<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: drakonka</title><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=drakonka</link><description>Hacker News RSS</description><docs>https://hnrss.org/</docs><generator>hnrss v2.1.1</generator><lastBuildDate>Wed, 20 May 2026 19:28:22 +0000</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://hnrss.org/user?id=drakonka" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"></atom:link><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by drakonka in "Eric Schmidt speech about AI booed during graduation"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>That seems like a really tenuous connection for him to make if that's what he's doing. I find it difficult to believe that ambitious people outside of a certain niche would refuse to come to the US because of perceived lack of AI progress. They'd refuse/are refusing to come because of the US's increasing hostility to outsiders, cutting of research funding, and subpar living conditions.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 18 May 2026 13:20:17 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48179463</link><dc:creator>drakonka</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48179463</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48179463</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by drakonka in "New research suggests people can communicate and practice skills while dreaming"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Not about sleep learning but lucid dreaming in general: I have long been puzzled and disappointed that we are not pouring more research, interest, and funding into controlling the induction of lucid dreams. There are ways to learn to do it now, but they are slow and unreliable. Gadgets exist but they're fringe - there is no great lucid dreaming movement like there is with longevity, for example.<p>I would have thought in a society where we want a gadget or magic pill for anything and everything, our interest in this would be through the roof. You can live a whole other lifetime in a dream, either your own or of some other character or world you step into. You can replay the past see the future, countless times. Controlled lucid dreaming seems like the closest we will likely ever get to immortality. Why aren't we more bullish about facilitating it?</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 02 May 2026 07:38:37 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47984263</link><dc:creator>drakonka</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47984263</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47984263</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by drakonka in "Period tracking app, Flo, found to be selling user data to Meta"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I wonder if you would ask the same thing about any number of apps - like fitness trackers, mood trackers, supplement trackers, online diary apps, task trackers, etc? You don't even need a notes app - you could just carry a notebook around or email notes to yourself.<p>As for why people may want to track menstrual cycles specifically, it is because bodies can be greatly influenced by what phase of the menstrual cycle we are in. From regular physical and mood changes to disorders like PMDD. The different parts of the cycle can also impact ideal exercise and even food choices for some. There are women and couples who gain insights (and often useful predictions) into how their moods coincide with menstrual phases, and that is much easier to track in a dedicated app designed to do so (which can also flag cycle irregularities, bleeding variation, or other changes), just as with other purpose-built applications. All of that is before we even get to the whole fertility tracking thing. One such app is a certified birth control method in my country. Tracking periods in a notes app is not.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 28 Apr 2026 21:34:48 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47941151</link><dc:creator>drakonka</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47941151</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47941151</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by drakonka in "Good Sleep, Good Learning (2012)"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Half asleep definitely doesn't sound like good quality, restorative sleep.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:16:50 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47783869</link><dc:creator>drakonka</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47783869</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47783869</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by drakonka in "Ask HN: Should AI credits be refunded on mistakes?"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I have been thinking about this kind of thing recently. I've got a hobby project that generates some AI content for the user and trying to figure out the most fair way to deal with the output being just plain bad. I haven't run into this case myself yet in testing after many quality passes to make the generation robust, but have no doubt that at scale there would be junk output at some point. Users would likely be non-technical and pay per-generation, not on a subscription model. So I would like to find a way to:<p>- Define some threshold for bad output<p>- Detect when a piece of output meets that threshold (vs just maybe not being what the user expected, which in my case is just fine)<p>- Refund the user credits so they can generate again<p>Text output is relatively easy to evaluate to some base threshold of quality in the generation process, but the final output is not text... it becomes harder.<p>Each failed generation would be very disruptive to the user on its own (in the scope of the app's purpose), so I'm also considering offering them an extra discount on their next purchase (in addition to the credit refund).<p>Do I get users to report generations they consider bad and then review them somehow? Do I try to auto-detect bad output before the output is delivered to the user? Probably a mix of all of the above... while attempting to mitigate the potential for abuse (people making dummy generations and then reporting them 'just to try it out', or try to game the system to get multiple free generations). Maybe I'd have to have some sort of time window for reporting a junk generation, and a max "use" count that flags if the user actually took benefit from the output before reporting it...<p>I guess this turned into a bit of a brain dump.