Please tell your friends about federated social media site that speaks several fediverse protocols thus serving as a hub uniting them, hubzilla.eskimo.com, also check out friendica.eskimo.com, federated
macroblogging social media site, mastodon.eskimo.com a federated microblogging site, and yacy.eskimo.com an uncensored federated search engine. All Free!
I’m always a bit cautious of the argument that the barriers are a good thing. That easily slips into harmful gatekeeping if we aren’t careful. It’s not good when programming is inaccessible or unwelcoming.
What •is• good is that writing code slows you down and (if you’re good) makes you •think• about what the heck you’re doing — the work @saraislet is talking about — with a depth and detail that no amount of chin-stroking and up-front design work can match. Skipping that work, however you skip it, is a false gain. infosec.exchange/@saraislet/11…
One of the problems with vibe coding is that the hardest part of software engineering is not writing the code, rather it's *choosing* what to code, and designing the system (and, later on, maintaining the code/operations/etc)
The barriers and invest…
Code is a confusing engineering object for our human brains. It is a bit like building a bridge or a kitchen utensil: it’s an object without a mind, it has a function, it can fail, people do unexpected things with it. But it can also feel a bit like a person given a task: it has behavior, it •decides•, it •acts•, it •causes•.
(All arguably true of a bridge too, but most of us don’t think of bridges that way!)
The lay understanding of code leans heavily on the idea that programs are anthropomorphic, little homunculi with agency.
Where that understanding goes wrong is that humans have perception and experience and common sense. And yes, people are foolish and fallible — but ultimately humans are the adaptable element of complex systems[1], and when we design processes involving humans, we always, always lean on that adaptability.
If we say “walk out the door,” humans generally will not just walk face first into the wall just because the door is behind it.
So much of the work we do in software is about asking not just what •does• happen when the developer runs their own code, but what •could• happen when the code is running in the wild, out from under the watchful eye of its author.
That’s really, really hard. It’s a large portion of what makes development time-consuming and labor-intensive.
And it’s something you can only do if you actually understand what the code •means• — both to the computers and to the humans.
A lot of the design work that goes into programming languages and tools is about prompting developers to •think about meaning•: tests, types, scope, compile errors, runtime errors — all about •preventing code from running• in the presence of an expectation/reality mismatch.
I’m always on high alert for tools that promise to speed development by letting developers skip the thinking.
This AI vibe coding (“kids should not go into coding as a career”) era reminds me of that guidance counsellor in high school (circa 1995) warning us to stay away from the computer industry at large b/c he read an article about Moorse’s law (I assume) and figured they can only make these darn computers run so fast and then that’s it… this was before any true adoption of the Internet.
Hands on coding experience as you’re describing would dispense all the theory.
Ref: I’m still gainfully employed fixing mainframe code 🙃
I remember a similar brief panic about offshore outsourcing. All the programming jobs were going to disappear to other countries…until they didn’t. Prediction is hard, especially of the future.
That’s not necessarily the only way to use machine learning to assist coding. It is, however, one of the “magic diet pills” promises at the heart of the current hype bubble.
Whatever the dev tools of the future look like, until we have Lieutenant-Commander Data, difficult human thought will be at the heart of writing code.
In a saner environment, we’d be having a reasonable conversation about that: in what ways, if any, can a machine that repeats contextual patterns with no sense of meaning augment humans thinking through tricky things? In ways can it mislead? When, if ever, is it worth the tradeoffs? the resource costs? etc etc.
Right now, the off-the-charts money and hype make that reasonable conversation impossible except perhaps in hushed corners. (Please do not have that argument in my replies. I am tired.)
this is why I always say that the best thing for me as a dev that makes the biggest difference to my productivity and the quality of my work, is to partner with a great tester
Whatever your problems were, he is obviously a good heart. My ex refused me access to my dogs and gave one away. When she posted in the national register my girl had died, I sent her a copy of her post and thanked her for the kindest words she ever said about my girl. She always hated that girl but took her fom me.
⭕️L'advocat del pres, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, descriu el seu delicat estat de salut i la denegació deliberada de tractament.
