Wes's recent activity
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Comment on FUTU is a Voice Input app for Android that respects user privacy in ~tech
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Comment on FUTU is a Voice Input app for Android that respects user privacy in ~tech
Wes Link ParentIt's a voice-to-text plugin. You can use it with a keyboard that triggers voice input, such as HeliBoard. Unfortunately, it does not work with Google Keyboard, since they integrate their own voice...It's a voice-to-text plugin. You can use it with a keyboard that triggers voice input, such as HeliBoard. Unfortunately, it does not work with Google Keyboard, since they integrate their own voice input.
I've been using this combination for the last two weeks. Futo is nice because it enters punctuation into sentences, unlike Google Keyboard. For HeliBoard, you'll want to set up the Swipe library and configure the shortcuts at the top so the microphone button is always present (long press on it when reordering shortcuts).
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Comment on Tildes Book Club discussion - Piranesi in ~books
Wes Link ParentI found the narration of the audiobook to be excellent. The accents and pacing were top notch throughout the whole reading.I found the narration of the audiobook to be excellent. The accents and pacing were top notch throughout the whole reading.
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Comment on AI and the end of writing in ~tech
Wes Link ParentI've been testing a few Copilot alternatives recently. My goal was 1) free, because coding is still mostly an unpaid hobby for me, and 2) local, because my internet is not super reliable and I...I've been testing a few Copilot alternatives recently. My goal was 1) free, because coding is still mostly an unpaid hobby for me, and 2) local, because my internet is not super reliable and I like the idea of local hosting.
The best options I found were Continue and twinny. Both support local models via ollama, which is where I keep my instruct and FIM models. I used Deepseek Coder (7B) for instruct, and alternated between codegemma and StarCoder2 for FIM (2B).
I found Cody's local model support is currently quite poor, and they also require an account to use the VS Code extension, so I discounted them at this time. However they also recently became open-source, and seems to be moving to support local models in the future, so I'll likely revisit them in the future.
I also tested a non-local alternative, Codeium. It's nice and offers a free tier, though does require an account and enabling telemetry in VS Code. My FIM results were a bit better, though still not perfect.
I expect Copilot probably beats each of these in performance. I haven't had a chance to test it though, and probably won't for some time.
I still mostly see these as auto-complete features. It is useful for saving time, and sometimes offers something even better than I'd considered. That's the biggest benefit so far to me.
I will say that sometimes the auto-complete disrupts my current train of thought though by offering something completely different than what I was expecting. So I'm still trying to find the right rhythm with these tools.
I don't really find the "explain this code" feature too useful, since I'm mostly working in my own codebases. Maybe I'll come across something truly arcane or unfamiliar in the future. I might ask a basic question if I think it's faster than searching the docs. eg. "Are sets one-dimensional in JavaScript? Can they only contain unique elements?). Due to the nature of LLMs though, I still feel the need to double check my answers if it's anything sufficiently complex or niche.
I don't much trust them for refactoring either. Maybe on a small scale: "Can this be a one liner?, or "Add null checks here", but never a major restructuring.
Still, I think these coding assistants can offer a lot of value. They're probably especially helpful in learning a new language by offering appropriate syntax. And for a novice - while they may need to be careful about trusting the suggestions too much, I think the explain features could be especially helpful in understanding a function line-by-line.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club discussion - Piranesi in ~books
Wes LinkWhat a marvellous book. I really enjoyed how we were dropped into the mind of Piranesi - or rather - the Beloved Child of the House. We the reader spend time in that world, and learn to understand...What a marvellous book. I really enjoyed how we were dropped into the mind of Piranesi - or rather - the Beloved Child of the House. We the reader spend time in that world, and learn to understand it as the real world just as Piranesi does.
The author offers hints throughout as to what was going on, but they're subtle at first. For example the contrast in how Piranesi acts compared the Other. Piranesi has completely adapted to this world and has dedicated himself to it. The Other however was never interested in exploring or understanding his environment. It is just a place for him; a curiosity. Not a home.
The hints become more opaque as the book goes on. The frequent disappearances of the Other. Mentions of the occult and rituals. The nonchalant way in which the Other is able to acquire items like shoes. His attitude and disregard for Piranesi's well-being.
That attitude I think is the biggest clue. It becomes a symbol for all the negativity of our world. His pessimism and manipulation is constantly punctuated by Piranesi's own relentless optimism. He desires to see the best in people, even though we (the selfish, embittered humans reading this) can easily see he is being taken advantage of. This contrast shows us the biggest difference in these people, and the worlds they represent. I found this both inspiring and heartbreaking.
