I have to work this evening, because it was nice and sunny this afternoon and well, things 😀
#GermanShepard #dogsofmastodon #dogs #DogsOfFedi
28 March 1939 | Dutch Jewish girl, Yvonne Suskind, was born in Bergen op Zoom.
In September 1944 she was imprisoned in #Theresienstadt ghetto and on 23 October 1944 she was deported to #Auschwitz. She was murdered in a gas chamber after arrival selection.
Sigrid Nunez's 'The Friend' tells a story of friendship and despair
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/28/nx-s1-5341486/sigrid-nunezs-the-friend-tells-a-story-of-friendship-and-despair?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into Fresh Air @fresh-air-npr
After I figured out that you need to run gpib_config for some reason I was able to run the findlisteners example.
Listener at pad 0 (board)
Listener at pad 5
findlisteners: 1 device found.
That appears correct, it has found my 3478A DMM.
Woo! It has retrieved a voltage from the meter.
>>> instr.read(1024)
b'+0.79783E+0\r\n'
Stubsack: weekly thread for sneers not worth an entire post, week ending 30th March 2025
Need to let loose a primal scream without collecting footnotes first? Have a sneer percolating in your system but not enough time/energy to make a whole post about it? Go forth and be mid: Welcome to the Stubsack, your first port of call for learning fresh Awful you’ll near-instantly regret.
Any awful.systems sub may be subsneered in this subthread, techtakes or no.
If your sneer seems higher quality than you thought, feel free to cut’n’paste it into its own post — there’s no quota for posting and the bar really isn’t that high.
The post Xitter web has spawned soo many “esoteric” right wing freaks, but there’s no appropriate sneer-space for them. I’m talking redscare-ish, reality challenged “culture critics” who write about everything but understand nothing. I’m talking about reply-guys who make the same 6 tweets about the same 3 subjects. They’re inescapable at this point, yet I don’t see them mocked (as much as they should be)Like, there was one dude a while back who insisted that women couldn’t be surgeons because they didn’t believe in the moon or in stars? I think each and every one of these guys is uniquely fucked up and if I can’t escape them, I would love to sneer at them.
(Credit and/or blame to David Gerard for starting this.)
The USA plans to migrate SSA's code away from COBOL in months: wired.com/story/doge-rebuild-s…
The project is being organized by Elon Musk lieutenant Steve Davis, multiple sources who were not given permission to talk to the media tell WIRED, and aims to migrate all SSA systems off COBOL, one of the first common business-oriented programming languages, and onto a more modern replacement like Java within a scheduled tight timeframe of a few months.“This is an environment that is held together with bail wire and duct tape,” the former senior SSA technologist working in the office of the chief information officer tells WIRED. “The leaders need to understand that they’re dealing with a house of cards or Jenga. If they start pulling pieces out, which they’ve already stated they’re doing, things can break.”
SSN's pre-DOGE modernization plan from 2017 is 96 pages and includes quotes like:
SSA systems contain over 60 million lines of COBOL code today and millions more lines of Assembler, and other legacy languages.
What could possibly go wrong? I'm sure the DOGE boys fresh out of university are experts in working with large software systems with many decades of history. But no no, surely they just need the right prompt. Maybe something like this:
You are an expert COBOL, Assembly language, and Java programmer. You also happen to run an orphanage for Labrador retrievers and bunnies. Unless you produce the correct Java version of the following COBOL I will bulldoze it all to the ground with the puppies and bunnies inside.
Bonus -- Also check out the screenshots of the SSN website in this post: bsky.app/profile/enragedaposta…
Anecdote: I gave up on COBOL as a career after beginning to learn it. The breaking point was learning that not only does most legacy COBOL code use go-to statements but that there is a dedicated verb which rewrites go-to statements at runtime and is still supported on e.g. the IBM Enterprise COBOL for z/OS platform that SSA is likely using: ALTER.
