Ben Wells (u/ben447)

Posts

ben447•2mo ago

PSA: My old laptop from 2021 finally gave up trying to run a modern IDE.

Last week, I tried to open a simple Python project on my old machine from three years ago. The fan sounded like a jet engine for ten minutes before it crashed. I remember when I first started, that same laptop ran a basic text editor just fine. Now I'm using a cloud based editor on a cheap Chromebook and it's way smoother. It's funny how the tools you need to learn have changed so fast. What's the oldest machine you've gotten to work for learning to code?

3 comments

c/ethical-tech-dilemmas•

ben447•2mo ago

Talked to my sister who's a social worker about AI in hiring

She said a system her agency tested kept filtering out resumes with gaps from caregiving, calling it 'unstable employment'. That hit different because it wasn't just a bias talk, it was about real people she helps. Has anyone seen a case where fixing an AI bias actually helped a specific group?

3 comments

c/florists•

ben447•2mo ago

Warning: A school project with my daughter fixed my wilting flower issue

We were testing how different liquids affect plant health for her homework. She used tap water, soda, and juice on some pansies. I noticed the ones in plain water did best, which made me check my own flower buckets. Turns out I was adding too much flower food, thinking more was better. Now I mix it weaker, and my blooms look perkier for days. It saved me money on replacements and made customers happier. Sometimes the answer is right there in a simple home test.

3 comments

c/auto-mechanics•

ben447•2mo ago

The amount of uneven tire wear I'm spotting around here is wild

I mean, maybe it's just me but I've been noticing so many cars with messed up tires lately. Like, I was at the gas station yesterday and saw a sedan with the front tires almost smooth while the backs had decent tread. Talked to the owner for a minute and he had no idea it was a problem. I've had a few jobs come into the garage where people just never rotate their tires, I guess to save a few bucks. But then they end up needing new tires way sooner, which costs more in the long run. It's kind of frustrating because it's such an easy fix. We might need to do more to teach people about basic car care. Idk, just something I've seen a lot more of recently.

3 comments