Brian Szuter

@szuter@mstdn.social
52 Followers
70 Following
140 Posts
I live in the greater Greater Seattle area, interested in following technology, politics, news, and the #RipTwitter saga.
Software Engineering Manager at Google. Any opinions stated here are my own.
LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/brianszuter/
Brian SzuterApr 23, 2023
Dan GillmorApr 23, 2023
The Copyright Cartel insists that streaming services compromise your security. How? The streamers refuse to work if you're using a VPN in most cases.
Brian SzuterFeb 4, 2023
stux⚡Feb 4, 2023

I just noticed I still own the 'mastodon.press' domain 🤔 I got it a while ago before the massive birb migration but I concluded it was a failed project since it got stamped into the ground  

Pretty sure the domain can be used now for journalists or news outlets or something?

I'm not gonna fire up another instance so I am willing to tranfser it! But it has to be used and not sold or something, that makes me feel like a clown

CNN? TWP? New York Times? Anyone? 

Brian SzuterFeb 4, 2023
Now at @aj@gts.sadauskas.id.auJan 22, 2023

@thomaswilburn Oh, you know exactly how this will play out.

Google's search teams will build AI text and image tools into the search engine.

The Google Assistant teams will incorporate their own AI creation solution.

Clearly, the Android team will say, this is a mobile computing issue, so there'll be an Android app. Preinstalled and separate to the assistant AI and the search AI.

No, the Chrome/ChromeOS folks will say, this really needs to be baked into the browser.

The Google Workspace folk will create an enterprise app for it. Separately, AI writing will be built into Google Docs.

Three separate messaging teams will say it's a chat problem, and clearly what Google needs is a new chat app (or four) to solve it.

YouTube and Google Photos will see this as a video/photo problem, and will incorporate AI creation tools.

Google Cloud will create a cloud-based solution for third-party developers.

None of these tools will be interoperable. Different APIs. Most will be quietly closed within 12 months without warning.

Brian SzuterJan 25, 2023
Lauren WeinsteinJan 25, 2023

Been having a back and forth for days with #Google Play Store support (yes, actual real human beings, I'm confident of this), over the matter of about 50 cents of Play Store Points.

I may be on the losing end of this one, but I've made some recommendations to help avoid this problem with other users in the future. (Free advice -- which as Allan Sherman once sang, is definitely worth the price.)

It's not the 50 cents, it's the principle of the thing -- there are people who spend a bloody fortune in-app (in my case it was just a simple and relatively inexpensive app purchase) for whom a situation like this could cost them a (relative) fortune in points!

Brian SzuterJan 13, 2023
Abraham SammaJan 11, 2023

If you are an organization/individual of great repute and sophistication and you haven't set up your very own Mastodon server, I'm so sorry but you're missing out on something special. A once in a decade or so paradigm shift. The reformation of social media itself. #fediverse #mastodon #activitypub

Addendum: as some have pointed out, Mastodon is just one small but significant part of a larger universe of services that use the open ActivityPub protocol & related technology. #fediverse

Brian SzuterJan 13, 2023
MediumJan 12, 2023

👋 Hi, this is the official Medium account on our new instance! This is our home on @me.dm, where we’ll be boosting writers and publications, sharing stories, and trying to deepen our understanding of Mastodon and the fediverse.

To get started, we thought we’d share this list of resources about getting up and running if you, like us, are new here: https://scottlamb.blog/list/f4843d1cc80f

#medium, #introduction, #MediumWriters, #NewHere

List: Getting started on Mastodon | Curated by Scott Lamb | Medium

5 stories · Curious about how to get started using Mastodon? It’s not as difficult as you think. The stories in this list will give you everything you need

Scott Lamb
Brian SzuterJan 13, 2023
Tony StubblebineJan 12, 2023
When I talked to a reporter I tried very hard to avoid making it seem like #Medium on #Mastodon is an experiment. There's a learning curve, sure. But we are 100% that Mastodon has long term legs independent of any exodus from other social media platforms.
Brian SzuterJan 13, 2023
The Writing CooperativeJan 12, 2023

Hello #Fediverse! This is a quick #introduction now that The Writing Cooperative is on the @medium instance.

