| Blog (mostly idle) | https://www.curiousefficiency.org/ |
This, writing specifications is significantly harder than writing code in my experience, I shudder to think of folk attempting this as a way to learn how to build software
https://haskellforall.com/2026/03/a-sufficiently-detailed-spec-is-code
"I used AI. It worked. I hated it." by @mttaggart https://taggart-tech.com/reckoning/
This is a really good blogpost. And I"m sure it'll make some people unhappy to read whether they're pro or anti genAI. What's good about @mttaggart's blogpost is he talks honestly about how using Claude Code did actually solve the problem he set out to do. It needed various guardrails, but they were possible to set up, and the project worked. But the post is also completely clear and honest about how miserable it was:
- It removed the joy from the process
- If you aim to do the right thing and carefully evaluate the output, your job ends up eventually becoming "tapping the Y key"
- Ramifications on people learning things
- Plenty of other ethical analysis
- And the nagging wonder whether to use it next time, despite it being miserable.
I think this is important, because it *is* true that these tools are getting to the point where they can accomplish a lot of tasks, but the caveat space is very large (cotd)
The fact that we are *not* seeing wildly improving software all around us tells us everything we need to know.
There is no flourishing of value delivery, new product categories, more needs being satisfied better. It’s the opposite.
All we are seeing is decreases in quality, because 👏 code 👏 creation 👏 is not 👏 the problem.
100% agree with this post
RE: https://cosocial.ca/@timbray/116337461606384177
From the shared article:
"But folks annoyed by online animosity toward AI need to remember it's an extension of justified rage at the extraction class' grotesque enabling of the literal destruction of democracy. That rage is going to prove extremely helpful in the months and years to come, and deserves a wide berth."
🏳️🌈 Brisbane Queer Tech meetup for April: come hang out with me and make some IRL friends at the Ship Inn. I figure most peeps on fedi are a little bit tech, so no issues there. Are you in? RSVP at https://luma.com/bs5smgmw?utm_source=fedi and pass it on :)
Practical thoughts:
1) actively encourage trans people into your community and spaces. Be explicitly clear that they are welcome.
2) promote and enforce robust codes of conduct, and ask for this in events to which you contribute.
3) report anti-trans content to your own instance admins, and to the hosting instance admin if it makes sense to do so.
4) buy stuff (if you are in a position to do so) from trans people. Loads of trans people in the fediverse have small shops selling cool bits and pieces (drawings, books, jewellery, and more).
5) if you control the design of forms and systems, do not collect gender information unless necessary (and I don't have a good example of when this might be, but someone might)
6) push back against laws and policies which discriminate against, or make life harder for, trans people. Write to your MP, and be vocal in your support.
There are just a few hours left to submit your talk, workshop and poster ideas to PyCon AU 2026!
Everything you need is at https://2026.pycon.org.au/cfp
The deadline is '29 March Anywhere on Earth' - thats later tonight for everyone Australia and New Zealand.
Sue Smith
Christine Lemmer-Webber
Elizabeth Ayer
Valerie Aurora 🇺🇦
Mario Munoz
Ash K
Chelsea Frost
Neil Brown
PyCon AU