⭕️L'advocada del Dr. Abu Safiya, basant-se en la seua última visita, descriu la brutalitat a la qual és sotmés durant els interrogatoris i les constants pallisses.
⭕️El Dr. Abu Safiya, detingut des del 27 de desembre de l'any passat, ha perdut 40 kg i patix hipertensió i debilitat cardíaca.
⭕️ 360 professionals sanitaris han sigut arrestats des de l'inici de la guerra genocida en la Franja de Gaza.
⭕️ Entre els detinguts es troben metges amb experiència i especialitats importants, accés que se'ls ha negat a pacients i ferits.
⭕️ El Ministeri de Salut insta les autoritats competents a intervindre urgentment per a criminalitzar les pràctiques de l'ocupació contra el personal sanitari detingut i pressionar-los perquè siguen alliberats.
@Richard @greyknight It took forever to get to him, and as I recall, you couldn’t just start at Tyson again if he beat you, you had to go back and re-beat Mr. sandman and Macho Man, or at least one of them before getting to face Tyson again. After three or four times making it to him, I just abandoned it.
"Midsummer's Daydream" OFFICIAL LIVE VIDEOTRIUMPHA NIGHT OF TRIUMPHMETRO CENTRE ARENA - HALIFAX, NSJanuary 6, 1987Visit the new TRIUMPH website:http://www.Tr...
"La Grappe / samedi 12 juillet 2025 Pour participer à la construction d’un centre de rétention administrative, il faut soit adhérer à la politique xénophobe de l’État, soit ne pas faire le lien entre les deux… Il est de plus … Continuer la lecture →"
people are inflamed by the nature of the crimes, which distracts them from the reasons and context in which they were (are) being committed, which is even more serious
"L’Est éclair / samedi 13 juillet 2025 Trois mois après que la permanence du député RN Jordan Guitton, installée rue Georges-Clémenceau à Troyes, a été vandalisée, [et un an après une autre visite ; NdAtt.] elle a de nouveau fait … Continuer la lecture →"
Greek theatre teacher Efi Lazou wrote and directed a theater play as a private individual, with the title "Anne Frank speaks to the children of Palestine".
The shows were done in a private space with zero involvement of her school.
Yet, the Administration for Primary Education (under the Ministry of Education) has launched an investigation against her, trying to fire her due to that play.
Η υπόθεση της θεατρολόγου Έφης Λάζου δεν αφορά μόνο ένα πρόσωπο. Θίγει τον πυρήνα του ρόλου του εκπαιδευτικού, τη θέση της Τέχνης στην κοινωνία και το δικαίωμα στη δημόσια αναστοχαστική έκφραση.
Marcy Wheeler explains the crucial distinctions in how liberals and the right-wing use language, the role of journalism, and the impact of amplifying polariz...
UK’s industrial sites to face power constraints without urgent grid upgrades.
A group of major British businesses has warned that without further investment, the UK’s electricity network will become significantly constrained from 2030 as the economy electrifies.
"The Achilles’ heel of the ruling elites in Europe and in the United States today is that even though they’re presiding over the political crisis of neoliberalism, the legitimacy crisis of neoliberalism, they’re thoroughly wedded to the regime. They have nothing else to offer."
Donald Trump styled himself as a populist, “antiestablishment” president. But look at what he has actually done in office, and you see he’s a status-quo politician with nothing to offer working Americans.
Höchster Masernstand in den USA seit mehr als 30 Jahren
In den USA sind die Masern weiter auf dem Vormarsch, die Infektionszahlen haben den höchsten Stand seit mehr als 30 Jahren erreicht. Ein Grund ist offenbar die wachsende Impfskepsis - auch in der Regierung. Von Nina Barth.
Das »nur zwei Prozent der globalen CO2-Emissionen«-Argument reflektiert nicht nur Verantwortungslosigkeit, Rücksichtslosigkeit und Ignoranz, sondern auch eine extreme Kurzsichtigkeit. Wer die Gründe dafür noch nicht verstanden hat: Bitte den Artikel lesen! ⬇️ spiegel.de/wissenschaft/mensch…
Friedrich Merz findet, Deutschland müsse erst einmal nicht mehr so viel für die Zukunft der Menschheit tun: Unser Anteil an den Emissionen sei doch so klein. Das ist ein sehr schlechtes Argument.
