first-must-burn's recent activity
-
Comment on Control Resonant | Story/release date reveal trailer – 24th September 2026 in ~games
-
Comment on Control Resonant | Story/release date reveal trailer – 24th September 2026 in ~games
first-must-burn LinkPretty excited for this. Control is what got me back into gaming. The vibe of the game is so weird. I haven't found anything else quite like it.Pretty excited for this. Control is what got me back into gaming. The vibe of the game is so weird. I haven't found anything else quite like it.
-
Comment on Code is cheap(er) in ~comp
first-must-burn Link ParentI think some people call this architecture driven design. I've done a few of the design + implementation workflows and found it pretty good. But if it gets started down a weird path, I sometimes...I think some people call this architecture driven design. I've done a few of the design + implementation workflows and found it pretty good. But if it gets started down a weird path, I sometimes have trouble getting it off that path, even if I reset the context. I think it has something to do with something in the design hitting a weird bias in the training weights.
I think a big factor in my favor is that we have a large, old codebase.
I have found that starting fresh is also pretty good, because you can get the patterns set early. The bad middle is when the codebase has several different patterns that represent evolution toward best practices, because then it might pick up on the wrong pattern.
-
Comment on Code is cheap(er) in ~comp
first-must-burn Link ParentI think it depends on the (haha) context. The broader the task is (or perhaps the more code the task requires to be complete), the more mediocre the result. Once the complexity of the task reaches...I think it depends on the (haha) context.
The broader the task is (or perhaps the more code the task requires to be complete), the more mediocre the result. Once the complexity of the task reaches a level where code should be broken down into multiple functions, the choices the llm makes about how to break it down are almost universally bad. This is part of what I meant by LLMs being bad at architecture.
There is an effect with language and framework, too. For example, claude seems much stronger at generating a "correct"/reasonable component hierarchy in React+Mui than it is at the resource/service/repo breakdown in Java+Panache+Quarkus.
For a while I was using Cline with Claude primarily because it shows each change as a diff, and I can review it as it goes and say, "do this not that". However, it often requires a couple of passes to make even simple modifications to a file, so it's a bit tedious.
Lately I have been trying Codex (in the app) with gpt 5.4. I find it to be much faster at making the changes because it's iterating and correcting things internally and just showing me the final product. It is more work to review multiple changes at once, but I'm at least I'm reviewing the final product. Codex's review interface is superior to Claude Code's review interface. And both Claude Code and Codex seem to be more parsimonious with tokens than Cline.
-
Comment on Code is cheap(er) in ~comp
first-must-burn LinkI find myself having gone from (hand writing code and tasking the LLM with implementing sections of it) to (hand writing requirements and doing the supervisory/subtractive work the article talks...I find myself having gone from (hand writing code and tasking the LLM with implementing sections of it) to (hand writing requirements and doing the supervisory/subtractive work the article talks about). Overall, I find this produces reasonable code at a much higher rate than I could otherwise do.
The biggest win for interacting with the LLM is ending my requirements with "gather context from the code, then ask me questions (at least X) about the task until you are sure you have a clear understanding" Where X scales with the complexity of the task.
I think LLMs are good at code but bad at architecture. Unfortunately, many software engineers are also bad at architecture. So reviews become important, and heavy handed reviews is one of my major tasks. Unfortunately, the rate people can churn out code exceeds the rate I (and other experienced engineers) can review it, so we can't catch everything. I settle for making the things I do catch into teachable moments for the author, so eventually the other engineers may get better at architecture.
-
Comment on Alternatives to a straw hat in ~life.style
first-must-burn LinkI know you said no straw hats, but an Amish style straw hat is very comfortable and cool (temperature-wise) to wear. How cool it is stylistically depends on your perspective. You might also...I know you said no straw hats, but an Amish style straw hat is very comfortable and cool (temperature-wise) to wear. How cool it is stylistically depends on your perspective.
You might also consider a felt or wool cowboy hat. If you do, definitely go to a hat fitter and get one sized and fit for you.
My go-to is a bucket hat. It has strong dad energy. But very comfortable and functional. I once had one from a sporting goods store that was infused with something that repelled mosquito's.
-
Comment on The Hero of Cheese (Wallace & Gromit x Zelda Parody) in ~games
first-must-burn (edited )LinkAmazing. And the nod to standing in front of someone smashing all their pots. I would buy a Grommet/Navi crossover plush in a minute. My only note is that the mechanisms could have been composed...Amazing. And the nod to standing in front of someone smashing all their pots. I would buy a Grommet/Navi crossover plush in a minute.
