@bmac@jawns.club
@bmac@jawns.club avatar

bmac

@bmac@jawns.club

Technical writer, editor, speaker, manager, currently freelancing as MacDonald Editorial. Former DigitialOcean, Pragmatic, O'Reilly. Philly native. Likely to get nerdy about Lego, roller coasters, Doctor Who, Marvel.

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bmac, to random
@bmac@jawns.club avatar

I've taken some time off to recenter myself, and now I'm officially re-entering the job market.

If you're in need of a technical editor, writer, or manager of either, or if you know someone who'd be interested, let's talk.

I've worked on tutorials for DigitalOcean, books for O'Reilly and Pragmatic, and other stuff besides.

Boosts for reach are appreciated.

bmac, to random
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Periodic reminder that I'm a technical editor and writer looking to

I found out today that I failed to get a gig where I had gotten to the last round of interviews, and I thought would be a really good fit. That's twice in two months.

At the same time, I'm doing some contract editing, and the author is replying to queries with "Great point!" and "I didn't think of that" and "Nice catch!" Which reminds me that I'm actually pretty good at this. Not sure if that helps or not.

bmac, to random
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Found this on the back of my credit card. It's supposed to be a symbol of authenticity or something, but it's clearly a pidgeotto with a sonic attack.

bmac, to random
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Late 2022: I first started hearing about LLMs. "This may become a problem."
Feb 2023: I got laid off. I wasn't replaced by an LLM, but they thought about it.
Summer 2023: I got asked about "AI" at some talks I gave. I took a "kill it with fire" attitude, because it was expected.
Late 2023: I started hearing about possible beneficial uses. I consider modifying my position.
Early 2024: Copyright crisis, dangerous hallucinations, massive power and water use.

Yeah, I was right the first time.

bmac, to random
@bmac@jawns.club avatar

Looks like they're at it again, which calls for a song...
(original version by @VeryBadLlama)

🎡
I’m a bitch
I’m an orca
Sinkin’ yachts
Off Majorca
I’m a mammal
I’m a whale
Capsize you with my tail
Sink your boats
Eat the rich
Or else I’ll feed ya to the fish
And then I’ll teach the other whales to do the same
🎡

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/orca-rams-into-yacht-near-scotland-behavior-may-be-spreading-180982429/

bmac, to random
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If you had an employee who worked amazingly fast, but who sometimes produced wildly incorrect answers, including fabricating "facts" out of thin air, and was incapable of self-reflection, or even recognizing their own mistakes, how far would you trust that employee?

AIs aren't people. Stop treating them like they are.

bmac, to random
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"...engage with brands you love..."

I got bad news for you, marketers of the world: With a few exceptions, we don't love brands.

We like products. Usually because of whatever we use the product for. A brand only serves to indicate "this product is probably similar to that other product you like."

If I don't need the product right now, I couldn't care less about your brand. I'll let you know when I need your product.

Thinking that we want to "engage" with a brand is the wrong way round.

bmac, to random
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After we've joined the Galactic Federation or whatever, I bet Earth will have some real tourist value. A planet with a single massive natural satellite that just happens to be the right size and distance (usually) to completely blot out the local star from time to time? I think that would be plenty popular.

If you think it's hard to get a hotel room in a good eclipse spot now, just you wait.

bmac, to random
@bmac@jawns.club avatar

Cat: I wish to sit on your lap now.
Me: That's nice, but I'm typing, and I need to...
Cat: Now. Please assume the position.
Me: <sighs, puts feet up on desk> Like this?
Cat: Slightly too high. Fix it.
Me: <shifts around, lowering lap about half an inch>
Cat: Great. <jumps>
Me: Is this going to be one of those times you jump down abruptly after two minutes, or one where you fall asleep for an hour? Because I have a meeting soon...
Cat: I guess we'll find out together.

bmac, to random
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Found a random app on my phone today just called "X." Ominous black icon, just a big Unicode X. Seemed sketchy, so I deleted it immediately.

bmac, to random
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It's OK to not create content.

It's OK to just be a consumer of content.

It's OK to be a content creator in some aspects of your life and a consumer in others.

It's OK to create content, then stop for a while, and come back to it later, or not at all.

bmac, to random
@bmac@jawns.club avatar

Me: Wanna play with a string?
Cat: Yeah! String! We haven't done this in a while.
Me: It's moving around! You're gonna have to jump to get it.
Cat: I am an agile panther, raar! <jump>
Me: Nice! Try that again!
Cat: <flomp>
Me: Um, lying on your back and waiting for me to bring the string to you isn't really how this game works.
Cat: Pretty sure YOU asked ME to play, so this is how it works.
Me: I feel like your panther ancestors would be disappointed.
Cat: I feel like I don't care.

bmac, to random
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Them: I'm looking for a publisher.

Me: Fiction or non?

Them: Non, but more specific than that.

Me: What section of the bookstore would it be in?

Them: Not in a bookstore. The kind of thing your job would get for you.

Me: That's called "professional publishing."

Them: So the bookstore kind is amateur?

Me: General fiction and non-fiction are "trade" publishing.

Them: But the books to help you learn a trade are "professional," not "trade"?

Me: Right.