A Russian strike on the town of Zlatopil in the Kharkiv region has killed a 57-year-old woman and injured her 13-year-old daughter, along with nine others. — Ukrinform.
Today in Labor History July 14, 1896: Legendary Spanish anarchist and military strategist Buenaventura Durruti was born. Durruti helped organize attacks on the government of dictator Miguel Primo de Riviera in 1923. He was influential in the anarchist federation FAI and the syndicalist union CNT. He is probably best known for leading thousands of anarchist troops (the Durruti Column) against the Franco dictatorship.
In a country where half the population suddenly is labelled terrorist because of their views, how does the police do their "job"? Report from the not any longer so great Britain
Kind interesting that nierenstein stopped posting right after all this epstein stuff happened. I wonder if there is a connection between them? They seem to share the last name stein.
Chinese makers of air conditioners have witnessed explosive growth of exports to Europe, Southeast Asia and North America.
Data from the General Administration of Customs showed that China's exports of air conditioners stood at 31.67 million units in the first half, up 13.2 percent in June alone from the same period last year. The country's total output of air conditioners reached 17.58 million units in June, an increase of 35.3 percent year-on-year.
Chinese makers of air conditioners have witnessed explosive growth of exports to Europe, Southeast Asia and North America so far this year as record-setting heat waves have scorched the northern hemisphere since June against the backdrop of climate c…
Zum Schluss hat Microsoft seinem Notepad jetzt auch Markdown-Syntax hinzugefügt, und sie funktioniert leider genauso, wie man sich das bei Microsoft vorstellt.
Der Editor fügt Markdown ein, wo keines notwendig ist, und beim Wechsel von Quellcode auf Darstellung versteht er sein eigenes Markdown nicht.
Ich warte eigentlich nur auf das Update, wo ich notepad.exe starte - einen Text-Editor und Zufluchtsort vor der Featuritis handelsüblicher Textprogramme - und dann doch noch dieser Kollege auftaucht.
My favourite dumbass Commodore take is the one that goes to the effect if "they're just going to sue a bunch of people". It combines being completely tilted and unhinged with straight up making up a reason to hate them without a shred of evidence.
Cuando sea presidente de la Comisión Europea, prohibiré el DM*
* El DM o MDF es un material fabricado a partir de fibras de maderas, cartón y resinas sintéticas comprimidas; una puta mierda que pagas como si fuera bueno
The boat, loaded with medical supplies, food, children’s equipment and medicine, is expected to make a stop at Gallipoli in southeastern Italy before heading to Gaza. It will sail for about a week across the Mediterranean in the hope of reaching Gaza’s coast…
The Gaza Freedom Flotilla sets sail once more, only weeks after Israel intercepted the previous vessel, Madleen. Now, the Gaza-bound Handala, carrying over a...
Masar Badil: On the First Anniversary of the Martyrdom of Commander Mohammad al-Deif, “Abu Khaled”
As long as there is a heartbeat of resistance and life in our people, he remains alive within us. On the first anniversary of the martyrdom of Commander Mohammad al-Deif, “Abu Khaled”
On this date one year ago, July 13, 2024, Commander Mohammad al-Deif (Abu Khaled), the General Commander of the General Staff of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, rose to the highest heavens after a long journey of resistance and sacrifice. He was a symbol of steadfastness and concealment, and a figure that haunted the Zionist army and its leaders for decades. His name, and his noble legacy, continue to grow and strengthen in Gaza and throughout Palestine.
As we mark the first anniversary of the martyrdom of our brother and leader Abu Khaled al-Deif, the hearts of our people and our nation still beat with his name. They remember him as a silent fighter, a brilliant strategist, and a steadfast leader. He left us with an eternal legacy of struggle, and a military school rooted in resistance, secrecy, and patience. He instilled in our consciousness that liberation comes only through the rifle, unwavering will, and the correct revolutionary stance. He taught us that the only true and steadfast compass is the one that points to Jerusalem — for its liberation from the Zionist invaders.
