munchler

11 ms·

181.
by munchler 1y ago
I think about this sometimes, so I like the idea, but how do you define “straight” on an oblate spheroid? Great circle, constant direction (e.g. “due east”), or something else?
182.
by munchler 1y ago
A few years ago, the Turing Test was universally seen as sufficient for identifying intelligence. Now we’re scouring the planet for obscure tests to make us feel superior again. One can argue that the Turing Test was not actually adequate f
183.
by munchler 1y ago
I'd be interested to see a concrete example of what you're talking about. Use a language, data structure, and function signature of your choice. My claim is that in most cases, such a function can be implemented efficiently by cha
184.
by munchler 1y ago
Only one pass over the data is made when using lazy evaluation, such as the Seq module in F#. For folds, you can also put the filter directly inside the accumulator function to avoid a second pass.
185.
by munchler 1y ago
I would hope that most standard libraries are optimized to avoid this sort of waste as much as possible. In F#, for example, I know that the standard `map` and `fold` are implemented imperatively for maximum performance.
186.
by munchler 1y ago
> I wouldn't say "rarely", unless you have a whole host of other higher order functions at your disposal for more special cases than map and fold That is my point. Modern functional languages do have a host of higher-ord
187.
by munchler 1y ago
Every developer should know how to write a tail-recursive function and understand why it is equivalent to a loop. That said, tail recursion is rarely needed in modern functional programming. For example, why write out a recursive function w
188.
by munchler 1y ago
So this was inspired by Haskell, but you don’t actually think Haskell is a good language?
189.
by munchler 1y ago
I await the first “Monads in C” tutorial with mixed feelings.
190.
by munchler 1y ago
I think “try and” is used more by children than by adults, which is why it works well in this sort of playful, childlike phrase.
191.
by munchler 1y ago
Nit: I think you want crux in that phrase, not crust .
192.
by munchler 1y ago
There’s a good Rick and Morty episode with a similar premise: a crystal that shows how the user will die in the future. Morty uses it mindlessly to guide him to the fate he thinks he wants, but there are some unintended consequences. https
193.
by munchler 1y ago
If we're just going by word meanings, "obsolescence" seems even more apt, but "rot" has an ironic charm that makes it memorable.
194.
by munchler 1y ago
It gets direct donations from the public.
195.
by munchler 1y ago
Unfortunately, the necessary level of public support doesn't exist, so relying on government money isn't viable. I hope public broadcasting will get enough money directly from individuals to resist excessive corporate influence, b
196.
by munchler 1y ago
Until this change, public broadcasting got 85% of its funding from donations, so whatever the term used to mean, that's what it means now.
197.
by munchler 1y ago
I suspect the post office is still supported by a durable majority. If it isn’t, then it will probably lose government funding as well.
198.
by munchler 1y ago
Yes, of course, but it won’t be public broadcasting anymore. That’s why this might be a win for public broadcasting in the long run.
199.
by munchler 1y ago
Not going to argue semantics with you. The US government was the largest donor until now. No single non-governmental donor will ever have that level of influence again.
200.
by munchler 1y ago
Things that are supported by a durable majority of the population. I wish that included public broadcasting, but it doesn't. Personally, I'm tired of hearing conservatives whine about public broadcasting. This will at least shut t
201.
by munchler 1y ago
It's been a political football for decades. Conservatives use it as an example of liberal spending run amok, so public broadcasting has had to constantly look over its shoulder during that time. No, I would like to eliminate corporate
202.
by munchler 1y ago
Right. Let's just go back to agrarian times when people rode horses to get around.
203.
by munchler 1y ago
The casual ageism in this thread is disappointing. I hope you live long enough to see it from the other side.
204.
by munchler 1y ago
Ideally, it would be entirely non-commercial, funded by direct donations from the public.
205.
by munchler 1y ago
I listen to NPR every day and, honestly, I think this might be for the best. It's going to hurt for a while, but in the end, I think public broadcasting will be stronger when it stands on its own without interference from politicians.
206.
by munchler 1y ago
You want to let rich outsiders make decisions about what happens to a community instead of the people who live there, because... town hearings are undemocratic. All those annoying old people are just going to die anyway, so it's really
207.
by munchler 1y ago
I'm not saying that developers are the cause of the housing shortage. I'm saying that developers are eager to build housing and sometimes are able to cut corners via undue influence over public officials. That leads to more housin
208.
by munchler 1y ago
No. Let's not pretend that it's OK for developers to try to obtain undue influence over government officials.
209.
by munchler 1y ago
I'm all for building more housing, as long as it comes with the necessary infrastructure - schools, roads, parking, public transportation, etc. Where I live, developers seem to get government approval to build in locations where they c
210.
by munchler 1y ago
No, I'm suggesting that one problem with housing is wealthy real estate developers who have undue political influence.

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