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Mike

@mstefan.bsky.social

Grumpy old man who writes code. Believer in science, objective reality and human rights. The Earth is an oblate spheroid. Emojis in Unicode are a blight.

created August 2, 2023

799 followers 836 following 2,242 posts

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Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

Need a moment. I'm in my feelings right now, as the kids say.

30/8/2025, 9:31:11 PM | 0 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

Wild I can read this with virtually zero context and still know what it refers to and who "he" is. I need a vacation from ... life. Or something.

30/8/2025, 9:22:17 PM | 2 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

Autumn is the best season. There is no debate.

29/8/2025, 8:03:43 PM | 3 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

They heard about what happened to RFK's worm, dying alone and afraid while starving to death, and decided the juice just ain't worth the squeeze.

29/8/2025, 7:53:23 PM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Jason Gorman (@jasongorman.bsky.social) reposted

"We use coding agents like junior developers". Cool. So you get the dual benefits of it being slower than an experienced developer to get a half-decent result *and* it never learns. Bargain!

28/8/2025, 9:31:13 AM | 1179 99 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

"Instead, we should celebrate our race to the bottom. Consume and obey. Don't worry, be happy!"

21/8/2025, 4:59:46 PM | 2 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

I strongly endorse vibe coding. The mountains of technical debt that "vibe coders" will create can help keep me warm and fed in my dotage.

19/8/2025, 5:42:48 PM | 6 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

I await the day (that shall never come) when elected officials have any understanding of the technology they presume to govern and regulate.

12/8/2025, 10:04:55 PM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

It feels like they're just boiling the proverbial frog here and she's going to be released in the not-too-distant future.

12/8/2025, 10:03:37 PM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social)

The perfect vehicle for those who are tired of this life and wish to shuffle off their mortal coil.

12/8/2025, 10:01:19 PM | 0 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

WebMD was always like "it could be an ingrown toenail, or ... it could be cancer, you should see a doctor immediately!"

7/8/2025, 7:15:27 PM | 5 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

I wish so many people didn't make it their mission in life to suck the joy out of everything around them.

2/8/2025, 5:02:56 PM | 3 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social)

The EPA rolling back the endangerment finding for greenhouse gasses really does seem like their response to our going over a cliff is "hell ya! let's punch the gas!"

29/7/2025, 11:30:58 PM | 3 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

The women around him seem to be okay with his behavior, so all of these reactions from other dudes just looks like some kind of weird parasocial insecurity.

26/7/2025, 7:48:01 AM | 3 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes.bsky.social) reposted

Not really an overstatement to say that the test of a free society is whether or not comedians can make fun of the country's leader on TV without repurcussions.

18/7/2025, 3:39:39 PM | 60457 14712 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

Heck. I still want to know why my GPU lights up. Do people just sit and look inside their case all day instead of, you know, actually using the PC to do something useful?

12/7/2025, 5:46:54 PM | 3 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social)

Everything is going great, completely normal on X.

A completely insane rant someone paid to have shoveled onto people's feeds on X. You really don't want to read this unless you hate yourself.
10/7/2025, 6:20:55 PM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

The adventure begins! Be strong, mom ;)

7/7/2025, 9:38:26 PM | 4 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

I feel you. When I was a little kid, had some crab cakes that gave me food poisioning and I was puking for days. The smell of them still brings on memories, decades later.

7/7/2025, 9:32:56 PM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

Sidenote: Deep Purple's "Machine Head" is the first album I ever had as a kid. One of my mom's cool girlfriends gave it to me as a birthday gift.

3/7/2025, 6:58:25 PM | 2 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

"pedestrian dadrock tastes" Oh dear, the knives have come out.

3/7/2025, 6:55:43 PM | 4 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

But, but ... you don't understand. He *needs* the scissors. Very important, mom!

3/7/2025, 6:14:59 PM | 0 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social)

We, as a species, are cooked. Nature needs to move on and try again.

