ali's recent activity
-
Comment on CGA-2026-02 🕹️🚗 INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 Racing Lagoon in ~games
-
Comment on Mistral releases Vibe 2.0 in ~comp
ali Link ParentI've been saying this for a while: The LLMs are already pretty great, the tooling still needed to catch up. I think there's still a lot more to be gained, even with current models. I'll definitely...Mistral has significantly closed the gap to its US competition,
I've been saying this for a while:
The LLMs are already pretty great, the tooling still needed to catch up. I think there's still a lot more to be gained, even with current models.
I'll definitely try out mistral yet
-
Comment on Why Namibia exceeded all our expectations | First days driving across Africa’s emptiest country in ~hobbies
ali Link ParentThanks again for sharing :D Yes, that place was amazing. It’s really an iconic spot, and being surrounded by those dunes was amazing. This was our first time in a desert, too. We both always...Thanks again for sharing :D
Yes, that place was amazing. It’s really an iconic spot, and being surrounded by those dunes was amazing. This was our first time in a desert, too. We both always thought we would like it, and that the Sahara would be the first one we’d visit :D
Just being surrounded by this deeply orange sand and these HUGE dunes, it’s just so hard for me to put into words. It just felt magicalI think the south of Namibianreally had a lot to offer in terms of landscape. But the next spots are definitely also great. It’s ancient cave paintings, and a LOT of wildlife. Desert elephants as well as tons of rhinos.
I did announce that if our buddy edited his photos, I’ll share them.
So his name is Paul Prim and we randomly met him and he asked if i want to climb up somewhere so he has a person to take a photo of in a crazy landscape:
I’ll share some he just shared with me later, his photos are genuinely amazing: https://primpaul.com/gallery/landscapes/namibia/And the one I talked about was number 16 (8 one on the right)
-
Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
ali Link ParentI got a P1s at home. I travel most of the year though. So I’ve been thinking of getting an A1 Mini on the road. Not sure how feasible that or other portable printers really are. But the idea...I got a P1s at home. I travel most of the year though. So I’ve been thinking of getting an A1 Mini on the road.
Not sure how feasible that or other portable printers really are. But the idea intrigues me. -
Comment on Curl will end its bug bounty program by the end of January due to excessive AI generated reports in ~comp
ali Link ParentYou’re absolutely right — As someone who uses AI tools himself (and worked with it and studied it for a long time) it’s absolutely insane to me to see the amount of verbose bullshit. Like, do...You’re absolutely right —
As someone who uses AI tools himself (and worked with it and studied it for a long time) it’s absolutely insane to me to see the amount of verbose bullshit.
Like, do people not realize that the shit they post is so obviously AI generated? Or do people just not see it?
-
Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
ali Link ParentI've felt like ChatGPT has been ok in coding, but for general chat's it's basically started to feel like a parrot. Basically just repeating back what you say only. It still helped me with...I've felt like ChatGPT has been ok in coding, but for general chat's it's basically started to feel like a parrot. Basically just repeating back what you say only. It still helped me with brainstorming occasionally, but often especially in voice mode it just felt like it rephrased what i've said
-
Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
ali LinkI've been working on a budgeting App for myself and my girlfriend (and will share it with others who need multi currency budgeting) we've usually budgeted by hand and I was just really bad at it....I've been working on a budgeting App for myself and my girlfriend (and will share it with others who need multi currency budgeting)
we've usually budgeted by hand and I was just really bad at it. Since I also have ADHD I need some zero friction way to do mundane things. So I have been building it to work as easy as possible. I am using FunctionGemma, which is a small, fine tunable LLM based on Gemma3.
I find it super cool to work with, since the "use GPT and you're great" approach is quite lame in my opinion.It runs extremely quickly on the phone too - 270M Paramters. Really excited since this is my first venture into apps in a few years.
Other than that, many of you will hate this: I have bought Meta Ray Bans. Callback to me actually posting an article about it in 2021
They have no AR support - which is ok for now. I mainly bought this for POV filming which I enjoy a lot here in Bangkok. Of course it's extremely weird too, and I am not someone who films people without asking for their permission. Whether filming in public (i.e. just people passing by as you walk) classifies is a different discussion maybe not for this thread.
Why I bought them as well is: they have released an SDK and I feel like there can be a lot of potential to work with this to build useful tools. I'm now just trying to get the SDK to work, feed video to my phone, and then see what kind of funny, weird, or useful tools I could build with it. Without a display, interactions are probably limited, but I can start with it, assuming I'll have a phone as an Output and later move to AR glasses.
I have to say though, I do wonder whether these things are "the next big thing" that some people try to tout them as. I don't think society will like having everyone walk around with a camera filming everyone. I myself basically wore it as a camera - putting it on or off, depending on whether I want to film at that moment.
