Your weary 'net denizen

Interests: programming languages, open platforms, art, craft, diy, and justice.

I've recently set my posts to be deleted after a month.

#nobot, #nobots, #noai

Home Page: http://charles.stanho.pe
Reading: Yes
Prounouns: he/him or they/them
On hiatus: Until 2026-10-01 or later

Public Key

npub1wyjgkl2zdr00kdum3kgmpcyjt9kzmxxk20jedw0sq2dam2ujlqsqzrvu3u

NIP-05 Address

cstanhope_at_social.coop@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs8zfyt04px3hhmx7dcmydsuzf9jmpdnrt98evkh8cq9x7a4wf0sgqprpmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0d4hhxarj9ecxjmntddv7qc

Publishing to

relay.momostr.pink

Author Public Key

npub1wyjgkl2zdr00kdum3kgmpcyjt9kzmxxk20jedw0sq2dam2ujlqsqzrvu3u

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Last Notes

2026-07-27 13:01:52 UTC

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People often advocate for the idea that software can be "done" or "finished" as in complete with the need for much changes going forward. Of course, there are other senses of "done" or "finished". Perhaps those apply in this case... 🤔

2026-07-27 03:55:58 UTC

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Yeah, I unfortunately spent a lot of my talent points in this area. Seemed like a good idea at the time! (Also I enjoy the stuff too, so that helped.) So,I am currently struggling very hard to imagine alternatives...

2026-07-27 03:52:50 UTC

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Anyway, LLMs are only the most recent in a long line of questionable tech that the biggest and most influential (in terms of employment and investment) businesses have been cramming down our throats. This isn't the first time I've thought about leaving my field for something else. Although, it's certainly possible it might be the final time. 😆

2026-07-27 03:49:58 UTC

Regarding LB[1]: I hope I didn't add to any sense of inevitability about certain things today. I know I was feeling a little defeated, but I also don't believe any particular technology choice is inevitable, especially when it is mostly being forced on people from the top down.
I haven't given up. I'm just trying to figure out what to do. Zuzai, everybody!
[1] https://thecanadian.social/@action_jay/116987371329094746
#note1ruw…wyra

2026-07-26 16:35:30 UTC

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TFW after the OS upgrade you're greeted with a black screen with a cursor blinking in the upper left corner of your screen, the computer seems unresponsive to all keystrokes except CTRl-ALT-DEL, so you login with ssh with your pocket computer (we all have ssh enabled, right? (if that didn't work you would've tried messing with Grub kernel command line to boot into a different run mode)) and checkout "journalctl -b" to see what failed, notice PAM seems unhappy about something which apparently caused the login program to crash, so you (no LLM) search for the error message and helpfully land on a post that describes the exact issue and how to get out of it, and you apply the arcane commands, reboot with login repaired, and consider this an uneventful OS upgrade.

2026-07-26 16:30:34 UTC

Once again feeling vindicated for staying a version behind Fedora's latest.
(Not that there's anything particularly wrong with Fedora's latest offerings, but at this point in my life, I have to let other people scout out and report problems and figure out workarounds. Also I really need to get off Fedora.)

2026-07-25 16:29:20 UTC

CAKE voice: 🎶 How do you afford your LLM lifestyle? 🎶

2026-07-22 15:58:20 UTC

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If our motivations for building these machines are still rooted in ambitions to have perfectly compliant slaves and to undermine labor, and if these machines are still let loose on unsuspecting people as substitutes for supports and relationships they need from other humans, and if these machines are still tools for spreading misinformation and deep fakes "at scale", then no. I mean, you can wave the wand, but those problems will remain.

2026-07-21 21:58:14 UTC

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The 8yo in this house still cares about learning and doing things and being creative, and I share that character trait. Maybe it's a mistake from some sort of perspective... But I'd rather make that mistake myself.

2026-06-06 17:06:49 UTC

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to embrace P2P technology in the browser instead of forever being locked into the client server model. In other words, incorporate support for network stacks that provide robust P2P with the browser having a server so multiple peer browsers can communicate directly. 🤔

2026-05-01 23:20:31 UTC

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That's an interesting approach for that sensor. I hadn't seen that before.

