Nostr notes by Mark Gardner

Mike Mazza argues that Karl #Popper was wrong to reject ...

2025-03-07T04:03:22Z

Mike Mazza argues that Karl #Popper was wrong to reject scientific induction in favor of merely disproving hypotheses: https://youtu.be/ad5KEuKz1a8

Popper’s “falsificationism” claims #science differs from #religion and pseudo-science in its rational *lack* of certainty. But this only serves to undercut the rationality of science!

Lecture recorded live at #OCON 2024 on June 16 in Anaheim. Come to Boston this summer for OCON 2025! https://events.aynrand.org/ocon/

#philosophy #Objectivism #AynRand

I’m developing a new fragrance for #introverts. It’s called ...

2025-03-03T04:05:58Z

I’m developing a new fragrance for #introverts.

It’s called “Leave Me the Fuh Cologne.”

You were “gifted and talented” in elementary school. Choose ...

2025-02-24T18:51:31Z

You were “gifted and talented” in elementary school. Choose your path!

Hey #millennials and #zoomers who are dealing with your first ...

2025-02-24T18:32:05Z

Hey #millennials and #zoomers who are dealing with your first bout of panic over World War III: Find yourself a #GenX friend to help you see through it.

We spent our childhoods in the shadow of the nuclear #ColdWar, alone while our parents were at work, watching cartoons and eating unheated Pop-Tarts from the foil.

We got you.

For my coding knowledge, though I’m plucky and adventury, Has ...

2025-02-18T18:34:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…vcyr
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For my coding knowledge, though I’m plucky and adventury,
Has only been brought up to the latest tech trends in the industry;
But still, in matters of coding, testing, and design,
I am the very model of a modern developer. (7/7)

In fact, when I know what is meant by API and REST, When I can ...

2025-02-18T18:34:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…jgu8
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In fact, when I know what is meant by API and REST,
When I can tell at sight a monad from a functor with the best,
When such affairs as scalability and security I’m more wary at,
And when I know precisely what is meant by technical debt,
When I have learnt what progress has been made in AI and machine learning,
When I know more of architecture than a novice in a coding meeting—
In short, when I’ve a smattering of elemental system design—
You’ll say a better developer has never sat a line. (6/7)

Then I can write a script in Bash or PowerShell with ease, And ...

2025-02-18T18:32:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…452f
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Then I can write a script in Bash or PowerShell with ease,
And tell you every detail of Docker’s container tease:
In short, in matters of coding, testing, and design,
I am the very model of a modern developer. (5/7)

I know our tech history, from Unix to Linux too; I answer hard ...

2025-02-18T18:32:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…f3kl
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I know our tech history, from Unix to Linux too;
I answer hard questions, I’ve a pretty taste for DevOps anew,
I quote in Markdown all the benefits of CI/CD,
In Agile I can floor peculiarities of Scrum with ease, you see;
I can tell undoubted Node.js from Ruby on Rails with flair,
I know the differences between monolithic and microservices with care!
Then I can hum a tune of which I’ve heard the tech din afore,
And whistle all the APIs from that infernal AWS lore. (4/7)

I’m very good at debugging and solving tricky issues; I know ...

2025-02-18T18:32:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…94n6
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I’m very good at debugging and solving tricky issues;
I know the best practices for coding with clean issues:
In short, in matters of coding, testing, and design,
I am the very model of a modern developer. (3/7)

I am the very model of a modern developer, I’ve knowledge of ...

2025-02-18T18:31:49Z

In reply to nevent1q…yf4z
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I am the very model of a modern developer,
I’ve knowledge of languages, both old and newer,
I know the frameworks of React and Angular too,
And I can code in Python, with libraries anew;
I’m very well acquainted, too, with matters algorithmic,
I understand data structures, both the simple and logistic,
About Git and version control, I’m teeming with a lot o’ news,
With many cheerful facts about the cloud and its uses. (2/7)

I keep seeing #job descriptions asking for experience in ...

