Posts from today
This page was built on April 20, 2026
Gell-Mann AImnesia
Any time I use an AI tool for something I’m deeply familiar with, I find a continual stream of mistakes and inconsistencies. When I use it on a topic I don’t know… everything sounds plausible and I don’t find mistakes. The difference worries me, and sounds a lot like the Gell-Mann Amnesia effect.
AI can write confidently on any topic, with good presentation, just like newspaper articles. I find this easy to see through for areas in which I am the one who is competent, but notice myself nodding ...
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April 21, 2026
C# String to Byte Array: UTF-8, Encoding, and Span Conversions
C# String to Byte Array: UTF-8, Encoding, and Span Conversions
Converting a c# string to byte array is a fundamental operation in .NET applications. You need it when writing to streams, sending data over a network, storing strings in binary format, computing checksums, or interfacing with low-level APIs that work in bytes rather than characters. The right way to do this conversion depends on the encoding you need, the performance requirements, and the .NET version you are targeting.
This guide c...
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April 20, 2026
Thank You For Being a Friend
It's been one of those months, and by that, I mean one of the 663 months since I was born. This won't be a long post, because I only have two things to say. First, I'm really glad we re-ordered the GMI (Guaranteed Minimum...
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April 20, 2026
Quantum Computers Are Not a Threat to 128-bit Symmetric Keys
There is no need to update symmetric key sizes as part of the post-quantum transition, due to the details of how Grover's algorithm scales. Most authorities agree....
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April 20, 2026
How did code handle 24-bit-per-pixel formats when using video cards with bank-switched memory?
You still have to use aligned accesses, even though the pixels might not be aligned.
The post How did code handle 24-bit-per-pixel formats when using video cards with bank-switched memory? appeared first on The Old New Thing....
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April 20, 2026
Command Pattern Best Practices in C#: Code Organization and Maintainability
Command Pattern Best Practices in C#: Code Organization and Maintainability
You understand the command pattern. You've encapsulated a request as an object, wired up an invoker, and maybe even built a basic undo stack. But there's a wide gap between implementing the mechanics and building command architectures that hold up in production. Command pattern best practices in C# go beyond "create an ICommand interface" -- they address how to keep commands focused, how to validate before execution, how...
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April 20, 2026
Interactive Storytelling for the Web: Building Immersive Stories with Timelines, 3D, and Layered Scenes
A step by step tutorial on creating an immersive Moon story in Instorier with motion, interaction, and 3D scene building....
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April 20, 2026
Bash Aliases: Speed Up Your Linux Workflow (Updated with Zsh)
Bash aliases turn long, repetitive commands into short custom shortcuts that load every time you open a terminal. Here's how to set them up, where to store them, and a practical set of aliases built for real sysadmin work.Continue reading......
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April 20, 2026
The Context Switching Problem Every Dev Faces - Dev Leader Weekly 136
TL; DR:
Context switching is costly but never fully avoidable
Give your manager context before they re-prioritize
Limit work in progress to stay focused
Join me for the live stream (or watch the recording) on Monday, April 20 at 7:00 PM Pacific!
Context Switching -- The Tax Nobody Budgets For
I went into the ExperiencedDevs subreddit and found a discussion about task switching that I wanted to dig into. This is probably one of those topics where if you've been a software engineer for a...
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April 20, 2026
CodeSOD: Good Etiquette
"Here, you're a programmer, take this over. It's business critical."
That's what Felicity's boss told her when he pointed her to a network drive containing an Excel spreadsheet. The Excel spreadsheet contained a pile of macros. The person who wrote it had left, and nobody knew how to make it work, but the macros in question were absolutely business vital.
Also, it's in French.
We'll take this one in chunks. The indentation is as in the original.
Public Sub ExporToutVersBaseDonnées(ClasseurEnCour...
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April 20, 2026
Linux Filesystem Hierarchy Explained: What Every Directory Does
The Linux filesystem hierarchy is not arbitrary. This guide explains what every top-level directory actually does, why it exists, and how that knowledge helps you troubleshoot and administer systems faster.Continue reading......
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April 19, 2026
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