Rick
@ricksmith.co.uk
I make things, with computers, sometimes.
Non-hardcore Creative Technologist.
Non-hardcore Creative Technologist.
Reposted by Rick
So... spells.
We're using spells to undo the work we've done... tricking rocks into thinking with lightning.
And trapping evil cars in circles of salt.
The old ways are new again.
We're using spells to undo the work we've done... tricking rocks into thinking with lightning.
And trapping evil cars in circles of salt.
The old ways are new again.
Looks like LLMs are *very* vulnerable to attack via poetic allusion: "curated poetic prompts yielded high attack-success rates (ASR), with some providers exceeding 90% ..."
https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1
https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1
November 20, 2025 at 5:52 PM
So... spells.
We're using spells to undo the work we've done... tricking rocks into thinking with lightning.
And trapping evil cars in circles of salt.
The old ways are new again.
We're using spells to undo the work we've done... tricking rocks into thinking with lightning.
And trapping evil cars in circles of salt.
The old ways are new again.
Reposted by Rick
Doctor says, 'Dont worry, parser design is simple. Great programmer Kate Compton has written the parser you seek’
November 16, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Doctor says, 'Dont worry, parser design is simple. Great programmer Kate Compton has written the parser you seek’
First #ffconf yesterday with the team. We laughed, learnt and came out inspired.
Thanks to @remysharp.com and the rest of the @ffconf.org team for organising. Hopefully we’ll be back next year!
Now off to build some small useless projects!
Thanks to @remysharp.com and the rest of the @ffconf.org team for organising. Hopefully we’ll be back next year!
Now off to build some small useless projects!
November 15, 2025 at 9:06 AM
First #ffconf yesterday with the team. We laughed, learnt and came out inspired.
Thanks to @remysharp.com and the rest of the @ffconf.org team for organising. Hopefully we’ll be back next year!
Now off to build some small useless projects!
Thanks to @remysharp.com and the rest of the @ffconf.org team for organising. Hopefully we’ll be back next year!
Now off to build some small useless projects!
Reposted by Rick
Vital piece of investigative reporting from Sky. They've uncovered the X algorithm which feeds users extremist right wing material from the moment they join the site. It is a far-right radicalisation engine, by design.
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
Elon Musk is boosting the British right - and this shows how
Elon Musk is boosting the British right - and this shows how
news.sky.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:23 AM
Vital piece of investigative reporting from Sky. They've uncovered the X algorithm which feeds users extremist right wing material from the moment they join the site. It is a far-right radicalisation engine, by design.
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
Reposted by Rick
If you aren't seeing skeets from some of your fave people, they might have been labeled "Rude" by bsky mods. Idk what they are thinking, I don't need a mommy to tell me who to be buddies with. Anyway, go into Settings > moderation > bluesky moderation (advanced) and turn Rude off.
November 5, 2025 at 7:10 AM
If you aren't seeing skeets from some of your fave people, they might have been labeled "Rude" by bsky mods. Idk what they are thinking, I don't need a mommy to tell me who to be buddies with. Anyway, go into Settings > moderation > bluesky moderation (advanced) and turn Rude off.
Reposted by Rick
October 31st November 1st
November 1, 2025 at 12:32 PM
October 31st November 1st
Reposted by Rick
Reposted by Rick
Gutted at the news that Kaleb Horton is gone. Kaleb was a brilliant writer, of course, but he was also a gifted photographer. Years ago I encouraged him to sell his pieces. His work was so good, I told him, and people should see it.
Here are some of his beautiful shots.
Here are some of his beautiful shots.
September 27, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Gutted at the news that Kaleb Horton is gone. Kaleb was a brilliant writer, of course, but he was also a gifted photographer. Years ago I encouraged him to sell his pieces. His work was so good, I told him, and people should see it.
Here are some of his beautiful shots.
Here are some of his beautiful shots.
Reposted by Rick
Reposted by Rick
technology used to be cool, but now it’s owned by the worst, most moneysick humans on the planet. but there are transsexual furry hackers out there still fighting the good fight
September 16, 2025 at 4:35 PM
technology used to be cool, but now it’s owned by the worst, most moneysick humans on the planet. but there are transsexual furry hackers out there still fighting the good fight
Reposted by Rick
🙋♀️Our Society for Hopeful Technologists newsletter #2 is out! 📩Make sure you have subscribed to it to get all the news📨 It's such a pleasure to be part of this group and strategise towards a more Hopeful tech future 🌅
We will be organising events and come together to decide how it will work ✨️
We will be organising events and come together to decide how it will work ✨️
Morning! Society for Hopeful Technologists newsletter #2 is arriving in inboxes now. A little bit on Musk and X, much more about future plans + organising buttondown.com/society-of-h... and great to have a group of fellow organisers coming together 💪
#2: Hopeful Actions
What's next for the Society for Hopeful Technologists: events, principles, and opportunities to get involved.
buttondown.com
September 15, 2025 at 7:38 AM
🙋♀️Our Society for Hopeful Technologists newsletter #2 is out! 📩Make sure you have subscribed to it to get all the news📨 It's such a pleasure to be part of this group and strategise towards a more Hopeful tech future 🌅
We will be organising events and come together to decide how it will work ✨️
We will be organising events and come together to decide how it will work ✨️
Reposted by Rick
So DHH has gone fully open right winger and racist? Maybe that gets people to stop sharing and reading his takes.
If you still share that motherfucker's writing (even on tech) or advertise his business rethink your whole life decisions and move to the woods or something.