2025-02-18T18:31:28Z

I keep seeing #job descriptions asking for experience in “modern #programming languages” and then listing #Python (1991), #Java (1995), JavaScript (1995), #GoLang (2009), and/or #Rust (2012) in the same breath. That's a hell of a spread for modernity!

Unless, of course, they mean “used by ‘modern’ #developers,” in which case, cue the music!

(to the tune of “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General” from Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Pirates of Penzance”) (1/7)

#Advertising like this, disguised as messaging, is one reason why ...

2025-02-17T05:09:05Z

#Advertising like this, disguised as messaging, is one reason why #LinkedIn is such a minefield for those looking for work or looking to hire.

And this specific ad by https://DataAnnotation.tech is basically Mechanical Turk disguised as #AI. How much do you want to bet that “Phoebe R.” the “#recruiter” has an AI-generated profile photo, too?

From the blue "in" network, a comparison (attached) of ...

2025-02-13T19:29:29Z

From the blue "in" network, a comparison (attached) of #Java 7 to Java 23: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/michael-drogalis_java-23-is-a-completely-different-language-activity-7295464207280418816-Q50e

Seems along the way someone got jealous of dynamic language syntax.

Don't brogrammer-explain type inference to me. Here's a nickel; go buy yourself a #programming language with `eval`.

Far be it from me to criticize your #Perl implementation, but ...

2025-01-26T19:30:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…h9lf
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Far be it from me to criticize your #Perl implementation, but what kept you from writing a shell script loop around `curl`, which AFAIK can handle your agent spoofing, random wait, and JSON dumping?

Pro tip for those on a moral crusade: You can’t fight evil ...

2025-01-13T17:48:55Z

Pro tip for those on a moral crusade: You can’t fight evil ideas by pointing at evil people. They don’t care.

And you can’t fight for *good* ideas without first establishing that ideas are worth fighting for, i.e., that ideas *matter*.

That only works on those who haven’t fully given up on their own minds. Anyone who has completely surrendered to emotional whim is unreachable.

Is *your* morality based on denying reason for emotional whim? Then goodbye.

#philosophy

I like Barbara Branden’s answer (as recounted by #AynRand) to ...

2025-01-13T03:47:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…ysqm
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I like Barbara Branden’s answer (as recounted by #AynRand) to the question: “What will happen to the poor in an #Objectivist society?”

“If *you* want to help them, you will not be stopped.”

https://a.co/1UCeYwP

(Rand had nothing against voluntary giving but viewed it “as a marginal issue. What [she fought] is the idea that #charity is a moral duty and a primary virtue.” https://a.co/aAXS385)

#philosophy #ethics #Objectivism

“the #cloud” : someone else’s computer :: “#NoCode” : ...

2025-01-12T16:40:18Z

“the #cloud” : someone else’s computer :: “#NoCode” : someone else’s code

But sometimes the moral panic is stoked by a tabletop ...

2025-01-11T01:13:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…ydkp
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But sometimes the moral panic is stoked by a tabletop role-playing game corrupting a young Tom Hanks: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084314/

Do you mean NIMBYism from the insular folks trying to shout down ...

2025-01-10T22:29:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…qfe5
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Do you mean NIMBYism from the insular folks trying to shout down Threads and Bluesky and TikTok?

I say give them what they want: block and defederate them into their own ghettoes.

Of course! But the decentralized answer is to choose your own ...

2025-01-10T22:20:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…ael5
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Of course! But the decentralized answer is to choose your own policies and either block or STFU about others'. "Allow" and "disallow" are firewall words and don't need to spread further.

As soon as you allow the word "allow" into the ...

2025-01-10T22:16:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…fkmj
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As soon as you allow the word "allow" into the discussion, you've already conceded the argument to those who don't understand decentralized social networks.

IMHO that’s orthogonal to the issues #SCOTUS is deliberating ...

2025-01-10T21:56:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…dasw
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IMHO that’s orthogonal to the issues #SCOTUS is deliberating over the #TikTok ban law. But it’s hard to separate that from the way some people are acting like the town council in ‘Footloose.’