On this glorious anniversary, we renew our pledge to our great martyr and to all the martyrs of the resistance in Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, and every land where martyrs have fallen for the liberation of Palestine, that we will remain on the path, we will neither deviate nor compromise, and that the flag of revolution shall remain raised and continue until the liberation of all of Palestine, from the river to the sea.
Our pledge to the martyred leader Abu Khaled is to confront Zionism and imperialism everywhere, and to work tirelessly to defeat all liquidation projects and the forces of surrender and normalization.
Peace be upon the living commander within us. Peace upon his spirit that soars over the skies of Gaza, Jerusalem, Jenin, Haifa, Bethlehem, and above the capitals of resistance from Beirut to Sana’a, and across every inch of our great Arab homeland.
Glory to the martyrs. Eternal glory to the great historic commander, Mohammad al-Deif. The resistance continues… until liberation and return.
The Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement (Masar Badil) July 13, 2025
As long as there is a heartbeat of resistance and life in our people, he remains alive within us. On the first anniversary of the martyrdom of Commander Mohammad al-Deif, 'Abu Khaled' On this date one year ago, July 13, 2024, Commander Mohammad al-De…
"Also, BY DEFINITION, a minor cannot consent to sex and such, and this is statutory rape."
that is not by definition, and you don't need to capitalize as if I wouldn't get it. It's by governmnent lie. The government simply lies and says children cannot LEGALLY CONSENT.
"but about the general truth that there are organisations trafficking in children for the purpose of sexual "
yes we know that this is going on but it cannot be unravelled and stopped by lying
Too many reports talk about grooming of young girls, put into situations where they should never have been (parent alert: how on earth did they allow their daughters to go on such trips?).
"Too many reports talk about grooming of young girls, put into situations where they should never have been (parent alert: how on earth did they allow their daughters to go on such trips?)."
where are these "reports"? from the same garbage bin that almost everything on the internet comes from?
Masar Badil: On the First Anniversary of the Martyrdom of Commander Mohammad al-Deif, “Abu Khaled” abolitionmedia.noblogs.org/203…
"As long as there is a heartbeat of resistance and life in our people, he remains alive within us. On the first anniversary of the martyrdom of Commander Mohammad al-Deif,…"
Israel releases footage of it striking Syrian T-72 Tanks
Syrian army forces have joined a tribal force attack on the Druze majority city of Sweida (Suwayda).
Although the Syrian forces claim they were trying to deescalate, they have joined forces against the Druze. Israel is taking advantage of the situation for its own territory ambitions
The Syrian Ministry of Defense expands security in the towns of (Al-Thalaa and Walga) after the expulsion of the Hijri militias from them to become on the outskirts of the city center of Sweida.
Druze militias are requesting negotiations with the Syrian government.
The Syrian state requires surrender with the surrender of all weapons without any conditions to all armed groups in Sweida to spare the battle on the city, and there is no negotiation without it.
So while in Syria the civil war continues with Alewites, Druze and other victims, and while at the same time there are signs that ISIS in Syria is reviving, European countries are repatriating Syrians considering Syria a safe country.
Join us for a special Huddle on Weather Modification. Dave and Melanie join me for a live weather update, and then Scott and Patriot AU join me for a classic segment on the history of weather modifica
Vous l'attendiez, le voici : vous pourrez désormais converser directement entre le Fédiverse et la messagerie instantanée XMPP ! Et ce depuis votre compte et votre application habituelle, sans rien changer.
Comment ça marche ? Très simple, deux comptes robots jumeaux vont se charger de passer vos messages dans l'autre monde.
Et donc depuis Mastodon : votre contact est @xmpp_bridge que vous pourrez suivre pour vous inscrire, puis envoyer et recevoir des messages depuis XMPP.
À chaque fois que vous envoyez un message, vous faites comme pour tout message privé : mention du compte robot depuis Mastodon ou envoi de message privé depuis une application comme Pixelfed ou Friendica, par exemple.
Adressez votre ou vos destinataires XMPP avec le préfixe xmpp: suivi de leur adresse (sans espace). Vous pourrez répondre directement à tout message reçu.
