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wrboyce

1,346 karma · joined October 26, 2009

Professional Geek

[ my public key: https://keybase.io/wrboyce; my proof: https://keybase.io/wrboyce/sigs/oFpZs0lij2wnC7RFm7Yc6-S9Sn_QWi_lFP1bAsNOtAM ]

hello[at]willboyce[dot]com

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wrboyce··on Anthropic acquires Bun
I don’t think there is a search function, I got the exact wording from a web search (I think “bash Java anal”, arguably a dangerous search!) and then after submitting I wondered if there is an archive of the quotes.
wrboyce··on Anthropic acquires Bun
It’s relevant enough that I feel I can roll out this bash.org classic…

<Alanna> Saying that Java is nice because it works on all OS's is like saying that anal sex is nice because it works on all genders

EDIT: someone has (much to my joy) made an archive of bash.org so here is a link[1], but I must say I’m quite jealous of today’s potential 1/10,000[2] who will discover bash.org from my comment!

[1] https://bash-org-archive.com/?338364

[2] https://xkcd.com/1053

wrboyce··on Unexpected things that are people
Call me what you will.
wrboyce··on Tesla's ‘Robotaxis' Keep Crashing—Even With Human ‘Safety Monitors' Onboard
The American fetish with locking cats indoors is extremely weird, and your neighbour sounds like a first class bellend (and the one who belongs in confinement, at best).
wrboyce··on There Are No Programmers in Star Trek
Hmm fair point, maybe the alien delicacy is in TNG.

I was more certain about my Neelix memory though, and I managed to find Neelix 1: https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Neelix_1

wrboyce··on There Are No Programmers in Star Trek
I’m pretty sure there’s at least one instance of an alien race offering to program a local delicacy into the replicators too, also in VOY I think.

Doesn’t Neelix create some replicator programs as well? I want to say for Kes.

wrboyce··on California's Wine Industry Is in Crisis
Not generally, no.
wrboyce··on Meta Ray-Ban Display
I use Kagi so I don’t get the search terms in my address bar, I get the full url like you would any other site, and I find it very annoying. Well, I did, I’m used to it now but it is definitely a step backwards imo.
wrboyce··on Meta Ray-Ban Display
I’m almost certain there are low bridge fit Meta Ray-Ban glasses.
wrboyce··on The PC was never a true 'IBMer'
What do you suppose they would do? Seems to me that once the hardware is out there someone determined enough can find a way, no? I don’t see how this would affect their bottom line negatively either… hell, if they officially supported Linux I’m sure their hardware sales would do even better!
wrboyce··on Everything from 1991 Radio Shack ad I now do with my phone (2014)
Tangibly related, but I enjoy remembering my GCSE (an exam taken in the UK at 16 as you leave compulsory education) Maths teachers telling us “you won’t always have a calculator in your pocket”. I guess they were half right, in a way? It’s not a calculator, but it does have a calculator alongside access to the entirety of human knowledge.

On the other side of the coin, while I enjoy this memory I do think it’s a shame how lacking most people’s mental arithmetic skills are… and indeed their understanding of some basic mathematical constructs, like multiplication being commutative, but I suppose that’s not the calculators fault.

wrboyce··on Teletext in North America
UK, too!

https://nmsceefax.co.uk

wrboyce··on What does Palantir actually do?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_James_Bulger

There are, unfortunately, many examples of child murderers.

wrboyce··on Wikipedia loses challenge against Online Safety Act
I just tried to visit pornhub and was prompted to verify my age.

> Please verify your age > > To continue, we are required to verify that you are 18 or older, in line with the UK Online Safety Act. > To view your verification options, please visit our Age Verification Page. As part of this process, you will be asked to create a new account on Pornhub - this will automatically create a new account on AllpassTrust as well. > By proceeding, you acknowledge and agree to Pornhub’s and AllpassTrust’s Privacy Νotices and Pornhub’s and AllpassTrust’s Terms & Conditions.

