whbboyd's recent activity
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Comment on What are some bands you regret not seeing live (or, just never had the chance to see in the first place)? in ~music
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Comment on Why are American passenger trains slow? in ~transport
whbboyd Link ParentThe European coast is also all connected to itself, while taking a boat from New York to LA requires crossing the Arctic Circle, the Panama Canal, rounding Cape Horn (infamously hazardous to...The European coast is also all connected to itself, while taking a boat from New York to LA requires crossing the Arctic Circle, the Panama Canal, rounding Cape Horn (infamously hazardous to shipping), or circumnavigating the globe.
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Comment on Ladybird chooses Rust as its successor language to C++, with help from AI in ~comp
whbboyd Link ParentOh, don't get me wrong, there is ample evidence that humans cannot write correct C or C++, that the errors they tend to write are catastrophic (arbitrary memory exposure or code execution), and...Oh, don't get me wrong, there is ample evidence that humans cannot write correct C or C++, that the errors they tend to write are catastrophic (arbitrary memory exposure or code execution), and that Rust practically prevents those errors. Continuing to use C/C++ for security-sensitive projects is indefensible. I'm just pushing back against the idea that Rust prevents all bugs¹.
If the correctness of your program doesn't really matter², then I guess an LLM is more likely to produce output which produces wrong output but doesn't have surprise RCEs in it using Rust than using C. But for a web browser, the correctness of your program is a security issue. And so the fact that Rust effectively saves you from one particular class of very, very bad issues doesn't make it suitable as a target for LLM output.
¹ In my experience, this idea is not very prevalent among Rust users, but does seem to be quite prevalent among the hypothetical Rust users who exists in the minds of people who use phrases like "Rust Evangelism Strike Force".
² Though of course, if the correctness of your program doesn't really matter, surely
exit(1)is simpler, clearer, and more robust. -
Comment on Ladybird chooses Rust as its successor language to C++, with help from AI in ~comp
whbboyd Link ParentNah, not really. It won't output trivial buffer overflows and RCEs like it would in C, but the entire rich universe of logic errors remains open to it, and in a web browser, nearly every logic...it's entirely possible [safe Rust] is well-suited to AI code generation
Nah, not really. It won't output trivial buffer overflows and RCEs like it would in C, but the entire rich universe of logic errors remains open to it, and in a web browser, nearly every logic error is a serious security issue.
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Comment on I hacked ChatGPT and Google's AI – and it only took twenty minutes in ~tech
whbboyd Link ParentThe model—the ginormous matrix that encodes the training data—is extremely expensive to generate, and has a cut-off as of the point at which the organization generating it stopped scraping...The model—the ginormous matrix that encodes the training data—is extremely expensive to generate, and has a cut-off as of the point at which the organization generating it stopped scraping training data and started training the model, something which they do, idk, every few months at most (because of the extreme expense). With no additional "context" (i.e. token string prefix), this is all the model "knows".
However, most model operators provide mechanisms for their models to trigger web requests and inline the responses into their token prefix. This is what happened here: the models don't "know" anything about hot-dog eating tech reporters, but when asked, they search for it, inline the author's blog post into their token prefix, and then repeat it with minor paraphrasing.
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Comment on Tesla 'Robotaxi' status check eight months in: a complete joke in ~transport
whbboyd Link ParentLemme preface this by stating that Tesla is slimy, Musk is a monster, and there are fundamental problems with self-driving tech and policy we don't have solutions for. This is not advocating for...Lemme preface this by stating that Tesla is slimy, Musk is a monster, and there are fundamental problems with self-driving tech and policy we don't have solutions for. This is not advocating for the devil; I'm trying to strengthen the offensive against him.
Nine crashes in approximately 500,000 miles: one crash every 55,000 miles. Human drivers average one police-reported crash every 500,000 miles.
This comparison isn't apples-to-apples; human drivers have loads of minor collisions they don't report to the police (or any other authority, e.g. their insurance company). I'd assume animal collisions almost never result in a police report (I've certainly never heard of someone alerting the police that they ran over a deer). In my 50-100k miles of lifetime driving, I've had two vehicle-vehicle contacts, neither of which resulted in a police report. (Obviously, both were minor enough not to require any repair of either vehicle, and lest you consider me reckless, neither was my fault. One did result in an insurance claim.)
AFAICT we don't have a rigorous metric we can use here (and, of course, we don't know what Tesla isn't reporting to the NHTSA). I'd assume insurance claims would be at least more comprehensive; attempting to cobble together stats from a few different sources suggests roughly one collision insurance claim per 50k miles driven, though of course a significant portion of those will be for minor collisions with no injuries or functional damage to any property.
In any case, whether Tesla's automated accident rate is on par with or much worse than that of human drivers, it immediately makes two very strong points against them:
- The common self-driving booster point of "it just has to be meaningfully better than human drivers" is moot. All the other problems with that point aside, Tesla's automated driving isn't meaningfully better than human drivers.
