Jonathan Lamothe

https://social.jlamothe.net/profile/me

Programmer and free/libre software enthusiast. This is my *primary* account on the Fediverse. See my website for an authoritative list of accounts.
[jlamothe.net](https://jlamothe.net )

Pronouns: he/him

Public Key

npub1c5qeuqcq9fx3sd6jmkkumfx3xjwl47sx80atglv6ahcj4vpe0c5qaq5345

NIP-05 Address

me_at_social.jlamothe.net@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsv2qv7qvqz5ngcxafdmtwd5ngnf806lgrrh7450kdwmuf2kquhu2qpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0ds80zq8a

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1c5qeuqcq9fx3sd6jmkkumfx3xjwl47sx80atglv6ahcj4vpe0c5qaq5345

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Last Notes

2026-03-16 21:42:13 UTC

[abstract]all caps and a bunch of exclamation points (happy)[/abstract]
I FREAKING PASSED MY EXAM!!!!!
BOO-YAH! 🥳🎉

2026-03-16 16:08:31 UTC

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@[url=https://mastodon.ar.al/users/aral]Aral Balkan[/url] This is by no means unprecedented for IBM. Their history of enabling fascists goes all the way back to the second world war.

2026-02-08 05:55:17 UTC

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@[url=https://fosstodon.org/users/RMerlin]RMerlin[/url] @[url=https://fosstodon.org/users/mike]Mike Stone[/url] That only helps if they're [em]checking[/em] it.

2026-01-11 13:28:06 UTC

Hey all,
I have a friend who's been trying to get on Mastodon but tells me that it doesn't seem to play well with screen readers. I know there are plenty of people on the fedi who [em]do[/em] use screen readers, but I have no experience with them myself, so I can't really direct him.
Can someone who [em]does[/em] use a #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=ScreenReader]ScreenReader[/url] point me in the direction of some resources that might be useful?
#[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=AskFedi]AskFedi[/url] #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=a11y]a11y[/url]

2026-01-06 02:09:38 UTC

When a #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=neurodivergent]neurodivergent[/url] person tells you about how something is difficult for them, rather than thinking of them as whiny, consider that this probably means they have a certain level of trust in you to drop their mask enough to do so.
Invalidating that struggle is likely also a pretty effective way of eroding that trust.
#[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=ActuallyADHD]ActuallyADHD[/url]

2026-01-01 13:32:45 UTC

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@[url=https://mastodon.laurenweinstein.org/users/lauren]Lauren Weinstein[/url] And that's one of the big problems with LLMs: if you have to independently verify everything they say, they're essentially useless for most of the things people actually use them for.

2025-12-27 01:28:23 UTC

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@[url=https://fosstodon.org/users/atoponce]Aaron Toponce ⚛️[/url] Call it "code that works" if you want...

2025-12-18 19:59:23 UTC

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@[url=https://fosstodon.org/users/kev]Kev Quirk[/url] @[url=https://mastodon.social/ap/users/115667120638353806]Firefox for Web Developers[/url] I don't have the direct quote handy, but weren't his words "AI first"?

2025-12-18 19:55:31 UTC

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@[url=https://gamerplus.org/users/screwlisp]screwlisp[/url] I bounce back and forth between LibreWolf and Qutebrowser. In the dumpster fire that is the modern web, it's a relatively solid choice.

2025-12-14 22:58:03 UTC

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@[url=https://techhub.social/users/negative12dollarbill]Negative12DollarBill[/url] @[url=https://mastodon.social/users/wesdym]WesDym[/url] I honestly can't say. I avoid Apple products for exactly these minds of reasons. With the way they tightly control the entire hardware/software stack, it's not an entirely implausible claim though.

2025-12-14 03:04:15 UTC

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@[url=https://mastodon.social/users/wesdym]WesDym[/url]
*sigh*
From the article:
[quote]The Damage: I effectively have over $30,000 worth of previously-active “bricked" hardware. My iPhone, iPad, Watch, and Macs cannot sync, update, or function properly. I have lost access to thousands of dollars in purchased software and media.[/quote]

2025-12-14 01:55:40 UTC

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@[url=https://mastodon.social/users/wesdym]WesDym[/url] It's not just about the data.

2025-12-14 00:58:29 UTC

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@[url=https://mastodon.social/users/wesdym]WesDym[/url] @[url=https://mastodon.scot/users/gentlegardener]gentlegardener[/url] You didn't read the linked post, did you?

