silfilim's recent activity
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Comment on Travel recommendations for Japan in ~travel
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Comment on Share your personal dotfile treats and Unix tool recommendations in ~comp
silfilim LinkTools vcsh is my stow. I don't think I really evaluated one against the other; just saw a blog post that talked about vcsh at one point and stuck with it. Nix for operating system level package...Tools
- vcsh is my stow. I don't think I really evaluated one against the other; just saw a blog post that talked about vcsh at one point and stuck with it.
- Nix for operating system level package management. I use this outside of NixOS.
- Nix home manager for declaratively managing which packages to install and some of their config files. I was skeptical for a while after I started using Nix for package management (why go to the trouble of having to rebuild files after making a minor edit?), but I've learned to let it manage packages and config files that are a good fit, and continue to maintain the rest of config files just directly.
- Ansible for packages that need to be installed without using Nix or for system-level config files. Its common use is for server configuration management, but it can be run against just the local machine referencing local config files.
- vivid for nice-looking
lsoutputs.
With the combo of vcsh, home manager, and Ansible, I'm at a point where I can set up a new machine to have the same set of tools I use day to day after pulling down my dotfiles repo, creating a new config entry for the new machine, and running a few commands (and dealing with edge cases and errors).
Aliases and functions
Dealing with Git conflicts when merging or rebasing changes to a package manager's lockfile.
alias fix-poetry-lock-merging="git checkout --theirs poetry.lock && poetry lock --no-update" alias fix-poetry-lock-rebasing="git checkout --ours poetry.lock && poetry lock --no-update" alias fix-yarn-lock-merging="git checkout --theirs yarn.lock && yarn install" alias fix-yarn-lock-rebasing="git checkout --ours yarn.lock && yarn install"Almost always what I want to do is to reset the lockfile to the 'upstream' state first and then regenerate it to apply my local change. This wasn't always a smooth process as I needed to stop and think whether to use
--theirsor--oursfor the first step, and one day I made these aliases.
Remove author and commiter names and emails from Git history.
anonymize_git() { printf -v filter_cmd '%q ' git-filter-repo --name-callback "return b''" --email-callback "return b''" --force nix-shell -p git-filter-repo --run "$filter_cmd" # or with git-filter-repo available in the PATH: # git-filter-repo --name-callback 'return b""' --email-callback 'return b""' --force }As part of my day job, I review submissions for a take-home coding challenge that's part of my team's work sample interview set. They come in Git repos, which I clone locally, and I remove author and commiter names and emails in an attempt to ward off any bias that might seep in as a result of seeing names or emails while inspecting commits.
Move to the root of the current Git repository.
groot() { cd $(git rev-parse --show-toplevel) }Can't remember why I defined this as a function and not an alias.
(I'm amused that all of the aliases and functions that I thought worthy of sharing turned out to be Git related.)
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Comment on Suggestions for used and modular laptop for language learning in ~tech
silfilim Link ParentFramework's official marketplace site sells 'Factory Second' models and refurbished models. Some of the listings are out of stock, but full kits are generally in the range of $600-$800. Factory...Framework's official marketplace site sells 'Factory Second' models and refurbished models. Some of the listings are out of stock, but full kits are generally in the range of $600-$800.
Factory Seconds are laptop kits assembled using leftover parts and need a few more parts to be functional (hence the 'full' qualifier above). The cheapest listed is $499, which is out of stock right now.
I don't own a Framework laptop myself and can't speak to its performance first-hand. What I can say is I've been following them since they launched, and I've good enough impression of the company and product reviews that Framework is probably going to be what I'll get when I'm in the market for a laptop.
I actually didn't know about Factory Seconds until now, so this has piqued my interest. If I were to blindly pick the cheapest option available in their marketplace for each of the additional parts needed:
That adds up to about $140.
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Comment on ‘Paper or plastic?’ will no longer be a choice at California grocery stores in ~enviro
silfilim LinkWhen I moved to California nearly ten years ago, environmental policy wasn't high on my list of reasons. But since then, I've become more and more aware of how the modern society has a sort of...When I moved to California nearly ten years ago, environmental policy wasn't high on my list of reasons. But since then, I've become more and more aware of how the modern society has a sort of implicit, unknown 'best by' date when it breaches planetary boundaries. Now I'm glad to live in a state that sets out environmental policies that tend to align with what I value.
I hope lawmakers target food packaging soon. I've been trying to go plastic free wherever I can in my life, and lack of choices when it comes to food packaging has been disheartening, not to mention all other sorts of everyday goods.
[Goes Googling.] Huh, there are a few zero waste, bring-your-own-containers stores in my city. I wasn't able to find any last time I looked. Gotta check them out.
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Comment on Adventures in depression in ~health.mental
silfilim Link ParentI don't think I've had similarly absurd moments or breakdowns (or maybe I've yet to truly see the absurdity of some of them), but mind-bending, frame-of-reference altering moments in general might...I don't think I've had similarly absurd moments or breakdowns (or maybe I've yet to truly see the absurdity of some of them), but mind-bending, frame-of-reference altering moments in general might be one of the things I appreciate most about life. They don't happen that much often, and I probably can't will one to happen, so all the more precious, in a way.
