Paul Ramsey 🗳️

@pwramsey
1.4K Followers
269 Following
813 Posts
Loving open source software, practicing the piano, moving things around, working @crunchydata
Bloghttps://blog.cleverelephant.ca/
GitHubhttps://github.com/pramsey/
LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-ramsey-717134/
LocationVictoria, BC
@pwramsey I'm fine with new things. Super shoes, balcony solar, mRNA vaccines, all the pronouns. I cannot handle any more dumb things.

RE: https://fosstodon.org/@paleolimbot/116208038797354488

To my mind Dewey Dunnington is the most interesting person in geo right now. But I have my biases.

@sgillies I cannot handle another new new thing.
@mildpeach @jeffjarvis He'll be doing the procedure on a shot of whiskey with a stick clenched between his teeth, as god intended, I assume. No?

"Last time we spoke to you, Dr McGee, you were experimenting with different sounds for electric cars to improve safety. They're so quiet, pedestrians might not hear them coming."

"Yes, well, it turns out that sci-fi-ish hum they all make is the best. The ice cream van tune just ended up angering people."

"Quite. So what do you have for our listeners today?"

"Well, this one is exciting. You know, some people, not mentioning any genders — but it is mostly unconfident men — won't buy an electric car because they miss the vroom vroom of the engine. So, we now have an app that allows you to fake rev the electric engine. It simply makes the vroom sound inside the car and vibrates the driver's seat and dashboard. Outside, the car is still quiet. Inside, the loser — sorry, driver — thinks he's manly and intimidating. Everyone wins."

"And do you think people will go for it?"

"Yes, absolutely. Our tests have shown high satisfaction, especially among young, male drivers. And of course, you can turn off the app if you have nothing to prove."

"It sounds like you might be the one with something to prove, Dr McGee."

#microfiction #EVs #electric #ElectricCar

@rjhale1971 Concat_ws is a database superpower, particularly the null handling.
@autra Oh, that's an interesting take! Why do you think LLM access is going to be less rather than more going forward? It feels like a one-way ratchet to me: current state is the least capable and available models I will ever see.
@sgillies Didn't they all get rendered into glue?
When the sum of human knowledge is infinitely available on tap (a trend that started with books, vastly accelerated with the internet, and is now in hyper speed with LLMs) is it possible that being a widely grounded generalist is the most effective posture relative to knowledge? The LLM can fill in the details, and the Renaissance person with a viewpoint and taste gains the most from low friction access to the details. Or is it better to be a hyper-specialist, on the research edge of knowledge.