chundissimo's recent activity
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Comment on Project Hail Mary | Official trailer in ~movies
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
chundissimo Link ParentYou’re talking about Stormlight right? Without saying too much, I’m aware of the two (er I guess three) characters that overlap with different names (I’ve read all of Stormlight). I’m curious to...You’re talking about Stormlight right? Without saying too much, I’m aware of the two (er I guess three) characters that overlap with different names (I’ve read all of Stormlight). I’m curious to see how and why exactly they end up as they do, but I’m not sure if that gets answered. Although if you’re talking about Siri then I have zero idea about that…
Now that I’m further into it I’m actually quite enjoying Warbreaker. I definitely feel he’s grown a lot as a writer since, but it’s a cool concept and I like the characters.
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Comment on I ran a 50k today, please clap in ~sports
chundissimo LinkUnreal! I’m convinced people who can run like you are secretly Kryptonians. Well done!Unreal! I’m convinced people who can run like you are secretly Kryptonians. Well done!
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
chundissimo LinkI’m back on the Brandon Sanderson train! I finished his novella The Emperor’s Soul in less than 24 hours and wow I was blown away. The narrative pacing while adequately describing a new magic...I’m back on the Brandon Sanderson train! I finished his novella The Emperor’s Soul in less than 24 hours and wow I was blown away. The narrative pacing while adequately describing a new magic system was really compelling. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy, no prior Sanderson reading required (it’s listed some places as an Elantris sequel but it definitely isn’t). It’s about a magic user who works to reconstruct the soul of an emperor who narrowly survived assassination.
I’m now reading an earlier published novel of his, Warbreaker. The initial worldbuilding and pacing I’m not loving so far, nor am I huge fan of the magic system, but I’m early so I need to give it some time. My plan is to go through and read as many of his standalone novels/novellas as I can bear and then maybe finally circle back to Mistborn era 2.
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Comment on V for Vendetta - 20th anniversary | Announcement trailer in ~movies
chundissimo Link ParentI didn’t know either and I also had no idea it was based on work by Alan Moore!I didn’t know either and I also had no idea it was based on work by Alan Moore!
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Comment on US Federal Aviation Administration reducing air traffic by 10% across forty ‘high-volume’ markets during government shutdown in ~transport
chundissimo LinkObviously minor in the grand scheme of all this but I’m not looking forward to my flight on Friday, assuming it’s still happening…Obviously minor in the grand scheme of all this but I’m not looking forward to my flight on Friday, assuming it’s still happening…
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
chundissimo Link ParentI’m always glad to see some Babel hate. Not that I want to revel in negativity, but I felt very weird about how well received it was in comparison to how bad I thought it was. It was the only book...I’m always glad to see some Babel hate. Not that I want to revel in negativity, but I felt very weird about how well received it was in comparison to how bad I thought it was. It was the only book I started and didn’t finish over the past few years actually.
I’m interested in her new book, Katabasis. The premise sounds interesting but I’m a little scared to give her another try. I actually feel similarly about Susanna Clarke: I did not enjoy Piranessi, but I know Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell is well liked. It’s tough for me to give an author a second chance even though taste is personal and one disliked book doesn’t mean I can’t like any of their writing!
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
chundissimo Link ParentYeah his output is baffling. He’s averaged something like 2-3 books annually for the past few years, and that’s not even focusing on page count. His work sometimes suffers from that pace, but much...Yeah his output is baffling. He’s averaged something like 2-3 books annually for the past few years, and that’s not even focusing on page count. His work sometimes suffers from that pace, but much better trade-off than having to come to peace with Patrick Rothfuss never finishing Kingkiller.
I didn’t even think about the challenge of renting. I think you have to take a few months off and spend every waking hour reading it!
Honestly I agree with you, I think he could have split some of the books. Some of them even have clear halfway(ish) climaxes that I feel like would have been fine as endings?
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
chundissimo Link ParentFirst Stormlight book is really good on its own and there is no required reading ahead of time. Most of his books take place in a shared universe called the “Cosmere”, but that isn’t hugely...First Stormlight book is really good on its own and there is no required reading ahead of time. Most of his books take place in a shared universe called the “Cosmere”, but that isn’t hugely important. He tends to treat that content as “hey recognize this?” rather than “you must know this thing from another series”.
I read Mistborn era 1 first, but it doesn’t matter. Arguably era 2 is more relevant to Stormlight, but I never got around to it and I didn’t feel I was missing out except on more details about a particular character in the 5th book.
I think his writing is much better in the first two Stormlight novels, and then after that he probably needed more editing. The back three books drag a little but I still thoroughly enjoyed them.
The length of the series is daunting, but remember: journey before destination!
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
chundissimo LinkI’m on the third book of Divine Cities trilogy! Really enjoying it. I felt like I did not love the first book’s narrator (Shara). Their dialogue sometimes felt YA, which threw me for a loop since...I’m on the third book of Divine Cities trilogy! Really enjoying it.
I felt like I did not love the first book’s narrator (Shara). Their dialogue sometimes felt YA, which threw me for a loop since the book doesn’t really feel YA with some of its violence and tougher themes.
I think I’ve liked each book successfully more, which is rare for me. The digestible page count compared to other fantasy (<600 pages per book) has really made them approachable too. Great concept and worldbuilding. Magic systems isn’t super well defined, but I think it works given the overarching narrative. Honestly at times it’s more a spy series than a fantasy series, but I think the balance works nicely.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
chundissimo Link ParentKingkiller is my favorite fantasy series, followed by The Stormlight Archive. If you want a taste of Sanderson’s writing style first you could try Mistborn; first book in the trilogy is...Kingkiller is my favorite fantasy series, followed by The Stormlight Archive. If you want a taste of Sanderson’s writing style first you could try Mistborn; first book in the trilogy is essentially fantasy Ocean’s 11. Stormlight he wrote at some point after Mistborn, and I feel like his writing style and tone improved a fair amount.