2025-12-07 17:10:16 UTC

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@[url=https://snac.smithies.me.uk/justine]Justine Smithies[/url] I really love @[url=https://chaos.social/users/delta]Delta Chat[/url]. It's easy to set up, is decentralized making it impossible for them to hand over my data under any circumstances. My partner and I use it. The only down side it has is that it's difficult to explain to normies why they should care about it, so most of my comms are through objectively worse channels.

2025-12-03 16:15:51 UTC

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@[url=https://atomicpoet.org/users/atomicpoet]Chris Trottier[/url] Yeah, the term AI has been around since at least the 70s (possibly longer) and I've always been irritated by its lack of a precise definition. It doesn't [em]have[/em] to be a bad thing, but most things that advertise themselves as "AI" these days are garbage.
See also: my irritation with not being able to use the word cryptography because everyone now thinks it means cryptocurrency rather than cryptography.

2025-12-01 23:00:43 UTC

I just accidentally dropped my Jinhao 10 #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPen]FountainPen[/url] and bent the nib slightly (at least it wasn't an expensive pen, right?).
I did my best to bend it back into shape by hand and oddly enough, I kind of like the way it writes now better than before.

2025-11-24 19:32:19 UTC

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@[url=https://atomicpoet.org/users/atomicpoet]Chris Trottier[/url] This is why I won't touch LLM-generated output with a 40' pole. Sure, I can verify whether or not it's actually correct, but if I have to research it myself anyway, what's the point of having used the LLM in the first place?
The one possible argument I have seen where LLMs might be useful is in generating things like alt text for images that lack it, and even then I hear they're not great.

2025-11-23 19:19:20 UTC

Cleaning #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url] in bed. What could go wrong?

2025-11-08 17:40:49 UTC

Wearing white clothing while using a #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPen]FountainPen[/url] is always a gamble. I lost that bet today.

2025-11-06 17:19:40 UTC

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@[url=https://fosstodon.org/users/rridley]☠ rridley ⚡[/url] I'm curious about what language you're coming from. I feel like it's not [em]that[/em] far removed from C/C++.
The borrowing system though... that takes some work to wrap one's brain around.
For context: I've poked around in Rust, but I wouldn't say I know it well.

2025-11-04 00:23:31 UTC

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@[url=https://bne.social/users/phocks]Joshua Byrd[/url] @[url=https://beige.party/users/burnitdown]A Flock of Beagles[/url] Sometimes they'll roll out experimental features to only a subset of users. Perhaps this ad blocker blocker is such a "feature"?

2025-10-24 20:37:31 UTC

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@[url=https://atomicpoet.org/users/atomicpoet]Chris Trottier[/url] Valid points, but I feel three things need to be said:
[ol]
[li] We survive and make it out the other side until we don't.
[li] That survival always comes at a cost.
[li] A thing that greatly improves our chances of survival is communicating the problem to as many people as possible to get the largest number of people possible aware and working on a solution.
[/ol]
If your message is "don't give up on trying to create a better world", I agree. If it's "relax folks, everything will work itself out", I very strongly disagree.

2025-10-21 17:58:36 UTC

It has come to my attention that my favourite jacket is falling apart. I would like to repair it for two reasons:
[ol]
[li]I love this jacket.
[li]I can't afford a new one right now.
[/ol]
I have no opposition to #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=VisibleMending]VisibleMending[/url].
Suggestions?
[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/photos/me/image/866062757168f7c958eb472937160083][img=https://social.jlamothe.net/photo/866062757168f7c958eb472937160083-1.jpeg]Close up of the sleeve of an olive green jacket. The material is frayed and torn just below the seam in the cuff.[/img][/url]
#[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=AskFedi]AskFedi[/url] #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=ClothingRepair]ClothingRepair[/url]
https://social.jlamothe.net/photo/866062757168f7c958eb472937160083-0.jpeg

2025-10-20 03:18:03 UTC

Thought I had berry juice on my hand from the food I was eating so I licked it.
It was ink.
I love my #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPen]FountainPen[/url] but sometimes...

2025-10-16 05:51:52 UTC

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@[url=https://fosstodon.org/users/mike]Mike Stone[/url] I've learned the same lesson (about myself, obviously. I can't speak to your skill level)

2025-09-21 21:06:38 UTC

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@[url=https://fosstodon.org/users/mike]Mike Stone[/url] Ahh. Memories of the trout slap... 🙃

2025-09-19 01:36:55 UTC

Cleaning my #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url] today. I don't know why, but I frequently have a hell of a time getting [em]all[/em] the ink cleaned out of my Jinhao 10. I wish I weren't such a perfectionist sometimes.