Thanks for the book recommendation. I think I knew about the first book's existence, but never read it. The only other post of hers that I've read is "Dogs Don't Understand Basic Concepts Like Moving", which I loved. To my surprise, my city's library network has twelve copies of the first book. I'll probably pick one up on my next trip to a branch.
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Comment on Adventures in depression in ~health.mental
silfilim LinkLink to part two. I can't remember the exact circumstance in which I first read this piece, but going by the year, it must've been well after I went through an episode of depression or something...Link to part two.
I can't remember the exact circumstance in which I first read this piece, but going by the year, it must've been well after I went through an episode of depression or something adjacent to it myself. My flavor of depression wasn't exactly the same as the author's, but this life story floats up to my consciousness every few years or so.
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Adventures in depression
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~health.mental
silfilim Link ParentGitHub, in partnership with a few other organizations, continuously archives public repositories that they host. You could upload all your in-progress projects and project ideas to GitHub and make...GitHub, in partnership with a few other organizations, continuously archives public repositories that they host. You could upload all your in-progress projects and project ideas to GitHub and make sure your repos have not opted out of the archive program (it's opt-in by default). You could also release them to public domain by adding or switching to a license like Unlicense, which may help with letting go and accepting that you're leaving your work behind.
You know, they might get picked up by an LLM or two and seed the thoughts of future generations of humans. I write this with a slight tongue-in-cheek tone, but also I hadn't considered that I myself might genuinely find comfort in the thought that my code getting used to train LLMs could be part of how I might leave my legacy behind. I, for one, also just use GitHub search to look up how other people solved certain problems fairly often, so your code being searchable in GitHub could already be helpful, even if there isn't much or isn't finished as a whole.
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Comment on Now Open: 2023 SANS Holiday Hack Challenge & KringleCon in ~comp
silfilim LinkTo be on theme with what appears to be a major focus this year, let's use ChatGPT to describe what this is: I've done the challenges two times (on separate years), and it was most fun - I can...To be on theme with what appears to be a major focus this year, let's use ChatGPT to describe what this is:
User: What is KringleCon in a sentence?
ChatGPT: KringleCon is a virtual Christmas-themed cybersecurity conference that features challenges, presentations, and interactive activities related to cybersecurity and ethical hacking.
User: Who is it for?
ChatGPT: KringleCon is primarily designed for cybersecurity professionals, ethical hackers, and anyone interested in learning about cybersecurity concepts in a festive and engaging way. It welcomes participants of varying skill levels, making it accessible to both beginners and experienced professionals in the field.
I've done the challenges two times (on separate years), and it was most fun - I can heartily recommend.
You can read last year's contest submissions to get a sense of what the challenges entail. (And no, contest submission isn't a requirement for doing the challenges. I've just solved them on my own when I did them and occasionally helped out other participants in the official Discord server.)
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Now Open: 2023 SANS Holiday Hack Challenge & KringleCon
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Comment on Apparently I'm autistic? in ~health.mental
silfilim Link ParentIt blew my mind when I read a description of what it's like to be neurotypical. To quote a few items: It had not occurred to me that one could exist and interface with the world with much less...From each our own perspective, that makes it seem like it is very prevalent since everyone around us is a lot like us.
It blew my mind when I read a description of what it's like to be neurotypical. To quote a few items:
- The school system is optimized to deal with you and is generally equipped to teach in a way that you need.
- The way you’re compelled to act in a given situation is usually considered to be normal and expected. What you want to do is generally something that is considered acceptable, or at least understandable.
It had not occurred to me that one could exist and interface with the world with much less thinking about how to exist and interface with the world.
we find each other like magnets in a non-magnetic pile of fluff.
I like this way of putting it. And the magnetic and non-magnetic piles may even repel each other - there's a theory, or maybe rather an area of research, about how non-autistic people struggle to understand autistic people just as autistic people struggle to understand non-autistic people: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_empathy_problem
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Comment on Sam Altman to return as OpenAI CEO with new board members in ~tech
silfilim Link ParentIf they can continue to work together after such an incident, it may be a sign of maturity. Assuming they aren't suppressing negative emotions under a collaborative mask, that is, but that's hard...And moreover, one of the board members that voted to fire him will remain a board member past his return.
If they can continue to work together after such an incident, it may be a sign of maturity. Assuming they aren't suppressing negative emotions under a collaborative mask, that is, but that's hard to know.
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Comment on Comingle, an app to provide a small weekly UBI for its users, by its users in ~finance
silfilim Link ParentOkay, thanks! (I'm late only because of personal stuff, nothing on Conrad.)Okay, thanks!
(I'm late only because of personal stuff, nothing on Conrad.)
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Comment on Comingle, an app to provide a small weekly UBI for its users, by its users in ~finance
silfilim LinkMeta: I've reached out to Conrad, co-founder of Comingle, to ask about a few points that were brought up in the comments here. He replied with what I thought were good, detailed answers, and also...Meta: I've reached out to Conrad, co-founder of Comingle, to ask about a few points that were brought up in the comments here. He replied with what I thought were good, detailed answers, and also said he could participate directly in this discussion in Tildes. What do you all think?
