Posts by katrinab

Quite a lot of my variables come from accessing external web services, and as far as I can see, there is no way of telling from looking at the program what you are going to get.

If I then import it into a Numpy array, then I tell it at that stage what it is going to be, but even then if it isn't it will try to convert it (eg if I tell it it is a float, and it gets a string comprising of the numbers 0-9 + . + possibly a "-" at the start, then it will be able to convert it into a float).

The same I guess applies if you read them from a file or possibly even from a database query.

But really, if you want the speed of a compiled language, then you should probably write it in a compiled language, and a knock-off version of Python probably isn't the best option for a compiled language. People choose Python because of the libraries and general ecosystem that surrounds the language, not because of some magical properties of the language itself. If this only supports a subset of Python, is it still Python, or is it some other language that looks a bit like Python?

Re: Re:SVB had about $209 billion in assets

It is not irrational, because your personal cost of capital is likely higher than 3.4%, and there is also counterparty risk to consider. Will you still be alive and able to deliver on the agreement in 20/40 years time?

Re: I'm affected - no pay today

Depends on the company, but probably 2-3 months.

Re: I'm affected - no pay today

How many employees can you pay out of $250k? Obviously it depends on their salary levels, but it is not that many people in the overall scheme of things.

Re: >Open sourcing the code is hard

Only works for code where they own the copyright and can legally do that.

What if they are using someone else's code which they have a fully paid-up licence to use, but don't have the right to distribute elsewhere?

Look for example at the work involved when Sun decided to open-source Star Office.

Re: Will anyone notice?

"Write an article about a new branch of McDonalds opening in Poundbury, Dorset."

Here is a possible article based on your request:

McDonald’s opens new branch in Poundbury

McDonald’s, the world’s largest fast food chain, has opened a new branch in Poundbury, an experimental urban development on the outskirts of Dorchester, Dorset. The branch is located on Queen Mother Square, a central plaza named after the late Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

The new branch is part of McDonald’s expansion plan in the UK, where it aims to open 200 more restaurants by 2024. The company said it chose Poundbury for its unique design and vision, which is based on traditional architecture and New Urbanist principles as advocated by King Charles III when he was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall.

“We are delighted to be part of Poundbury’s vibrant community and offer our customers a convenient and enjoyable dining experience,” said John Smith, the manager of the new branch. “We have designed our restaurant to blend in with Poundbury’s distinctive style and character, while also providing modern amenities and services such as free Wi-Fi, self-order kiosks and table service.”

The new branch has created 40 jobs for local residents and will operate from 6am to 11pm daily. It will also participate in McDonald’s environmental initiatives such as recycling packaging waste, reducing plastic use and sourcing ingredients from local suppliers.

Poundbury is home to more than 4,600 people and 240 businesses, including shops, cafés, a garden centre and an art gallery. Visitors to Poundbury can use free parking to explore its attractions or enjoy its events such as farmers’ markets, craft fairs and concerts.

McDonald’s is one of the latest additions to Poundbury’s diverse food scene, which also includes Italian restaurants, Indian takeaways, bakeries and pubs. The new branch hopes to attract both locals and tourists who are looking for a quick bite or a family meal.

Re: Artificial Intelligent...

ChatGPT is very prone to factual blunders.

Of course forced abortion is also wrong, but while the regret rate is not zero, it is lower than for any other medical procedure, and the regret rate among people who didn't have an abortion in similar circumstances is far higher.

Re: cookies irrelevant

That is why the law doesn't mention cookies, it mentions tracking technologies.

And yes, that does mean that if it uses a cookie to store your login details, or the stuff you put in your shopping basket; this isn't covered by the law.

I switched from PiHole to the adblocking offered by OpnSense. Seems to be a bit faster, just as good at blocking ads, it uses the same filter lists as PiHole, and as I was using it anyway, reduces the number of computers I need on my network.

Re: Very intelligent

It is funded by Microsoft. They want you to visit it using Edge.

Re: Just set the entire moon to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC +0) ...

Some problems:

If you take an atomic clock up to the moon, it won’t remain in sync with a similar clock on earth.

I presume a lunar day isn’t anything link a terrestrial day in terms of length

I’m not sure if the moon has any concept of a year in terms of changing seasons.

Given that the terrestrial month sort-of relates to phases of the moon, I assume that would apply to phases of the Earth up there? It is mostly arbitrary these days down here, but maybe it could actually be really important on the moon?

Re: You mean?

I was looking at pricing on Azure yesterday, and the payback time for buying your own machine is about 2 months, at least if you buy a workstation class computer like the Thinkstation P620 rather than a server class computer

Re: YouTube doesn't deserve section 230

If someone is motivated by YouTube to go on a bombing spree, you are equally likely to be a victim of this whether you watch YouTube yourself or not.

So that is not a reasonable argument to make.