2025-08-15 12:52:44 UTC

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@[url=https://mathstodon.xyz/users/gregeganSF]Greg Egan[/url] To be fair, I don't blame the lawyer. I understand why AI is untrustworthy because I've spent a good chunk of my life studying computers. He's spent his life studying the law. Why [em]wouldn't[/em] he trust the people who've presumably done what I have when they told him this was a solid technology? If I hired a lawyer and he grossly misunderstood how the law worked, I wouldn't have an easy way of knowing this, because [em]I[/em] don't really understand the ins and outs of the legal system.
Let's put the blame where it belongs: on these AI hucksters who are knowingly selling a defective product that people are relying on for important things because they've been lied to.

2025-08-04 17:41:39 UTC

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@[url=https://masto.ai/users/jimp]Jim P.[/url] I just have the regular 580. It's my all-time favourite pen.

2025-07-31 14:04:17 UTC

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@[url=https://mastodon.ar.al/users/aral]Aral Balkan[/url] Would be a shame if someone kept laying down plywood.

2025-07-29 04:47:28 UTC

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@[url=https://infosec.exchange/users/Linux_in_a_Bit]Linux in a Bit[/url] If I've said it once, I've said it a million times: I still don't understand what Matrix offers that XMPP doesn't.

2025-07-07 21:57:55 UTC

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@[url=https://atomicpoet.org/users/atomicpoet]Chris Trottier[/url] You have a valid point. If it's a direct message rather than a public post that's pretty definitely poor form. I did not get the impression from your initial post that this was what you meant.
IMHO, LMGTFY is unnecessarily passive aggressive though. A better response would probably be "you should probably try googling that."
As a bonus, it's an even [em]lower[/em] effort response while still getting the same point across.

2025-07-07 20:01:28 UTC

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@[url=https://atomicpoet.org/users/atomicpoet]Chris Trottier[/url]
[quote]When someone sends an lmgtfy, it’s not meant to be rude—it’s a gentle reminder that the answer was always within reach.[/quote]
not meant to be ≠ is
It's condescending regardless of intent. It's also worth noting (as others have) that modern Google results are less useful than they were in the pre-LLM era.

2025-07-05 22:45:25 UTC

You probably don't need to be able to read #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=teeline]teeline[/url] to tell which item on my to-do list was cleaning (and re-inking) my #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url].
[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/photos/me/image/88302036216869aa8302198543859046][img=https://social.jlamothe.net/photo/88302036216869aa8302198543859046-1.jpeg]My to-do list. All the entries are written in teeline (which looks like squiggles). All of the ink is Diamine Steel Blue except for one check mark which is in Diamine Wild Strawberry.[/img][/url]
https://social.jlamothe.net/photo/88302036216869aa8302198543859046-0.jpeg

2025-07-04 19:31:32 UTC

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@[url=https://metalhead.club/users/metalpoetnl]Metalpoet[/url] @[url=https://mamot.fr/users/pluralistic]Cory Doctorow[/url]
This butt is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
This butt is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.
You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this butt. If not, see <[url=https://www.gnu.org/licenses/]https://www.gnu.org/licenses/[/url]>.

2025-07-03 19:57:16 UTC

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@[url=https://writing.exchange/users/jessekelber]Jesse[/url] Wait, what's the controversy with Noodler's?

2025-06-30 15:41:24 UTC

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@[url=https://fosstodon.org/users/mike]Mike Stone[/url] I made the switch to progressives a few years ago. I can't go back. My partner never got used to them though.

2025-06-04 19:54:28 UTC

Just found doilies at the local No Frills™.
I'm not going to tell them what to stock, but I feel I should point out that this is the [em]literal definition[/em] of a frill.

2025-05-27 20:35:30 UTC

Cleaning and re-inking my #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url] and I managed to spill one of my favourite Inkvent sample bottles. Fortunately, I somehow managed to save the majority of the ink. Don't ask me how.
I guess it's gonna be one of those days...

2025-05-16 16:51:39 UTC

Little by little I've been going more and more analog. I still track every little thing I need to do in my #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=OrgMode]OrgMode[/url] system to help manage my #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=ADHD]ADHD[/url], but that list itself can get a little overwhelming. I've started combing over that list in the morning, picking out the most critical things for that day and writing them down on a paper checklist in a small notebook I keep in my pocket. The notebook has the advantage of not distracting me with a thousand notifications every time I'm trying to do something productive.
Plus, I just really like having an excuse to put a nice #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPen]FountainPen[/url] and ink to paper.

