Jay McGavren
@jaymcgavren.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Author of Head First Ruby and Head First Go. Web developer. Wannabe game developer.
Portrait by https://dribbble.com/drawsgood
[bridged from https://mastodon.social/@jaymcgavren on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/ ]
Portrait by https://dribbble.com/drawsgood
[bridged from https://mastodon.social/@jaymcgavren on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/ ]
Future Crew's "Second Reality" was a pivotal work in the 90's PC demoscene. It's been ported to C++, which evidently enabled a port to run directly in your browser: https://www.jsr-productions.com/secondreality/index.html
Second Reality++
Second Reality++
www.jsr-productions.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Future Crew's "Second Reality" was a pivotal work in the 90's PC demoscene. It's been ported to C++, which evidently enabled a port to run directly in your browser: https://www.jsr-productions.com/secondreality/index.html
D20 nets: A lot of copy/pasting of tabs and slots. Inkscape was a HUGE help getting everything aligned right.
And it looks like it's all working! Can surely be made even easier to assemble, but even now they hold together nicely with zero glue!
And it looks like it's all working! Can surely be made even easier to assemble, but even now they hold together nicely with zero glue!
October 17, 2025 at 7:09 AM
D20 nets: A lot of copy/pasting of tabs and slots. Inkscape was a HUGE help getting everything aligned right.
And it looks like it's all working! Can surely be made even easier to assemble, but even now they hold together nicely with zero glue!
And it looks like it's all working! Can surely be made even easier to assemble, but even now they hold together nicely with zero glue!
On the second prototype of my tab-and-slot design for assembling cardstock icosahedrons. This is showing real promise! The join is incredibly smooth. No glue needed!
Unfortunately it's also a pain to assemble. I couldn't get the hooks on the tab to catch. I know a fix, just need to implement...
Unfortunately it's also a pain to assemble. I couldn't get the hooks on the tab to catch. I know a fix, just need to implement...
October 15, 2025 at 7:24 AM
On the second prototype of my tab-and-slot design for assembling cardstock icosahedrons. This is showing real promise! The join is incredibly smooth. No glue needed!
Unfortunately it's also a pain to assemble. I couldn't get the hooks on the tab to catch. I know a fix, just need to implement...
Unfortunately it's also a pain to assemble. I couldn't get the hooks on the tab to catch. I know a fix, just need to implement...
all of this could have been avoided
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC2pgcagyRk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC2pgcagyRk
October 12, 2025 at 11:30 PM
all of this could have been avoided
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC2pgcagyRk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC2pgcagyRk
People are NOT rescuing their own content from old floppy disks. I know I haven't been. And they are fast becoming unreadable!
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20251009-rescuing-knowledge-trapped-on-old-floppy-disks
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20251009-rescuing-knowledge-trapped-on-old-floppy-disks
A digital dark age? The people rescuing forgotten knowledge trapped on old floppy disks
From lectures by Stephen Hawking to the letters of British politician Neil Kinnock – it's a race against time to save the historical treasures locked away on old floppy disks.
www.bbc.com
October 12, 2025 at 3:05 AM
People are NOT rescuing their own content from old floppy disks. I know I haven't been. And they are fast becoming unreadable!
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20251009-rescuing-knowledge-trapped-on-old-floppy-disks
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20251009-rescuing-knowledge-trapped-on-old-floppy-disks
My new laptop case. Sticker vinyl cut at home with my second-hand Silhouette Portrait 3.
I didn't feel like waiting for my transfer tape order to come in, so I used a medium-grip cutting mat to do the transfer instead. Worked fine!
I didn't feel like waiting for my transfer tape order to come in, so I used a medium-grip cutting mat to do the transfer instead. Worked fine!
October 4, 2025 at 8:43 AM
My new laptop case. Sticker vinyl cut at home with my second-hand Silhouette Portrait 3.
I didn't feel like waiting for my transfer tape order to come in, so I used a medium-grip cutting mat to do the transfer instead. Worked fine!
I didn't feel like waiting for my transfer tape order to come in, so I used a medium-grip cutting mat to do the transfer instead. Worked fine!
You've heard "Measure twice, cut once". More broadly: consider whether an action is DESTRUCTIVE. Does it permanently and irretrievably alter things?
Are there NON-destructive actions you can try first? If they fail, just undo them!
Destructive actions better succeed, or you're screwed!
Are there NON-destructive actions you can try first? If they fail, just undo them!
Destructive actions better succeed, or you're screwed!
October 1, 2025 at 10:21 PM
You've heard "Measure twice, cut once". More broadly: consider whether an action is DESTRUCTIVE. Does it permanently and irretrievably alter things?
Are there NON-destructive actions you can try first? If they fail, just undo them!