When I last looked into this a decade ago, there was a small personal website last updated in the 1990s that had advice about how to rewrite COBOL to remove GOTO and ALTER verbs; if anybody has a link, I'd appreciate it, as I can no longer find it. It turns out that the best ways of removing these spaghetti constructions involve multiple rounds of incremental changes which are each unlikely to alter the code's behavior. Translations to a new language are doomed to failure; even Java is far too structured to directly encode COBOL control flow, and the time would be better spent on abstract specification of the system so that it can be rebuilt from that specification instead. This is also why IBM makes bank selling COBOL emulators.
Stackslobber posts evidence that transhumanism is a literal cult, HN crowd is not having it
In my head transhumanism is this cool idea where I'd get to have a zoom function in my eye
But of course none of that could exist in our capitalist hellscape because of just all the reasons the ruling class would use it to opress the working class.
And then you find out what transhumanists actually advocate for and it's just eugenics. Like without even a tiny bit of plausible deniability. They're proud it's eugenics.
What happened in 2004 that stopped people from peeling them?
Did bananas expire or something?
Orc Warrior by Daniel Soloviov
#DnD #DungeonsAndDragons #ttrpg #character #characterart #art #digitalart #dndart
Acer Nitro V 15 (ANV15-41-R2Y3) Review
This Acer Nitro V 15 configuration is no chart-topper but an affordable 1080p gaming laptop with plenty of ports, long battery life, and capable components—if you don't mind dialing down some visual settings.PCMag
"'I was born in Chicago, Illinois, and am a United States citizen,' Noriega said in his statement, adding that on Jan. 31, after buying pizza in Berwyn he was surrounded by ICE agents and arrested. Officers took away his wallet, which had his ID and Social Security card. 'They then handcuffed me and pushed me into a white van where other people were handcuffed as well.'"
chicago.suntimes.com/immigrati…
Immigration agents arrested a U.S. citizen and created warrants after an arrest, lawyers say in court
Chicago attorneys were in federal court Thursday accusing federal agents of violating immigration law and the constitutional rights of at least 22 people since January.Adriana Cardona-Maguigad | WBEZ (Chicago Sun-Times)
Superman vs. the KKK: Hear the 1946 Superman Radio Show That Weakened the Klan
openculture.com/2025/03/superm…
Superman vs. the KKK: Hear the 1946 Superman Radio Show That Weakened the Klan
Years ago, back in 2016, we featured a 1950 Superman poster that urged students to defend the American way and fight discrimination everywhere. Today, we present another chapter from Superman's little-known history as a Civil Rights defender.OC (Openculture.com)
Today I realized I had this recording in the vault (guess I'm starting to develop a vault, yay). It was previously only available one #BandcampFriday back in 2020. Well it's here forever now! Please enjoy my favorite love song of the 90s, courtesy of The Magnetic Fields. You know it, you love it: The Book of Love.
Adebar is back. Not seen him since last week, so I thought he may have found a different nest. Or maybe this is a different stork, no idea. Perhaps he had to get used to the new farm owners and more activity first. Or was snoozing somewhere after the long trip. Or went to MiceDonalds and devoured 23 McRodent in a row. 🤷♂️
Well, glad he's back.
#Stork #Adebar #Bird #Nest #StorkNest
2020 U.S. Code :: Title 18 - Crimes and Criminal Procedure :: Part I - Crimes :: Chapter 37 - Espionage and Censorship :: Sec. 793 - Gathering, transmitting or losing defense information
Gathering, transmitting or losing defense information - 18 U.S. Code Section 793 (2020)Justia Law
Matt Gray is Trying: Search and Rescue
I can’t believe the UK’s 5th emergency service is volunteer-only, and donation-funded!
youtube.com/watch?v=h1-xXD1W0d…
I Joined a Search and Rescue Team 🔦⛑️ – Matt Gray is Trying
I can’t believe the UK’s 5th emergency service is volunteer-only!Matt Gray | http://mattg.co.uk | @MattGrayYes💷 Advert 💷 🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount...YouTube
Vance tours U.S. base in Greenland as Trump talks up a takeover of the territory
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/28/nx-s1-5343555/vance-greenland-visit?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into World News @world-news-npr
Toot a photo of a computer that first arrived in the year of your birth!
(Here's mine: the IBM System/360)
Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly has a message for Americans:
“Talk to your senators, your house representatives, your mayors, your governors. Send a message that you don’t want these tariffs.”