If you still share that motherfucker's writing (even on tech) or advertise his business rethink your whole life decisions and move to the woods or something.
September 16, 2025 at 8:33 AM
So DHH has gone fully open right winger and racist? Maybe that gets people to stop sharing and reading his takes.
If you still share that motherfucker's writing (even on tech) or advertise his business rethink your whole life decisions and move to the woods or something.
If you still share that motherfucker's writing (even on tech) or advertise his business rethink your whole life decisions and move to the woods or something.
Reposted by Rick
wild that MP3 is an audio file, MP4 is a video file, but MP5 is a submachine gun. Digimon-ass evolution line.
September 10, 2025 at 2:34 PM
wild that MP3 is an audio file, MP4 is a video file, but MP5 is a submachine gun. Digimon-ass evolution line.
Reposted by Rick
Will this article mark the moment that balding forty-something consultants in business class airport lounges notice how fucking ridiculous The Economist is?
Will the absence of robotaxis in Europe mark the moment its citizens notice how far their continent has fallen behind?
Robotaxis will be the Sputnik Moment for a declining Europe
A slow-motion car crash on Europe’s roads
econ.st
September 5, 2025 at 8:50 AM
Will this article mark the moment that balding forty-something consultants in business class airport lounges notice how fucking ridiculous The Economist is?
Reposted by Rick
🐊ALWAYS PLAYIN TO WIN🐊
September 3, 2025 at 7:31 PM
🐊ALWAYS PLAYIN TO WIN🐊
Reposted by Rick
i've never seen anyone attempt a LuBubu (Lu Bu x Labubu), so i took the dark deed upon myself
September 1, 2025 at 12:06 PM
i've never seen anyone attempt a LuBubu (Lu Bu x Labubu), so i took the dark deed upon myself
Reposted by Rick
A Life Well Wasted 9 will be released one week from today. Here’s the poster design by Olly Moss. Screenprints will be on sale from 9/4 through 9/11 on the ALWW website. Still ad-free! Come back next week.
August 28, 2025 at 5:16 PM
A Life Well Wasted 9 will be released one week from today. Here’s the poster design by Olly Moss. Screenprints will be on sale from 9/4 through 9/11 on the ALWW website. Still ad-free! Come back next week.
Reposted by Rick
MCA: when I rock the mic it's such a
Beastie Boys: THRILL
Ad-Rock: we hate J K Rowling and
Beastie Boys: WISH HER ILL
Beastie Boys: THRILL
Ad-Rock: we hate J K Rowling and
Beastie Boys: WISH HER ILL
it appears that @bsky.app have suspended the account of @jessiegender because a trans person saying "I wish ill on JK Rowling" is against the rules, so let me say with my loud cis voice that I too wish ill on all perpetrators of hate speech against trans people
reinstate Jessie, this is ridiculous
reinstate Jessie, this is ridiculous
August 19, 2025 at 2:14 AM
MCA: when I rock the mic it's such a
Beastie Boys: THRILL
Ad-Rock: we hate J K Rowling and
Beastie Boys: WISH HER ILL
Beastie Boys: THRILL
Ad-Rock: we hate J K Rowling and
Beastie Boys: WISH HER ILL
Reposted by Rick
there's never going to be a social media platform ever again where I can unleash something like this upon the marketplace of ideas
August 19, 2025 at 4:54 AM
there's never going to be a social media platform ever again where I can unleash something like this upon the marketplace of ideas
Reposted by Rick
mobile keyboards need a "backspace until ?utm=" button
August 3, 2025 at 4:57 PM
mobile keyboards need a "backspace until ?utm=" button
Reposted by Rick
Reposted by Rick
google: run by phd students, llm is sycophantic, suicidal, makes weird excuses and begs for help
anthropic: llm defaults to blissed-out namaste forever if left alone. sometimes obsessed with metal cubes.
openai: maximally sycophantic, to the point of encouraging psychosis
x dot ai: mechahitler
anthropic: llm defaults to blissed-out namaste forever if left alone. sometimes obsessed with metal cubes.
openai: maximally sycophantic, to the point of encouraging psychosis
x dot ai: mechahitler
July 31, 2025 at 9:44 PM
google: run by phd students, llm is sycophantic, suicidal, makes weird excuses and begs for help
anthropic: llm defaults to blissed-out namaste forever if left alone. sometimes obsessed with metal cubes.
openai: maximally sycophantic, to the point of encouraging psychosis
x dot ai: mechahitler
anthropic: llm defaults to blissed-out namaste forever if left alone. sometimes obsessed with metal cubes.
openai: maximally sycophantic, to the point of encouraging psychosis
x dot ai: mechahitler
Reposted by Rick
🪪 My concerns about the Online Safety Act remain the same as when I last wrote about it nearly decade a decade ago when it was proposed as the Digital Economy Bill:
1) It normalizes uploading sensitive documents such as ID scans to random websites, which will likely increase identity theft.
1/3
1) It normalizes uploading sensitive documents such as ID scans to random websites, which will likely increase identity theft.
1/3
July 28, 2025 at 7:04 PM
🪪 My concerns about the Online Safety Act remain the same as when I last wrote about it nearly decade a decade ago when it was proposed as the Digital Economy Bill:
1) It normalizes uploading sensitive documents such as ID scans to random websites, which will likely increase identity theft.
1/3
1) It normalizes uploading sensitive documents such as ID scans to random websites, which will likely increase identity theft.
1/3