Pistos's recent activity
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Comment on We must keep age verification from killing anonymity online in ~tech
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Comment on We must keep age verification from killing anonymity online in ~tech
Pistos Link ParentSounds like the system could have simple boolean fields like "is over 16", "is over 18", "is over 21", etc. That way, you don't have to give the third-party service years of age, or exact DOB.Sounds like the system could have simple boolean fields like "is over 16", "is over 18", "is over 21", etc. That way, you don't have to give the third-party service years of age, or exact DOB.
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Comment on USA to mandate surveillance tech for new cars also determing fitness to drive by 2027 in ~transport
Pistos (edited )Link"Oh say, can you see" You can't buy a car any more. Only a rolling computer. Wait wait wait. Just how will the car measure blood alcohol level? Continuous in-cabin air testing? Intravenous...Infrared cameras and sensors will monitor eye movement
"Oh say, can you see"
You can't buy a car any more. Only a rolling computer.
If the AI determines you’re impaired (blood alcohol ≥0.08% or showing fatigue),
Wait wait wait. Just how will the car measure blood alcohol level? Continuous in-cabin air testing? Intravenous interface? If air: How will the system distinguish between a drunk passenger (of a taxi driver, or designated driver) and a drunk driver?
Your car simply watches and decides whether you’re fit to drive.
And what happens in the scenario that you are fit to drive when you start driving, and are later deemed unfit during the trip? Is your vehicle forced to come to a dead stop in the middle of 60 mph traffic flow?
manufacturers could potentially upload biometric data to corporate servers, raising concerns about sharing with insurance companies
Not to mention the ever-constant threat of data leakage/theft.
I would say "Americans: have fun with your Oh Say Can You See Act", but it's more likely than not that Canada's government would follow suit and enact similar legislature.
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Comment on Requesting resources for learning Ruby in ~comp
Pistos LinkGiven you already know Python and Javascript, I'd say: 1) Just dive right in, and 2) use an AI chatbot. Your existing programming knowledge will transfer easily (especially Python). Converse with...Given you already know Python and Javascript, I'd say: 1) Just dive right in, and 2) use an AI chatbot. Your existing programming knowledge will transfer easily (especially Python). Converse with an AI to fill in details, such as by asking how Ruby compares to Python with respect to some aspect, or by asking for example Ruby code for whatever.
After many years, Ruby remains my favourite programming language.
Back in the day, I remember this:
https://github.com/ryanb/ruby-warrior
https://palkan.github.io/ruby-warrior/ -
Comment on What is watts, volts and amps? in ~science
Pistos Link ParentWow. This explanation is really sticking for me. Good job. Even this makes sense: becomes total_apple_energy_supply = tree_height * apple_drop_rateWow. This explanation is really sticking for me. Good job. Even this makes sense:
P = V x I
becomes
total_apple_energy_supply = tree_height * apple_drop_rate -
Comment on I wrote a book, and I'd love for you to read it! in ~creative
Pistos Link ParentI assumed that was a deliberate artistic choice.I assumed that was a deliberate artistic choice.
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Comment on I wrote a book, and I'd love for you to read it! in ~creative
Pistos LinkVery creative! Thanks for sharing. I'll admit that i didn't read it cover to cover (yet?), but more for lack of time than lack of interest. Here's to us creatives. May we not get bulldozed out of...Very creative! Thanks for sharing. I'll admit that i didn't read it cover to cover (yet?), but more for lack of time than lack of interest. Here's to us creatives. May we not get bulldozed out of the world by (the consumption of) AI.
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Comment on Which Linux distro do you use, and why? in ~tech
Pistos LinkGentoo, because: USE flags let me put less stuff on my system, avoiding things I don't want or need (some dependencies, "features"), instead of apps having every possible feature compiled into...Gentoo, because:
USEflags let me put less stuff on my system, avoiding things I don't want or need (some dependencies, "features"), instead of apps having every possible feature compiled into them- years of inertia; it's been doing what I ask of it
- OpenRC still an option (i.e. not systemd)
For installations on other people's laptops that I don't want to have to maintain too much, I've turned to KDE Neon, which users can relatively easily update themselves.
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France launches government Linux desktop plan as Windows exit begins
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Comment on Half-baked idea for metered inline image allowances in ~tildes
Pistos LinkThere's the security or privacy concern with allowing externally-hosted images: tracking, etc. Plus, that content becomes out of the control of the Tildes system, and could be switched or deleted.There's the security or privacy concern with allowing externally-hosted images: tracking, etc. Plus, that content becomes out of the control of the Tildes system, and could be switched or deleted.
