Notices by Gentleman Technologist (gentlemantech@cyberplace.social)

@dalias @iris_meredith I’ve never actually used any formal methods so I bow to your experience.

The main problem we see in using LLMs to code is the non-determinism. And the main advantage is that the amount of code doesn’t matter too much (within bounds of the context window, but those are growing). So we currently write tons of tests. But tests can’t prove there are no errors, whereas formal methods can.

If not formal methods then something like them

@iris_meredith I’m really interested to see how the core tech adapts to this change. As you say, we haven’t had anything really *new* in ~50 years, pretty much since we invented compilers. That allowed a ton of new things, e.g dynamic languages.

My guess is that formal methods become practical (and then ubiquitous). They’re hassle for a manual coder to do, and don’t add much. But for an LLM that’s prone to hallucinations but fast at writing boilerplate… perfect.

@GossiTheDog why, if “all party leaders commented” did the BBC only quote the Prime Minister (fair enough) and Farage, rather than, say, the Conservative Party leader? Or anyone else?

Is the BBC biased to giving more exposure to Reform than it deserves? From here, it kinda looks like it. Why? Who is pushing the BBC to do this?

@EUCommission the root is wealth disparity. Introduce a wealth tax and fix it.

Job done, I’ll send the invoice for my consulting fee.

@aral this. The business is a speculative asset, not generating cashflow from customers but designed to be sold to a greater fool(s) for an inflated valuation.

@tek google search is effectively malware now.

I switched to DDG last year and it was better. Switched to Kagi last week and that's been amazing.

@TheBreadmonkey anyone saying "not a real man" can fuck right off. No, further than that, keep fucking off. Yes I know there's a sign saying "do not fuck off beyond this point". Ignore it, keep fucking off.

Anyone who talks unironically about "alpha males": see that other idiot? Fuck off past them. The science you're referencing was retracted because it studied wolves in captivity. Yes, that makes you an idiot. Keep fucking off.

@waldschnecke @evacide this. The unintended consequence of the ban will be worse than the thing they tried to ban.

Though there is a bright side: it might popularise VPN use to the point that tech companies finally start understanding that an IP address does not indicate a physical location, a culture, a language, or anything else about the person using it.

@GossiTheDog congrats :)

Finally switched my gaming desktop over to Linux this weekend. The whole Windows 11 "upgrade" thing was getting too bizarre, and my experience with the Steam Deck showed that everything I want to play will work with Proton.

And that's the last instance of Windows I have - all my work moved to Mac or Linux years ago. None of my last several roles have been using Microsoft tech.

Experience so far has been great. Ubuntu install was perfect, Proton works perfectly, Steam is happy. I'm happy :)