MurphyA/hacker-news huggingface dataset:
by denkmoon | 2025-10-01 02:30:51+00:00
I wouldn't call it whataboutism, it's thinking about things from another perspective. It's easy to say other people should take action when things get out of hand, it's entirely another thing to actually take up action against an entity which can crush you and everything you love without a second thought.

I would never expect the average Iranian to take up arms against the Revolutionary Guard, for example. I wouldn't, if it were me. I don't feel such patriotism that I feel responsible for my country's actions. I don't feel that I am personally culpable in any way for, for example, the extrajudicial murders of Afghanis by Australian Special Forces in Afghanistan.
by eru | 2025-10-01 02:31:11+00:00
I'm not sure you need a 'breakthrough', just many incremental improvements will do the trick.

We are also getting better at producing cheap power. For example thanks to intermittent sources like solar and wind, in many places electricity often becomes free in wholesale markets some times of the day.

AI generation (including video) currently takes at least a second, and users expect that delay. So that means inference is not latency sensitive and you can put these data centres anywhere in the world, wherever power is cheapest. Model training cares even less about latency.

At the moment, the hardware itself is too expensive (and nvidia has long backlogs), so people run them even when power is expensive. But you can easily imagine an alternative future where power never becomes cheaper than today (on average), but we have lots of AI data centres lying in wait around the world and only kicking into full gear when and where power is essentially free.
Unpopular opinion: User-facing Software Updates are Bad
by seniortaco | 2025-10-01 02:32:50+00:00
Topic for discussion: User-facing Software Updates are a failure of modern software engineering.

Full disclosure, I've been in tech for 20 years, and I've pushed many software updates to many clients on many platforms. I'm definitely more part of the problem than the solution here. But I guess I just thought we would have fixed this by now. Am I the only one?

Case study 1: My house has 2 thermostats, one very old one for the furnace, and a new one for the AC unit upstairs. This is a strange situation, but it's an old house. The very old thermostat has an iOS and Android App that is so old it never receives updates anymore. It's worked flawlessly for 9 years. It always connects, and always look the same way I expect it to when I open it. It always works. The new thermostat has a newer App that receives software updates often, and often is broken by them or the UI changes. Recently, I had to climb up in my attic to reset the system after a software update so that the App could reconnect. After an update, I open the app and instead of being able to change the temperature I get permission pop-ups to re-enable notifications because the App updated, then I get a "What's New" popup about what has changed, and I have to skip through all this just to change the temperature. The software update provides nothing beneficial and only gets in the way of my operation of my A/C unit. Imagine if your front door needed to update before you could enter your house. Imagine if your microwave needed to update before you could start it.

Case study 2: Security updates. Generally I can't convince anyone that "Software updates are Bad" because that is tantamount to saying "Security is bad" which it is definitely not. My perspective is, if my software needs a security update, why do I need to be involved in this at all? Why can't my software be updated without my involvement? Without closing my 1000 browser tabs. Without requiring a system restart. Without forcing me to stop my work. As a software developer, I can definitely list out the technical reasons why we need to restart, but as a user I couldn't care less. Just make my software secure behind the scenes, don't involve me, and don't force me to stop using my device.

The technical challenge is definitely interesting here, but I'm more concerned with the fact that we've somehow convinced our users to accept mediocrity.
by sour-taste | 2025-10-01 02:33:54+00:00
I'm pretty ignorant here, but as I understand it

* The design time on a new plane is going to be tens of years

* Boeing is already losing customers to Airbus as a result of the max disaster, doors blowing off, etc.

* The major thing keeping Boeing in business is long delivery time orders of their older planes, and those are drying up

Given these things can this help them in time?
by ThrownOffGame | 2025-10-01 02:34:37+00:00
Slack was created by Silicon Valley insiders and enjoyed a smooth rise to fame and prominence, so it has led me to ask for years, is it a project of the Church of Subgenius?

Of course, prominent Subgenius adherents may not tend to acknowledge their "faith" outside of pseudonym-based posting on Usenet or other media, but the intersection of irreligious techies working on a project/company named for their central tenet seems too much coincidence to be an accident.

If Slack's chat service sort of destroys productivity and ruins workplace hierarchies and relationships by design, it seems that it is achieving the goals of the formerly "parody religion" and introducing more "Slack" to the world in the process. Mission accomplished, Bob?
by Spivak | 2025-10-01 02:36:25+00:00
I'm confused, is insubordination not enough of a reason to kick someone off? So we have the steering committee and a set of moderators that serve at their pleasure. If they don't listen to the committee and it's enough to get a vote passed to remove them then they're gone? Why all the cloak and dagger?