> Pornhub is dedicated to developing state-of-the-art security features to protect its community. Pornhub is fully RTA compliant, which means that devices with appropriately configured parental controls will block access to our content. We encourage all platforms in the adult industry to use this technology, along with all available safety and security protocols. We also recommend that all parents and guardians use technology to prevent their children from accessing content not intended for minors.

> Our parental controls page explains how you can easily block access to this site.

wrboyce··on You know more Finnish than you think
I have a(n English) friend who moved to Finland as an adult (in her 30s) and is now fluent in Finnish (and English, just the two languages for her) so it is certainly possible.

I have very jealous of your friend’s multi-lingual son though!

wrboyce··on Tell HN: Google Maps reviews in Germany are basically dead
All restaurants in Western Europe are bad? That is… quite the sweeping statement.
wrboyce··on iPhone 16 cameras vs. traditional digital cameras
My 35mm SLR, which is older than me (and I’m pretty old!), takes better photos than my iPhone 16 Pro!
wrboyce··on Ask HN: What are you working on? (July 2025)
Interesting goals, and quite different from the norm. I assume you must have somewhat strong feelings about privacy and/or children having access to technology/internet/etc that has driven you to build this platform? As a happily childless late 30s married man, this is quite foreign to me; but I definitely recognise that there is passion driving this project… Could you talk some more about your inspiration and long term goals? I find both the concept and the end goal quite fascinating!
wrboyce··on I hacked my washing machine
For untrusted IoT devices I’ve found that sticking them on the IoT VLAN (so no device-to-device communication, and either no or extremely limited internet access; but I let my trusted clients punch through to IoT devices) has allowed me to retain all functionality whilst being confident they’re not up to anything I don’t want or expect.
wrboyce··on US ice cream makers say they'll stop using artificial dyes by 2028
Ben & Jerry’s mint ice cream is white and tastes just fine.
wrboyce··on The fish kick may be the fastest subsurface swim stroke yet (2015)
I couldn’t agree more!
wrboyce··on Seven Engineers Suspended After $2.3M Bridge Includes 90-Degree Turn
There is a town in North Wales with a bridge called “The H Bridge” (presumably because it is shaped like the letter H) so four right angle turns!
wrboyce··on Linda Yaccarino is leaving X
Wow, so all he has to do is find life on another planet and he’s quids in? Why has nobody else thought of this.
wrboyce··on Linda Yaccarino is leaving X
Abortions kill _people_? Hundreds of millions of people?
wrboyce··on FaceTime in iOS 26 will freeze your call if someone starts undressing
It says in the article that this is exactly what it is.
wrboyce··on Apple weighs using Anthropic or OpenAI to power Siri
You could make this slightly easier on your sanity by adding your kids’ rooms to a zone, fyi.
wrboyce··on Ask HN: What Are You Working On? (June 2025)
Why not click on their link and see they are talking about drinks served in bars?
wrboyce··on Fun with uv and PEP 723
This would’ve been really handy for me a few weeks ago when I ended up working this out for myself (not a huge job, but more effort than reading your documentation would’ve been). While I can’t think of anything missing off the top of my head, I do think a PR to uv to update the official docs would help a lot of folk!

Actually, I’ve thought of something! Migrating from poetry! It’s something I’ve been meaning to look at automating for a while now (I really don’t like poetry).

wrboyce··on uv: An extremely fast Python package and project manager, written in Rust
I use both! uv installed globally with mise, and uv tools can then be managed via “miss use -g pipx:foo”.
wrboyce··on Ask HN: What cool skill or project interests you, but feels out of reach?
I love reverse engineering, but it is strictly a hobby (fortunately? Unfortunately? Honestly I’m not sure!).

Anyway, I’d heartily recommend Microcorruption[1]. It’s really good fun, uses a fairly simply assembly flavour (msp430), and introduces new concepts at a nice cadence.

Shameless plug: I’ve written up a bunch of the solutions in “tutorial form” on my blog[2], but I am incredibly slow at getting new posts out (although I do have the next ~4 levels in nearly-complete drafts).

[1]: https://microcorruption.com/

[2]: https://lovesexsecretgod.com/

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