Notices by Colin the Mathmo (colinthemathmo@mathstodon.xyz), page 5

@clacke I used to work in soft-realtime safety-critical software, so this was a well-known and well-worn clip.

We had to balance formal reasoning, semi-formal reasoning, loose arguments, and careful testing, and it was surprisingly interesting and satisfying.

But in those cases we knew in advance what we were trying to achieve, and specifying that formally, or semi-formally, was part of the job.

In this case I've hacked together something to see if it might be useful, and it's grown into a thing that people use.

Software, eh?

(Also, I'm interacting with reverse engineered interfaces to software I neither understand nor control. So ... yeah. Fun.)

@clacke Thank you.

After a few weeks of trying it randomly I'll announce it properly.

Thanks for the motivation to get it done. It wasn't so bad ... the other options will be harder.

@clacke OK, this might actually work now:

Calling @Chartodon Spine ...

Now I need to make sure I didn't break anything else ...

@clacke (And no, I don't have any unit tests ... it's still all an experimental hack.)

@clacke I've got it working semi-automatically on my local machine, but I've had problems getting it to work on the 'bot.

I'll put it on my queue of things to look at sooner rather than later.

Do you have a specific discussion I can use for local testing?

I'm guessing this one:

https://mathstodon.xyz/statuses/111124890888971530

Happy Equinox Everyone!

Today, as the Sun sets, the path it takes to the horizon is at the same angle to the vertical as your latitude.

So if you plot the shadow of a point against a wall as the Sun sets, you can measure your latitude.

Which is kinda cool.

@goatsarah It's the timing that raises the suspicion. Yes, we have mutual contacts IRL, but isn't it interesting that it makes the suggestion just now.

Or maybe I'm just paranoid, and hate FFB enough to suspect the worst of it.

I need ot log off and go switch myself off and on again.

@goatsarah We were chatting here in PT the other day, then I've visited FFB for the first time in ages and look, there you are suggested as a possible friend.

Coincidence?

@goatsarah Cool ... thanks.

(I'm archiving this conversation as we go for later reference and practice ... here it is so far:

https://www.solipsys.co.uk/Chartodon/PTPT_20230917.svg
)

CC: @ajlanes

@alisonkiddle Pode tratá-lo como um exercício de desencriptação!

(You can treat it as an exercise in decryption)

É um quebra-cabeça...

(It's a puzzle (literally "break-head))

CC: @goatsarah

@ajlanes @alisonkiddle @goatsarah

Ow. Ow, ow, ow, ow ...

@goatsarah Mas uma vez, tomei nota da ideia ... obrigado.

Agora, preciso trabalhar.

CC: @malmeida

@goatsarah Posso acreditar, mas não tenho tempo.

CC: @malmeida

@goatsarah Estou a utilizar uma abrodagem em cinco vertentes.

(a) Duolingo para estrutura e exemplos amplos;

(b) Estou a ler um livro de matemática recreativo para vocabulário especializado;

(c) Estou a ler um livro dirigido a rapazes de 14 anos... uma aventura de ação sem subtileza;

(d) Ouvir headines de notícias televisivas;

(e) Tentar falar e corresponder-se com as pessoas através da internet.

Não tenho tempo suficiente, mas estou a fazar progressos.

CC: @malmeida

@goatsarah Entender o português falado continua impossível por enquanto, a imersão será necessária.

Um dia

CC: @malmeida

@goatsarah
Assustador.

CC: @malmeida

@goatsarah Eu entendo isso ...

O que estou tentando fazer ê criar a frase na minha cabeça, colocá-la no sistema de tradução para verificá-la, e usá-la como uma oportunidade de aprender.

Eu tenho muitas palavras, mas nem sempre se encaixam no quero dizer!

Utilizo este processo para ajudar a colmatar essa lacuna.

@malmeida

@goatsarah Em algum momenta eu vou remover as rodas de treinador.

@malmeida

@malmeida Obrigado!

Meu progresso é muito lento, em parte porque ainda tenho vergonha de cometer erros.

Mas tento ...

@goatsarah Boa noite. Beijinhos voltaram!

(E obrigado por tolerar meus erros)

Tchau!