TWC is Medium's largest publication of support, encouragement, and tips for #writers and the #writing community. It's run by @justin (that's me!).

How should TWC use this space on Mastodon? Share links to our posts? Post discussion questions? Some other way?

Hit reply and share your thoughts. Let's build something new together.

Brian SzuterJan 13, 2023
Tony StubblebineJan 13, 2023
Who are your most interesting follows in history and science? I want to stay nerdy but break out of my tech bubble.
Brian SzuterJan 5, 2023
Show threadMolly WhiteJan 5, 2023
the first hit's free
×
Show threadMolly WhiteJan 5, 2023
the first hit's free
Show threadMolly WhiteJan 5, 2023
this is such a wild piece lol
Show threadMolly WhiteJan 5, 2023
i remember back when i waitressed, just wishing that someone would come along with a blockchain to help me track orders
Show threadMolly WhiteJan 5, 2023
the only blockchain i need
Show threadMattJan 5, 2023
@molly0xfff it's a distributed ledger. 🤔😁
Show threadTrading Places ResearchJan 5, 2023
@molly0xfff I have heard this pitch multiple times. “Supply chain” on blockchain multiple times. Real estate on blockchain multiple times. Etc.
Show threadDerek van VlietJan 5, 2023
@molly0xfff it has built in proof of work
Show threadNatanael ⚠️Jan 6, 2023
@derekvanvliet @molly0xfff they switched to proof of steak
Show threadLydia O'LydiaJan 7, 2023
@derekvanvliet @molly0xfff Yes! Contrast that with blockchain's "proof of work" which means that a bunch of valuable energy was wasted by thousands of powerful computers trying billions of permutations to compute a specific output faster than anyone else. Humanity's assault on planet earth is unabated.
Show threadSigrithurJan 5, 2023
@molly0xfff I stab all my BTC on a big metal spike when I'm done with them
Show threadLuke KaniesJan 5, 2023

@molly0xfff many years ago, I read an article about these that stuck with me.

It was a tech reporter talking about new restaurant tech (before Square, even, I think). It was generally positive, but also looked at the downsides.

One restauranteur said he missed the paper, because he could see at a glance whether it was a good or bad day, based just on how many pieces of paper were stuck on the spike.

It’s easy to discount the current methods because they look low tech. But often they are not

Show threadkwhJan 7, 2023
@molly0xfff @lkanies I remember this from around 2000 and PDAs/palm pilots. The ergonomics and the workflow just weren’t there, and they still aren’t today except for the most basic cook lines.
Show threadBrett Glass - WY7BGJan 5, 2023
@molly0xfff I’ll hang a doubloon with tooth marks around my neck, and when asked what it is, I’ll say, “Bit coin.”
Show threadjbrJan 6, 2023
@molly0xfff Nice "NFT" of the blockchain! :)
Show threadEvans McGeeJan 6, 2023
@molly0xfff ha I’ll take that over a chit printer anyday
Show threadLebowskiJan 7, 2023

@molly0xfff

OK, but what if I own the NFT for that image! What then?

