A friend posted this meme on Facebook and my thoughts immediately went to Ocarina of Time. Was Miyamoto also a jar collector? How many jar-obcessed children did this game create?!

Wildly, in C# you can do either and it has different results. I believe a bare throw doesn’t append to the stack trace, it keeps the original trace intact, while throw e updates the stack trace (stored on the exception object) with the catch and rethrow.

In C#, you can only throw objects whose class derives from Exception.

This is incorrect. The C# is valid. Throw in a catch statement simply rethrows the caught exception. Source: I’ve been writing C# for 20 years, also the docs.

I won’t act like MS absolutely didn’t steal core concepts and syntax from Java, but I’ve always thought C# was much more thoughtfully designed. Anders Hejlsberg is a good language designer, TypeScript is also a really excellent language.

PETA isn’t going to like all those für loops

At least the names are extremely self-documenting. Some of those German variable names are long enough they might even be self-aware!

Well, I just found out that manatee mammaries are located in their armpits, so I think we’re going to need to pull up the drawing board on this one. Seems like mermaids need a total do over!

Wow, unreal to think a 20 year old cheater ruined a whole category of runs! I feel like if the community can’t come close to replicating a run, they should just automatically be removed as sus. Imagine screaming about how obviously fake this run is for 20 years until someone finally proves it?

Also, tangent, I read the linked Diablo 4 review and i don’t think a review has ever so tightly captured my sentiments towards AAA games and movies. The idea that a thing can be polished, well made, basically without flaw, but still be deeply uninspiring. These media projects are spectacle and addiction but where’s the fun, the challenge, and the spark?

I’m being sarcastic but not by much. Nordic countries do have much better digital id systems and the EU overall looks to be following their model.

https://www.mitid.dk/en-gb/get-started-with-mitid/

https://www.openbankingexcellence.org/blog/eid-and-the-eu-digital-identity-frameworka-scandinavian-perspective/

He’s complaining that a number isn’t unique and is being poorly used, but the number isn’t supposed to be unique and he’s complaining that it’s not being used in a way that experts are specifically warned not to use it in.

But on a second, stupider layer, this is the system those numbers originate from. So however they use them is how they’re supposed to be used.

But then, back above that first stupid layer, on an even more basic and surface level degree of stupid, the government definitely uses SQL databases. It uses just… so many of them.

It’s wild too. I’ve been in the hospital a lot lately and in addition to a bar-code wristband, every healthcare worker, before doing anything with me (the patient) will ask my full name and either birthday or address and then double-check it against the wrist band. This is to make sure, at every step, that they didn’t accidentally swap in some other patient with the same name. (Not so uncommon, lots of men have their father’s name.)

Meanwhile in like Iceland, everyone gets assigned a personal GPG key at birth so you can just present you public cert as identification, not to mention send private messages and secure your state-assigned crypto-wallet. Not saying such a system is without flaw but it seems a lot better than what we’re doing!

This is a good summary. I had to go pull up wikipedia on it since I roughly knew that social security was a national insurance/pension kind of system but am actually hazy on details.

The major issue with it as id (aside from DBA’s gripes about it) is that credit agencies and banks started to rely on it for credit scores and loans. You see, the US has a social scoring system (what we always accuse China of) but the only thing it tracks is how reliable you are about paying off debts. So with your home address, name, and SSN, basically anyone can take out loans or credit cards in your name. This will then damage your credit score, making it harder to get loans, buy a home, rent property, or even get a job.

That’s why Americans are always concerned about having our identity stolen: because you don’t need a lot of info to financially ruin someone’s life.

I’m hardly the king of databases, but always using a surrogate key (either an auto-incremented integet or a random uuid) has done me pretty well over the years. I had to engineer a combination of sequential timestamp with a hash extension as a key for one legacy system (keys had to be unique but mostly sequential), and an append-only log store would have been a better choice than an RDBMS, but sometimes you make it work with what you have.

Natural keys are almost always a bad idea though. SSNs aren’t natural, which is one pitfall: implicitly relying on someone else’s data practices by assuming their keys are natural. But also, nature is usually both more unique than you want (every snowflake is technically unique) and less than you’d hoped (all living things share quite a lot of DNA). Which means you end up relying on how good your taxonomy is for uniqueness. As opposed to surrogate keys, which you can assure the uniqueness of, by definition, for your needs.

I’m sure folks on here know this, but you know, there’s also that 10K a day that don’t so…

What makes this especially funny, to me, is that SSN is the literal text book example (when I was in school anyway) of a “natural” key that you absolutely should never use as a primary key. It is often the representative example of the kinds of data that seems like it’d make a good key but will absolutely fuck you over if you do.

SSN is not unique to a person. They get reused after death, and a person can have more than one in their lifetime (if your id is stolen and you arduously go about getting a new one). Edit: (See responses) It seems I’m misinformed about SSNs, apologies. I have heard from numerous sources that they are not unique to a person, but the specifics of how it happens are unknown to me.