Later, when Piranesi begins to understand what is going on, he still frames everything within his own framework of thinking. I found this added to the believability of the character. When he imagines a different world, it is somebody else's collection of halls. What statues might they hold? Surely there could not be more than 50 or 60 people there!
I found the writing style to be very enjoyable overall. The dedication to completely and accurately describing the exact halls and vestibules that every event took place. I can understand that some might be bored by these descriptions, but I almost felt like I could imagine the map in my head. With the three different layers, the giant staircases and roaring tides. I listened to the audiobook and it really allowed me to imagine deeply the world in which Piranesi inhabited.
The pacing felt right, with enough time being spent on world building but without overstaying its welcome. Actually the book felt like a perfect length for me. While this may be the end of Piranesi's story, there are still other worlds out there. Perhaps we will get to explore more of them in the future.
I think Piranesi was a great pick for a book, and I really enjoyed it. I hope you all did too!
May your paths be safe, your floors unbroken, and may the house fill your eyes with beauty.
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Comment on ProtonMail on all the data that Outlook collects about your email in ~tech
Wes Link ParentAllow me to bump this post to mention that this setting seems to be changing from a Google Account setting to one in the browser. In Chrome, you can edit it at this URL....Allow me to bump this post to mention that this setting seems to be changing from a Google Account setting to one in the browser. In Chrome, you can edit it at this URL.
chrome://settings/content/federatedIdentityApi?search=Permissions -
Comment on US Senate Republicans furious over Donald Trump derailing FISA bill in ~misc
Wes Link ParentLet me clarify my position. PRISM as a program includes multiple components, but the two key pieces that people objected to were: 1) the MITM interception of data at the level of large tech...Do you have any evidence for that? The Wikipedia article doesn't mention its dismantling.
Let me clarify my position. PRISM as a program includes multiple components, but the two key pieces that people objected to were: 1) the MITM interception of data at the level of large tech companies, and 2) the collection of phone metadata onto government servers. Both of these factors have been considerably changed from their original incarnation, though still exist in some form. So "dismantle" may have been a poor word choice, but certainly they have undergone changes.
Specifically, Section 702 allows targeted investigations into individuals (as mentioned in my previous comment), though does not allow for widespread data collection. Additionally, the phone metadata collection program was ended when the "FREEDOM Act" went into effect. The government must now make requests to the phone companies for individual data.
I'm sorry, but I simply do not believe that the NSA just gave up tracking.
The NSA certainly does still employ tracking. And I don't doubt that some agents are abusing the programs that remain in place, contrary to laws that govern them. The ALCU has reported on that issue before.
But the claim that "The electronic activities of every American are tapped, recorded, archived, and analyzed", as I said, appears to be overstated. At this time there isn't evidence of a program like that, and such a program would likely be illegal under currently written laws.
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Comment on US Senate Republicans furious over Donald Trump derailing FISA bill in ~misc
Wes Link ParentI agree generally with the sentiment, but I believe you're overstating things. PRISM was dismantled, and online security has been upgraded considerably since those days. Outside of targeted...I agree generally with the sentiment, but I believe you're overstating things. PRISM was dismantled, and online security has been upgraded considerably since those days. Outside of targeted surveillance via Section 702, what proof is there that the US government is doing these things?
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Comment on ProtonMail on all the data that Outlook collects about your email in ~tech
Wes (edited )Link ParentYou can disable that prompt in your Google account settings, in case you haven't done so yet. I did that for each account I'm logged into and don't see those prompts anymore. Go to Google Account...and Google asking if Id like to use them to log in to just about every site I visit
You can disable that prompt in your Google account settings, in case you haven't done so yet. I did that for each account I'm logged into and don't see those prompts anymore.
Go to Google Account > Security > Third-party apps (see all connections) > Cog > Google Account sign-in prompts. Or, just try this link.
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Comment on Jon Stewart on the false promises of AI in ~tech
Wes Link ParentRespectfully, I feel you're putting words in the mouth of the parent commenter. I don't interpret their comment as saying that things are great because unemployment is low. Rather, they're asking...let me ask you this; if things are going so great for the American worker...
Respectfully, I feel you're putting words in the mouth of the parent commenter. I don't interpret their comment as saying that things are great because unemployment is low. Rather, they're asking why unemployment is so low when new technologies should be alleviating work.
The microwave may have saved us hours in the kitchen, but for most that didn't translate into free time. More responsibilities were added instead. If those responsibilities result in more productivity, then that at least makes sense. But if people are given meaningless jobs simply because jobs are necessary for living, then that doesn't seem like a very long-term solution. New technologies will continue to be developed that save time, increase productivity, and obviate human jobs. And that should be a good thing.