Destructive actions better succeed, or you're screwed!
Are there NON-destructive actions you can try first? If they fail, just undo them!
Destructive actions better succeed, or you're screwed!
I made this hasty #lasercutter tutorial for the spiral shapes I've been doing. If you want your finished laser cut to consist of thin lines, the trick is not to draw thick strokes; you actually need paths on *both* sides of your lines!
![I've been using the laser cutters at my local makerspace to cut lots of spiral shapes.
If you want to do the same, you might open Inkscape, make a shape, and scale it and rotate it:
[Screenshot of solid pentagons, each one slightly rotated and smaller than the last. The pentagons are completely filled in.]
Here's the catch. All laser cutter software can do when cutting is trace the paths of your shapes. So you could feed the above into it, and it would cut it, but we'd end up with the smallest pentagon and a bunch of tiny triangle shards, rather than a connected shape.
In my pieces, the wood "lines" are actually part of the solid shape; I created a shape frame using a "difference" operation and then scaled and rotated that. Like so:
[- Two solid squares, one nested inside the other, labelled "overlapping shapes".
- A hollow square with a thick, filled-in edge, labelled "difference".
- A spiral pattern made out of these hollow squares, nested and rotated. The places the squares are touching are still separated by strokes. Labeled "transform: rotate and scale repeatedly".
- The same spiral, but all the squares are now fused into a single shape. No strokes are visible at the places the squares touch. Labeled "union".]
It has to be done this way (as far as I can tell); even if you used a stroke style multiple millimeters thick, the laser would still just cut a 0.1mm line at the center of the stroke. So be sure strokes are drawn on BOTH sides of the wooden struts you want!](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:z7xwcul2lvo27arlbfuzph7a/bafkreiee45iidjn3sccfhoqt3tswynwvjsonvosua7uatiy5hjxiol56cq@jpeg)
September 25, 2025 at 7:41 AM
I made this hasty #lasercutter tutorial for the spiral shapes I've been doing. If you want your finished laser cut to consist of thin lines, the trick is not to draw thick strokes; you actually need paths on *both* sides of your lines!
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/22/business/media/jimmy-kimmel-returns-abc.html?unlocked_article_code=1.n08.UHZu.Cz0ymOcW4_Vu&smid=url-share
For your convenience, should you wish to reward their good behavior:
https://www.disneyplus.com/commerce/subscription
https://secure.hulu.com/commerce/account
For your convenience, should you wish to reward their good behavior:
https://www.disneyplus.com/commerce/subscription
https://secure.hulu.com/commerce/account
Subscription Details | Disney+
Details of your Disney+ subscription
www.disneyplus.com
September 22, 2025 at 10:03 PM
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/22/business/media/jimmy-kimmel-returns-abc.html?unlocked_article_code=1.n08.UHZu.Cz0ymOcW4_Vu&smid=url-share
For your convenience, should you wish to reward their good behavior:
https://www.disneyplus.com/commerce/subscription
https://secure.hulu.com/commerce/account
For your convenience, should you wish to reward their good behavior:
https://www.disneyplus.com/commerce/subscription
https://secure.hulu.com/commerce/account
"This can lead to a “purity spiral”, with the more extreme opinion the more rewarded in a pattern of increasing escalation. Nuance and debate are the casualties, and a kind of moral feeding frenzy results." […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
September 22, 2025 at 2:16 AM
"This can lead to a “purity spiral”, with the more extreme opinion the more rewarded in a pattern of increasing escalation. Nuance and debate are the casualties, and a kind of moral feeding frenzy results." […]
The vibe in YouTube laser cutter tutorials is no longer "here's how to make something cool", it's "here's how to make something that sells", and it makes me sad. #capitalism
September 21, 2025 at 7:24 PM
The vibe in YouTube laser cutter tutorials is no longer "here's how to make something cool", it's "here's how to make something that sells", and it makes me sad. #capitalism
sanction (n): A penalty, specified or in the form of moral pressure, that acts to ensure compliance with a social standard or norm
Reddit downvotes are a mild kind of sanction. Both an expression of disapproval and a penalty.
Crowdsourced reputation systems will likely need a concept of sanctions.
Reddit downvotes are a mild kind of sanction. Both an expression of disapproval and a penalty.
Crowdsourced reputation systems will likely need a concept of sanctions.
September 20, 2025 at 4:15 AM
sanction (n): A penalty, specified or in the form of moral pressure, that acts to ensure compliance with a social standard or norm
Reddit downvotes are a mild kind of sanction. Both an expression of disapproval and a penalty.
Crowdsourced reputation systems will likely need a concept of sanctions.