Live subtitles for deaf people are one use case I've seen mentioned, and of course something like be my eyes greatly benefits from these glasses. Anyone else here work with AR? -
Comment on Reddit overtakes TikTok in UK thanks to search algorithms and gen Z in ~tech
ali Link Parentthat's a real bummer too. I was talking about text, which sadly is a weird medium to catch. In the end, there are many tells. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Signs_of_AI_writing The...that's a real bummer too. I was talking about text, which sadly is a weird medium to catch.
In the end, there are many tells.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Signs_of_AI_writingThe biggest tell that makes me stop and double-check is the em dash, of course. Which is kind of tragic—because it’s now shared by two very different groups: people who write beautifully, and people who copy-paste AI output without understanding it.
But if the rest of the post history of someone is a person writing on a third grade level, and all of a sudden it's more like this
Is this AI generated?
I just stumbled across luna.watermelonson.com, and it immediately caught me off guard—in a good way.At first glance, it feels calm, almost minimal, but the longer you sit with it, the more intentional it feels. Luna isn’t trying to overwhelm you with features or explain itself to death. Instead, it invites you in gently and lets you explore at your own pace. There’s a strong sense that this was built by someone who cares deeply about how things feel to use, not just what they do.
As a user, what stood out to me most is the restraint. Everything feels deliberate: the pacing, the visuals, the interaction. It doesn’t beg for attention—it earns it. There’s something refreshing about a product that trusts the user enough to leave space for curiosity.
Luna feels like one of those projects you bookmark, not because you fully understand it right away, but because you want to come back to it later. It’s thoughtful, a little mysterious, and clearly crafted with intention rather than hype.
I didn't even need to check whether there was an em-dash :D
But for me it's many more things, and reading output all the time (I work with generative AI, and did my masters in it before anyone called it that) makes me extremely weary.-
Lists used as a default structure, even when they don’t really add clarity
-
Random bolding mid-sentence to emphasize things that don’t necessarily need emphasis
-
The “it’s not just X, it’s a fundamental Y” framing that tries to elevate a simple point
-
Overly confident structural patterns that feel more generated than intentional
-
Emphasis patterns that signal importance instead of letting meaning emerge naturally
(Randomly adding ChatGPT output to this to prove my point is very meta)
-
-
Comment on Advice on avoiding the hedonic treadmill of endless content? in ~life
ali Link ParentIt does have a lifetime purchase option. The price has increased significantly since I bought it though... I'm still torn on subscriptions, since I understand that constant updates cost time, and...It does have a lifetime purchase option. The price has increased significantly since I bought it though...
I'm still torn on subscriptions, since I understand that constant updates cost time, and unless your market can grow very large, you'll get to a point where you would either work for free or abandon the product -
Comment on Advice on avoiding the hedonic treadmill of endless content? in ~life
ali LinkSorry I don't have any advice on kids, but for myself, I use the app https://one-sec.app/ which interrupts the automatic opening, and the endless scrolling. It's the best way that helped me with...Sorry I don't have any advice on kids, but for myself, I use the app https://one-sec.app/ which interrupts the automatic opening, and the endless scrolling.
It's the best way that helped me with my screentime reduction -
Comment on Reddit overtakes TikTok in UK thanks to search algorithms and gen Z in ~tech
ali Link ParentI feel the opposite. Hiding users post/comment history basically turned a ton of posts into ads. I see an insane amount of “I found this tool” ChatGPT generated comments by people who are clearly...Reddit has done a really good job navigating the post-AI landscape IMO. The API change in combination with the deals with Google for data were incredibly savy
I feel the opposite. Hiding users post/comment history basically turned a ton of posts into ads. I see an insane amount of “I found this tool” ChatGPT generated comments by people who are clearly affiliated with the company, and the fact that Reddit makes it hard to see the history now means that I have to google the username to verify.
Add to that the people that claim that things aren’t Ai generated, when they clearly are, and you have a recipe for disaster.
-
Comment on Weekly thread for casual chat and photos of pets in ~life.pets
ali Linkhttps://imgur.com/a/7wey289 Since I move around constantly, I can't currently have pets, however, I befriend animals everywhere we go. So here's my list of our little friends in Cape Town: Luna -...Since I move around constantly, I can't currently have pets, however, I befriend animals everywhere we go.
So here's my list of our little friends in Cape Town:Luna - A very sweet cat that just decided to come visit us whenever she likes. Which the other Animals don't enjoy. But shes incredibly sweet, so we're always super happy to have her around. It's also really funny she just walks in here and goes wherever she likes without a care in the world. Sometimes as early as 7AM, sometimes 8PM
Cheeky Chop and Little Mrs. - Two Redwinged Starlings that come by to eat mealworms and Raisins. They always came by to feed their babies, one of them fell out of the nest (little Rockstar) - we've fed him for a couple of days and then brought him to a bird rescue.
Cheeky and Little Mrs. barely come around since Luna started to make herself at home (even though Luna only comes by once every couple of days)
Both of them come and sit on our fence, cheeky sometimes sings to get my attention to bring him some raisins. They got new hatchlings this week again, second time this season.And then there's Lola (which I think is actually male): A pigeon that comes by regularly and waits for some seeds. And when other pigeons come to eat scraps, Lola is very bossy.
