on the cheek qualifies. In other cases it's used as a more formal phrase for rape. At some point we need to acknowledge those things are not even remotely close to being the same severity. The internet really likes to jump to conclusions and that's not a good thing.
An example I'd like to bring up is Daniel Greene's sexual assault case from around a year ago. He was effectively burned at a virtual stake before the entire story (by Naomi King) turned out to be fabricated, and she later acknowledged that their physical relationship was consensual. While the allegation of assault was retracted, the public fallout had a lasting impact on his reputation and livelihood.Second, even minor crimes or vandalism expire after 5 to 15 years under statute of limitations laws, depending on where you live. Holding someone accountable often decades after it happened, particularly if it happened in a person's formative years as a young adult, is very hypocritical. People on the internet love acting like saints when it comes to someone else's wrongdoings, but I guarantee you that almost everybody could be found having done something that would "warrant" a beating according to the internet.
I think we would all benefit from a little introspection and seeing people for who they are now and how they've grown instead of a fossilised, set-in stone picture of what they were in the past.
Naturally, some actions are so severe that they cannot be undone and the consequences will linger throughout the person's entire life. Even still, I believe that people can and do change, often drastically, and shunning benefits nobody. Refusing to accept growth is unconducive to a progressive and supportive society. This goes for former drug addicts, former bigots, former homophobes etc.
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Comment on Billing for web hosting in ~comp
Barney Link ParentI think it's not unlike a person with 0 knowledge about cars being charged extra for an oil change. It's "worth it" to them because they can't realistically do it themselves, but if a garage down...I think it's not unlike a person with 0 knowledge about cars being charged extra for an oil change. It's "worth it" to them because they can't realistically do it themselves, but if a garage down the road does it for half the price, the first one could reasonable be called a ripoff.
From the main post:
I want to work toward establishing good business practices, and that means charging people fairly - i.e. never simply because I can.
That's precisely what this $10 fee is though. It's not a fair charge. You'd have more trouble finding people to host your site for $10 than for $5 or less.
Of course, they can do whatever they want, it's a free market after all. However, since they explicitly posted here asking about the price, it's worth noting that it is without a doubt unreasonable.
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Comment on Billing for web hosting in ~comp
Barney (edited )Link ParentYou seem to have misread their message. They are charging $10/month, not $10 for 3 months, which is very expensive for static site hosting. Even $3.33 is expensive for what it is, but $10 is well...3.33 per month after is not expensive at all
You seem to have misread their message.
$50 for setup and $10/month
They are charging $10/month, not $10 for 3 months, which is very expensive for static site hosting. Even $3.33 is expensive for what it is, but $10 is well into ripoff territory. Static sites have effectively 0 maintenance overhead, so this is purely a "I charge this because I can" fee.
OP deciding to use a VPS instead of a completely free option is on them, not the client.
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Comment on New app: Sheets - Manage Ghostty/Kitty/Alacritty themes easily! in ~tech
Barney Link ParentFunny you mention that because I almost exclusively say "I started / loaded the dishwasher" haha. But I get what you mean. It is unfortunate it's come to this, but alas. Thank you for your input!Funny you mention that because I almost exclusively say "I started / loaded the dishwasher" haha. But I get what you mean. It is unfortunate it's come to this, but alas.
Thank you for your input!
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Comment on New app: Sheets - Manage Ghostty/Kitty/Alacritty themes easily! in ~tech
Barney Link ParentRight, but that still implies that you're the one writing the code, no? I feel like there's a near infinite number of phrases that describe LLM-coded, or indeed even LLM-assissted projects better...Right, but that still implies that you're the one writing the code, no? I feel like there's a near infinite number of phrases that describe LLM-coded, or indeed even LLM-assissted projects better than "vibecoded".
This is probably just me being old and grumpy though.
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Comment on New app: Sheets - Manage Ghostty/Kitty/Alacritty themes easily! in ~tech
Barney (edited )Link ParentMy comment is truly off-topic now, but I really really really dislike the term vibe coding. (not aimed at you, of course) Before the AI days, I used the term for small apps I wrote for fun and to...My comment is truly off-topic now, but I really really really
hatedislike the term vibe coding. (not aimed at you, of course)Before the AI days, I used the term for small apps I wrote for fun and to fulfil a purpose. I needed to extract something form a binary file, patch something etc. These apps were written with personal usage in mind without proper error handling and without any thought going into their designs. They were designed based on vibes and how I thought a given algorithm should work. I was usually also watching something while writing them. It was a descriptor for projects that were unserious. Not unlike "vibe based performance analysis".
I really don't see how getting an LLM to write code for you is in any way, shape or form related to the English word 'vibe'. :(
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Comment on It breaks a village in ~comp
Barney Link ParentI largely agree with you except about this: The overall quality of software development has been a joke in my opinion for at least 2 decades. Most webdevs nowadays are so far removed from the...I largely agree with you except about this:
Like an artisinaly crafted closet versus an ikea wardrobe. There are certainly more of the latter in existence, and the quality difference in the example is more profound in the furniture example than in the coding one.