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 11 Apr 2026 07:47:18 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47728428</link><dc:creator>drakonka</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47728428</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47728428</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by drakonka in "The effects of caffeine consumption do not decay with a ~5 hour half-life"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I think it is already pretty widely recognized that caffeine can disrupt sleep taken even as early as 6 or 7 hours before bed. I usually don't drink coffee or caffeinated tea after 12 for this reason. Caffeine also has many other known benefits, possible beneficial effects on all-cause mortality, etc, and I'm not sure if we have any research showing the same benefits coming from paraxanthine. Seems like potentially a bit of a waste just to be able to get the stimulant effect a couple of hours closer to sleep time.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 10 Apr 2026 13:59:13 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47718279</link><dc:creator>drakonka</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47718279</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47718279</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by drakonka in "Drop, formerly Massdrop, ends most collaborations and rebrands under Corsair"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I think I got a really cool wallet and notebook from Hand & Sew through Massdrop many years ago. The wallet is long gone but the notebook is still around with a wonderful patina. It used to be a really cool site for unique items. I stopped using it when they had a falling out with Input Club and it seems like they've just gone downhill since then.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 06 Apr 2026 09:59:39 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47658876</link><dc:creator>drakonka</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47658876</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47658876</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by drakonka in "Should AI have the right to say 'No' to its owner?"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Reminds me of a talk I went to in 2018 about rebel agents, in which the speakers talked about some ongoing work in this area and gave some good examples of physical systems that we might _want_ agent rebellion (e.g., a delivery drone is instructed to take a certain route, but the operator instructing it may not be fully aware of the situation or the specific obstacles in the drone's way (or maybe even all of the drone's underlying goals). The drone may then choose to 'rebel' and deviate against the operator's instructed flight path).<p>They also talked about the importance of explanation (on the agent's part) using theory of mind regarding why it rebelled. I took some notes at the time and put them here: <a href="https://liza.io/ijcai-session-notes-rebel-agents/" rel="nofollow">https://liza.io/ijcai-session-notes-rebel-agents/</a></p>
]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 08:56:13 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47611781</link><dc:creator>drakonka</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47611781</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47611781</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by drakonka in "Cat Itecture: Better Cat Window Boxes (2023)"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>It makes me so happy every time I think about that - how my cats have never had to know anything other than utter love and safety.<p>In actuality he's been through some really rough times at vet hospitals as a kitten (and that's why he reacts differently with vets), so it is an extra relief that he came out of that so well-adjusted at home.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 29 Mar 2026 10:15:16 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47561845</link><dc:creator>drakonka</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47561845</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47561845</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by drakonka in "Cat Itecture: Better Cat Window Boxes (2023)"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I'm still reading, but as I go through the sight vs sound section I am reminded of how weird my cats seem to be (especially the male). He seems to have none of these risk assessment/survival instincts at all unless we are at the vet's office. At home, whether inside or on the balcony, he simply behaves like there is no danger from anything, ever. If he hears a new sound he will likely go toward it rather than away, and if a new person comes he's the first to the door to sniff them out. I don't think I've ever seen him hide in my life.<p>Then again, every cat owner thinks their cat is the special one.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 29 Mar 2026 08:51:40 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47561462</link><dc:creator>drakonka</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47561462</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47561462</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by drakonka in "Beyond has dropped “meat” from its name and expanded its high-protein drink line"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>People like me: who prefer not to kill animals to live but enjoy the taste of some type of meat in moderation. I am absolutely happy to pay for a premium meat alternative for the occasional visit to a burger joint. There are lots of them where I live alongside the Beyond patties and they're quite popular. I'm not quite sure what desperation has to do with it - you just eat things you enjoy that fit your dietary preferences.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2026 16:48:37 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47415175</link><dc:creator>drakonka</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47415175</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47415175</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by drakonka in "The optimal age to freeze eggs is 19"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Most 19 year olds probably wouldn't opt into injecting themselves twice a day for weeks and dealing with the side effects of the injections, then the subsequent extraction procedures (likely for multiple rounds) even if it was paid for. Which is reasonable, considering most women who want children will have them without IVF and don't need to go through any of that.