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2024-08-22

I'm tired of fixing customers' AI generated code

  • The author, Tate Smith, built cryptocurrency trading and data gathering tools in Rust and gained paying customers by setting up API endpoints.
  • Despite having a well-documented API, many new users, often using AI tools like ChatGPT, struggled with basic tasks and produced error-prone code due to AI hallucinations.
  • The increase in support requests, especially from users expecting unlimited free help, has led to frustration, highlighting the downside of AI programming tools for inexperienced coders.

Reactions

  • Many customers are increasingly relying on AI tools like ChatGPT to generate code, which often results in incorrect outputs and additional work for support staff.
  • The rise of non-technical "idea people" starting technical businesses without understanding the technical aspects exacerbates the problem.
  • Potential solutions include better documentation, improved Software Development Kits (SDKs), or implementing charges for support services.

US hospital told family their daughter had checked out when in fact she'd died

  • Jessie Marie Peterson's family discovered she had died a year after being told she had checked out of a California hospital, with her body sent to a storage facility.
  • The family has filed a lawsuit against Mercy San Juan Medical Center for negligence and emotional distress, seeking over $5 million in damages.
  • Dignity Health, the hospital's operator, expressed sympathies but declined to comment on the ongoing litigation.

Reactions

  • A US hospital erroneously informed a family that their daughter had checked out when she had, in fact, passed away.
  • The hospital subsequently sent her body to an off-site morgue, making an autopsy impossible due to decomposition.
  • The family is suing the hospital for $5 million, underscoring severe negligence and potential malpractice in the healthcare system.

Celebrating 6 years since Valve announced Steam Play Proton for Linux

  • Today marks the 6th anniversary of Valve's Steam Play Proton, a pivotal development for Linux gaming, especially for the Steam Deck and Desktop Linux.
  • Proton has enabled 22,002 games to run on Linux, with 5,297 Steam Deck Verified and 10,646 Playable, significantly broadening the gaming landscape for Linux users.
  • Despite its success, Proton's major challenge remains improving anti-cheat support to enhance the gaming experience further.

Reactions

  • Valve's Steam Play Proton for Linux celebrates its 6th anniversary, marking a significant milestone in enabling Windows games to run on Linux seamlessly.
  • Users report that flagship games from their Steam libraries work flawlessly on Linux, thanks to Proton, which integrates Wine, DXVK, and other tools to ensure compatibility.
  • Despite some challenges with anti-cheat systems and non-Steam games, the community and third-party tools like Lutris and Heroic are making strides in improving the gaming experience on Linux.

What is an SBAT and why does everyone suddenly care

Reactions

  • Microsoft's SBAT update, intended to enhance boot security using TPM and other methods, has inadvertently blocked some Linux dual-boot systems from booting.
  • Users are exploring solutions like custom secure boot keys, unified kernel images, and systemd-cryptenroll to address the issue.
  • The situation underscores the complexities and potential pitfalls of secure boot mechanisms, particularly when controlled by a single entity such as Microsoft.

No "Hello", No "Quick Call", and No Meetings Without an Agenda

  • Starting conversations with "Hi" or "Hello" without immediately explaining the issue wastes time; directly state your problem with all relevant details.
  • Asking for a "quick call" can be disruptive; written messages are often sufficient and provide a record for future reference.
  • Meetings without an agenda are inefficient; providing a clear agenda allows participants to prepare and ensures the meeting has a purpose.

Reactions

  • The text examines the pros and cons of remote work, emphasizing the impact on communication practices, such as the loss of spontaneous "water cooler" interactions.
  • It debates the effectiveness of quick calls versus scheduled meetings, with some preferring detailed initial messages to save time, while others believe quick calls foster creativity and faster problem-solving.
  • The importance of balancing productivity with social interactions and establishing clear communication guidelines in remote work environments is also highlighted.

Designing my own watch (2020)

  • The author received a custom-made wristwatch from Swiss company ochs und junior, prompting them to sell their big brand watches for something unique.
  • The watch was designed with specific features: titanium material, 36MM diameter, waterproof, luminous hands, automatic movement, and an annual calendar complication with minimal parts.
  • The design process involved continuous communication with the company, and despite COVID-19 restrictions, the watch was delivered and unboxed with the author's son, highlighting the personal and fulfilling experience of creating a custom timepiece.