I agree that it's not a gatekeeper. I meant that it should be ...

2025-01-08T18:12:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…mskd
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I agree that it's not a gatekeeper. I meant that it should be updated.

(I know, talk is cheap and patches are welcome.)

I think the final blessing needs to come from perlfaq7: ...

2025-01-08T16:19:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…nkhv
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I think the final blessing needs to come from perlfaq7: https://perldoc.perl.org/perlfaq7#How-do-I-create-a-switch-or-case-statement%3F

And then of course, there's Damian:
- https://metacpan.org/pod/Switch::Back
- https://metacpan.org/pod/Switch::Right

/ Leon Brocard (npub1a7f…js48) Fastly Devs (npub1nnl…j5yk)

Léon, you're an old #Perl hacker. It's bold of you to ...

2025-01-08T16:07:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…vfx0
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Léon, you're an old #Perl hacker. It's bold of you to assume I use a language that hasn’t *deprecated* its own switch statement: https://perldoc.perl.org/perlsyn#Experimental-Details-on-given-and-when

User-friendly #RSS subscription has been a solved problem since ...

2024-12-27T17:13:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…7nhd
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User-friendly #RSS subscription has been a solved problem since 2006 for those with a feed reader app. It was even more solved for a time when readers were built into popular web browsers.

Never gonna get people off centralized #SocialMedia if you assert ...

2024-12-27T16:54:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…uewf
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Never gonna get people off centralized #SocialMedia if you assert #RSS feeds are for “power users.”

Never gonna get #blogs to start exposing them again, either.

Auto-discoverable #feeds should be table-stakes default for anything published on the web chronologically. https://RSSboard.org/rss-autodiscovery

Don’t get me started on non-discoverable #podcast feeds that nevertheless offer service-specific buttons for #Apple, #Spotify, #Amazon, etc

After a couple of years’ participation in the #fediverse, ...

2024-12-26T10:01:43Z

After a couple of years’ participation in the #fediverse, I’ve realized I can’t maintain my usual sincere and open attitude to enjoy my exchanges here.

Instead, I’ve reverted to the troll-blocking mindset I developed on #IRC in the 1990s. The #EternalSeptember that started there continues to produce edgelords here.

They’re just attention and audience thieves, not worth the energy for anything more than indifferently blocking them on first contact.

Very damning indictment of #GitHubCopilot as a ...

2024-12-23T01:38:49Z

*Very* damning indictment of #GitHubCopilot as a professional-grade #programming tool from a former core #FreeBSD team member and current #LLVM and #IoT developer.

My favorite bit:

> "It’s great for boilerplate!" No. APIs that require every user to write the same code *are broken*. Fix them, don’t fill the world with more code using them that will need fixing when the APIs change.

#AI #LLM #SoftwareDevelopment #SoftwareEngineering #coding #debugging https://infosec.exchange/@david_chisnall/113690087142854474

This will always be my beige box #Commodore64 #C64 ...

2024-12-21T23:23:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…e0m3
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This will always be *my* beige box

#Commodore64 #C64 #VintageComputing #RetroComputing #RetroGaming #gaming

100% of people who confuse correlation with causation eventually ...

2024-12-16T15:02:13Z

100% of people who confuse correlation with causation eventually die.

Also, 100% of those who do not confuse correlation with causation eventually die.

Which group is correct?

#philosophy

TIL from the #Perl Advent Calendar about the #Agile meeting tool ...

2024-12-12T22:01:59Z

TIL from the #Perl Advent Calendar about the #Agile meeting tool App::Standup::Diary!

https://perladvent.org/2024/2024-12-12.html

Interesting that it uses Object::Pad (https://metacpan.org/pod/Object::Pad), which has become a testbed/preview for upcoming features in Perl's (still experimental) new #OOP syntax (https://perldoc.perl.org/perlclass, code-named #Corinna). I know Paul Evans (npub1hlp…gkyk) has often asked for more folks to kick the tires on both.

#SoftwareEngineering #coding #programming

From 1962–1976, #AynRand published a series of periodicals ...

