Twitter: @ewenmcneill -- March 2019

Thu Feb 28 23:35:09 +0000 2019 (#)

Ansible check without Mitogen: 2m0s. Ansible check with Mitogen: 0m15s. 8x speed up, for a few minutes work to install https://github.com/dw/mitogen. 40ms RTT to managed host, a few dozen “plays”. Definitely worth installing if you have non trivial RTT! Thanks @dmw_83

Sat Mar 02 00:29:41 +0000 2019 (#)

RT @attacus_au: How do we continue, as an industry, not to care? We're made of humans, and we build these systems to snare other humans (an…

Wed Mar 06 00:03:39 +0000 2019 (#)

@pjf, re our conversation last week at ISIG/dinner, @diffroot is the automated feed (by .@fanf) of DNS root zone changes. The ones deleting all NS and DS for a TLD are probably zone TLD going away. Eg zippo: https://mobile.twitter.com/diffroot/status/1096251285005844480 and epost: https://mobile.twitter.com/diffroot/status/1096251281847607296.

Wed Mar 06 00:52:29 +0000 2019 (#)

Replying to @fanf

Thanks! I remembered seeing your retweeting of .brand TLDs going away, which is what I was telling .@pjf about. But couldn’t find the thread again (searching is hard when you only vaguely remember content!)

Fri Mar 08 08:12:31 +0000 2019 (#)

For #TEDxWelly Salon attendees last night, you can watch @gringene_bio’s #lca2019 talk on YouTube and see where his year’s savings went on consumables! A full (rushed) workflow of DNA sequencing, in a lecture theatre, in under 40 minutes :-) https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CHCAb-PAqUI

Sat Mar 09 02:34:09 +0000 2019 (#)

First power on of the #tomu FPGA EVT3 I ordered (arrived a week ago). Running the blink example. The blinking LED is surprisingly bright! Getting started was easy following http://tomu.im/fomu-evt3/ except being sure of orientation of Fomu EVT on the Pi: it sits over Pi like a hat.

Sun Mar 10 00:36:53 +0000 2019 (#)

TIL book physical sizes are both constrained by binding costs, with large step functions, and also country specific binding technology choices. Larger sells better, but too large costs too much to manufacture. (Via .@cstross blog post from 2010) http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2010/03/cmap-5-why-books-are-the-lengt.html

Sun Mar 10 20:57:59 +0000 2019 (#)

TIL s24(8)(a) Goods and Services Tax Act 1985 in NZ says half a cent is to be rounded down not up in tax invoice (“less than or equal to half of that cent, may be disregarded”). I wonder how many tax invoicing systems get that wrong?! http://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1985/0141/158.0/DLM83975.html

Tue Mar 12 04:58:46 +0000 2019 (#)

@attacus_au re your #lca2019 talk on “How to disappear completely” are you aware of this hat projection based approach? https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D-b23eyyUCo It’s more of a “someone unrecognizable” approach than invisibility, done as a cool Halloween project build. (Video from Dec 2018.)

Sun Mar 17 01:55:11 +0000 2019 (#)

Replying to @whitequark

Metafear :-(

Sun Mar 17 08:24:47 +0000 2019 (#)

Replying to @ewenmcneill

The “Hackers” Blu Ray 2018 commentary is very interesting, both for historical context and movie production context. And the movie looks great. It was well worth ordering it from the UK! https://twitter.com/ewenmcneill/status/1095843222843084800

Mon Mar 18 03:19:43 +0000 2019 (#)

Replying to @hroethgar

Thanks! However UK Blu Rays seem to play fine here. NZ and UK are both in Blu Ray Region B. So unlike .@mjg59 I didn’t have to hack my Blu Ray player to watch it… :-) (Many Zone 2 DVDs are also secretly Zone 2/4 ones, but that’s more of a gamble than “same geo region by spec”)

Thu Mar 21 08:44:05 +0000 2019 (#)

Virtually walk along on a two hour factory tour of a high volume automotive electrical, etc, parts manufacturing factory, guided by one fabrication expert explaining to another. There’s a fascinating range of technology and lots of geeking out on details. https://twitter.com/esden/status/1108273844693819392