2025-05-12 00:56:21 UTC

Okay, so this keeps happening. Up 'till now I've been able to fix it with a thorough cleaning, but no such luck this time.
Suggestions?
#[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url]
[share author='Jonathan Lamothe' profile='https://social.jlamothe.net/profile/me' avatar='https://social.jlamothe.net/photo/47849444576223a65db24f1314412638-5.jpeg?ts=1651406494' link='https://social.jlamothe.net/display/c35d279b-2168-0a74-07f0-c36948792524' posted='2025-04-24 17:25:27' guid='c35d279b-2168-0a74-07f0-c36948792524' message_id='https://social.jlamothe.net/objects/c35d279b-2168-0a74-07f0-c36948792524']So Katy has a #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=Jinhao10]Jinhao10[/url] and today the clicker seems to be jamming. When pressed, it seems to resist extending or retracting the nib. I'm giving it a cleaning right now to make sure there was no debris or anything in there stopping it from working, but I don't know if that'll fix it.
Has anyone experienced this before? Is there a fix?
#[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url][/share]
#note1yq3…kdn0

2025-05-09 19:45:31 UTC

So, keeping a #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=journal]journal[/url] in #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=teeline]teeline[/url] has had some unexpected benefits for my #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=ADHD]ADHD[/url] brain beyond my handwriting just being more able to keep up with the rate of my thoughts.
I might blog about this later, but the TL;DR is that the process of transcribing my entries requires me to think deliberately about the meaning of every word I've written.
#[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=ActuallyADHD]ActuallyADHD[/url] #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url]

2025-04-28 22:50:53 UTC

So, I've finally settled on a technique to keep shimmer inks from clogging my #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url] and it's working well, but it's not exactly condusive to writing in #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=teeline]teeline[/url] which is what I use 90% of the time these days.

2025-04-28 02:44:34 UTC

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@[url=https://hcommons.social/users/musiciankate]Kate McDonald[/url] Here's a post about it I made in January.
[share author='Jonathan Lamothe' profile='https://pixelfed.sdf.org/users/jlamothe' avatar='https://social.jlamothe.net/photo/9847996211638025ea43160936674208-5.jpeg?ts=1727512218' link='https://pixelfed.sdf.org/p/jlamothe/781260639640196930' posted='2025-01-04 20:50:51' guid='b7784978-4059af2e4ef52ae8-fe9e7544' message_id='https://pixelfed.sdf.org/p/jlamothe/781260639640196930']Okay, I feel like a spy now. I have invisible ink! #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url]
[img=https://pixelfed.sdf.org/storage/m/_v2/501578095093679412/634f2a4e4-291f24/0JQbU9mStOat/6SrD4Mr1oOYUU3hQp4ypndN9b8Uy39CseUuJYbUG.jpg]A seemingly blank ink testing card[/img]
[img=https://pixelfed.sdf.org/storage/m/_v2/501578095093679412/634f2a4e4-291f24/G2pas8F2S3yw/B2yKmHXij7OuDsigK0WDr4tYsYI5goeSzCCawrc6.jpg]The same card udner UV light. It shows a splotch of ink and the name of the ink: Noodler's Blue Ghost Ink[/img][/share]
#note1wh6…rgnp

2025-04-28 02:40:17 UTC

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@[url=https://hcommons.social/users/musiciankate]Kate McDonald[/url] It's a bit of a pain to work with because I only use it with a dip pen* and have to juggle that with a UV flashlight. That aside, it works really well. Completely invisible under normal lighting conditions and shows up really well under UV.
* Because I feel that cleaning it out of a regular pen would be a pain.

2025-04-28 02:27:39 UTC

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@[url=https://hcommons.social/users/musiciankate]Kate McDonald[/url] Ask and ye shall receive.
The ink is Noodler's Blue Ghost ink. The pen is (I believe) a Noodler's Charlie (currently inked with Diamine Inkvent 2024 Good Tidings).
[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/photos/me/image/7626895402680ee6f8a0c95091123826][img=https://social.jlamothe.net/photo/7626895402680ee6f8a0c95091123826-1.jpeg]The aforementioned ink and pen. The ink is a large bottle with a translucent yellow-ish ink (which when used is only visible under UV light). The pen is a slim eye dropper pen. The pen is uncapped and placed with the nib end propped up on the cap to be all fancy looking and stuff.[/img][/url]
https://social.jlamothe.net/photo/7626895402680ee6f8a0c95091123826-0.jpeg

2025-04-28 02:04:46 UTC

It always amuses me whenever I think about the fact that I got one of my favourite #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url] for free with a bottle of ink. It's even more amusing that I've never inked that pen up with that ink.

