Gregory Brown [MOVED, SEE BIO]
@skillstopractice.com
No longer here.
Find me on Mastodon instead:
https://mastodon.social/@skillstopractice
Or if you don't use Mastodon, you can follow my bridged account here on Bluesky:
@skillstopractice.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Find me on Mastodon instead:
https://mastodon.social/@skillstopractice
Or if you don't use Mastodon, you can follow my bridged account here on Bluesky:
@skillstopractice.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Reposted by Gregory Brown [MOVED, SEE BIO]
I just signed the open letter to the Rails Core team, after hesitating for a long time about whether that was the right choice for me.
I know and like several Rails core members, as well as several Basecamp employees. I understand the squeeze that can happen when speaking out individually only […]
I know and like several Rails core members, as well as several Basecamp employees. I understand the squeeze that can happen when speaking out individually only […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
September 28, 2025 at 4:48 PM
I just signed the open letter to the Rails Core team, after hesitating for a long time about whether that was the right choice for me.
I know and like several Rails core members, as well as several Basecamp employees. I understand the squeeze that can happen when speaking out individually only […]
I know and like several Rails core members, as well as several Basecamp employees. I understand the squeeze that can happen when speaking out individually only […]
Reposted by Gregory Brown [MOVED, SEE BIO]
Thinking of doing an informal code reading session to explore the Sequel ruby gem's codebase.
If you're interested in joining me, send an email to [email protected] with the subject "Sequel Code Reading" and I'll get back to you with more details.
If you're interested in joining me, send an email to [email protected] with the subject "Sequel Code Reading" and I'll get back to you with more details.
July 29, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Thinking of doing an informal code reading session to explore the Sequel ruby gem's codebase.
If you're interested in joining me, send an email to [email protected] with the subject "Sequel Code Reading" and I'll get back to you with more details.
If you're interested in joining me, send an email to [email protected] with the subject "Sequel Code Reading" and I'll get back to you with more details.
Reposted by Gregory Brown [MOVED, SEE BIO]
PSA: If you see a post from Mastodon bridged to Bluesky and reply to it, that reply will only make it over the bridge if you also follow @ap.brid.gy on Bluesky.
That's literally all that's needed to make it so each side can stay in their own app happily, but without it your responses might not […]
That's literally all that's needed to make it so each side can stay in their own app happily, but without it your responses might not […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
June 4, 2025 at 10:38 AM
PSA: If you see a post from Mastodon bridged to Bluesky and reply to it, that reply will only make it over the bridge if you also follow @ap.brid.gy on Bluesky.
That's literally all that's needed to make it so each side can stay in their own app happily, but without it your responses might not […]
That's literally all that's needed to make it so each side can stay in their own app happily, but without it your responses might not […]
Reposted by Gregory Brown [MOVED, SEE BIO]
In 2016 I wrote "Programming Beyond Practices" for O'Reilly.
It deliberately includes *no code samples* -- only discussions, design decisions, analysis, etc in story form.
Many of its ideas are still relevant. You can find the PDF here (free, no signup needed) […]
It deliberately includes *no code samples* -- only discussions, design decisions, analysis, etc in story form.
Many of its ideas are still relevant. You can find the PDF here (free, no signup needed) […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
May 30, 2025 at 2:20 PM
In 2016 I wrote "Programming Beyond Practices" for O'Reilly.
It deliberately includes *no code samples* -- only discussions, design decisions, analysis, etc in story form.
Many of its ideas are still relevant. You can find the PDF here (free, no signup needed) […]
It deliberately includes *no code samples* -- only discussions, design decisions, analysis, etc in story form.
Many of its ideas are still relevant. You can find the PDF here (free, no signup needed) […]
To make your Bluesky posts available to folks on Mastodon, all you need to do is follow @ap.brid.gy - If you do that, others who do the same on the Mastodon side will be able to reply, like, repost, etc like normal and neither side needs to use the other app at all.
Please give that a try!
Please give that a try!
May 28, 2025 at 4:47 PM
To make your Bluesky posts available to folks on Mastodon, all you need to do is follow @ap.brid.gy - If you do that, others who do the same on the Mastodon side will be able to reply, like, repost, etc like normal and neither side needs to use the other app at all.