But also, I can imagine if you believe this person is about to make a colossal stink about it I would probably prepare a "pr packet" too because you're going to need something to say.
by nikolay | 2025-10-01 02:36:41+00:00
Duolingo is gamification gone wrong, with most of the development effort spent on childish animations! I've been trying to learn Greek for four years using it daily, and most of the time, I'm just trying not to drop out of leagues or ruin my streak, and not so much trying to learn as the gamification incentive is to waste time, not to learn and increase my chance of dropping. What a joke! If I put all this effort into real language learning, I would have been a fluent speaker already. And I'm literally nowhere!
by kragen | 2025-10-01 02:37:31+00:00
Specifically https://www.hpi.uni-potsdam.de/hirschfeld/publications/media.... I read through it once when you mentioned it here a few months ago, but I think it merits a deeper reading, which I haven't finished doing yet.

I think more than necessity, requirements, and fatality we have more of a gradient thing. It isn't necessary to have no syntax to do compile-time metaprogramming, but the effort gradient sort of pushes you in that direction. It isn't impossible to write a web browser in Forth either, just hard.
Show HN: Soraapp.org – AI video showcase from Sora, Veo, Genie 2
by czmilo | 2025-10-01 02:37:50+00:00
Hi HN,

I built SoraApp.org to showcase the best AI-generated videos from models like Sora 2, Veo 3, Genie 2, and Seedream.

The AI video space is moving fast, but it's hard to find and compare quality outputs from different models. This site curates the most impressive videos in one place, organized by model and style.

Check it out at https://soraapp.org/

Would love your feedback!
by orochimaaru | 2025-10-01 02:42:25+00:00
Anecdotal advantage that I've heard of but not verified.

Cash also has the advantage of the person requesting the test not having to disclose it. For example if you're running the test for getting life insurance and need to lower cholesterol you could use the cash tests for this. Using insurance for this will expose the numbers when you grant access to the insurance company to troll through your records.
by bluGill | 2025-10-01 02:45:11+00:00
True but small planes are profitable too even for long flights. They have to compete against the more profitable large ones but they do that by emptying the large ones. I want to get to a destination and if a small plane isn't much more money it is cheaper to not transfer at a hub and pay for the 2nd plane to where I want to be. More smaller planes can also fit my schedule which can save money.

there is a reason nobody flies the 747 anymore. It isn't profitable enough agaisnt the 777 and small planes which are cheaper to run.
by vunderba | 2025-10-01 02:45:16+00:00
I feel like we might be talking past each other but it is funny that you chose French and Swahili. [1]

The point is that "SIGN LANGUAGE" is idiomatic to the native speaker's tongue. So if you're going to take the time to create a specialized written form of it, you can just write using the native language which can be read by BOTH the Deaf and non-Deaf community.

Deaf people are not magically illiterate.

Creating a written sign language serves no value since it is just a crappier version of the normal written equivalent.

So there's not a lot of value in creating a written form of say the French Sign Language because you can just use French.

Swahili regions have multiple types of sign language including Kenyan Sign Language.

[1]

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenyan_Sign_Language
by AdieuToLogic | 2025-10-01 02:45:53+00:00
> Thank you, your post cured my depression. (Sarcasm)

Your welcome. (Sarcasm returned)

> This is pure magical thinking. There are many reasons to be not happy. Being in pain, having lost a loved one, not having your physical needs met and well simply having depression or a myriad of other problems.

Of course there are many life situations where "being happy" is not what a person can or needs to experience at that moment, where "moment" is defined as some period of time determined by each person. And there are medical conditions where trying to choose happiness is simply not possible, such as "having depression or a myriad of other problems."

> And people shouldn't be happy with all circumstances. It is not healthy to be happy all the time. Sometimes accepting the negative emotions is important for growth.

I never wrote anything to that effect. What I wrote was:

Happiness is an individual choice, available to us all at any time.

Just because a choice is available does not mandate it must be chosen immediately and unconditionally.

But you go ahead and mischaracterize what I wrote to serve whatever agenda you have and I will reiterate what I posted earlier in this thread:

My key point is that happiness is a choice. I hope everyone can find a way to choose it.
by stevenicr | 2025-10-01 02:46:17+00:00
In order to accomplish that working, you'd have to legally mandate parents put the blockers on their kids devices.

Similar things exist that block based upon lists and content keywords and such.

Most parents do not want to block stuff from their kids or they would be.

If thousands of them demanded that devices came with blockers then the market would provide such devices.

Many moons ago you could argue parents did not know what the youngins would find on the internet. Today's parents definitely know, and most do nothing to restrict access.
by zwnow | 2025-10-01 02:46:32+00:00
No I should fulfill my part of the deal. In no way I am obliged to do it "as best as I can". If my employer isn't happy with my work, they can let me go. My employer is essentially exploiting my workforce for their gain and unfortunately this is not compensated fairly in most cases. I'll work hard if I actually believe in the cause and am treated fair. Otherwise its minimal effort that gets the work done.
by imathew | 2025-10-01 02:46:34+00:00
The removal of the forums that the author mentions was what finally ended my 1000ish day streak. It was the most important part of the app for me, the way each question would link to a forum topic and users would discuss the various subtleties.