2025-04-27 14:24:29 UTC

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@[url=https://craftgoblin.club/users/silhelm]StarSloth[/url] Really, because we've had trouble with my partner's TWSBI Eco clogging. 🙁

2025-04-27 13:59:57 UTC

So, with this past #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=Inkvent]Inkvent[/url] calendar, I've found myself in possession of a bunch of shimmering inks. Problem is that they tend to clog my #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url]. Are there any inexpensive pens that handle shimmering inks well?

2025-04-25 20:41:53 UTC

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@[url=https://fosstodon.org/users/mykhaylo]🇺🇦 Myke[/url] True enough, though I still want to know how to do it.
Plus, for larger projects it's sometimes easier to separate things out for clarity.

2025-04-25 17:46:41 UTC

I have successfully built my first #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=Emacs]Emacs[/url] package. I want to clean it up a bit before I consider releasing it though. Also, while I can build a simple (single file) package, buildig a multi-file one is still eluding me.
When I try to install it, I get the following (less than helpful) error message:
[code]Wrong type argument: stringp, nil[/code]
Is there a way I can get more detail on why this is failing?

2025-04-24 17:25:27 UTC

So Katy has a #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=Jinhao10]Jinhao10[/url] and today the clicker seems to be jamming. When pressed, it seems to resist extending or retracting the nib. I'm giving it a cleaning right now to make sure there was no debris or anything in there stopping it from working, but I don't know if that'll fix it.
Has anyone experienced this before? Is there a fix?
#[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url]

2025-04-03 20:06:58 UTC

This probably won't help me in my current job search, but is it worth learning COBOL? I've heard that there are still a bunch of critical systems out there that use it, and that it's hard to find COBOL devs these days.
Is this still the case? The only downside I can see is that I'd have to program in COBOL.

2025-03-28 15:30:41 UTC

I am in urgent job search mode, so I'm gonna throw this out here and see if anything comes of it.
I am a #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=Canadian]Canadian[/url], fluent in both #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=English]English[/url] and #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=French]French[/url]. I have experience with several programming languages. My strongest proficiency is with #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=Haskell]Haskell[/url] and #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=C]C[/url]. I also have a reasonable grasp of #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=HTML]HTML[/url], #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=JavaScript]JavaScript[/url], #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=SQL]SQL[/url], #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=Python]Python[/url], #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=Lua]Lua[/url], #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=Linux]Linux[/url] system administration, #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=bash]bash[/url] scripting, #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=Perl]Perl[/url], #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=AWK]AWK[/url], some #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=Lisp]Lisp[/url] (common, scheme, and emacs), and probably several others I've forgotten to mention.
I am not necessarily looking for something in tech. I just need something stable. I have done everything from software development, to customer support, to factory work, though my current circumstances make in-person work more difficult than remote work. I have been regarded as a hard worker in every job I have ever held.
#[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=GetFediHired]GetFediHired[/url]

2025-03-24 00:25:55 UTC

Welp, it's #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPen]FountainPen[/url] cleaning and re-inking day. #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=Today]Today[/url] I re-learned why I don't use shimmer inks in my #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=TWSBI]TWSBI[/url] Diamond 580. In fact, I usually reserve them exclusively for dip pens.
Time to meticulously clean out a clogged feed. It didn't even make it a paragraph.

2025-03-22 14:57:21 UTC

I recently got a #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=Sailor]Sailor[/url] #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=Hokoro]Hokoro[/url] dip pen, and much to my chagrin have found that several of my #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPen]FountainPen[/url] inks do not work well in it. It's almost like the ink refuses to be picked up by the nib/feed.
Has anyone else encountered this? Is there a solution?
Edit: the paper also seems to be a factor

2025-03-18 14:26:05 UTC

We made burgers for dinner last night. Now the whole apartment still smells like burgers.
I suppose there are worse things it could smell like.

2025-03-13 22:52:50 UTC

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@[url=https://mstdn.social/users/stux]stux⚡[/url] As a Canadian, I'd love for is to join the EU. I don't think it's very likely to happen though. 🙁

2025-03-10 02:29:29 UTC

It's that time again: time to clean my #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=BaystateBlue]BaystateBlue[/url] #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPen]FountainPen[/url]. How many times do you think I'll have to run it through the ultrasonic 'till the water stops turning blue?
Time will tell.

2025-03-07 13:31:32 UTC

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@[url=https://cubhub.social/users/Rusty]Rusty Corgi[/url] I've been rather enjoying qutebrowser, which is based on neither, though on mobile I'm still on a Firefox-based browser (Fennec).

