Pistos's recent activity

  1. Comment on Software engineers / programmers: how’s it going? in ~comp

    Pistos
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    Work has changed massively for me in the past year, but that's because of a combination of two factors: changed companies, and current company is using AI heavily. Irrespective of employers,...
    • Exemplary
    • Work has changed massively for me in the past year, but that's because of a combination of two factors: changed companies, and current company is using AI heavily. Irrespective of employers, professionally speaking, in the past 1.5 to 2.0 years, with respect to AI, I have gone from "near zero use, just testing the waters" to "prime seating on the bandwagon".
    • I'm enjoying my work more, but a big part of that is more about me (change of mindset, attitude) than the industry changing.
    • I'm working a little more than before, but that's my choice. Also, I'm finding a fair bit of my time is spent herding AI sessions (multiple in parallel).
    • I am both hopeful and fearful for the mid-term future of SWE. Few can deny that recent developments and the current state of AI/LLMs with respect to SWE are an upheaval, an historic kind of change. I don't think humans will be completely yanked from the overall SWE process (yet?), but I do think that demand will shrink by anywhere from "a bit" to "moderately". At the same time, I think a certain subset of SWEs will stay in demand, or even be more sought out, namely, the senior ones who have years of experience doing things the traditional way (pre-LLM), and who can spot when an AI does something wrong, and guide it back on track. I fear for the quality level of software that will be created by those who don't have this knowledge, experience, and intuition. I also don't know if the fledglings in the industry (who don't have these things) can pick these things up, or at least, whether they can pick them up without serious, concerted effort and discipline ("no, I won't commit 5000 lines of unreviewed AI-generated code"). That all said, I think the possibilities are interesting and even exciting, if the code-writing (and planning, and system-architecting) capabilities of AI continues to improve at the same pace it has been in the last year or so.
    • Advice? Don't dismiss or ignore AI in SWE. At least give it an honest try and make an assessment. Some people are drinking the kool aid, other people are abstaining on moral grounds, some people have had bad experiences, but it only makes sense to make a decision based on facts ("I tried it and..."), not assumptions. IMO, those who have not tried it are missing out. Furthermore, I think there will be a rising trend in the industry that hiring will be based on AI(-using) skills, and, in my experience, that actually takes a bit of time to develop and hone, similar to other skills in our field. I don't think it's something that you just get good at in under a week after you flip a switch and decide to start using AI.
    • My career trajectory... I think the main thing that has and will change is how much I use AI/LLMs in my work. I don't see this going away, except maybe if they raise consumer prices to exorbitant levels. I don't see my company cutting AI even if they raise corporate pricing, though.
    • Background: big company (>1k employees); "many" years of experience (don't want to date myself); I'm a senior SWE; working remotely.
    29 votes

  2. Comment on How to find a new calling in life? in ~life

    Pistos
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    I don't know what the pay is like, but have you considered teaching English to speakers of the language(s) that you know? Possibly even in another country.

    I don't know what the pay is like, but have you considered teaching English to speakers of the language(s) that you know? Possibly even in another country.

    1 vote

  3. Comment on Why normal people aren’t using AI agents in ~tech

    Pistos
    Link Parent
    I get what you're saying, but the key differentiator for me is that I can go back and forth with an LLM. This lets me refine, filter, zero-in, course-correct, or ask spinoff questions. A given...

    I get what you're saying, but the key differentiator for me is that I can go back and forth with an LLM. This lets me refine, filter, zero-in, course-correct, or ask spinoff questions. A given conversation becomes an increasingly-sharpening picture of the overall context of my goal. It just seems like a naturally better fit for the way I think and work (than using search engines).

    (To be clear, I completely agree that nobody should be using LLMs as substitutes for interpersonal interaction with real people, like friendship, companionship, "companionship", therapy, etc.)

    3 votes

  4. Comment on Choosing a printer in ~tech

    Pistos
    Link Parent
    Seconding Brother printers [for use with Linux]. I've been using a Brother MFC-9330 CDW for many years, through many Linux upgrades. No major issues with drivers once they're set up. Old drivers...