Vous pourrez également gérer vos listes de blocage, afin d'éviter tout spam, et vous pourrez rapporter tout abus à votre administrateur.
Ça ne vous intéresse pas ? Pas de panique, tant que vous n'êtes pas inscrit, vous ne recevrez rien.
Commencez ! Évidemment, ça n'a d'intérêt que si vous connaissez des interlocuteurs XMPP (et vice-versa). Mais c'est aussi l'occasion d'essayer et de promouvoir la messagerie instantanée.
Testez et rapportez-moi tout bug ou toute remarque utile, pour améliorer le service.
En espérant que vous appréciez ce nouveau service assez exclusif mais ouvert à tous !
🔄 Boostez svp pour répandre la bonne parole dans l'Univers.
You've been waiting for it, here it is: from now on you'll be able to chat directly between Fediverse and XMPP instant messaging! All from your usual account and application, without changing a thing.
So how does it work? Very simply, two twin robot accounts will be responsible for passing your messages to the other world.
So from Mastodon: your contact is @xmpp_bridge, who you can follow to sign up, then send and receive messages from XMPP.
Each time you send a message, you do as you would for any private message: mention the robot account from Mastodon or send a private message from an application such as Pixelfed or Friendica, for example.
Address your XMPP recipient(s) with the prefix xmpp: followed by their address (without spaces). You can reply directly to any message you receive.
You can also manage your block lists to prevent spam, and you can report any abuse to your administrator.
Not interested? Don't worry, you won't receive anything until you register.
Get started! Obviously, this is only of interest if you know XMPP contacts (and vice versa). But it's also an opportunity to try out and promote instant messaging.
Test it out and report any bugs or useful comments to me, so that I can improve the service.
I hope you enjoy this new service, which is fairly exclusive but open to everyone!
🔄 Please boost to spread the good word in the Universe.
Un pont XMPP - Fédiverse élémentaire donc (bien moins ambitieux que Libervia), fournissant un service de chat entre les deux mondes, les utilisateurs gardant leur application et leur compte habituels.
L'architecture est simple : deux comptes robots, un dans chaque monde (backend Python avec Slixmpp et API Mastodon) se chargeant de faire écho de chaque message pour l'envoyer dans l'autre monde. Avec un traitement des adresses, listes de blocages, etc.
Ça reste pour une utilisation simple et à échelle modérée (chaque compte robot étant soumis aux limitations imposées par les serveurs Mastodon et XMPP auxquels ils sont rattachés).
L'idée étant de permettre un déploiement simple et de jouer la scalabilité en rajoutant des bots jumeaux par chaque administrateur intéressé (le principe du Fédiverse, finalement).
Si ça intéresse quelqu'un, je mettrai le code source à disposition en AGPL cet été après quelques semaines de fonctionnement en béta. Ouvert à tous !
If you want a nice tartar sauce to go with it, make it as would any but add finely ground dried rosemary. And a whiff of basil. Some malt vinegar to taste. Few big ol' mustard seeds.
Help Declassified expose the powerful by joining us: https://www.declassifieduk.org/join/How complicit is Britain in the Gaza genocide? Could British ministe...
Why is this great news? Well, it serves as a clear reminder that federal agents can be arrested when they break the law. If they assault people—or kidnap them—or commit any crimes at all, they can and should end up in handcuffs. “No one is above the law, regardless of their position or badge,” LA County DA Nathan Hochman said. He’s right, but it shouldn’t take this level of carnage for them to end up behind bars. - Scott Dworkin
"I have been on Truth Social to cover Trump since the first day it became active, and have read every post. The people on that platform are hardcore MAGA cultists who are typically intensely loyal. But his dismissive post on Epstein drew a tidal wave of angry responses like I have never seen before. So far, Trump has received over 45,000 replies, over 90% negative."
"For the first time ever, Trump got ratioed on his own platform, meaning that there were more comments on his post than likes or shares, showing disapproval of his message. According to Jordan King of Newsweek, by 10:45 this morning (Eastern Time) it had more than 36,000 replies but only 11,000 reposts and 32,000 likes."
