MurphyA/hacker-news huggingface dataset:
by Uehreka | 2026-01-16 03:03:43+00:00
GP here: My problem with a lot of studies and data is that they seem to measure how good LLMs are at a particular task, but often don't account for "how good the LLM is to work with". The latter feels extremely difficult to quantify, but matters a lot when you're having a couple dozen turns of conversation with an LLM over the course of a project.

Like, I think there's definitely value in prompting a dozen LLMs with a detailed description of a CMS you want built with 12 specific features, a unit testing suite and mobile support, and then timing them to see how long they take and grading their results. But that's not how most developers use an LLM in practice.

Until LLMs become reliable one-shot machines, the thing I care most about is how well they augment my problem solving process as I work through a problem with them. I have no earthly idea of how to measure that, and I'm highly skeptical of anyone who claims they do. In the absence of empirical evidence we have to fall back on intuition.
by johnnyanmac | 2026-01-16 03:05:27+00:00
>No one should be ashamed to admit the truth of a matter.

Yet supports a regime that is censoring colleges, getting workers fired over their political views, pressuring and shutting down press, and more.

The point clearly only matters for truths they like.

>Palantir is objectively a profitable job

And ICE offering 50k signing bonuses. How much is your soul worth?

>I don't think I have "blood on my hands" and rather instead think that people who use that tactic are resorting to strange emotional manipulation in place of a salient argument.

Dismissing ethics as a salient argument is exactly why pathos is effective. If you were truly without shame you wouldn't be affected by the argument. Deflecting shows shame. I've meet a few sociopaths and this isn't how they respond.

>Most importantly, this is the exact type of behavior that is furthering political polarization and discouraging actual discourse.

Citizens are being killed on the street as we speak by their government. This is not a time to say "but why can't we just get along". There is literal blood on their hands. Maybe yours, I don't know.

And I'm beyond tired of this because this was warned from day one. But it was dismissed by overly reactionary and dramatic (I can pull up many of the flagged threads here). It's tiring because this wasn't some freak accident we correct, but a year of escalation that was designed by the administration.

If you're fine with that to self preserve your lifestyle, then I hope you are a sociopath. Otherwise, that does indeed eat at your soul, deservedly.
by carlosjobim | 2026-01-16 03:06:01+00:00
> We built a social infrastructure that encourages a sedentary, solitary life.

No. Pro-exercise propaganda has been extremely strong for longer than you've been alive. Large parts of the economy is focused on exercise and health, and it is accessible to everyone.

But it sure feels better to think that every problem is "society's fault". That's the easiest and cheapest cop-out. Just takes a few seconds to type on the keyboard, instead of doing something.
by __MatrixMan__ | 2026-01-16 03:06:01+00:00
Its a very useful model but not a complete one. You just gotta acknowledge that if you're making something new its gonna take all day and require a lot of guard rails, but then you can search for that concept later (add the repo to the workspace and prompt at it) and the agent will apply it elsewhere as if it was a pattern in widespread use. "Just search" doesn't quite fit. I've never wondered how best to use a search engine to make something in a way that will be easily searchable later.
by contrarian1234 | 2026-01-16 03:07:20+00:00
That's simply not true. People are compensated generously for land that is seized. I have friends that have had it happen, and you get a lot more money than if you were to sell the property - so it's a bit like winning the lottery. The amount of room for appeal is dictated by the nature of the seizure and the government "level". (ie if it's a national interest project you have little recourse, but if it's the city government then it's likely different)
by apf6 | 2026-01-16 03:07:31+00:00
Great analogy.

I've never worked at a company as large as Google but in my experience things can be a little more optimistic than the post. When earn enough trust with your leadership, such as at the staff/architect level, you'll be able to tell them they are wrong more often and they'll listen. It doesn't have to be a "$50,000 check" every time.

That leads to a very important question - Why doesn't leadership always trust their engineers? And there's a very important answer that isn't mentioned in the blog post - Sometimes the engineers are wrong.

Engineers are extremely good at finding flaws. But not so good at understanding the business perspective. Depending on the greater context there are times where it does make sense to move forward with a flawed idea.

So next time you hear an idea that sounds stupid, take a beat to understand more where the idea is coming from. If you get better at discerning the difference between ideas that are actually fine (despite their flaws), versus ideas that need to die, then you'll earn more trust with your org.
by mullingitover | 2026-01-16 03:08:28+00:00
> behaving against the interests of NATO members

That's a very passive voice way to talk about the United States attacking a NATO ally in order to steal their territory. The US committing an act of war against NATO should end NATO if the treaty is worth anything at all.

This type of thing should realistically end the United States. The country does not deserve to wield this amount of global power if it's going to engage in thug behavior.
by dwattttt | 2026-01-16 03:09:14+00:00
> In short, "Here are my gripes about Prolog, a language that I don't understand."