2024-12-12T00:20:54Z

From 1962–1976, #AynRand published a series of periodicals containing dozens and dozens of nonfiction articles by herself and others. Many were later anthologized, but many more were only available in bound collections from the Ayn Rand Institute.

But now you can get discounted paperback editions from Amazon! https://amazon.com/dp/B0DPJCLFGN?binding=paperback

Here’s an excerpt from the very first article, appropriately titled “Choose Your Issues.” https://NewIdeal.AynRand.org/an-excerpt-from-choose-your-issues-from-ayn-rands-bound-periodicals-now-in-paperback/

#philosophy #politics #Objectivism

Sure, you might make a difference, but Charles Babbage made a ...

2024-12-11T05:49:29Z

Sure, you might make a difference, but Charles Babbage made a Difference Engine

#RetroComputing

Along with John Kemeny, Thomas E. Kurtz co-invented the #BASIC ...

2024-11-20T18:56:12Z

Along with John Kemeny, Thomas E. Kurtz co-invented the #BASIC #programming language.

You have them to thank for almost every future software #developer that grew up in the #1970s and #1980s, and therefore almost every digital product you're using today.

We lost a giant last week.

10 PRINT "RIP"
2024 END

https://computerhistory.org/blog/in-memoriam-thomas-e-kurtz-1928-2024/

I wish it was that simple. #Xfinity’s broadband Internet is ...

2024-09-20T01:21:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…xp38
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I wish it was that simple.

#Xfinity’s broadband Internet is fabulous compared to others we've tried here. Their mobile phone service is shit.

Ironically, that mobile service is just a #Verizon MVNO. Verizon's mobile phone service is fabulous(ly expensive). But their broadband Internet is shit.

#ATT is worse on all fronts here.

#TMobile is hit-or-miss.

Everyone else is either badge-engineered versions of the above or unavailable where I live.

I have a long-running problem with my #Comcast #Xfinity Mobile ...

2024-09-19T23:46:47Z

I have a long-running problem with my #Comcast #Xfinity Mobile account that they haven't resolved for months.

I'm now starting my support calls with them by asking the agent:

”Have you had training on how to deal with an angry customer? Good, you're about to apply that.”

I don’t equate charity, benevolence, or kindness with #altruism ...

2024-09-19T17:45:26Z

I don’t equate charity, benevolence, or kindness with #altruism for the same reason I don’t equate dieting with starving to death.

The former are rational actions toward a life-sustaining value.

But *consistently* applying altruism as a _moral ideal_ would mean fully denying your life’s value by suicidally serving others’ more valuable lives.

Which is why both dictators and “afterlife” believers preach it, and why those who advocate altruism for their benefit are hypocrites.

#philosophy

Ken and dmr playing the long game

2024-09-19T17:02:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…skyn
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Ken and dmr playing the long game

I downloaded the official #Mastodon mobile app, and… really? ...

2024-09-17T03:19:30Z

I downloaded the official #Mastodon mobile app, and… really? That’s all it can do? Just those features?

No wonder I run across posts from people complaining about how there’s something they “can’t do in Mastodon.”

You *can* do those things, but in helping you join this #SocialNetwork and the #fediverse (an important goal!), Mastodon (npub163h…mv0n) fails to challenge your assumption that the offical app is the only game in town.

It’s a trick question. They all have porn downloads.

2024-09-17T02:21:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…ayv2
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It’s a trick question. They all have porn downloads.

Martin Galway: still a legend. https://song.link/i/1170756271 ...

2024-09-12T01:11:43Z

Martin Galway: still a legend. https://song.link/i/1170756271

(tip of the #SID #chiptune hat to Funkatron (Ed Finkler) (npub1wu2…tctx): https://indieweb.social/@funkatron/113120364346883444)

#music #Parallax #Commodore64 #C64 #RetroGaming #VideoGames

Higher music bitrate is like higher photo megapixels: more is not ...

