Blakdragon's recent activity
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Comment on Solo developer rebuilds Adobe Creative Suite in Rust using Claude, releases it free to all in ~tech
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Comment on Solo developer rebuilds Adobe Creative Suite in Rust using Claude, releases it free to all in ~tech
Blakdragon Link ParentAre you thinking of the 90/10 rule? That the first 90% of a project takes up 10% of the time, and the last 10% takes up 90% of the time?Are you thinking of the 90/10 rule? That the first 90% of a project takes up 10% of the time, and the last 10% takes up 90% of the time?
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Comment on Software for humans in ~tech
Blakdragon Link ParentI'm a software dev, and I should preface this with I've been on the rather anti-AI side. I think most of it comes from an inherent distrust of the companies providing it. I haven't ignored it...I'm a software dev, and I should preface this with I've been on the rather anti-AI side. I think most of it comes from an inherent distrust of the companies providing it. I haven't ignored it completely. I've tried a few times, and found it something that I have to manage and work around more than a useful addition to my workflow.
Honestly if you're someone with technical skills right now I think stretching your capabilities through LLM assistance is a goldmine. [...] The LLMs from the top labs are currently subsidized. They only recently got good enough to use in this way. Now's the time to act!
I have thought about using it more for personal projects. I have some things I wouldn't mind spending more time on, but am usually too burnt at the end of the day/week to actually do it. But one of my biggest concerns is getting hooked and reliant on these tools to do anything, and then the subsidies finally end. They jack up the costs. Then what? You either pay up, or go back to not being able to use them. I sort of refuse to pay for the privilege of writing code. I don't know if I have a point or a question. Just speculation about capitalism constantly creeping into every facet of my life. It feels awful.
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Comment on Does generative AI have a natural limit without a major innovation? in ~comp
Blakdragon Link ParentTook me a couple days to get around to reading the David Bessis article, but I'm back! I didn't understand a darn thing about the AI proof (disproof?) (I was a strong math student right up until...- Exemplary
Took me a couple days to get around to reading the David Bessis article, but I'm back!
I didn't understand a darn thing about the AI proof (disproof?) (I was a strong math student right up until university, where it all fell apart on me lol), but still interesting to read about.
My degree is in computer science though, so I'm a bit more familiar with how AI was, at least 15 years ago, and was aware of the direction it was heading. I find myself being a bit of a luddite in the AI space, and I think this article kind of put words to some of the things I've been feeling. When people were saying "AI will replace software developers!" my reaction was, well then you really don't understand my job all that well. Because simply writing code isn't the important part of what I do. Understanding requirements and building a maintainable and changeable codebase is the important part of what I do. (Writing code is the fun part though, and I'm loath to give that up to some algorithm that I have to clean up after.)
I think within a decade, a lot of things that mathematicians currently do—what we spend the bulk of our time doing and a lot of stuff we put in our papers today—can be done by AI. But we will find that that actually wasn’t the most important part of what we do.
I liked where the article concluded. I like understanding things, and I feel like AI is being used in a lot of places to skip understanding, and maybe that's why I'm having such a negative reaction to it. I know that LLM AIs aren't inherently bad; they're just tools.
But also I'm tired of the world completely changing around me every 15 years. Anyways. Thanks for sharing! This was definitely enlightening stuff to read.
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Comment on Does generative AI have a natural limit without a major innovation? in ~comp
Blakdragon Link ParentHonestly hadn't heard of this before - can you share more?Models have, at this point, proved multiple novel mathematical proofs
Honestly hadn't heard of this before - can you share more?
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~life.men
Blakdragon Link ParentI think women have been saying this on the internet for as long the internet has existed. Unfortunately, most men are living up to standards set by a society run by a select few. (Which is not to...I think women have been saying this on the internet for as long the internet has existed. Unfortunately, most men are living up to standards set by a society run by a select few. (Which is not to say women don't participate in shaming or pressure.)
Making people feel insecure has been a huge money maker in our society for a very long time. If I knew the fix for that, it would be the same fix for a lot of other shit too.
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Comment on Am I German or autistic? in ~health.mental
Blakdragon Link ParentWhen "Le Poisson Steve" was trending on tiktok it was in my head for like TWO WEEKS. The longer it was there, the more distorted it got. It was awful lmao.When "Le Poisson Steve" was trending on tiktok it was in my head for like TWO WEEKS. The longer it was there, the more distorted it got. It was awful lmao.