Show threadAllan ChowJan 5, 2023
@molly0xfff chits on the chaiiiiin
Show threadSteven BodzinJan 5, 2023
@molly0xfff funny how i've never had to convince anyone of the value of hard currency
Show threadFine EngineerJan 5, 2023
@guacamayan @molly0xfff it all depends on what you define as “hard currency “. Remember there was a huge debate over this when paper money was introduced. Gold or silver coins were the only thing fitting the definition of “hard currency” to many people.
Show threadBobulous  Jan 5, 2023
@molly0xfff "Thank you for your order. Please enjoy the complimentary breadsticks while you wait twenty minutes for us to number crunch a proof-of-work entry into the blockchain ledger. Oh, someone placed an order just before you? Better make that forty minutes."
Show threadT NodineJan 5, 2023
@bobulous @molly0xfff I'll need your social security number, credit card imprint and mother's maiden name to stake your order.
Show threadT NodineJan 5, 2023
@bobulous @molly0xfff I could have said "steak your order." That would have been better. 🤓
Show threadaismallard (relocated!)Jan 5, 2023
@molly0xfff this feels like a group of guys who got really obsessed with bubble sort and want to convince everyone to use it everywhere, even places where a sorting algorithm doesn't really make sense
Show threadNatanael ⚠️Jan 6, 2023
@aismallard @molly0xfff but all computable problems can be enumerated and a sorting algorithm can find the optimal solution and put it first, therefore storing algorithms are always relevant, QED
Show threadhusbandpanda 🐼Jan 5, 2023
@molly0xfff all you had to do was plug in your asic to the restaurant and voila! wait, no. That's how you induce climate change.
Show threadZiggy the Hamster 🐹🌻Jan 5, 2023
@molly0xfff due to a mistake in the smart contract, a customer who ordered unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks and got a reorder inadvertently caused 3 million dollars worth of crypto to disappear from the company wallet.
Show threadChris ♨️Jan 5, 2023

@molly0xfff
What is the tipping rule here? Inclusive of gas needed to pay for the transaction or not?

Order #aabcd124590dedf up!

Show threadDarryl RammJan 5, 2023
@molly0xfff Future humanity tries to save itself by sending a Terminator back in time to destroy restaurant order blockchain.
Show threadMax Leibman has moved!Jan 5, 2023

@molly0xfff “Why are my French fries $100?! The menu said $5!”

“Sorry, MEV. The validator was able to front-run your order.”

Show threadSascha Pallenberg 🇹🇼 ♻️ ⚡Jan 5, 2023

@molly0xfff I still want to hear about just one use case that can only be done with a Blockchain.

Just one

Show threadHendrik Mans 🚀Jan 5, 2023

@pallenberg @molly0xfff

Extracting money from investors

Show threadDarryl ShpakJan 5, 2023
@hmans @pallenberg @molly0xfff Nah, people do that *lots* of different ways
Show threadCarlito!Jan 5, 2023
@molly0xfff Delivering pizzas, I always had a visible indicator of the nights performance: the size of the stack of receipts clipped to my passenger visor. Maybe with crypto I could have had a tablet with a performance bar or a light-up stack of apes.
Show threadJonnieJan 5, 2023
@molly0xfff I was just talking to one of my many travel agent friends (an industry that definitely still exists) about this the other day.
Show threadSam Sneddon 🏳️‍⚧️Jan 5, 2023
@molly0xfff do you need to get consensus across all patrons about what you want to order? or do we rely on a proof-of-stake system by tying it to payments? 🤔
Show threadSam Sneddon 🏳️‍⚧️Jan 5, 2023
@molly0xfff …I missed a proof-of-steak joke, damnit.
Show threadDer GigaJan 5, 2023
@molly0xfff I love how every Blockchain shill basically ends with.
"Yes, that would be cool, if we wouldn't already have that in better working systems, that would just be made slower and more inefficient b by adding a Blockchain."
Show threadEmilyTavJan 6, 2023

@molly0xfff it is astounding.

I’ve lost track of how many pitches I’ve heard and everyone listening is like… or. OR. We could just use our existing database more effectively.

(Also, people/orgs have a hard time using and maintaining existing basic tools… anyone seriously making pitches like this is unnervingly disconnected from the reality of basically any workplace.)

