Cthos
@cthos.dev
(he/him) Just a guy with a blog and some TTRPG stuff occasionally talks about tech. I mostly blog about tech over at alextheward.com and ttrpg stuff at cthonicstudios.com
@cthos@mastodon.cthos.dev over on Mastodon
@cthos@mastodon.cthos.dev over on Mastodon
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Cthos
@cthos.dev
· Oct 20
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Alex Ward, Software Developer / Architect
alextheward.com
It occurs to me I never did an intro post. Hi, I'm cthos (also Alex) and I've been doing tech professionally for a long time and now I'm doing a lot of #ttrpg design and writing and stuff.
I blog tech over here: alextheward.com
I blog ttrpgs here: cthonicstudios.com
And itch here: cthos.itch.io
I blog tech over here: alextheward.com
I blog ttrpgs here: cthonicstudios.com
And itch here: cthos.itch.io
Reposted by Cthos
Reposted by Cthos
"History shows us that the right to literacy came at a heavy cost for many Americans, ranging from ostracism to death. Those in power recognized that oppression is best maintained by keeping the masses illiterate, and those oppressed recognized that literacy is liberation."
Beautifully written & reasoned 3 min read. “To my students and to anyone who might listen, I say: Don’t surrender to AI your ability to read, write and think when others once risked their lives and died for the freedom to do so.”
Commentary from a cool prof in 🧵
www.huffpost.com/entry/histor...
Commentary from a cool prof in 🧵
www.huffpost.com/entry/histor...
I Set A Trap To Catch My Students Cheating With AI. The Results Were Shocking.
"Students are not just undermining their ability to learn, but to someday lead."
www.huffpost.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:48 PM
"History shows us that the right to literacy came at a heavy cost for many Americans, ranging from ostracism to death. Those in power recognized that oppression is best maintained by keeping the masses illiterate, and those oppressed recognized that literacy is liberation."
Reposted by Cthos
🦊
“Artificial intelligence isn’t going anywhere. It’s the future.”
I hear that line a lot. The thing is, futures are tricky.
ethanmarcotte.com/wrote/the-li...
“Artificial intelligence isn’t going anywhere. It’s the future.”
I hear that line a lot. The thing is, futures are tricky.
ethanmarcotte.com/wrote/the-li...
The line and the stream. — ethanmarcotte.com
“Artificial intelligence is the future,” they tell me. The thing is, futures are tricky.
ethanmarcotte.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:05 PM
🦊
“Artificial intelligence isn’t going anywhere. It’s the future.”
I hear that line a lot. The thing is, futures are tricky.
ethanmarcotte.com/wrote/the-li...
“Artificial intelligence isn’t going anywhere. It’s the future.”
I hear that line a lot. The thing is, futures are tricky.
ethanmarcotte.com/wrote/the-li...
Reposted by Cthos
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 5:06 PM
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
Reposted by Cthos
If you're doing any sort of Medieval #WorldBuilding, for game design or novels or whatever, & you haven't seen Ruth Goodman's "Tudor Monastery Farm", you're in for a treat. I highly recommend her & the crew, & not just for this particular series. #ttrpg #history
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p...
BBC Two - Tudor Monastery Farm, Series 1
Turning back the clock to early Tudor farming on monastery land.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 20, 2025 at 12:25 AM
If you're doing any sort of Medieval #WorldBuilding, for game design or novels or whatever, & you haven't seen Ruth Goodman's "Tudor Monastery Farm", you're in for a treat. I highly recommend her & the crew, & not just for this particular series. #ttrpg #history
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p...
Reposted by Cthos
Not satisfied with just destroying their own brand goodwill, OS companies are now using AI to try to destroy the good names of the apps users install. (Scrivener taking out adds to explain how it has no AI but Apple adds some anyway.)
November 19, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Not satisfied with just destroying their own brand goodwill, OS companies are now using AI to try to destroy the good names of the apps users install. (Scrivener taking out adds to explain how it has no AI but Apple adds some anyway.)
Reposted by Cthos
Unlike most apps these days, Scrivener does not use AI in any way. However, if you’re on a Mac, you may see an AI prompt.
.
Here’s why, and what you can do if you want to remove this: buff.ly/MlAq0rL
.
Here’s why, and what you can do if you want to remove this: buff.ly/MlAq0rL
November 19, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Unlike most apps these days, Scrivener does not use AI in any way. However, if you’re on a Mac, you may see an AI prompt.
.
Here’s why, and what you can do if you want to remove this: buff.ly/MlAq0rL
.
Here’s why, and what you can do if you want to remove this: buff.ly/MlAq0rL
Reposted by Cthos
This is y'all's chance to work on a webapp where the whole point of using Rust isn't to scale up—it's to scale DOWN. 6k reqs/s on a sub-US$30 machine is no joke. And it's a hard copyleft ecosystem that we're going to protect for the folks who rely on us! Let's do open source right.