Reddit downvotes are a mild kind of sanction. Both an expression of disapproval and a penalty.
Crowdsourced reputation systems will likely need a concept of sanctions.
I get no joy from laser cutting or 3D printing a model designed by someone else. And there's a significant time cost to me even if the print is successful (made worse by occasional failures).
So I'd much rather outsource the printing/cutting of others' models to e.g. Etsy.
So I'd much rather outsource the printing/cutting of others' models to e.g. Etsy.
September 12, 2025 at 6:45 PM
I get no joy from laser cutting or 3D printing a model designed by someone else. And there's a significant time cost to me even if the print is successful (made worse by occasional failures).
So I'd much rather outsource the printing/cutting of others' models to e.g. Etsy.
So I'd much rather outsource the printing/cutting of others' models to e.g. Etsy.
Shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. #chatgpt just royally trolled me. 🤣
Me: "I want to cut stencils of bats and pumpkins out of plywood on a laser cutter. They should be nested to save material. How can I do this?"
It offers to make an SVG file FOR me. 🎉 It […]
[Original post on mastodon.social]
Me: "I want to cut stencils of bats and pumpkins out of plywood on a laser cutter. They should be nested to save material. How can I do this?"
It offers to make an SVG file FOR me. 🎉 It […]
[Original post on mastodon.social]
September 10, 2025 at 6:38 AM
Shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. #chatgpt just royally trolled me. 🤣
Me: "I want to cut stencils of bats and pumpkins out of plywood on a laser cutter. They should be nested to save material. How can I do this?"
It offers to make an SVG file FOR me. 🎉 It […]
[Original post on mastodon.social]
Me: "I want to cut stencils of bats and pumpkins out of plywood on a laser cutter. They should be nested to save material. How can I do this?"
It offers to make an SVG file FOR me. 🎉 It […]
[Original post on mastodon.social]
It's gonna happen, with the USA or without it.
"39.4% of gamers in China are interested in generative AI’s application in games...
...Chinese studios are "ahead of the game" with 60% already using generative AI in their development pipelines." […]
"39.4% of gamers in China are interested in generative AI’s application in games...
...Chinese studios are "ahead of the game" with 60% already using generative AI in their development pipelines." […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
September 2, 2025 at 7:13 AM
It's gonna happen, with the USA or without it.
"39.4% of gamers in China are interested in generative AI’s application in games...
...Chinese studios are "ahead of the game" with 60% already using generative AI in their development pipelines." […]
"39.4% of gamers in China are interested in generative AI’s application in games...
...Chinese studios are "ahead of the game" with 60% already using generative AI in their development pipelines." […]
Inkscape and LightBurn are a pretty powerful combination for making laser cutter designs. Here we have a simple shape (subtracted with "difference" so it's a frame, I doubt a heavy stroke would have worked on the cutter) and then scaled and rotated repeatedly. "Union" the result, and voila!
September 2, 2025 at 6:08 AM
Inkscape and LightBurn are a pretty powerful combination for making laser cutter designs. Here we have a simple shape (subtracted with "difference" so it's a frame, I doubt a heavy stroke would have worked on the cutter) and then scaled and rotated repeatedly. "Union" the result, and voila!
Your own #chrome extension to show a blank "new tab" page, in 17 lines of code!
$ cd blank-new-tab
$ cat manifest.json
{
"name": "Blank New Tab",
"description": "Blank new tabs.",
"version": "1.0",
"manifest_version": 3,
"chrome_url_overrides": {
"newtab": "newtab.html"
}
}
$ cat newtab.html […]
$ cd blank-new-tab
$ cat manifest.json
{
"name": "Blank New Tab",
"description": "Blank new tabs.",
"version": "1.0",
"manifest_version": 3,
"chrome_url_overrides": {
"newtab": "newtab.html"
}
}
$ cat newtab.html […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
August 28, 2025 at 2:56 AM
Your own #chrome extension to show a blank "new tab" page, in 17 lines of code!
$ cd blank-new-tab
$ cat manifest.json
{
"name": "Blank New Tab",
"description": "Blank new tabs.",
"version": "1.0",
"manifest_version": 3,
"chrome_url_overrides": {
"newtab": "newtab.html"
}
}
$ cat newtab.html […]
$ cd blank-new-tab
$ cat manifest.json
{
"name": "Blank New Tab",
"description": "Blank new tabs.",
"version": "1.0",
"manifest_version": 3,
"chrome_url_overrides": {
"newtab": "newtab.html"
}
}
$ cat newtab.html […]
Ran into a guy who was wearing his "pyrotechnician" shirt today, and needless to say I had questions. So TIL:
- Running a fireworks show is basically a hobbyist gig these days. Except for a few big companies that can do it profitably, almost everyone else loses money.
