archevel's recent activity
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Comment on Big day for crypto goes south in a hurry after a giant hack in ~finance
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Comment on Big day for crypto goes south in a hurry after a giant hack in ~finance
archevel Link ParentI suppose that upon realising they had been hacked they could have shorted bitcoin (realizing that it would plymer upon breaking the news). So essentially borrow a bunch of bitcoin from someone...I suppose that upon realising they had been hacked they could have shorted bitcoin (realizing that it would plymer upon breaking the news). So essentially borrow a bunch of bitcoin from someone else, sell them, release the news... wait for price to plumet then buy back the bitcoins they sold plus enough to cover the theft. "Everything is all good! We have your bitcoins right here... They have inexplicably depreciated a lot of their value, but you know that sometimes happen when you make investments..."
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Comment on What are some books for which the critical/public opinion has flipped over time? in ~books
archevel LinkThe most recent example that comes to mind is Niel Gaiman. I haven't read any of the articles on his behavior. I just saw a subheading once which just got stuck in my head and I don't want to...The most recent example that comes to mind is Niel Gaiman. I haven't read any of the articles on his behavior. I just saw a subheading once which just got stuck in my head and I don't want to learn anything more ("There is no safe word").
I liked his books, but to me they are now forever tainted. Maybe they can be enjoyed again by someone else in the future. Sort of like how people enjoy Lovecraft knowing he is problematic by today's standards... but I don't know... it just makes me sad.
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Comment on Moving to the other side of the Earth in ~life
archevel LinkMe my, wife, and our two oldest kids decided toove from Sweden to New Zealand ten years ago (wild that it has been that long). Both me and my wife had been there before, me doing the backpacker...Me my, wife, and our two oldest kids decided toove from Sweden to New Zealand ten years ago (wild that it has been that long). Both me and my wife had been there before, me doing the backpacker thing back in 2000 and she had studied there during high school. This meant we did have some social connections there which was very nice and gave us a bit of a boost socially when arriving there. We went into this as a adventure not really planning to migrate permanently. We knew we would likely head back after a while. I can recommend having this mindset going in (unless you are planning to actually migrate) because it made it easier for me to face challenges and setbacks since I was doing it for the experience.
It was hardest for the kids initially. They were quite verbal early on and all of a sudden they couldn't understand anyone at school/kindergarten. I do believe they've benefitted from the experience immensely. At a minimum their English was way ahead of their peers when we got back, but more nebulous is the confidence they've gotten from doing something where the outcome is uncertain.
One of the main obstacles going to NZ was actually getting the visa and finding a job. Since your looking at doing this via your company they probably will help you sort those things out. I mention this because I imagine you've already decided to go :) that is you've imagined moving there and how life would be. So what would you do if the company picked someone else? Would you try to go anyway? In that case be prepared for paperwork galore! Hopefully you can skip the majority of that uncertainty by get the opportunity via your company.
On a more practical level; moving is super expensive. Make sure the company at least gives you some reimbursement for relocation costs. There's lots of little things like cutlery and the odd bits and bobs that when added together becomes a sizeable amount. Then there's finding a place. Others have mentioned some of the places having a high cost of living. We ended up renting a flat in a very pricey neighborhood, but living quite frugally otherwise.
In my view moving to another culturally similar country isn't all that different from moving to a new city (a part from the obvious things like being further away from family, not knowing the local cultural references etc). Find a hobby club to join to meet new people. Invite people you meet to join you on various outings (be ok with being rejected, they've got their own lives). Join social events at your company. Be prepared that it may take a while to find friends and build a new social network. This means that once the initial novelty of moving wears off it might be a bit lonely...
In the end we decided to move back after little more than a year mainly because we got pregnant while there and wanted to have the kid back home.
All in all it was a great experience. Hard at times, but lots of sweet memories too.
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Comment on Is there a free LLM frontend that works out of the box? in ~comp
archevel Link ParentThanks for the clarification! I think you make a good point; I should have made it clearer that once you start doing something more involved (i.e. when it is no longer a simple app contained in a...Thanks for the clarification! I think you make a good point; I should have made it clearer that once you start doing something more involved (i.e. when it is no longer a simple app contained in a single html file) then it's probably time to start using some dedicated software such as OpenWebUI, which can be set up to use a remote api with an API key (so you basically just run a webserver that calls e.g. ChatGPT). That was what I ended on, but I see that wasn't clearly expressed!