- They have absolutely no business doing testing and R&D of demonstrably-unsafe tech on public roads. In a just world, the company officers would be prosecuted for reckless operation (plus property damage, injuries, etc. from all the accidents) and the company barred from selling or operating automated driving tech. We'll see what we end up getting.
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Comment on In a blind test, audiophiles couldn't tell the difference between audio signals sent through copper wire, a banana, or wet mud in ~tech
whbboyd Link ParentCRT displays are silly for a variety of reasons, but nobody with even half-functioning eyes will ever confuse the image from one with an LCD (no matter how sophisticated a CRT simulation shader...CRT displays are silly for a variety of reasons, but nobody with even half-functioning eyes will ever confuse the image from one with an LCD (no matter how sophisticated a CRT simulation shader you're running). I would say gaming on a CRT is more akin to vinyl—maybe dumb, but not literally undetectable the way a lot of audiophile equipment is.
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Comment on Hair loss open discussion in ~talk
whbboyd (edited )Link ParentI know you didn't ask for advice, but as someone who also had a side part veeeeeeery gradually turn into a combover over about a decade of balding, I'd say: switch to a short haircut sooner rather...I know you didn't ask for advice, but as someone who also had a side part veeeeeeery gradually turn into a combover over about a decade of balding, I'd say: switch to a short haircut sooner rather than later. I look way better bald with my hair all trimmed to a centimeter or so than I ever did balding with longer hair.
I sympathize a lot with not feeling like you can get a straight answer about thinning hair from your barber, though. I suspect a lot of their male customers are very very sensitive about it and would react poorly to honest feedback even if it were solicited.
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Comment on Hair loss open discussion in ~talk
whbboyd LinkMy dad went bald in his early twenties. I went bald in my late twenties. I never stressed about it because I could see it coming from a mile away. (There was an awkward period where I was bald-ing...My dad went bald in his early twenties. I went bald in my late twenties. I never stressed about it because I could see it coming from a mile away.
(There was an awkward period where I was bald-ing but not yet bald, where my pre-balding hair style very gradually morphed into a combover. These days I get my hair cut short, but making that transition felt awkward, and I probably should have done it earlier than I did.)
I do have extremely bodacious facial hair, which as a cis man more than makes up for any self-image issues my baldness could otherwise cause. =)
I'll second @DefinitelyNotAFae's note about sunscreen or a hat. I wear a hat outdoors religiously. Cancer risk aside, sunburning your scalp is no fun at all.
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Comment on 'Right-to-compute' laws may be coming to your state this year in ~comp
whbboyd Link ParentBut not for either of its two representatives in the House (of Representatives). They're "Montana Representatives". ;)use "a Montana senator" for one of the two representatives Montana has in the US Senate
But not for either of its two representatives in the House (of Representatives). They're "Montana Representatives". ;)
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Comment on You are being misled about renewable energy technology in ~enviro
whbboyd (edited )Link ParentThe set of items I own which use any external power source other than electricity is: Both cars (but one is a plug-in hybrid, which slightly complicates the accounting here) Furnace Hot water...The set of items I own which use any external power source other than electricity is:
- Both cars (but one is a plug-in hybrid, which slightly complicates the accounting here)
- Furnace
- Hot water heater
- Stove
- …Candles?
Some people might reasonably have, like, a camp stove. But yeah, with the exception of transportation and heating, society has almost uniformly centered on electrical current as the energy delivery mechanism of choice.
edit: Given the weather, I completely forgot two outside fuel-burning items:
- Grill
- Fire pit
Both perhaps notable, but not really bucking the trend.
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Comment on Massive winter storm expected to dump snow and ice across United States in ~enviro
whbboyd Link ParentA handful of snow driving clichés: Every car has all-wheel brakes! (AWD is for going. Corollary: it makes it much easier to achieve too much go.) SNOW TIIIIIRES If you haven't done this before,...A handful of snow driving clichés:
Every car has all-wheel brakes! (AWD is for going. Corollary: it makes it much easier to achieve too much go.)
If you haven't done this before, find an empty parking lot after it snows and intentionally lose control and practice regaining it. (Ideally you never lose control on the street, but ice is a real bastard, and knowing how to recover is important. Also, knowing what it feels like when you're about to lose control will help you not to.)
Did I mention ice is a real bastard? Icy roads are far, far more dangerous than snowy ones.
There are some conditions that your car just can't handle. (Yes, your car. Yes, even though it's 4WD and lifted.) When the weather is super terrible, take the warnings to stay home seriously and don't drive in it.
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Comment on Massive winter storm expected to dump snow and ice across United States in ~enviro
whbboyd Link ParentI mean, there's another aspect to this. I live in upstate New York, one of the snowiest parts of the country. There's significant snow every winter, and really massive amounts of snow most...I mean, there's another aspect to this. I live in upstate New York, one of the snowiest parts of the country. There's significant snow every winter, and really massive amounts of snow most winters. Every goddamn year there's people (who drive in this every single year and should ostensibly know what they're doing) who go way too fast and lose control, or get stuck on a gentle hill because they're driving on half-bald summer tires, or just generally Do Not Drive Appropriately In The Snow.
