Pistos's recent activity

  1. Comment on What is watts, volts and amps? in ~science

    Pistos
    Link Parent
    Wow. This explanation is really sticking for me. Good job. Even this makes sense: becomes total_apple_energy_supply = tree_height * apple_drop_rate

    Wow. This explanation is really sticking for me. Good job. Even this makes sense:

    P = V x I

    becomes

    total_apple_energy_supply = tree_height * apple_drop_rate

    3 votes

  2. Comment on I wrote a book, and I'd love for you to read it! in ~creative

    Pistos
    Link Parent
    I assumed that was a deliberate artistic choice.

    I assumed that was a deliberate artistic choice.

    2 votes

  3. Comment on I wrote a book, and I'd love for you to read it! in ~creative

    Pistos
    Link
    Very creative! Thanks for sharing. I'll admit that i didn't read it cover to cover (yet?), but more for lack of time than lack of interest. Here's to us creatives. May we not get bulldozed out of...

    Very creative! Thanks for sharing. I'll admit that i didn't read it cover to cover (yet?), but more for lack of time than lack of interest. Here's to us creatives. May we not get bulldozed out of the world by (the consumption of) AI.

    8 votes

  4. Comment on Which Linux distro do you use, and why? in ~tech

    Pistos
    Link
    Gentoo, because: USE flags let me put less stuff on my system, avoiding things I don't want or need (some dependencies, "features"), instead of apps having every possible feature compiled into...

    Gentoo, because:

    • USE flags let me put less stuff on my system, avoiding things I don't want or need (some dependencies, "features"), instead of apps having every possible feature compiled into them
    • years of inertia; it's been doing what I ask of it
    • OpenRC still an option (i.e. not systemd)

    For installations on other people's laptops that I don't want to have to maintain too much, I've turned to KDE Neon, which users can relatively easily update themselves.

    4 votes

  6. Comment on Half-baked idea for metered inline image allowances in ~tildes

    Pistos
    Link
    There's the security or privacy concern with allowing externally-hosted images: tracking, etc. Plus, that content becomes out of the control of the Tildes system, and could be switched or deleted.

    There's the security or privacy concern with allowing externally-hosted images: tracking, etc. Plus, that content becomes out of the control of the Tildes system, and could be switched or deleted.

    3 votes

  7. Comment on Anthropic announces deal with Google, Broadcom, says revenue has tripled in ~finance

    Pistos
    Link Parent
    Well, some of us, having chosen a favourite for personal work, choose that favourite among the options at their workplace (where they spend that >$1k per month budget).

    Well, some of us, having chosen a favourite for personal work, choose that favourite among the options at their workplace (where they spend that >$1k per month budget).

    3 votes

  8. Comment on Indie Pass, a PC subscription service for indie games to launch on April 13, 2026 in ~games

    Pistos
    Link Parent
    Maybe the draw here (for game makers) is exposure.

    Maybe the draw here (for game makers) is exposure.

    1 vote

  9. Comment on What non-software jobs exist for a newly graduated CS major? in ~life

    Pistos
    Link Parent
    If you're open to working at your (or any) university, what about being a TA? From what I remember, they tend to favour current post-grads and seniors for hiring. Just try. If you're going to...

    If you're open to working at your (or any) university, what about being a TA? From what I remember, they tend to favour current post-grads and seniors for hiring.

    but it seems [...] unlikely that such a company would

    Just try. If you're going to speculate, speculate positively. "seems unlikely that" --> "there's a chance that"

    1 vote

  10. Comment on What non-software jobs exist for a newly graduated CS major? in ~life

    Pistos
    Link Parent
    I suspect what such advice means is not to count it if you have other experience after that. If it's all you've got, then I'd think it would be fair game to include it. And, as others have said,...

    telling me not to count internship experience towards YoE

    I suspect what such advice means is not to count it if you have other experience after that. If it's all you've got, then I'd think it would be fair game to include it. And, as others have said, no need to reveal that it's internship work until and unless asked. And, honestly, the interns I've worked with in the past were treated more or less as new juniors. I never thought of them as engineers that I could only give trivial work to.

    I work with a very small IT department to serve the technological needs of ~250 people. I am expected to [...]

