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This is not how software works. Although I guess this isn't quite as catchy:

Assume all software is broken at all times. Constantly try to ensure it works and is secure. Sometimes updates break things. Test before production. Ensure test environments are similar to production. You're going to break things.


I think that's great for you. Truly.

Could it be that your experience doesn't apply to everyone?

I've been living in the same area as you, and I go for walks almost daily; it's astonishingly miserable out.

I have a friend who does almost identical physical activity to me, as we have similar jobs. He sweats very little when outside unless physically exerting himself. I sweat profusely when just walking; even when wearing significantly less clothing.


Sure, it doesn't apply to everyone.

And personally, I don't like walking long distances in the heat either -- I get hot and sweaty. I prefer biking, probably because the motion is more cooling


Are you saying you don't see the value in video generation? The potential for unlimited high quality and customizable content generation?


who said that personalised, infinite content generation is a good thing? I watch movies and listen to music because I want to be challenged in some way. I don’t want tailored content that prevents me from exploring new territory and keeps me trapped in a personalised echo chamber.


Why do you think tailored content will prevent you from exploring new territory? You are choosing the content.

I can't wait to watch the first entirely generated short film and create my own.


if something is done for yourself by yourself is not challenging by definition IMO


> set the baa for a new branch of quantum physics

I'll admit I got a few paragraphs in before that made it click.


For me it was:

> Lamb Shift

Not that I was aware of the term, but when I looked it up it was obviously a real term, but nothing to do with sheep.


You did better than me lol, I laughed at baa but thought it was just the author being a bit silly, it wasn’t until “moutons” that I checked the date on my phone.


Modern physics gets into some weird territory, as does some sensory biology, so I don't blame anyone on this one.


Sadly, I got all the way to the photo at the end.


I got to "Mary Little" before I realised my virtual leg was being pulled.

Deary me. Hope Mary Little's lamb is doing well.


Why is it that the author decided to write 'f-word' twice instead of just 'fuck'?


Variety


Sometimes you gotta throw out the effing "fuck" word.


> Don’t listen to me, I don’t know anything about drugs. Obviously you’ll build up a tolerance over time and obviously it’s very bad to depend on a substance to perform.

Cool.

As someone on the same dose of Adderall/Vyvanse for 15+ years it's really hard to keep reading after this. Lots of people depend on substances to live. This article reads like it's trying to solve all psychological conditions with willpower.


It's lesswrong. Those folks are just blogging masquerading as technical hypotheses and "published" (as in, self published on a glorified social media site) "science".

Scientology vibes over there. You can safely disregard most of it.


It's not all bad. I've read some interesting explorations in morality there.


No, but Sturgeon’s law applies, no matter how much LessWrong convinced itself it doesn’t.


Same… there is tons of research on ADHD showing stimulants are safe and effective long term. I suffered needlessly for years because of ignorant ideas like this… and using medication was life changing.

Counter-intuitively there is data showing medications can help people develop better executive function- children who use ADHD medication are less likely to have adult ADHD.

That said, I think the core advice of this article is excellent- and addresses something entirely different than ADHD medication.


The problem is most stimulants subtly fuck with your reward and risk processing circuitry, and you don't tend to even realize it until you get clean for a hot minute, which is hard if you've been on a high dose. Especially if you don't know what you're in for, and doubly so if you've been on the same dosage for a long time.

Shit ain't magic.


It’s not “magic” but it can be an effective treatment for ADHD - for the people it works for, which isn’t everyone.

Personally, I think a lot of people with ADHD are way over medicated, leading to the type of symptoms you describe. If you take the lowest effective dose of the most mild stimulant that works for you, it will probably not work quite as well but will also not have any side effects at all. Ritalin is usually much milder than e.g. adderall, and I think most people would do better on extremely low doses of it- like 5-15mg spread out over an entire day for a large adult, whereas people tend to start on 2x that and then double it.

It’s supposed to “fuck” with your reward and risk processing circuitry - in particular to make them actually work for people where they naturally don’t work.