The overall quality of software development has been a joke in my opinion for at least 2 decades. Most webdevs nowadays are so far removed from the underlying hardware that 10-20-40% performance costs are negligible. Try that in a real engineering field. The rate at which software is getting slower and worse is astonishing and the only reason it's acceptable is that software is still largely profitable, but I digress. AI trained on decades of mistakes is not going to make it any better either.
In your example, an IKEA wardrobe is perfectly fine to store clothes in. The hinges may be a bit unstable or make some noise, the legs could be wobbly but you can store your things in there just fine. Bad software is not like that.
An anecdotal example: On my work phone, which is weak by modern standards but would have been an absolute powerhouse a decade+ ago, Microsoft Teams takes anywhere between 10 and 20 seconds to open. Sometimes the keyboard popup takes multiple seconds too. Restarting the phone is at least a 3-minute endeavour.A lot of software is of very poor quality and has been even before AI so this will not change and I am not blaming AI for it. But I wager that in an era where AI writes most software, hand-written software will distinguish itself by being significantly higher quality, mainly because the people who choose to hand-write software are, on average, going to be better.
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Comment on Overview of the proofs behind the Navier-Stokes $1 million millennium prize problem in ~science
Barney (edited )LinkThis is deeply disturbing on many levels, which I will not dive into here, but perhaps in another post / topic, because I think there's an interesting conversation to be had here around AI proofs...This is deeply disturbing on many levels, which I will not dive into here, but perhaps in another post / topic, because I think there's an interesting conversation to be had here around AI proofs and the future of mathematics in general.
Nonetheless, OpenAI disgusts me.
While unlikely, we cannot rule out that de-identified data derived from their usage of our products helped improve our models.
Yeah, right. As of the initial publishing of the paper, it only had 16 citations, which is laughable for a proof of this size, not to mention it didn't credit the team that has been working on this problem for years and were close to solving it, Diego Córdoba and Luis Martínez-Zoroa.
OpenAI now amended the paper to include additional references, but at best, this is blatant plagiarism. Why do we allow this? Why are they not held accountable? Why can years or decades of hard work be stolen so easily? Breaks my heart.
Here is a link to the originally published paper with its 16 references. 16 references for 165 pages.
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Comment on Ig Nobel Prize winners 2026 in ~science
Barney LinkI couldn't help but chuckle at this. Yeah, checks out. Also, possibly life changing: It's the little improvements to daily life that matter most.IG NOBEL ECONOMICS PRIZE 2026 [USA, MEXICO, CANADA]
Paul Piff, Daniel Stancato, Stéphane Côté, Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton, and Dacher Keltner, for amassing evidence that upper class people are more likely to snatch from a children’s supply of candy, and engage in other kinds of unethical behavior.REFERENCE: “Higher Social Class Predicts Increased Unethical Behavior”
I couldn't help but chuckle at this. Yeah, checks out.
Also, possibly life changing:
IG NOBEL PHYSICS PRIZE 2026 [CANADA, USA, CHINA, SAUDI ARABIA]
Randy Hurd, Zhao Pan, Tadd Truscott, Kaveeshan Thurairajah, for theoretical and experimental attempts to design a splash-free urinal.REFERENCE: “Splash-free Urinals for Global Sustainability and Accessibility: Design Through Physics and Differential Equations,”
It's the little improvements to daily life that matter most.
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Comment on 1Password wades into a right-wing mess after funding a Linux project in ~tech
Barney Link ParentI've been using KeePassXC for as long as I can remember. Might be worth checking it out if you're looking for a password manager. I store my ssh keys in there too and inject them into my desktop...I've been using KeePassXC for as long as I can remember. Might be worth checking it out if you're looking for a password manager.
I store my ssh keys in there too and inject them into my desktop ssh agent on demand. It's really cool stuff.
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Comment on EU packaging regulations land another blow to an already precarious tabletop industry in ~games.tabletop
Barney Link ParentI really really really dislike the modern EU. Don't particularly feel like elaborating, but my main issues are: it's focusing on the wrong things, at the wrong time an alarming number of its...I really really really dislike the modern EU.
Don't particularly feel like elaborating, but my main issues are:
- it's focusing on the wrong things, at the wrong time
- an alarming number of its recent (past decade-ish) proposals, laws and regulations either directly or indirectly harm or otherwise negatively impact the average person's life
- it is hypocritical beyond belief, both in action and verbal / written statements and hides behind a mask of fake righteousness and solidarity
- it massively overreaches its initial intended purpose
I genuinely believe the European Union is doomed to fail in the coming decades and it's going to take Europe many decades to recover from the damage it caused, if it can recover at all. At this point, the main thing holding the EU together is not its values or benefits, but the astronomical cost of its dissolution.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's all bad. It has done many good things and has overall been a net positive for Europe up until the early 2010s.
