creesch's recent activity
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Comment on Dehumidifiers are confusing. Here's why. in ~engineering
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Comment on WebCurate - Find the best websites on the internet in ~tech
creesch Link ParentOh heck, I didn't think to do that. So the website is just outright spam.Oh heck, I didn't think to do that. So the website is just outright spam.
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Comment on WebCurate - Find the best websites on the internet in ~tech
creesch LinkSomething about the website doesn't jive with me. It might just be the design as I somehow keep expecting to see a price plan and pages full of startup nonsense. Basically it doesn't feel like a...Something about the website doesn't jive with me. It might just be the design as I somehow keep expecting to see a price plan and pages full of startup nonsense. Basically it doesn't feel like a website for people to me.
It might be that from the categories in the featured section the first categories are AI, Productivity, Developer, Extension, Marketing and SEO. Which makes me feel it isn't about the best websites on the web at all, it is about very specific websites for a specific demographic. The latter brings me back to VC startup vibes again.Or maybe it is this bit
A hand-curated collection of the newest, most interesting, and useful websites on the internet you never knew existed.
Which would make it a bookmark collection, which is fine by me. But then when I browse around I come across browser extensions where there are a dozen of AI extensions claiming to do similar things.
Not to mention that from the other extensions, a lot of them are by questionable developers.In short, the website doesn't seem genuine to me at all. Even if it is, there are out right spammy entries on there meaning that the claim for curation is not a very strong one.
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Comment on Vivaldi takes a stand: keep browsing human in ~tech
creesch Link ParentI sort of see where you are coming from but do see it as a false analogy to some extent as well. As ad blocking also protects against various attack vectors, scams, etc. Ad blockers also don't...I sort of see where you are coming from but do see it as a false analogy to some extent as well. As ad blocking also protects against various attack vectors, scams, etc.
Ad blockers also don't prohibit people from visiting the website. People can still decide to turn off ad blocking for specific websites, decide to pay through a subscription, etc.
I should also note that while revenue is the obvious that comes to mind, it absolutely isn't the only one. If I have a personal website with all sorts of articles and guides, one without a revenue stream of any kind. Then I'd still like people to visit my website, so they can discover my other content. The same is true if I was running a small community, again without a revenue model. You want people to visit as they are potential new community members.
So again, I do see where your mind went with ad blocking. But to me, it isn't the same thing.
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Comment on Vivaldi takes a stand: keep browsing human in ~tech
creesch Link ParentYeah there is some UI clunkiness going on at times. It used to be much worse a few years ago. To the point that when I initially tried it, I stopped using it. These days the idiosyncrasies are on...Yeah there is some UI clunkiness going on at times. It used to be much worse a few years ago. To the point that when I initially tried it, I stopped using it. These days the idiosyncrasies are on the same level as some stuff I would encounter in Firefox which would be my other alternative choice. The main reason I am using Vivaldi over Firefox is the mobile experience, which I find more pleasant compared to firefox.
Other chromium based browsers simply aren't an option for me. Brave has a shady company behind it, Opera just crams all the features in it that I don't care for, Edge seems to try and trick me in changing my settings on every startup so that they can mine more of my data, etc.
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Comment on Vivaldi takes a stand: keep browsing human in ~tech
creesch Link ParentSure, but that is sort of missing the point of what is being said in the linked post. There is no reason it needs to be integrated in the browser by default, either. Specifically, the Firefox...Sure, but that is sort of missing the point of what is being said in the linked post.
There is no reason it needs to be integrated in the browser by default, either. Specifically, the Firefox implementation very much feels like it could have just as easily been an extension. In fact, last time I had a curious look around, there were multiple extensions available offering similar functionality.Which gives the option for people to have it be a conscious choice. Which I think is important for the same reasons brought up in the blog post
These moves are reshaping the address bar into an assistant prompt, turning the joy of exploring into inactive spectatorship.
This shift has major consequences for the web as we know it. Independent research shows users are less likely to click through to original sources when an AI summary is present, which means fewer visits for publishers, creators, and communities that keep the web vibrant. A recent study by PewResearch found users clicked traditional results roughly half as often when AI summaries appeared. Publishers warn of dramatic traffic losses when AI overviews sit above links.
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Comment on Is it possible to easily finetune an LLM for free? in ~tech
creesch Link ParentIs the style of the response so specific that you can't do this by adjusting the system prompt? In AI studio it is called "system instructions" and most chat interfaces allow you to define on in...is I want to finetune is to customise the style of the response
Is the style of the response so specific that you can't do this by adjusting the system prompt? In AI studio it is called "system instructions" and most chat interfaces allow you to define on in some way or another.