Yeah, taking adderall for the first time was a LOT like the first time I put on glasses. I never knew what it was like to be functional before that. There were deficits in every area of my life. From the obvious like focusing on work/school stuff (wish I’d found out before taking 6 years to get a BA), to stuff that completely surprised me (my handwriting improved, and I no longer have ZERO sense of direction).


When or how did you decide to take something vs what was happening before?

I’ve done lots of therapy work. Systemizing and structuring things. Definitely helpful.

But sometimes I just feel wired (this way) and wonder if chemically rewiring is the real answer. Rather than willpower, talking, and trying to adress the “root cause” over a prescription.


Stay away from Schedule 2. Just stay the fuck away. If it was mitigable by non-pharma means, do that. Because once you're on Schedule 2, you're basically tethered to a physician and pharmacy in your State of residence, and your insurer will make your life miserable. Further you will be locked out of many rewarding avenues of life just because the logistics involved.

Nevermind the fact that you will start completely losing any appreciation for non-medicated people's rate of throughput. Lifetime of experience and hard learned lessons speaking here.


Interesting. The person I replied to had the opposite opinion. The only answer for them, it seemed.

Care to share a bit of the detail behind this very pointed response? Thanks so much for it.


Amen. It's also hard for me to take someone seriously if they say "Do this thing, er wait, don't."


I choose to interpret the post as saying "start small, and be consistent". If you were to tell someone to go for an at least 30 minute walk every day many people would balk at you.

Start with a minute walk. Make time in your day for it. Extend to a 2 minute walk. 5 minute. 15 minute. Etc.


What if the first blind person was also deaf and just trolling the other blind person so wouldn't the second "Can you hear me?" be needed?


Then you set the “evil” bit


Troll Control Protocol


It's pretty hard for me to get past the very first sentence.

> Technology is supposed to make our lives easier.

Technology isn't supposed to do anything. Technology is a tool to be used. Anyone can use tools incorrectly. Lots of people do, including myself!


I’m always genuinely surprised when I see this sentiment expressed here on HN.

Do you use a hammer to code? A keyboard to paint your walls? Do you strap phones to your feet to move faster or do you use a bike for that?

Technology and other tools very much shape what we do and can do with them. We shape them and they shape us.


https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-it-phenomenology/#...

See the 3 different perspectives from here.


Thank you but I actually got a somewhat worthless graduate degree in this stuff.


Do you agree with their statement on technology as a tool as opposed to something that makes our lives easier then?


Can't imagine willingly using a tool that I assess makes my life more difficult.


But that doesn't mean that tools don't make others lives more difficult.

Missiles as a tool to do damage don't necessarily make other peoples lives easier. But it might make the lives easier of those who wish to do damage.

Technology is a tool, which can be used to make lives easier and harder.


"Every person using technology will make every other person's life easier" is not the correct interpretation of the original statement.


I think what they mean is that technology promises to make our lives easier. Phones and our relationship with them are a manifestation of this promise. People buying the latest flagship don't do so because they anticipate things will be worse.


A lot of people buy the latest phone as a fashion symbol, not for the technology.

Most people don’t care about incremental improvements


The purpose of a tool is to simplify the work. Otherwise it's a useless tool

Using it wrong is a result, not indication of intent


Aren't tools supposed to make your life easier though?


I guess we can read into this way too much and become too philosophical.

Technology might make your life easier, but that doesn't mean it makes anyone else's easier.

Technology might help you send a missile into another country, but that doesn't make their lives easier.

Technology is a tool that we use to do what we want to do easier, better however you put it, but it doesn't necessarily make our lives easier. It makes a particular job or task easier.

Even writing this down I am getting too philosophical and disagreeing with myself.

I guess it could make your life easier day to day, but that doesn't mean it makes anyone else easier.


> Why would anyone put lots of people on a product that is mature and doesn't need a lot of work?

Nobody is suggesting anyone put 'lots of people' on a mature product. However, there are always things that need to be done.

Apps need to be updated for new devices, OS/library/security updates, and general bug reports to name a few. That's just on the app side, the same is true for any build pipelines/hosting infrastructure.

These apps don't run themselves regardless of how mature they are.

You're right in that fewer people are needed and I'm all for optimizing but what I feel like you're missing is that it's quite easy to over-optimize for cost at the expense of users.


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