Jeff Chiu
@absolutelyjeff.bsky.social
Software engineer and academic humanities refugee. Tech is the best and worst thing to happen to me. http://codefork.com
Reposted by Jeff Chiu
Happy Sex Clams anniversary to all who celebrate. And we all celebrate.
November 11, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Happy Sex Clams anniversary to all who celebrate. And we all celebrate.
Years ago, I worked on a free tax filing service that was pitched as an anti-poverty initiative: most people who don't file (for various reasons, including cost) usually get money back. Killing Direct File is not just a waste of resources, but a missed opportunity to help alleviate poverty.
👀 Scoop: IRS Direct File, the free government-backed program that let you file your taxes for free, is dead.
IRS wrote to state tax agencies saying it would not be operational this coming tax season, per records I've obtained.
IRS Direct File: 2023-2025.
(Story from when the pilot launched.)
IRS wrote to state tax agencies saying it would not be operational this coming tax season, per records I've obtained.
IRS Direct File: 2023-2025.
(Story from when the pilot launched.)
IRS tests free e-filing system that could compete with tax-prep giants
The tax agency has quietly built its own prototype system for filing tax returns digitally and free of charge, according to current and former officials.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 4, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Years ago, I worked on a free tax filing service that was pitched as an anti-poverty initiative: most people who don't file (for various reasons, including cost) usually get money back. Killing Direct File is not just a waste of resources, but a missed opportunity to help alleviate poverty.
Reposted by Jeff Chiu
TLDR; The PSF has made the decision to put our community and our shared diversity, equity, and inclusion values ahead of seeking $1.5M in new revenue. Please read and share. pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/10/NSF-...
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The official home of the Python Programming Language
www.python.org
October 27, 2025 at 2:47 PM
TLDR; The PSF has made the decision to put our community and our shared diversity, equity, and inclusion values ahead of seeking $1.5M in new revenue. Please read and share. pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/10/NSF-...
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Reposted by Jeff Chiu
We are deeply saddened by the loss of Greg Newby, who led Project Gutenberg ( @gutenberg.org ) with passion and purpose. Greg’s belief in free and open access to knowledge continues to inspire us and so many others working to preserve our shared culture online. gutenberg.org/about/newby....
October 22, 2025 at 7:40 PM
We are deeply saddened by the loss of Greg Newby, who led Project Gutenberg ( @gutenberg.org ) with passion and purpose. Greg’s belief in free and open access to knowledge continues to inspire us and so many others working to preserve our shared culture online. gutenberg.org/about/newby....
Reposted by Jeff Chiu
Hello, friends! After 10(!) years of #AdventOfCode, I've made some changes to preserve my sanity: there will be 12 days of puzzles each December (still starting Dec 1) and there is no longer a global leaderboard. Read more:
adventofcode.com/2025/about#f...
adventofcode.com/2025/about#f...
adventofcode.com/2025/about#f...
adventofcode.com/2025/about#f...
October 22, 2025 at 2:32 AM
Hello, friends! After 10(!) years of #AdventOfCode, I've made some changes to preserve my sanity: there will be 12 days of puzzles each December (still starting Dec 1) and there is no longer a global leaderboard. Read more:
adventofcode.com/2025/about#f...
adventofcode.com/2025/about#f...
adventofcode.com/2025/about#f...
adventofcode.com/2025/about#f...
"Tribal knowledge" in this article is a placeholder for qualities that business finds difficult to identify, compartmentalize, and quantify. Human beings and their experiences matter. We risk so much when we forget that... which seems to be the way things are going.
Today is when Amazon brain drain finally caught up with AWS
column: When your best engineers log off for good, don’t be surprised when the cloud forgets how DNS works
www.theregister.com
October 20, 2025 at 11:57 PM
"Tribal knowledge" in this article is a placeholder for qualities that business finds difficult to identify, compartmentalize, and quantify. Human beings and their experiences matter. We risk so much when we forget that... which seems to be the way things are going.