- Any crew you might hire […]
- Running a fireworks show is basically a hobbyist gig these days. Except for a few big companies that can do it profitably, almost everyone else loses money.
- Any crew you might hire […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
August 23, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Ran into a guy who was wearing his "pyrotechnician" shirt today, and needless to say I had questions. So TIL:
- Running a fireworks show is basically a hobbyist gig these days. Except for a few big companies that can do it profitably, almost everyone else loses money.
- Any crew you might hire […]
- Running a fireworks show is basically a hobbyist gig these days. Except for a few big companies that can do it profitably, almost everyone else loses money.
- Any crew you might hire […]
I'm calling it now: technological advancement in gaming consoles is over. We'll see maybe one more generation with the same kind of power increases we've had historically. After that it'll just be the same basic tech, repackaged.
- Companies rely on consumers with discretionary spending money […]
- Companies rely on consumers with discretionary spending money […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
August 20, 2025 at 9:17 PM
I'm calling it now: technological advancement in gaming consoles is over. We'll see maybe one more generation with the same kind of power increases we've had historically. After that it'll just be the same basic tech, repackaged.
- Companies rely on consumers with discretionary spending money […]
- Companies rely on consumers with discretionary spending money […]
#indiegame These days I only have time for games with really polished onboarding. I want to learn quickly, have a dozen hours of intense fun, and beat the game.
I DON'T have time to grind. (Looking at you, PalWorld...) Nor for "just watch a few hours of YouTube tutorials." (Dwarf Fortress...) […]
I DON'T have time to grind. (Looking at you, PalWorld...) Nor for "just watch a few hours of YouTube tutorials." (Dwarf Fortress...) […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
August 16, 2025 at 9:17 PM
#indiegame These days I only have time for games with really polished onboarding. I want to learn quickly, have a dozen hours of intense fun, and beat the game.
I DON'T have time to grind. (Looking at you, PalWorld...) Nor for "just watch a few hours of YouTube tutorials." (Dwarf Fortress...) […]
I DON'T have time to grind. (Looking at you, PalWorld...) Nor for "just watch a few hours of YouTube tutorials." (Dwarf Fortress...) […]
#webdev MAYBE a break in the logjam for domestic developer hiring in the USA? This could be what we were hoping for! One scrap of silver lining in the dark cloud that is the Big Bastard Bill.
"...for domestic research and experimental (R&E) expenditures, new Section 174A permanently reinstates […]
"...for domestic research and experimental (R&E) expenditures, new Section 174A permanently reinstates […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
August 14, 2025 at 5:54 PM
#webdev MAYBE a break in the logjam for domestic developer hiring in the USA? This could be what we were hoping for! One scrap of silver lining in the dark cloud that is the Big Bastard Bill.
"...for domestic research and experimental (R&E) expenditures, new Section 174A permanently reinstates […]
"...for domestic research and experimental (R&E) expenditures, new Section 174A permanently reinstates […]
In my game, I want to require that players find water and food on their travels, not simply carry everything around with them. If I apply plausible carry limits, I think I can make hunger and thirst a near-constant concern.
This is good because players will be glad to find every stream and […]
This is good because players will be glad to find every stream and […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
July 21, 2025 at 12:12 AM
In my game, I want to require that players find water and food on their travels, not simply carry everything around with them. If I apply plausible carry limits, I think I can make hunger and thirst a near-constant concern.
This is good because players will be glad to find every stream and […]
This is good because players will be glad to find every stream and […]
"If you want to know what the future looks like, one of the most useful questions to ask is which technologies follow a learning curve."
"Technologies that follow Wright’s Law get cheaper at a consistent rate, as the cumulative production of that technology increases."
"Solar technology is a […]
"Technologies that follow Wright’s Law get cheaper at a consistent rate, as the cumulative production of that technology increases."
"Solar technology is a […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
July 15, 2025 at 6:48 PM
"If you want to know what the future looks like, one of the most useful questions to ask is which technologies follow a learning curve."
"Technologies that follow Wright’s Law get cheaper at a consistent rate, as the cumulative production of that technology increases."
"Solar technology is a […]
"Technologies that follow Wright’s Law get cheaper at a consistent rate, as the cumulative production of that technology increases."
"Solar technology is a […]
Information wants to be free.
Rent, however, wants to be paid.
An eternal problem for those who want to create information but need to pay rent.
Rent, however, wants to be paid.
An eternal problem for those who want to create information but need to pay rent.
July 9, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Information wants to be free.
Rent, however, wants to be paid.
An eternal problem for those who want to create information but need to pay rent.
Rent, however, wants to be paid.
An eternal problem for those who want to create information but need to pay rent.