My only note is that the mechanisms could have been composed from TOTK style machinery. But that is definitely picky.
-
Comment on How to prevent mold growth under weight mats in ~life.home_improvement
first-must-burn Link ParentI think the pattern matches the interlocking teeth of the rubber flooring, so probably some liquid running down between them. That would be consistent with what @aphoenix said about it being a spill.I think the pattern matches the interlocking teeth of the rubber flooring, so probably some liquid running down between them. That would be consistent with what @aphoenix said about it being a spill.
-
Comment on How to prevent mold growth under weight mats in ~life.home_improvement
first-must-burn LinkI'm not so sure that's mold. It might just be water staining. Of course there's no way for me to tell from the pictures. If you think it might be mold you should definitely disinfect it well...I'm not so sure that's mold. It might just be water staining. Of course there's no way for me to tell from the pictures. If you think it might be mold you should definitely disinfect it well before you put anything back down.
I was raised in the "bleach kills everything" school of thought*, so that's what I would use. Dilute one part bleach to nine parts water and then soak the concrete, give it a good scrub, and let it dry. Make sure the area is well ventilated and you aren't bleaching anything metal, or mixing bleach and ammonia cleaners.
You should also disinfect the mats. If you use bleach, test it to make sure it doesn't destroy the rubber.
A little Googling suggests that vinegar undiluted might also be a good option and less caustic.
* My dad is a veterinarian. He got something biological on him in a class once in vet school, and the instructor said, "Put bleach on it."
"What if that doesn't kill it?"
"Put more bleach on it." -
Comment on Movie fatigue in ~movies
first-must-burn (edited )LinkSort of a random pick: The Matrix (1999) - I'm not sure how to summarize this movie without giving too much away. Lots of action, great cast Keanu Reeves, Carrie Moss, Lawrence Fishburne, Hugo...Sort of a random pick:
The Matrix (1999) - I'm not sure how to summarize this movie without giving too much away. Lots of action, great cast Keanu Reeves, Carrie Moss, Lawrence Fishburne, Hugo Weaving. The special effects probably look like nothing special now, but then were amazing at the time. This movie pioneered a special effect called "bullet time".
The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) - this is one of my favorite movies. A housewife with amnesia's past comes calling. Nothing special in the grand scheme of things, but Geena Davis and Samuel L Jackson's chemistry together is great, and the humor is dark and very dry.
Harvey (1950) - Jimmy Stewart plays a character who has a 6 foot invisible white rabbit for a friend. This is my dad's favorite movie.
No Highway in the Sky (1951) - another Jimmy Stewart classic where he fights to remedy a defect in an airplane design.
10 Things I Hate About You (1999) - teen dramedy interpretation of Romeo and Juliet, but stars Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Allison Janney, and Joseph Gordon Levitt
Romeo and Juliet (1996) - Baz Luhrmann's stylized fever dream masterpiece interpreting the Capulets and Montagues as rival gangs. Standout performances John Leguizamo (Tybalt) and Harold Perrineau (Mercutio), but lots of stars in the cast.
Hesher (2010) - coming of age drama starring Natalie Postman, Rainn Wilson, and Joseph Gordon Levitt. Unconventional, but good.
-
Comment on Website is unhappy in ~tildes
first-must-burn Link ParentI agree, but I think it's very on brand for someone who's username is @FlippantGod :)I agree, but I think it's very on brand for someone who's username is @FlippantGod :)
-
Comment on Are you ready for it? in ~music
first-must-burn LinkI'll kick things off with two: Go to the relish bar at an all-night-grocery to get @TaylorSwiftsPickles Make life-size macrame horsesI'll kick things off with two:
- Go to the relish bar at an all-night-grocery to get @TaylorSwiftsPickles
- Make life-size macrame horses
-
Are you ready for it?
Yesterday the family was driving home from dinner and ...Ready for it? came up in the playlist: In the middle of the night, in my dreams, you should see the things we do So in the vein of A...
Yesterday the family was driving home from dinner and ...Ready for it? came up in the playlist:
In the middle of the night, in my dreams, you should see the things we do
So in the vein of A Speculative List of Jay-Z's 99 Problems, and other than the boring, obvious answer, what do you suppose they get up to in her dreams?