We're looking for dev volunteers as part of our Sand Witch Circle—experienced engineers who care about fast, efficient software and making the best of the Web as part of our mission to help online creative communities and fight censorship.
Apply here:
Apply here:
Sand Witch Circle Application (Developer)
Conjured Ink is seeking out Free and Open Source developer volunteers as part of our Sand Witch Circle. We're looking for experienced engineers who care about fast, resource-efficient software and making the best of the Web Platform as part of our mission to help online creative communities and fight censorship. Professional experience with our tools isn't needed, but a willingness to learn and grow with the organization is.
forms.gle
November 18, 2025 at 8:37 PM
This is y'all's chance to work on a webapp where the whole point of using Rust isn't to scale up—it's to scale DOWN. 6k reqs/s on a sub-US$30 machine is no joke. And it's a hard copyleft ecosystem that we're going to protect for the folks who rely on us! Let's do open source right.
Reposted by Cthos
lol I fucking knew that little shit wasn't to be trusted.
Avoid the new Vine like a plague, they just want a pure dataset to scrape.
Avoid the new Vine like a plague, they just want a pure dataset to scrape.
November 18, 2025 at 6:58 PM
lol I fucking knew that little shit wasn't to be trusted.
Avoid the new Vine like a plague, they just want a pure dataset to scrape.
Avoid the new Vine like a plague, they just want a pure dataset to scrape.
Reposted by Cthos
andy just showed me that you can click and drag the captions on youtube dot com to move them elsewhere on the video element
November 18, 2025 at 5:12 AM
andy just showed me that you can click and drag the captions on youtube dot com to move them elsewhere on the video element
Reposted by Cthos
Huh... ".games" is usually a more expensive tld, but now I see there is a ".quest" at similar pricing to ".com"
Some of you might find that useful info
Some of you might find that useful info
November 18, 2025 at 3:50 AM
Huh... ".games" is usually a more expensive tld, but now I see there is a ".quest" at similar pricing to ".com"
Some of you might find that useful info
Some of you might find that useful info
Reposted by Cthos
so many of these AI partnerships just read like "yes we too will start to use this new thing called computer" with clearly no real knowledge of whether computer will actually be beneficial in that application
November 18, 2025 at 3:34 AM
so many of these AI partnerships just read like "yes we too will start to use this new thing called computer" with clearly no real knowledge of whether computer will actually be beneficial in that application
Wrote a little bit about the struggle I'm having going from Affinity Publisher to Scribus: cthonicstudios.com/giving-scrib...
Giving Scribus a Shot
Let's rant about Affinity and Scribus for a bit.
cthonicstudios.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:45 AM
Wrote a little bit about the struggle I'm having going from Affinity Publisher to Scribus: cthonicstudios.com/giving-scrib...
Reposted by Cthos
Pearlescent Tickwad. ~3.7k words. published in @strangehorizons.bsky.social. monstrous femininity, millions of ticks, nipple piercing horror, long term relationship romance, self & familial acceptance, arachnid annihilation of gender. you will know *immediately* if this one is for you or not
Pearlescent Tickwad
She doesn’t realize that she’s made of ticks until she gets her nipples pierced.
strangehorizons.com
November 17, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Pearlescent Tickwad. ~3.7k words. published in @strangehorizons.bsky.social. monstrous femininity, millions of ticks, nipple piercing horror, long term relationship romance, self & familial acceptance, arachnid annihilation of gender. you will know *immediately* if this one is for you or not
Reposted by Cthos
In which I articulate the case that AGI is impossible and machines just plain cannot think. www.eruditorumpress.com/blog/on-inco...
On Incomputable Language: An Essay on AI
An incidental consequence of having written a book on tech-fascism and the so-called rationalist movement is that I find myself periodically queried for my thoughts on artificial intelligence. On the ...
www.eruditorumpress.com
November 17, 2025 at 3:09 PM
In which I articulate the case that AGI is impossible and machines just plain cannot think. www.eruditorumpress.com/blog/on-inco...
Reposted by Cthos
this is theranos-level fraud, but everyone with the power to do anything about it is on the take, apparently
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei thinks AI could help find cures for most cancers, prevent Alzheimer’s, and even double the human lifespan. cbsn.ws/4oRZ8Nm
November 17, 2025 at 1:22 AM
this is theranos-level fraud, but everyone with the power to do anything about it is on the take, apparently
Reposted by Cthos
Uh
this is
enormous
this is
enormous
British and Australian chemists have discovered a powerful new antibiotic called pre-methylenomycin C lactone, hiding in a well-known soil bacterium. This molecule kills drug-resistant bacteria without triggering resistance. buff.ly/YlXaONo
#ShareGoodNewsToo
#ShareGoodNewsToo
Scientists find hidden antibiotic 100x stronger against deadly superbugs
A team of scientists discovered a hidden antibiotic 100 times stronger than existing drugs against deadly superbugs like MRSA. The molecule had been overlooked for decades in a familiar bacterium. It…
buff.ly
November 16, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Uh
this is
enormous
this is
enormous
Reposted by Cthos
In response to youth suicides, teachers show students the power of headbanging at Fire in the Mountains festival.