- I can send him an invite and ask him to add commments here.
- I can send him an invite and ask him to do a separate post, almost like an AMA. That may come dangerously close to self-promotion, but also it could be thought of as something different, since it'll be by invitation.
- I can post his replies to my questions either verbatim or my takeaways and refrain from inviting.
Also summoning /u/deimos
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Comment on Comingle, an app to provide a small weekly UBI for its users, by its users in ~finance
silfilim LinkHow it will work in a nutshell: From their FAQ, "How much money will I get if I use Comingle?" There is a crowdfunding campaign right now to...How it will work in a nutshell:
Comingle runs on two simple rules:
- We all pledge 7% of our income.
- We all get back the amount of the average contribution.
Once these two rules are applied, and your pledges are offset by your share of the community payout, you'll end up giving money on weeks when your income is higher than the average member’s, and getting money when it's lower, with amounts in proportion to income.
From: https://www.comingle.us/
From their FAQ, "How much money will I get if I use Comingle?"
[..]
- Enrollment is paced to ensure that anyone earning less than 200% of the federal poverty line still gets more money out than they put in.
- The maximum payout per member never exceeds $16,000 per year (the annual “gift exclusion” in the US), so that deposits from Comingle can be treated as gifts between friends, and won't need to be declared on a tax form.
[..]
There is a crowdfunding campaign right now to...
[..] cover the development costs required to boost Comingle to the next phase, which will allow us to verify user identities, detect fraud, address security concerns, and begin transferring real money on a weekly basis.
This amount will also put the project on track to launch in 2024 as the central component of a national impact campaign we’ve been quietly developing for 7 years to build and test the first permanent and scalable universal basic income (UBI) community. That's what Comingle really is: a UBI we can build ourselves without waiting for the government (e.g. a DIY UBI!).
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Comingle, an app to provide a small weekly UBI for its users, by its users
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Comment on How frequently do you shower? in ~life
silfilim LinkI bathe strictly two days a week. I hate the sensation of water droplets splashing on my skin, so the way I bathe has evolved over the years to minimize that happening: I shave my head, so there's...I bathe strictly two days a week. I hate the sensation of water droplets splashing on my skin, so the way I bathe has evolved over the years to minimize that happening:
- I shave my head, so there's no need to wash my hair.
- I sit in the water and scrub myself with my hands. No soap, less water use.
I used to go on more days without bathing, but my partner did not like how I'd start smelling, so we came up with a schedule that accommodates both my need to minimize unpleasant experience and his need to minimize unpleasant experience.
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Comment on When you show the engineer and it works in ~engineering
silfilim LinkHeisenbug came to mind at first, but the part about the observer being an engineer and the thing always working afterwards make it a specific subset of heisenbug.Heisenbug came to mind at first, but the part about the observer being an engineer and the thing always working afterwards make it a specific subset of heisenbug.
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Comment on Alternatives to Goodreads? in ~books
silfilim LinkMy current system consists of a list in https://checkvist.com/, which is a checklist management service and not a reading library management service, and its bookmarklet for saving web pages. When...My current system consists of a list in https://checkvist.com/, which is a checklist management service and not a reading library management service, and its bookmarklet for saving web pages. When I come across a book that interests me on the web, I save whatever web page that has its info to the list. On mobile, I can 'share' a web page from within the browser to its app to save it to the list. When I'm in a physical book store or a library, I'd just add the book title to the list manually.
I'm working on making it a habit to write down notes on what I read, but when I do manage to write down notes, they go to a self-hosted tiddlywiki instance.
Every few years or so I go searching for an alternative, but I haven't found anything that matches Goodread's extensive library and support for books in non-English languages. And then its cluttered UI keeps turning me off, so I keep coming back to Checkvist.
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Comment on What scares you the most? What fears and apprehensions are central to your identity and how you view the world? in ~talk
silfilim LinkI feel like I'm basically either entirely open and sociable or withdrawn and avoidant. I've wondered if it's social anxiety or general fear of people that makes me withdrawn, but it might boil...I feel like I'm basically either entirely open and sociable or withdrawn and avoidant. I've wondered if it's social anxiety or general fear of people that makes me withdrawn, but it might boil down to a specific, singular fear: fear of getting overwhelmed while still being expected to act. I could get overwhelmed by loud and/or chaotic noises or trying to compute and understand what others are saying while trying to think what to say or do. Phone calls are the worst because both of these could come at me at once.
I'm increasingly getting better at disregarding what I implicitly think is what others expect of me when it comes to how quickly to respond, etc., and being okay with acting potentially weirdly, or even enjoying having others deal with a weird interlocutor, but retreating into avoidant mode is probably going to stick with me as a basic defense mechanism.
A few favorite spots from the time when I used to live there.
Tokyo
Kyoto
Gifu (between Tokyo and Kyoto)
Hiroshima (between Kyoto and Kyushu)
Kyushu (these are more like possibly lesser known attractions that could be of interest)