    Frankly, if I were hiring, your description of what you do as "just" a student would impress me. It tells me you've got some of the skill set, and you can get things done autonomously. I would agree that a change in title upon graduating is worth asking for. What really matters to them is likely how much you'll cost them, rather than the title. It would be worth negotiating on compensation after graduating, too, though. Prep well for that conversation. Do homework on market rates; prepare a list of accomplishments and value brought to the company; leverage any knowledge or skill silo you have ("it's only/mostly me that can..."); use an AI chatbot to help with wording, approach, and maybe even roleplay the conversation a few times, so you can practice.

    AI: I use Claude Code almost exclusively in its CLI, which is standalone and separate from your IDE/editor. Of course, lots of people use IDE integration, but you don't have to.

    2 votes

  11. Comment on What non-software jobs exist for a newly graduated CS major? in ~life

    Pistos
    Link
    Don't think lightly of this. (Imagine not having a job for 18 months, and regretting quitting.) Stay in that intern job for as long as you can (unless you find proper full-time work, of course)....

    I can continue to work there past graduation, but I'd still be an intern for the foreseeable future, and that will not be enough to cover rent.

    Don't think lightly of this. (Imagine not having a job for 18 months, and regretting quitting.) Stay in that intern job for as long as you can (unless you find proper full-time work, of course). You'll gain resume-worthy experience while many others won't have anything at all for N months after graduating.

    I'd recommend staying current with "coding + AI" (whatever that happens to mean in any given quarter). Only you can make the final judgement based on your personal situation, but, in my opinion, the entry-level paid tier of Claude (Code) is worth it. Don't think "oh no, everyone's replacing juniors with AI". Think "I'm starting my journey to becoming a senior by trying to do what seniors do with AI".

    31 votes

  12. Comment on Job hunting absolutely sucks right now in ~life

    Pistos
    Link Parent
    I don't work in audio/video, but I do have some amateur-level experience with it. Can you speak to why that industry might have been hit the same way as tech?

    I don't work in audio/video, but I do have some amateur-level experience with it. Can you speak to why that industry might have been hit the same way as tech?

    1 vote

  13. Comment on Job hunting absolutely sucks right now in ~life

    Pistos
    (edited )
    Link
    I'm a Software Engineer. I was out of work for an uncomfortable number of months, but recently finally got hired. Some thoughts: The market did (does) indeed look pretty bad, from what I saw....

    I'm a Software Engineer. I was out of work for an uncomfortable number of months, but recently finally got hired. Some thoughts:

    • The market did (does) indeed look pretty bad, from what I saw. Looked like way too many candidates per open role. I heard/read that companies will get literally thousands of applications per posting, so they have no choice but to use non-human means to choose applicants to even just start the interview process with. On the other hand, as far as your mental and emotional health goes, you can get some comfort that you're probably still good at your line of work, but were filtered out for probably not a very good reason.
    • One might think that having a glut of applicants would be great for hiring, but, from what I've read, it's just introduced a new problem, insofar as the signal to noise ratio has gone way down. Some companies eventually avoid posting to the most popular/common job sites (e.g. LinkedIn), because such a vanishingly small percentage of the candidates ("candidates") they get from there turn out to be worth pursuing. There are AI slop resumes, and outright lying on resumes (e.g. claiming to have N years of experience in $tech, but proving in interviews to have literally no demonstrable experience). Such companies have found more success going in the opposite direction: reaching out to prospects themselves, whether with their own internal recruiting team, or third-party.
    • At first, I was skeptical of recruiters and agencies, doubting whether they had my interests in mind, or if they might be scams. In hindsight, that was a mistake. Once I opened up, and allowed myself to engage with recruiters, things picked up, and I learned that most of them aren't so bad after all. Connecting with recruiters (on LinkedIn) expanded my network, and so I got more cold outreaches from other recruiters. I had some good experiences with some. My current hiring began with a recruiter outreach, whereas I was batting 0.000 with my non-recruiter applications. I'm just one data point, but make of that what you wish. Also: ask contacts for recommendations for recruiters.
    • I changed my mind regarding take-home tests, and leetcode (etc.) tests. I previously thought they were kind of annoying, or I'd question why I'd want to spend N hours on something, and end up not getting hired anyway. Now, though, I see them as an opportunity to actually demonstrate what I know and can do, instead of getting unfairly filtered outright by some algorithm that didn't like the font size in my resume, or something. Does it take a chunk of time? Yes, of course, but these are desperate times, aren't they? And: the more unappealing a take-home test seems, the more of your competition is self-filtering themselves out of competition with you. I actually spent 15 to 20 hours on one assignment once (this was beyond the usual, and I was given an estimate of 10 hours). I didn't get that job (they ended up filling the role(s) quickly), but I exercised and sharpened my skills, and did work that I am genuinely proud of. These things prepare you to be a slightly better version of yourself for the next hiring pipelines you enter. Oh, and: my current hiring also had a take-home test. Again, one data point, but it's a positive data point.
    • Use your network if you haven't already. It's one more way to get your resume past the filters.
    • Eventually, I did end up lowering my requested salary in applications. It's true, though, that, if a good company is really interested in you (i.e. you make it to the end of the hiring pipeline), they are likely open to negotiation about compensation. After all, as I mentioned, it's also difficult for them on their side, trying to find the needles in the haystack, so they want to retain the ones they've actually found. Even if you think you're not the kind of person who could dare to negotiate, or that you wouldn't be good at it, you should still try (respectfully and professionally). A few minutes of discomfort can make a big difference in the next several years of your life.