I would however trust the user to evaluate if the app fits their requirements in the case of the SPA. And, I would trust that single html file generated by an LLM much more than a fairly unknown service like typingmind, where you are prompted to give them your API key! That might just be me being untrusting of SaaS providers though.
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Comment on Is there a free LLM frontend that works out of the box? in ~comp
archevel (edited )Link ParentI'm curious why and more precisely what you mean. For me, as a software developer, I have the advantage of being able to scan the generated code and know where things seem off (and also guide the...I think it is a bad practice to the point of being harmful to use LLMs in that way.
I'm curious why and more precisely what you mean. For me, as a software developer, I have the advantage of being able to scan the generated code and know where things seem off (and also guide the LLM to generate a valid solution). I could probably have created the same thing in maybe twice the time it took to write up the prompt and guide the LLM to a working solution (and it would probably be a bit neater and all that). But to me this application is really straightforward and boring. There is nothing new about it. It is essentially glue-code. So to me a generic interface for different LLMs via api calls seems like an obvious use case that can be generated (even without much development knowledge).
So in what way is it a "bad practice to the point of being harmful to use LLMs" in this way?
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Comment on Is there a free LLM frontend that works out of the box? in ~comp
archevel LinkI'm not aware of any free utility like this. It sound like you just want a simple web app with a generic interface for different LLM services. IIUC you don't want to run the actual models locally...I'm not aware of any free utility like this. It sound like you just want a simple web app with a generic interface for different LLM services. IIUC you don't want to run the actual models locally (since that's not even possible for e.g. Gemini). However since this is a fairly trivial app to setup I gave Gemini the following prompt:
Create a SPA contained in a single html file (JS, css, and html all in one file). It can use publicly available javascript and css resources from CDNs. To start the app should present a picker for Gemini and Mistral etc and a field to enter an API key. The key should be stored per service in local storage so that the user only need to input it once. The picker should be in the upper left corner so that the target api can be easily switched. Once an API is selected a chat interface should be presented that allows the user to submit messages and receive responses from the selected API. Note that the different services might have slightly different APIs, but this should be seamless to the user. No login or user registration should be required. Chat conversations should be stored in local storage. A user should be able to create a new conversation via a "New conversation" button in the bottom left, but above the chat input field. Make the layout suitable and familiar to a user of ChatGPT and Gemini.And after a few additional prompts I had a single html file that could talk to Gemini via the api (had to give it some of the curl commands used to talk to the api and the structure of the responses). I didn't test the mistral part since I don't have that service.
Once you have an html file that accomplishes what you need you could simply upload it as a static site and access it from any device. Note that it wouldn't sync conversations cross devices, but I'm sure you could prompt the LLM to use some syncing api to store your data... A bit more involved than just installing e.g. OpenWebUI somewhere to be honest though :)
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Comment on Sweden is a nearly cashless society – here's how it affects people who are left out in ~finance
archevel (edited )Link ParentIt is exclusionary and I don't think there's a solution to be found. It is just way to convenient to pay either with swish or a debit card. Interestingly, BankID which is the most common way to...It is exclusionary and I don't think there's a solution to be found. It is just way to convenient to pay either with swish or a debit card. Interestingly, BankID which is the most common way to confirm ones identity when interacting with the banks in Sweden (and the tax authorities etc) is in fact not a valid form of identification. It has become a defacto standard, but isn't acceptable to use when e.g. applying for a passport.
There is another digital identification that does not require you to have a Swedish bank account (Freja), but it isn't as widely supported and for obvious reasons can't be used to authorize payments from banks (AFAIK).
The big problem is really if you can't afford a smart phone and/or a laptop you're effectively locked out of society to a large extent.