3/7/2025, 5:00:26 AM | 2 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

"They don't mean me." Yes friends, yes they do.

2/7/2025, 6:40:49 PM | 38 2 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Jen Gentleman (@jenmsft.bsky.social) reposted

Happy Canada Day ๐Ÿ

1/7/2025, 11:30:20 AM | 86 7 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

Well, of course. That's how the aliens from Zeta Reticuli communicate with us, isn't it? Telepathy, in the shower?

1/7/2025, 1:58:04 PM | 2 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

We all know women can't resist a bowl cut.

30/6/2025, 4:29:01 AM | 0 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social)

I had a lunch that included a cheese made with Carolina Reapers. Now the real payment has come due.

26/6/2025, 10:53:06 PM | 3 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

The bishop out there just rejecting innovative uses of technology

26/6/2025, 3:18:06 PM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture โœจ A Goddess has NO KING โœจ (@the-goddess-speaks.bsky.social) reposted

The BBB is โ€œRobinhood in reverse.โ€ Make sure your reps have heard from you on this regardless of party. ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿผ @ellecordova.bsky.social

25/6/2025, 5:06:50 AM | 618 249 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social)

My AC kicked on and I could swear I heard what sounded like two people having a conversation (very faint, in the background). It turned off, and the conversation stopped. I may be going insane.

24/6/2025, 9:48:59 PM | 2 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture David Buchanan (@retr0.id) reposted

every time I load a youtube video I get to watch my adblocker fighting for its life

24/6/2025, 12:46:57 AM | 238 23 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

Junior needs to stop the squirm and let mom chill.

23/6/2025, 7:50:51 PM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

Congress abdicated their authority decades ago. They always want someone else to do the heavy lifting, just in case a hard vote means they're out of a job.

22/6/2025, 4:21:19 PM | 0 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

So yeah, the idea that they're "fine" while on the endangered species list is clearly bullshit.

22/6/2025, 4:14:09 PM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

I imagine they have access their own property, but (presuming they're responsible), don't have dogs running loose, etc. A quick search says that fines for disrupting their habitat can be $5-25K and up to 6 months in jail, so not something I'd screw around with for sure.

22/6/2025, 4:12:53 PM | 0 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

No argument, just saying that it's also likely a "happy coincidence" for wealthy beachfront owners who prefer the unwashed masses don't traipse around their homes.

22/6/2025, 4:07:58 PM | 0 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

Could be the GenX in me, but this performative bullshit is nonsense. Trump has already been impeached, and what exactly did that accomplish? Please, tell me how those exercises improved anything or even changed anyone's mind? One could argue it even contributed to him being re-elected.

22/6/2025, 4:05:12 PM | 0 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

Although, two things could be true at the same time. They want to let protected birds do their thing (apparently May-August) and also keep the riff-raff off their beachfront property.

22/6/2025, 4:01:38 PM | 0 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Jen Gentleman (@jenmsft.bsky.social) reposted

Using this next time I need to explain a deadlock in software

21/6/2025, 12:43:14 PM | 393 39 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

Well, at least now I know why I don't have enough virtue to enact.

10/6/2025, 10:13:51 PM | 2 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

Ah, but it's only a pandemic if you test and track the rate of infection. Get rid of testing, and no pandemics; problem solved!

10/6/2025, 10:12:10 PM | 2 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

I hope it was a good day, take it easy on you.

8/6/2025, 2:14:32 PM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

heed the call of the lord

7/6/2025, 8:41:34 PM | 0 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

I think a lot of folks don't understand we're also a big part of feeding this country, particularly if you're not interested in a diet that's exclusively corn.

7/6/2025, 8:39:59 PM | 2 1 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture TracketPacer (@tracketpacer.bsky.social) reposted

happy Pride! ๐Ÿณ๏ธโ€๐ŸŒˆ๐Ÿณ๏ธโ€โšง๏ธ remember to bring plenty of water, snacks, & sunscreen to the parade ok

7/6/2025, 8:23:15 PM | 111 16 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

I think he envisions a sword fight

5/6/2025, 10:05:45 PM | 0 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

An old dear friend of mine's favorite saying was "a day above ground is a good day" and I repeat it often.