My assumption, despite plausible claims of moderation issues, is that they removed it so that their expensive AI addon provided more value. But it was the last straw for me.
by TimorousBestie | 2025-10-01 02:48:07+00:00
The Fairness Doctrine did not accomplish that, either in theory or practice.

> The fairness doctrine had two basic elements: It required broadcasters to devote some of their airtime to discussing controversial matters of public interest, and to air contrasting views regarding those matters. [0]

Modern Fox News often satisfies the letter of the fairness doctrine when they invite allegedly nonpartisan figures on to interview. For example, when Andrew Ngo mischaracterizes left-wing protests in Seattle, that’s a contrasting view.

Since enforcement was left up to the ruling party’s FCC, the effects were predictable:

> While the original purpose of the doctrine was to ensure that viewers were exposed to a diversity of viewpoints, it was used by the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations to combat political opponents operating on talk radio and television. [0]

It’s very unclear how a Fairness Doctrine-like could function in today’s legal environment. SCOTUS has made it nearly impossible for any federal agency to levy fines or adjudicate rule-breaking.

[0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairness_doctrine
by bluGill | 2025-10-01 02:48:24+00:00
> What we are explaining is that cholesterol alone does not cause heart disease. It is cholesterol plus inflammation that causes heart disease.

interesting idea which I have heard before. However so far as I can tell we don't know if it is true. It seems to fit the evidence that the two are independantly causes of heart attack, when combined it is worse.

maybe someday science will figure this out but it is not easy and so will take a while. Until we do I avoid saying things with high confidence.
by paulcole | 2025-10-01 02:48:31+00:00
> New and novel things impress me

They don’t seem to if 90% of what you have to say about AI is by your own admission at best tepid.

I honestly don’t understand how anyone can look at the state of AI today (even if the gains are perceived to be marginal compared to the last version) and be like, “meh, not impressive, better say something negative about it.”

But that seems to be the gospel here on the Church of HN.
by KajMagnus | 2025-10-01 02:48:38+00:00
Then you might find Talkyard interesting: https://blog-comments.talkyard.io — reminds of Disqus, in that it's threaded, best first (optionally). (I'm developing it.)

> showing some CORS error

In my case, I found it annoying when cookies gradually stopped working, and eventually I had to make the software use custom HTTP headers instead of cookies.

> Seems that mostly spammers comment

The more interesting the contents of the blog is, the more real humans will like it and post comments? (if they can find it)

But a "Our company posts something each day, even if nothing has happened" blog, or AI fluff, attracts only spammers?
by muzani | 2025-10-01 02:49:25+00:00
I like it. It's not a societal reform or anything. It's just people experimenting, like the Show HN section. There are some fun things in there and it's not as addictive as social media.

Instagram does not welcome this and I don't think they should. It is its own lane. And if it's just a place to sweep AI slop into, that's a good thing.
by rukuu001 | 2025-10-01 02:51:16+00:00
Spend some time on the Sora feed[1] and you can see that a weird kind of social-creator network has sprung up around the service. Turning it into a social app makes sense in that regard.

Doesn't mean OpenAI can't do other stuff with it as well.

1.https://sora.chatgpt.com/explore
by kstrauser | 2025-10-01 02:51:33+00:00
It would not work for arbitrary inputs. See the pigeonhole principal: you can’t represent all possible n-bit values with fewer than n bits, because otherwise you’d have at least one case where multiple input values map to the same output value. On decompression, which one do you go with?

And if that’s not convincing, then consider that any perfect compression scheme would be able to compress its own output even smaller, until you end up with a single bit output for any possible input.

So no, that wouldn’t work in general. Some specific values may compress well, but most others can’t. It’s not a matter of difficulty of finding the right answers, as much as you probably can’t do it.
by southernplaces7 | 2025-10-01 02:51:49+00:00
That the wider world of millions of adults should have an infantalized version of internet be their only option unless they completely sell their privacy down the river in the most fundamental sense because some parents can't watch over their children's digital access is a grotesque justification for mandatory age verification.

This aside from the question of just how fragile many minors are if "exposed" to things like porn.

Anecdote of course, but I was able to view all kinds of dirty stuff well before I was of legal age in my country, and who can forget the now legendary rotten.com website, as just one example. None of this made me or any of my many friends at the time turn into raging pedophile serial killer schoolshooter psychopaths.

These sorts of proposals are in part a rehashing of the utterly idiotic blame game against video games for cases of truly disturbed minors who ended up committing mass murders in the past.