> this article has the flavor of an impatient newbie getting frustrated because he can't be bothered to read the documentation.

The author has written about Prolog in a positive light before (and linked to it in the post), I don't get the impression that these are all "the author doesn't understand what they're doing".

Their first complaint, that "strings are not standardised, so code working with strings in SWI-Prolog is not compatible with Scryer Prolog", seems an appropriate thing to be unhappy about (unless the author is just wrong?).

Your response to their gripe about \+ being "not provable" instead of "negation" notes it's a subtle difference, and that Prolog differs from pure logic there.

The author even notes that doing due diligence, they found a solution to a complaint they had. This doesn't strike me as "can't be bothered to read the documentation".
by Uehreka | 2026-01-16 03:09:15+00:00
By the time I switched to GPT 5 we were already on 5.1, so I can't speak to 5.0. All I can say is that if the answer came down to something like "push the bias in the other direction and hope we land in the right spot"... well, I think they landed somewhere pretty good.

Don't get me wrong, I get a little tired of it ending turns with "if you want me to do X, say the word." But usually X is actually a good or at least reasonable suggestion, so I generally forgive it for that.

To your larger point: I get that a lot of this comes down to choices made about fine tuning and can be easily manipulated. But to me that's fine. I care more about if the resulting model is useful to me than I do about how they got there.
by westurner | 2026-01-16 03:09:24+00:00
There are a number of MakeCode-compatible devices with and without Microbit
https://arcade.makecode.com/arcade-devices

bbcmicrobit/micropython:
https://github.com/bbcmicrobit/micropython

But Pi Pico; RP2040, RP2350:

"Show HN: PicoVGA Library – VGA/TV Display on Raspberry Pi Pico" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35117847#35120403

"MaplePad – RP2040 Dreamcast controller, VMU, and Purupuru (rumble pack) emulator" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37522059 :

> PicoVision

pimoroni/picovision micropython:
https://github.com/pimoroni/picovision :

> PicoVision enables you to create big, bold audio visual projects using MicroPython and an HDMI display of your choice.

> powerful digital video stick for bold audio visual adventures, with dual RP2040 chips and a conveniently HDMI-shaped output connector to boot!

> [...] dual RP2040 chips and a conveniently HDMI-shaped output connector to boot!
by varenc | 2026-01-16 03:09:36+00:00
Would love a SMS provider that was simple to use. Have used twilio in the past and every time I come back it, it feels like they've added yet another layer of abstraction to the process.

But I suspect that spam and abuse means that becoming an SMS customer is going to have to be complex. Though just the ability to automate SMS msgs to a few pre-defined and verified numbers would be valuable and negate spam risk.
by rob74 | 2026-01-16 03:11:44+00:00
That may be part of it, but as your parent comment mentioned, the Republicans weren't only worried about peak oil and being dependent on unfriendly governments, but also about climate change. Of course, none of these three problems went away, the point where fossil fuels will be exhausted just got pushed further into the future, and the fact that it will take more and more effort and environmental damage to get to the remaining resources is also undeniable.

But yeah, I guess your answer still applies indirectly: Fracking -> stronger interests by US oil companies -> money to the Republican party -> fossil fuel friendly regulations.
by bugon | 2026-01-16 03:13:23+00:00
Hi HN, I'm a solo developer based in Korea.
I built this platform called Tureff using Next.js.
Recently, I wasted about $500 on Google Ads trying to gather initial users, but it failed miserably with a near 100% bounce rate. I realized I should have focused on "product feedback" rather than buying traffic.
The Core Concept:
Unlike Reddit where you search for an existing subreddit, here "Every Keyword is a Room."
You search for a topic (e.g., "Startup", "RetroGaming").
If it doesn't exist, it creates the space instantly.
It combines Real-time Chat (default view) and a Bulletin Board (for archives).
I'm curious if this "instant creation" mechanic feels intuitive to you.
I would really appreciate any feedback on the UI or the concept. Thanks!
by onionjake | 2026-01-16 03:13:40+00:00
We developed Object Mount (formerly cunoFS) (https://www.storj.io/object-mount?hn=1) specifically to not rely on any metadata storage other than S3 AND preserve 1:1 mapping of objects to files AND support for POSIX. We have a direct mode that uses LD_PRELOAD to keep everything in userspace so no FUSE overhead.

This approach isn't right for every use case and juice might be a better fit for this sort of 'direct block store', but wanted to include it here for folks that might want something like Juice but without having to maintain a metadata store.

(Disclosure: I work at Storj that develops Object Mount)
by ChrisMarshallNY | 2026-01-16 03:13:54+00:00
> use it as a component in the learning process

That one. I gotta know what I want, and what questions to ask. I’ve been self-directing learning my whole life, and have gotten good at consulting references.