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Comment on Am I German or autistic? in ~health.mental
Blakdragon (edited )Link ParentI've never heard anyone else say they have a soundtrack before! I do too. It's either thinking in full sentences, or constant music playing in my head. There's never a moment of quiet lol. ETA:...I've never heard anyone else say they have a soundtrack before! I do too. It's either thinking in full sentences, or constant music playing in my head. There's never a moment of quiet lol.
ETA: Todays song has been the intro theme to Frieren!
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~comp
Blakdragon Link ParentThoughts on Kotlin? I'm an android dev, so work in Kotlin all day every day, but have never touched Swift. I've never had a single complaint about Kotlin, I love working with it! I like Compose as...Thoughts on Kotlin? I'm an android dev, so work in Kotlin all day every day, but have never touched Swift. I've never had a single complaint about Kotlin, I love working with it! I like Compose as well, though I don't get to work with much at work, because the project is older than Compose and we're not about to rewrite the whole thing anytime soon.
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Comment on How many Hosers are there on Tildes? in ~talk
Blakdragon LinkBorn, raised, and lived in Saskatchewan for 30 years! Mostly around Saskatoon. But I moved to Ottawa a few years ago! It feels a lot like Saskatoon tbh. But it's really nice to be in a city with...Born, raised, and lived in Saskatchewan for 30 years! Mostly around Saskatoon. But I moved to Ottawa a few years ago! It feels a lot like Saskatoon tbh. But it's really nice to be in a city with more people, more options, and so much closer to places like Toronto and Montreal!
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Comment on How has AI positively impacted your life? in ~tech
Blakdragon Link ParentOne thing I worry about here though is, how will you know you're learning accurate information? GenAI is the definition of "not a reliable source." Sure it can be, and often is, accurate. But...the biggest use for me has been as a learning tool.
One thing I worry about here though is, how will you know you're learning accurate information? GenAI is the definition of "not a reliable source." Sure it can be, and often is, accurate. But doesn't that just makes it harder to miss when it's not?
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Comment on Monsanto products potentially cause cancer in ~health
Blakdragon Link ParentI used to be a big fan of Astrum. And then recently, they posted a video about the alien talks that were happening in the US government last year? And it just felt so off and different from all...I used to be a big fan of Astrum. And then recently, they posted a video about the alien talks that were happening in the US government last year? And it just felt so off and different from all the other content they've ever posted. I was literally trying to fall asleep, and decided to turn off the video it was so bad. There was no real science at all in it.
Then I found out they were acquired as well... really disappointing.
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Comment on Grape glut: Too much wine across the world leaves tons of US grapes rotting this crush season in ~food
Blakdragon Link ParentAh so this even further implies that it's not global wine supply, like the article suggests (thought it does hit on tariffs for one sentence). It's just that the global market isn't buying...Ah so this even further implies that it's not global wine supply, like the article suggests (thought it does hit on tariffs for one sentence). It's just that the global market isn't buying American anymore.
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Comment on Grape glut: Too much wine across the world leaves tons of US grapes rotting this crush season in ~food
Blakdragon LinkI do wonder if this less to do with global supply, and more to do with Canada still not doing business with the US alcohol business. The LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) is the single...I do wonder if this less to do with global supply, and more to do with Canada still not doing business with the US alcohol business. The LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) is the single largest purchaser of alcohol in the world, and has fully stopped buying any alcohol from the US since annexation and tariff threats earlier this year.
Are other parts of the world experiencing this much of a downturn?
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Comment on Musings on "Developer Mode" in ~comp
Blakdragon LinkI'm an android developer.... my phones are always in developer mode lol. I turn it on so I can connect my phone to android studio and get logcat output. Sometimes I use some of the extra settings...I'm an android developer.... my phones are always in developer mode lol. I turn it on so I can connect my phone to android studio and get logcat output. Sometimes I use some of the extra settings (like showing layout bounds, or having activities die immediately) to produce or track down bugs. Honestly didn't realize it was so interesting.
TBH I don't use most of them, ever. If you want to break a fuck-ton of apps, turn on "Don't keep activities" lol. I don't actually recommend this for real-life use. It just means that your apps won't stay alive in the background ever, forcing developers to recover appropriately.
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Comment on Don't sleep on KPop Demon Hunters in ~movies
Blakdragon LinkI'm fully obsessed with this movie right now. I think a lot of the plot utilised ideas that might be less familiar to western audiences, but I've learned some of it though social media osmosis...I'm fully obsessed with this movie right now.