Reposted by Jeff Chiu
in the 90’s, computers would scream every time you went online. that‘s called foreshadowing
September 7, 2023 at 9:40 PM
in the 90’s, computers would scream every time you went online. that‘s called foreshadowing
Reposted by Jeff Chiu
if you’ve ever watched the apprentice, that’s the world without arts or humanities degrees
October 8, 2025 at 1:12 PM
if you’ve ever watched the apprentice, that’s the world without arts or humanities degrees
An excellent meditation on craft. The economics of "vibe coding" and "specification engineering" are debatable, but the deeper question is: why would we humans want to stop doing an activity that we got into because it's creative and enriching?
The Programmer Identity Crisis ❈ Simon Højberg ❈ Principal Frontend Engineer
On AI, Creativity, and Craft
hojberg.xyz
October 8, 2025 at 4:55 PM
An excellent meditation on craft. The economics of "vibe coding" and "specification engineering" are debatable, but the deeper question is: why would we humans want to stop doing an activity that we got into because it's creative and enriching?
I never give negative ratings for exactly this reason.
"please rate your package delivery" i mean ill click the smiley face because i assume it impacts the poor bastard who delivered it but i must impress upon you that forcing both him and i into this situation is an act of utter inhumanity and furthermore that god frowns upon your deeds
September 29, 2025 at 4:08 AM
I never give negative ratings for exactly this reason.
Reposted by Jeff Chiu
AI advocates have warned that if every author in the class action filed a claim, it would "financially ruin" the entire industry.
Authors celebrate “historic” settlement coming soon in Anthropic class action
Advocates fear such settlements will “financially ruin” the AI industry.
arstechnica.com
August 27, 2025 at 3:53 PM
AI advocates have warned that if every author in the class action filed a claim, it would "financially ruin" the entire industry.
I'm glad I don't do Ruby anymore. This is a horrible mess.
Hey, #ruby folks! I've been one of the #RubyGems maintainers for the last decade.
Ruby Central has forcefully taken control of the RubyGems organization on GitHub, the `rubygems-update` and `bundler` gems on rubygems[.]org, and more.
You can read the details here: pup-e.com/goodbye-ruby...
Ruby Central has forcefully taken control of the RubyGems organization on GitHub, the `rubygems-update` and `bundler` gems on rubygems[.]org, and more.
You can read the details here: pup-e.com/goodbye-ruby...
RubyGems.org | your community gem host
rubygems.org
September 20, 2025 at 3:18 PM
I'm glad I don't do Ruby anymore. This is a horrible mess.
Reposted by Jeff Chiu
The concept of "slop" is going to fit neatly into the space that "mass culture" occupied in 20c theory. It expresses a fear that culture has become liquid, abject, homogenous, replicating and spreading itself like a slime mold.
July 26, 2025 at 1:54 PM
The concept of "slop" is going to fit neatly into the space that "mass culture" occupied in 20c theory. It expresses a fear that culture has become liquid, abject, homogenous, replicating and spreading itself like a slime mold.
Reposted by Jeff Chiu
I completely agree. Throw in low covid vaccine and flu vaccine rates given the ongoing misinformation and access barriers from the top, the threat of birdflu that never really went away and we are entering a very uncertain respiratory virus season in the US.
Oh hey, H5N1 in Texas dairy cows! Are you a new spillover or have you always been there, undetected b/c of insufficient testing?
It’s migration season, almost flu season, & we’ve never had a handle on the cow outbreak. Bird flu is here & we ignore at our peril
www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influe...
It’s migration season, almost flu season, & we’ve never had a handle on the cow outbreak. Bird flu is here & we ignore at our peril
www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influe...
H5N1 detected in Texas dairy herd; researchers can't pinpoint source of California child's illness
www.cidrap.umn.edu
September 6, 2025 at 12:49 AM
I completely agree. Throw in low covid vaccine and flu vaccine rates given the ongoing misinformation and access barriers from the top, the threat of birdflu that never really went away and we are entering a very uncertain respiratory virus season in the US.
Reposted by Jeff Chiu
The most alarming thing about the internet is how it kills our capacity for delight. People spend hours scrolling glass-eyed through content that brings only crumbs of amusement. Real joy is found in the real world: in reading, in starlight, in birdsong, in service to others.
August 28, 2025 at 7:15 PM
The most alarming thing about the internet is how it kills our capacity for delight. People spend hours scrolling glass-eyed through content that brings only crumbs of amusement. Real joy is found in the real world: in reading, in starlight, in birdsong, in service to others.