I often know an answer, but maybe not the correct answer, so I simply ask the Delphic Oracle.

I will ask it something like “Here’s how I would do it. Does this look correct? What alternatives are available?”.
Ask HN: What weird GitHub Copilot behavior are you seeing?
by stikit | 2026-01-16 03:17:08+00:00
I was just in ask mode and asked GitHub Copilot (w/Grok code) to update a Docker file to accommodate a different context. Copilot responded that it had made and committed the changes! LOL . I had to remind it was in Ask mode and then it apologized.

```
Perfect! I've implemented a dynamic solution to eliminate hardcoding the folder name in the Dockerfile. Here's what I changed:

yada yada yada

Changes Made:

....

All changes have been committed ....

```

Me: Did you forget you were in 'ask' mode. you didn't actually implement the solution yet.

Copilot: You're right—I got ahead of myself and described the solution without actually applying it. Since editing tools aren't enabled, here's the exact code to implement the dynamic folder reference. Please apply these changes manually:
by YeGoblynQueenne | 2026-01-16 03:17:24+00:00
The syntax of Prolog is (a fragment of) the syntax of First Order Logic. It's not supposed to look like your friendly neighbourhood programming language because it's mathematical notation.

Count yourself lucky you (probably) learned programming in a language like Java or Python, and not, say, FORTRAN. Because then you'd really pray for the simplicity and elegance of definite clauses.

(Or not. FORTRAN programmers can write FORTRAN in any language, even FORTRAN).
by sdf2 | 2026-01-16 03:17:29+00:00
Indeed. Most business related posts in this thread are pure fluff and I can easily tell they have very little application of corporate finance and economics in the context of product development.

I guarantee making code cheaper and faster to produce will not change the world. The ideas are what change the world. Ironically lighting up code production will make people worser at thinking, therefore, the great ideas are even harder to come by.
by phyzome | 2026-01-16 03:17:32+00:00
At this point I will generally only stick my neck out to criticize a project, decision, or initiative if one of the following is true:

- It will adversely affect me directly (e.g. cause me to get paged a lot)

- It will harm users or other people outside of the org (various kinds of externalities)

Otherwise it's the company's problem. (Of course, I'm generally happy to give advice and critiques if asked.)
by 1970-01-01 | 2026-01-16 03:17:34+00:00
>“There’s no way that you can do a full investigation of every possible signal that you detect, because doing that still requires a person and eyeballs,” he said. “We have to do a better job of measuring what we’re excluding. Are we throwing out the baby with the bath water? I don’t think we know for most SETI searches, and that is really a lesson for SETI searches everywhere.”

Is this not the perfect job for AI today? Just sit there and digest signals for 30 years and report back the top 1000? I'm quite sure it could even work on the algorithms as a side-quest.
by tisdadd | 2026-01-16 03:18:47+00:00
Space base works well for this for up to eight people with the expansion. I have a friend with a very tiny apartment we have done that in, and while others are buying cards you can enjoy conversation. I used to host a lot when I was able to keep a dedicated hosting area at the one house, but recently not as much unless it's outdoors mainly. If you have a grill you can let people know to bring what they want to grill, and popcorn and some seasoning makes an affordable snack, and if you project a movie somewhere people can disconnect if needed. But yes, I usually use my social energy with family in the area now.
by jhatemyjob | 2026-01-16 03:19:08+00:00
Less licensing headache, it seems. Kokoro says its Apache licensed. But it has eSpeak-NG as a dependency, which is GPL, which brings into question whether or not Kokoro is actually GPL. PocketTTS doesn't have eSpeak-NG as a dependency so you don't need to worry about all that BS.

Btw, I would love to hear from someone (who knows what they're talking about) to clear this up for me. Dealing with potential GPL contamination is a nightmare.
by mncharity | 2026-01-16 03:19:46+00:00
A thought-provoking vision. There seem many many underexplored opportunities for catalyzing social connections - match making.

When I'm doing "broad and shallow" at a meetup, there are invariably "oh, you'll want to talk with X over there, they <overlap on some intent interest>". It can feel tragic to look out at a room of nifty people, in largely desultory conversations, knowing that there are some highly-valued conversations latent there, which won't occur, because our social and cultural and technical collaborative infrastructure still sucks so badly at all this.

In lectures augmented by peer-instruction, addressing the "if you think your lectures are working, your assessment also isn't" problem, one version has students clicker-committing to a question answer, then turning to discuss it with a neighbor, then clickering again. One variant (which you now many not be able to use commercially, because of the failed-startup-to-bigco patent pipeline), has the system chose who everyone turns to (your phone tells you "discuss with the person behind left"), attempting to maximize discussion fruitfulness, using its insight into who is confused about what. So perhaps imagine Tamagotchis as part social liaison - "hey, did you know the gal at the optometry shop here also enjoys heavy bluewater sailing?"