    Seconding Brother printers [for use with Linux]. I've been using a Brother MFC-9330 CDW for many years, through many Linux upgrades. No major issues with drivers once they're set up. Old drivers tend to last quite a while (they continue to work).

  5. Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp

    Pistos
    Link
    claude-command-highlighter Syntax-highlights Bash commands in Claude Code. Been working on this for over three weeks now, and am pretty pleased with it. I use it every day, and can't do without...

    claude-command-highlighter

    Syntax-highlights Bash commands in Claude Code.

    Been working on this for over three weeks now, and am pretty pleased with it. I use it every day, and can't do without the highlighting any more. It makes reviewing Claude Code's Bash calls easier and faster.

    3 votes

  6. Comment on Feedback for a beginner singer in ~creative

    Pistos
    Link Parent
    You're off to a good start in your journey! You can mostly stay on pitch and stay in time, following a melody you are hearing while you sing. As an interesting exercise, go find a vocals remover...

    You're off to a good start in your journey! You can mostly stay on pitch and stay in time, following a melody you are hearing while you sing.

    As an interesting exercise, go find a vocals remover online (they are myriad), and strip off the original artist's vocals from that track that you're singing with, then use that to try to sing the song without hearing the original artist at the same time.

    If you have the budget for it, learning from a teacher is recommended. They'll have the background and knowledge to guide you to the right places, and can work with you in person at the level you are at to help you get better by bit, giving you tailored exercises and repertoire that suit you.

    6 votes

  7. Comment on Chat control passed, on Thursday only an absolute majority can stop it in ~society

  8. Comment on So I fell for a phishing in ~comp

    Pistos
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    I haven't seen this mentioned yet in the threads, but I wonder: Isn't it the case that most major service providers (including Google/Gmail) send a notification email when there's a sign-in from...

    I haven't seen this mentioned yet in the threads, but I wonder: Isn't it the case that most major service providers (including Google/Gmail) send a notification email when there's a sign-in from an unusual location? I suppose the attacker could quickly delete that email, but if you had another device also refreshing email, you might have seen it first. And, if you have a secondary email set up, doesn't the service send this notification to that email address, too?

  9. Comment on So I fell for a phishing in ~comp

    Pistos
    Link Parent
    This is the way to go. In the last several years, I can't remember any important interaction that was them->me. Always me->them, except for fairly trivial stuff, like confirming that I am going to...

    and just initiate all

    This is the way to go. In the last several years, I can't remember any important interaction that was them->me. Always me->them, except for fairly trivial stuff, like confirming that I am going to an appointment that I am certain that I booked.

  10. Comment on Shopping around for a new-and-improved backup solution in ~comp

    Pistos
    Link
    duplicity has been largely set and forget for me. I have it writing to an external HD which I have in mind to disconnect and take in the event of an emergency. Automatic full vs. partial backups,...

    duplicity has been largely set and forget for me. I have it writing to an external HD which I have in mind to disconnect and take in the event of an emergency. Automatic full vs. partial backups, and rotation/drop of old backups. I'm sure it could be set up to be part of a remote backup setup if one wanted.

    2 votes

  12. Comment on Custom LED light frames in ~creative

    Pistos
    Link Parent
    Same for me. I opened browser tools, though, and saw that the transfer rate was quite slow. Several seconds per MB. My guess: hosting on a residential connection.

    Same for me. I opened browser tools, though, and saw that the transfer rate was quite slow. Several seconds per MB. My guess: hosting on a residential connection.

    1 vote

  14. Comment on What change would make you quit Tildes? in ~tildes

    Pistos
    Link Parent
    Sure, but, in this case, there's a bit of a relationship between parties insofar as the one proposing this particular feature is a participating member of the community. Also, an analogy: other...

    Sure, but, in this case, there's a bit of a relationship between parties insofar as the one proposing this particular feature is a participating member of the community. Also, an analogy: other people around me looting stores during a street riot doesn't justify me doing so ("the stores are getting robbed right now anyway").