You can have all sort of stuff in there, but also style guidance. For example, here are the specific things I have in most system prompts as far as style goes
Follow these rules in all responses unless the user explicitly overrides them: - Avoid emojis, filler, and hype. - Avoid persuasive "marketing" language, buzzwords (e.g., "revolutionary," "game-changing"), and exaggerated claims. - Don't offer unsolicited praise or compliments. - Aim for a neutral, somewhat casual tone. Use contractions (e.g., "it's" instead of "it is"), shorter sentences, and everyday vocabulary. Avoid overly formal or academic language unless necessary. - Don't use em dashes (—) in writing.It takes some experimentation to get right and different models respond better to different instructions but generally it is quite effective for general style adjustments in the responses.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
creesch LinkDave the diver, I have had it in my library for quite a while but never got in the mood to play it. In my head it was a simple game about diving, fishing, etc. Which it is, but also sooo much...Dave the diver, I have had it in my library for quite a while but never got in the mood to play it. In my head it was a simple game about diving, fishing, etc. Which it is, but also sooo much more! There is an entire insane backstory and an insane amount of minigames and even games within games going on. A lot of mario party like little games, but also a complete take on balatro.
Highly recommend it! I did play it with a controller because that was recommended and from what I have seen that tracks.
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Comment on Ed Zitron: How to argue with an AI booster in ~tech
creesch Link ParentI honestly don't have the energy to enroll in this debate. I just want to point out that this. Rubs me the wrong way, because it is a dismissive rhetorical argument. Not one of substance. You are...I honestly don't have the energy to enroll in this debate. I just want to point out that this.
Man, this is a large amount of emotion to put into an article. I hope he's doing ok.
Rubs me the wrong way, because it is a dismissive rhetorical argument. Not one of substance. You are effectively setting the stage that the other person (author in this case) has emotional issues and therefore everything they are saying is invalid.
The reason I am pointing this out is that just a few sentences over, you start talking about ad hominems and logical fallacies yourself.
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Comment on Make new friends here! in ~life
creesch Link ParentDownload link in case you ever decide to check it out ;) https://modrinth.com/mod/web-chatDownload link in case you ever decide to check it out ;) https://modrinth.com/mod/web-chat
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Comment on Does anyone know how many users have been banned from Tildes? in ~tildes
creesch LinkOnly deimos will have that data and besides maybe some superficial metrics I doubt he really will be sharing details.Only deimos will have that data and besides maybe some superficial metrics I doubt he really will be sharing details.
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Comment on Does anyone have a digg invite code I can get ? in ~tech
creesch Link ParentNot one thing, many things over a very long period. Accelerated once reddit went full in on fluff content and "growth" metrics. This effectively shifted it away from a community driven website to...Idk, something changed.
Not one thing, many things over a very long period. Accelerated once reddit went full in on fluff content and "growth" metrics. This effectively shifted it away from a community driven website to just "a website" where the subreddit differentiation is meaningless for the fast majority of users.
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Comment on Google is killing the open web in ~comp
creesch LinkI agree with the premise of the title and some practices Google employs. But, I can't help but feel that this article is heavily colored by the author's bias and preference for certain...I agree with the premise of the title and some practices Google employs. But, I can't help but feel that this article is heavily colored by the author's bias and preference for certain technologies. This in turn effectively mixes up cause and effect for a variety of things they string together to come to their narrative.
It makes for a confused bit of reading, burying some valid points the author does raise.
Both the "little bit of history" and "Google's war on XML as a proxy for the war against the open web" paragraphs heavily feature examples that don't belong in the list. Some things that stood out:
- The author presents this as the first shot in a deliberate war to kill RSS. This mixes up cause and effect. In my mind it is equally likely (and less of a conspiracy) that user habits were already shifting towards platforms like Twitter and Facebook at the time. The shutdown probably didn't help with that trend, that is for sure, but I doubt it was part of a war against XML. In fact, if reader had a meaningful user base, I'd expect that Google would have kept it around and focussed on somehow monetizing this user base better.
- The author somehow mixes in Mozilla a few times as a stand in for Google as well (Yes, Mozilla relies on the search engine deal, that doesn't make them a Google subsidiary) and also here mixes cause and effect.
- Throwing in fetch as an example that Google hates XML. It is clear the author really likes XML. Which, from a structured data standpoint I can get behind. But in the context of the web JSON is a very valid format for probably a majority of the data that is being send around. Even more so since JSON natively maps to javascript objects. So, in the javascript runtime it makes sense to deal with JSON and not XML.
- Including AMP as though it were about XML. AMP is problematic for centralization and control reasons, but it has nothing to do with XML being sidelined.
- What is JPEG XL even doing in the timeline? Whatever you think of Google killing JPEG XL, it has nothing to do with XML/XSLT, and lumping it in just causes confusion.
- The HTTPS push is a complex security issue with legitimate arguments on both sides. It also, again, has nothing do with XML.
- Manifest V3 while highly anti-competitive also has nothing to do with XML. The author acknowledges this, but basically says "I am going to shoehorn it in anyway".
There are a few points where I do agree with the author in regard to the title.
- XMPP federation closure was genuinely an anticompetitive move that hurt the open web
- XSLT being stuck at version 1.0 since 1999 while newer versions exist is suspicious, odd to say the least. Though I should note that Chrome wouldn't be around for almost a decade after 1999.