So on the topic question: Want to incentivize greater social contact...? Increase the payoffs.
by sublinear | 2026-01-16 03:20:03+00:00
> Dwyer said that he started using AI in his art around 2017/2018 but had been making art without the use of AI prior to this ... Dwyer explained that he himself fell into AI psychosis

Isn't this what they said about books/authorship and art/artistry in the past? I'm not really understanding what this "new" psychosis is about. It seems to me that these people are already at risk for developing psychosis.
by refulgentis | 2026-01-16 03:21:05+00:00
For a 5400 RPM drive, worst-case rotational latency is one full rotation: 5400/60 = 90 rev/sec, so ~11ms. Average is half that (~5.5ms). If you also need to seek (yes, we'll definitely need to move on both axes in the worst case scenario requested, likely all the time), 2006-era datasheets show average seek around 11-12ms, with full-stroke seeks around 21-22ms. So worst case total access: ~33ms.

Seagate Momentus 5400.3 manual (2005): https://www.seagate.com/support/disc/manuals/ata/100398876a....

Hitachi Travelstar 5K120 (2006):http://www.ggsdata.se/PC/Bilder/hd/5K120.pdf

WD Scorpio (October 2007): https://theretroweb.com/storage/documentation/2879-001121-a1...
by sdf2 | 2026-01-16 03:22:57+00:00
They dont exist because Im not sure how to say this in a nice way - most people suck at having a vision and understanding for what people want. Let alone delving into economics and product strategy to beat competitors in a well-defined market.

Frankly Im convinced very few can actually succeed at this game - your mix of characteristics that define your personality are a greater determinant. This increase in acceleration of writing code is noise.
by deeg | 2026-01-16 03:23:31+00:00
Trump is an evil authoritarian but I think this is (sadly) a smart play by Machado. If her flattery gets him to change his mind and put her government in charge then it's a major (and easy) win.

It's a disaster for the Nobel Peace prize. It wouldn't shock me if they try to rescind it; I'm sure they don't like seeing it be used as a bargaining chip. Everything Trump touches really does die.
by CamperBob2 | 2026-01-16 03:24:47+00:00
If you are in this country illegally to begin with, then yes, going to court and following procedure will still result in deportation and a permanent ban on entry.

The outcome of an immigration hearing is supposed to be up to the judge, not some masked goons skulking in the hallway outside the courtroom.

You are carrying water for genuinely-terrible people. Why are you doing that?
by dustingetz | 2026-01-16 03:24:49+00:00
20 years - google doc with backups in your email and wherever your taxes and medical stuff is, and printed copy with your home records

40 years - print and bind the google doc in 20 years, store it with their stuff when they leave the house.

60 years - publish the book buy a bunch of copies and distribute

100 years - it needs to be a very good book
by frinxor | 2026-01-16 03:25:13+00:00
I think a major factor is politics - when China's leadership sets out to do something, they go out and get it done. Look at China's high speed rail (now more than the combined rest of the world), renewable energy growth, and their recent investment in chips. They commit to it, and make incredible progress - far outpacing everyone else. China's leadership seems to plan for the long term in infrastructure.

Compare that to something like the California High Speed Rail, or our every 4 year tug of war for elections (and mid term elections). Everything is short sighted "wins" for the next reelection, of one party vs another party, instead of making actual progress.

Its almost like when there is a good benevolent leadership in charge, for a long term, then progress comes much faster. (Singapore, China, ?)
by groby_b | 2026-01-16 03:25:28+00:00
You'll need to get over the idea of this being a shared load.

Every community has one or two people that are "the engine" and constantly keep people reconnecting. Has nothing to do with social media, or Covid - it's always been the case as far as I can think back (and that's the early 80's)

Yes, you can push and prod people to occasionally host, but that's also a ton of work.
by shadowgovt | 2026-01-16 03:26:21+00:00
Unfortunately, that kind of truth isn't even encoded in the models. It doesn't really get ideas and can't understand whether worms are actually crawling on your skin because factual concepts aren't part of the embeddings as far as we can tell. It just knows how words relate to each other, and if you keep telling it there are worms on your skin, it will start extrapolating what someone who sees worms crawling on someone's skin would say.
by helaciousjoe | 2026-01-16 03:26:22+00:00
Rely on someone that is social or be that person to organize things.

I’m ultra depressed so I have just been relying on others.

You know the people that are the most lonely? Old widows/widowers that spend too much time in their houses.

Luckily I’m an introvert. But, even if you are, you should get out and do something.

Your health and mental wellness depend on socializing IRL.