Brandon Rohrer
@brandonrohrer.com
Robotics and Reinforcement Learning tinkerer.
brandonrohrer.com
Wrangler of algorithms for Confluence @ Atlassian.
Eater of bread. Sipper of whisky.
Reports to a Shih Tzu.
brandonrohrer.com
Wrangler of algorithms for Confluence @ Atlassian.
Eater of bread. Sipper of whisky.
Reports to a Shih Tzu.
Pinned
Brandon Rohrer
@brandonrohrer.com
· May 28
Update from my long-running #ReinforcementLearning side project.
It uses a combination of new tools to control a simulated pendulum.
It uses a combination of new tools to control a simulated pendulum.
If you ever wanted a public wall to tag anonymously, I made one for you. As a bonus, it erases itself so you start fresh every day.
graffitiwall.nexus/graffiti_wal...
graffitiwall.nexus/graffiti_wal...
February 10, 2026 at 12:00 PM
If you ever wanted a public wall to tag anonymously, I made one for you. As a bonus, it erases itself so you start fresh every day.
graffitiwall.nexus/graffiti_wal...
graffitiwall.nexus/graffiti_wal...
Reposted by Brandon Rohrer
Cool/important job alert:
Principal Research Scientist at the Wikimedia Foundation's
Research team for the area of knowledge integrity
Job posting: job-boards.greenhouse.io/wikimedia/jo...
Principal Research Scientist at the Wikimedia Foundation's
Research team for the area of knowledge integrity
Job posting: job-boards.greenhouse.io/wikimedia/jo...
Principal Research Scientist
Remote
job-boards.greenhouse.io
February 9, 2026 at 8:07 PM
Cool/important job alert:
Principal Research Scientist at the Wikimedia Foundation's
Research team for the area of knowledge integrity
Job posting: job-boards.greenhouse.io/wikimedia/jo...
Principal Research Scientist at the Wikimedia Foundation's
Research team for the area of knowledge integrity
Job posting: job-boards.greenhouse.io/wikimedia/jo...
Thanks to my generous alpha testers, graffitiwall.nexus is one level smoother and tougher than it used to be.
If you find anything else quirky please let me know :)
If you find anything else quirky please let me know :)
February 9, 2026 at 2:41 AM
Thanks to my generous alpha testers, graffitiwall.nexus is one level smoother and tougher than it used to be.
If you find anything else quirky please let me know :)
If you find anything else quirky please let me know :)
Reposted by Brandon Rohrer
Somewhere along the line **someone** has to do the uncomfortable work of understanding what the hell is going on with the code and project (and keeping that understanding current in the face of ongoing changes to the project)
Vibe coding is trading that understanding for short-term gains
Vibe coding is trading that understanding for short-term gains
February 7, 2026 at 2:05 AM
Somewhere along the line **someone** has to do the uncomfortable work of understanding what the hell is going on with the code and project (and keeping that understanding current in the face of ongoing changes to the project)
Vibe coding is trading that understanding for short-term gains
Vibe coding is trading that understanding for short-term gains
Reposted by Brandon Rohrer
No joke: I got angry hate mail today for writing an obituary of a Black woman scientist—because the person felt she did didn’t deserve the recognition.
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Gladys Mae West obituary: mathematician who pioneered GPS technology
She made key contributions to US cold-war science despite facing huge barriers as a Black woman.
www.nature.com
February 6, 2026 at 9:09 AM
No joke: I got angry hate mail today for writing an obituary of a Black woman scientist—because the person felt she did didn’t deserve the recognition.
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
graffitiwall.nexus is living up to its name.
Now available on your phone.
Now available on your phone.
February 6, 2026 at 2:18 AM
graffitiwall.nexus is living up to its name.
Now available on your phone.
Now available on your phone.
silly project update:
graffitiwall.nexus now lets sketch on your phone. WIth your finger.
Come scribble your cares away.
graffitiwall.nexus now lets sketch on your phone. WIth your finger.
Come scribble your cares away.
February 5, 2026 at 12:13 PM
silly project update:
graffitiwall.nexus now lets sketch on your phone. WIth your finger.
Come scribble your cares away.
graffitiwall.nexus now lets sketch on your phone. WIth your finger.
Come scribble your cares away.
Despite all my rage I am still just a blog on a page
February 4, 2026 at 11:29 AM
Despite all my rage I am still just a blog on a page
Reposted by Brandon Rohrer
Don't you f**king dare.
February 3, 2026 at 2:56 PM
Don't you f**king dare.
Reposted by Brandon Rohrer
I'm glad to see people are enjoying my janky little drawing app.
(It's me. I'm people.)
graffitiwall.nexus
(It's me. I'm people.)
graffitiwall.nexus
February 3, 2026 at 1:37 AM
I'm glad to see people are enjoying my janky little drawing app.
(It's me. I'm people.)
graffitiwall.nexus
(It's me. I'm people.)
graffitiwall.nexus
Reposted by Brandon Rohrer
How many people here would be interested if I did a digital security/privacy advice blog somewhere?
