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Bob_LaBLahh

61 karma · joined May 27, 2020

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Bob_LaBLahh··on Thank HN: You helped save 33k lives
I really admire what you folks are doing. You can count me as a new supporter.
Bob_LaBLahh··on Why agents are bad pair programmers
Agreed.

I find it interesting that LLMs seem pretty good at spitting out SQL that works well enough. But on the other hand LLMs seem pretty awful at working with CSS. I wonder if this is due to a difference in the amount of training data available for SQL vs CSS, or is this because CSS is a finicky pain in the ass when compared to SQL.

Bob_LaBLahh··on Why agents are bad pair programmers
In my experience, LLMs are idiot savant coders--but currently more idiot than savant. Claude 3.7 (via cursor and roo) can comment code well, create a starter project 10x faster than I could, and they spit out common crud apps pretty well.

However I've come to the conclusion that LLMs are terrible at decision making. I would much rather have an intern architect my code than let AI do it. It's just too unreliable. It seems like 3 out of 4 decisions that it makes are fine. But that 4th decision is usually asinine.

That said, I now consider LLMs a mandatory addition to my toolkit because they have improved my developer efficiency so much. I really am a fan. But without a seasoned dev to write detailed instructions, break down the project into manageable chunks, make all of the key design decisions, and review every line of code that it writes, today's AI will only add a mountain of technical debt to your project.

I guess I'm trying to say: don't worry because the robots cannot replace use yet. We're still in the middle of the hype cycle.

But what do I know? I'm just an average meat coder.

Bob_LaBLahh··on Automat: A tangible interface for virtual things
I really like what you did here, especially the attention to detail like the transparency of the VHS tape and the R/RW hole in the floppy.
Bob_LaBLahh··on Cow Magnets
Thank you! My curious but busy/lazy ass wanted to know the answer but wasn't gonna do the legwork.
Bob_LaBLahh··on Cow Magnets
I wonder if there is any correlation between cattle containing cow magnets and the strange phenomena of cattle tending to align themselves on a north/south axis.

I'm guessing that the answer is "not much" since deer lineup too and they (probably) don't have magnets in their stomachs.

I still think this deserves the Mythbusters treatment, right?

https://www.npr.org/2009/03/16/101945271/power-lines-upset-c...

Bob_LaBLahh··on Chrome extension recommends local businesses while shopping on Amazon or eBay
Interesting. I've noticed about a half size difference in both waist and leg length on one occasion. One pair didn't fit but it's twin was perfect. \_(ツ)_/
Bob_LaBLahh··on Chrome extension recommends local businesses while shopping on Amazon or eBay
FYI, things like jeans can have a lot of size variability between seemingly identical pairs (same brand, model, and nominal size).

My understanding is that this is because the denim is stacked and then die cut in the factory. Since denim is highly deformable, the cut outs from the top of the stack are not the same size as the cut out from the bottom of the stack. And this can lead to considerable size variance within the "same" pairs of pants.

That's why it's a good idea to try on two pairs of the exact "same" pants if the fit is close, but not quite right. YMMV.

Bob_LaBLahh··on Tesla's EPA Driving Ranges Didn't Hold Up to Testing
I think this is a bit misleading. Edmunds and the EPA ran two very different tests. For instance, Edmunds drives the car until it indicates it's empty. However, in the EPA test, "the vehicle is driven over successive city cycles until the battery becomes discharged" [1]. Tesla vehicles, like many others, have a not so insignificant buffer of "extra" miles that you can still use after the vehicle indicates that its "empty".

Furthermore, Edmunds tested the Teslas at temperatures that are roughly 14F lower than the 68F used by the EPA. This can make a big difference in the range you get.

My point is that these articles are acting like they are comparing apples to apples--the EPA test vs the Edmunds test--but they're not.

I admit that I'm a Tesla fan and shareholder. But my first loyalty is to the truth. Ding Tesla and Elon when they mess up. Nobody is above reproach or constructive criticism.

So let's not pretend that Edmunds (or The Drive for that matter) are either. Edmunds ran what appears to be a not very scientific test, and came to a highly debatable conclusion that Tesla vehicles don't meet the EPA mileage guidelines. I think the tests are not comparable. Maybe that's just me.

[1] https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/pdfs/EPA%20test%20procedure%...

Bob_LaBLahh··on Show HN: Screenstab – A tool to turn screenshots into image assets
Very nice. I'd use it.

Two ideas to consider: (1) give option for one time purchases (2) raise your price (I'd pay more)

Good luck!

Bob_LaBLahh··on The people the suburbs were built for are gone
It doesn't have to be that long. My mom asked the city to put in some oak trees when I was a kid. It only took the trees about 15 years to grow to a pretty good size. In my opinion, it's worth the effort of lobbying the city.
Bob_LaBLahh··on To the brain, reading computer code is not the same as reading language
Yep. My hypothesis is that this is largely because code is non-linear whereas most written music is usually read in a linear fashion. Agree/disagree?
Bob_LaBLahh··on Why is Kubernetes getting so popular?
Kubernetes is getting more popular because:

1) It solves many different universal, infrastructure-level problems. 2) More people are using containers. K8s helps you to manage containers. 3) It's vendor agnostic. It's easy to relocate a k8s application to a different cluster 5) People see that it's growing in popularity. 6) It's Open source. 7) It helps famous companies run large-scale systems. 8) People think that it looks good on a resume and they want to work at a well known company. 9) Once you've mastered K8s, it's easy to use on problems big and small. (Note, I'm not talking about installing and administrating the cluster. I'm talking about being a cluster user.) 10) It's controversial which means that people keep talking about it. This gives K8s mind share.

I'm not saying K8s doesn't have issues or downsides.

1) It's a pain to install and manage on your own. 2) It's a lot to learn--especially if you don't think you're gonna use most of it's features. 3) While the documentation has improved a lot, it's still weak and directionless in places.

I think K8s is growing more popular because it's pros strongly outweigh it's cons.

(Note I tried to be unbiased on the subject, but I am a K8s fan--so much so that I wrote a video course on the subject: https://www.true-kubernetes.com/. So, take my opinions with a grain of salt.)

Bob_LaBLahh··on Why is Kubernetes getting so popular?
It's perfectly sane if their team already knows how to use K8s, especially if they use a hosted solution like GKE or Digitalocean K8s. (I'll admit that I'd never want to manage my own k8s cluster.)

Once you know K8s, it's not very difficult to use. Plus, it provides solutions to a lot of different infrastructure-level problems.

Bob_LaBLahh··on Ask HN: Software for producing terminal-based tutorials?
Demo magic is a good tool. I used it for recording a video course. But here's one minor caveat: there's no hint for what command will be executed next. Sometimes I would start talking about a subject, then hit ENTER to auto-type the next command, only to find that my words were off topic from the current command. My fault, but it was always a pain to recover from.

I still recommend demo magic. But use it with eyes open if you're mistake-prone like me.