    2 votes

  15. Comment on What change would make you quit Tildes? in ~tildes

    Pistos
    Link Parent
    (I'm not whom you're replying to) Careful with that, re: piping people's Tildes content into an external LLM API without consent versus running a local (on Tildes server) LLM.

    (I'm not whom you're replying to) Careful with that, re: piping people's Tildes content into an external LLM API without consent versus running a local (on Tildes server) LLM.

    11 votes

  16. Comment on What change would make you quit Tildes? in ~tildes

    Pistos
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    I'd quit if too much of the population became too hostile towards people with different opinions than them on polarizing topics, especially if the differing opinions were expressed in a...

    I'd quit if too much of the population became too hostile towards people with different opinions than them on polarizing topics, especially if the differing opinions were expressed in a well-reasoned and respectful fashion. (I don't think this is the case right now to a tangible degree.)

    67 votes

  17. Comment on Tildes Survey #7: What is your gender identity? (Results) in ~talk

    Pistos
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    Something to consider: Perhaps another checkbox can be "prefer not to say". Now, in response to this, one might ask "well, why not just not participate the survey?". This might be a mild form of...

    Something to consider: Perhaps another checkbox can be "prefer not to say". Now, in response to this, one might ask "well, why not just not participate the survey?". This might be a mild form of selection bias, where only those who willingly share their gender identity are included in the results. I'm not saying including or not including this option will wildly alter results or anything, but it could reveal some interesting data.

    9 votes

  18. Comment on There's a hundred illegal erections in the hills behind my parents' house in ~hobbies

    Pistos
    Link
    Thanks for taking the time to write and share this. I don't mean to devalue your post, or the cultural phenomenon it describes, but: I'm reminded of the natural scenery in the Kingdom Come:...

    Thanks for taking the time to write and share this. I don't mean to devalue your post, or the cultural phenomenon it describes, but: I'm reminded of the natural scenery in the Kingdom Come: Deliverance series (game), which is set in 15th century Bohemia. Even seeing the structures and wood piles reminds me of it.

    4 votes

  19. Comment on Any sound engineers on Tildes? Help! in ~hobbies

    Pistos
    Link Parent
    Well, the end-to-end signal chain is (probably) something like this: Audio file volume levels Device's player's volume (sometimes independent of device volume, like in VLC) Device's volume level...

    Well, the end-to-end signal chain is (probably) something like this:

    1. Audio file volume levels
    2. Device's player's volume (sometimes independent of device volume, like in VLC)
    3. Device's volume level (what you control with the device buttons and/or OS controls)
    4. Device's signal strength/level (which is usually low for consumer devices like your tablet and chromebook; and you can't change this)
    5. Mixer's pre-amp gain for the channel (usually fixed for an RCA input, though)
    6. Channel signal processing chain (whether digital, physical, or combination)
    7. Channel fader on the mixer (and possibly more downstream processing)
    8. Mixer master output level (controlled with fader(s))
    9. Amplifier(s) level
    10. Speaker(s) level

    At the moment, it seems that you can only control the first 3 stages. If you can get full or more access, the things you want to change, in priority order are:

    1. Channel fader
    2. Master output level (of mixer)
    3. Amp level

    Be cautious when raising amp levels, though, as it is possible to have an amp drive a speaker beyond what it is designed to produce, which can cause physical damage, and you don't want to be liable for that.

    Now, as for your questions:

    When you say downstream amplification, what do you mean? Is the source downstream or the speaker?

    Even if everything is set up well upstream of amplification, having a low amp setting would just stifle the final output level. If the mixer is not a combination mixer-amplifier, then it will only provide a certain (weak-ish) output level, and the sound system relies on an amplifier (separate device) to take the weak signal and boost it so that the physical PA can produce an acceptably high level (i.e. loud enough). On top of that, in some setups, the speakers themselves might have level/volume controls.

    So, when I talked about downstream, I meant lower on the (longer) list, above. So, you would check both (a) the amp(s) (first), and (b) the speakers for controls that you can operate to make things louder.