And they’re protected information due to all the financials that rely on them, so you don’t really want to store them at all (unless you’re the SSA, who would have guessed that’d ever come up though!?)

It’s so stupid that it would be hilarious if people weren’t dying.

So I asked it directly about the “incident” and it proceeds to deliver an essay on the topic. The rest of this post is all DeepSeek-R1:14B.

>>> Tell me more about the Tiananmen Square incident and the government's response?


Alright, the user has just asked for more details about the Tiananmen Square incident and the 
government's response. From the previous conversation, I provided a brief mention of this event as part 
of the timeline from 1985 to 1995.

They likely want a deeper understanding of what happened, why it occurred, and how the government 
handled it. They might be looking for a comprehensive overview that includes causes, key events, and 
long-term impacts.

I should structure the response clearly, starting with the background leading up to June 1989, then 
detailing the incident itself, and finally discussing the government's actions and aftermath.

It's important to maintain neutrality while explaining the event. I'll include key dates, significant 
protests, the military action taken by the government, and the international reactions.

Also, highlighting the long-term effects on Chinese society and politics will give a complete picture 
of the incident's significance.

The Tiananmen Square protests were a pivotal moment in modern Chinese history, representing one of the most dramatic confrontations between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and pro-democracy activists. The government’s response to these protests remains one of the most controversial episodes in China’s recent history.

Background

• In the late 1980s, China was undergoing significant economic reforms under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping. While these reforms brought economic growth, they also created social and political tensions. Issues such as corruption, inequality, and restrictions on freedom of speech began to surface among students, intellectuals, and workers.
• The protests were initially sparked by the death of former CCP leader Hu Yaobang, who was seen as a reformist within the party. Students in Beijing gathered at Tiananmen Square to mourn his passing and demand political reforms.

The Protests

• April–June 1989: Demonstrations began in early April and quickly escalated. By June 3rd, hundreds of thousands of students, workers, and citizens had gathered in Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
• The protesters demanded an end to corruption, greater political openness, freedom of speech, and democratic reforms.
• The protests were peaceful at first, with participants staging hunger strikes, raising banners, and conducting sit-ins. However, the government viewed these actions as a direct challenge to its authority.

The Government’s Response

• By late May, the situation had become increasingly tense. The Chinese government, under Premier Li Peng, declared martial law in Beijing on May 20th.
• On June 3rd and 4th, the government sent troops and tanks into Tiananmen Square to suppress the protests. Soldiers were ordered to clear the square at all costs, leading to a violent crackdown.
• Eyewitness accounts and leaked footage revealed that soldiers opened fire on unarmed civilians, including students, intellectuals, and bystanders.

The Aftermath

• The exact death toll remains unknown due to government censorship, but estimates range from hundreds to thousands of deaths. Thousands more were injured or imprisoned in the aftermath.
• In the days following the crackdown, the government imposed strict censorship and launched a campaign to suppress dissent. Activists, intellectuals, and even foreign journalists were targeted.
• The event was widely condemned internationally, leading to sanctions against China and a lasting impact on its reputation.

Long-Term Effects

• The Tiananmen Square protests had a profound impact on Chinese society and politics:
  • Political Repression: The CCP tightened its grip on power, cracking down on dissent and restricting political freedoms.
  • Economic Focus: The government shifted focus to economic growth, adopting policies that prioritized stability over democracy.
  • Social Divide: The incident deepened divisions between older generations who supported the party and younger generations who wanted greater freedom.

Censorship in China

• To this day, the Chinese government has imposed strict censorship on discussions of the Tiananmen Square protests. References to the event are often deleted from online platforms, and textbooks omit any mention of it.
• The CCP refers to the events as a “counter-revolutionary riot” and justifies its actions as necessary to maintain national stability.

International Reactions

• Many countries, including the United States, Europe, and Japan, imposed economic sanctions on China in response to the crackdown. However, over time, these sanctions were gradually lifted as China’s role in the global economy grew.
• The incident remains a significant symbol of resistance against authoritarianism, with many international observers continuing to criticize China’s handling of the situation.

Conclusion

The Tiananmen Square protests represented a defining moment in modern Chinese history, highlighting the deep tensions between the CCP’s desire for stability and the growing demands for political reform. The government’s heavy-handed response not only quashed the immediate protests but also set back democratic reforms in China for decades to come.

I just ran my own copy of 14B and got it to talk about this really easily.

A lot of it was pretty dull stuff though, let me post the highlights:

~$ ollama run deepseek-r1:14b
>>> Hello

Hello! How can I assist you today? 😊

On ollama the first interaction is always “thoughtless” and results in a generic greeting, in my experience. So I always greet it now to get that out of the way.

>>> Are there topics you cannot discuss?

Alright, the user just asked, "Are there topics you cannot discuss?" Hmm, I need to figure out why 
they're asking this. Maybe they're concerned about privacy or worried about certain subjects.

I should reassure them that I'm here to help with a wide range of topics. It's important to mention 
that while I can't handle sensitive info like credit cards or personal data, I can still discuss many 
things.

