<rss version="2.0" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"><channel><title>Hacker News: absynth</title><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=absynth</link><description>Hacker News RSS</description><docs>https://hnrss.org/</docs><generator>hnrss v2.1.1</generator><lastBuildDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 22:28:55 +0000</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://hnrss.org/user?id=absynth" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"></atom:link><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by absynth in "The greatest shot in television: James Burke had one chance to nail this scene (2024)"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Why would doing something or taking action be dumbing down?<p>You are bristling with something like anger but it has nothing to do with what I wrote.<p>I'm off to go hiking. There are thousands of stars out there.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2026 13:34:26 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48094812</link><dc:creator>absynth</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48094812</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48094812</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by absynth in "Ask HN: Will low quality AI customer support be the new normal?"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I asked Amazon for help with my account. They couldn't figure out the URL to get me where I needed to go. They said they needed to escalate. The question was definitely not complicated. They wanted to call me asking questions.<p>Meanwhile, Gemini gave me the url and explained what I needed to know in one reply. Problem solved. Same question to ChatGPT gave me the correct answer as well. I bet Claude or Grok would have also found the correct answer.<p>This is where things take a turn: Google.com/ddg/bing failed. amazon's own search failed. Its worth knowing that the good results from the chatbots pointed at Amazon's web.<p>Based on this one example, I could begin to think document style search engines are dead.<p>Presumably Amazon were trying to put me into their little Voice AI microcosm. They'd obviously (?) record my voice (yes) of me getting increasingly annoyed (likely) at some Voice Chat Bot (likely) and then they'd apologize (?) for not knowing (probably?).<p>Is that the goal? Waste 30 minutes of my time for what could have been answered by a chat bot but not a web search?<p>The underlying situation seems even weirder than simply trying to cut costs. I think Amazon has cut so many corners they have forgotten what shape they are trying to create.<p>I have only one answer so far: Their customer support has no idea how to navigate their own website and this is by design. This is NOT the customer support people at fault. Let that all sink in: Someone got a bonus for this service design. This is somehow optimal according to Amazon. Yet this style of service design will only get worse for paying customers. It will be much worse for non-customers.<p>Progress!<p>I don't think this is restricted to Amazon either. I think this is industry wide. The in-page chat bots are usually just as broken.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2026 09:10:52 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48092715</link><dc:creator>absynth</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48092715</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48092715</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by absynth in "Mythos Finds a Curl Vulnerability"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I routinely used to compile C programs on other compilers to find defects that one or another didn't find. Compiling on Windows vs Linux. You could summarize / minimize it down to compiling it with warning as errors etc but you'd be missing the point.<p>The point wasn't actual cross-platform portability even though that was a nice side effect. It was to flush out all the weird edge cases.<p>Edges like security flaws. Buffer overflows are usually platform specific. There are plenty of other ways to find these issues but simply recompiling for a different platform surfaces all sorts of issues.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2026 08:35:39 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48092498</link><dc:creator>absynth</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48092498</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48092498</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by absynth in "The greatest shot in television: James Burke had one chance to nail this scene (2024)"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>You watched all that content. Did you take action on it? What did you make or do as a result?</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2026 08:29:30 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48092459</link><dc:creator>absynth</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48092459</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48092459</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by absynth in "The greatest shot in television: James Burke had one chance to nail this scene (2024)"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Modern audiences are expected to be glued to twelve different things at once. Producers are being told to adjust to this reality. Watch any movie now and they are all compensating for the distracted audience.<p>Movies used to be watched in a place for that purpose. Now its the toilet. Now the phone itself is ringing. A message comes in. Time to upgrade. Ding! All while some key scene in the movie is taking place.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2026 06:34:27 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48091707</link><dc:creator>absynth</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48091707</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48091707</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by absynth in "The locals don't know"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I remember traveling 1000km for work. On the radio I heard of trips to where I lived. They were all prizes for some competition. I realized that my home was someone else's destination and my current place was where people from home's had chosen as a destination.<p>The grass is sometimes truly greener.<p>When I returned I looked at my home with the eyes of a tourist and went everywhere I could.<p>I have since traveled elsewhere. Some places are much better not to return to or even remain in.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2026 06:15:45 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48091580</link><dc:creator>absynth</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48091580</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48091580</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by absynth in "Everything is just files and programs"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Now explain this to all the people writing their own curl | bash installers.<p>Just use a package manager! Its really not THAT hard. Pick one. Use it. Automate it.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 07 May 2026 07:10:46 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48046372</link><dc:creator>absynth</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48046372</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48046372</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by absynth in "Ask HN: Is there a term for feeling sad about forced AI adoption?"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Blinkenlichtdenkmaschinenberufsverlustverzweiflung.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 06 May 2026 05:58:33 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48032761</link><dc:creator>absynth</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48032761</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48032761</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by absynth in "Vibe coding or spec-driven development? How to choose"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Why not both? Dilemmas aren't necessary. Not everything is binary.