10 votes -
Comment on Friday Facts #440 - 2.1 plan in ~games
first-must-burn LinkWhat an amazing thing for that to be your job. I am an indifferent gamer at best, but imagining how rewarding this would be to do with my coworkers after working on something for eight months made...We had one of our traditional office LAN playtestings 2 weeks ago, our last chance to catch anything missing or feel some larger things to change about the game.
....
Overall, the playtesting went super smoothly, we played our way through all the planets and finished with a respectable time of 53 hours 15 minutes.What an amazing thing for that to be your job. I am an indifferent gamer at best, but imagining how rewarding this would be to do with my coworkers after working on something for eight months made me pretty jealous.
-
Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
first-must-burn LinkI've been doing physical therapy for some pain while sitting. It turns out getting old is a literal pain in the ass. All the exercises are framed as "hold X for 15 seconds and do 15 reps" but I am...I've been doing physical therapy for some pain while sitting. It turns out getting old is a literal pain in the ass.
All the exercises are framed as "hold X for 15 seconds and do 15 reps" but I am all over the place counting seconds while I'm doing physical activity, let alone accurately counting reps. So I made this exercise timer app.
You set up the exercises and timings. You can put detailed descriptions in if you want. All data is stored in the browser; nothing leaves your device. It has visual and audio cues so yiu don't have to look at your phone when exercising. I'm pretty proud of designing it so you can transfer settings between devices with a QR code. It's deployed in cloudflare pages infrastructure on the free plan.
I also wanted to make it an exercise in architecture driven AI design, so I did it using codex and chatgpt 5.4. I started with requirements and design criteria, had the AI refine it into a detailed plan, then executed and iterated. I found codex much better than Cline (my previous go-to) for long term context management and higher level reasoning. Total dev time from cold start to final deployment was about 4 hours, and I didn't hand write any code.
There are a few bugs I know of, but it works well on the common path:
- If you navigate way from the page while the timer is running and come back, the scheduler freaks out replaying all the stacked events at once. I'd like to find a way to make it run in the background.
- The settings page needs to have more breakpoints for the number spinners to make the numbers visible on narrow screens.
- I don't have an iphone, so I haven't tried it on IOS.
-
Comment on Audible mandating authors transition to new royalty system or lose payments in ~books
first-must-burn LinkAre people not using Libby for audio books? I rarely have trouble finding what I want there. I guess I have the advantage of a big library system (Pittsburgh Carnegie library system). Since I live...Are people not using Libby for audio books? I rarely have trouble finding what I want there. I guess I have the advantage of a big library system (Pittsburgh Carnegie library system). Since I live in PA, I can also access the digital catalogue of the Philadelphia Free Library for free and the Queens public library for $50/year.
I used to also pay $40/y for the Houston non-resident digital card, but they discontinued it. You can still get free access if you are a Texas resident.Occasionally I'll want something nobody has and Downpour.com has been a good option (most are drm free).
-
Comment on Audible mandating authors transition to new royalty system or lose payments in ~books
first-must-burn Link ParentOmg this made me want to laugh and cry. It feels like a legitimately helpful use of AI / computer vision would be a stabilization plugin that fixes this.Omg this made me want to laugh and cry.
It feels like a legitimately helpful use of AI / computer vision would be a stabilization plugin that fixes this.
-
Comment on If you let AI do your writing, I will come to your house and kill you in ~tech
first-must-burn Link ParentI do got to say, this is exactly how we were taught to take the US History AP exam. For the essay portion. There is a formulaic bullshit way of writing an answer using little more information then...I do got to say, this is exactly how we were taught to take the US History AP exam. For the essay portion. There is a formulaic bullshit way of writing an answer using little more information then is contained in the question and incorporating details or comparison you do remember even if you don't know much about the questions topic. One can argue whether this is a good use of a year of high school history, but I read most of Howard Zinn's Peoples History of the United States (without knowing how controversial it was, good on you Mr. White), had many friday potlucks, and got a 5 on the exam.
-
Comment on Everything in ~science
first-must-burn LinkYou can't have everything...where would you put it?
~ Steven Wright
-
Comment on When did your preferred fighting game franchises peak? in ~games
first-must-burn LinkPit Fighter in the arcade at Mazzio's Pizza every Sunday after church. That was the last fighting game I was any good at.Pit Fighter in the arcade at Mazzio's Pizza every Sunday after church. That was the last fighting game I was any good at.
I have it, but I haven't had time to play it. Thanks for the reminder!