skybrian's recent activity
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Comment on US withdraws from sixty-six international organisations in ~society
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Comment on Feeling weird about my career with respect to AI in ~life
skybrian (edited )LinkI want to write a blog post about this, but briefly, I think video games are a useful metaphor for speculating about the future of programming. Traditional programming is like a first-person...I want to write a blog post about this, but briefly, I think video games are a useful metaphor for speculating about the future of programming.
Traditional programming is like a first-person shooter. Sure, you might have nice tools, like maybe an auto-aimer or a really big gun, but you’re fundamentally driving one character. Or if you’re multi-tasking then it’s like a turn-based RPG where you directly control all the members of your party.
There are also games like Lemmings or the Sims or RimWorld where you have somewhat indirect control over multiple characters, by giving them tasks or controlling their environment. They might interfere with each other and won’t do quite what you want and that’s part of the challenge. Fortunately you can restart the level if you need to. This is what it’s like to write software using coding agents. I am writing software with one coding agent and I can report that it’s fun and educational. It probably helps that it’s a personal side project. I’m still wary about running more than one at a time; it seems like running around spinning plates?
There are also RTS games where you control a small army in real time and frantically scroll around giving them orders. People are trying to write orchestrators to make software development like an RTS, but this is currently a crazy science project. Maybe it will be practical in a year or two. It seems stressful to me; I prefer turn-based games.
Zooming out a bit more, there are games like Sim City or strategy games where you’re managing large populations of NPC’s (which may or may not be explicitly modeled). There’s no equivalent to this yet, but maybe it will happen if they can get the coding agents to coordinate well enough?
Writing code in assembly is still needed in certain niches. I wrote a bit of assembly as a kid and took a course in college where we wrote assembly. Even back then, it was taught as something you should understand rather than something you’re likely to do much of at work.
Similarly, I expect that hobbyist programmers will be able to play the programming game at whichever zoom level they like and people will do some software development at each level as part of their education. Commercially, I expect that there will be lots of demand for people who are comfortable managing coding agents and cleaning up their messes. It’s a different game, but it’s still software development. You are giving the coding agents tasks by giving orders (essentially, writing bug reports) and attempting to control how they do it by editing AGENTS.md and other documents that the agents refer to.
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Comment on Dell's CES 2026 chat was the most pleasingly un-AI briefing I've had in maybe five years in ~tech
skybrian Link ParentThis reminds me of how Google used machine learning in its many services before LLM’s. Sure, it was there and powered many features (including search), but the user didn’t need to know or care how...This reminds me of how Google used machine learning in its many services before LLM’s. Sure, it was there and powered many features (including search), but the user didn’t need to know or care how the algorithms work. Similarly, these NPU chips could be in the background.
For developers to care about the NPU’s and use them in their apps, though, they need to be exposed in an API, hopefully in a standard, portable way. As we’ve seen with GPU’s, that can take some doing.
For web developers, I see that Chrome has an experimental Prompt API that’s hidden behind a flag. It looks like there’s been little progress coming up with a web standard.
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nullschool earth: a visualization of global weather conditions
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Comment on What are some stories of progressivism gone wrong in implementation? in ~society
skybrian Link ParentIt seems like privilege and discrimination can be more complex than is often acknowledged. I don’t know enough of the history to make confident claims, but there’s a story about police forces in...It seems like privilege and discrimination can be more complex than is often acknowledged. I don’t know enough of the history to make confident claims, but there’s a story about police forces in US cities having a lot of Irish back when the Irish were also discriminated against. Presumably being Irish was helpful for getting certain jobs, but not generally.
Similarly, in certain businesses or certain neighborhoods, perhaps being Asian actually is an advantage?
The presumptions we make at a nationwide level about others having unearned advantages or disadvantages are often a simplified version of the actual situation any given person faces.
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Comment on Mystery trader garners $400,000-plus windfall on Nicolas Maduro's capture in ~society
skybrian Link ParentThis is all justified as a way to get more useful public information, but I think the value of that information is pretty sparse and low-value because it’s opaque. It’s a Ouija board. You get out...This is all justified as a way to get more useful public information, but I think the value of that information is pretty sparse and low-value because it’s opaque. It’s a Ouija board. You get out changes to a number on a graph and nobody really knows why. Confident whales can lose and there’s no way to check their work.
Perhaps the conversation around a prediction market could have some value, like someone betting and then posting evidence to try to convince others.
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Comment on Grok AI generates images of ‘minors in minimal clothing’ in ~tech
skybrian LinkX blames users for Grok-generated CSAM; no fixes announced [...] [...]X blames users for Grok-generated CSAM; no fixes announced
On Saturday, X Safety finally posted an official response after nearly a week of backlash over Grok outputs that sexualized real people without consent. Offering no apology for Grok’s functionality, X Safety blamed users for prompting Grok to produce CSAM while reminding them that such prompts can trigger account suspensions and possible legal consequences.
