Steve Downey
@sdowney.org
It's my fault "throw 💩;" is no longer valid C++. In penance, I worked to make optional<T&> happen.
Parody of a real software engineer and grown up.
Software engineer at Bloomberg LP
Views are my own
he/him
@sdowney@mastodon.social
Parody of a real software engineer and grown up.
Software engineer at Bloomberg LP
Views are my own
he/him
@sdowney@mastodon.social
Book that started me on my twisted path to today.
GEB was a few years later.
GEB was a few years later.
December 28, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Book that started me on my twisted path to today.
GEB was a few years later.
GEB was a few years later.
Reposted by Steve Downey
SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION:
"The Regicide Report", the last book in the Laundry Files, is out on January 27th!
British/EU edition: https://store.orbit-books.co.uk/products/the-regicide-report
US/Canada edition: https://torpublishinggroup.com/the-regicide-report/?isbn=9781250373861&format=hardback
"The Regicide Report", the last book in the Laundry Files, is out on January 27th!
British/EU edition: https://store.orbit-books.co.uk/products/the-regicide-report
US/Canada edition: https://torpublishinggroup.com/the-regicide-report/?isbn=9781250373861&format=hardback
December 28, 2025 at 1:24 PM
SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION:
"The Regicide Report", the last book in the Laundry Files, is out on January 27th!
British/EU edition: https://store.orbit-books.co.uk/products/the-regicide-report
US/Canada edition: https://torpublishinggroup.com/the-regicide-report/?isbn=9781250373861&format=hardback
"The Regicide Report", the last book in the Laundry Files, is out on January 27th!
British/EU edition: https://store.orbit-books.co.uk/products/the-regicide-report
US/Canada edition: https://torpublishinggroup.com/the-regicide-report/?isbn=9781250373861&format=hardback
Reposted by Steve Downey
![Comic. [Banner: Mathematical Society: 2025 Meeting.] PERSON 1 with bun: Any other new developments from the year to cover before we wrap? PERSON 2: Oh, the teens picked a new funny number. PERSON 3 with short hair: Aww, I’m glad to hear they’re still doing that. PERSON 4 with ponytail: I’ll add it to the list. [List: 23 (skidoo!; 42; 69; 420; 1,337; 58,008; [circled]: 67]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreig43e2u4zzpifhq6fbf2iwplmva2lt5rokfg5uws5dysbe55up6wa@jpeg)
December 26, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Building your project and #vcpkg dependencies with your toolchain.
sdowney.org/posts/buildi...
Because someone was wrong on the internet.
sdowney.org/posts/buildi...
Because someone was wrong on the internet.
Building vcpkg dependencies with project toolchain
Making sure vcpkg delivers packages built with your toolchain is not hard, but much of the advice on the internet is flat wrong. You need to specify your toolchain both in your project and in the the
sdowney.org
December 27, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Building your project and #vcpkg dependencies with your toolchain.
sdowney.org/posts/buildi...
Because someone was wrong on the internet.
sdowney.org/posts/buildi...
Because someone was wrong on the internet.
Reposted by Steve Downey
“All shall fuck me and despair!”
The Lord of The Rings movies were rated PG-13. By current rules that means that each film could contain one use of the word "Fuck". Which line are you altering to insert the most useful swear word?
"I can't carry it for you, but I can Fucking carry you"
"I can't carry it for you, but I can Fucking carry you"
December 27, 2025 at 4:05 AM
“All shall fuck me and despair!”
Experts shouldn't be in charge of policy. That's the same mistake as putting the in-house counsel in charge of strategy.
Experts need to be in charge of implementing policy. Technocratic implementation works.
Experts need to be in charge of implementing policy. Technocratic implementation works.
December 27, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Experts shouldn't be in charge of policy. That's the same mistake as putting the in-house counsel in charge of strategy.
Experts need to be in charge of implementing policy. Technocratic implementation works.
Experts need to be in charge of implementing policy. Technocratic implementation works.
Reposted by Steve Downey
I’m working on my first Space Wolf while I’m staying with my folks for the holidays - this is all I have done for the last week but gosh darn I’m proud that I’m bothering to try and shade with glazes… I can’t do it like the pros but Imma keep trying!