Tue Mar 26 06:49:56 +0000 2019 (#)

The fascinating history of “bicycle face” and its connection to modern dating site behaviour. A wide ranging thread, also featuring bicycles as emancipation. https://twitter.com/ArticleGroup/status/1109898225438412801

Tue Mar 26 06:59:39 +0000 2019 (#)

Replying to @minxdragon

Ah, the “available in popular sizes only” gambit. Common everywhere from what I can tell, but often worse in “unisex” clothing designs where the designers ideal audience is “pretty much just like them”. (Turns out I’m often smaller than a “mens’” “small”; I’m not that tiny.)

Tue Mar 26 07:02:14 +0000 2019 (#)

Replying to @minxdragon

My guess is the age of the EVA suits has more to do with the space programs being scaled back dramatically after the 1960s/early 1970s. But 40+ years old does sound dangerously old, even with periodic refurbishment.

Wed Mar 27 04:46:31 +0000 2019 (#)

Replying to @minxdragon

The weird thing is that language other than partner is “coded” when you think about it; “partner” is just a more generic word. So the politics of it seems backwards to me. (Also regional: in NZ using “partner” as a generic term even for cis/het/married is pretty common.)

Wed Mar 27 04:55:25 +0000 2019 (#)

Replying to @minxdragon

Nod slightly/quickly while briefly making eye contact with the person holding up the sign. As a room moderator I’ve got good at recognizing that micro expression. Can be done in about half a second. (All I’m looking for is “yes, seen that”. I assume speaker knows their timing.)

Wed Mar 27 05:01:10 +0000 2019 (#)

Replying to @attacus_au

Legally you’re at least arguably okay, if donations are very optional. But CC-NC creators might still be miffed about it. Is it plausible to ask the relevant CC-BY creators in advance “are you okay with me using this and having a link for donations”?

Wed Mar 27 06:33:34 +0000 2019 (#)

Replying to @minxdragon

I suspect most people in the audience don’t even notice. Those that do probably understand why. (I see it when I’m in an audience, but I’m pretty practiced at reading micro expressions :-) ) Maybe See if you can make it an even quicker nod so it doesn’t feel like a big deal?

Wed Mar 27 06:36:58 +0000 2019 (#)

Replying to @minxdragon

Humans are complicated; groups of humans are even more complicated!

(I’m really intrigued to see its even a thing for people to notice “partner” bring used by… muggles, and being surprised by it. For me it’s been all around me, for decades, in all contexts.)

Thu Mar 28 04:47:47 +0000 2019 (#)

Replying to @pjf

http://www.structuredprocrastination.com FTW! (Eventually everything gets to be the least undesirable / most urgent thing to do :-) )

Congratulations on getting all the paperwork approved/done!

Fri Mar 29 00:31:18 +0000 2019 (#)

Replying to @minxdragon

Woot!

Advanced speaker skill unlocked ✅

Fri Mar 29 00:41:39 +0000 2019 (#)

Replying to @minxdragon

Also if eye contact seems too much sometimes, looking at the sign/gesture and nodding quickly works for me as “sign, I have seen you” which is the key point for the room moderator. (Eye contact is more “yes, this nod is message to you”. )

Sat Mar 30 00:23:25 +0000 2019 (#)

Replying to @ewenmcneill

Insightful talk from @aurynn extending the “empathy for other teams” of #devops beyond the tech teams and out to the “business” teams too. They too have reasons why they do things, and have the processes they do. Understanding, rather than contempt, makes change possible. https://twitter.com/aurynn/status/1111019896744243200

Sun Mar 31 07:11:50 +0000 2019 (#)

Amazing intricate circuit rework (to fix layout oversight in design validation board): the wire added is 0.1mm, and the whole circuit board (a FPGA Tomu — a Fomu) fits inside a USB-A socket. Skilled rework saves waiting on another hardware respin to complete validation. https://twitter.com/bunniestudios/status/1111586205638918144