2025-03-06 02:04:20 UTC

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@[url=https://mastodon.social/users/douglasvb]Douglas[/url] @[url=https://penfount.social/users/penfount]Penfount • Pen Community[/url] These are the pens I recommend to newcomers where price is a factor:
- Platinum Preppy (very cheap, well loved, but I have personally never used)
- LAMY Safari (reasonably priced, nigh indestructible, the EF nibs don't necessarily flow super well, but this isn't an issue with F and above)
- TWSBI Eco (holds a ton of ink, really smooth writer at a low price, can be prone to cracking, but has good customer support who typically will send out replacement parts for the cost of shipping)
- Pilot Metropolitan (nice looking pen, cheap, decent writer, but I'm not fond of the ink converter)

2025-02-19 02:16:08 UTC

Okay, I'm done making pen rolls. This is the first one I actually [em]didn't[/em] eyeball and am reasonably satisfied with the finished result. Made an identical one for Katy. #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url]
[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/photos/me/image/163273685267b53d9755ee5712628571][img=https://social.jlamothe.net/photo/163273685267b53d9755ee5712628571-1.jpeg]Another pen roll. This one is made from a fabric with various cats on a bookshelf. There are six pen slots which are all filled. There is a fold-down flap on the top.[/img][/url]
https://social.jlamothe.net/photo/163273685267b53d9755ee5712628571-0.jpeg

2025-02-17 17:15:36 UTC

Learned from the last pen roll and have signigicantly upped my sewing game. I made this one out of an old shirt that no longer fit me. (I swear it shrunk.) #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url]
[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/photos/me/image/894506376367b36b717ea5b037332118][img=https://social.jlamothe.net/photo/894506376367b36b717ea5b037332118-1.jpeg]A pen roll made out of a denim-like material. It has six pen slots which are filled mostly with LAMY Safaris as well as a caligraphy pen and a small eye dropper pen. The pockets and flap are both lined on the inside unlike the last one, and the pens have considerably more vertical space.[/img][/url]
https://social.jlamothe.net/photo/894506376367b36b717ea5b037332118-0.jpeg

2025-02-16 01:37:10 UTC

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@[url=https://merveilles.town/users/neauoire]Devine Lu Linvega[/url] What about the 80s and 90s? "four twenty ten nine", really?

2025-02-11 00:33:55 UTC

I have never before in my life touched a sewing machine, but now that I have one, I decided that the first thing I'd try to make was a pen roll for my #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url] (one of them is a ballpoint, but we don't talk about that). There are definitely some things I'd do differently the second time around, but I freaking love this machine!
[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/photos/me/image/161439719567aa9a6cd3150416396624][img=https://social.jlamothe.net/photo/161439719567aa9a6cd3150416396624-1.jpeg]A (somewhat shoddily constructed) pen roll made of fabric with a wiener dog pattern. It holds three pens, a Parker GT Urban, a TWSBI Diamond 580, and a random ballpoint.[/img][/url]
https://social.jlamothe.net/photo/161439719567aa9a6cd3150416396624-0.jpeg

2025-02-05 21:41:42 UTC

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@[url=https://ottawa.place/users/stephanie]Stéphanie[/url] At least you're not StÃ©phanie, though.

2025-02-05 21:35:41 UTC

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@[url=https://ottawa.place/users/stephanie]Stéphanie[/url] For crying out loud. How long has Unicode been a standard now? At this point, that's just embarrassing for them.

2025-02-04 23:24:38 UTC

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@[url=https://atomicpoet.org/users/atomicpoet]Chris Trottier[/url] You mean kinda like Friendica's "channels" feature?

2025-02-04 18:00:26 UTC

I know this is very first-world-problem, but now that I have my favourite #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPen]FountainPen[/url] back in working order, I had to make a tough decision about which pen gets the boot from the limited pen slots in my messenger bag. I imagine it's a bit like choosing favourites amongst one's children.

2025-02-04 16:22:09 UTC

Finally got the replacement barrel for my TWSBI Diamond 580 #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPen]FountainPen[/url] from the factory.
[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/photos/me/image/147546251867a23ce3f094d072275437][img=https://social.jlamothe.net/photo/147546251867a23ce3f094d072275437-1.jpeg]A notepad with "The Pen of Thesius writes again!" written in green (Pelikan Edelstein Adventurine) ink. The pen itself is uncapped and laid out on the page beneath the text with the nib end propped up on the cap.[/img][/url]
https://social.jlamothe.net/photo/147546251867a23ce3f094d072275437-0.jpeg

