Jay McGavren
@jaymcgavren.bsky.social
Author of the O'Reilly Media books Head First Ruby and Head First Go. Software developer with 20 years of experience.
Portrait by https://dribbble.com/drawsgood
Portrait by https://dribbble.com/drawsgood
What if every online forum had an anti-conversation-domination algorithm? As soon as a user has posted 2x/3x/Xx as often as the median user, they are automatically temporarily blocked (or hellbanned if they can't get the hint).
November 27, 2025 at 7:56 PM
What if every online forum had an anti-conversation-domination algorithm? As soon as a user has posted 2x/3x/Xx as often as the median user, they are automatically temporarily blocked (or hellbanned if they can't get the hint).
Future Crew's "Second Reality" was a pivotal work in the 90's PC demoscene. It's been ported to C++, which evidently enabled a port to run directly in your browser: www.jsr-productions.com/secondrealit...
November 20, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Future Crew's "Second Reality" was a pivotal work in the 90's PC demoscene. It's been ported to C++, which evidently enabled a port to run directly in your browser: www.jsr-productions.com/secondrealit...
Things that I now expect to happen automatically (sometimes incorrectly):
- Toilet seats to fall slowly (we have rotary dampers AT HOME)
- My car to start without a key (ONE of our cars has keyless ignition)
- My specs to run when I hit "save" (I use Guard, which works in MOST situations)
#Ruby
- Toilet seats to fall slowly (we have rotary dampers AT HOME)
- My car to start without a key (ONE of our cars has keyless ignition)
- My specs to run when I hit "save" (I use Guard, which works in MOST situations)
#Ruby
November 18, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Things that I now expect to happen automatically (sometimes incorrectly):
- Toilet seats to fall slowly (we have rotary dampers AT HOME)
- My car to start without a key (ONE of our cars has keyless ignition)
- My specs to run when I hit "save" (I use Guard, which works in MOST situations)
#Ruby
- Toilet seats to fall slowly (we have rotary dampers AT HOME)
- My car to start without a key (ONE of our cars has keyless ignition)
- My specs to run when I hit "save" (I use Guard, which works in MOST situations)
#Ruby
Works great on my Mac! (Modern Windows and Linux builds available too.)
github.com/felixriesebe...
And yes, Minesweeper works.
I'd be REAL careful using Internet Explorer. *Probably* whatever worm installs itself will be stuck in the app's sandbox?
github.com/felixriesebe...
And yes, Minesweeper works.
I'd be REAL careful using Internet Explorer. *Probably* whatever worm installs itself will be stuck in the app's sandbox?
November 17, 2025 at 10:51 PM
Works great on my Mac! (Modern Windows and Linux builds available too.)
github.com/felixriesebe...
And yes, Minesweeper works.
I'd be REAL careful using Internet Explorer. *Probably* whatever worm installs itself will be stuck in the app's sandbox?
github.com/felixriesebe...
And yes, Minesweeper works.
I'd be REAL careful using Internet Explorer. *Probably* whatever worm installs itself will be stuck in the app's sandbox?
Simon Stålenhag's book "Sunset at Zero Point" releases Dec 9. Looks very much in line with his prior work. www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/...
November 15, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Simon Stålenhag's book "Sunset at Zero Point" releases Dec 9. Looks very much in line with his prior work. www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/...
Only remaining question is whether to set the hourly chime.
November 14, 2025 at 1:21 AM
Only remaining question is whether to set the hourly chime.
ChatGPT tries, and utterly fails, to have a conversation with itself. www.instagram.com/p/DPKXMVEjz9...
November 4, 2025 at 7:51 PM
ChatGPT tries, and utterly fails, to have a conversation with itself. www.instagram.com/p/DPKXMVEjz9...
Thanks to @heatsynclabs.bsky.social , I've got access to a vinyl cutter. Thanks to Costco, I've got 6 blank t-shirts. Time to start some trouble. 😁
October 23, 2025 at 12:30 AM
Thanks to @heatsynclabs.bsky.social , I've got access to a vinyl cutter. Thanks to Costco, I've got 6 blank t-shirts. Time to start some trouble. 😁
Need a lot of plywood for your #LaserCutter on short notice? This brand is my new go-to! Just over $1 per square foot, free shipping. Cuts cleanly. Arrived a bit warped but so do other commonly-recommended brands. www.amazon.com/dp/B09W22LS2X (Not an affiliate link, I just like the product!)
October 22, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Need a lot of plywood for your #LaserCutter on short notice? This brand is my new go-to! Just over $1 per square foot, free shipping. Cuts cleanly. Arrived a bit warped but so do other commonly-recommended brands. www.amazon.com/dp/B09W22LS2X (Not an affiliate link, I just like the product!)
Reposted by Jay McGavren
Andre is working on his RC Tug Boat!
October 20, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Andre is working on his RC Tug Boat!
Reposted by Jay McGavren
Lin updated his 4X4 LED cube! His next project might be an 8X8 cube!
October 20, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Lin updated his 4X4 LED cube! His next project might be an 8X8 cube!
D20 nets: A lot of copy/pasting of tabs and slots. Inkscape was a HUGE help getting everything aligned right.
And it looks like it's all working! Can surely be made even easier to assemble, but even now they hold together nicely with zero glue!
And it looks like it's all working! Can surely be made even easier to assemble, but even now they hold together nicely with zero glue!
October 17, 2025 at 7:07 AM
D20 nets: A lot of copy/pasting of tabs and slots. Inkscape was a HUGE help getting everything aligned right.
And it looks like it's all working! Can surely be made even easier to assemble, but even now they hold together nicely with zero glue!
And it looks like it's all working! Can surely be made even easier to assemble, but even now they hold together nicely with zero glue!