Some people are just going to end up badly disturbed by default or much more systemic causes like a bad home. A mass sanitization of all possible sources of content and media applied to everyone unless they consent to X or Y heavy intrusion won't change that.
by joshmn | 2025-10-01 02:52:46+00:00
I’m curious your relation to the BOP—there are all but a few of us here. My email is in my profile if you’d care to share.

The FSA and SCA do wonders for shorter sentences indeed. The recent push (at least on paper) for more timely transitions to community custody is welcomed and very overdue.

Sentence length is hard to stomach when you experience first hand how it all but strips people of their future. People get 10 years in the US that would be no more than 1 anywhere else, and then society expects them to come out rehabilitated and ready to contribute to society starting from, most commonly, zero.

Halfway houses don’t fix that. Home confinement doesn’t fix that. I’m lucky to have a highly marketable skill and a high degree of ability which makes my experience different than most.

I ask myself all the time how it gets fixed. In this society, I don’t think there’s a chance.
by chii | 2025-10-01 02:55:15+00:00
> they are now vulnerable to scams and you are not.

if the scam is not going to hurt the agent (in this case, the CEO responsible for the buy out), and the success is going to reward the agent, then the incentives are not completely aligned between the agent and the principle.

So signing the deal with less due diligence, then correcting it later (if needed) seems more profitable to the agent, while the principle takes all of the losses (if any).
by mcdeltat | 2025-10-01 02:56:06+00:00
Shaming is one extreme but surely there is some aspect of tradition. Personally I am a little snobbish with pasta because I have seen a lot of people with just no respect for pasta as a culinary experience. E.g. it's just carbs to shovel crap on, without appreciating other aspects of what make pasta good. Same with any food really. Also I don't understand why some people are super attached to "overcooked" pasta. Growing up I ate overcooked pasta and then, later, learnt to like it al dente. Maybe yall are yet to have a really spectacular pasta that changes the game for you?
by marc_abonce | 2025-10-01 02:56:20+00:00
I just read "I've locked myself out of my digital life"[1] and it explains a concern that I have and sometimes struggle to explain.

> In the boring analogue world - I am pretty sure that I'd be able to convince a human that I am who I say I am. And, thus, get access to my accounts. I may have to go to court to force a company to give me access back, but it is possible.

> But when things are secured by an unassailable algorithm - I am out of luck. No amount of pleading will let me without the correct credentials. The company which provides my password manager simply doesn't have access to my passwords. There is no-one to convince. Code is law.

Everyone should understand this problem before they advocate to remove the in-person version of a process. The article's example sounds unlikely at first, but the same consequences can happen with any natural disaster or a robbery.

[1] https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2022/06/ive-locked-myself-out-of-my...
by thangalin | 2025-10-01 02:56:40+00:00
1. Nancy Leveson's Therac-25 investigation and review.

* An Investigation of the Therac-25 Accidents

https://cse.msu.edu/~cse470/Public/Handouts/Therac/Therac_1....

* The Therac-25: 30 Years Later

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8102762

2. Charles Fishman's They Write the Right Stuff

https://www.eng.auburn.edu/~kchang/comp6710/readings/They%20...
by aristofun | 2025-10-01 02:57:21+00:00
It is not a matter of what you think it is a logical fact, part of the definition if you will.

What you call concrete - were the origins of math as we know it. Geometry, astronomy, metaphysics etc they all had in common fundamental abstract thing that we call math today.

Saying “math got abstract” is like saying “a tree got wooden”. Because when it was a seed - it wasn’t yet a tree in a full sense.
by ThrownOffGame | 2025-10-01 02:57:39+00:00
It is really nothing new to offer up credentials to some third party who promises to act benignly on your behalf.

When my niece was about 10, so let's call it 2005, she wanted to access some Barbie service. And I think it was the legit Barbie, mattel.com-affiliated website for children.

So she navigates there, and gets a login screen that wants her email credentials. Like from yahoo.com. I don't know why--to add her to a list or something? Was it an early "federated identity" login that I wasn't aware of?

And my jaw dropped open as I looked at what they were trying to do and I shouted "That's phishing! Don't ever do that!" and I force-closed all the windows and handed her over to her parents.

And looking back, I almost had a twinge of regret because I had come to find out that the Barbie service was not some Russian hacker but actually Barbie just asking to log in to her email, and it was totally normal for thousands of kids. So was I the bad uncle for stopping her in this regard?
by 3eb7988a1663 | 2025-10-01 02:58:29+00:00
On the other hand, some fraction of people are going to gamble away their life savings on bad bets. No idea how you balance the two, but gambling addiction does have a human cost.

It is admittedly not that much different than any other addict looking for their next fix. Yet, if feels lot uglier when it is a billion dollar corporation on the other side optimizing for the human tragedy.