2026-04-30 22:50:41 UTC

Everything will be wrong about it. It is architected and implemented in confusing ways under conflicting demands you will likely not have insight into and, of course, too little time.
To reduce your frustration, you must accept these things. The prior developers did their best just as you will now do your best. Be at peace with that.
You will be tempted to throw up your hands and rewrite everything! That is folly. Despite all the apparent (to you) imperfections, the code or device now works as intended. Any changes must be done cautiously with an eye to only making necessary improvements or fixing bugs.
After all, if things stop working after one of your "improvements", it will now be *your* problem and it will reflect on you, not the people you inherited the project from.
There will be opportunity for new development, but you must choose your moments.
Add tests as you can! Automate builds! Document! Leave it better!
You are doing your best!

2026-03-03 04:45:58 UTC

The Baochip that Bunnie has been talking about is live on Crowd Supply in the form of a dev board:
https://www.crowdsupply.com/baochip/dabao
The talk at 39c3:
https://social.treehouse.systems/@bunnie/115810106146820260

2026-02-24 18:02:31 UTC

Viking meme about picking too many battles, but it's about browsers and the number of virtual machines they now have.

2026-02-21 15:06:51 UTC

Probably a pragmatic way to be anyway:
"The reason I’m writing all of this isn’t to create panic, but to help put things into perspective. You don’t need to scavenger-hunt for legacy parts in your local landfill (yet) or swear off upgrades forever, but you do need to recognize that the rules have changed. The market that once catered to enthusiasts and everyday users is turning its back. So take care of your hardware, stretch its lifespan, upgrade thoughtfully, and don’t assume replacement will always be easy or affordable."
From this analysis on the impact hyperscalers are having on the near future (at least) of personal electronics "Hold on to Your Hardware":
https://マリウス.com/hold-on-to-your-hardware/
This part is dark:
https://マリウス.com/hold-on-to-your-hardware/#imagine

2025-12-23 16:30:32 UTC

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Obviously, this already made the rounds, but another example that brings me cheer. Perhaps UNIX V4 is not beloved exactly, but people care enough to preserve it. "UNIX V4 tape successfully recovered: First ever version of UNIX written in C is running again":
https://www.theregister.com/2025/12/23/unix_v4_tape_successfully_recovered/

2025-12-23 04:58:05 UTC

For reasons I can't quite articulate at the moment, hearing stories of people working together to preserve beloved artifacts from their past never ceases to be a source of good feelings. "WE SAVED REBOOT":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L00jx-GH2w8

2025-08-26 16:22:41 UTC

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I made this a while back, but I delete my old posts now. But I keep backups!
https://social-coop-media.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/media_attachments/files/115/095/973/332/040/933/original/1eb49749a1aab1ca.png

2025-08-13 18:23:31 UTC

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Did you see this story about the MingKwai typewriter? It could apparently render over 90,000 Chinese characters with 72 keys. It's a feat of engineering.
https://madeinchinajournal.com/2025/05/02/lost-and-found-the-unexpected-journey-of-the-mingkwai-typewriter/

2025-08-13 11:47:33 UTC

"Computers are mostly used against people instead of for people; used to control people instead of to free them; Time to change all that - we need a... People's Computer Company."
https://archive.org/details/1972-10-peoples-computer-company/

2025-08-08 11:40:46 UTC

What if "putting aside all the ethical concerns for the sake of this discussion" is how we got to the place where we've put all the ethical concerns aside? :thonking:

2025-08-07 18:45:49 UTC

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'One developer said “I think of myself as [a] mediocre engineer, and I feel this AI reset is giving me a chance to build skills that will bring me closer to excellence.”'
I mean, I'm all for humility. I too am a mediocre engineer, but I guess you gave up on building skills in engineering.
Also, here's the real push:
'From a realistic optimism perspective, the rise of AI in software development signals the need for computer science education to be reinvented as well. '

2025-08-07 18:36:46 UTC

Makes total sense that blog post from the GitHub CEO opens with "AI" slop art meant to look like something from Studio Ghibli... Dicks.