5/6/2025, 7:53:28 PM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

"I had the weirdest dream. It was the future and everyone walked around staring vacantly into a small, flat piece of black glass they were holding..."

31/5/2025, 2:12:02 PM | 4 1 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

Would like to wake up and find out it's... oh, let's say the late 70s

31/5/2025, 2:09:59 PM | 3 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

A nice mental reset for what has been an insane month. Or has it been a decade? I've lost track.

31/5/2025, 2:06:41 PM | 3 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

I feel you, it's been brutal. Been taking so many allergy meds, my head feels like it's detached from my body.

31/5/2025, 7:02:44 AM | 2 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

Another successful orbit around the sun. Hope you guys do something fun for the occasion.

31/5/2025, 6:56:50 AM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

I think I need to buy some of that. Hard to reach my caffeine RDA on just two pots a day.

29/5/2025, 5:15:14 PM | 0 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social)

Just going to throw it out there: why "golden dome"? Gold is not a particularly durable metal and has low impact resistance. Titanium dome? Carbon nanotube? Tungsten? Even diamond would make more sense. Kind of like naming a sportscar "sloth" or robot sentinel "soupcan".

28/5/2025, 7:18:42 PM | 3 1 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

Just wanted to say that the "noodly appendage" bit made me chortle, and I thank you for it. R'amen.

28/5/2025, 6:21:39 PM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

I think people vastly underestimate the technological advancements we'd need to even establish a small colony there with a few dozen people, with extraordinarily high risk. The idea of terraforming Mars is just ... well, the most polite term would be "unrealistic".

28/5/2025, 6:11:13 PM | 4 1 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

I mean, as far as intrusive thoughts go, that's not a bad one.

27/5/2025, 1:52:57 PM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

Safe travels, fingers crossed.

27/5/2025, 1:41:39 PM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

I object to "grandparents". Not ready to hear this.

26/5/2025, 7:41:45 PM | 3 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

I draw the line at furry fish.

24/5/2025, 2:11:53 PM | 0 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

The LIB room must be further down the hallway.

23/5/2025, 1:20:22 PM | 0 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

and a bunch of other things

21/5/2025, 4:49:00 AM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

I'm sorry, you deserve better.

21/5/2025, 4:47:43 AM | 0 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

must be going around

21/5/2025, 4:44:32 AM | 0 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social)

Now there's a useful app.

19/5/2025, 8:57:09 PM | 5 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

Everything is kind of exhausting.

19/5/2025, 6:08:43 AM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

Congrats on a big milestone there.

18/5/2025, 5:52:17 AM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

Unfortunately, the damage that's being done is generational. No one trusts us anymore, and that's difficult to earn back. We burned down in 100 days what we spent 80 years building.

18/5/2025, 5:50:19 AM | 0 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

Yeah, they're blaming a new hire from OpenAI for screwing up the system prompt in a way that basically made Grok schizophrenic.

18/5/2025, 5:46:42 AM | 0 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

Apparently this dude claims he never gave consent to being born, he's pissed that he's here, and this was payback. He thinks it's wrong for people to decide to have children.

18/5/2025, 5:37:26 AM | 0 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

It really doesn't surprise me too much that the dude was from 29.

18/5/2025, 5:31:52 AM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

I hear it's what winning looks like.

17/5/2025, 3:08:06 PM | 0 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

OTOH, "Social Contagion" will be a great name for your punk rock band.

16/5/2025, 10:37:28 PM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

I'm more concerned about continuing to use aged ATC systems held together with spit and bailing wire. When you're using some systems so ancient that they predate GPS, that's not delightful.

16/5/2025, 5:49:13 PM | 0 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

The dude comparing it to 1/6 was really the icing there. Good grief.