Heavy metal is healing teens on the Blackfeet Nation - High Country News
In response to youth suicides, teachers show students the power of headbanging at Fire in the Mountains festival.
buff.ly
November 15, 2025 at 6:01 PM
In response to youth suicides, teachers show students the power of headbanging at Fire in the Mountains festival.
Reposted by Cthos
Curious about emailed magic links? @fusionauth.io has an article for that.
fusionauth.io/articles/ide...
fusionauth.io/articles/ide...
Magic Links - A Guide to Passwordless Authentication
Magic links offer secure, passwordless authentication, enhancing user experience and security. Learn more in and improve your access control today!
fusionauth.io
November 15, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Curious about emailed magic links? @fusionauth.io has an article for that.
fusionauth.io/articles/ide...
fusionauth.io/articles/ide...
Reposted by Cthos
Still looking for applicants for this one. If you know any product people who care a lot about helping creatives in need, please send them our way!
November 15, 2025 at 1:47 AM
Still looking for applicants for this one. If you know any product people who care a lot about helping creatives in need, please send them our way!
Reposted by Cthos
Just realized that, when Valve debuted Steam Machine yesterday, they showed off it was a PC by showing someone doing gamedev in Godot.
Y'know, the program I'm trying to teach myself.
This is a targeted strike and I am a direct hit.
Y'know, the program I'm trying to teach myself.
This is a targeted strike and I am a direct hit.
November 13, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Just realized that, when Valve debuted Steam Machine yesterday, they showed off it was a PC by showing someone doing gamedev in Godot.
Y'know, the program I'm trying to teach myself.
This is a targeted strike and I am a direct hit.
Y'know, the program I'm trying to teach myself.
This is a targeted strike and I am a direct hit.
Is there any public info on how Apple's Digital ID for passports actually functions under the hood? www.apple.com/newsroom/202...
I'm having trouble locating if this is based off of a digital/verifiable credential spec or something proprietary
I'm having trouble locating if this is based off of a digital/verifiable credential spec or something proprietary
Apple introduces Digital ID, a new way to create and present an ID in Apple Wallet
Digital ID is a new way for users to create an ID in Apple Wallet using their U.S. passport, and present it with the privacy of iPhone or Apple Watch.
www.apple.com
November 13, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Is there any public info on how Apple's Digital ID for passports actually functions under the hood? www.apple.com/newsroom/202...
I'm having trouble locating if this is based off of a digital/verifiable credential spec or something proprietary
I'm having trouble locating if this is based off of a digital/verifiable credential spec or something proprietary
Reposted by Cthos
we’re going to look back on the “AI” fantasy with the same horror we reserve for the early 20th century fad for putting radium in everything
sts researchers: :spend decades tracing the way well-intentioned design choices constrained by culture, capital, and the material environment can have negative outcomes in aggregate:
ai companies: lets put a chatbot in a doll that tells kids to set fires
futurism.com/artificial-i...
ai companies: lets put a chatbot in a doll that tells kids to set fires
futurism.com/artificial-i...
AI-Powered Toys Caught Telling 5-Year-Olds How to Find Knives and Start Fires With Matches
AI-powered toys are flying off the shelves -- but they're engaging in horrifically inappropriate conversations with children.
futurism.com
November 13, 2025 at 2:48 PM
we’re going to look back on the “AI” fantasy with the same horror we reserve for the early 20th century fad for putting radium in everything
Reposted by Cthos
sickosyes.png
CNBC says that rich New Yorkers started "looking for therapy" when they heard that Lina Khan will be co-chairing Zohran's transition team.
November 13, 2025 at 12:22 AM
sickosyes.png
Reposted by Cthos
Pizzagate: If you replace the word “hot dog” with “little boy” and “pizza party” with “child sex orgy,” you will see the lengths these elites go to cover up their crimes.
Real elite emails: Send me nude pictures of those 8th graders we abused last weekend post-haste! I am the Ambassador to Turkey.
Real elite emails: Send me nude pictures of those 8th graders we abused last weekend post-haste! I am the Ambassador to Turkey.
November 12, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Pizzagate: If you replace the word “hot dog” with “little boy” and “pizza party” with “child sex orgy,” you will see the lengths these elites go to cover up their crimes.
Real elite emails: Send me nude pictures of those 8th graders we abused last weekend post-haste! I am the Ambassador to Turkey.
Real elite emails: Send me nude pictures of those 8th graders we abused last weekend post-haste! I am the Ambassador to Turkey.