first-must-burn's recent activity
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Comment on Which grand strategy are you? in ~misc
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Comment on How to Make a Killing | Official trailer in ~movies
first-must-burn LinkLooks like a fun movie. NGL, was pulled in by the comedy.black tag. @cfabbro and @mycketforvirrad, I see you.Looks like a fun movie. NGL, was pulled in by the
comedy.blacktag. @cfabbro and @mycketforvirrad, I see you. -
Comment on How to customise status icons in Android 16? in ~tech
first-must-burn Link ParentI can't find the link now, but IIRC there was something that involved the android debugger and some kind of configuration change that wouldn't survive an update. There weren't a ton of options...I can't find the link now, but IIRC there was something that involved the android debugger and some kind of configuration change that wouldn't survive an update. There weren't a ton of options because 16 had just come out.
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Comment on Fifty Shades of OOP in ~comp
first-must-burn LinkWhat a nice read. Having not seriously touched Java or C++ in many years, it was a bit of a nostalgia trip for me. It also reminded me of some truly awful OOP code I have written. I think the real...What a nice read. Having not seriously touched Java or C++ in many years, it was a bit of a nostalgia trip for me. It also reminded me of some truly awful OOP code I have written.
I think the real reason to lean away from these languages is they are simply too complicated and flexible. I spent the better part of a year trying to parse arbitrary C and C++11 code and generate automated tests for it. It was a nightmare. Every time we tried the tool on new code, we found new usage patterns that we hadn't considered. Basically what I learned is there is no limit to the weird shit people can write in C/C++.
I like Go because it's very opinionated about almost everything, which brings a certain homogeneity to the code, making it easier to read and maintain. You can get this for other languages with style guides and opinionated code reviews, but it saves a lot of time (and arguing) to have it built into the language.
I don't know if there are any modern tools that fix this, but my other beef with C/C++ (and to a lesser extent Java) is that it is truly an epic battle to create and maintain a build system. Sometimes it feels like it requires as much code as the application itself. And the builds are so slow!
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Comment on Fifty Shades of OOP in ~comp
first-must-burn Link ParentComposition over inheritance was something I learned from Effective Java by Joshua Bloch in the nid- 2000's. One of the only programming books I've actually read cover to cover. So many useful ideas.Composition over inheritance was something I learned from Effective Java by Joshua Bloch in the nid- 2000's. One of the only programming books I've actually read cover to cover. So many useful ideas.
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Comment on How to customise status icons in Android 16? in ~tech
first-must-burn LinkFWIW I hated it when I got the 16 roll out on my pixel, went down the same rabbit hole, found no solution (that I liked). Now I just mildly detest it. So it goes.FWIW I hated it when I got the 16 roll out on my pixel, went down the same rabbit hole, found no solution (that I liked). Now I just mildly detest it. So it goes.
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Comment on Strong Bad Email #210 - Robots in ~misc
first-must-burn LinkAnd the Trogdor comes in the NIIIGH-IIIGHT.And the Trogdor comes in the NIIIGH-IIIGHT.
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Comment on Screenshots from developers: 2002 vs. 2015 in ~comp
first-must-burn LinkGotta say, for readability, having modern fixed width fonts is great. Adobe Source Code Pro is my preference. Free and designed to make characters like 1, l, O, and 0 visually distinct. I have 3...Gotta say, for readability, having modern fixed width fonts is great. Adobe Source Code Pro is my preference. Free and designed to make characters like 1, l, O, and 0 visually distinct.
I have 3 4:3 22" monitors (10 year old rig). I use the left screen for terminals (terminator full screened. It has tabs and easy tiling/split), the middle screen for vs code (or zoom in meetings), and the right screen for browser/slack. Though if I update my monitors, I'll get a wider center monitor so I can have the AI chat + 2 ~110 column text buffers each taking up 1/3 of the screen.
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Comment on Weekly thread for casual chat and photos of pets in ~life.pets
first-must-burn LinkWe've been gearing up for pet rats for a while now. After a very mixed experience with "rescue" rats who could hardly be handled at all, we've been looking for breeders focused on pets, and there...We've been gearing up for pet rats for a while now. After a very mixed experience with "rescue" rats who could hardly be handled at all, we've been looking for breeders focused on pets, and there is a surprisingly long wait. We are finally getting two girls next week (with a line on two more in late Jan).
My daughter is over the moon with excitement. She's been making lists of potential names (Crumb and Raisin seem to be front runners), though she's waiting to get to know them to decide.
Here are some pictures from the breeder:
https://ibb.co/WCzQ9tq
https://ibb.co/BVGmm1PqDue to the timing, we'll be traveling with them (6 hour car trip, pet friendly hotel), so that should be an adventure.
I was looking forward to bringing them (one at a time) to hang out with me while I wfh, but ironically I just put in my notice. I have about 3 weeks left, and the new job is all in person. So a bit of a cloudy lining there, but excited overall.
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Comment on Google must double AI serving capacity every six months to meet demand in ~tech
first-must-burn LinkI haven't seen hard numbers, but I think Amazon is in a similar state. At my current job (leaving soon), we're building a tool that relies on Anthropic models in bedrock, and getting them to...I haven't seen hard numbers, but I think Amazon is in a similar state. At my current job (leaving soon), we're building a tool that relies on Anthropic models in bedrock, and getting them to increase our capacity limits has been quite an ordeal - a matter of a couple weeks wait where most of these limit increases are resolved within a few days. Our AWS rep has said it's because these teams are overwhelmed by demand.