-
Comment on What's the coolest thrift store find you've ever scored? in ~talk
ali LinkI once bought a vintage polaroid for like $2 and I bought a Canon Vintage Lens - 35mm SSC from the 70s. Got it in Bangkok for a fair price and I love filming with itI once bought a vintage polaroid for like $2 and I bought a Canon Vintage Lens - 35mm SSC from the 70s.
Got it in Bangkok for a fair price and I love filming with it
-
Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative
ali LinkSome of you might remember my collaborative art platform I have posted last year. I've worked on it's performance a bit and gave myself some nice features (so that I can approve stuff) because I...Some of you might remember my collaborative art platform I have posted last year. I've worked on it's performance a bit and gave myself some nice features (so that I can approve stuff) because I wanted the website to be live again. I had turned it off at some point to save performacnce on my vps. But I want that to stay available. submission welcome, no signup required
And I have built a space simulator, which was some of the most fun I've had in a long time.
-
Comment on CGA-2026-01 🕹️⛵🛡️ INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker in ~games
ali Link ParentDragon Roost Island and one from later fight are two of my favoritesDragon Roost Island and one from later fight
are two of my favorites
-
Comment on CGA-2026-01 🕹️⛵🛡️ INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker in ~games
ali LinkThis game is definitely one of my favorites of all time. I still blame it for my current pursuit to live on a boat. I’ve been thinking of getting a wind walker tattoo probably for over 10 years by...This game is definitely one of my favorites of all time. I still blame it for my current pursuit to live on a boat. I’ve been thinking of getting a wind walker tattoo probably for over 10 years by now.
I remember when it came out, people kept complaining about the art style being too childish. But looking at it now you can tell how well it aged.
If you’re playing it for the first time: enjoy. Especially the music.
I actually replayed this on my GameCube during covid, but I didn’t finish it
-
Comment on Not-so-humble brag: What are you proud of that you don't normally get to talk about? in ~talk
ali Link ParentI also had some bad headaches initially, but the last couple of times it was fine, so I really enjoyed it actually. My main problem is that I love coffee too, so I have this dilemma occasionally -...I also had some bad headaches initially, but the last couple of times it was fine, so I really enjoyed it actually. My main problem is that I love coffee too, so I have this dilemma occasionally - coffee or methylphenidate.
I am also traveling full time which would make it pretty tough for me to actually take it every day - like I'm going to Thailand soon and I'm only allowed to bring 30 days worth of the medication.
And I fully agree that it's much better to take meds every day than be emotionally drained. I hate the stigma around it. It's especially easy for neurotypical people to claim that you should "just do" shit
-
Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
ali Link Parentcurious how you'll find it. I'm quite a big fan of claude code myself. Haven't tried it with extensions thoughcurious how you'll find it. I'm quite a big fan of claude code myself.
Haven't tried it with extensions though
-
Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
ali LinkMy space simulator turned out super nice, and is one of the few things I have shared, and immediately saw a lot of resonance. It was at the top of /r/internetisbeautiful yesterday and it feels...My space simulator turned out super nice, and is one of the few things I have shared, and immediately saw a lot of resonance. It was at the top of /r/internetisbeautiful yesterday and it feels super nice to see others enjoy it too.
It's a free web app sort of like universe sandbox (but much much simpler since it needs to run in the browser)I added a way to turn the planets into sounds, which I think is something I'll continue working on in other projects. I have like multiple Pis at home, and microcontrollers, but I might just buy a new one here, so I can buidl stuff on the road. I'm also looking into how feasible it is to travel with a 3D printer
So that's something that got me super excited. Then, I also created a site to give me and friends a daily quest (I started reading solo leveling last week)
hereMy moodboard is being used by my girlfriend and I, and I am super happy with it. And next I think I'll build a page to showcase all of the stuff I work on :D Since I want to share more stuff. It's super thrilling to see people enjoy what you're making, even if it's just stuff you built for fun for yourself. But I think if you enjoy using what you build, you're building something that's pretty good
-
Comment on Not-so-humble brag: What are you proud of that you don't normally get to talk about? in ~talk
ali Link ParentI do have medication. I’m still figuring out how to best use it. I don’t take it daily, but I use it to help me especially with organization. But the impact emotionally is one of the wildest...I do have medication. I’m still figuring out how to best use it. I don’t take it daily, but I use it to help me especially with organization. But the impact emotionally is one of the wildest things. You can be upset about a topic, your methylphenidate starts working, all of a sudden you’re like:
Hold on, I actually don’t give a shit, why am I so upset?
And yes, I agree with the superpowers. I finally understand how I work now.
Thinking back on my life, I’m like: how did I make it to a masters degree. Like, it’s genuinely wild that there was a time where I didn’t know this about me
You forgot to replace [Game Title] here :D