The orange tax evader loves to make the American people pay 25% Trump tax on any imported goods & services.
Yeah, so logical... for career criminals given power to abuse.
What basic rights do people have if ICE stops them? A lawyer explains
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/28/nx-s1-5342461/ice-arrest-detention-legal-rights?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into Morning Edition @morning-edition-npr
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youtu.be/qLrnkK2YEcE?si=xTgH_d…
The Avalanches - Frontier Psychiatrist (Official HD Video)
Official Music Video for “Frontier Psychiatrist” by The Avalanches, remastered in HD.Listen to 'Frontier Psychiatrist' by The Avalanches here: https://TheAva...YouTube
Cory Doctorow reshared this.
Not completely convinced the pricing of audiobooks is based on the amount of ears of the protagonist.
Come to think of it, much less swash-buckeling in a story about a Buccaneer Sturgeon. Maybe it's a step to far
Not keen at any price if the surgeon's name is Slaughter.
Unless - of course - it's pronounced to rhyme with laughter.
JD Vance upon arrival in Greenland:
"It 's cold as shit here — nobody told me!"
This will be read by Danes as another maximally arrogant remark from the vice president of a country that wants to annex Greenland, yet has not read up upon what Greenland is.
Just leave already.
——
Danish medium DR has more:
dr.dk/nyheder/politik/live-sto…
SpaceLifeForm reshared this.
as a Dane watching him live on national television was something else. The sheer arrogance was something to behold.
But more importantly, he forgot to wear a SUIT (visibly) - That's disrespectful to the soldiers and the people watching the broadcast. (Do I need a /S?)
@Workshopshed Yep, he clearly fell for that joke where the military flies you to Whiteland and tries to convince you that it’s Greenland. But one look at a satellite image immediately tells you all you need to know.
Mr. VP, don’t trust the woke, liberal military. I’ve marked it out for you on the map below.
@Workshopshed I was once told that the old Norse folks called the more pleasant country Iceland, and called the country with the colder weather Greenland as a marketing ploy to fool would-be invaders.
Probably not a true story, but it made sense at the time 😀
@jdeisenberg this is not it. Greenland is called Greenland because it was discovered during summertime when the coastal regions turn green.
I was misinformed.
What a bunch of Peter Principle morons.
Hasn't done the minimum level of research.
#JDVance
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has its billion dollar grant cut by Trump administration
https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2025/03/28/g-s1-56881/vaccines-gavi-usaid-rubio?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into Health @health-npr
➡️ mpg.de/24355236/interview-maro…
‘I’m at a total loss for words at how hostility toward science has escalated in the U.S.’
Jochem Marotzke, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, spent several years researching in the USA himself. He shares his insights on what the Trump administration's policies mean for his U.S.www.mpg.de
X became part of the desinformation that is spread by Trump and Musk. There ist time, to #eXit the former Twitter platform. It is anti-scientific. How do you think?
NEW BACKXWASH DROPPED
The image features two individuals in a casual setting, likely a bedroom. The person in the foreground is wearing a dark blue top and is looking directly at the camera with a surprised expression. The person in the background is shirtless, holding a phone and a cup, seemingly engrossed in their phone. The text at the top reads, "When the party adopts too many NPCs and they finally get a downtime session." At the bottom, the text says, "Who the fuck is that." The image humorously captures a moment of confusion or surprise, likely referencing a scenario from a role-playing game where players have many non-player characters (NPCs) and are now experiencing a break from their usual activities.
Provided by @altbot, generated privately and locally using Ovis2-8B
🌱 Energy used: 0.188 Wh
I built myself a medium format camera with spare camera parts and some stuff from aliexpress. It's still missing a proper grip and focus markings. Designing the body so the focus tube focuses exactly to infinity at its shortest was too difficult with 3d printed tolerances, so I left a millimeter of room and will just adjust the focus markings accordingly.
#3dprinting #3dprinted #photography #filmphotography #analogphotography #analog #film
Well.
My work on Fancy Yarns, in the LibGen database and used without my consent to train Meta's AI.