Reposted by Jeff Chiu
Reposted by Jeff Chiu
I’ve written versions of this before, but as people contemplate the bursting of the AI bubble, they often point to MOOCs as an example—& I do think the MOOC hype is a useful comparison, but *not* because we can talk about MOOCs in the past tense—the hype is past, but MOOCs are very much with us+
August 21, 2025 at 7:57 PM
I’ve written versions of this before, but as people contemplate the bursting of the AI bubble, they often point to MOOCs as an example—& I do think the MOOC hype is a useful comparison, but *not* because we can talk about MOOCs in the past tense—the hype is past, but MOOCs are very much with us+
Reposted by Jeff Chiu
German-Jewish thinkers as punk bands:
H. Cohen - The Ramones
Buber - The Clash
Rosenzweig - The Sex Pistols
Arendt - X-Ray Spex
Benjamin - Crass
Adorno - The Damned
Scholem - Misfits
Marcuse - Dead Kennedys
Horkheimer - Black Flag
Strauss - The Dictators
I will not elaborate
H. Cohen - The Ramones
Buber - The Clash
Rosenzweig - The Sex Pistols
Arendt - X-Ray Spex
Benjamin - Crass
Adorno - The Damned
Scholem - Misfits
Marcuse - Dead Kennedys
Horkheimer - Black Flag
Strauss - The Dictators
I will not elaborate
August 19, 2025 at 1:40 PM
German-Jewish thinkers as punk bands:
H. Cohen - The Ramones
Buber - The Clash
Rosenzweig - The Sex Pistols
Arendt - X-Ray Spex
Benjamin - Crass
Adorno - The Damned
Scholem - Misfits
Marcuse - Dead Kennedys
Horkheimer - Black Flag
Strauss - The Dictators
I will not elaborate
H. Cohen - The Ramones
Buber - The Clash
Rosenzweig - The Sex Pistols
Arendt - X-Ray Spex
Benjamin - Crass
Adorno - The Damned
Scholem - Misfits
Marcuse - Dead Kennedys
Horkheimer - Black Flag
Strauss - The Dictators
I will not elaborate
Reposted by Jeff Chiu
This is one of the most beautiful things I have witnessed, the craft here is impeccable.
August 13, 2025 at 6:06 AM
This is one of the most beautiful things I have witnessed, the craft here is impeccable.
Reposted by Jeff Chiu
mRNA platforms have so much potential for good and could help us unlock new therapeutics for a wide range of conditions. To thwart R&D on this technology is an incomprehensible open rejection of science that has already done much good and has the potential to do even more.
August 6, 2025 at 11:30 AM
mRNA platforms have so much potential for good and could help us unlock new therapeutics for a wide range of conditions. To thwart R&D on this technology is an incomprehensible open rejection of science that has already done much good and has the potential to do even more.
Reposted by Jeff Chiu
the biggest gulf between the reality of LLMs and the marketing is that the LLM is a tool that does not free you from either the requirement of knowing how to use the tool nor the requirement of actually understanding the problem you want to solve
August 11, 2025 at 7:57 PM
the biggest gulf between the reality of LLMs and the marketing is that the LLM is a tool that does not free you from either the requirement of knowing how to use the tool nor the requirement of actually understanding the problem you want to solve
Reposted by Jeff Chiu
Can Bluesky say every word in the English dictionary? In the last 24 hours, @avibagla.com's tracked 32% of all dictionary words, over 88k of 274k unique words. www.avibagla.com/blueskydicti...
The Bluesky Dictionary
Can Bluesky say every word in the English language? Well this is your chance to find out.
www.avibagla.com
August 6, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Can Bluesky say every word in the English dictionary? In the last 24 hours, @avibagla.com's tracked 32% of all dictionary words, over 88k of 274k unique words. www.avibagla.com/blueskydicti...
Reposted by Jeff Chiu
Reposted by Jeff Chiu
`neofetch` developer discontinued the project and took up farming. i think that is beautiful and i think about it all the time.
July 31, 2025 at 3:37 AM
`neofetch` developer discontinued the project and took up farming. i think that is beautiful and i think about it all the time.