Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
mastodon
4.5.8
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
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Joined November 25, 2022
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Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
·
18h ago
@davidgerard I thought a bitcoin transaction took at least 10 minutes to be confirmed?
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Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
·
19h ago
@simonzerafa @davidgerard That's just a bunch of shapes and colours.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPOISnUd7WE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPOISnUd7WE
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Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
·
1d ago
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Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
·
1d ago
@miss_rodent @AnarchoNinaWrites One more quote that feels appropriate to generative AI:
"We are already surrounded by people who use the computer as an excuse for avoiding personal responsibility. How many times lately have you heard the following excuse?
"We are very sorry about the mistake in your account. It was a computer error.'
That is a lie. It leads to a kind of mental parasitism, a destructive dependency. Every time you hear this excuse, you should tell the person who uses it: You are a liar."
"We are already surrounded by people who use the computer as an excuse for avoiding personal responsibility. How many times lately have you heard the following excuse?
"We are very sorry about the mistake in your account. It was a computer error.'
That is a lie. It leads to a kind of mental parasitism, a destructive dependency. Every time you hear this excuse, you should tell the person who uses it: You are a liar."
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Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
·
1d ago
@miss_rodent @AnarchoNinaWrites Frank Herbert (of Dune, Butlerian jihad etc) wrote this back in 1980:
"Before long it will at least be a matter of self-defense for you to have your own computer and be able to use it. You are already being taken advantage of by people with computers. You will not be able to meet that challenge or keep up with other changes unless you acquire a computer yourself.
[...]
"We have said that people with computers are taking advantage of you. There is no doubt that your historic rights of privacy and freedom have been violated by business and government through their use of computers. This is well enough known that it no longer can be questioned.
[...]
"What can you do? Get your own computer. Learn how to use it. [...] If you don't do this, the Bill of Rights is dead and your individual liberties will go the way of the dodo."
https://vtda.org/books/Computing/WithoutMeYoureNothing_FrankHerbert.pdf
So of course, finally, the right to run your own programs on your own computer is under attack. You run authorised software approved by Apple or Google only.
"Before long it will at least be a matter of self-defense for you to have your own computer and be able to use it. You are already being taken advantage of by people with computers. You will not be able to meet that challenge or keep up with other changes unless you acquire a computer yourself.
[...]
"We have said that people with computers are taking advantage of you. There is no doubt that your historic rights of privacy and freedom have been violated by business and government through their use of computers. This is well enough known that it no longer can be questioned.
[...]
"What can you do? Get your own computer. Learn how to use it. [...] If you don't do this, the Bill of Rights is dead and your individual liberties will go the way of the dodo."
https://vtda.org/books/Computing/WithoutMeYoureNothing_FrankHerbert.pdf
So of course, finally, the right to run your own programs on your own computer is under attack. You run authorised software approved by Apple or Google only.
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In reply to
Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
·
2d ago
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Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
·
3d ago
@kirakira @pojntfx The relevant law is the Digital Services Act which requires that "Platforms must take measures to safeguard minors on their services, such as reducing the risks of exposure to age-inappropriate content like gambling or pornography. The DSA also introduces a complete ban on showing targeted advertisements to children."
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/digital-services-act
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/digital-services-act
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Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
·
Apr 04, 2026
@cmconseils A classic: #alt4me
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Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
·
Apr 03, 2026
@AnarchoCatgirlism $61 billion of investment for that.
I'll write code like that for you, and I'll do it for $20 less.
I'll write code like that for you, and I'll do it for $20 less.
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In reply to
Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
·
Mar 28, 2026
@MartinEscardo What if we put the calculator into orbit?
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Open post
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Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
·
Mar 24, 2026
@coderanger "Not everything scales, should scale or needs to scale." - Douglas Rushkoff
Maybe we don't need scalable ecosystems, or software that everyone in the world can contribute to, leading to everything being millions of lines of code that nobody understands fully.
Small software built by small teams is sounding better and better every day.
The idea that scaling is always good, the criterion for success, is what gives us proposals for a million satellites in orbit.
I'm moving more and more away from "I'll run your software unless I learn it's bad or you're a Nazi" and more towards "You have to prove you're worthy of my trust before I run your code on my machine".
Maybe we don't need scalable ecosystems, or software that everyone in the world can contribute to, leading to everything being millions of lines of code that nobody understands fully.
Small software built by small teams is sounding better and better every day.
The idea that scaling is always good, the criterion for success, is what gives us proposals for a million satellites in orbit.
I'm moving more and more away from "I'll run your software unless I learn it's bad or you're a Nazi" and more towards "You have to prove you're worthy of my trust before I run your code on my machine".
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Open post
In reply to
Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
·
Mar 23, 2026
@FeloniousPunk Beyond Good And Evil is exactly this. Old one but still worth playing. And a sequel coming out soon.
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In reply to
Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
·
Mar 19, 2026
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Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
·
Mar 18, 2026
@amy A blanket ban *is* the moderate position.
We should be using our tools and influence to fight back against the LLM project to privatise all public science and knowledge and enclose the digital commons.
"Have nothing to do with them" is the position in the center.
Instead apparently that's extremist and the reasonable position is "Let's only help train the war crime machine a little bit".
We should be using our tools and influence to fight back against the LLM project to privatise all public science and knowledge and enclose the digital commons.
"Have nothing to do with them" is the position in the center.
Instead apparently that's extremist and the reasonable position is "Let's only help train the war crime machine a little bit".
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Open post
In reply to
Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
·
Feb 27, 2026
@Daojoan Jon Oliver: They call themselves anti-elitist then vote for a man who literally sits on a gold throne in a gold room at the top of a tall tower with his name emblazoned in gold on the outside.
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Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
·
Nov 12, 2025
@mattblaze@federate.social It's a new protocol called proof-of-dog. Mathematically necessary to keep Mastodon decentralised.
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Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
Robin Adams
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
Computer Scientist, husband, father and comedian (he/him)
mathstodon.xyz
@robinadams@mathstodon.xyz
·
Jul 16, 2025
@steve What were the numbers in 2012?
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