I just saw a disturbing comment that AI meant someone was never going to release another software project.

I think it might be good to look at the BSD perspective on releasing free software. Permissive licensing means you don't really care what someone does with your code, aside from claiming copyright themselves. While this is indeed a problem with Grand Theft Autocomplete, it's a legal problem and the criminals aren't getting their way without a fight.

I'm going to keep sharing what I do. No one can take my pleasure in creating systems away from me. I saw a meme not long ago - someone created a robot to eat ice cream for them so they didn't have to.

Just because other people are deploying ice cream eating robots, we don't have to stop eating ice cream ourselves.

'However, FreeBSD’s central committee has been debating whether to permit AI-generated code for over a year now: we first reported on it in September 2025, and there’s still no consensus. We are sure there is a large helping of “AI is just a tool”, and we suspect side-dishes of “AI is here to stay” and “don’t get left behind.” If anyone dares point out failings, doubtless they’re using the wrong model, or not prompting it correctly.'

https://www.theregister.com/os-platforms/2026/10/13/netbsd-may-have-found-a-new-role-the-ai-free-foss-os/5302818

#freebsd

There's was a discussion about container evasion on IRC. It drifted to real-world prison escapes and their legality various places. Then I thought, what if we had a real-life equivalent of the OOM killer? Might fix the billionaire problem.

Anyway, the discussion drifted to how bloodthirsty some of our language is in the Unix world. "Once the parent goes zombie, you might think about killing the orphan."

#unix

Frog in a wizard's hat. On reflection, a computer geek.

#frog #wizard #art

I mean, I'm not surprised.

https://news.berkeley.edu/2026/10/09/using-ai-for-just-10-minutes-erodes-your-ability-to-persist-at-hard-things/

#ai #llm

Ethics are important - doubly so in matters that affect health, and immeasurably so if it impacts babies. Here, the CDC under Kennedy funds an absolutely unethical study, where babies will be harmed.

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/hepatitis/hepatitis-b-vaccine-study-condemned-unethical-wins-approval-danish-university

#publichealth #ethics #cdc

We started doing characters for a Hero System campaign. We're using Danger International rules for it, so it's a very nicely trim system. I'm eager to start GMing it.

#ttrpg #roleplaying

If we had a Congress with a spine, this would be impeachment and jail time.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/06/trump-suggests-let-iran-take-out-los-angeles-san-diego

This is interesting:

"AI training of copyrighted material not fair use: Third Circuit"

https://www.courthousenews.com/ai-training-of-copyrighted-material-not-fair-use-third-circuit/

#ai #llm #copyright

An old Vax from my NetBSD days. I had some cool old hardware.

#netbsd #vax

@mjd I had a thought about what you said the other day about using LLMs because you still want to design things, but you don't want to have to implement them.

Rather than an LLM, which is consumptive and negative in more ways than I can count, it feels like what might work for you is a set of junior engineers to mentor. Tell them what you want, and they can do the legwork implementing. And as pleasant side effects, now there are more engineers in the world that can do things, and they've learned how to structure and organize things.

I'm not originating this idea, but consider that mentoring young engineers builds the next generation, whereas using LLMs, aside from anything else, is pulling up the ladder after you.

@grunfink Is this something I've done wrong, or is elinks just unhappy with SNAC2? I got this after writing a post. Despite the error the post was sent.

So, ironically, I've started getting involved with Tech For Palestine, and lo and behold, they're on the Fediverse!

Here they are, for anyone else who wasn't aware of their being here:

@tech4palestine

#gaza

This isn't in my skillset and I don't have contacts there, but Stord is looking for engineers with Elixir experience:

https://www.stord.com/careers

#getfedihired #elixir

RE: https://social.freedom.press/@freedomofpress/117366127774621071

We have no business killing each other. The death penalty is just more murder.

Prisons are a problem too. Maybe they'd be less of one if they were run communally by volunteers that cycle out.

It's a hard problem but killing isn't the answer.

Caution. The doors are about to close. Captured circa 2004.

#boston #mbta #blueline

I don't want to post negative things if I can help it, but this has a distinct positive element - it made me chuckle.

#ai #llm

I have projects I hope to accomplish today. I've figured out how to model traditional FreeBSD jail networking, but with LXC. I've figured out a reverse proxy jail with nginx that handles Let's Encrypt for a number of domains. I've worked out an updated provisioning system, even if there's more to automate.

So, the projects will be a new primary DNS server. A new primary MX. A new recursive DNS server. A Jitsi server. Migration of existing web servers. Migration of my IRC client system. A Friendica server. A GoToSocial server. A SNAC2 server.

Up in the air: I'm thinking of migrating some stuff from Apache to nginx, possibly including a webdav server we use for Seedvault and Joplin backups. That last will also involve a migration from FreeBSD to Debian.

Reminds me, I want to start systematically understanding which projects I use welcome slop. There are some surprising ones, but also alternatives to almost everything.

I was told there were lizards on display. There were no lizards. Just snakes.

"Do you have anything with legs?" I asked one of the proprietors of the event. They had a millipede. Wife and kids were okay with this. I was the only one let down.

On the way in, a woman saw us masked and said to her husband, "Oh my gawd." I turned and exclaimed, "Oh my gawd! They're not wearing masks!" She replied, "And I never will!" To which I said, "Watch what that does to your lifespan and your brain!" Then I went about my business, looking at my people holding various snakes.

They want snakes now. (My people, not the human petri dishes. I don't know if they want snakes or not.) My thinking is, if they can find some snakes with legs, we'll talk. I mean, even fish have fins they use to get around, you know?

I'd keep an iguana again sometime, but not without a well-thought-out and comfortable habitat ready well in advance.

Welcome to HangTrek. This is a Star Trek-themed word game for the Fediverse.

Second round! In the first round, the old-school ships, Neptune class and Shepard class, tied. Dealer's choice, and since my schedule was overwhelmed yesterday and I didn't get the puzzle out on time, and I'm giving you both.

This time, you get bonus street cred if you identify the theme of the clues.

_ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ / S _ _ S / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ N / _ _ / _ _ _ _ N _ . / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ .
_ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ N _ / _ _ _ / S _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ .
_ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ / _ _ _ S ?
_ _ _ _ _ S _ / _ _ _ / N _ _ _ S / _ _ / _ _ _ / _ N _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ / N _ _ _ S / _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ N _ .

Word lengths:
Line 1: 2 6 4 4 3 4 4 2 6 3 4 4 3 2
Line 2: 3 5 4 4 3 4 3 2
Line 3: 3 5 3 2 4
Line 4: 7 3 5 2 3 3 8 3 5 2 3 4

The host puts up something like this, with blanks to be filled in, and includes a poll with four letters. The winning letter gets filled in, but only if it actually appears in the puzzle. At least one of the poll options must show up in the puzzle, and this process repeats until someone guesses the answer.

If you make a guess, please do it with a Content Warning (CW) so as to not spoil it for other folks still working on the puzzle, as an incorrect guess might still be an extra clue. The first person to guess correctly gets the option to run the next one, if they like, or to nominate someone else.

#startrek #hangtrek #games #puzzles @startrek