So the question becomes: how do we transition into an economy where not everybody has to work? And that's a very complex and deep topic. But some form of Universal Basic Income does seem like the first step towards making things liveable without an additional income stream. Medical coverage without insurance is also a big requirement, and one that the United States is sorely behind on. Job programs are only a stopgap measure.
I don't know what the best path forward is to that future, but I'm sure that it's just as much a policy problem as a technology problem. In fact I'm afraid that we're blaming technology for taking away our creative freedoms, when what it could be doing is allowing us the time to pursue them.
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Comment on From its start, Gmail conditioned us to trade privacy for free services in ~tech
Wes LinkThis is a bit of a weird piece. It's a short history of Gmail, presumably to mark their 20th anniversary. However the only content actually related to the title is: "Google used to scan emails for...This is a bit of a weird piece. It's a short history of Gmail, presumably to mark their 20th anniversary. However the only content actually related to the title is: "Google used to scan emails for targeted ads, but they stopped doing so in 2017". That seems a bit weak as a premise, and I think most people following tech probably already knew that.
So they're giving a history, putting a privacy spin on it, and then circling back to talk about the cool new features Gmail offered at the time. It feels a bit like they've glued two different articles together, but neither had anything interesting to say on the subject.
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Comment on I'm looking for a specific beer, for meme purposes in ~food
Wes LinkI don't know if it will still work for your joke, but if you find it's impossible to import the beer specifically, you may still be able to import the empty bottles. That would seem more likely to...I don't know if it will still work for your joke, but if you find it's impossible to import the beer specifically, you may still be able to import the empty bottles. That would seem more likely to get around any import/export restrictions.
Though unfortunately I'm not sure where you'd source those either. Maybe you could arrange a private sale through /r/chile, or a beer subreddit.
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Comment on The Era of 1-bit LLMs: All Large Language Models are in 1.58 Bits in ~comp
Wes Link ParentThanks for sharing the update. I've been waiting earnestly for more information on this one. Of course being a layman, I found the FAQ the most interesting part. Very exciting!Thanks for sharing the update. I've been waiting earnestly for more information on this one. Of course being a layman, I found the FAQ the most interesting part.
Will BitNet work for larger models?
As shown in Tables 1 and 2 in the "The Era of 1-bit LLMs" paper, there is a clear trend indicating that the gap between full-precision Transformer LLMs and BitNet b1.58 (and also b1) becomes smaller as the model size increases. This suggests that BitNet and 1-bit language models are even more effective for larger models. Scaling is one of the primary goals of our research on 1-bit LLMs, as we eventually need to scale up the model size (and training tokens) to train practical LLMs.
Very exciting!
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Comment on US bill proposing legal immunity for pesticide manufacturers advances. - Bayer is a sponsor in ~enviro
Wes Link ParentI feel like I addressed this directly in my first comment. The bill directly advantages Bayer and hurts Syngenta, one of their leading competitors. It seems like a no brainer that they'd support...What does Bayer (Monsanto) know that we don't, which is incentivizing them to fund legislation for immunity?
I feel like I addressed this directly in my first comment. The bill directly advantages Bayer and hurts Syngenta, one of their leading competitors. It seems like a no brainer that they'd support it.
Bill 3188 is extremely short. I'd suggest giving it a read if you haven't yet. It's very simple in that it claims that if you follow all the rules, you cannot be accused legally of not doing so. Nobody is asking for exceptions for any crimes, nor special treatment. It's only asking for the fair application of law to be based on current EPA health standards.
Pretty sure you don't settle a cancer lawsuit for $10 billion if you're pretty sure you're innocent.
People settle for all kinds of reasons. Doing so may have fended off a class action lawsuit, or simply saved billions in lawyer fees responding to these cases individually. It's impossible to know what their strategy is. In other cases they've fought and won suits over the same thing. There is not a lot of consistency here, especially as civil cases often use juries. They may have simply saw a single large settlement as being less risky and time-consuming than rolling the dice over and over again in these civil tort cases.
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Comment on US bill proposing legal immunity for pesticide manufacturers advances. - Bayer is a sponsor in ~enviro
Wes Link ParentYes, absolutely. That would mean they deceived both the public and regulators. Such actions would likely be deemed criminal. Currently however there's no indication of anything like that....Would it not be fair to hold Bayer liable if they had internal findings 30+ years ago about harms and buried the evidence?
Yes, absolutely. That would mean they deceived both the public and regulators. Such actions would likely be deemed criminal.
Currently however there's no indication of anything like that. Glyphosate remains one of the most studied chemicals of all times, and while its record is not 100% solid, the vast majority of independent assessments have shown it to be safe to use in large-scale farming. Especially in comparison to other pesticides, which are often less targeted or require larger applications to have the same effectiveness.