2025-02-02 21:17:17 UTC

I swear my hobby isn't as sketchy as the tools would have you believe, though it can perhaps be as expensive.
#[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url]
[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/photos/me/image/1092650181679fdf0b6580e453461954][img=https://social.jlamothe.net/photo/1092650181679fdf0b6580e453461954-1.jpeg]A notebook sitting on a cluttered desktop. There is a letter with a wax seal hardening on it with a test seal on the notebook. There are also a metal spoon with melted wax residue along with a lighter and a blunt tip syringe in the shot.[/img][/url]
https://social.jlamothe.net/photo/1092650181679fdf0b6580e453461954-0.jpeg

2025-02-02 20:05:24 UTC

TIL that tuning a glass pen with sandpaper (even the one included with the pen) should only be attempted by an experienced user.
Also, #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=today]today[/url] I gained a lot of experience in this area out of necessity after the fact. Still, I shan't be doing that again for a while.
#[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url]

2025-01-24 16:40:25 UTC

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@[url=https://studio8502.ca/users/mos_8502]mos_8502 :verified:[/url] Am I safe in assuming you're already aware of Hetzner?

2025-01-22 06:07:31 UTC

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@[url=https://penfount.social/users/alexa488]alexa-488[/url] I have not. Please tell me more.
Edit: Looked it up. I'm not sure how comfortable I am making my mailing address public, however I have been considering a PO box lately...

2025-01-22 05:35:08 UTC

I need to find more excuses to use my glass pen. It's totally not practical as a daily use pen, but it's soooo satisfying to use.
I need to write some fancy letters or something.
#[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url]

2025-01-20 22:44:26 UTC

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@[url=https://atomicpoet.org/users/atomicpoet]Chris Trottier[/url] It's like when people say XMPP is dead.
What are you talking about. I use it every day.

2025-01-20 15:11:58 UTC

Who was the genius that decided that Cult Pens' search bar should disappear as you're typing in it on mobile? This person belongs in UX jail.
#[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url]

2025-01-20 00:25:39 UTC

Hooray! I finally got my #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=BaystateBlue]BaystateBlue[/url] #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPen]FountainPen[/url] flowing properly again. It only took about a month of finicking with it. Now all I have to do is not leave ink to dry out in it for over a year again...

2025-01-19 22:06:17 UTC

It blows my mind how the exact same ink can look so [em]completely different[/em] between two different #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url].

2025-01-17 22:00:30 UTC

Okay, so I've seen a thing were people will send a box of #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPen]FountainPen[/url] ink samples around by mail from person to person. Individuals will add and removed inks from this box recording the changes in a log book. It seems like a really cool way to get exposed to new inks, and I'd really like to participate in one of these. Is anyone doing this in Canada?
[url=https://youtu.be/nyq2PJc3zrQ]This is an example of what I'm talking about.[/url]

2025-01-14 20:28:51 UTC

Does anyone in the #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPen]FountainPen[/url] community know how to dismantle a LAMY Z28 converter for cleaning? I found a video on YouTube that supposedly demonstrates this
[youtube]8TXNm0qmPb8[/youtube]
but my converters look different than theirs. I suspect mine are of an older design. I suspect they're just missing the metal part, but I want to make sure I'm not going to break them by trying this.
This is what all of my converters look like this:
[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/photos/me/image/17943012556786c79172a93924658349][img=https://social.jlamothe.net/photo/17943012556786c79172a93924658349-1.jpeg]A LAMY converter cartridge[/img][/url]
[attachment type='link' url='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TXNm0qmPb8' title='- YouTube' publisher_name='www.youtube.com' publisher_url='https://www.youtube.com']Auf YouTube findest du die angesagtesten Videos und Tracks. Außerdem kannst du eigene Inhalte hochladen und mit Freunden oder gleich der ganzen Welt teilen.[/attachment]
https://social.jlamothe.net/photo/17943012556786c79172a93924658349-0.jpeg

2025-01-11 01:40:05 UTC

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@[url=https://atomicpoet.org/users/atomicpoet]Chris Trottier[/url] Is that a thing you see happening here? I can maybe understand that on corporate social media where there are some kind of monetization options, but...

2025-01-11 01:03:08 UTC

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@[url=https://atomicpoet.org/users/atomicpoet]Chris Trottier[/url]
[quote]I know why they do this—it’s a status thing.[/quote]
Could you explain it to me? I don't.

