Francis Beaudet
@francisbeaudet.com
I'm a designer, technologist, handyman, gamer, and I occasionally write.
I'm retired from my job as a designer and I have been enjoying my time away from the world of big-tech.
He/Him
https://francisbeaudet.com
https://cosocial.ca/@f_beaudet
I'm retired from my job as a designer and I have been enjoying my time away from the world of big-tech.
He/Him
https://francisbeaudet.com
https://cosocial.ca/@f_beaudet
Reposted by Francis Beaudet
The "liver, fava beans and a nice chianti" line in Silence Of The Lambs is a little joke for psychiatrists in the audience - those foods cannot be consumed with the meds (monoamine oxidase inhibitors) that Lecter is supposed to be taking.
Man, everything is so bleak, anyone got a fun fact or little bit of trivia they want to share
November 21, 2025 at 6:48 AM
The "liver, fava beans and a nice chianti" line in Silence Of The Lambs is a little joke for psychiatrists in the audience - those foods cannot be consumed with the meds (monoamine oxidase inhibitors) that Lecter is supposed to be taking.
Reposted by Francis Beaudet
This is an amazing fact
8675309 is prime, and so is 8675311, so if you ever need a middlin'-large pair of adjacent primes to test your cryptographic suite, all you need is a 1980s earworm and a +2 and you're all set.
Man, everything is so bleak, anyone got a fun fact or little bit of trivia they want to share
November 21, 2025 at 4:50 AM
This is an amazing fact
Reposted by Francis Beaudet
Explore Frank Lloyd Wright’s Iconic Houses Through Eight Short Documentaries
Explore Frank Lloyd Wright’s Iconic Houses Through Eight Short Documentaries
Look up the word architecture in the dictionary, and though you won't actually find a picture of Frank Lloyd Wright, it may feel as if you should.
www.openculture.com
November 4, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Explore Frank Lloyd Wright’s Iconic Houses Through Eight Short Documentaries
Reposted by Francis Beaudet
Let's start this week.
November 3, 2025 at 10:10 AM
Let's start this week.
Reposted by Francis Beaudet
People do not need "AI literacy".
They need a gd intro to statistics and probability course.
They need a gd intro to statistics and probability course.
This crosses my mind every time I see a breathless article about LLMs "developing survival instincts" or "resisting being shut off" or "blackmailing their operator"
That's not how this works. It's not how any of it works.
That's not how this works. It's not how any of it works.
I cannot tell you how many tech journalists at prominent media organizations do not understand this
October 27, 2025 at 4:01 PM
People do not need "AI literacy".
They need a gd intro to statistics and probability course.
They need a gd intro to statistics and probability course.
So if you're a MS Office subscriber and got a notice that the price went up. It's because are now charging for Copilot.
You can opt-out by cancelling your subscription. When you do, they will offer a Office365 "classic" option which is at the previous price and doesn't include Copilot.
You can opt-out by cancelling your subscription. When you do, they will offer a Office365 "classic" option which is at the previous price and doesn't include Copilot.
October 24, 2025 at 1:36 PM
So if you're a MS Office subscriber and got a notice that the price went up. It's because are now charging for Copilot.
You can opt-out by cancelling your subscription. When you do, they will offer a Office365 "classic" option which is at the previous price and doesn't include Copilot.
You can opt-out by cancelling your subscription. When you do, they will offer a Office365 "classic" option which is at the previous price and doesn't include Copilot.
Reposted by Francis Beaudet
Check out this excellent reflection by Ethan Marcotte: ethanmarcotte.com/wrote/a-noti...
A notional design studio. — ethanmarcotte.com
A design language, if you can keep it.
ethanmarcotte.com
August 28, 2025 at 1:52 AM
Check out this excellent reflection by Ethan Marcotte: ethanmarcotte.com/wrote/a-noti...