The city can deal with it. The people sure can't. Anyone making fun of the South for coping extremely poorly with cold weather is, at best, being kind of a hypocrite.
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Comment on Help with 1bed, WFH apartment layout! in ~life.home_improvement
whbboyd Link ParentMake your gaming computer and your work computer exclusive. Set them up to share keyboard, mouse, and monitors, so you can only use one at a time. Then, tune the friction of switching so you're...Make your gaming computer and your work computer exclusive. Set them up to share keyboard, mouse, and monitors, so you can only use one at a time. Then, tune the friction of switching so you're not tempted to do it in the middle of your work day.
(I have this setup; I can switch pretty much by putting one computer to sleep and waking the other one up, and that works for me, but you can easily make sure there's as much cord-swapping needed as you need.)
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Comment on Just The Browser in ~tech
whbboyd Link ParentThe last FAQ takes a crack at answering this: Additionally, browser forks (e.g. LibreWolf) usually have one or at most a small handful of maintainers, which makes their longevity highly doubtful....The last FAQ takes a crack at answering this:
Why not just use an alternative web browser?
You can do that! However, switching to alternative web browsers like Vivaldi, SeaMonkey, Waterfox, or LibreWolf can have other downsides. They are not always available on the same platforms, and they can lag behind mainstream browsers in security updates and engine upgrades. Just the Browser aims to make mainstream web browsers more tolerable, while still retaining their existing benefits.
Additionally, browser forks (e.g. LibreWolf) usually have one or at most a small handful of maintainers, which makes their longevity highly doubtful. (No offense to the maintainers, but keeping up with the firehose of mainstream browser development is going to be a rich source of burnout.)
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Just The Browser
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Comment on The year of the 3D printed miniature (and other lies we tell ourselves) in ~hobbies
whbboyd LinkNot to nitpick an obviously rhetorical line, but no, they fabricated $3k worth of hard-to-get miniatures out of $5k of equipment and supplies, plus dozens of hours learning to use the thing and...This person had basically fabricated $3,000 worth of hard-to-get miniatures out of thin air and spite.
Not to nitpick an obviously rhetorical line, but no, they fabricated $3k worth of hard-to-get miniatures out of $5k of equipment and supplies, plus dozens of hours learning to use the thing and dozens more actually printing, and hundreds of somebody's hours modeling or scanning to get actual printable models.
Mat kind of touches on this point later (e.g. resin printing is a nasty process you need a dedicated, ventilated workspace for), but it's worth repeating that 3D printing isn't free even if you don't value your own time or safety at all.
I also, unfortunately, don't think Mat's conclusion generalizes:
So the next time someone tells you that some new technology is going to "disrupt" something you love, ask yourself: …are they just looking at a spreadsheet and seeing numbers that don't make sense to them?
Because if it's the latter, you can probably ignore them. They'll be wrong. They're almost always wrong.
This is, unfortunately, only true for small niches like wargaming. If investors see a big market they think they could (typically illegally) usurp from existing players, they will absolutely go for it, and they have enough cash to force the issue regardless of what existing customers think or value.
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Comment on PornHub extorted after hackers steal Premium member activity data in ~tech
whbboyd Link ParentThe… explanation?… I've heard for this is that it's a pre-packaged relationship between the characters that doesn't require any non-porn lead-in to set up. Boom, they're step-siblings and they're...The… explanation?… I've heard for this is that it's a pre-packaged relationship between the characters that doesn't require any non-porn lead-in to set up. Boom, they're step-siblings and they're fucking, and the total amount of time you had to take in lieu of jacking it to consume the plot was the two seconds it took to read the video title.
I have no idea if this argument actually holds any water—maybe people really are thirsting after their siblings at a concerningly high frequency? Maybe it all stems from this particularly infamous commercial (technically SFW)?—but it's what I've heard.
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Comment on Campus characters: Identical twins, the Byers, live identical lives (2014) in ~life
whbboyd Link ParentI have exactly one (1) datum to contribute, which is that there were identical twins in my college class, and they both majored in math, but otherwise did not live the same life at all. Different...I have exactly one (1) datum to contribute, which is that there were identical twins in my college class, and they both majored in math, but otherwise did not live the same life at all. Different clothing styles, friend groups, etc.
So the rate of identical twins maintaining identical habits into young adulthood is somewhere between "one" and "all but one". ;)
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One too many words on AT&T's $2,000 Korn shell and other Usenet topics
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I'm not particularly into rock/pop concerts, so I don't have any particular regrets on that front. However, my cousin (once removed) was old enough to have attended Woodstock. He did in fact go, and had a good time, but by Monday morning he and his buddies were worn out, the weather sucked, and they were worried about the epic traffic jam that was sure to ensue as tens of thousands of spectators tried to depart from a field in the absolute middle of nowhere in upstate New York. So they left before the last act.
The last act at Woodstock was Jimi Hendrix.
He still speaks regretfully of it more than fifty years later.