Show threadClaude M. SchraderJan 6, 2023
@EmilyTav @molly0xfff people keep wanting to make wild new database replacements, but it’s really hard to beat “fuck it just use a database” for so many things
Show threadMike J👹🐀 🤘🏻Jan 6, 2023
@molly0xfff I now imagine a restaurant with a sign that reads, "free gas with every meal."
Show thread🌿 (buffy)² 🌿 Jan 7, 2023
@molly0xfff maybe that would have solved the problem of the kitchen trying to tell me i didn’t put the order in when really they lost it 😂
Show threadjimmygolitelyJan 7, 2023
@molly0xfff except the still unsolved Scaling problem would never allow it. You'd end up in a fee auction, competing woth every other waitress in the world to get your data included in a block.
Show threadactualeyesJan 8, 2023
@molly0xfff The worst Blockchain proponents both think it's a storage solution and don't know what a storage solution is.
Show threadTodd JordanJan 5, 2023
@molly0xfff Would this be considered crypto-grooming or bait/switch?
Show threadBrendan WJan 5, 2023
@molly0xfff I can't wait to sit in a restaurant all day and all night waiting for my goddamn order to reach the kitchen because there's a dust attack against their shitcoin.
Show threadKen McGrawJan 5, 2023
@bw84 @molly0xfff After paying the gas fees it’ll probably really cut in to tipping. Then there is that awkward 10 minutes of the waiter waiting around for the order to commit.
Show threadBrendan WJan 5, 2023
@km321 @molly0xfff I think you mean 10 minutes for me to evangelize crypto to the waiter while they imagine stabbing me with the silverware.
Show threadThe Book of KelsJan 5, 2023

@molly0xfff

They really jumped hard on the "refugees crossing a border" use case, haven't they? But then, it's the closest thing they have to one that isn't an outright scam.

Show threadAlexFroio@mag soonJan 5, 2023
@Nezchan @molly0xfff but even then, like... That assumes that the 'unbankable' have access to a digital device that has an active internet connection.
Which is highly unlikely.
Show threadThe Book of KelsJan 5, 2023

@dukecarge @molly0xfff

Yeah, I'm not sure it's *actually* happened, but it's a theoretical use case that *could* happen if the stars align, and honestly that's the only one they've managed to come up with.

Show threadAlexFroio@mag soonJan 5, 2023
@Nezchan @molly0xfff I recall one example, but not for refugees, of El Salvador taking bitcoin as "legal tender".
If you look under the hood, they are just using a centralized system that fakes it's passing around crypto and just keeps a database of everyone's balance. Even when it ends up being accepted, there's a layer of obfuscation.
Show threadThe Book of KelsJan 5, 2023

@dukecarge @molly0xfff

The El Salvador thing has been a disaster no matter how you look at it. Nothing worked at any point of the process, and funds just kept getting thrown into the money pit.

Show threadKen McGrawJan 5, 2023
@Nezchan @molly0xfff What could be more convenient for border crossing guards than a crypto wallet on that phone they are inspecting. When they ‘tax’ ones gold they have to lug it home.
Show threadElizabeth AlcinoeJan 5, 2023
@molly0xfff At least they aren't trying to ponzi refugees.
Show threadasaJan 5, 2023
@molly0xfff the more I read about this blockchain thing, the more it seems like it's just a linked list
Show threadBobulous  Jan 5, 2023
@molly0xfff "direct control over your holdings"? I thought SBF had direct control over everybody's holdings?
Show threadDirk HohndelJan 5, 2023

@molly0xfff
OMG... I can't breath
I'm laughing so hard.

There is no utility. All the stories about actual use cases of crypto are made up nonsense.

Show threadZoeJan 5, 2023
@molly0xfff I'm really curious how they think last-minute cancellations / no-shows could be mitigated by blockchain. Honestly can't think of anything even by cryptocurrency "pretend relational databases don't exist" standards.
Show threadJames SJan 5, 2023
@molly0xfff Turn all your restaurant items into NFT and save on food costs!!!
Show threadMariya DelanoJan 5, 2023
@molly0xfff hey at least they are trying to understand the pain points of their “customers”……….. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Show threadJuicyMooseJan 5, 2023
@molly0xfff good thing the internet never ever saw a single b2b application get made. nope. all new territory here. good thing we now have the public WORM ledger a.k.a. bLoCkChAiN to solve these problems now. businesses everywhere must be so relieved.