Reposted by Francis Beaudet
whoever did this, I would be absolutely thrilled to buy you a drink. seriously - dm or find me, I'm the only Cyd Harrell on the internet. I'm good for an excellent beverage & a civic tech rage session. americabydesign.fail
America by Design Fail
Trump fired the best designers in the Federal Government
americabydesign.fail
August 27, 2025 at 1:23 AM
whoever did this, I would be absolutely thrilled to buy you a drink. seriously - dm or find me, I'm the only Cyd Harrell on the internet. I'm good for an excellent beverage & a civic tech rage session. americabydesign.fail
Reposted by Francis Beaudet
Geese in Flight
Benjamin Chee Chee ~ Anishinaabe
1976
Benjamin Chee Chee ~ Anishinaabe
1976
July 5, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Geese in Flight
Benjamin Chee Chee ~ Anishinaabe
1976
Benjamin Chee Chee ~ Anishinaabe
1976
Reposted by Francis Beaudet
Me ten years ago: sure, I'll read your 10,000 word thinkpiece on teletubbies as a modern-day justice league.
Me now: it's a 1m57s video and you're imploring me to "watch to the end"? I think not.
Me now: it's a 1m57s video and you're imploring me to "watch to the end"? I think not.
August 15, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Me ten years ago: sure, I'll read your 10,000 word thinkpiece on teletubbies as a modern-day justice league.
Me now: it's a 1m57s video and you're imploring me to "watch to the end"? I think not.
Me now: it's a 1m57s video and you're imploring me to "watch to the end"? I think not.
Reposted by Francis Beaudet
Reposted by Francis Beaudet
But the company would access all those recordings and data mine them for anything they could sell. No, they don’t tell people that. Yes, everyone does know it. No, there’s nothing you can do about it.
July 18, 2025 at 11:06 AM
But the company would access all those recordings and data mine them for anything they could sell. No, they don’t tell people that. Yes, everyone does know it. No, there’s nothing you can do about it.
Reposted by Francis Beaudet
Whenever I see men post this I think about how when women are lonely, it's not pitied. It's used to chastise them for not being nicer to men. Meanwhile, when men are experiencing a "loneliness epidemic" they decide the answer is *also* that women should be nicer to men.
July 18, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Whenever I see men post this I think about how when women are lonely, it's not pitied. It's used to chastise them for not being nicer to men. Meanwhile, when men are experiencing a "loneliness epidemic" they decide the answer is *also* that women should be nicer to men.
Reposted by Francis Beaudet
Friends, please share!
Proofs are ready for @skeuomorphpress.org's edition of Ursula K. Le Guin’s "A Rant About Technology." I am so pleased with this book—in many ways our 1st real book project
Details about how to get one through our fundraiser at skeuomorph.ischool.illinois.edu/le-guin-book...
Proofs are ready for @skeuomorphpress.org's edition of Ursula K. Le Guin’s "A Rant About Technology." I am so pleased with this book—in many ways our 1st real book project
Details about how to get one through our fundraiser at skeuomorph.ischool.illinois.edu/le-guin-book...
July 10, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Friends, please share!
Proofs are ready for @skeuomorphpress.org's edition of Ursula K. Le Guin’s "A Rant About Technology." I am so pleased with this book—in many ways our 1st real book project
Details about how to get one through our fundraiser at skeuomorph.ischool.illinois.edu/le-guin-book...
Proofs are ready for @skeuomorphpress.org's edition of Ursula K. Le Guin’s "A Rant About Technology." I am so pleased with this book—in many ways our 1st real book project
Details about how to get one through our fundraiser at skeuomorph.ischool.illinois.edu/le-guin-book...
shutupandtakemymoney.jpg
I need a t-shirt that says, "I would rather be watching the Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon."
Just lounging on the sofa dissociating mildly until Murderbot o’clock which come to think of it is what Murderbot would do if it could
July 11, 2025 at 1:21 AM
shutupandtakemymoney.jpg
Reposted by Francis Beaudet
1974 JRR Tolkien calendar does not get very racy in either his poses or clothes
July 8, 2025 at 10:22 AM
1974 JRR Tolkien calendar does not get very racy in either his poses or clothes
Reposted by Francis Beaudet
When I was young, old people had trouble double clicking
Unrelated, it's gotten so my phone has such nuanced gestures that I do the wrong one as often as the right one to accomplish what I want
(eg swipe left to the next tab in the app vs swipe edge left to minimize the whole app)
Unrelated, it's gotten so my phone has such nuanced gestures that I do the wrong one as often as the right one to accomplish what I want
(eg swipe left to the next tab in the app vs swipe edge left to minimize the whole app)
July 2, 2025 at 10:51 PM
When I was young, old people had trouble double clicking
Unrelated, it's gotten so my phone has such nuanced gestures that I do the wrong one as often as the right one to accomplish what I want
(eg swipe left to the next tab in the app vs swipe edge left to minimize the whole app)
Unrelated, it's gotten so my phone has such nuanced gestures that I do the wrong one as often as the right one to accomplish what I want
(eg swipe left to the next tab in the app vs swipe edge left to minimize the whole app)
Reposted by Francis Beaudet
If it took 8 days to build a massive concentration camp in Florida then it means they could build and house the homeless at any point but choose not to
July 2, 2025 at 2:47 AM
If it took 8 days to build a massive concentration camp in Florida then it means they could build and house the homeless at any point but choose not to
Reposted by Francis Beaudet
"When you outsource the thinking, you outsource the learning." deplet.ing/the-copilot-...