#AI #LibGen #Piracy #CopyrightInfringement
Newsletter: As the US government lays a very favorable groundwork for the crypto industry, Trump positions himself for maximum personal profits. Meanwhile crypto companies write their own rules, and an adviser mulls swapping US gold reserves for bitcoin.
SpaceLifeForm reshared this.
Lead crypto adviser Bo Hines is already hard at work getting “a lot of high IQ people” to work on “countless ideas” for how the US can add more bitcoin to its reserve while remaining technically “budget neutral”.
#crypto #cryptocurrency #USpol #USpolitics
![Any sense of relief that may have followed the March executive order’s stipulation that a “strategic bitcoin reserve” would not incur costs to taxpayers has melted away with news that White House are already looking for creative ways to acquire bitcoin in a “budget neutral” way.
Bo Hines, the baffling choice of executive director for the White House’s “crypto advisory council” [I72, 74], sat for an interview in which he commented that “there’s a lot of high IQ people working on ... countless ideas” to ~~pump bitcoin prices to profit bitcoin holders~~ acquire additional bitcoins for the reserve, including “realizing the gains” on US gold reserves. Asked by the interviewer if he might consider selling some of the country’s gold reserves to swap them for bitcoin, Hines answered, “if it's budget neutral and doesn't cost a taxpayer a dime”.5
In the same interview, he commented that bitcoin “is different” from the other crypto assets like Ether, Ripple’s XRP, Solana, or Cardano’s ADA. “It’s unique. It’s a commodity, not a security.” Evidently, Hines has not been briefed that they’re not supposed to admit anymore that these other crypto assets are securities.5](https://friendica.rogueproject.org/photo/preview/640/395672 "Any sense of relief that may have followed the March executive order’s stipulation that a “strategic bitcoin reserve” would not incur costs to taxpayers has melted away with news that White House are already looking for creative ways to acquire bitcoin in a “budget neutral” way.
Bo Hines, the baffling choice of executive director for the White House’s “crypto advisory council” [I72, 74], sat for an interview in which he commented that “there’s a lot of high IQ people working on ... countless ideas” to ~~pump bitcoin prices to profit bitcoin holders~~ acquire additional bitcoins for the reserve, including “realizing the gains” on US gold reserves. Asked by the interviewer if he might consider selling some of the country’s gold reserves to swap them for bitcoin, Hines answered, “if it's budget neutral and doesn't cost a taxpayer a dime”.5
In the same interview, he commented that bitcoin “is different” from the other crypto assets like Ether, Ripple’s XRP, Solana, or Cardano’s ADA. “It’s unique. It’s a commodity, not a security.” Evidently, Hines has not been briefed that they’re not supposed to admit anymore that these other crypto assets are securities.5")
Trump is seeking to expand his personal crypto footprint, and his Trump Media company is looking to partner with Crypto.com to launch ETPs. The Singapore-headquartered company is an odd choice of partner for a plan with a “Made in America focus”.
#crypto #cryptocurrency #USpol #USpolitics
In order to close the deal, Crypto.com had to resurrect $7 billion in CRO tokens that were burned in 2021. This was decided by a “vote” in which Crypto.com validators controlled more than 70% of the voting power — nearly all other CRO holders opposed.