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Comment on Anthropic announces deal with Google, Broadcom, says revenue has tripled in ~finance
Pistos Link ParentWell, some of us, having chosen a favourite for personal work, choose that favourite among the options at their workplace (where they spend that >$1k per month budget).Well, some of us, having chosen a favourite for personal work, choose that favourite among the options at their workplace (where they spend that >$1k per month budget).
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Comment on Indie Pass, a PC subscription service for indie games to launch on April 13, 2026 in ~games
Pistos Link ParentMaybe the draw here (for game makers) is exposure.Maybe the draw here (for game makers) is exposure.
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Comment on What non-software jobs exist for a newly graduated CS major? in ~life
Pistos Link ParentIf you're open to working at your (or any) university, what about being a TA? From what I remember, they tend to favour current post-grads and seniors for hiring. Just try. If you're going to...If you're open to working at your (or any) university, what about being a TA? From what I remember, they tend to favour current post-grads and seniors for hiring.
but it seems [...] unlikely that such a company would
Just try. If you're going to speculate, speculate positively. "seems unlikely that" --> "there's a chance that"
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Comment on What non-software jobs exist for a newly graduated CS major? in ~life
Pistos Link ParentI suspect what such advice means is not to count it if you have other experience after that. If it's all you've got, then I'd think it would be fair game to include it. And, as others have said,...telling me not to count internship experience towards YoE
I suspect what such advice means is not to count it if you have other experience after that. If it's all you've got, then I'd think it would be fair game to include it. And, as others have said, no need to reveal that it's internship work until and unless asked. And, honestly, the interns I've worked with in the past were treated more or less as new juniors. I never thought of them as engineers that I could only give trivial work to.
I work with a very small IT department to serve the technological needs of ~250 people. I am expected to [...]
Frankly, if I were hiring, your description of what you do as "just" a student would impress me. It tells me you've got some of the skill set, and you can get things done autonomously. I would agree that a change in title upon graduating is worth asking for. What really matters to them is likely how much you'll cost them, rather than the title. It would be worth negotiating on compensation after graduating, too, though. Prep well for that conversation. Do homework on market rates; prepare a list of accomplishments and value brought to the company; leverage any knowledge or skill silo you have ("it's only/mostly me that can..."); use an AI chatbot to help with wording, approach, and maybe even roleplay the conversation a few times, so you can practice.
AI: I use Claude Code almost exclusively in its CLI, which is standalone and separate from your IDE/editor. Of course, lots of people use IDE integration, but you don't have to.
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Comment on What non-software jobs exist for a newly graduated CS major? in ~life
Pistos LinkDon't think lightly of this. (Imagine not having a job for 18 months, and regretting quitting.) Stay in that intern job for as long as you can (unless you find proper full-time work, of course)....I can continue to work there past graduation, but I'd still be an intern for the foreseeable future, and that will not be enough to cover rent.
Don't think lightly of this. (Imagine not having a job for 18 months, and regretting quitting.) Stay in that intern job for as long as you can (unless you find proper full-time work, of course). You'll gain resume-worthy experience while many others won't have anything at all for N months after graduating.
I'd recommend staying current with "coding + AI" (whatever that happens to mean in any given quarter). Only you can make the final judgement based on your personal situation, but, in my opinion, the entry-level paid tier of Claude (Code) is worth it. Don't think "oh no, everyone's replacing juniors with AI". Think "I'm starting my journey to becoming a senior by trying to do what seniors do with AI".
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Comment on Job hunting absolutely sucks right now in ~life
Pistos Link ParentI don't work in audio/video, but I do have some amateur-level experience with it. Can you speak to why that industry might have been hit the same way as tech?I don't work in audio/video, but I do have some amateur-level experience with it. Can you speak to why that industry might have been hit the same way as tech?
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Comment on Job hunting absolutely sucks right now in ~life
Pistos (edited )LinkI'm a Software Engineer. I was out of work for an uncomfortable number of months, but recently finally got hired. Some thoughts: The market did (does) indeed look pretty bad, from what I saw....I'm a Software Engineer. I was out of work for an uncomfortable number of months, but recently finally got hired. Some thoughts:
- The market did (does) indeed look pretty bad, from what I saw. Looked like way too many candidates per open role. I heard/read that companies will get literally thousands of applications per posting, so they have no choice but to use non-human means to choose applicants to even just start the interview process with. On the other hand, as far as your mental and emotional health goes, you can get some comfort that you're probably still good at your line of work, but were filtered out for probably not a very good reason.
