@Geekman

91 Followers
32 Following
296 Posts
Lifelong computer geek and Mac fanatic. IT Pro, Technical Communicator, advocate for digital rights and better infosec. Illustrator of "Bad Caps" and other dorky shirts.
Webhttps://www.geekman.ca
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Threadlesshttps://geekmansworld.threadless.com
Old Profilehttps://bitbang.social/@Geekman
@TechConnectify Does Aging Wheels make a guest appearance?Do I need to watch to find out?
same, Hulk, same

See normally when an algorithm requires The Entire Global Supply Of Ram, a software engineer would consider that not a good algorithm, and would try and make a better one instead of optimising the entire planet for paperclip manufacturing.

Unfortunately we accidentally gave a bad software engineer too much money

The whole engineering crew can't fucking figure out how this happened. They're baffled. The computer just decided to execute the request in the most dangerous way possible.

Turns out that this was a fucking realistic depiction of how computers work in the future.

All because Geordi was too lazy to adjust the program parameters by hand.

Don't be like Geordi. Write and proof your own code.
(🧵 2/2)

Star Trek has, in the past, been cited as accurately predicting future technologies and designs. The flip phone, the iPad, voice assistants, etc... But allow me to submit: Lazy use of AI coding:

In TNG's "Elementary, Dear Data", instead of modifying the program like a good software engineer, Geordi is lazy (and in cosplay), so he just verbally asks the computer: "Create an opponent capable of defeating Data."

So what does the computer do? It makes a fucking hologram program SENTIENT.
(🧵 1/2)

@alexcounsell @dpcounsell I gotta admit, I'm not particularly nostalgic for the dying days of the CRT. As you say, they weighed a ton. And trying to get the geometry just right on those big screens? Talk about a Sisyphean task.

Full props to the people who restore this era of CRT (and CRTs in general).

I suspect most people outside of the UK won't have heard about the post office scandal, but it seems highly relevant to learn about now (given *waves* this):

For over 15 years, the software post offices in the UK had to use contained severe bugs, particular in accounting, that everyone at Fujitsu/horizon and the post blissfully ignored. Over 900 (!!!) postmasters were sentenced for alleged theft and fraud, some went to jail, some committed suicide. All because the software was shit and everyone who could do something about it didn't care and swept it under the rug.

Everything, including how it was uncovered, about this seems bizarre and Kafkaesque, but we better prepare for it to happen more often.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Post_Office_scandal

https://types.pl/@pigworker/116211919028571818

British Post Office scandal - Wikipedia

#MARCHintosh is halfway over! Have you watched my video yet on my "Blue & White G4" restoration? I put a lot of work into this project and video and am keen to share it with the community. Please boost if you like it!

#retrocomputing #vintagecomputing #retrocomputer #PowerMacintosh #Restoration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc_1-Djtiwk

Making a PowerMac Blue & White G4

YouTube
@billgoats 50? Oh no I'm old.