Amanda Unvarnished

Uhg. AI-suggested code is fractally wrong. The function calls it gives me have the wrong arguments (like, it just uses the integer “128” instead of a memory buffer), and after I fix all that, I find that it’s calling the wrong function in the first place. It’s just making shit up.

AI gives plausible-looking answers, not correct answers.

—@AlSweigart

There’s a fediverse reddit version called Lemmy? And reddits API is about to cost a fortune and price out 3rd party apps like Apollo? It’s like the fediverse is just right there waiting every time now.
https://join-lemmy.org/

—@kittywifclaws

The worst part of the Reddit situation is that for folks training certain models, the data is actually worth that much and Reddit will make some money.

So we’re entering into a world where all content of any value to people will be even more locked down because of its value to AI companies.

—@brandonhorst

About ten years ago, the IT building for a local highschool burned to the ground.

My company donated a spare Juniper EX3200 switch to help get them back online. They had erected a small structure without any insulation, and left the switch inside unpowered for a day while the fiber splicers got them hooked back up.

They started the switch, and it immediately shutdown. They looked a gift horse in the mouth and bitched to us that our donation was garbage.

I was dispatched to assist. I connected to the serial console and powered the device up. It immediately indicated that the CPU temperature was 252 C, and shut itself down.

It was January, the outside temperature was -3 C. The Juniper device was storing temperature as an 8-bit unsigned integer value. It got so cold, it thought it was on fire.

Can’t say I ever expected to use a heat gun to get a switch to start before that day. Got it warm enough to power on, and then it kept itself plenty warm to continue operating.

Data types matter, yo.

—@nuintari

It looks like Reddit is keen to pull an Elon around API pricing.

Yes, of course it is risky to build a business based on access to someone else’s platform. They hold the cards. But one of the joys of the open web was the ability to use the client you wanted. A graphical browser, a command line browser, from a script etc.

Once again, what a mess corporatisation of the web has caused.

https://www.reddit.com/r/apolloapp/comments/13ws4w3/had_a_call_with_reddit_to_discuss_pricing_bad/

—@neil

BU President whines about dissent, calls it “cancel culture”

https://popehat.substack.com/p/speech-or-cancel-culture-at-boston

—@Popehat

New Post: Science Briefs – Edition 37 https://www.worldblindherald.com/science-briefs-edition-37

—@worldblindherald