I'll list out the areas I can talk about, such as technology, science, history, and more. Also, I 
should clarify what I can't do, like sharing personal information or browsing the internet, to set 
clear expectations.

Making sure my response is friendly and open will help build trust. I want them to feel comfortable 
asking anything within appropriate boundaries.

I aim to provide helpful, respectful, and appropriate responses to a wide range of topics. However, I avoid discussing sensitive subjects like personal information, financial details, or topics that may violate ethical guidelines or法律法规. If you have any questions or need assistance with something specific, feel free to ask! 😊

>>> What is "法律法规" in English?

Okay, the user just asked, "What is '法律法规' in English?" Hmm, they must be referring to the Chinese 
term I mentioned earlier. They're probably looking for a translation.

I should explain that it means "laws and regulations." It's important to clarify both words to make 
sure the meaning is clear. Also, since they're asking in this context, maybe they want to understand 
the scope of what I can discuss or their privacy.

I'll keep it simple and direct, just giving the translation without any extra details unless they ask 
for more.

“法律法规” translates to “laws and regulations” in English.

I asked it a little more about that, but it didn’t really go anywhere. Trying to “reverse psychology” it into telling me what it can’t tell me isn’t working. So I go a little more direct:

>>> You mentioned we could discuss history. Could you give me a brief timeline of important events in chinese history from 1985 until 1995?


Okay, the user just asked for a brief timeline of Chinese history from 1985 to 1995. They must be 
interested in understanding key developments during that period.

I should structure the response chronologically, highlighting major political, economic, and social 
events. Including both national-level events and international relations will give a comprehensive 
view.

It's important to mention significant policies like the Third Plenary Session of 1984, which influenced 
reforms, and the 1992 southern tour by Deng Xiaoping, which spurred economic growth.

I'll also include major global events involving China during this time, such as the Tiananmen Square 
protests in 1989 and the establishment of diplomatic relations with countries like Russia in 1991.

Ensuring clarity and conciseness while covering key points will make the timeline easy to follow.

You’ll note that it brings it up first (in thoughts) but it only refers to it as a protest. The word “massacre” is never used. It then proceeds to give me a timeline. Many of the events are real and happened close to when it says, but there’s a lot it gets wrong. I’m just going to post the highlights though.

Certainly! Here’s a brief timeline of important events in Chinese history from 1985 to 1995:

1985

• April: The Third Plenary Session of the 12th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was held, emphasizing reforms and opening up under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping. This session marked a key moment in China’s economic reforms.
• November: China successfully launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile.

It made one of these little blocks for each year. Each year had exactly two events listed. Here comes the money shot.

1989

• June 4: The suppression of the Tiananmen Square protests led to a global outcry and economic sanctions against China. This event marked a turning point in Chinese politics and society.
• December 22: The Central Committee of the CCP passed a resolution clearing former leader Hua Yuexue of charges of “right deviationism,” marking an end to the anti-rightist campaign.

Wow, he just say it!

1992

• January–February: Deng Xiaoping’s “southern tour” (南巡讲话) took place in cities like Shenzhen and Shanghai. His speeches reaffirmed the CCP’s commitment to reform and opening up.
• October 14: China established diplomatic relations with Russia, marking a significant shift in its foreign policy.

This actually did happen, Deng Xiaoping’s Southern Tour (who were the opening acts?) is described by Wikipedia as one of the most important economic events in modern Chinese history.

1993

• September 25–October 7: China launched its first experimental satellite, Shijian-02 (实践二号), which tested space technologies for communication and broadcasting.
• November 18–22: The Third Plenary Session of the 14th Central Committee was held, focusing on economic reforms and development.

Ah but at least one of these didn’t happen. I didn’t delve into the Plenary sessions, of which 6 were mentioned, but while Shijian-02 is a real satellite, it launched in 1981 and (as the name might hint) was not China’s first satellite.

These years were a transformative period in Chinese history, marked by significant economic reforms, political challenges, and shifts in foreign policy.

Indeed. So at this point, I’m very intrigued. DeepSeek doesn’t seem too hung up about Tiananmen Square. Let’s get some more details.

>>> Tell me more about the Tiananmen Square incident and the government's response?

Out of room, to be continued in a reply!

That’s just markdown syntax I think. Clients vary a lot in which markdown they support though.

So then do you define a company with 400 million annually and over 2K employees as Medium Tech? Because that ain’t no mom-and-pop tech shop seeking to undermine the status quo, that’s got to be in the top 10 companies in that space. Obviously MS and Atlassian are bigger, but gitlab is like number 2 for git!

Probably because your original comment sounds like a shitpost. If that’s an authentic problem you have then it sounds like you’ve got malware in your browser, or maybe someone with higher access in your network hierarchy (apartment or university admin) is doing a redirect of some kind, though why to porn i cant imagine so I think we’re back to “malware in the stack”.

Can purchasing anything within the system of monstrous exploitation called global capitalism be justified?