“We take action against illegal content on X, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as necessary,” X Safety said. “Anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content.”
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X did not immediately respond to Ars’ request to clarify if any updates were made to Grok following the CSAM controversy. Many media outlets weirdly took Grok at its word when the chatbot responded to prompts demanding an apology by claiming that X would be improving its safeguards. But X Safety’s response now seems to contradict the chatbot, which, as Ars noted last week, should never be considered reliable as a spokesperson.
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While some users are focused on how X can hold users responsible for Grok’s outputs when X is the one training the model, others are questioning how exactly X plans to moderate illegal content that Grok seems capable of generating.
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Comment on The year of the 3D printed miniature (and other lies we tell ourselves) in ~hobbies
skybrian (edited )Link ParentI think that's slightly exaggerated at the end. Customers collectively do get somewhat of a say, because product launches from big companies do fail fairly often. Lots of Google's products failed...I think that's slightly exaggerated at the end. Customers collectively do get somewhat of a say, because product launches from big companies do fail fairly often. Lots of Google's products failed to get traction (by their standards) and they eventually cancelled them.
It might not seem like it because it's about whether it's popular with other people and the company does decide whether to keep trying or pull the plug. We don't have control over this as individuals.
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Comment on You are a better writer than AI (yes, YOU!) in ~creative
skybrian Link ParentIt seems like there ought to be a way to use an LLM to help people with mediocre English skills that improves grammar and usage without making other things worse? But getting that to happen might...It seems like there ought to be a way to use an LLM to help people with mediocre English skills that improves grammar and usage without making other things worse? But getting that to happen might require someone to write new software to provide the right scaffolding.
Maybe it will get better at some companies as best practices become better known, but it will take time to develop those.
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Comment on The year of the 3D printed miniature (and other lies we tell ourselves) in ~hobbies
skybrian LinkFrom the article: [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...]From the article:
Every time a new 3D printer startup graced the front page of Hacker News, this proclamation would echo from the comments section like a prophecy from a very boring oracle: "This will destroy Games Workshop." Reader, it has not destroyed Games Workshop. [...]
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Since the beginning of the game, 40k casual games have allowed proxies. Proxies are stand-ins for specific units that you need for an army but don't have. [...]
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So players had proxies. Anything from a Coke can to another unit entirely. Basically, if it had the same size base and roughly the same height, most people would consider it allowable. "This empty Red Bull can is my Dreadnought." Sure. Fine. We've all been there.
This is where I first started to see 3D-printed miniatures enter the scene.
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When I was invited to watch someone print off minis with a resin 3D printer, it reminded me a lot of the meth labs in my home state of Ohio. And I don't mean that as hyperbole. I mean there were chemicals, ventilation hoods, rubber gloves, and a general atmosphere of "if something goes wrong here, it's going to go very wrong." The guy giving me the tour had safety goggles pushed up on his forehead. He was wearing an apron. At one point, he said the phrase "you really don't want to get this on your skin" with the casual tone of someone who had definitely gotten it on his skin.
In practice, the effort to get the STL files, add supports, wash off the models with isopropyl alcohol, remove supports without snapping off tiny arms, and finally cure the mini in UV lights was exponentially more effort than I'm willing to invest. And I say this as someone who has painted individual eyeballs on figures smaller than my thumb. I have a high tolerance for tedious bullshit. This exceeded it.
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Here's the thing: getting the raw plastic minis is not the time-consuming part.
First, you need to paint them. I take about two hours to paint each model, and I'm far from the best painter out there. I'm solidly in the "looks good from three feet away" category, which is also how I'd describe my general appearance. Vehicles take longer because they're bigger—maybe 10-20 hours for one of those. We're talking somewhere in the ballpark of 150 hours to paint everything that you need to paint for a standard army.
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The printer didn't give them more time. It didn't give them more skill. It just gave them more unpainted plastic, which, brother, I have plenty of already.
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So the next time someone tells you that some new technology is going to "disrupt" something you love, ask yourself: do they actually understand why people love it? [...]
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The year of the 3D printed miniature (and other lies we tell ourselves)
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Comment on US strikes Venezuela and says its leader, Nicolas Maduro, has been captured and flown out of the country in ~society
skybrian Link ParentThere's plenty of cheap crap made in China, but there is high-quality manufacturing too. For example, Apple products are manufactured there. Since I don't know much about the Chinese navy, I would...There's plenty of cheap crap made in China, but there is high-quality manufacturing too. For example, Apple products are manufactured there.
Since I don't know much about the Chinese navy, I would want to read more it before drawing any conclusions. Have you read anything good?
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Comment on What are some stories of progressivism gone wrong in implementation? in ~society
skybrian Link ParentIt's not in the title anymore, and the stories are not all about hiring. Also, I think it's healthy for us to be able to talk about mistakes made by "our side" on Tildes, hopefully in a respectful...It's not in the title anymore, and the stories are not all about hiring.