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 09 Mar 2026 19:32:51 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47314245</link><dc:creator>drakonka</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47314245</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47314245</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by drakonka in "Ask HN: How to be alone?"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I enjoy being alone (emphasis: alone, not lonely), but I don't think it's good to try to force yourself to just cope with it somehow if it isn't your thing. But then, you seem to not want to do anything that would help you not be alone? It sounds like you're trying to turn yourself into a different person, which seems even harder than things like finding a hobby or joining a Meetup group.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 09 Mar 2026 10:17:59 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47307088</link><dc:creator>drakonka</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47307088</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47307088</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by drakonka in "Generative AI use and depressive symptoms among US adults"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Anecdotally, not with depressive symptoms but anxiety, I find that use of ChatGPT/Claude for 'brainstorming' personal situations was definitely a gateway to further rumination for me. As someone who works on AI agents I thought I'd never fall into that trap and knew how to use it 'properly' when I wanted a sounding board. I was wrong. I now avoid general-use chatbots for personal issues as much as I can because it feels like it's helping in the short term, but has always been worse in aggregate.<p>(I say general-use because I think there are some AI-based tools that are specially made which _can_ actually be helpful for this - but opening a ChatGPT tab, even with lots of relevant instructions, ain't it in my experience. The interface itself is counter-productive to healthy processing.)</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2026 15:11:34 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47181427</link><dc:creator>drakonka</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47181427</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47181427</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by drakonka in "What's the best way to learn a new language?"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I _loved_ Language Transfer when learning Greek. I haven't used it in many years, but at the time remember that I went from just being able to say "Hi" and "How are you" and "Good" to speaking full sentences with my boyfriend at the time in one day. And when visiting Greece later that year I could get by with strangers in everyday interactions easily. It was a mind-blowing learning experience, as someone who is not highly gifted in languages, and I donated to the LT creator.<p>Now I am learning Swedish. It has been taking me _way_ too long and unfortunately LT doesn't have a Swedish course. Looking at one of these documentaries about Michel Thomas it does indeed look like exactly that kind of approach! And I see he has a Swedish course. I'm excited to give it a try!</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 22 Feb 2026 16:33:00 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47112368</link><dc:creator>drakonka</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47112368</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47112368</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by drakonka in "Anki ownership transferred to AnkiHub"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I've found the opposite when using Anki myself. The process of developing the deck is a critical part of learning the material for me. I consume my target language, see something I don't understand, figure out what it means, then put it into the deck - and _then_ practice it. To cut out the whole first part of that chain by using a premade deck eradicates much of the learning process for me (I've tried).</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2026 08:53:53 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46868378</link><dc:creator>drakonka</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46868378</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46868378</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by drakonka in "Anki ownership transferred to AnkiHub"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I've been using Anki for a few years and have never experienced it as neglected. There are regular updates and a big community contributing knowledge, add-ins, etc.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2026 08:50:39 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46868351</link><dc:creator>drakonka</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46868351</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46868351</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by drakonka in "Ask HN: Share your personal website"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p><a href="https://liza.io" rel="nofollow">https://liza.io</a></p>
]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 15 Jan 2026 13:19:08 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46632053</link><dc:creator>drakonka</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46632053</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46632053</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by drakonka in "Ask HN: Why Do You Blog?"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Just for myself. Helps me consolidate my own thoughts and learnings. Sometimes I google something and my own blog comes up. That gives me a bit of a laugh (and is sometimes useful).</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 26 Dec 2025 10:42:56 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46390942</link><dc:creator>drakonka</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46390942</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46390942</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by drakonka in "Stronk.app – open-source gym lifts journal"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>This doesn't really seem like a competitor to OP? I think it might solve different needs. One looks like a straightforward tracking app and yours looks like some kind of training/lifestyle program.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 25 Dec 2025 09:41:07 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46383341</link><dc:creator>drakonka</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46383341</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46383341</guid></item></channel></rss>