Reactions

  • A user shared their experience of designing a custom watch using a Casio body and a custom movement, highlighting the thrill of personalizing a classic design.
  • The discussion includes various perspectives on custom and luxury watches, with some users preferring DIY approaches and others commissioning bespoke designs from established companies.
  • The post sparked interest due to the blend of technical customization and personal expression in watchmaking, appealing to both hobbyists and those interested in unique, personalized timepieces.

Breaking down a record-setting day on the Texas grid

  • On August 20th, 2024, ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas) experienced record highs in demand, solar generation, net load, and battery discharge, with prices nearing the cap, indicating market evolution.
  • Solar generation controlled prices during peak load, but as solar decreased post-sunset, higher-cost resources were used, pushing prices to peak levels.
  • Battery discharge hit a new record, and despite a decline in Physical Responsive Capacity (PRC), ERCOT did not issue a conservation call, showing confidence in grid resources.

Reactions

  • Texas experienced a record peak load of 85 GW on its grid, with only 130 MW of spare capacity, highlighting the strain on the energy system.
  • Discussions included the financial impact of "rush hour" energy programs, challenges with smart devices, and the influence of Texas's energy policies and renewables.
  • Users also debated the potential benefits of connecting to the national grid and noted the rapid deployment of wind, solar, and battery storage, as well as the impact of crypto mining on energy demand.

A deep dive into how linkers work (2008)

  • Ian Lance Taylor's 20-part essay on linkers has been compiled into a Table of Contents (ToC) by a user, providing a structured overview of the series.
  • The essay covers various topics including dynamic linking, shared libraries, ELF (Executable and Linkable Format) symbols, and link time optimization, making it a valuable resource for understanding linkers.
  • A Calibre recipe is available to convert the entire series into an e-book, facilitating easier access and reading for interested individuals.

Reactions

  • Discussion centers on the performance and evolution of linkers, specifically LLD (part of LLVM) and Mold, with Mold outperforming its predecessors.
  • Apple has released a new linker comparable to Mold, sparking renewed interest and discussions among tech enthusiasts.
  • The conversation includes references to resources and articles on linkers, highlighting their importance despite modern memory abundance and addressing concerns about shared libraries as potential security risks.

Mourning and moving on: rituals for leaving a career (2014)

  • Frances Hocutt left a promising career in organic chemistry, a decision that led to a loss of career plans, confidence, and identity as a scientist.
  • To cope with this transition, Frances organized a wake for their career, inviting friends to share food, drinks, and stories, which helped navigate the change.
  • The wake served as a communal ritual to mourn the loss and celebrate the positive aspects, providing a supportive environment for both Frances and their friends.

Reactions

  • The post discusses the emotional and psychological impact of leaving a career, particularly in academia, and the rituals people use to cope with such transitions.
  • It highlights personal anecdotes from individuals who have experienced career changes, emphasizing the importance of ceremonies and social connections in marking these transitions.
  • The post is notable for its exploration of how deeply people can identify with their careers and the challenges they face when making significant life changes, especially during the pandemic.

A Ghidra extension for exporting parts of a program as object files

  • A new Ghidra extension can unrelocate machine code and create a working object file from a listing selection, supporting COFF and ELF formats for x86 and MIPS architectures.
  • It has been successfully used on Linux, Windows, and PlayStation executables, including a 2009 commercial video game executable without its C runtime library.
  • The extension, initially part of a video game decompilation project, has been in development for 2.5 years and is now gaining traction for use-cases like modding, software ports, and creating libraries.

Reactions

  • A new Ghidra extension allows exporting parts of a program as object files, supporting COFF and ELF formats for x86 and MIPS architectures.
  • The extension has practical applications in modding, software ports, and creating libraries, and has been successfully used on Linux, Windows, and PlayStation executables.
  • The project, in development for 2.5 years, is gaining traction among users, with notable contributions like adding MS COFF support and delinking complex executables.

SIMD Matters: Graph Coloring

  • SIMD (Single Instruction, Multiple Data) is often seen as a key to enhancing CPU performance in game development, but practical gains can be challenging to achieve.
  • In Box2D version 3.0, SIMD was explored for solving contact constraints using graph coloring, which allows multiple constraints to be solved simultaneously, leading to significant performance improvements.
  • Benchmark results indicate that SIMD implementations, such as SSE2 and AVX2, offer substantial speed gains over scalar computations, with Apple's M2 showing exceptional performance.