2025-08-03 17:50:46 UTC

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Off topic to your post as I realize there are many options regarding SID replacements, but now you got me wondering about the possibility of using something like Tiny Tapeout to create a SID. I mean, not to sell obviously, but as an educational exercise. 🤔

2025-07-14 23:29:06 UTC

Look, I try to be inclusive and non-judgmental, but... It's just... How do I put this?... Some people aren't responsible enough to write interrupt service routines without supervision, okay?

2025-05-30 11:09:08 UTC

I really dig this portrait of David Bowie by Scott Fischer.
https://www.muddycolors.com/2025/01/fischer-paints-breathing-in-the-stardust/
(Follow the link for the full, embiggened experience.)
https://social-coop-media.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/media_attachments/files/114/596/436/225/382/948/original/4571b74a4d029b08.jpg

2025-04-07 17:28:12 UTC

"The worst of the internet is continuously attacking the best of the internet. This is a distributed denial of service attack on the good parts of the World Wide Web.
If you’re using the products powered by these attacks, you’re part of the problem. Don’t pretend it’s cute to ask ChatGPT for something. Don’t pretend it’s somehow being technologically open-minded to continuously search for nails to hit with the latest “AI” hammers."
https://adactio.com/journal/21831

2025-03-05 13:59:38 UTC

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That poor piano...

2025-03-04 19:40:33 UTC

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There's a lot packed into that two minutes.

2025-02-14 20:51:16 UTC

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Yeah, that's something I'm working on over here too, but also trying to figure out what actions I can take. :(
If you watch the movie, I hope it works for you.

2025-02-14 20:30:50 UTC

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Oh wow. I hadn't heard of that one. We had "Day After" over here. I tried watching that one a few years ago (I had avoided it when it aired as a kid), and I switched it off half way through. Too much for me... I don't think I need the message it was trying to convey. I already understand. 😔

2025-01-28 12:41:50 UTC

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Oh, I know, but I wanted to be able to create DOS programs to share things and collaborate with my friends. And I managed to find an affordable C compiler:
http://mixsoftware.com/product/powerc.htm
(I'm pretty sure the prices at the bottom aren't too far off from what they were back in the day.)
Anyway, it all worked out (for me) once Linux came along. 😀

2025-01-28 12:19:57 UTC

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As a teen, I remember seeing the ads for Coherent in the usual computer magazines. I really wanted to scrape together enough money to buy it. But I think, if I recall correctly, I prioritized getting a C compiler first. 😆

2024-12-13 14:15:58 UTC

Phrases like "average user"... "normal people"... kind of set me on edge. We should just say "imagine a perfectly spherical person".

2024-10-29 15:21:22 UTC

Somebody mentions an idea for a transpiler between languages, something that could be readily accomplished with decades old, but cool and correct, deterministic algorithms. But then somebody chimes in with, "I bet we could make that work by hooking it up to an LLM and asking it to translate." smdh... SMDH!

2024-10-21 19:04:53 UTC

Instead of #thinktober I appear to be having a #thonktober.

2024-10-13 17:04:47 UTC

Be willing to pay an artist or learn to embrace and celebrate your own artistic efforts challenge.

2024-10-07 19:04:00 UTC

That post I boosted this morning[1] got me thinking about earlier REPLs.
(I found the image here: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/rna-translation/)
[1] https://mastodon.online/@nikitonsky/113265570085322589
https://social-coop-media.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/media_attachments/files/113/267/665/715/213/604/original/f2f3fc56c160d53f.png

2024-09-27 03:17:12 UTC

When I hear people ask or wonder about how mastodon or the wider fediverse can "beat" Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc, it often feels to me like asking, "What will it take to make a better casino?"

2024-08-13 03:15:15 UTC

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They charge extra to "make up" revenue from gasoline taxes?