December 27, 2025 at 5:11 AM
I’m working on my first Space Wolf while I’m staying with my folks for the holidays - this is all I have done for the last week but gosh darn I’m proud that I’m bothering to try and shade with glazes… I can’t do it like the pros but Imma keep trying!
Reposted by Steve Downey
This post is the sign you’ve been waiting for to get into painting miniatures in 2026. Don’t worry about your skill level, or learning the lore, or having to play the game after - I promise you, you will thoroughly love the journey of simply painting a mini. It’s also so therapeutic. Do it :)
December 26, 2025 at 9:18 PM
This post is the sign you’ve been waiting for to get into painting miniatures in 2026. Don’t worry about your skill level, or learning the lore, or having to play the game after - I promise you, you will thoroughly love the journey of simply painting a mini. It’s also so therapeutic. Do it :)
Reposted by Steve Downey
an easy way to understand this is that people make clothes cool and not the other way around. so our judgement of what looks "good" is often shaped by the cultural capital of various social groups. punks, skaters, hip hop heads, etc look stylish simply bc they are cool. thus money is not a barrier.
December 26, 2025 at 11:39 AM
an easy way to understand this is that people make clothes cool and not the other way around. so our judgement of what looks "good" is often shaped by the cultural capital of various social groups. punks, skaters, hip hop heads, etc look stylish simply bc they are cool. thus money is not a barrier.
Reposted by Steve Downey
12YO girl signed up to do “stand up comedy” at the talent show. 13YO boy decided to heckle her. Teacher started to tell the boy to leave her alone, but the 12YO comedian said “no, no, let him go, this is the closest he’s ever going to get to having a conversation with a girl.”
What's an insult you'll never forget?
December 26, 2025 at 4:43 PM
12YO girl signed up to do “stand up comedy” at the talent show. 13YO boy decided to heckle her. Teacher started to tell the boy to leave her alone, but the 12YO comedian said “no, no, let him go, this is the closest he’s ever going to get to having a conversation with a girl.”
The Yule log video loops at 2:25.6 , 10 samples.
December 25, 2025 at 10:45 PM
The Yule log video loops at 2:25.6 , 10 samples.
Reposted by Steve Downey
I'm a fan of Diamine and Iroshizuko but I didn't want you to miss the cephalopod connection! www.jetpens.com/Pilot-CON-70...
JetPens.com - Pilot CON-70 Fountain Pen Converter - Black
This CON-70 converter has a large capacity and features a unique push-button mechanism. Use it in the pens listed under Compatible Products. A detailed guide to using this converter can be found here.
www.jetpens.com
December 25, 2025 at 6:36 PM
I'm a fan of Diamine and Iroshizuko but I didn't want you to miss the cephalopod connection! www.jetpens.com/Pilot-CON-70...
Reposted by Steve Downey
Discworld QOTD, from Hogfather
December 25, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Discworld QOTD, from Hogfather
Reposted by Steve Downey
Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen.
But they were, all of them, deceived, for another Reindeer was made.
#christmas
But they were, all of them, deceived, for another Reindeer was made.
#christmas
December 25, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen.
But they were, all of them, deceived, for another Reindeer was made.
#christmas
But they were, all of them, deceived, for another Reindeer was made.
#christmas
Reposted by Steve Downey
From now on, in my head canon, humpback whales are formed when strong winds hit Icelandic mountains, they are born in the hump wind.
a mountain covered in snow and clouds with a blue sky
Alt: Winds hitting the side of a snow covered mountain
media.tenor.com
December 25, 2025 at 3:50 PM
From now on, in my head canon, humpback whales are formed when strong winds hit Icelandic mountains, they are born in the hump wind.
Reposted by Steve Downey
Do you remember the famous #Earthrise photo from #Apollo8? On Christmas Eve in 1968, William Anders turned his camera toward Earth and captured the legendary photo. It showed humans a new perspective, with the moon in the foreground and Earth floating in distant space. 🌎🚀🔭📸
buff.ly/s01u0Ww
📸 NASA.
buff.ly/s01u0Ww
📸 NASA.
December 24, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Do you remember the famous #Earthrise photo from #Apollo8? On Christmas Eve in 1968, William Anders turned his camera toward Earth and captured the legendary photo. It showed humans a new perspective, with the moon in the foreground and Earth floating in distant space. 🌎🚀🔭📸
buff.ly/s01u0Ww
📸 NASA.
buff.ly/s01u0Ww
📸 NASA.