Also, I think it's healthy for us to be able to talk about mistakes made by "our side" on Tildes, hopefully in a respectful way. I was pleasantly surprised that someone was willing to do this, and there are some decent stories.
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Comment on What are some stories of progressivism gone wrong in implementation? in ~society
skybrian Link ParentI don’t think that’s true since some of the stories are about mistakes made by management.I don’t think that’s true since some of the stories are about mistakes made by management.
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Comment on Grok AI generates images of ‘minors in minimal clothing’ in ~tech
skybrian Link ParentResponsibility for accidents in large organizations is often complicated. I think there are some more useful questions to ask: How fast do they fix the problem? What are they doing to ensure that...Responsibility for accidents in large organizations is often complicated. I think there are some more useful questions to ask:
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How fast do they fix the problem?
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What are they doing to ensure that nothing similar ever happens again?
A responsible, safety-conscious organization will have processes to drive accident rates towards zero. This often has little to do with figuring out which employee is to blame. Sometimes someone needs to be fired due to malace, but that’s often not the case.
But I have no confidence that X is like that, due to its leadership.
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Comment on What are some stories of progressivism gone wrong in implementation? in ~society
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Comment on US strikes Venezuela and says its leader, Nicolas Maduro, has been captured and flown out of the country in ~society
skybrian LinkSome say there's nothing to cheer about, but apparently there are a lot of Venezuelans who disagree? In exile, Venezuelans greet Maduro’s fall with joy — and fear of what comes next ... It seems...Some say there's nothing to cheer about, but apparently there are a lot of Venezuelans who disagree?
In exile, Venezuelans greet Maduro’s fall with joy — and fear of what comes next
Across the United States, Venezuelans gathered in major cities home to significant diasporas to celebrate and cautiously muse with relatives back home about what comes next after U.S. forces captured and swept the South American president out of the country on drug trafficking charges. Venezuelans across the nation and globe have been pining for Maduro’s ouster for years, and many had begun to worry it was a day they might not live to see.
But the embattled leader’s removal through a U.S. military intervention and the continuing presence of Maduro allies in the government also fueled anxiety. Soon after news of the president’s arrest, his authoritarian government’s top officials and his own son assured Venezuelans that Maduro left behind a plan that ensures their uninterrupted authority over state affairs.
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Some Venezuelans are approaching the moment more cautiously, warning that the situation inside the country remains volatile and unresolved. In remarks aired on state television, Rodríguez condemned the U.S. intervention and said Venezuela will never be “slave” to another nation. She continued to refer to Maduro as “president.”
“Everyone is wondering if the Venezuelan military is still with the government or will go against it,” said Ana Gil Garcia, a Chicago nonprofit leader assisting Venezuelan migrants. She added that members of the military have long propped up the legitimacy of the Maduro government. “That is worrisome, because a civil war could erupt.”
It seems far too soon to say how it works out for Venezuela. There are other cases where things got worse after getting rid of a dictator.
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Comment on Luxury apartments reduced rent in some big US cities in ~finance
skybrian Link ParentI suspect they built thousands of luxury apartments in some sunbelt cities because the land was there, they were allowed to, and the demand was there. It's harder to build in some cities than others.I suspect they built thousands of luxury apartments in some sunbelt cities because the land was there, they were allowed to, and the demand was there. It's harder to build in some cities than others.
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Comment on Scalable oral exams with an ElevenLabs voice AI agent in ~tech
skybrian Link ParentI don't think there are many jobs where you just read and write papers? Academics are expected to be able to teach, too. Also, most papers are collaborations these days, at least in the sciences....I don't think there are many jobs where you just read and write papers? Academics are expected to be able to teach, too. Also, most papers are collaborations these days, at least in the sciences.
I started working before widespread videoconferencing. I valued being able to talk to teammates about technical problems in an informal meeting in front of a whiteboard. I'm under the impression that academics have conversations in front of whiteboards too? There's the old stereotype of mathematicians chatting together while writing equations on a blackboard.
Google was founded by two graduate students and I think that's the sort of experience that Google's interviews tried to replicate with in-person interviews, however imperfectly: are they someone that I'd want to work with to come up with a design to solve a technical problem?
On the other hand, since we normally write code in front of a computer, not at a whiteboard, I always thought pair programming together would be a good interview test, but it wasn't done. Nowadays, maybe they'll start testing people on their ability to vibe-code, who knows?
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Comment on Luxury apartments reduced rent in some big US cities in ~finance
skybrian (edited )Link ParentYeah, it's a funny way to put it. The nationwide average might as well be rounded to "no change." Nobody lives in a nationwide average, though. People live in specific places. Apparently rents for...Yeah, it's a funny way to put it. The nationwide average might as well be rounded to "no change."
Nobody lives in a nationwide average, though. People live in specific places. Apparently rents for some apartments in some cities decreased.
It seems like the Civil War was about as extreme as a stress test could get?