(Very small) parasitic worm that uses electrostatic charge to attract itself to prey in midair. Fascinating. news.emory.edu/features/202...
October 16, 2025 at 10:33 PM
(Very small) parasitic worm that uses electrostatic charge to attract itself to prey in midair. Fascinating. news.emory.edu/features/202...
When the #VinylCutter gives me a flawless print, it still feels like winning a prize from a claw machine.
October 16, 2025 at 1:57 AM
When the #VinylCutter gives me a flawless print, it still feels like winning a prize from a claw machine.
On the second prototype of my tab-and-slot design for assembling cardstock icosahedrons. This is showing real promise! The join is incredibly smooth. No glue needed!
Unfortunately it's also a pain to assemble. I couldn't get the hooks on the tab to catch. I know a fix, just need to implement...
Unfortunately it's also a pain to assemble. I couldn't get the hooks on the tab to catch. I know a fix, just need to implement...
October 15, 2025 at 7:19 AM
On the second prototype of my tab-and-slot design for assembling cardstock icosahedrons. This is showing real promise! The join is incredibly smooth. No glue needed!
Unfortunately it's also a pain to assemble. I couldn't get the hooks on the tab to catch. I know a fix, just need to implement...
Unfortunately it's also a pain to assemble. I couldn't get the hooks on the tab to catch. I know a fix, just need to implement...
all of this could have been avoided
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC2p...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC2p...
October 12, 2025 at 11:29 PM
all of this could have been avoided
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC2p...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC2p...
This controller won't fit in a pocket, but it's otherwise awesome! And I can leave my phone's case on while playing. This may wind up with a permanent home in my backpack. www.8bitdo.com/ultimate-mob...
Keep an eye out for sales; I scored mine for $25!
Keep an eye out for sales; I scored mine for $25!
October 12, 2025 at 8:01 AM
This controller won't fit in a pocket, but it's otherwise awesome! And I can leave my phone's case on while playing. This may wind up with a permanent home in my backpack. www.8bitdo.com/ultimate-mob...
Keep an eye out for sales; I scored mine for $25!
Keep an eye out for sales; I scored mine for $25!
People are NOT rescuing their own content from old floppy disks. I know I haven't been. And they are fast becoming unreadable!
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
October 12, 2025 at 3:04 AM
People are NOT rescuing their own content from old floppy disks. I know I haven't been. And they are fast becoming unreadable!
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
Reposted by Jay McGavren
Jay cut some Spiral Pentagons!
October 12, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Jay cut some Spiral Pentagons!
Slack really, really needs a way for considerate senders to mark a message with "this is not urgent". The system could avoid pinging the recipient even if their Do Not Disturb is off, and the recipient would know "I can save looking at this for later".
October 10, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Slack really, really needs a way for considerate senders to mark a message with "this is not urgent". The system could avoid pinging the recipient even if their Do Not Disturb is off, and the recipient would know "I can save looking at this for later".
Reposted by Jay McGavren
Local schools are on fall break. Time for an impromptu #lasercutter and crayon session! #hackerspace #art
October 7, 2025 at 5:56 AM
Local schools are on fall break. Time for an impromptu #lasercutter and crayon session! #hackerspace #art
My new laptop case. Sticker was cut on my second-hand Silhouette Portrait 3.
I didn't feel like waiting for my transfer tape order to come in, so I used a medium-grip cutting mat to do the transfer instead. Worked fine!
I didn't feel like waiting for my transfer tape order to come in, so I used a medium-grip cutting mat to do the transfer instead. Worked fine!
October 4, 2025 at 8:41 AM
My new laptop case. Sticker was cut on my second-hand Silhouette Portrait 3.
I didn't feel like waiting for my transfer tape order to come in, so I used a medium-grip cutting mat to do the transfer instead. Worked fine!
I didn't feel like waiting for my transfer tape order to come in, so I used a medium-grip cutting mat to do the transfer instead. Worked fine!
You've heard "Measure twice, cut once". More broadly: consider whether an action is DESTRUCTIVE. Does it permanently and irretrievably alter things?
Are there NON-destructive actions you can try first? If they fail, just undo them!
Destructive actions better succeed, or you're screwed!
Are there NON-destructive actions you can try first? If they fail, just undo them!
Destructive actions better succeed, or you're screwed!
October 1, 2025 at 10:20 PM
You've heard "Measure twice, cut once". More broadly: consider whether an action is DESTRUCTIVE. Does it permanently and irretrievably alter things?
Are there NON-destructive actions you can try first? If they fail, just undo them!
Destructive actions better succeed, or you're screwed!
Are there NON-destructive actions you can try first? If they fail, just undo them!
Destructive actions better succeed, or you're screwed!
Wow. SendCutSend just quoted me $230 for a 500mm plywood version of one of my spiral artworks. Maybe they're affordable for other use cases, but they're not for mine.
September 29, 2025 at 11:23 PM
Wow. SendCutSend just quoted me $230 for a 500mm plywood version of one of my spiral artworks. Maybe they're affordable for other use cases, but they're not for mine.
Metal lathe policy: "If the key is in the chuck then your hand is on it." Because the key can become a lethal projectile if the lathe is started with the chuck key in.
You won't forget the key if you are literally touching it. Anything else is leaving it to chance.
www.reddit.com/r/Machinists...
You won't forget the key if you are literally touching it. Anything else is leaving it to chance.
www.reddit.com/r/Machinists...
September 28, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Metal lathe policy: "If the key is in the chuck then your hand is on it." Because the key can become a lethal projectile if the lathe is started with the chuck key in.
You won't forget the key if you are literally touching it. Anything else is leaving it to chance.
www.reddit.com/r/Machinists...
You won't forget the key if you are literally touching it. Anything else is leaving it to chance.
www.reddit.com/r/Machinists...