We should be beating MAGA over the head with a simple fact: if Epstein's list was a Democrat conspiracy, Biden would have released it when he was in office.
The fact Biden refused to release it means prominent Democrats are on it.
The fact Trump refused to release it means prominent Republicans are on it.
يا ضيفنا لو زرتنا لوجدتنا نحن الضيوف وأنت رب المنزل “O our guest, if you were to visit us, you would find That we are the guests, and you are the master of the house.”
Mohammad Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri (Abu Khaled), or most commonly known as Mohammed Deif — The Guest: A man who led the resistance from the shadows, his name chanted by millions, though little was known about him. But that didn’t matter. What mattered was that he was the shadow of the resistance, dedicating his life to the fight for freedom. And the people knew that.
Born in Gaza in 1965, Deif studied science at the Islamic University of Gaza. During his time there, he was active in religious, student, and humanitarian work—along with a passion for theater. In 1989, the occupation forces arrested him, detaining him without trial for 16 months on charges of working with Hamas’ military wing.
His release coincided with the rise of the Qassam Brigades, which had begun executing operations deep within the zionist entity. Deif moved to the West Bank alongside several Qassam leaders from Gaza, overseeing the formation of a West Bank branch. He rose to prominence after the assassination of Imad Aqel in 1993, and oversaw several successful operations against the occupation, including the capture of zionist soldier Nachshon Wachsman in 1994.
In the year 2000, he was arrested once again by the Palestinian Authority but managed to escape detention following the outbreak of the Second Intifada. This marked a significant turning point in the development of Hamas’ military capabilities.
Mohammed Deif was appointed as the commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades in 2002. Upon taking leadership, he established a military training and development academy, later revealed after the occupation’s withdrawal from Gaza in 2005.
Deif is credited with numerous strategic successes for Al-Qassam, most notably in the field of missile development. Under his command, the Qassam Brigades transformed their arsenal—from primitive rockets with a few kilometers’ range to missiles capable of reaching every occupied Palestinian city, from the far south to the north.
Mohammed Deif rarely appeared on media, the last being on the morning of October 7, 2023, when he announced Al-Aqsa Flood. He survived seven assassination attempts by the occupation, in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2014, and twice in 2021. He suffered burns, lost an eye, and, according to occupation claims, lost a leg and sustained arm injuries in another.
In 2014, another attempt on his life killed his wife, Widad Mustafa Harb Deif, and children including a his three-year-old daughter and his seven-month-old son, Ali. Yet, Deif remained committed to resistance.
Despite never revealing his face to the public, Deif became one of the most beloved and respected figures in the resistance. People from different countries and backgrounds pledged allegiance to him, for what he represented.
“Put the sword before the sword—we are the people of Mohammed Deif!”
He was nicknamed “the guest” because for decades, he slept in a different house every night, avoiding detection and assassination. The occupation threatened to kill him. The people answered: “Our homes are yours.”
Mohammed Deif was the resistance as it is: from the people, for the people.
Glory to Mohammed Deif, the shadow of the resistance who remains for as long as its light keeps shining.
Abu Khaled, the guest, master of every home and every heart.
The pulse of the resistance. المقاومة جدوى مستمرة. Backup Mirror: @RNN_Backup Prisoners Channel: @RNN_Prisoners RNN Archive: @RNN_Archive Contact/Feedback: @RNN_Messaging_Bot
Long-overdue multiplier incoming: DOJ’s Epstein video blows up again; Trump’s tariffs spook holdouts; Zelensky’s bill gets outsourced; MTG drops a killer tax cut; and TACO may be off the menu.
