Beowulf's recent activity
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Comment on Return to office policies do not improve company value, but do make employees miserable: Study in ~life
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Comment on Does anybody play Scythe? in ~games.tabletop
Beowulf LinkMy friends and I play Scythe fairly regularly. It’s by far my favorite “complicated “ board game. I really like that the material of the pieces remind you what they can do and the way the player...My friends and I play Scythe fairly regularly. It’s by far my favorite “complicated “ board game. I really like that the material of the pieces remind you what they can do and the way the player mats contain up-to-date state information through the moving of wooden trinkets. Probably the best board design for keeping track of a lot of information I’ve seen.
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Comment on Cost of internet connection (monthly average) in various countries in ~tech
Beowulf LinkInternet pricing is so broken in America. I went from $80/mo for 100Mbps down to $40/mo for 200Mbps by just moving to the other side of town. It’s insane the price fluctuations. I can’t wait for...Internet pricing is so broken in America. I went from $80/mo for 100Mbps down to $40/mo for 200Mbps by just moving to the other side of town. It’s insane the price fluctuations. I can’t wait for my municipal ISP to roll out to our street and never have to deal with commercial ISPs again.
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Comment on The weirdest bug I've seen yet in ~comp
Beowulf Link ParentI wasn’t trying to be overly critical of the author in particular, but this paragraph particularly resonated with me: Ultimately, they could have done nothing and the problem would have gone away...I wasn’t trying to be overly critical of the author in particular, but this paragraph particularly resonated with me:
Why did this particular gif crash Chrome when Grammarly was installed? Unfortunately, with access to neither the Chrome source code nor the Grammarly source code, we can only guess. In the time since we replaced the gif, either Grammarly or Chrome or both have fixed this issue, because the original gif no longer causes Chrome to crash.
Ultimately, they could have done nothing and the problem would have gone away on its own anyway.
Now, to be clear, I’m a SW manager and I have absolutely told my team: “I’m glad it’s working but we don’t have time to do a root cause analysis, we need to move on to the next thing.” It’s the nature of the industry.
I’m not too familiar with things like healthcare; perhaps things are done more rigorously there. Even if they are, their software is still going to build off a myriad of packages that aren’t.
I realize this wasn’t really the point of the article but it did just so happen to strike at a frustration I’ve had.
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Comment on The weirdest bug I've seen yet in ~comp
Beowulf LinkThis was an interesting, but ultimately unfulfilling, article since we never learn what the root cause is. This is unfortunately very common in software: something’s wrong? Just change stuff until...This was an interesting, but ultimately unfulfilling, article since we never learn what the root cause is. This is unfortunately very common in software: something’s wrong? Just change stuff until it works. Not all the blame lands on devs here. There often not enough resources or time to do full analyses on every problem. And management often doesn’t care once things are working, no matter how tenuously. But what occurs over time is a massive amount of minute tech debt that makes long-term maintenance challenging. Perhaps it is my ignorance, but I don’t think we’d ever build a bridge in the same way.
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Comment on You can’t even pay people to have more kids in ~health
Beowulf Link ParentI was absolutely shocked the first time my paycheck spiked in October. I actually reached out to payroll to see if there was a mistake. But, no, I had just hit the SS cap for the first time. It...I was absolutely shocked the first time my paycheck spiked in October. I actually reached out to payroll to see if there was a mistake. But, no, I had just hit the SS cap for the first time. It makes absolutely no sense to me there’s a cap. If anything there should be a cap in the other direction. Don’t start paying into SS if you make less than $x but once you’re over that you never stop paying.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~life.women
Beowulf Link ParentHopefully by the rest of my comment it’s clear I didn’t mean to associate any negative connotation to the phrase. I hadn’t heard of that phrase having such misogynistic undertones, although I also...Hopefully by the rest of my comment it’s clear I didn’t mean to associate any negative connotation to the phrase. I hadn’t heard of that phrase having such misogynistic undertones, although I also don’t associate with misogynists nor am I a woman, so it’s likely I’ve just not been exposed to it in that way.
My point was just that as both women’s rights and health care have been improving over time, this one aspect still seems to have a very strong anchor firmly in biology and as it affects more women hopefully it will be studied better and improved so that women don’t have to choose between having children earlier than they want or dangerously.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~life.women
Beowulf (edited )LinkThis was a fascinating read, especially since a good number of my friends married women older than they and also had kids a bit later in life. As the trend to have kids later in life continues to...This was a fascinating read, especially since a good number of my friends married women older than they and also had kids a bit later in life. As the trend to have kids later in life continues to increase I think this is something that’s going to have to be dealt with more and more. It’s great that women increasingly have the freedom to have kids when it suits them but
they really are racing against the clock biologically speakingit’s a shame there is an upper limit that may not align with their goals. As general health and life expectancy continues to increase this divergence is going to become increasingly noticeable. Sayings like “45 is the new 35” kinda applies to everything except child bearing. Hopefully more progress can be made in this area to improve things. -
Comment on Sam Altman’s second coming sparks new fears of the AI apocalypse in ~tech
Beowulf Link ParentOpenAI tried to self-regulated and look what happened.OpenAI tried to self-regulated and look what happened.
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Comment on For those with IBS, what changes did you make to improve your quality of life? in ~health
Beowulf LinkStrictly following a low FODMAP diet has given me a new lease on life. My IBS was so bad I was spending literally hours in the bathroom every day for almost a decade. Every activity I did had to...Strictly following a low FODMAP diet has given me a new lease on life. My IBS was so bad I was spending literally hours in the bathroom every day for almost a decade. Every activity I did had to be meticulously planned to ensure I knew where restrooms would be at all times. It basically consumed every aspect of my life.
