streblo's recent activity
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Comment on Blizzard Entertainment files lawsuit against World of Warcraft private server Turtle WoW in ~games
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Comment on Should C be mandatory learning for career developers? in ~comp
streblo Link ParentI think this article makes a good argument how C is no longer a low level language in the sense of being close to the hardware: https://queue.acm.org/detail.cfm?id=3212479 That said, it’s still a...I think this article makes a good argument how C is no longer a low level language in the sense of being close to the hardware: https://queue.acm.org/detail.cfm?id=3212479
That said, it’s still a useful model and one that is helpful for most developers to know imo.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
streblo Link ParentFish has a builtin fish_config which serves a configuration portal on localhost. I've been using fish for years but I've never actually used it but it seems useful.Fish has a builtin fish_config which serves a configuration portal on localhost. I've been using fish for years but I've never actually used it but it seems useful.
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Comment on Letting younger children access Fortnite - Looking for opinions in ~games
streblo LinkYea that's a tough one. At the end of the day, everyone has to make their own choices for what they think works best for their kids while navigating social pressures and everything else. It's not...Yea that's a tough one. At the end of the day, everyone has to make their own choices for what they think works best for their kids while navigating social pressures and everything else. It's not necessarily an easy decision, but also remember it need not be a permanent one either.
My kids are a little younger than yours, but here's my plan. For reference, I'm also an avid gamer but my wife is not. I think we'll wait until my youngest is 5 or 6 to introduce video games but only games I curate. I'm thinking games like BotW or Super Mario Odyssey that hearken back to a simpler time in game design. And also games we can play together as a family like Stardew Valley. I'll only add a title or two to their catalogue a year with the idea of getting them used to gaming but de-emphasizing the dopamine factory that comes with it. Then when they start hitting double digits they can start picking out their own games. For multiplayer games specifically I'm not really sure -- largely depends on the social situation -- without IRL friends to play with I'll probably skip it or at least not encourage it.
But I also have daughters, and while a lot more girls are playing video games these days from what I have observed with older kids is that the social pressure to play games together still isn't quite the same as it is for boys. So I'm hoping there won't be too much FOMO going on.
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Comment on McDonald’s is cutting prices of its combo meals to convince customers it’s affordable again in ~food
streblo Link ParentYour model of inflation is overly simplistic. There's no "origin point" where the first person raises their price and then it cascades outward, everyone waiting for their input prices to be...Of course it does, increases in prices cause an increase of cost of goods sold for companies, who then raise their prices to compensate. I guess you could say that inflation isn't the cause because inflation isn't the price increase but rather the measurement, but that just seems like semantics. Inflation has been used as a blanket term for the phenomenon for a long time.
Your model of inflation is overly simplistic. There's no "origin point" where the first person raises their price and then it cascades outward, everyone waiting for their input prices to be affected before they raise their output prices.
If all of the sudden you can only make half the widgets you usually make because of COVID disrupting your labour force, you might raise your prices. If you have a 1.5x increase in the number of people who are buying your product thanks to a stimulus package, you might raise your prices. If you're input costs go up, you might raise your prices. If you think you can raise your prices and make more money, you might raise your prices. If you want to raise your prices for no reason at all, you might raise your prices.
Collectively, this is measured as inflation.
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Comment on Most people, even highly technical people, don't understand anything about AI in ~tech
streblo LinkI am using Claude a lot at work. As others have already said, it's really good at small standalone programs and tools. I've been able to automate a bunch of small pain points that were previously...I am using Claude a lot at work.
As others have already said, it's really good at small standalone programs and tools. I've been able to automate a bunch of small pain points that were previously not worth addressing.
But it's often a slog to use it in a large codebase and can get confused easily. I have it document it's plans and actions and will constantly use those documents to refresh it's context and even still it's constantly getting things wrong in large refactors. It speeds you up, but also slows you down in a way.
Recently I used it to to implement what is essentially Android's MediaRecorder from MediaCodec. Rather than spend a day reading all the docs I started with Claude and I think I ended up spending more time getting it working than I would have if I just "raw dogged" it because I wasn't familiar with some of the internals and assumptions it was making.
Unfortunately, I think because it's so good at one or two shotting small tools you get management writing their own reporting tools and going "well if I can do this in a day and I don't even know how to code why can't you do that in a week".
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Comment on How do you manage separate development environments on your computer? in ~tech
streblo LinkYea, I work with older Android toolchains that need to run on specific host machines so I use docker for everything. I keep the full Android root in a docker volume along with the host's /dev and...Yea, I work with older Android toolchains that need to run on specific host machines so I use docker for everything. I keep the full Android root in a docker volume along with the host's /dev and some other nice to haves so I can use e.g. the built adb binary inside the container to debug the device.