PKK’nin Kendisini Fesih Kararının Tarihsel Önemi Üzerine-I
Geçen yılın başında yazdığım “AKP-MHP Kavgası ve Muhalefet” adlı makalede, ABD’de Trump’ın başkan seçilmesi durumunda, Erdoğan ile AKP’nin İmralı’da bulunan Abdullah Öcalan aracılığıyla PKK ile yeni bir “Çözüm ya da Barış Süreci” başlatabileceğini yazmıştım. Bugün yaşananlar bu tespitleri büyük oranda doğrulamıştır. Bugün yaşanan olayların tarihsel nedenlerini, toplumda çok az bir kesim tam olarak bilince çıkarabilmiştir. Gerek görsel gerekse de yazılı basında sorun ya çok dar bir temelde (Erdoğan’ın tekrar seçilmesi) ya da yanlış bir bağlamda (Suriye’de rejim değişikliği) tartışılmakta ve temelde olayları hareket ettiren dinamik ya da dinamiklerin yapısı tam olarak kavranılmamaktadır. Olayların tarihsel arka planını inceleyen ve çözümleyen iki uzun yazı[1]ile bunu yapmış olduğumuz için burada artık sorunun bu yanı üzerinde durmayacağız.
Paul Cantrell
in reply to Paul Cantrell • • •Code is a confusing engineering object for our human brains. It is a bit like building a bridge or a kitchen utensil: it’s an object without a mind, it has a function, it can fail, people do unexpected things with it. But it can also feel a bit like a person given a task: it has behavior, it •decides•, it •acts•, it •causes•.
(All arguably true of a bridge too, but most of us don’t think of bridges that way!)
The lay understanding of code leans heavily on the idea that programs are anthropomorphic, little homunculi with agency.
2/
Paul Cantrell
in reply to Paul Cantrell • • •Where that understanding goes wrong is that humans have perception and experience and common sense. And yes, people are foolish and fallible — but ultimately humans are the adaptable element of complex systems[1], and when we design processes involving humans, we always, always lean on that adaptability.
If we say “walk out the door,” humans generally will not just walk face first into the wall just because the door is behind it.
Code will — unless you tell it not to.
[1] how.complexsystems.fail/#12
3/
How Complex Systems Fail
how.complexsystems.failPaul Cantrell
in reply to Paul Cantrell • • •So much of the work we do in software is about asking not just what •does• happen when the developer runs their own code, but what •could• happen when the code is running in the wild, out from under the watchful eye of its author.
That’s really, really hard. It’s a large portion of what makes development time-consuming and labor-intensive.
And it’s something you can only do if you actually understand what the code •means• — both to the computers and to the humans.
4/
Paul Cantrell
in reply to Paul Cantrell • • •A lot of the design work that goes into programming languages and tools is about prompting developers to •think about meaning•: tests, types, scope, compile errors, runtime errors — all about •preventing code from running• in the presence of an expectation/reality mismatch.
I’m always on high alert for tools that promise to speed development by letting developers skip the thinking.
5/
Bilal Barakat 🍉 reshared this.
Paul Will Gamble
in reply to Paul Cantrell • • •This AI vibe coding (“kids should not go into coding as a career”) era reminds me of that guidance counsellor in high school (circa 1995) warning us to stay away from the computer industry at large b/c he read an article about Moorse’s law (I assume) and figured they can only make these darn computers run so fast and then that’s it… this was before any true adoption of the Internet.
Hands on coding experience as you’re describing would dispense all the theory.
Ref: I’m still gainfully employed fixing mainframe code 🙃
Paul Cantrell
in reply to Paul Will Gamble • • •@paulywill
I remember a similar brief panic about offshore outsourcing. All the programming jobs were going to disappear to other countries…until they didn’t. Prediction is hard, especially of the future.
Paul Cantrell
in reply to Paul Cantrell • • •That’s not necessarily the only way to use machine learning to assist coding. It is, however, one of the “magic diet pills” promises at the heart of the current hype bubble.
Whatever the dev tools of the future look like, until we have Lieutenant-Commander Data, difficult human thought will be at the heart of writing code.
6/
Paul Cantrell
in reply to Paul Cantrell • • •In a saner environment, we’d be having a reasonable conversation about that: in what ways, if any, can a machine that repeats contextual patterns with no sense of meaning augment humans thinking through tricky things? In ways can it mislead? When, if ever, is it worth the tradeoffs? the resource costs? etc etc.
Right now, the off-the-charts money and hype make that reasonable conversation impossible except perhaps in hushed corners. (Please do not have that argument in my replies. I am tired.)
7/
Marc Trius
in reply to Paul Cantrell • • •Damper 🇨🇦
in reply to Paul Cantrell • • •