Please give that a try!
Please give that a try!
Even though I have switched to Mastodon I don't want to lose connections with the folks I have met here, so I set up a bridge.
Follow this account if you're not on Mastodon but still would like to keep in touch and/or see what I am up to:
@skillstopractice.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Follow this account if you're not on Mastodon but still would like to keep in touch and/or see what I am up to:
@skillstopractice.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
May 28, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Even though I have switched to Mastodon I don't want to lose connections with the folks I have met here, so I set up a bridge.
Follow this account if you're not on Mastodon but still would like to keep in touch and/or see what I am up to:
@skillstopractice.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Follow this account if you're not on Mastodon but still would like to keep in touch and/or see what I am up to:
@skillstopractice.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Finished that convo - here's what would restore trust.
1) Public disclosure of the rumored January 2025 funding round that had a $700 million valuation.
2) A public business plan.
3) Something rolled out that makes money.
4) Legally+financially sound steps that shield protocol development.
1) Public disclosure of the rumored January 2025 funding round that had a $700 million valuation.
2) A public business plan.
3) Something rolled out that makes money.
4) Legally+financially sound steps that shield protocol development.
Open letter to @why.bsky.team regarding Bluesky revenue model risks + potential mitigations.
We've discussed some of this over DM and will continue to be available so, and the notes within it reflect my own take on things only but hopefully clarify.
notes.skillstopractice.com/updates/2025...
We've discussed some of this over DM and will continue to be available so, and the notes within it reflect my own take on things only but hopefully clarify.
notes.skillstopractice.com/updates/2025...
May 22, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Finished that convo - here's what would restore trust.
1) Public disclosure of the rumored January 2025 funding round that had a $700 million valuation.
2) A public business plan.
3) Something rolled out that makes money.
4) Legally+financially sound steps that shield protocol development.
1) Public disclosure of the rumored January 2025 funding round that had a $700 million valuation.
2) A public business plan.
3) Something rolled out that makes money.
4) Legally+financially sound steps that shield protocol development.
Reposted by Gregory Brown [MOVED, SEE BIO]
Ruby + Rails : Distilled is moving to Mastodon.
Just getting set up over there but you'll find the account here:
ruby.social/@distilled
I will set up bridging when I can, not sure if I will do crossposting though.
If you're set up with @ap.brid.gy here I can still share your posts that way.
Just getting set up over there but you'll find the account here:
ruby.social/@distilled
I will set up bridging when I can, not sure if I will do crossposting though.
If you're set up with @ap.brid.gy here I can still share your posts that way.
May 21, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Ruby + Rails : Distilled is moving to Mastodon.
Just getting set up over there but you'll find the account here:
ruby.social/@distilled
I will set up bridging when I can, not sure if I will do crossposting though.
If you're set up with @ap.brid.gy here I can still share your posts that way.
Just getting set up over there but you'll find the account here:
ruby.social/@distilled
I will set up bridging when I can, not sure if I will do crossposting though.
If you're set up with @ap.brid.gy here I can still share your posts that way.
Open letter to @why.bsky.team regarding Bluesky revenue model risks + potential mitigations.
We've discussed some of this over DM and will continue to be available so, and the notes within it reflect my own take on things only but hopefully clarify.
notes.skillstopractice.com/updates/2025...
We've discussed some of this over DM and will continue to be available so, and the notes within it reflect my own take on things only but hopefully clarify.
notes.skillstopractice.com/updates/2025...
May 20, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Open letter to @why.bsky.team regarding Bluesky revenue model risks + potential mitigations.
We've discussed some of this over DM and will continue to be available so, and the notes within it reflect my own take on things only but hopefully clarify.
notes.skillstopractice.com/updates/2025...
We've discussed some of this over DM and will continue to be available so, and the notes within it reflect my own take on things only but hopefully clarify.
notes.skillstopractice.com/updates/2025...
Here's where you can find me on Mastodon, since I won't be on Bluesky anymore.
mastodon.social/@skillstopra...