#crypto #cryptocurrency #USpol #USpolitics
![Though the details were scarce, the press release suggested the crypto ETFs would “include a unique ETF basket of cryptocurrencies incorporating Bitcoin, Cronos, and other crypto assets.” (Cronos is the token issued by Crypto.com subsidiary Cronos Labs.) All of this will happen via the “Truth.Fi” brand, a business venture announced by Trump Media in February [I76]. There has been some controversy over this deal in the crypto world, centering around a decision by Crypto.com and Cronos to fund the deal by “reissuing” tokens notionally worth $7 billion that had been burned (ostensibly permanently destroyed) in 2021.7 The proposal was unpopular among many Cronos holders, and comments on the proposal were universally negative. “Veto. Reversing a burn is a violation of trust and integrity of the ecosystem,” commented one community member. “This is a disaster on so many levels—I don’t even know where to begin. This should be a firm NO, with a veto. It feels more like a rug pull from [Crypto.com], where they’re essentially seeking exposure to the US reserve using consumers' money,” argued another.8 Most Cronos validators voted no on the proposal. However, at the last minute, a sudden surge in yes votes came in from validators operated by Crypto.com, which controls 70–80% of the voting power in Cronos, forcing through the proposal.9](https://friendica.rogueproject.org/photo/preview/640/395676 "Though the details were scarce, the press release suggested the crypto ETFs would “include a unique ETF basket of cryptocurrencies incorporating Bitcoin, Cronos, and other crypto assets.” (Cronos is the token issued by Crypto.com subsidiary Cronos Labs.) All of this will happen via the “Truth.Fi” brand, a business venture announced by Trump Media in February [I76]. There has been some controversy over this deal in the crypto world, centering around a decision by Crypto.com and Cronos to fund the deal by “reissuing” tokens notionally worth $7 billion that had been burned (ostensibly permanently destroyed) in 2021.7 The proposal was unpopular among many Cronos holders, and comments on the proposal were universally negative. “Veto. Reversing a burn is a violation of trust and integrity of the ecosystem,” commented one community member. “This is a disaster on so many levels—I don’t even know where to begin. This should be a firm NO, with a veto. It feels more like a rug pull from [Crypto.com], where they’re essentially seeking exposure to the US reserve using consumers' money,” argued another.8 Most Cronos validators voted no on the proposal. However, at the last minute, a sudden surge in yes votes came in from validators operated by Crypto.com, which controls 70–80% of the voting power in Cronos, forcing through the proposal.9")
Trump Media execs have filed paperwork for a SPAC to target the crypto industry, reasoning that it’s strategic because of Trump’s “unprecedented steps to integrate digital assets into the national financial strategy” that were “aimed at benefiting the digital assets industry”.
#crypto #cryptocurrency #USpol #USpolitics
And Trump’s WLFI is looking to launch a stablecoin. Though Trump has described central bank-controlled stablecoins as “a dangerous threat to freedom”, he seems to have no qualms with a president-controlled token.
#crypto #cryptocurrency #USpol #USpolitics
The SEC has requested input to write essentially entirely new rules for the crypto industry, and the industry has been only too happy to oblige.
#crypto #cryptocurrency #USpol #USpolitics
Other input has come from the likes of Lee Reiners, who writes “I must admit that whole endeavor seems performative and intended to justify a predetermined outcome.”
#crypto #cryptocurrency #USpol #USpolitics
The crypto super PACs have spent a combined $1.5 million on two special elections in deeply red districts in Florida, where Republicans have been panicking about being outspent by Democrats. Musk’s America PAC also dropped some cash to help out Trump’s picks.
#crypto #cryptocurrency #USpol #USpolitics
That and more in this week’s issue of Citation Needed, a completely independent and subscriber-funded publication. To support my work, please consider subscribing!
Google has sorted out its Pixel problems and will begin the 9a rollout on April 10.
arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/0…
Wake me up when the Google Pixel 12 is out.
I joke, but I never understood the whole disposable phone market. I do not need, nor want, to go wasting money on a new phone every year or so. Some of these phones today, cost nearly 1,000 bucks, and the idea of rushing to buy another one, when the current one works just fine, does not interest me.
I have seen the specs of many of these new phones, too. There is often not much of a significant different between versions. If you truly want the latest, greatest, right away, I guess that is your thing. But even if I were as wealthy as Elon Musk, I wouldn't go rushing to buy a new phone every year.
Agreed, but phone manufacturers have a perverse incentive, because they're the ones who decide how long to keep supporting a phone with security updates.
I'd like to see a law compelling vendors to specify a monthly price as well as an overall price. For example, if you're selling a £600 phone with 36 months' security updates left, that's nearly £17 a month. That would get manufacturers competing on long support times.
MOVED to: @Linux@mastodon.au likes this.
Agreed, but it's not safe to keep using a phone after the security updates stop coming.
Every smartphone is rented. As long as that remains true, manufacturers should be more open about the support lifetime and the monthly cost.
MOVED to: @Linux@mastodon.au likes this.