- One might think that having a glut of applicants would be great for hiring, but, from what I've read, it's just introduced a new problem, insofar as the signal to noise ratio has gone way down. Some companies eventually avoid posting to the most popular/common job sites (e.g. LinkedIn), because such a vanishingly small percentage of the candidates ("candidates") they get from there turn out to be worth pursuing. There are AI slop resumes, and outright lying on resumes (e.g. claiming to have N years of experience in
$tech, but proving in interviews to have literally no demonstrable experience). Such companies have found more success going in the opposite direction: reaching out to prospects themselves, whether with their own internal recruiting team, or third-party. - At first, I was skeptical of recruiters and agencies, doubting whether they had my interests in mind, or if they might be scams. In hindsight, that was a mistake. Once I opened up, and allowed myself to engage with recruiters, things picked up, and I learned that most of them aren't so bad after all. Connecting with recruiters (on LinkedIn) expanded my network, and so I got more cold outreaches from other recruiters. I had some good experiences with some. My current hiring began with a recruiter outreach, whereas I was batting 0.000 with my non-recruiter applications. I'm just one data point, but make of that what you wish. Also: ask contacts for recommendations for recruiters.
- I changed my mind regarding take-home tests, and leetcode (etc.) tests. I previously thought they were kind of annoying, or I'd question why I'd want to spend N hours on something, and end up not getting hired anyway. Now, though, I see them as an opportunity to actually demonstrate what I know and can do, instead of getting unfairly filtered outright by some algorithm that didn't like the font size in my resume, or something. Does it take a chunk of time? Yes, of course, but these are desperate times, aren't they? And: the more unappealing a take-home test seems, the more of your competition is self-filtering themselves out of competition with you. I actually spent 15 to 20 hours on one assignment once (this was beyond the usual, and I was given an estimate of 10 hours). I didn't get that job (they ended up filling the role(s) quickly), but I exercised and sharpened my skills, and did work that I am genuinely proud of. These things prepare you to be a slightly better version of yourself for the next hiring pipelines you enter. Oh, and: my current hiring also had a take-home test. Again, one data point, but it's a positive data point.
- Use your network if you haven't already. It's one more way to get your resume past the filters.
- Eventually, I did end up lowering my requested salary in applications. It's true, though, that, if a good company is really interested in you (i.e. you make it to the end of the hiring pipeline), they are likely open to negotiation about compensation. After all, as I mentioned, it's also difficult for them on their side, trying to find the needles in the haystack, so they want to retain the ones they've actually found. Even if you think you're not the kind of person who could dare to negotiate, or that you wouldn't be good at it, you should still try (respectfully and professionally). A few minutes of discomfort can make a big difference in the next several years of your life.
I hope this helps some people.
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Comment on Job hunting absolutely sucks right now in ~life
Pistos (edited )Link ParentI'd say: Yes. I think I would have been worse off in my job search had I not done any coding. More details in my top-level comment.I'd say: Yes. I think I would have been worse off in my job search had I not done any coding. More details in my top-level comment.
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Comment on Looking for vibe-coding guides (best practices, etc.) in ~tech
Pistos Link ParentCan't speak to any other offerings, but I have the lowest tier paid plan with Claude, and I only hit session limits and weekly limits if I am working really intensively, like over 5 hours a day...Can't speak to any other offerings, but I have the lowest tier paid plan with Claude, and I only hit session limits and weekly limits if I am working really intensively, like over 5 hours a day for multiple days straight. Otherwise, I stay within those limits, and it suits me well. I've begun learning strategies for keeping usage under control, like
/clearing or/compacting context, and having Claude write implementation summary.mddocs for itself so it doesn't to read large swaths of code before getting started on a task. The Claude Code CLI can show the current context "fullness" amount in a status line (it can help you craft the status line). When I see it go over 60k or 70k, then I restart or compact. Usually, if it goes much over 100k, and still can't solve the problem, I consider it in a state of spinning wheels, and don't let it keep going in that conversation, because all that large context is getting dragged around with each prompt (roughly speaking). -
Comment on Would anyone be interested in an online gardening club? in ~hobbies
Pistos LinkI'm an absolute beginner. In the past, I managed to kill a peace lily, despite trying to keep it healthy. For several months now, I have been trying to maintain a couple of orchids at least long...I'm an absolute beginner. In the past, I managed to kill a peace lily, despite trying to keep it healthy. For several months now, I have been trying to maintain a couple of orchids at least long enough to see a second blooming.
It's still helpful to keep DOB unknown for all those already over the number, though, right?