    I hope this helps some people.

    6 votes

  14. Comment on Job hunting absolutely sucks right now in ~life

    Pistos
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    I'd say: Yes. I think I would have been worse off in my job search had I not done any coding. More details in my top-level comment.

    I'd say: Yes. I think I would have been worse off in my job search had I not done any coding. More details in my top-level comment.

    2 votes

  15. Comment on Looking for vibe-coding guides (best practices, etc.) in ~tech

    Pistos
    Link Parent
    Can't speak to any other offerings, but I have the lowest tier paid plan with Claude, and I only hit session limits and weekly limits if I am working really intensively, like over 5 hours a day...

    Can't speak to any other offerings, but I have the lowest tier paid plan with Claude, and I only hit session limits and weekly limits if I am working really intensively, like over 5 hours a day for multiple days straight. Otherwise, I stay within those limits, and it suits me well. I've begun learning strategies for keeping usage under control, like /clearing or /compacting context, and having Claude write implementation summary .md docs for itself so it doesn't to read large swaths of code before getting started on a task. The Claude Code CLI can show the current context "fullness" amount in a status line (it can help you craft the status line). When I see it go over 60k or 70k, then I restart or compact. Usually, if it goes much over 100k, and still can't solve the problem, I consider it in a state of spinning wheels, and don't let it keep going in that conversation, because all that large context is getting dragged around with each prompt (roughly speaking).

  16. Comment on Would anyone be interested in an online gardening club? in ~hobbies

    Pistos
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    I'm an absolute beginner. In the past, I managed to kill a peace lily, despite trying to keep it healthy. For several months now, I have been trying to maintain a couple of orchids at least long...

    I'm an absolute beginner. In the past, I managed to kill a peace lily, despite trying to keep it healthy. For several months now, I have been trying to maintain a couple of orchids at least long enough to see a second blooming.

    2 votes

  17. Comment on What’s your preferred work monitor setup? in ~comp

    Pistos
    Link
    I have a [very nice] 4k in between two old 1080p HDs. They are arranged as though on 3 sides of an octagon, i.e. angled 45 degrees from one another. Some sizeable proportion of the time, the two...

    I have a [very nice] 4k in between two old 1080p HDs. They are arranged as though on 3 sides of an octagon, i.e. angled 45 degrees from one another. Some sizeable proportion of the time, the two side monitors are not in use, but, when I do want them, they are nice to have. Main work happens in the central 4k, of course, but sometimes I want things in the periphery, available to be glanced at without mouse or keyboard input. A few such uses:

    • multi-document work
    • video chat
    • video editing (work in center, preview on side)
    • sports (usually baseball, a very "backgroundable" sport)
    • presentation editing (work in center, slideshow on side)
    • gaming: have Discord, wikis, etc. on side monitors
    • gaming: the rare game can support multi-monitor, such as Euro Truck Simulator 2 (multi-monitor driving is fun!)
    • gaming: can have a game console connected on another input of one of the side monitors

    That said, once in a rare while I will use just the central monitor (with the other two off). Sometimes to focus; sometimes to reduce strain on the GPU (some games restrict themselves to just one monitor better than others); sometimes simply to reduce heat generation in the room.