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Comment on What have you been eating, drinking, and cooking? in ~food
streblo Link ParentDo you grow tomatoes as well? My solution is to start eating Caprese salad in August and not stop until September.Do you grow tomatoes as well? My solution is to start eating Caprese salad in August and not stop until September.
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Comment on The troubling decline in conscientiousness [especially in younger Americans] in ~life
streblo Link ParentI think it’s more general than just being an issue confined to shut-ins, although that’s certainly a visible aspect. I think @Eji1700 is correct to point at influencers. Related anecdote time: I...I think it’s more general than just being an issue confined to shut-ins, although that’s certainly a visible aspect. I think @Eji1700 is correct to point at influencers.
Related anecdote time:
I spend a lot of time in the Canadian Rockies. In the last 5 years I would guess there has been a ~5x increase in the number of deaths of young climbers and hikers. There are a lot of “free solo” YouTubers these days attempting routes where most people are roping in without any ropes. This was kicked off by professionals but these days you can find a bunch of twenty somethings with very little alpine experience partaking in the trend and unsurprisingly there’s an increase in deaths. See https://willgadd.com/scrambling-and-soloing-to-death/
It’s not exactly related to conscientiousness but it’s a similar effect where we have some content creators trying to maximize their content for publicity and then that becomes part of the building blocks for the next generation’s culture. Luckily there’s plenty of good content out there too, I just don’t know if it gets the same kind of view count.
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Comment on What is the most insane, tedious, difficult, and/or noteworthy gaming achievement you have completed or given up on? in ~games
streblo LinkI’ve been working on getting 100% for RDR2 for a couple of years now. I’ll play it in spurts every few months or so and keep a small txt file to track what I’m working on. I think I’ve done almost...I’ve been working on getting 100% for RDR2 for a couple of years now. I’ll play it in spurts every few months or so and keep a small txt file to track what I’m working on. I think I’ve done almost all the hunting stuff for the camp, the trapper and the taxidermist at this point but I’m still working on all the herbs and orchids IIRC.
I’m not usually an achievement person, but I like spending time in that game world and it gives me the framework to keep doing that.
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Comment on Why aren’t armed US citizens overthrowing the current government? in ~society
streblo LinkI don’t think we’re at the level where a violent uprising is needed, but assuming the current trajectory is maintained it’s just exhibit A on why lax gun laws as a stated hedge against...I don’t think we’re at the level where a violent uprising is needed, but assuming the current trajectory is maintained it’s just exhibit A on why lax gun laws as a stated hedge against dictatorships is a bad argument.
It’s far too narrow and easily gamed around — it just requires some level of popular support and it now just makes the problem worse. Bonus points if you can make gun ownership a partisan issue favouring the regime.
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Comment on What are some great actual comedies made in the last twenty years? in ~movies
streblo LinkThe funniest movie I’ve seen in the last few years (disclaimer, don’t watch a ton of movies) is The Holdovers (2023). It’s full of all the usual prep school tropes but I found it quite funny.The funniest movie I’ve seen in the last few years (disclaimer, don’t watch a ton of movies) is The Holdovers (2023).
It’s full of all the usual prep school tropes but I found it quite funny.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
streblo Link ParentFor anyone not familiar with MTG but is curious, there is a really great video on the history of the lantern control deck: https://youtu.be/I06luPguzrk?si=8TXDZuYqR1-LbJbeFor anyone not familiar with MTG but is curious, there is a really great video on the history of the lantern control deck: https://youtu.be/I06luPguzrk?si=8TXDZuYqR1-LbJbe
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Comment on Advice on 6 year old's trantrums (update) in ~life
streblo LinkI have kids a similar age, it’s definitely challenging sometimes and I’ve seen similar behaviour from our kids at times. Here’s what works for us re tantrums and behaviour: Prepping. My wife is...I have kids a similar age, it’s definitely challenging sometimes and I’ve seen similar behaviour from our kids at times.
Here’s what works for us re tantrums and behaviour:
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Prepping. My wife is type A and needs to know “the plan”. My kids are also a lot like this as well so anytime we can prep them ahead of time on things they might not like or might be different we do so. Mostly this is just us talking through with them ahead of time but sometimes might involve a bit of play as well. For example, we play “pretend shots” before getting their immunizations or we did practice show and tell before my daughter had to present her show and tell. It definitely helps them have the skills and be mentally prepared for whatever the current difficult thing is.