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Comment on US bill proposing legal immunity for pesticide manufacturers advances. - Bayer is a sponsor in ~enviro
Wes LinkIt sounds like the bill doesn't really have much to do with Bayer, and is meant to target Chinese companies. I have mixed feelings about these bills. I understand why it's done, but it does feel...It sounds like the bill doesn't really have much to do with Bayer, and is meant to target Chinese companies. I have mixed feelings about these bills. I understand why it's done, but it does feel unfair to those businesses. It's not a big surprise though that Bayer is a sponsor since it ostensibly protects them and hurts their competitor.
If I'm reading between the lines correctly though, there seems to be an implication that Bayer are sponsoring the bill purely because they feel they need legal immunity. I don't really see why that would be. They are approved by the FDA and do follow labelling protocols. In that sense at least, they haven't done anything wrong.
The cases they have lost have been based primarily on the IARC putting them in group 2A, classification "probably carcinogenic". As I'm sure many here know, that is the same grouping as night shift work and hot beverages. The list is not intended to indicate risk, but only show a possible connection or highlight a theoretical mechanism. Suffice it to say, this is not a good basis for legal arguments, and those legal cases are not a good standard for setting policy. All that should matter is the science, which is what the FDA and many other groups conduct.
Back to the bill, I'm sure Edler has his own motivations in pushing it forward (maintaining the agriculture industry for Iowa is a good guess), but Dotzler's argument is really unconvincing for me.
“I don’t think that the science is caught up yet with with the real effects of some of these pesticides, and the FDA doesn’t necessarily have that good track record when it comes to it,” Dotzler said.
The FDA has wrongly labeled products as safe in the past, Dotzler said, pointing to DDT, a chemical used as a pesticide, which was banned from the U.S. in 1972 for its negative environmental impacts.
They've been wrong before, so they could be wrong about this? Sure I guess, but that isn't actually proof of anything. That's just FUD tactics.
I don't have strong feelings about the bill either way, but I do wish politics would take the back seat here and let the best, current science dictate policy for a change. And I also wish the WHO/IARC would update their labeling so as to not terrify people about drinking coffee.
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Comment on Show Tildes: mapping almost every law, regulation and case in Australia in ~comp
Wes Link ParentI see, thanks for explaining further. And yeah, I assumed BERTopic used BERT so that's on me for not reading closely enough. No worries about the complexity. I'm sure it's the perfect resource for...I see, thanks for explaining further. And yeah, I assumed BERTopic used BERT so that's on me for not reading closely enough.
No worries about the complexity. I'm sure it's the perfect resource for somebody at the same experience level who is trying to solve similar problems. It's rare to find such a blog post that fits perfectly, but when you do, it is a magical experience. So I hope your post reaches those that need this information most. Cheers!
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Comment on Show Tildes: mapping almost every law, regulation and case in Australia in ~comp
Wes LinkVery cool, though mostly over my head. It's kind of funny that you're using BERT for topic modelling. It's still a very new technique by most definitions, but it feels like LLMs have largely...Very cool, though mostly over my head.
It's kind of funny that you're using BERT for topic modelling. It's still a very new technique by most definitions, but it feels like LLMs have largely displaced these "legacy" approaches now. But it clearly worked, and it is likely well-suited to things that aren't strictly related to language patterns.
I don't have too much to add on the topic of semantic mapping itself, but I appreciate all the work you've put into this and thank you for sharing it.
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Comment on Seems like all socials are being scraped for AI and personal/aggregate data. Is Tildes? in ~tildes
Wes Link ParentMost large companies respect robots.txt, including OpenAI and Google. I can't find official information for Facebook or Claude, but I do see a number of lists include both Claude-Web and...Most large companies respect robots.txt, including OpenAI and Google. I can't find official information for Facebook or Claude, but I do see a number of lists include both
Claude-Webandanthropic-ai.Scraping is legal in the US where most of these companies operate, but it is generally more polite to respect robots.txt anyway.
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Comment on Introducing Steam Families in ~games
Wes Link ParentVAC bans are basically unappealable, outside of extreme circumstances (eg. the recent ban caused by AMD driver changes). You really need to be sure you trust whoever you're sharing with. At the...but steams support is good so maybe there's a way to appeal?
VAC bans are basically unappealable, outside of extreme circumstances (eg. the recent ban caused by AMD driver changes). You really need to be sure you trust whoever you're sharing with.
At the same time, not every game implements VAC bans, or they have their own system in place. For instance the Dark Souls games have so-called "soft bans" that are tied to Steam account IDs. These bans would presumably not be shared between families. Though I suppose it is possible this new implementation of family sharing may expose the Steam ID of all parties. That remains to be seen.
It doesn't cost anything. There's a donate option, if you like it, but there's zero limitations, ads, or nags otherwise.