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Comment on My doctor emailed me back - Abigail Thorn in ~lgbt
archevel LinkThis is what I read as the central message of the essay. Transitioning only affect the individual undergoing the treatment to any relevant extent. I'm not aware of it causing other detrimental...If someone wants to transition, that’s their business
This is what I read as the central message of the essay. Transitioning only affect the individual undergoing the treatment to any relevant extent. I'm not aware of it causing other detrimental issues which could merit some gatekeeping (e.g. antibiotic resistance or addiction). So the only consideration that is merited is that of how much resources should be allocated to this over some other need. That's an issue with all treatments and if transitioning wasn't being gatekept I'd guess the cost would end up being miniscule compared to other medical interventions.
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Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2024 in ~games
archevel Link ParentI would very much like to try The Witness if possible!I would very much like to try The Witness if possible!
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Comment on What long book series is worth its page count? in ~books
archevel Link ParentFor me The Wheel of Time series was great, but I feel like I wouldn't recommend anyone to read it since it is sooooo like long. Might be easier now that the whole series is out, but I remember...For me The Wheel of Time series was great, but I feel like I wouldn't recommend anyone to read it since it is sooooo like long. Might be easier now that the whole series is out, but I remember waiting for the next bookbin the series, pick it up when it got out and then literally having to go back and reread the previous books just to get my bearings again :) That said it is a really epic series. That Sanderson finished it up is probably the greatest/kindest thing he has done as an author.
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Comment on Is Wise bank safe? in ~finance
archevel Link ParentJust recently happened to watch Yotta Bank & The Problem with Fintech! by Patrick Boyle and found it informative and entertaining. I interpret your scenario as Wise deposit into some bank account...Just recently happened to watch Yotta Bank & The Problem with Fintech! by Patrick Boyle and found it informative and entertaining.
I interpret your scenario as Wise deposit into some bank account is covered by FDIC, but my deposit to Wise is not (since they aren't a bank).
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Comment on Is Wise bank safe? in ~finance
archevel Link ParentFrom this page about how wise protects customer funds I think it is important to note: I have very little understanding of the banking guarantees that FDIC gives (I'm not in the states and not an...From this page about how wise protects customer funds I think it is important to note:
We are not a bank, which means we do not lend out our customers’ money to people or businesses. It also means our money transfer service and Wise account balances where you haven't opted into interest are not subject to Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insurance.
I have very little understanding of the banking guarantees that FDIC gives (I'm not in the states and not an accounant/lawyer). But my very layman interpretation is that since Wise isn't a bank your deposits to them are not protected. I could of course be wrong about those, but I'd be at least a bit worried about it.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
archevel LinkManaged to fix the nix package for rider in unstable and made a PR that just got merged into master! So hopefully soon the rider package will work without the workaround of overriding the default...Managed to fix the nix package for rider in unstable and made a PR that just got merged into master! So hopefully soon the rider package will work without the workaround of overriding the default post install script. Need to figure out how to test these things if I'm to make more patches.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - Spring 2025 nomination thread - Books from minority or diverse or disadvantaged perspectives in ~books
archevel LinkÆdnan by Linnea Axelsson.Ædnan by Linnea Axelsson.
A powerful epic poem that tells the story of two Sami families. Their fates reflect the modern history of the Sami people, depicted over three generations up to the present day. Piece by piece, an emotional landscape emerges, while the families' lives and history are intertwined with Sweden's colonial policies.
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Comment on Work life balance in a startup in ~life
archevel LinkFor me it comes down to if I enjoy the work I'm doing. If I am not it is time to leave (given that's feasible), if I do enjoy the work then work-life balance isn't an issue. I am fortunate in that...For me it comes down to if I enjoy the work I'm doing. If I am not it is time to leave (given that's feasible), if I do enjoy the work then work-life balance isn't an issue. I am fortunate in that I currently have a lot of leeway in how I choose to spend my time. Some days I might work 4 hours others I might do 12. The important thing to me isn't the exact amount of time, it's about the value I create. So far this attitude has served me well career wise, but that could just be an indication that I work too much (overall).
That said. Getting praised for doing a task well or expedientlyight be nice, but at the end of the day it's a business arrangement. Be loyal to people not organizations. If a colleague asks for help, I tend to drop everything and aid them to the best of my ability. If a boss tells a team that they need to "go the extra mile" or some such nonsense for the for of the company, then I would likely start looking for an exit.