January 30, 2026 at 8:29 PM
How many people here would be interested if I did a digital security/privacy advice blog somewhere?
Reposted by Brandon Rohrer
If you’re going to use LLMs to help you build and app or code:
1. you need RIGOROUS, rigorous unit testing, and/or
2. you need to already mostly know how to build the thing yourself so you can check and modify
I fear #2 is going to become less common, so let’s be super adamant about #1 😬
1. you need RIGOROUS, rigorous unit testing, and/or
2. you need to already mostly know how to build the thing yourself so you can check and modify
I fear #2 is going to become less common, so let’s be super adamant about #1 😬
January 30, 2026 at 7:00 AM
If you’re going to use LLMs to help you build and app or code:
1. you need RIGOROUS, rigorous unit testing, and/or
2. you need to already mostly know how to build the thing yourself so you can check and modify
I fear #2 is going to become less common, so let’s be super adamant about #1 😬
1. you need RIGOROUS, rigorous unit testing, and/or
2. you need to already mostly know how to build the thing yourself so you can check and modify
I fear #2 is going to become less common, so let’s be super adamant about #1 😬
From now on I'm recommending @iris-meredith.bsky.social to everyone who asks me about SWE mentoring. Their future-proofed focus on fundamentals is the best professional advice I've heard. Rock solid.
New article time! It's about self-defence against the fact that people seem to have lost their mind about LLMs and tech.
Becoming an AI-proof software engineer | deadSimpleTech
I've written my thoughts on what you, as a software professional, can do to make yourself less susceptible to being displaced by AI in our current wave of tech madness. In short, learn your tools well...
deadsimpletech.com
January 30, 2026 at 11:51 AM
From now on I'm recommending @iris-meredith.bsky.social to everyone who asks me about SWE mentoring. Their future-proofed focus on fundamentals is the best professional advice I've heard. Rock solid.
Reposted by Brandon Rohrer
pouring one out for the systems thinkers who can see the abyss and have to live with the darkness
January 30, 2026 at 12:17 AM
pouring one out for the systems thinkers who can see the abyss and have to live with the darkness
The most valuable thing I’ve learned from the Internet is how to take three different wrong answers, and figure out what the right one should be
January 30, 2026 at 1:32 AM
The most valuable thing I’ve learned from the Internet is how to take three different wrong answers, and figure out what the right one should be
If I wanted an LLM to tell me when it doesn’t know the answer, where would I start?
January 29, 2026 at 8:27 PM
If I wanted an LLM to tell me when it doesn’t know the answer, where would I start?
www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
fyi: you can Venmo Modern Times directly at @moderntimescafe
fyi: you can Venmo Modern Times directly at @moderntimescafe
Modern Times vows to be free as long as ICE remains in Minneapolis
The diner, now known as “Post Modern Times” will run on donations instead of charging patrons, therefore removing the element of sales tax that would go to the government.
www.mprnews.org
January 29, 2026 at 1:40 AM
www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
fyi: you can Venmo Modern Times directly at @moderntimescafe
fyi: you can Venmo Modern Times directly at @moderntimescafe
January 28, 2026 at 1:47 AM
Reposted by Brandon Rohrer
We can all see with our own eyes what ICE is doing to our neighbors.
It’s time for the Senate to step up and do the right thing. Stop this violence.
It’s time for the Senate to step up and do the right thing. Stop this violence.
We can all see with our own eyes what ICE is doing to our neighbors.
YouTube video by Senator Elizabeth Warren
youtube.com
January 25, 2026 at 1:19 AM
We can all see with our own eyes what ICE is doing to our neighbors.
It’s time for the Senate to step up and do the right thing. Stop this violence.
It’s time for the Senate to step up and do the right thing. Stop this violence.
Reposted by Brandon Rohrer
“But what deeply troubles me now is that for all the steps we've taken toward integration, I've come to believe that we are integrating into a burning house."
Dr. King said this famous quote on March 27th, 1968, mere days before his murder. But the context around the quote is interesting...
Dr. King said this famous quote on March 27th, 1968, mere days before his murder. But the context around the quote is interesting...
January 20, 2026 at 3:40 AM
“But what deeply troubles me now is that for all the steps we've taken toward integration, I've come to believe that we are integrating into a burning house."
Dr. King said this famous quote on March 27th, 1968, mere days before his murder. But the context around the quote is interesting...
Dr. King said this famous quote on March 27th, 1968, mere days before his murder. But the context around the quote is interesting...
The cool thing about starting with the lowest hanging fruit is that there will always be another piece of lowest hanging fruit.
January 19, 2026 at 12:43 PM
The cool thing about starting with the lowest hanging fruit is that there will always be another piece of lowest hanging fruit.
The answer to almost every programming question is “it depends” so it is remarkable that the answer to “when should I do this refactor?” is always “right now”. I’ve never regretted it.
January 18, 2026 at 11:02 PM
The answer to almost every programming question is “it depends” so it is remarkable that the answer to “when should I do this refactor?” is always “right now”. I’ve never regretted it.