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Comment on What are your current pain points with Linux? in ~tech
Barney Link ParentIt's over network. Unfortunately, the printer is in a completely different room, but I am going to try the cable approach just to see what happens. Thanks for the idea!It's over network. Unfortunately, the printer is in a completely different room, but I am going to try the cable approach just to see what happens. Thanks for the idea!
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Comment on What are your current pain points with Linux? in ~tech
Barney LinkI am a linux veteran, and have been using Void Linux for a while, doing everything from scratch myself. I, however, cannot get my printer to work properly. I have CUPS set up and configured (IMO...I am a linux veteran, and have been using Void Linux for a while, doing everything from scratch myself.
I, however, cannot get my printer to work properly. I have CUPS set up and configured (IMO properly), yet half of my apps don't see it in their printer dialog. When they do, custom sizes will randomly print incorrectly etc. It's just an all around mess.
This is probably my fault, as it worked on previous, pre-made distros and I'm only having this issue on Void, where I did everything myself. Still, I have no idea how to fix it, and nobody I talked to about it did either.
At this point I have accepted that i need to print from my phone.
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Comment on Chinese humanoid robots smash human records in 100m sprint and high jump at Beijing robot games in ~tech
Barney Link ParentThe point is not the activity itself, but the fact that it can mimic complex movements, like running, and be very good at it. If you compare this to what humanoid robots could do and how advanced...The point is not the activity itself, but the fact that it can mimic complex movements, like running, and be very good at it. If you compare this to what humanoid robots could do and how advanced robotics like this was 10 years ago, the improvement is super impressive.
Assuming they keep improving, this could have incredible uses. Think firefighters who can walk into burning buildings no problem. The potential is very exciting. On a more sombre note, humans will human and somebody is going to stick a gun on these things as soon as possible.
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Comment on Waving goodbye, carrying my bundle on a stick in ~talk
Barney Link ParentBad interactions are highly subjective. There are very few interactions on Tildes done in bad faith, but that doesn't necessarily mean they can't be unpleasant for parties involved. Spending time...Either way I've neither seen or read about any bad interactions on here to be honest...
Bad interactions are highly subjective. There are very few interactions on Tildes done in bad faith, but that doesn't necessarily mean they can't be unpleasant for parties involved.
Spending time on Tildes is ultimately a completely optional free time activity, so when that arbitrary personal "unpleasant threshold" is exceeded, people leave. Which is completely understandable.
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Comment on Is it time to include pronouns? in ~tildes
Barney LinkI fully support pronouns in general, but I find that referring to a user by @-ing them is the most polite way to talk about someone (on tildes). It: makes it abundantly clear who you're talking...I fully support pronouns in general, but I find that referring to a user by @-ing them is the most polite way to talk about someone (on tildes). It:
- makes it abundantly clear who you're talking about.
- notifies the person that they are being talked about.
- avoids any and all conflicts regarding pronoun misuse.
Barring that, if you prefer to use a pronoun regardless, on an online forum like tildes where we are all faceless, digital entities, the centuries-old polite they / them suffices.
As for adding pronouns in general, users can already do that if they so choose in their profile bio, which can be quickly opened when in doubt.
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Comment on Choosing a printer in ~tech
Barney Link ParentThe main reason is convenience. I do have to print, sign and scan stuff a couple of times a month at least, and I am not willing to go through what you just described haha. That sounds awful to me.The main reason is convenience. I do have to print, sign and scan stuff a couple of times a month at least, and I am not willing to go through what you just described haha. That sounds awful to me.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tildes
Barney LinkI would 100% support this, but how would that work? If someone incorrectly labels something as "misinformation", how would we combat that? Re: our (short) exchange regarding the misuse of the...I would 100% support this, but how would that work? If someone incorrectly labels something as "misinformation", how would we combat that?
Re: our (short) exchange regarding the misuse of the "exemplary" label.
I may have been inaccurate in my post.
This is the bulk of what I was trying to say. People with a criminal past, such as petty theft, vandalism, drug abuse etc. should not be viewed as criminal forevers, if they are able to change. Proportionate punishment, acknowledgement of growth and repentence is how we advance as a society.
I did not say that. You are well within your rights to not watch any of his videos. (And again, I wasn't even talking about him.) A lot of the sentiment, however, seems to describe people as something they did or were in the past and make that their eternal, defining trait. Should someone convicted with possession and use of drugs at the age of 21 be viewed as a druggie their entire life, even after they've been clean for 10 years? Of course not. That doesn't mean their past should be treated as if it had never happened, but it should not be their defining trait forever, particularly when they've clearly changed.
I did specify that I was not talking about his case, but about criminal pasts in general. I do appreciate you responding in a much more civil manner than @286437714, and for the short apartes after quoting me.
In Geller's case specifically, whether someone can look past what he did is up to them. You are completely justified in feeling hurt and not consuming any of his content going forward is, even in my opinion, not a disproportionate response to his past. I wasn't trying to insinuate that.