Andrew Certain (@tacertain) header
Andrew Certain (@tacertain) profile picture

Andrew Certain

@tacertain

Former VP/Distinguished Engineer in AWS. See the blog for what you'll get if you follow (plus transit/housing quips) He/his https://nitter.cf/t.co/FGTsM2Xy1K

 Seattle, WA
blog.tacertain.com
Joined March 2011
  • Tweets11.1K
  • Following698
  • Followers8.9K
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Photo by Andrew Certain (@tacertain)Photo by Andrew Certain (@tacertain)Photo by Andrew Certain (@tacertain)Photo by Andrew Certain (@tacertain)Photo by Andrew Certain (@tacertain)Photo by Andrew Certain (@tacertain)Photo by Andrew Certain (@tacertain)Photo by Andrew Certain (@tacertain)Photo by Andrew Certain (@tacertain)Photo by Andrew Certain (@tacertain)
So X needs to figure out whether I'm a human before it'll let people see my posts? It's really encouraging me to come back.
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This would make me believe that there's something profound going on: if you could train a model on two different languages, but not give any translation examples, and have the model do translation. If it's really inferring meaning, this should be no problem. Humans can do this.
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To be clear: I think LLMs will have a profound impact on society. I just don't think they are on a path towards "understanding" or AGI.
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Dinner on cap hill, just want to get home on my bike. This right here is a death wish with the status quo of Rainier. But it’s the most direct and by far least hilly. It should have bike lanes on it 10x over (and dedicated bus lanes).
Image from Peter Mumford (@pistolpedro31)
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Andrew Certain retweeted
Joe Magerramov (@_joemag_) profile picture
Joe Magerramov@_joemag_23 Mar 2023
I agree with Ben. Having been in this industry for a while, the speed at which engineers spit out code is rarely the bottleneck. I’m much more excited about what AI can do to help improve quality and correctness of the code, as well as help explore new ideas and approaches.
Ben Kehoe (@ben11kehoe) profile pictureBen Kehoe@ben11kehoe23 Mar 2023
Replying to @ben11kehoe @monkchips
As it usually follows an 80/20 rule, that 80% the AI is doing for you is 20% of the work, leaving the 80% of debugging, maintaining etc. So you're looking at a 25% speedup, not 5x. Unless you skip the 80% work by just shipping what the AI spits out, which I think will happen
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This is the antidote to thinking "why don't they just..." Either give it a try and appreciate the nuance or keep your opinion to yourself!
This Post is from an account that no longer exists. Learn more
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If you believe that LLMs have understanding, why can't they do this?
Andrew Certain (@tacertain) profile pictureAndrew Certain@tacertain24 Mar 2023
This would make me believe that there's something profound going on: if you could train a model on two different languages, but not give any translation examples, and have the model do translation. If it's really inferring meaning, this should be no problem. Humans can do this.
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"The pine cone preserves jar is always entirely filled with cones, unlike our competitors...the syrup has absorbed all the benefits of milky ripe cones": Six of the Most Expensive Jams I Could Find thechatner.com/p/the-pine-co…
"The pine cone preserves jar is always entirely filled with cones, unlike our competitors": Six of...

"The pine cone preserves jar is always entirely filled with cones, unlike our competitors": Six of...

"Jam from young pine cones will quickly restore strength, support immunity, replenish your body with valuable vitamins and micro-elements.”

thechatner.com
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Realized whole writing a tweet that my question might sound disingenuous. So I added, "I'm serious. I'd really like to understand..." Then I thought of this tweet and realized that I was just feeling superior. So I deleted the tweet. And wrote this one to feel superior.
Andrew Certain (@tacertain) profile pictureAndrew Certain@tacertain10 Mar 2023
NB: If somebody starts a question with "why didn't/don't they/you simply/just ..." 90% chance that they have no understanding of the situation and don't really want to. If they preface with "honest question," it goes up to 99.8%.
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This really bums me out.
Miguel de Icaza ᯅ🍉 (@migueldeicaza) profile pictureMiguel de Icaza ᯅ🍉
@migueldeicaza21 Mar 2023
This is a Grade-A bozo move from Amazon. I struggle to think of a move more stupid than this: dpreview.com/news/5901145460…
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I'm pretty sure Thomas Watson had something similar to say about Cray
Armand Domalewski (@ArmandDoma) profile pictureArmand Domalewski
@ArmandDoma22 Mar 2023
It is incredible that Google, one of the biggest corporations on earth, just got its lunch completely by OpenAI, a startup of less than 400 employees
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Andrew Certain retweeted
Rick (@RwoltX) profile picture
Rick@RwoltX22 Mar 2023
After 3 years of battling cancer Amanda passed away Saturday the 11th. I'm fucking broken and empty beyond belief but she isn't hurting anymore. We held each other all the way to the end. She went peacefully surrounded by family and friends. Thank you all for your support
Image from Rick (@RwoltX)
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Anybody in Seattle want a relay-in-a-box?
Picture of the RIB box. It's got a 24v AC/DC or 120v AC coil. Switches 20 amp

ALT Picture of the RIB box. It's got a 24v AC/DC or 120v AC coil. Switches 20 amp

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For me, getting a keyboard that allowed me to keep my wrists completely straight was critical. I then spent a couple weeks on my laptop due to traveling for a personal issue in 2020, and I still haven't recovered fully.
Marco Rogers (@polotek) profile pictureMarco Rogers@polotek20 Mar 2023
Replying to @polotek
Anyway, this is a regular reminder to take care of yourself. Ergonomics really matter for heavy computer users. Don't ignore what your body is telling you. Once these problems get bad, your life will change in a way you were not ready for.
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Word
Marco Rogers (@polotek) profile pictureMarco Rogers@polotek20 Mar 2023
People tell you that all the time actually. You get mad and say it doesn't make sense and people are probably just gatekeeping or something.
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Yes. I am old. Why do you ask?
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It took me a year of making this mistake to realize that in order to have any chance of being a good manager, I'd have to force myself to do zero IC work for a year. I eventually decided that management wasn't for me, but at least I had the skills to make an informed decision.
Dave Anderson (@scarletinked) profile pictureDave Anderson@scarletinked20 Mar 2023
New managers commonly make the same mistake. When you're moved into management, you'll run into tasks you're not comfortable with. You're writing docs, presenting, or evaluating business opportunities. You'll be stressed. This feels harder than your IC job. 🧵
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Whichever way you look at it, under humanity's default way of doing things, it is precisely impossible for those of us who are directly battling ultra poverty in the global south, to ever escape poverty. In my region of Busoga, Uganda's poorest region, the level of destitution
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Please, all my followers, if you take just one recommendation from me, let it be to read this thread and look inward when it makes you uncomfortable. If you take two recommendations, follow @KaluluAnthony and keep introspecting
Anthony Kalulu (@KaluluAnthony) profile pictureAnthony Kalulu
@KaluluAnthony19 Mar 2023
Hi @DaddyD0dd, I followed your twitter conversation with Emile @xriskology yesterday, where you also mentioned me. You said: Explain how providing a mosquito net (or a bednet) to those living in extreme poverty takes their agency away. You added: "Explain how offering to treat
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Nick Bostrom (and others at the Future of Humanity Institute) have expressed more concern over the welfare of hypothetical sentient machines in the future that I have ever, ever heard them express for marginalized peoples who exist right now. Circa 13:30: youtu.be/JVOiuIqxlrE?t=808
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