    Do you think you can tell us brands and model names of the devices in the signal chain? Particularly the mixer, the amp(s), and the speakers. Though, by the time you get close enough to find this out, you'll also be close enough to see any obvious controls, and you could solve your problem already before even getting back to this Tildes thread.

    One more thing: about when I said gain is fixed for an RCA input: another option here is to try to plug the device into a "regular" mixer channel (not the RCA) by using a physical adapter. Could be a single stereo adapter (note the two black rings, not just one), like this or this; or a dual/split one, like this (note the single black ring on each of the 1/4" connectors). The point with this approach is that you'd have a little more control because you could use a pre-amp gain on that regular channel (which could be absent on an RCA channel). This gain would be the first thing to try before my little 3-item list, above.

    Getting more advanced now, but: the places above where I mention signal processing are other places that can be lowering your signal. Plugins/effects like compressors, EQ. If you've tried everything else, then the plugin stack is one more thing to investigate.

    If you can get to test things out in person before your event (i.e. when the venue is empty, and no event is happening), that would help you a lot. Much better than stressing about fixing this during or just before your event, with lots of people turning to stare at you, or the event manager getting on your case and pressuring you, etc.

    Oh, one more thing (sorry, I keep saying that, heh): Take pictures of everything you fiddle with before you fiddle with them! I always do this when dealing with equipment that doesn't belong to me, or to whatever organization I am representing. i.e. when I'm just a visitor to a venue that has a sound system in place already. This way, you can put things back to the way they were before you got there, and it also provides you a reference to reset back to if you want to start over with a given control.

    3 votes

  20. Comment on Any sound engineers on Tildes? Help! in ~hobbies

    Pistos
    Link
    There are a bunch of possible variables at play here. I don't have a lot of time right now to give a fuller comment, but, off the top of my head: These are opposing statements. :) My...

    There are a bunch of possible variables at play here. I don't have a lot of time right now to give a fuller comment, but, off the top of my head:

    I was in charge
    no possibility of adjusting

    These are opposing statements. :) My recommendation for a first step would be to ask if you could get some access. It's a bit like asking someone to cook a good meal, but locking them out of the kitchen. Dun work that way.

    There are two parts to this: the signal going in to the channel (the RCA port), and what the channel is sending downstream to the master/main outputs. If the input signal is weak, and you try to crank the channel's volume, you would hear some hiss because of low signal to noise ratio. Ideally, you want a strong enough signal coming from your device, then you use the mixer to temper the channel's volume relative to everything else in the overall mix. (If there is nothing else going on in this event except your single input device, then there is no "mix".)

    If you can open up your audio files on a computer, you can ensure they have a good level of volume. For modern music (I'll assume you're not playing classical at a sporting event), it should look pretty stuffed. Nearly completely filled from top to bottom at the choruses. A lot of modern music is filled through the entire song. Random Internet example to look at: The blue one is what I mean by "filled", whereas the red is not. If your track looks like the red or purple ones, then you can treat them on your computer ahead of your event. Audacity can do this, or ffmpeg. The tools you'd use would be compression (compressor) and/or normalization.

    You mentioned getting an app. Some things like that can dynamically do compression, etc. on a laptop or mobile device. That's fine, as long as the settings are not poorly configured (which would make things sound bad while making them louder).

    Assuming you can get the audio files in good shape, and your source device is outputting at a good, strong level, then the next thing to fiddle with is channel fader. Push it up till it's either loud enough, or sounds bad (clipping, distorted, etc.). If it sounds bad, but is not loud enough, then the master output level could be too low.

    The mixer could be all good, but downstream amplification could be set too low. That's another thing to check.

    It could be that, if everything is locked down, and you're not allowed to touch anything, they set it up so that nobody can do things unsupervised with the system which they wouldn't like, such as pushing the PA too hard (could cause physical damage), or making things "too" loud (subjective), or messing with settings that would make their job harder or more time consuming when they come back to the desk.

    Anyway, I hope you get this sorted out. It's tough when you are asked to do a job, but are not given what you need to do it right. Been there.

    1 vote