Them: Aren't you all word people?

bmac, to random
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When life gives you over-ripe bananas, make banana bread.

bmac, to random
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Today, 23 November 2023, is the 60th anniversary of the first episode of Doctor Who.

I'm a huge fan of the audio dramas from Big Finish. Folks think they couldn't get into a radio play with actors from the 1980s. But folks, you haven't heard the David Tennant audios, which are on sale today:
https://www.bigfinish.com/collections/v/doctor-who-offers

These stories are paced like a modern-series episode, with all the trimmings. Check them out!

(Tagging @barnabyedwards cuz he's the only BF person I know on Mastodon.)

bmac, to random
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What "they" said about the generations, over time:

1992:
Boomers: In charge of everything.
Gen X: Lazy slackers (they have a movie about it!)

2010:
Boomers: Still in charge of everything.
Gen X: Around here somewhere, I think.
Millennials: Lazy and over-educated.

Now:
Boomers: Still in charge.
Millennials: Kinda got their act together.
Gen Z: Lazy and entitled.
(Gen X? Never heard of them.)

bmac, to random
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When starting at a new employer, sometimes you get thrown in the deep end, and sometimes you have to fill the pool yourself.

bmac, to random
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Thought inspired by nothing in particular: 2018 bmac can't even imagine 2023 bmac from where he is.

That's just 5 years, and I'm old, so that's just 10% of my life. I can't fathom what it must be like for younger folks.

Maybe be kind to yourself today. For the sake of your 2018 self, who has no idea what's coming.

bmac, to random
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Hey, tech folks: Anybody familiar with CachΓ© / IRIS, from InterSystems? I've got a buddy who specializes in that system, and he's currently looking for a new gig.

Boosts welcome for reach.

bmac, to random
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Hey, Apple, it may astonish you to know this, but I own precisely zero Apple devices. I wouldn't even have an Apple ID at all if it hadn't been the only way to make required OS updates on my old work laptop (which I no longer have).

So when I try to log in to AppleTV to manage my subscription, and you send a 2FA message to "my devices," that doesn't do anything. How about asking first?

You can include "What kind of peasant doesn't own an iPhone?" in the message if you want. That's OK.

jacobydave, to random

@WuMargaret Yeah, I've been there. Twice, maybe. IIRC. The line is that, fully going, it could run a hair drier (IIRC), but it's crucial experience for the NE people.

https://mastodon.xyz/@todayilearned@noc.social/111817384132977704

bmac,
@bmac@jawns.club avatar

@jacobydave @WuMargaret When I was at Penn State, I learned that the Breazale Nuclear Reactor is the oldest operating reactor in the U.S. It seemed to me that "our reactor is really old!" isn't necessarily something to brag about.
Never actually saw it, but we did used to joke that it was directly connected to the one clothes drier that always scorched your laundry.

josh, (edited ) to random
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deleted_by_author

    •
    bmac,
    @bmac@jawns.club avatar

    @josh Fetterman has always been who he is. I don't think he adheres to any particular ideology so much as he does what he thinks is right. Sometimes I agree with him; other times I don't. But he's always going to be outspoken about what he thinks.

    JohnJBurnsIII, to random
    @JohnJBurnsIII@kzoo.to avatar

    As an FYI to less technical folks I know.
    Conversation about Recall... literally the point being... bring awareness.

    A person in the conversation hit back... it's only on those new machines. So I addressed that, again pointing out this is an FYI and it will be important in near future.

    Person then linked in a MS info listserv where trolls gathered to rant.

    --
    I try to be helpful to begin making people aware of a future concern. And then one person goes into "protection mode"

    1/2

    bmac,
    @bmac@jawns.club avatar

    @JohnJBurnsIII Do they know that Gates hasn't been involved in Microsoft's day-to-day for years?

    I find this fictional version of Gates the Machiavellian Mastermind to be very strange. As opposed to the other techbros who go out of their way to portray themselves as Machiavellian Masterminds while simultaneously showing their asses in public.

    JohnJBurnsIII, to random
    @JohnJBurnsIII@kzoo.to avatar

    Weird, funny seeing movies where they do a scene at airport and one character walks to gate with another character.

    And this movie is 24 years old...

    bmac,
    @bmac@jawns.club avatar

    @JohnJBurnsIII When I think of all the dramatic gate-side breakups / reconciliations / reunions / last-second apologies that have been lost in the last 23 years...

    bmac, to random
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    Because I'm a Coaster Nerd, I made a list of the parks that are in totality for Monday's eclipse. Parks with a * are open and having events. The others are closed.

    • SeaWorld San Antonio
    • Six Flags Fiesta Texas
    • Six Flags Over Texas
    • Magic Springs Arkansas
      Holiday World, IN
      Stricker's Grove, OH
    • Cedar Point, OH
      Conneaut Lake Park, PA
      Waldameer, PA
      Six Flags Darien Lake, NY
      Niagara Amusement Park, NY
      Marine World, ON
    bmac,
    @bmac@jawns.club avatar

    A couple of parks, like Holiday World and Waldameer, are allowing the public into the parking lot to eclipse-watch, but the parks themselves aren't open.

    I also note that Kings Island, OH, and Canada's Wonderland, two huge parks, are just outside the path of totality, but neither of them are open either.

    Basically, the Texas parks that are normally open year-round are open. And Cedar Point is partially open, but that's it.

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