2024-09-11T05:56:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…wl86
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Higher music bitrate is like higher photo megapixels: more is not necessarily better and only serves to highlight poor aesthetic and/or processing choices made earlier

OK zoomer 🙄

2024-09-09T01:31:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…89ed
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OK zoomer 🙄

(laughs in quinquagenarian)

2024-09-09T00:24:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…8g3m
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(laughs in quinquagenarian)

it you ...

2024-09-08T23:44:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…effr
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it you

The Venn diagram of “#Fediverse is not #Mastodon” and ...

2024-09-08T23:31:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…k70x
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The Venn diagram of “#Fediverse is not #Mastodon” and “it’s actually #GNU / #Linux” people is a single circle

Or MkLinux? http://MkLinux.org Or MachTen? ...

2024-09-08T05:18:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…enu5
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Or MkLinux? http://MkLinux.org

Or MachTen? http://www.tenon.com/products/machten/

Or Yellow Dog Linux? (The `yum` package management utility for RPM packages was based on Yellow Dog’s, thus the name: “Yellowdog Updater, Modified.”)

I was in a band 20-odd years ago called The Phoenix Trap. You can ...

2024-09-06T17:28:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…07jv
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I was in a band 20-odd years ago called The Phoenix Trap. You can #stream and buy our self-titled #album from here: https://album.link/thephoenixtrap

You’ll also find a link there to our #music on internetarchive (npub1umd…wfr7), where you can either #listen to or #download the tracks. Since they’re Creative Commons (npub1v0s…tw6h) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licensed, you’re also free to #remix or adapt them for non-commercial purposes as long as we receive appropriate credit.

Thanks!

DBI has been the #Perl #programming language’s standard ...

2024-09-03T17:09:31Z

DBI has been the #Perl #programming language’s standard #database interface module since October 1994 when it was released coincident with version 5.000 of the language. Like Perl itself, it has continued to be a model of #OpenSource development and support.

https://fosstodon.org/@metacpan/113074361244015803

Prior to #DBI’s adoption, programs needed a bespoke compiled Perl 4 for any particular database system (e.g., #Informix, #Oracle, #Sybase). DBI provided a unified API for application and database driver developers.

Present company excepted, of course, but maybe part of ...

2024-09-03T05:56:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…tv35
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Present company excepted, of course, but maybe part of #ChatGPT’s appeal is that you don’t have to be nice to it

Also, there is an even easier solution when faced with a manager ...

2024-08-30T22:18:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…pc6m
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Also, there is an even easier solution when faced with a manager incapable of remote rapport:

Quit.

I have online professional relationships. I don’t need to date ...

2024-08-30T14:05:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…ludc
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I have online professional relationships.

I don’t need to date my manager.

Still sounds like a them problem.

The classic 1987 #Mac and #AppleIIgs versions of #Shadowgate are ...

2024-08-29T21:56:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…tmpu
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The classic 1987 #Mac and #AppleIIgs versions of #Shadowgate are available in one package on #Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/343800/Shadowgate_MacVenture_Series/

The Steam version is courtesy of #Zojoi, a company founded by original #MacVenture series developers who also crowdfunded the reimagined 2014 version: https://www.zojoi.com/shadowgate/

You can also play the #MSDOS port via internetarchive (npub1umd…wfr7): https://archive.org/details/msdos_Shadowgate_1987

#RetroGaming

Unfortunately, my #Linux resolutions are HiDPI so they’re kinda ...

2024-08-29T05:18:40Z

In reply to nevent1q…4vrg
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Unfortunately, my #Linux resolutions are HiDPI so they’re kinda janky and experimental

#Management will never admit that it’s their problem that ...

2024-08-27T16:46:49Z

#Management will never admit that it’s *their* problem that they don’t feel they can handle remote #workers https://mstdn.social/@lowqualityfacts/113031861996870613

The fact that I visit so many websites where the browser progress ...

2024-08-22T20:50:34Z

The fact that I visit so many websites where the browser progress bar fills and finishes quickly while an *in-page* progress bar creeps along as it tries (and sometimes fails!) to load and render what I came to see is everything wrong with modern #WebDevelopment.

#WebDev