Programming conferences go through so much coffee because there are so many self-medicating programmers.
December 24, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Programming conferences go through so much coffee because there are so many self-medicating programmers.
Sigh.
So much wall clock and CPU wasted.
`sudo apt get install ccache`
`-DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=ccache `
From:
Compilation finished at Wed Dec 24 09:53:56, duration 0:01:06
To:
Compilation finished at Wed Dec 24 09:57:01, duration 3.01 s
[second time, obvs]
So much wall clock and CPU wasted.
`sudo apt get install ccache`
`-DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=ccache `
From:
Compilation finished at Wed Dec 24 09:53:56, duration 0:01:06
To:
Compilation finished at Wed Dec 24 09:57:01, duration 3.01 s
[second time, obvs]
December 24, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Sigh.
So much wall clock and CPU wasted.
`sudo apt get install ccache`
`-DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=ccache `
From:
Compilation finished at Wed Dec 24 09:53:56, duration 0:01:06
To:
Compilation finished at Wed Dec 24 09:57:01, duration 3.01 s
[second time, obvs]
So much wall clock and CPU wasted.
`sudo apt get install ccache`
`-DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=ccache `
From:
Compilation finished at Wed Dec 24 09:53:56, duration 0:01:06
To:
Compilation finished at Wed Dec 24 09:57:01, duration 3.01 s
[second time, obvs]
Reposted by Steve Downey
Everything Harry Potter got should have gone to Discworld instead.
I don’t care that 41 is a lot more movies than 8.
I don’t care that 41 is a lot more movies than 8.
December 24, 2025 at 7:07 AM
Everything Harry Potter got should have gone to Discworld instead.
I don’t care that 41 is a lot more movies than 8.
I don’t care that 41 is a lot more movies than 8.
Reposted by Steve Downey
Because these days GenAI is so invasive it’s integrated secretly into spellcheck, search engines, how your own phone processes photos you take etc. We need a definition that says “No LLM-generated text allowed but your book isn’t disqualified because Microsoft enshittified while you were writing it”
December 24, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Because these days GenAI is so invasive it’s integrated secretly into spellcheck, search engines, how your own phone processes photos you take etc. We need a definition that says “No LLM-generated text allowed but your book isn’t disqualified because Microsoft enshittified while you were writing it”
Reposted by Steve Downey
Reposted by Steve Downey
No Advent of Code for me. Instead, I've used the break to write the type-erasure library I have always wanted.
C++ doesn't make it easy to have both dynamic polymorphism *and* value semantics, but this little utility does!
Interfaces can extend other interfaces, and it works in consteval, too. 🤩
C++ doesn't make it easy to have both dynamic polymorphism *and* value semantics, but this little utility does!
Interfaces can extend other interfaces, and it works in consteval, too. 🤩
December 24, 2025 at 1:25 AM
No Advent of Code for me. Instead, I've used the break to write the type-erasure library I have always wanted.
C++ doesn't make it easy to have both dynamic polymorphism *and* value semantics, but this little utility does!
Interfaces can extend other interfaces, and it works in consteval, too. 🤩
C++ doesn't make it easy to have both dynamic polymorphism *and* value semantics, but this little utility does!
Interfaces can extend other interfaces, and it works in consteval, too. 🤩
What if "24" was a documentary, what then?
Kavanaugh concurs, but complains that the majority goes too far in restricting Trump’s ability to federalize the National Guard in the future. I wonder if he tried to persuade Roberts and Barrett to sign onto his narrower approach, but failed. www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25p...
December 23, 2025 at 9:02 PM
What if "24" was a documentary, what then?
Updated Martin Duffy's CMake instrumentation example to the current API and added a shell script callback to copy out just the trace json data to a .trace directory.
github.com/steve-downey...
github.com/steve-downey...
GitHub - steve-downey/test-instrumentation
Contribute to steve-downey/test-instrumentation development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com
December 23, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Updated Martin Duffy's CMake instrumentation example to the current API and added a shell script callback to copy out just the trace json data to a .trace directory.
github.com/steve-downey...
github.com/steve-downey...
The sky above the port was the color of a hazy shade of winter.
December 23, 2025 at 6:41 PM
The sky above the port was the color of a hazy shade of winter.