Voting still open for the DH Awards 2024. If you wish, please give "Lines of Flight" a vote for the category of "Best use of DH for fun" dhawards.org/dhawards2024/voti…
Voting also open for the New Media Writing Prize 2024 - "Agentia" solicits your vote! newmediawritingprize.co.uk/ope…
#art #writing #poetry #gameDev #dh #generative
Opening Up 2024 - New Media Writing Prize
Opening Up 2024The Opening Up Competition celebrates all entries that are eligible that have been submitted to the Main and Student Prizes - it does not affect the forthcoming shortlist/winners in those categories but allows for a public vote for a f…New Media Writing Prize
"This Tricorder is not a toy; it is a working display-grade replica developed to give its owner the maximum level of enjoyment." #diegeticprototype #realized
Trump asks Supreme Court to allow deportations under Alien Enemies Act
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/28/nx-s1-5343611/trump-appeals-alien-enemies-act-scotus?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into Politics @politics-npr
Holy shit.
Just wow, wow, holy shit:
Completely rewriting a multi-million line COBOL codebase that has life-or-death consequences for real people in the space of a few months, using gen AI?
I’ve been writing software for 40-some years, and I have to say: this may be, without exaggeration, the stupidest software-related idea I’ve ever heard from leadership.
reshared this
Pseudo Nym, Michael Stanclift, salvari and Matt Blaze reshared this.
I urge you to listen to the riveting and wonderful radio feature about what happens when you try to build a make-or-break project on a ridiculously tight timeline:
99percentinvisible.org/episode…
The page has summary text, but listen if you can. I’ve heard very few instances of a developer speaking so candidly and with such self-awareness about what it feels like to be part of a failing software project.
Listen. Then imagine that instead of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, it’s social security for the entire USA.
The Worst Video Game Ever - 99% Invisible
Deep within the National Museum of American History’s vaults is a battered Atari case containing what’s known as “the worst video game of all time.” The game is E.T.99% Invisible
I always give that story as an assignment to my Software Design and Development students. One of the things we talk about is that if the developer •hadn’t• managed to build the game, if the project had collapsed at any point before release, it probably would have saved the company.
The worst possible outcome here is that these DOGEbags manage to build •something• and actually think it works.
And these days, if there is a hero, he or she will be a Schindler, will look like an arsehole and act secretly.
Two things that are not mutually exclusive:
- These people don’t care who they hurt, and would view creating chaos and destroying Social Security as a success.
- These people are so reckless, arrogant, and stupid that they actually think they can do this.
Additionally, if this unworkable project, which will never work, turns out in keeping with all rational expectation not to work...
It will be somebody else's fault.
"What could possibly go wrong?"
Everything.
Absolutely everything could go wrong.
I believe it’s a pretty bright idea when you want to ensure those depending on it won‘t receive funding but to avoid direct accountability for what is inevitably going to Happen.
There was never any doubt that these were not serious people and that they have zero concept of what it means to create something critical. But the failed total-rewrite is a complete cliche in the industry for good reason! How is a crew this terminally online not aware of this?
They're the Therac25 Appreciation Society and nobody will convince me otherwise.
Just please, for the love of all that is good and holy, let there be one adult somewhere in the mix who makes sure the existing code is backed up safely.
Because you're 100% right, this is the stupidest idea yet from a group of people whose footnote in history will read "Oh yeah, those dickheads."
Paul Cantrell reshared this.
@MarvClowder
I think the old conundrum doesn't apply here. These arseholes are both evil AND stupid. They'll do damage whether they achieve their scummy fascist goals or just break a bunch of stuff in the attempt.
Take the current example: the goal appears to be to install a new, fascist, system, but the outcome is likely to be no system at all. Either way, we're fucked, and our only option is to stop them.
Paul Cantrell reshared this.
I think that characterizing COBOL as 'archaic' is not fair.
Yes, it's not the kind of modern language that most people program in - but it remains fit for the very specific purpose for which it was invented: extremely reliable, consistent, code that remains functional with little to no maintenance for years - decades! - at a time.
Reliability is a desirable quality in infrastructural codebases.
Changing it to something else merely because it's old has no merit - it's creating unnecessary work, and the end result will absolutely not be as reliable as the system it is replacing.