As for vetting a team/manager I don't think there is a solid way to do that unless you know someone who works for/with them. Glassdoor gives one perspective, but that is skewed to people who have left the place for various reasons. Talking to the team & manager is often your best bet, but be aware that you'll likely not see/hear anything that will out you off (unless they are truly transparent and looking for someone who will thrive in their particular environment, which can be very hard to tell).
My recommendation for others is to pick jobs primarily based on your impression of your immediate boss/manager. Secondly on your impression of the team. A distant third would be based on the work you expect to be doing. A bad boss can make life really difficult and working with people you despise will be soul crushing. In contrast doing some meanial work you don't enjoy, but in good company can still be rewarding.
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Comment on Advice Needed: Simple and Reliable notifications in ~comp
archevel LinkDo you have an easy way of checking on the status of e.g. backups? If so would setting a calendar notification with a link to the status check work? I.e. you set a notification to check your...Do you have an easy way of checking on the status of e.g. backups? If so would setting a calendar notification with a link to the status check work? I.e. you set a notification to check your backups after they've run. It won't be pushing notifications when something fails (so might not be what you actually want), just a reminder to check the status.
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Comment on Very unusual behaviour trying to use Duck Duck Go. Any suggestions for what to do? in ~tech
archevel Link ParentJust guessing, but the SSL cert issue could be just because you are accessing the site via the ip and not the domain the certificate is issued for. Also unless you are in the Netherlands it isn't...Just guessing, but the SSL cert issue could be just because you are accessing the site via the ip and not the domain the certificate is issued for.
Also unless you are in the Netherlands it isn't that surprising you'd resolve different IPs for the same domain. I assume DDG has servers in multiple regions in the world and you just get the "closest" one.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
archevel LinkLast weekend I finally got around to trying out Nixos on my laptop. I have a fairly new Dell XPS 16 and I had been running Xubuntu on it with a newer kernel to make the audio work, but I hadn't...Last weekend I finally got around to trying out Nixos on my laptop. I have a fairly new Dell XPS 16 and I had been running Xubuntu on it with a newer kernel to make the audio work, but I hadn't managed yet to get the webcam operational. Since I use the laptop as my daily driver I didn't want to commit to switching distro in case it was too unstable or I didn't like it for some reason. So far so good though!
I now have a set up with Nixos running Hyprland and it was fairly smooth getting it running. I wrote a short blog post about the steps I needed to get the webcam working on the Dell XPS 16. It was a bit involved, but I got a lot less anxious now since Nixos has such a nice way of rolling back changes. I feel I'm a lot less worried about updates breaking things since I can the just roll back! This is also possible for other setups, but with my plain Xubuntu install that was not the case.
I haven't yet experimented with Home Manager, so that might be something I look into next. For now I've just set up my user config the classic way with a bunch of dotfiles. Neovim is installed to my liking with a few plugins I like. I did end up installing Rider for .Net development, the neovim setup with csharp-ls had showed a bunch of spurious errors. So I'll probably dig into that setup too to see if I can ditch it at some point. The refacoring tools on Rider is nice though; and it has a Vim plugin so might not be worth the effort.
Anyway, it was that special kind of nerd fun setting up my system from scratch again :)
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - Nominations thread in ~books
archevel LinkI've enjoyed the previous picks of the book club I've read so here are a few of my suggestions: Maus - I haven't read this yet and a recent post here on tildes reminded me of it. Aniara - Read...I've enjoyed the previous picks of the book club I've read so here are a few of my suggestions:
Maus - I haven't read this yet and a recent post here on tildes reminded me of it.
Aniara - Read this in my teens and would like to read it again. Not entirely sure if the translation to English is any good though. Fairly short IIRC.
Story of Your Life and Others - Collection of short stories by the same author. One of which the movie Arrival is based on.
Odessey - Mostly to nudge myself to get around to reading it.
Sure. I don't think they did short bitcoin in order to cover their losses. I'm mainly lamenting the crypto industry as a whole and they could have done it and I wouldn't have been too surprised. Them releasing the news isn't really here nor there IMO.