Reactions

  • The post discusses the use of SIMD (Single Instruction, Multiple Data) in graph coloring, highlighting its efficiency in solving multiple contact constraints simultaneously without race conditions.
  • The conversation includes insights on the challenges and benefits of using SIMD, such as the complexity of preparing data for SIMD instructions and the performance improvements it can offer.
  • The discussion also touches on the comparison between SIMD and GPU compute shaders, noting that while GPUs are powerful, SIMD can be more efficient for certain tasks due to lower data transfer and kernel launch overheads.

Euclid's Proof that √2 is Irrational

  • Euclid's proof that √2 is irrational uses a method called proof by contradiction, assuming √2 is rational and showing this leads to a logical inconsistency.
  • The proof demonstrates that if √2 were rational, it could be expressed as a ratio of two integers, which can be simplified indefinitely, contradicting the nature of rational numbers.
  • This method, known as Infinite Descent, is a specific form of proof by contradiction, highlighting that √2 cannot be rational and must be irrational.

Reactions

  • Euclid's proof that √2 is irrational is a classical mathematical argument demonstrating that the square root of 2 cannot be expressed as a fraction of two integers.
  • The discussion highlights the concept of algebraic integers, which are complex numbers that can be roots of monic polynomials with integer coefficients, and their relationship to rational numbers and usual integers.
  • The proof's significance lies in its foundational role in number theory and its ability to generalize to other non-perfect square roots and higher roots, showcasing the depth and elegance of mathematical reasoning.

Do low-level optimizations matter? Faster quicksort with cmov (2020)

  • The study investigates whether traditional sorting optimizations still hold relevance given modern CPU architectures, which have advanced features like branch predictors and speculative execution.
  • Benchmarking std::sort on 100 million integers showed 73ns per element, with a constant factor k around 3ns, and found that radix sort was slower, indicating limited room for improvement.
  • The research highlights that low-level optimizations, such as eliminating data-dependent branches using a swap_if function, can significantly enhance performance, especially when compilers like Clang optimize these operations using cmov instructions.

Reactions

  • The discussion revolves around the use of the CMOV (conditional move) instruction in optimizing quicksort algorithms, highlighting its historical context and performance implications.
  • CMOV was introduced by Intel in 1995 with the Pentium Pro, not by AMD around 2000, and has evolved significantly in terms of latency and performance over the years.
  • The article emphasizes that while CMOV can improve performance in unpredictable branches, real-world data often differs from the random data used in benchmarks, making practical performance gains less straightforward.

Continuous reinvention: A brief history of block storage at AWS

  • Marc Olson has played a key role in transforming AWS's Elastic Block Store (EBS) from a basic block storage service to a system handling over 140 trillion daily operations.
  • Key strategies in EBS's evolution include comprehensive instrumentation, incremental improvements, organizational design, hardware innovations, and network optimization.
  • Significant milestones include the transition to SSDs in 2012, the development of the Nitro offload card, and achieving sub-millisecond IO operations with io2 Block Express volumes.

Reactions

  • The history of block storage at AWS showcases the evolution and challenges of Elastic Block Store (EBS), with early users like Reddit experiencing inconsistent performance.
  • AWS has made significant improvements to EBS, such as integrating SSDs in 2013, and emphasizes the importance of understanding and visualizing latency for performance optimization.
  • The article highlights the shift from commodity hardware to specialized solutions in cloud services and includes insights from industry experts on the value of rethinking established solutions to drive innovation.

Isaiah – open-source and self-hosted app to manage everything Docker

  • Isaiah is a self-hostable web-based clone of lazydocker, designed to manage Docker resources on remote servers, offering features like bulk updates, live logs, shell access, and Docker Hub integration.
  • It supports multi-node and multi-host deployments, built-in authentication, theming, and responsive design, making it versatile for various deployment scenarios.
  • Deployment options include using Docker, Docker Compose, or as a standalone application, with detailed configuration and security recommendations provided.

Reactions

  • Isaiah is an open-source, self-hosted app for managing Docker, created by willmoss, aiming to recreate the lazydocker CLI as a web app.
  • Users compare Isaiah to alternatives like Portainer and Yacht, noting that Portainer can be too heavy or difficult to use.
  • The discussion highlights user preferences for Docker management tools, emphasizing the benefits of graphical interfaces versus command-line interfaces (CLI).