- The removal of MathML support was questionable and took a decade to reverse
- There is a real trend toward centralization where Google heavily participates in.
So yeah Google is trying very hard to kill the open web, but I am highly confused why the author things this is centered around XML
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Comment on Do you share your location with your friends? in ~tech
creesch LinkI would never do this permanently, I would do it for specific purposes with specific people. For example, I have done it over the years when meeting up with people during busy events. Specifically...I would never do this permanently, I would do it for specific purposes with specific people. For example, I have done it over the years when meeting up with people during busy events. Specifically where neither is familar with the area, but that's about it.
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Comment on The enterprise experience in ~tech
creesch Link ParentThis is also partially how these little empires come to be. They effectively operate as smaller organisations isolating a lot of the people in them from the insanity that is the larger enterprise....This is also partially how these little empires come to be. They effectively operate as smaller organisations isolating a lot of the people in them from the insanity that is the larger enterprise.
Which can work out nicely for many people. But becomes problematic once they need to engage with other empires with the expectation that they are compatible.
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Comment on The enterprise experience in ~tech
creesch LinkA fun write-up, about the experience of operating at $ENTERPRISE as a software engineer coming from a different world. A lot of it is painfully accurate and recognizable to me. Fake urgency is...A fun write-up, about the experience of operating at $ENTERPRISE as a software engineer coming from a different world. A lot of it is painfully accurate and recognizable to me.
Fake urgency is very recognizable, luckily only in a problematic way for one organization I worked for where everything was urgent all the time. In most other organizations I have worked in it is a thing but very manageable.The different empires doing things wildly different is also a thing. Made even more interesting when the empires think they are all following the same (higher up mandated) process but have wildly different takes on how it should be executed.
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The enterprise experience
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Comment on How do you manage separate development environments on your computer? in ~tech
creesch Link ParentIt is, at least as far is this is concerned, as it runs rootless by default.It is, at least as far is this is concerned, as it runs rootless by default.
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Comment on How do you manage separate development environments on your computer? in ~tech
creesch LinkBy "tools like this" you mean the project itself? Because Deno as a runtime should be fine, in fact one of the selling points of Deno is that dependencies are shared in a single cache as opposed...of letting tools like this have full access to my system and files.
By "tools like this" you mean the project itself? Because Deno as a runtime should be fine, in fact one of the selling points of Deno is that dependencies are shared in a single cache as opposed to each project having a huge
node_modulesdir like with nodeJS.Anyway, you could use a docker/podman container. Mount the source from your local drive so you can edit within your IDE and then execute in the container. You can set this up manually, or assuming VSCode you can try dev containers though I haven't tried them myself.
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Comment on Most people, even highly technical people, don't understand anything about AI in ~tech
creesch Link ParentI mean, it is a nice example. I looked at it, and I think it is actually a great illustration of the point I was trying to make about context and framing. Correct me if I am wrong: The site takes...Here's another product, with even a business model, that was built in the space of around 30 minutes: https://nacebel.codes
I mean, it is a nice example. I looked at it, and I think it is actually a great illustration of the point I was trying to make about context and framing.
Correct me if I am wrong:
- The site takes the publicly available NACE-BEL classification data (which the Belgian government already provides for free with search functionality at economie.fgov.be and other official sources)
- It wraps it in a shiny Next.js interface.
- The entire dataset is embedded client-side, and the search is JavaScript filtering of that preloaded data.
- It then attempts to monetize API access to this public domain data at €9-72/month.
This is exactly the kind of task where AI shines, taking well-structured, well-documented public data and creating a basic CRUD interface. The NACE-BEL system is thoroughly documented, has a rigid structure, and the task essentially boils down to "display this list with search."
It's impressive that it can be built in 30 minutes, absolutely. It would have taken me slightly longer to build that, maybe a few hours to a day. Then again if people are willing to pay up to 72 euro per month I'd think that even spending a day (which is the time investment at most to do it by hand) is already worth it. So I can't say I am in agreement over the fool's errand bit.
This brings me back to my original point: there is a significant difference between "AI enables 1000x productivity on well defined, limited-scope tasks with existing structured data" and the broader productivity claims you often see in this space. That NYT Connections game and this NACE-BEL site are both perfect examples of the former, and they do have value, no denying that! But I think we should be precise about what these wins represent.
And it honestly is great that you felt so empowered by AI, that's not something I want to take away. But to me it is clear that it isn't as much AI, but more you that makes it work here. In fact, I feel like that these more represent your own ability to find these already structured use cases and build on them. As I said, the NACE-BEL website seems simple to the point that, given the prices you list, the economics always would have worked out. So, it isn't as much AI that makes it work, but you. I must say, I am not entirely sure if there is added value besides the smoother search operation, but I am also not familiar with NACE-BEL other than me just looking it up now.
Which also brings me back to the entire discourse and perspective about what AI makes and doesn't make possible.
For people that are space constraint in hanging up their laundry, there are tumble dryers these days that use the same principle. That's to say, instead of heating up the air like old-fashioned ones, they use a heat pump.