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robmao

119 karma · joined April 16, 2014

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robmao··on We Stopped CI, Abandoned Code Review, and Embraced AI Pair Programming
First Principles of AI Native Engineering: Why We Stopped CI, Abandoned Code Review, and Embraced AI Pair Programming
robmao··on Everything Is Context: Agentic File System Abstraction for Context Engineering
This paper proposes a file-system abstraction for context engineering, inspired by the Unix notion that 'everything is a file'. The abstraction offers a persistent, governed infrastructure for managing heterogeneous context artefacts through uniform mounting, metadata, and access control.
robmao··on Show HN: Dexto – Connect your AI Agents with real-world tools and data
It's sort of like Claude Agent Skills but I feel dexo better, I saw some agent use MCP server as backend and unlike Agent Skills install on the client.
robmao··on [dead]
The combination of user ownership (decentralization), quantified quality relationships (Social Tokens), and simplicity (AI Agents) fundamentally shifts the incentive structure. We move from an environment designed to extract attention to one designed to build verifiable, lasting social capital. The new social contract is clear: You are the owner of your digital home, and your true value is measured not by how many strangers click your ads, but by the quality of the relationships you invest in.
robmao··on [dead]
Short form video feed waste our time by design.
robmao··on HUD: The Future of AI Interfaces
Great point — I actually agree with your long-term view. Autonomous AI agents acting as “full pilots” is a compelling direction, especially for clearly defined tasks. But I’d add that HUDs and copilots aren’t mutually exclusive — they often coexist, just like in real aviation.

In fact, the HUD metaphor comes directly from the cockpit: it enhances situational awareness while the pilot (human or AI) focuses on action and decision-making. HUDs serve a different role — not replacing pilots, but grounding them with continuous, low-friction perception.

robmao··on HUD: The Future of AI Interfaces
Not a promo — just sharing our design rationale for ArcSphere and why we went with an AI HUD over a Copilot model.

I recently read the article “Enough AI copilots! We need AI HUDs,” and it resonated deeply with me. It perfectly echoes the design principles I’ve been exploring for months with ArcSphere, our AI-native browser.

https://www.geoffreylitt.com/2025/07/27/enough-ai-copilots-w...

robmao··on Self-host is just waiting for its iPhone moment
Yes, my site was down... and it's self-hosted.
robmao··on The future is not self-hosted, but self-sovereign
I just write a follow up post:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44707040

robmao··on Self-host is just waiting for its iPhone moment
Why should self-hosting stay locked behind geek walls? It’s just waiting for its iPhone moment.
robmao··on The future is not self-hosted, but self-sovereign
The prompt is much longer and less structured than the blog post.
robmao··on The future is not self-hosted
I really appreciated this post. It goes much deeper than most critiques of cloud platforms, and I respect that the author didn’t just complain — he actually tried self-hosting, experienced its ups and downs, and came to an honest conclusion: self-hosting isn't the future.

I agree.

But I also believe that doesn’t mean we stop here. The real issue isn’t about where the server is — it’s about who owns the identity and the data, and whether we have a shared protocol layer to make true user agency possible.

In case it's useful to others thinking along similar lines, I wrote a response piece called “The future is not self-hosted, but self-sovereign” https://www.robertmao.com/blog/en/the-future-is-not-self-hos...

It builds on the same dilemma but goes further into decentralized identity (DID), protocol-level ownership, and why self-sovereign systems might be the real way forward — beyond both cloud and self-hosting.

Would love to hear what others here think about protocol vs platform thinking.

robmao··on Large Language Model Astrology
This is one of the most comprehensive astrology app build with LLM! Super cool.
robmao··on Pixotale - Connecting People Through Visual Storytelling.
We just launched in iOS App Store.

Pixotale is a new mobile app that allows you to create and publish visual stories in the long form using your photos, videos, audio, text and location.