I'll try to figure out a way to keep Ruby + Rails : Distilled going, likely as a self-hosted microblog of some sort with an RSS feed.
Until then, that's a starting point.
mastodon.social/@skillstopra...
I'll try to figure out a way to keep Ruby + Rails : Distilled going, likely as a self-hosted microblog of some sort with an RSS feed.
Until then, that's a starting point.
May 19, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Here's where you can find me on Mastodon, since I won't be on Bluesky anymore.
mastodon.social/@skillstopra...
I'll try to figure out a way to keep Ruby + Rails : Distilled going, likely as a self-hosted microblog of some sort with an RSS feed.
Until then, that's a starting point.
mastodon.social/@skillstopra...
I'll try to figure out a way to keep Ruby + Rails : Distilled going, likely as a self-hosted microblog of some sort with an RSS feed.
Until then, that's a starting point.
To be very clear... ad revenue is only one way to make money.
Nearly any other option I'd welcome with open arms because you can't run a principled business without being financially sustainable.
It's startup smoke and mirrors to pivot to "oh you hate revenue bro, that's dumb"
So I'm out.
Nearly any other option I'd welcome with open arms because you can't run a principled business without being financially sustainable.
It's startup smoke and mirrors to pivot to "oh you hate revenue bro, that's dumb"
So I'm out.
I'm leaving Bluesky effective immediately and this is the reason why.
I'll post when I get Mastodon set up + an RSS feed + newsletter.
I'll post when I get Mastodon set up + an RSS feed + newsletter.
If you have problems with us as a company making revenue, then i've got some bad news.
May 19, 2025 at 10:01 PM
To be very clear... ad revenue is only one way to make money.
Nearly any other option I'd welcome with open arms because you can't run a principled business without being financially sustainable.
It's startup smoke and mirrors to pivot to "oh you hate revenue bro, that's dumb"
So I'm out.
Nearly any other option I'd welcome with open arms because you can't run a principled business without being financially sustainable.
It's startup smoke and mirrors to pivot to "oh you hate revenue bro, that's dumb"
So I'm out.
I'm leaving Bluesky effective immediately and this is the reason why.
I'll post when I get Mastodon set up + an RSS feed + newsletter.
I'll post when I get Mastodon set up + an RSS feed + newsletter.
If you have problems with us as a company making revenue, then i've got some bad news.
May 19, 2025 at 9:41 PM
I'm leaving Bluesky effective immediately and this is the reason why.
I'll post when I get Mastodon set up + an RSS feed + newsletter.
I'll post when I get Mastodon set up + an RSS feed + newsletter.
Counterpoint to this... I would happily pay $50/month for an atproto-based Bluesky clone that promises "no ads, ever" as long as it was interoperable.
So anyone who is building that, just know that you've got at least some customers waiting, especially if you refuse to take VC money.
So anyone who is building that, just know that you've got at least some customers waiting, especially if you refuse to take VC money.
I won't mince words, the day Bluesky rolls out ads is the day that I make this place syndication only and stop hanging out here, and then plot an exit entirely from the platform within 6 months after that.
It'd be a broken promise, in *any* form.
bsky.app/profile/zipp...
It'd be a broken promise, in *any* form.
bsky.app/profile/zipp...
May 19, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Counterpoint to this... I would happily pay $50/month for an atproto-based Bluesky clone that promises "no ads, ever" as long as it was interoperable.
So anyone who is building that, just know that you've got at least some customers waiting, especially if you refuse to take VC money.
So anyone who is building that, just know that you've got at least some customers waiting, especially if you refuse to take VC money.
I won't mince words, the day Bluesky rolls out ads is the day that I make this place syndication only and stop hanging out here, and then plot an exit entirely from the platform within 6 months after that.
It'd be a broken promise, in *any* form.
bsky.app/profile/zipp...
It'd be a broken promise, in *any* form.
bsky.app/profile/zipp...
May 19, 2025 at 9:16 PM
I won't mince words, the day Bluesky rolls out ads is the day that I make this place syndication only and stop hanging out here, and then plot an exit entirely from the platform within 6 months after that.