2025-01-10 03:48:52 UTC

One of the things nobody tells you about wearing #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=glasses]glasses[/url] is how annoying it is to keep them clean. I had resigned myself to the fact that there would just [em]always[/em] be [em]some[/em] degree of smearing in my field of vision. Try as I might, I could never get them quite as clean as the day I got them.
Then I got an ultrasonic cleaner for my #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPen]FountainPen[/url] hobby and realized I could use it to clean my glasses as well.
10/10 would recommend. Seriously, if you wear glasses, I [em]highly[/em] recommend investing in one. It was one of the best purchases I've ever made.

2025-01-08 17:07:14 UTC

How did I get [em]green[/em] ink on my hands? I don't even have any #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url] currently inked with green.

2025-01-03 21:52:41 UTC

I am now the proud owner of an ultrasonic cleaner for my #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url] which, per the instructions, is "suitable for lazy people in sports without rolling hair".
So that's good... I guess?

2025-01-03 01:40:17 UTC

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@[url=https://penfount.social/users/paradoxmo]paradoxmo[/url] Fair enough, but at that price point, I've learned to accept some compromises.

2025-01-02 21:48:35 UTC

Say what you will about the materials quality of #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=TWSBI]TWSBI[/url] pens, but their customer service is top-notch. They're working on sending me replacement parts for my pen, though there are still some lingering shipping issues in the aftermath of the Canada Post strike. #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url]

2025-01-02 18:56:02 UTC

On a more positive note. One of the inks I ordered came with a free eye-dropper #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPen]FountainPen[/url]. For a free (with purchase) pen, it's pretty nice.

2025-01-02 17:50:06 UTC

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@[url=https://penfount.social/users/paradoxmo]paradoxmo[/url] I've heard that. I really like my TWSBI though. It's a combination of factors. The fact that it's a piston filler was the initial selling point, but I also like that it's a very wet pen. I need something that lays down a good amount of ink. The price is also a major factor. I have a hard time justifying spending over $100 on a pen.
I don't [em]need[/em] a new pen. I have a bunch. It's just that my TWSBI was my favourite.

2025-01-02 16:56:02 UTC

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@[url=https://penfount.social/users/paradoxmo]paradoxmo[/url] Have you had problems with TWSBI in general? The pen actually served me pretty well for years. I suspect the problem may have been my fault.

2025-01-02 16:19:42 UTC

My replacement TWSBI cap [em]finally[/em] arrived today. Went to finally ink the pen up only to discover that the thread that connects the nib assembly is broken.
I know I can order a replacement nib assembly relatively inexpensively, but I don't know if the thread in the pen body is intact either.
It looks like when I lost the cap I didn't clean the pen out properly before pitting it ib storage and there was still some ink sitting in it for a few years. I don't know if that was what caused the damage.
My local pen shop apparently has an AL in stock, and I happen to have gotten a gift card for them for Christmas that would cover the difference between the Diamond 580 and the AL. Perhaps it's time to upgrade?
#[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url]

2024-12-27 21:29:08 UTC

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@[url=https://atomicpoet.org/users/atomicpoet]Chris Trottier[/url] I've always picked my hobbies based on how much I enjoy them, not how "high status" they are.
What the hell does that even mean, anyway?

2024-12-27 15:54:37 UTC

Theoretically, my replacement TWSBI cap will arrive today. Man, I've missed being able to use that #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPen]FountainPen[/url].

2024-12-20 20:10:57 UTC

I've finally been going through the #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=Inkvent]Inkvent[/url] calendar, but I have a question: what exactly is a "chameleon" ink? #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url]

2024-12-18 15:17:22 UTC

The #[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=Inkvent]Inkvent[/url] calendar we ordered and which has been stuck in the postal strike finally arrived. We're just going to open three a day until we're caught up.
#[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url]

2024-12-17 23:07:52 UTC

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@[url=https://linuxmom.net/users/vkc]Veronica Explains[/url] As a former proponent of "HTML is not a programming language", I can state that this video makes a compelling argument to the contrary.
I was wrong.

2024-12-10 22:54:25 UTC

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@[url=https://linuxmom.net/users/vkc]Veronica Explains[/url] @[url=https://hollow.raccoon.quest/users/9tstmcobh4vg0001]Dushman[/url] Also, I find that flatpaks (while not a perfect solution) tend to fill that gap for me.

2024-12-10 04:12:36 UTC

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@[url=https://penfount.social/users/paradoxmo]paradoxmo[/url] I keep a pen inked up with boring ink for such things, and for extreme emergencies I have a... ballpoint *shudders*

2024-12-09 22:05:06 UTC

Git back hone from an appointment with a form that specifically says it's to be filled out with blue or black ink.
Why do people have to be so [em]boring[/em]?
#[url=https://social.jlamothe.net/search?tag=FountainPens]FountainPens[/url]