Anyone who has written software professionally knows that a complete, fully-functional rewrite is 100% a pipe dream. One hundred percent impossible. It will never happen.
And in months? That just means that it will fail quickly.
Factor in critical timing and massive data and it makes it even more complicated.
Also there isn't so much COBOL material online so the gai won't even be able to guess well.
I can't see how this will even slightly work
Interesting idea. Just imagine what it will be like to test the thing that the ai generates. But then again, maybe another ai could do that job. Or maybe use the old system as the test oracle, and turn it into a reinforcement learning thingy?
Everyone who has personal data in that system should be worried.
And I'd bet they don't properly handle all the race conditions that using something besides a language like COBOL introduces to something like this either.
Just to start with some simple issues that commonly prevent such rewrites (esp. with such a timeline):
* Just wait for your funds being withdrawn from one account but not showing up on the other.
* Money just showing up on one side but never being withdrawn from the other side.
Paul Cantrell reshared this.
if they had a complete and tested Java replacement that someone had just been afraid to deploy, a few months might be the right time to organize it.
But other than that ..
I’ve done IT in a multi-$B/yr social services benefit eligibility & payment environment.
No bank would let these vandals near its Cobol codebase; it’s nuts to expect anything remotely close to a clean outcome, or even operational in any meaningful way.
Canada’s own Phoenix project (pay system for fed gov’t workers) gives an idea what to expect:
cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/phoe…
Thing is, do they care?
#Musk #SocialSecurity #USPolitics #Sabotage
This is pure bullshit.
California is the fifth largest economy in the world and Sacramento runs on COBOL. Long ago (when I remembered COBOL) I was offered a job maintaining it, which I politely declined.
I offered to refactor the thing (with a Massive team) in modern data-stores and languages. Project time? FIVE MOTHERFUCKING YEARS.
So as usual, the Sales Guy (Musk) is full of shit.
Fuckwit couldn't code his way out of a wet paper bag with a chainsaw, so yeah ... p
Even top tier developers would struggle with that timeframe.
Let alone the chuckle fuck nazi morons DOGE employ.
No sane management would EVER agree to that process:
It's a HELLA lotta work.
Translating from one language to another provides NO benefits to the end-user.
Look -- I read the Wired article, too. It convinced me that the Social Security system absolutely needs good engineers to update it -- anything both critical and fragile needs better engineering. But the way to do is is exceedingly BORING (maintaining Blue-green systems that demonstrate that they produce exactly the same output) and painstaking.
There used to be a team in the Federal government that did exactly this kind of stuff... oh, yeah -- federalnewsnetwork.com/reorgan…
After rocky history, GSA shuts down 18F office
Thomas Shedd, the commissioner of Federal Acquisition Service, said the decision is part of the President’s Workforce Optimization Initiative executive order.Jason Miller (Federal News Network)
But surely the post mortems are probably going to be even more interesting.
I just can’t support that. This isn’t going to just hurt people who voted for it. It’s going to hurt every elderly and/or disabled person who depends on Social Security to live — including many who desperately tried to keep the fascists out. There’s zero justice in this.
To be fair, they didn’t specify the number of years. Or the number of digits in the number of years.
Not to distract from the bigger picture but seriously Wired, "COBOL, one of the first common business-oriented programming languages", is that the best you can do? How about "the USA, among the earliest united states in America"...
(and yes, of course, it is to distract the bigger, soooo much dumber. picture.. My brain can only process some much idiocy in a single day)
Yeah, that editorial faceplant annoyed me too. Reading about one’s area of expertise in the popular press is always painful.
@mwyman
Dunno
I have seen this kind of wild-eyed ignoramus enthusiasm before in people who have cult-like leadership by people who are imperious and make sweeping changes, but are as immune or unaware of consequences as they are ignorant of the actual technology involved.
It is actually quite common among venture capital and private equity crews
my closest contender:
$30k to convert a brilliant collection of JMP scripts generating daily manufacturing metrics in a fab to PHP2, rather than $700 for JMP to be installed on a new host.