It'd be a broken promise, in *any* form.
bsky.app/profile/zipp...
It'd be a broken promise, in *any* form.
bsky.app/profile/zipp...
Frictionless learning is not a thing.
If you're doing something that feels like learning but you're constantly in a flow state and progressing w. ease, you're not learning, you're being trained via someone else's designed system.
This is not always a bad thing.
But it pays to know the difference.
If you're doing something that feels like learning but you're constantly in a flow state and progressing w. ease, you're not learning, you're being trained via someone else's designed system.
This is not always a bad thing.
But it pays to know the difference.
May 18, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Frictionless learning is not a thing.
If you're doing something that feels like learning but you're constantly in a flow state and progressing w. ease, you're not learning, you're being trained via someone else's designed system.
This is not always a bad thing.
But it pays to know the difference.
If you're doing something that feels like learning but you're constantly in a flow state and progressing w. ease, you're not learning, you're being trained via someone else's designed system.
This is not always a bad thing.
But it pays to know the difference.
v0.6.0 of "Bug Hunt: Volume 1" is now live, with two new exercises...
One is themed on Conway's Game of Life and shows something to watch out for when using Ruby's pattern matching feature.
The other is a common "gotcha" when using Ruby hashes, especially if you mostly work in Rails.
(1 of 2)
One is themed on Conway's Game of Life and shows something to watch out for when using Ruby's pattern matching feature.
The other is a common "gotcha" when using Ruby hashes, especially if you mostly work in Rails.
(1 of 2)
May 17, 2025 at 9:49 PM
v0.6.0 of "Bug Hunt: Volume 1" is now live, with two new exercises...
One is themed on Conway's Game of Life and shows something to watch out for when using Ruby's pattern matching feature.
The other is a common "gotcha" when using Ruby hashes, especially if you mostly work in Rails.
(1 of 2)
One is themed on Conway's Game of Life and shows something to watch out for when using Ruby's pattern matching feature.
The other is a common "gotcha" when using Ruby hashes, especially if you mostly work in Rails.
(1 of 2)
We need a new equivalent of UNIX, not at the systems level but at the application building level.
(Meaning, a super interoperable fundamental building block that allows for infinite specialization but doesn't require infinite piecemealed integrations)
(Meaning, a super interoperable fundamental building block that allows for infinite specialization but doesn't require infinite piecemealed integrations)
May 16, 2025 at 7:58 PM
We need a new equivalent of UNIX, not at the systems level but at the application building level.
(Meaning, a super interoperable fundamental building block that allows for infinite specialization but doesn't require infinite piecemealed integrations)
(Meaning, a super interoperable fundamental building block that allows for infinite specialization but doesn't require infinite piecemealed integrations)
Reposted by Gregory Brown [MOVED, SEE BIO]
i'm on Bluesky for the echo chamber of Good Job With Your Project, and I'm Doing This Thing Now That I Enjoy, and You Got This, and Help Me Out With This Problem I'm Having, and Isn't This Thing Pretty Cool, and Check Out This Thing I Made
January 3, 2025 at 4:02 AM
i'm on Bluesky for the echo chamber of Good Job With Your Project, and I'm Doing This Thing Now That I Enjoy, and You Got This, and Help Me Out With This Problem I'm Having, and Isn't This Thing Pretty Cool, and Check Out This Thing I Made
Reposted by Gregory Brown [MOVED, SEE BIO]
"This is the economy now. Not a distribution of opportunity. A redistribution of friction. But friction isn’t the enemy!!!! It’s information. It tells us where things are straining and where care is needed and where attention should go."
kyla.substack.com/p/the-most-v...
kyla.substack.com/p/the-most-v...
The Most Valuable Commodity in the World is Friction
AI Chatbots, Newark, and the West Village Girls
kyla.substack.com
May 16, 2025 at 5:52 PM
"This is the economy now. Not a distribution of opportunity. A redistribution of friction. But friction isn’t the enemy!!!! It’s information. It tells us where things are straining and where care is needed and where attention should go."
kyla.substack.com/p/the-most-v...
kyla.substack.com/p/the-most-v...