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Comment on Looking for a non-smart watch recommendation in ~tech
first-must-burn LinkMy daughter has a vivofit jr 3 that has a daily step goal feature. It can periodically sync with an app, but otherwise just functions like a regular watch with a ~1y battery in it.Other than the...My daughter has a vivofit jr 3 that has a daily step goal feature. It can periodically sync with an app, but otherwise just functions like a regular watch with a ~1y battery in it.Other than the display not being very bright, no complaints about it.
Looks like there are similar vivofits targeted at adults that have more of a band styling (the jr looks like an actual watch).
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Comment on Library exhibit brainstorming in ~tech
first-must-burn Link ParentThat's a great idea, especially if someone has access to a laser cutter or a cnc. Oh, to have both time and money at the same time.That's a great idea, especially if someone has access to a laser cutter or a cnc. Oh, to have both time and money at the same time.
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Comment on Gluing and framing a 9000-piece jigsaw in ~games.tabletop
first-must-burn LinkNeat post! Detailed and methodical, I would expect nothing less :) Fun fact about LEGO: since it is ABS, you don't actually glue it, you use acetone or another solvent to chemically melt the...Neat post! Detailed and methodical, I would expect nothing less :)
Fun fact about LEGO: since it is ABS, you don't actually glue it, you use acetone or another solvent to chemically melt the pieces together. Here is a short video about it from a LEGO master builder. Trigger warning: it shows him chiseling apart a model.
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Comment on Library exhibit brainstorming in ~tech
first-must-burn Link ParentThat looks amazing. I bet I could 3d print the gears, but you'd need something bigger/stronger for the structure of the wheel. Maybe cnc/laser cut plywood. My only critique is that it might be a...That looks amazing. I bet I could 3d print the gears, but you'd need something bigger/stronger for the structure of the wheel. Maybe cnc/laser cut plywood.
My only critique is that it might be a pinching hazard for tiny fingers.
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Comment on Library exhibit brainstorming in ~tech
first-must-burn LinkHave you considered something like museum self guided audio? I have no idea the cost or your budget, but being able to touch the device to different tags and hear the audio seems exactly what your...Have you considered something like museum self guided audio? I have no idea the cost or your budget, but being able to touch the device to different tags and hear the audio seems exactly what your describing.
However, I feel remiss not to point this out: Are you thinking that people would have their own headphones, or that they would use a "community" pair of headphones? I think most people are going to have wireless headphones if they have anything at all, and shared headphones seem unsanitary?
Have you considered other ways of making the display interactive? I was thinking of a paper loop on two spools with a crank, so that you turn the crank to "scroll" through the text. You could have one for each book. Low tech, no batteries, visually interesting.
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Comment on Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news in ~news
first-must-burn Link ParentYour digression has me thinking about not-water balloons.IMHO, this treatment is best suited for the faces of politicians who interfere with reproductive rights, but I digress.
Your digression has me thinking about
waternot-water balloons. -
Comment on Zork I, II, and III go open source in ~games
first-must-burn LinkWant some beer? Course ya' do!Want some beer? Course ya' do!
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Comment on Part of me wishes it wasn't true but: AI coding is legit in ~tech
first-must-burn LinkMy rule for AI is always: it's great to use it if you have the expertise or some other method to validate the output. Outside that boundary, you're going to have a hard time knowing when it's gone...My rule for AI is always: it's great to use it if you have the expertise or some other method to validate the output. Outside that boundary, you're going to have a hard time knowing when it's gone off the rails. And eventually you're going to get burned.
The other problem that I see with AI coding specifically is that the agent's job is to generate code, so if there is any problem it can solve by generating code, it will do that with code generated in place. This leads code with a lot of repeated functionality, even worse because the repetition is slightly different every time. There's no sense of architecture or maintainability or clean interfaces unless you build that in yourself by putting guardrails on the prompts or getting it to rewrite the code according to your specification.
I found that I basically have two modes for using AI. If I'm getting into something that's completely new to me, I will ask it to do a large task from scratch (like generate a new module or script). It's easier to get started this way with something that's working even if it's not perfect . But I expect to have to rewrite that code pretty much from scratch once I understand the problem.
The other mode is basically flow enhancement. Co-pilot autocomplete (using Sonnet 4) is great for this. There's a lot of repetitive code tasks, like initializing every variable that was passed in as an argument to an init function of a class. The autocomplete is scary good at seeing the pattern of what you're doing and completing it. And because this kind of change is smaller in scope and directly related to the current cognitive task, it's much more reliable.
My biggest worry about AI coding is that it works great now when we have a bunch of experienced senior engineers who are able to validate the output of the code and guide the ai. But I don't know what happens as they retire and you're left with engineers who never managed to develop those skills because they were always doing AI coding.
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Comment on NATO alphabet in ~talk
first-must-burn Link ParentI am so impressed about you knowing both finnish and yupik! It is one of my regrets growing up in an English centered place.I am so impressed about you knowing both finnish and yupik! It is one of my regrets growing up in an English centered place.
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Comment on NATO alphabet in ~talk
first-must-burn Link ParentHaha, youthyouth got me. Hilarious.Haha, youthyouth got me. Hilarious.
Came here to say the same thing. There's an underlying bias in the questions about the use of power that I disagree with. Maybe that is naive, but that is why I'm a software engineer and not a foreign policy wonk.