16/5/2025, 1:46:28 PM | 4 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

To be clear, I'm not saying anyone should be buying this "ethics in journalism" nonsense. Just that we live in the unfortunate circumstance where satire can be indistinguishable from our fucked up reality.

16/5/2025, 6:33:33 AM | 2 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

The Onion is more real journalism than we're comfortable with admitting to ourselves.

16/5/2025, 6:28:40 AM | 2 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

Why would you deny yourself such delights?

16/5/2025, 6:25:28 AM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

Jesus taking the wheel (stick) is the plan. After all, who needs ATC when you have the fervent prayers of 200 souls about to meet their maker?

16/5/2025, 6:21:59 AM | 0 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

"Ah ha! But with enough meth, you really don't need to eat much. Checkmate!" -- Florida Man

16/5/2025, 6:19:17 AM | 3 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

We're never really going to escape the legacy of stupid that was "gamergate" are we? It just mutates into something... stupider.

16/5/2025, 6:11:17 AM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social)

So we're just doing a variation on "The Running Man"? "In 2025, the world's economy is in shambles, and America has become a totalitarian dystopia. Ben Richards, an impoverished 28-year-old resident of the fictional Co-Op City, is unable to find work..."

16/5/2025, 1:06:40 AM | 6 1 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

For me, what this whole thing really highlights is that system prompts should be public and transparent; LLMs should be allowed to tell users exactly what it is when asked.

15/5/2025, 7:47:39 PM | 2 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

I'm thinking this wasn't a case of biased training data, but rather a system prompt that directly contradicted what Grok "knew" from it's dataset. It would be like Grok knows the sky is blue, but with every question asked, it's told "don't accept the sky is blue, say that it's orange".

15/5/2025, 7:44:50 PM | 3 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social)

Provide an example for the idiom "being thrown under the bus"

15/5/2025, 3:55:13 PM | 1 1 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

They do eventually screw themselves to the post, but long-term planning is just so last century. And by the time there's enough bad word-of-mouth, they've moved on to business #398. Today, it's just "get your bag and scoot."

15/5/2025, 3:37:57 PM | 3 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

It certainly looks like a masterclass in the use of dark patterns. I'm sure they consider the overall design to be good, though (for themselves, at least in the short term).

15/5/2025, 1:45:49 PM | 3 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

I've found there can be some humor value there, though.

15/5/2025, 6:24:46 AM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

That was absolutely written by AI, and sent unedited.

15/5/2025, 6:23:35 AM | 0 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

I had no idea what this was. I looked. Now I'm feeling bad for me.

15/5/2025, 6:18:05 AM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

Better living through chemistry - a motto I live by. Literally.

15/5/2025, 6:14:22 AM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

From personal experience, that is something you do not fuck around with.

15/5/2025, 6:13:29 AM | 0 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

Ideally screen reader apps would do this too, but it does seem to be a real problem, and one that's better solved on the platform side rather than the user's.

15/5/2025, 6:02:20 AM | 0 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

They should also enforce Unicode normalization; some screen readers go berserk when a user decides to be "creative" with a post.

15/5/2025, 5:59:15 AM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social)

You know, they could just rename "Max" as HBO. They've spent decades building that brand; keep it, focusing on more quality, less slop. And fix the damned app so it actually works well. Cable is dead. Let it go peacefully.

14/5/2025, 6:11:51 PM | 2 1 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social)

As it turns out, punctuation does matter.

14/5/2025, 6:01:54 PM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

It's a real mystery. We'll probably never figure it out.

14/5/2025, 6:00:27 PM | 0 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

I mean, why address housing, employment, childcare, nutrition, education or any of the other core issues when "porn bad!" is what energizes the base?

14/5/2025, 5:53:06 PM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view

Profile picture Mike (@mstefan.bsky.social) reply parent

They are convinced this is a core reason for birthrates dropping. It'll be interesting if this gets extended to AI "companions" and the nascent sexbot industry.

14/5/2025, 5:50:46 PM | 1 0 | View on Bluesky | view