With the low FODMAP diet, I have 1 regular bowel movement every day and only have IBS systems when I have a cold/virus coming on. It's been basically a miracle. It did take about 3 months of adhering to the diet for things to settle down and for me to notice a difference. Since then, I've very slowly reintroduced things into my diet.
In addition to the low FODMAP, I also avoid fatty foods, especially since I had my gallbladder removed. I've seen some people here recommending fiber. For me, insoluble fiber makes my symptoms significantly worse. I do take Citrucel, which is 100% soluble fiber, and that has also helped to event things out. Finally, I don't drink any caffeine, as it both irritates my stomach, but also causes some acid reflux.
Obviously, I'd like to be able to eat whatever I'd like, but the freedom from the IBS and the acid reflux has been so life changing I really don't mind the sacrifice.
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Comment on Sam Altman will join Microsoft to lead a new advanced Al research team following his ouster from OpenAl, CEO Satya Nadella said in ~tech
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Comment on Sam Altman will join Microsoft to lead a new advanced Al research team following his ouster from OpenAl, CEO Satya Nadella said in ~tech
Beowulf Link ParentThe AI genie is out of the bottle. OpenAI had a very tenuous setup but it was one of the best possible setups possible, unfortunately. They had an opportunity to be the long-term market leader in...The AI genie is out of the bottle. OpenAI had a very tenuous setup but it was one of the best possible setups possible, unfortunately. They had an opportunity to be the long-term market leader in LLM’s and perhaps some day AGI as well. They could have used that position to somewhat limit risk and advocate for ethical standards that the rest of the industry would hopefully follow. Now they don’t have a seat at the table; they’ve really shot themselves in the foot.
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Comment on Sam Altman will join Microsoft to lead a new advanced Al research team following his ouster from OpenAl, CEO Satya Nadella said in ~tech
Beowulf Link ParentThe situation at OpenAI wasn’t perfect but it was probably the best that would have ever come out of our capitalist society. The OpenAI board should have continued trying to work with Altman...The situation at OpenAI wasn’t perfect but it was probably the best that would have ever come out of our capitalist society. The OpenAI board should have continued trying to work with Altman instead of kicking him to the curb. What did they think MS (and key OpenAI employees for that matter) would do?
I’m no fan of MS but I don’t think it’s fair to say they orchestrated this at all. Now instead of limited oversight the OpenAI board will have literally no oversight. They did this to themselves.
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Comment on OpenAI announces leadership transition in ~tech
Beowulf Link ParentHe’s always the “ideas guy” of course ROFLHe’s always the “ideas guy” of course ROFL
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Comment on OpenAI announces leadership transition in ~tech
Beowulf Link ParentI have a cousin who is always trying to rope me into get-rich-quick schemes because I’m “good with computers”. His latest genius idea is to start a business consultancy but run everything through...I have a cousin who is always trying to rope me into get-rich-quick schemes because I’m “good with computers”. His latest genius idea is to start a business consultancy but run everything through ChatGPT instead of having real consultants and business analysts. So basically his idea was to just be an extra middleman between a company and OpenAI. I thanked him but told him I’d pass.
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Comment on Has anyone used a e-ink smartphone as their main device in ~tech
Beowulf Link ParentYeah I suppose the keyboard situation isn’t amazing but I use it mostly as a consumption device. Once I’ve favorited the websites I visit frequently there isn’t much need for the keyboard.Yeah I suppose the keyboard situation isn’t amazing but I use it mostly as a consumption device. Once I’ve favorited the websites I visit frequently there isn’t much need for the keyboard.
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Comment on Has anyone used a e-ink smartphone as their main device in ~tech
Beowulf Link ParentJust want to say this is very much possible. I have an Onyx BOOX Note Air 2 Plus and read basically any website with Firefox and uBlock Origin. Overall the experience is great.Reading a website on an e ink display with no ads is a user experience that will NEVER be topped. But it doesn't make the most money, so no device is allowed to do it.
Just want to say this is very much possible. I have an Onyx BOOX Note Air 2 Plus and read basically any website with Firefox and uBlock Origin. Overall the experience is great.
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Comment on What are the best intro books for different science fields? in ~books
Beowulf LinkHere are some non-fictional books focused on STEM fields with STEM plots but are also good stories. They might serve as good introductions to then decide if you want to learn more about said...Here are some non-fictional books focused on STEM fields with STEM plots but are also good stories. They might serve as good introductions to then decide if you want to learn more about said topic:
“The Soul of a New Machine” by Tracy Kidder. In some respects outdated but still gives a great sense of what it’s like to design computers.
“The Cuckoo's Egg” by Clifford Stoll. A very fun read about finding a hacker in the early days of the Internet.
“Humble Pi” by Matt Parker. An extremely accessible book about math/engineering mistakes throughout history. He also has a great YouTube channel if you want to learn about math in a fun way.
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Comment on Will the switch to USB-C be good for repair? in ~tech
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Comment on YouTube’s anti-adblock and uBlock Origin in ~tech
Beowulf Link ParentFor example: https://medium.com/avmconsulting-blog/malvertising-is-a-growing-menace-5127a48e951e
It's not even that much of a circumvention if you know your rights. My wife was told to RTO and she just didn't show up. When they let her go, she got unemployment because of constructive dismissal.