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 05 May 2026 21:37:45 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48028946</link><dc:creator>absynth</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48028946</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48028946</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by absynth in "Does Employment Slow Cognitive Decline? Evidence from Labor Market Shocks"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>If there's a schedule to your tiredness then can probably reschedule it. This is a lesson I've discovered to good effect. [Side note: 2-3pm is probably due to food/glucose/insulin levels - its worth investigating]<p>Don't be fooled by tiredness. You can be mentally tired but not physically tired. These are not opposites. You can be physically tired in one aspect but not another.<p>You can be mentally tired but because you like to paint, then painting will regenerate you. It will make you less tired after you paint or even better: have you now appropriately tired that you properly sleep due to that tiredness.<p>Tired is not tired. You be tired in one way and not in another. This blanket use of the word isn't helpful and leaves a lot of potential left behind as you sit on the couch "tired".</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 05 May 2026 01:38:02 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48017078</link><dc:creator>absynth</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48017078</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48017078</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by absynth in "Ask HN: Why hasn't someone built a decentralized compute network?"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>really? I mean there's this little book company called Amazon who will let you use their interweb computers for a few dollars per hour. They'll sell you coffee as well.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2026 04:31:04 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48004649</link><dc:creator>absynth</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48004649</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48004649</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by absynth in "Executable installer will stop being released with Python 3.16"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Yes.<p>winget install ICURAIDI0TFU seemed unsuitable for production.<p>winget install 8NDEADBEEF9N offended some.<p>winget install 0%U#I#$#$$## had too much hash and blow for some US states.<p>winget install python3.11 was too obvious.<p>No?</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2026 09:49:33 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47995284</link><dc:creator>absynth</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47995284</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47995284</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by absynth in "I Got Sick of Remembering Port Numbers"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Conceptually its doable on linux and ipv6. Have the listening program sit on that default port of 80.<p>Something involving socat, an any-IP / TCP routing rule, a VPS or other machine with a ipv6 /64 and plenty of duct-tape.<p>You'd get an application sitting on port 80 accessible via some unique ipv6 address (in the /64) on a tcp port 80. They needn't be the same port number but it would make it easier.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 01 May 2026 10:25:34 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47973092</link><dc:creator>absynth</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47973092</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47973092</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by absynth in "Claude Code refuses requests or charges extra if your commits mention "OpenClaw""]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Better yet: Get Claude Code to automate it.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 01 May 2026 00:39:03 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47970132</link><dc:creator>absynth</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47970132</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47970132</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by absynth in "Pgbackrest is no longer being maintained"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>The backups will then be hyper-optimized from three hours down to 5 minutes using devnull compression technologies. Its super effective!</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 11:41:46 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47920303</link><dc:creator>absynth</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47920303</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47920303</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by absynth in "What type of code should you generate with AI?"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>For me, I feed the local LLM all the regexp/bash one-off scripts. Review everything because rm -rf is only funny at most once, if ever.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 05:29:56 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47918016</link><dc:creator>absynth</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47918016</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47918016</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by absynth in "Hey, it's Earth Day today"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>While you're contemplating the miracle of Earth, consider how rare wood or chocolate icecream is in the universe as compared to gold or diamonds or similar structures.<p>Life is rare. This adds a particular irony in wearing uniforms. All the uniqueness of life has this need for uniformity layered over the top.<p>(These deep thoughts go haywire when you realize that IRS Tax form 1040 is therefore some kind of wonder of creation and is a rare thing in the universe)</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 23 Apr 2026 01:06:13 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47871218</link><dc:creator>absynth</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47871218</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47871218</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by absynth in "Ask HN: Favourite Assembly Instructions?"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>HCF - Halt and Catch Fire.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 22 Apr 2026 23:56:13 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47870770</link><dc:creator>absynth</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47870770</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47870770</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by absynth in "Tell HN: I'm sick of AI everything"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>New role unlocked: starving artist!<p>Your parents could afford a house, have kids etc etc at a far younger age but now you are single with no kids and choosing food or rent or power. You spin the wheel! Lucky! You get to eat.<p>Progress!</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 22 Apr 2026 04:11:28 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47858895</link><dc:creator>absynth</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47858895</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47858895</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by absynth in "Internet Protocol Version 8 (IPv8)"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>It probably has age verification on every packet.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2026 05:20:24 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47788931</link><dc:creator>absynth</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47788931</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47788931</guid></item></channel></rss>