Reposted by Gregory Brown [MOVED, SEE BIO]
The main reason why I never offload cognitive thinking to LLMs is that frictiontless output is a pernicious trap. Seems smart, but long term it's you who becomes replaceable. If the use case is to speed up useless work, it's a sign to change your life, not how you produce something to the society.
May 16, 2025 at 5:59 PM
The main reason why I never offload cognitive thinking to LLMs is that frictiontless output is a pernicious trap. Seems smart, but long term it's you who becomes replaceable. If the use case is to speed up useless work, it's a sign to change your life, not how you produce something to the society.
Reposted by Gregory Brown [MOVED, SEE BIO]
had a thought about why people outside the tech world (artists, journalists, etc) are quicker to perceive gen AI output as bullshit even though they are generally less deeply familiar with how they work: in most domains, generative models are only trained on the _output_
May 14, 2025 at 1:59 PM
had a thought about why people outside the tech world (artists, journalists, etc) are quicker to perceive gen AI output as bullshit even though they are generally less deeply familiar with how they work: in most domains, generative models are only trained on the _output_
Reposted by Gregory Brown [MOVED, SEE BIO]
Already several good RSS feeds in the thread.
Keep them coming! Discoverability is hard these days and RSS was one of those lovely tools that deserves a comeback.
Keep them coming! Discoverability is hard these days and RSS was one of those lovely tools that deserves a comeback.
If you've got a blog where you (at least sometimes) write Ruby-related posts, please reply with a link to your RSS feed below.
I am going to try to start keeping an eye on those as well and sharing interesting stuff I find from time to time.
I am going to try to start keeping an eye on those as well and sharing interesting stuff I find from time to time.
May 16, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Already several good RSS feeds in the thread.
Keep them coming! Discoverability is hard these days and RSS was one of those lovely tools that deserves a comeback.
Keep them coming! Discoverability is hard these days and RSS was one of those lovely tools that deserves a comeback.
Been slowly and steadily keeping the #distilled.rb feed (and mirrored account w. same content) updated.
Will start experimenting with finding stuff outside of Bluesky as well and bringing it here to be more easily found.
Would appreciate a repost of the quoted post below to help w. discovery.
Will start experimenting with finding stuff outside of Bluesky as well and bringing it here to be more easily found.
Would appreciate a repost of the quoted post below to help w. discovery.
If you've got a blog where you (at least sometimes) write Ruby-related posts, please reply with a link to your RSS feed below.
I am going to try to start keeping an eye on those as well and sharing interesting stuff I find from time to time.
I am going to try to start keeping an eye on those as well and sharing interesting stuff I find from time to time.
May 15, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Been slowly and steadily keeping the #distilled.rb feed (and mirrored account w. same content) updated.
Will start experimenting with finding stuff outside of Bluesky as well and bringing it here to be more easily found.
Would appreciate a repost of the quoted post below to help w. discovery.
Will start experimenting with finding stuff outside of Bluesky as well and bringing it here to be more easily found.
Would appreciate a repost of the quoted post below to help w. discovery.
Reposted by Gregory Brown [MOVED, SEE BIO]
Two fundamental skills in managing complexity:
* Partitioning. If I arrange things *thus*, then I can deal with *this* while not dealing with *that*.
* Oopsie. Arranging things *thus* actually makes things harder because I have to deal with *this*, *that*, and the partitioning all at once.
* Partitioning. If I arrange things *thus*, then I can deal with *this* while not dealing with *that*.
* Oopsie. Arranging things *thus* actually makes things harder because I have to deal with *this*, *that*, and the partitioning all at once.
May 15, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Two fundamental skills in managing complexity:
* Partitioning. If I arrange things *thus*, then I can deal with *this* while not dealing with *that*.
* Oopsie. Arranging things *thus* actually makes things harder because I have to deal with *this*, *that*, and the partitioning all at once.
* Partitioning. If I arrange things *thus*, then I can deal with *this* while not dealing with *that*.
* Oopsie. Arranging things *thus* actually makes things harder because I have to deal with *this*, *that*, and the partitioning all at once.