The Copilot Delusion
Disclaimer: This post was written May 2025, and the arguments apply to AI code capabilities at this time. The arguments around lack of competence are certainly likely to become less prevalent-while th...
deplet.ing
June 24, 2025 at 7:57 PM
"When you outsource the thinking, you outsource the learning." deplet.ing/the-copilot-...
Reposted by Francis Beaudet
Andrew Stanton's Wall-E was released 17 years ago today.
Still one of my fav sci-fi animated movie. 🤗
Still one of my fav sci-fi animated movie. 🤗
June 27, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Andrew Stanton's Wall-E was released 17 years ago today.
Still one of my fav sci-fi animated movie. 🤗
Still one of my fav sci-fi animated movie. 🤗
Reposted by Francis Beaudet
Computers used to scream every time they connected to the Internet. They knew. They tried to warn us. We did not listen.
June 22, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Computers used to scream every time they connected to the Internet. They knew. They tried to warn us. We did not listen.
Reposted by Francis Beaudet
Aye, SecUnit, righte ther wyth thee.
June 25, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Aye, SecUnit, righte ther wyth thee.
Reposted by Francis Beaudet
we have broken the promise of due process
#BREAKING: Over a (sharp) public dissent from the three Democratic appointees, #SCOTUS clears the way for the Trump administration to remove migrants to third countries *without* giving them an additional opportunity to contest whether they face persecution or other forms of mistreatment there:
www.supremecourt.gov
June 23, 2025 at 9:51 PM
we have broken the promise of due process
Reposted by Francis Beaudet
PM Mark Carney has described developing fossil fuel infrastructure as “pragmatic.”
But it’s unclear how a country grappling with abysmal air quality due to wildfires fuelled by global warming will benefit from further fossil fuel development. Deborah de Lange writes.
But it’s unclear how a country grappling with abysmal air quality due to wildfires fuelled by global warming will benefit from further fossil fuel development. Deborah de Lange writes.
Mark Carney Is Turning His Back on Climate Action | The Tyee
And Canada is losing a chance for leadership and sustained economic growth.
thetyee.ca
June 23, 2025 at 8:39 PM
PM Mark Carney has described developing fossil fuel infrastructure as “pragmatic.”
But it’s unclear how a country grappling with abysmal air quality due to wildfires fuelled by global warming will benefit from further fossil fuel development. Deborah de Lange writes.
But it’s unclear how a country grappling with abysmal air quality due to wildfires fuelled by global warming will benefit from further fossil fuel development. Deborah de Lange writes.
Reposted by Francis Beaudet
Learning the etymology of words, because our brains love a good story, is phenomenal for remembering new vocabulary.
And morphology (learning roots, suffixes, prefixes, etc) helps with remembering & guessing meaning of unfamiliar words too.
#LangSky #etymology
Top notch infographic with alt-text
And morphology (learning roots, suffixes, prefixes, etc) helps with remembering & guessing meaning of unfamiliar words too.
#LangSky #etymology
Top notch infographic with alt-text
June 20, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Learning the etymology of words, because our brains love a good story, is phenomenal for remembering new vocabulary.
And morphology (learning roots, suffixes, prefixes, etc) helps with remembering & guessing meaning of unfamiliar words too.
#LangSky #etymology
Top notch infographic with alt-text
And morphology (learning roots, suffixes, prefixes, etc) helps with remembering & guessing meaning of unfamiliar words too.
#LangSky #etymology
Top notch infographic with alt-text