I think a lot of the plot utilised ideas that might be less familiar to western audiences, but I've learned some of it though social media osmosis haha. My favourite is the Minhwa paintings that give context to the tiger and the magpie. He made the hat for the tiger, but the bird keeps stealing it!
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Comment on I have now donated five full gallons of blood products! in ~health
Blakdragon LinkI can't lie, I feel like having O- blood is a bit of a superpower. I have no idea how much I've donated. But I absolutely made myself anemic, and AFTER that Canadian Blood Services changed the...I can't lie, I feel like having O- blood is a bit of a superpower.
I have no idea how much I've donated. But I absolutely made myself anemic, and AFTER that Canadian Blood Services changed the recommended donation schedule for women?? Like I literally cannot believe that it took until the mid 2010s for them to realize women had less iron and less blood, but whatever. I'll take some iron supplements before and after a donation, and now I know the symptoms of anemia lol.
I donate when there's an event near enough to me! It's honestly the easiest thing for me to give back to humanity. I'm donating in Canada, where you don't get paid or anything, just cookies and chips and juice.
My mom actually can't donate anymore, because she was once tested in a batch that tested positive for HIV? But she then obviously tested negative for HIV.... but still can't donate. Seems wild honestly, that she DEFINITELY DOES NOT have HIV, but they won't let her donate her O- anymore. 😂
Oh and my grandmother was recently diagnosed with hemochromatosis. (Too much iron.) Guess I'll keep up my donations!
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Comment on Most US exhibition execs think traditional moviegoing has less than twenty years as ‘viable business model,’ according to new survey in ~movies
Blakdragon Link ParentI can't believe I, a woman with bladder anxiety (don't worry I'm mostly over it), wrote a whole rant and forgot about this. 😂 If you're movie is 3 hours long, it better be god damn engaging that...So the fact you're stuck in place for 3+ hours with no way to pause if you need to use the bathroom
I can't believe I, a woman with bladder anxiety (don't worry I'm mostly over it), wrote a whole rant and forgot about this. 😂 If you're movie is 3 hours long, it better be god damn engaging that whole time. I literally do not understand the idea of 3-hour-long-lowest-common-denominator-movies. Are people watching those???
Apparently not.
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Comment on Most US exhibition execs think traditional moviegoing has less than twenty years as ‘viable business model,’ according to new survey in ~movies
Blakdragon LinkExecs don't have a lot of creativity, IMO. If they made going out to a movie an actually nice experience, instead of an exercise in parting people from as much money as possible, maybe more people...Execs don't have a lot of creativity, IMO. If they made going out to a movie an actually nice experience, instead of an exercise in parting people from as much money as possible, maybe more people would go? Maybe people don't like weird predatory experiences, and capitalism is finally realizing the ends of its reach.
Like I realize I'm a huge introvert who dislikes large events in the first place, but holy crap theatres are the fucking worst. You want me to go watch a screen that's literally too big, with sounds that are sometimes literally too loud (unexpectedly, to counterbalance the normal sound range of course) with snacks that are absurdly fucking expensive and nothing special. I've gone to a theatre once in the last... oh god I don't even know. 7 years? I went for the Boy and the Heron.
I don't know, make a business model that doesn't fucking suck. Doesn't seem that hard. It's not the cost that's bothering me. It's that it's a cheap as fuck experience that isn't good. Figure it out. 🙄
ETA: Here's my real, less cynical, suggestions. Smaller theaters. You don't have to show literally every movie all the time. If sound balance could be less bombastic... I'd like that. I'm not spending $20 on popcorn or pop. Please get real on that. That's all.
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Comment on Victories and challenges: An A[u]DHD community and support fortnightly thread #1 in ~health.mental
Blakdragon Link ParentI've always felt way more comfortable with animals than people. (Or mammals, at least... I get out of my depth real quick once we start looking at reptiles) There's a simplicity to them. Animals...I've always felt way more comfortable with animals than people. (Or mammals, at least... I get out of my depth real quick once we start looking at reptiles) There's a simplicity to them. Animals don't lie to you. Or if they do, it's really easy to understand why. (Fear, pain, or performing for a reward, etc.)
They didn't make something new though - they reverse engineered an existed code base. The tools are impressive and interesting, but it's stealing a code base using tools that stole from everyone elses code base. It's stealing all the way down. You can use adobe for free now? Cool, you do that before with pirating. Did something new happen here?