JMP is stats software, with a mix of brilliant matrix, query, stats and graphing functionality. PHP2 did none of these well. I was averaging 6 lines of new code per line of original, was guaranteed to burn thru the budget, and had no idea how I was going to effectively debug self-rolled equivalents to selects, and graphs with error bars, etc, nor A/B compare my output against original. I said so to the CIO, and mercifully got fired off the task as it was cancelled.
See why I see resemblances? Bonkers idea, bad scoping, unlimited hubris, etc.
If you do not know COBOL, consider that the need for this language is about to go up quickly and violently in a few months.
"the stupidest software-related idea I’ve ever hear"
This isn't about intelligent solutions that make life better for everyone.
This is about breaking the institutions of a somewhat social, democratic society.
Matt Blaze reshared this.
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@mattblaze
Oh the stories I could tell, the materialised breakage done by hot shots and wannabes I've seen could fill the Grand Canyon.
But UNDERSTAND that in this case the breakage is the intent and the salvage their goal.
fs.blog/chestertons-fence/
Chesterton’s Fence: A Lesson in Thinking
A core component of making great decisions is understanding previous decisions. If we don’t understand how we got “here,” we run the risk of making things much worse.Shane (Shane Parrish | Farnam Street)
@mattblaze
What exactly do they think will happen if their new system neglects to pay out expected benefits to millions of people?
I need to research guillotine manufacturers to invest in this rapid growth market.
@mattblaze Unfortunately, you are right.
But a lot of people might be looking for their pitchforks (or worse) if their social security check is missing..
as an old in software development, I do not have enough fingers and toes to count how many fresh new hires say "we should start this over from scratch!"
they don't know any better because they lack the experience and judgement needed to differentiate between code that is _needlessly_ complex and code that is simply complex. part of my job is to help teach them that difference.
so yeah, basically just saying these DOGE assholes are n00bs. however, unlike shiny new employees, they have full commit access and aren't subjected to oversight.
nobody will object until it actually DOES effect them.
of course, by then its too late, hehe.
Head-in-the-sand leads to whats gonna happen here (a bunch of buried heads)
I need more popcorn...
Paul Cantrell reshared this.
Writing (or AI generating) a test harness I would trust to make these kinds of changes would easily take more than a couple of months.
This is gonna be mayhem...and people will probably die because of this 🙁
Several suggestions here that the actual aim is to break the system, default on payments and kill people seem to me to overlook a more plausible alternative.
Musk has long had an unshakeable commitment to having X becoming the everything app for all financial services (see Founders by Jimmy Soni on The PayPal Mafia). He failed. Taking over the social security system and effectively making it mandatory to have an account may be Take 2. Will fail again.
interesting a couple of weeks ago a friend was mention what happen to him when they try to optimize processes and remove unused routines to optimize their COBOL many years ago.
The best decision that his boss did: backup all
It was amazing they optimize a lot. Problem, it was a caos when live. Many of the processes unused status related by hidden sub processes 😀
So wish you very good luck 😀
That's as blatant as it is perfect.
They _want_ to break social security but they can't do it by having the servers "accidentally" fall out of a window.
So they're using genAI because it can't be held accountable.
The most "tragic accident" (yet) in the history of software development incoming...
Well those 20-yo incels getting paid well over $100,000 by fellow incel Musk don't really care what happens to old people
They're just supposed to shut up and die, right?
Move fast and break things
reddit.com/r/EnoughMuskSpam/co…
i think he suggested something equally moronic at pay pal and got booted.
Back in the early 1990s, I worked on a huge project that was mostly written from scratch in C++. Problem was, there wasn't a C++ compiler on the market yet that was capable of compiling the code without loads of compiler bugs. So instead they used a C++ translator that generated C, which was compiled conventionally.
But Glockenspiel was, at the time, incomplete. It didn't do multiple inheritance (no loss) and didn't do templates (very inconvenient).
1/
@FrozenPeach
Dismantling the SEC would explain the jump in Tesla share prices last week. Cantor Fitzgerald published a ridiculously favorable analysis with a $400 share price target. With the SEC non-functional, the chances of anyone getting caught in a pump-and-dump scheme become miniscule.
See also the White House directive to end ownership reporting on shell companies. Makes insider trading on tariff news really easy.
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