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Be gentle but firm when enforcing boundaries. Whenever we’re dealing with tantrums and the like we just try and validate how they’re feeling but let them know that we’re still doing X. We’ll try and accommodate them where we can with some kind of choice that’s irrelevant to us as parents but lets them feel like they’re in control. When the two of them are fighting with each other we’ll try and approach it from a team aspect where we’re helping them negotiate on what they both need to play nicely together.
Every family is different but here’s my unsolicited(?) advice if this was happening to me. I would maybe try and talk through getting them in the same car together ahead of time and how you can make that work for everyone. Validate in how they’re feeling and be flexible in how you’ll go about it but be firm that it’s happening. Parenting is a shitshow and we frequently break our own rules when we need to but generally keeping it consistent in the above form has worked for us.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
streblo Link ParentI definitely agree in the context of trying to get into playing tabletop 40k, just play Kill Team if you must. Although if we're talking just collecting a few models to paint and admire then that...I definitely agree in the context of trying to get into playing tabletop 40k, just play Kill Team if you must. Although if we're talking just collecting a few models to paint and admire then that is something that really doesn't feel exploitative to me.
And I definitely think there's a lot of enjoyment to be had from getting into 40k books and video games, the overall setting is superb and 40k is kind of having a golden era of video games right now (and the rumored Total War: 40k will push that into the stratosphere).
@Unsorted definitely check out Darktide if you're slightly interested in the FPS genre, it's a great game and it's in a really good spot right now.
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Comment on The rise of video game doomerism in ~games
streblo Link ParentAs someone who loved all those old games I get what you're saying but 2004 is one of the most lauded years for critically acclaimed games. 2007 was also strong albeit on the more mainstream side...As someone who loved all those old games I get what you're saying but 2004 is one of the most lauded years for critically acclaimed games. 2007 was also strong albeit on the more mainstream side of things.
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Comment on Shouldn't somebody *stop* "Meta Superintelligence Labs"? in ~tech
streblo Link ParentTangential and unsolicited, but here's my crackpot theory on all the knee bending. I think this is <5% chance of being the driving reason, but I also wouldn't be surprised if it was. Among the...Tangential and unsolicited, but here's my crackpot theory on all the knee bending.
I think this is <5% chance of being the driving reason, but I also wouldn't be surprised if it was.
Among the tech billionaires, there seems to be a belief that there's at least a small chance we could start an AI driven information explosion in the next 5-10 years. The so-called "country of geniuses in a data center". I think if you game this kind of thing out there's a world where this could create a lot of civil (and probably moral) strife. It just fits easily into (and basically is) this "ivory tower of elites radically transforming society" narrative turned up to 11. But with Trump as President it seems plausible that if you can get him on board he could provide a lot of cover.
If you think there's a realistic chance of this occurring, even something like 5%, it makes sense with how it's playing out so far. Nothing else really matters.
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Comment on Shouldn't somebody *stop* "Meta Superintelligence Labs"? in ~tech
streblo Link ParentAll I said re: consciousness was: "I think there is a lot we don't know about our own consciousness and intelligence that we should be cautious of maximalist positions like this. " The abstract of...All I said re: consciousness was: "I think there is a lot we don't know about our own consciousness and intelligence that we should be cautious of maximalist positions like this. "
The abstract of your paper states largely the same:
Although the complete neurobiological basis of consciousness remains a mystery, recent advances have improved our understanding of the physiology underlying level of consciousness and phenomenal consciousness.
I just don't understand the point you're trying to make. In fact, doing some quick research of my own it appears that one of the leading theories of consciousness is pretty clearly compatible with a sufficiently advanced AI, although I fully agree we're nowhere near that level. But all the research in this field is full of caveats and disclaimers because well, there's a lot we still don't understand! The Nature study poked some large holes in two of these leading theories, which to me suggests we have a long ways to go to even a rudimentary understanding.
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Comment on Shouldn't somebody *stop* "Meta Superintelligence Labs"? in ~tech
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Comment on Shouldn't somebody *stop* "Meta Superintelligence Labs"? in ~tech
streblo Link ParentWhat's not true? I'm not claiming current AI is anywhere near conscious, I'm just saying dismissing it as an entirely non-intelligent Markov chain with no reasoning ability when we don't even...What's not true?
I'm not claiming current AI is anywhere near conscious, I'm just saying dismissing it as an entirely non-intelligent Markov chain with no reasoning ability when we don't even understand our where own intelligence comes from is probably premature. And I'd be interested in hearing what these consciousness experts are saying but in my opinion consciousness (at least at this point) is mostly an unknowable philosophical problem.
Not really. It's a civil RICO claim, not a criminal one. It's just alleging the Turtle WoW team negatively affected their business via racketeering. Which is probably true.