    If I need to bring a laptop into the picture, it can sit right on the desk, and cover only maybe the lower third of one of the monitors. A kind of "three and a half monitors" situation.

    To your other point, multiple monitors don't seem to lower my productivity, at least not in any way that I notice.

  18. Comment on Device that can extract 1,000 liters of clean water a day from desert air revealed by 2025 Nobel Prize winner in ~enviro

    Pistos
    Link
    I wonder if this can have any kind of impact on weather, whether negatively or positively, intentionally or unintentionally.

    I wonder if this can have any kind of impact on weather, whether negatively or positively, intentionally or unintentionally.

    10 votes

  19. Comment on Tell me about your favourite web-based logic puzzles! in ~games

    Pistos
    Link
    I enjoyed Euclidea back in the day. Start playing here. Interactive geometric puzzles.

    I enjoyed Euclidea back in the day. Start playing here. Interactive geometric puzzles.

    1 vote

  20. Comment on Looking for vibe-coding guides (best practices, etc.) in ~tech

    Pistos
    Link
    First, I don't vibecode in the sense of "never look at the code", but, I do use Claude Code a lot. I found this article enlightening: https://addyosmani.com/blog/ai-coding-workflow/ It's a bit...

    First, I don't vibecode in the sense of "never look at the code", but, I do use Claude Code a lot. I found this article enlightening: https://addyosmani.com/blog/ai-coding-workflow/ It's a bit long, but you can skim headings, then cherry-pick what to read in depth. My own personal notes and tips:

    • For all but the smallest things, I first converse with Claude to collaborate on a plan. I'll start with "let's do <medium sized task>", then describe the problem or task, and include technical info (this feature is in this class in this file, in this method or at this line number), and mention restrictions or guidelines. I go back and forth with Claude until we agree on a specification which includes the problem description, design choices, deferrals, and some high- to medium-level implementation details. I have it write this agreed-upon spec out to file for future reference (for both it and me). I refer to these non-code files by name when relevant to a given task, with the intention of preventing Claude from having to scan files and think about the problem again.
    • Then, I'll give Claude some leash, and have it go ahead and implement, not more than a couple hundred lines at a time, with me code reviewing each chunk, and either approving or rejecting with a prompt (to guide how it should try again). The spec doc ensures I'm rarely surprised by what directions it goes in, or what it churns out.
    • It usually writes good stuff, but occasionally doesn't, in which case I use my Software Engineering skills, knowledge, and experience to hone rough spots, guide it back onto the tracks, etc. I code review everything it writes, and understand at least 95% of it myself. When I really don't understand something that it wrote, I tell it that I don't understand, and ask it either to explain, or rewrite in a simpler way (because, even if I don't understand the chunk of code, I do understand the problem spec, and what the chunk ought to do). I take responsibility for what I commit, including code written with AI assistance.
    • I make heavy use of the so-called Claude "memory" files (CLAUDE.md). ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md for cross-project instructions, ~/projectdir/CLAUDE.md for project-specific stuff. The former is much bigger, because it makes sense to be consistent in all your work across all projects. In ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md, I have three levels of instructions: 1) global rules that apply to every task; 2) coding-specific rules; 3) language-specific rules
    • I have linting configuration in most projects (.rubocop.yml, eslint.config.js, etc.), and, in CLAUDE.md, I explicitly reference these. Between CLAUDE.md, the lint configs, and your existing code, I've found that Claude is very good at following your personal style, preferences, and conventions. Whenever it doesn't, I just add a new rule to CLAUDE.md. Sometimes it surprises me by following existing conventions in ways that I did not explicitly tell it to. It "does as the Romans do".
    • I do different tasks in different conversations. This way, Claude's context doesn't get "cross-contaminated" with things it doesn't need to consider for the task at hand. Some people use /clear, but I prefer to exit out (of the Claude Code CLI), and restart. Each such conversation gets an id (which you can /rename if you want), in case you want to resume later. I try to keep the task size/challenge medium-sized at most. I'm not too ambitious with how much I challenge it in one undertaking, half because I don't trust it yet, and half because I want to understand its output.
    • I walk a balance on the line between "keep correcting it with prompts" and "accept its imperfect code, and edit it myself". The judgement is about saving time and tokens (of which there is a limited amount per time window).
    4 votes