If you like well defined magic systems and big worldbuilding, then Sanderson could be for you. Don’t expect Kingkiller though, they’re very distinct tonally. In my opinion the first two Stormlight books are stellar, and the back three are great but not as good. Definitely was worth the time investment for me though because he is very intentional on satisfying conclusions.
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Comment on What is your 'Subway Take'? in ~talk
chundissimo Link ParentI agree with this with every atom of my body. HOAs are so slimy it baffles me they are allowed to exist; the fact that they mandatory come with the house is absurd. I’ve always been anti-HOA, but...I agree with this with every atom of my body. HOAs are so slimy it baffles me they are allowed to exist; the fact that they mandatory come with the house is absurd.
I’ve always been anti-HOA, but the Last Week Tonight episode a few years ago about them really radicalized me.
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Comment on What ridiculous thing would you spend billions on? in ~talk
chundissimo Link ParentWow I never realized I needed Run the Jewels rapping about chaos emeraldsWow I never realized I needed Run the Jewels rapping about chaos emeralds
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Comment on Introducing Beads: A coding agent memory system in ~comp
chundissimo Link ParentI can’t say I fully agree because I’ve seen how his mindset has corrupted the industry recently, but I can concede that using him as an avatar of that dynamic isn’t fair when he’s just trying to...I can’t say I fully agree because I’ve seen how his mindset has corrupted the industry recently, but I can concede that using him as an avatar of that dynamic isn’t fair when he’s just trying to share something he excitedly worked on.
For some personal context I just got out of a toxic job where a lot of people like him dominated the organization and led us to make terrible product choices while rapidly burning ourselves out all the ICs. So yes I have my biases at play here, but I don’t think framing your view on it as deciding “whether or not something is good in an objective sense” while mine is personal bias is particularly fair.
I’m not intending to say he should do XYZ because those are more normal, I’m intending to say I strongly believe having a balanced life (which can include plenty of zany, weird things) should be something we value more as SWEs. I get peeved when I see the opposite being venerated even if it’s half jokingly.
I don’t think I disagree with the core of what you’re saying though.
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Comment on Introducing Beads: A coding agent memory system in ~comp
chundissimo Link ParentThe behavior is mythologized a bit more than I’d like, but I’d at least say it’s not widely celebrated. More people do than should in my opinion. Yes I agree, this does make a lot more sense...The behavior is mythologized a bit more than I’d like, but I’d at least say it’s not widely celebrated. More people do than should in my opinion.
Yes I agree, this does make a lot more sense through the lens of him being an influencer peddling his book, he wasn’t trying to be subtle about that.
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Comment on Introducing Beads: A coding agent memory system in ~comp
chundissimo Link ParentI actually think him not doing it for his job doesn’t change my opinion much here. Yes it’s great to have interests you’re passionate about, but this comes across as manic and obsessive in a way...I actually think him not doing it for his job doesn’t change my opinion much here. Yes it’s great to have interests you’re passionate about, but this comes across as manic and obsessive in a way that I definitely have seen lauded in the Bay tech scene.
It’s also hard for me to accept the comparison of him to an artist at his craft here. He’s feverishly working on improving an endeavor that I think is a net negative for the industry and the world. It’s not art, it’s arguably whether it’s really a “contribution” to the world of SWE. If an artist friend of mine ran around saying they ignored their loved ones and vacations, and sketched while they drove, so they could tirelessly make a leaf blower that shoots paint to emulate Pollock, yeah I’d probably tell them to touch grass. Even that seems like a better endeavor than this, but I’m pretty jaded about vibe coding admittedly.
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Comment on Introducing Beads: A coding agent memory system in ~comp
chundissimo LinkNot the point of the article, but I really loathe how techies who won’t get off their computer to live their lives is seen as a positive thing in the tech world? I know he’s clearly smart and...Not the point of the article, but I really loathe how techies who won’t get off their computer to live their lives is seen as a positive thing in the tech world? I know he’s clearly smart and passionate but just the intro alone was kind of gross to me. He acknowledges driving while voice coding is bad, but like seriously man? Touch grass.
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Comment on Why do LLMs freak out over the seahorse emoji? in ~tech
chundissimo Link ParentI’m curious to hear your reasoning behind this.LLMs are at the is point less buggy than humans
I’m curious to hear your reasoning behind this.
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Comment on Why do LLMs freak out over the seahorse emoji? in ~tech
chundissimo LinkIn a tech world plagued by amoral tech bros claiming AGI is a year away, it’s very enjoyable to see models shit the bed on silly things like this. I didn’t however find the “explanation” all that...In a tech world plagued by amoral tech bros claiming AGI is a year away, it’s very enjoyable to see models shit the bed on silly things like this.
I didn’t however find the “explanation” all that interesting or compelling
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Comment on How we're designing Audacity for the future in ~tech
chundissimo Link ParentYeah totally agreed. Changing it was the right call, but the end result is pretty meh.Yeah totally agreed. Changing it was the right call, but the end result is pretty meh.
I’ve been a skeptic since I loved this book so much and I thought the Gosling casting was wrong (even though I like him as an actor). This trailer however has me pretty open to the potential of it being a good adaptation.