Ben Scofield
@benscofield.com
Finally getting around to reading The Mind in the Wheel from @slimemoldtimemold.bsky.social, and boy howdy does the prologue do double duty as an exploration of both superficial science and overblown claims about LLMs. Statistics ≠ understanding, even when useful for, e.g., prediction.
August 7, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Finally getting around to reading The Mind in the Wheel from @slimemoldtimemold.bsky.social, and boy howdy does the prologue do double duty as an exploration of both superficial science and overblown claims about LLMs. Statistics ≠ understanding, even when useful for, e.g., prediction.
@tenderlove.dev We were talking about views (landscape, not page) earlier, right? This is the Christopher Alexander pattern I mentioned: patternlanguage.cc/Patterns/Zen...
Zen View (134)
Problem The archetypal zen view occurs in a famous Japanese house, which gives this pattern its name. Solution If there is a beautiful view, don’t spoil it by building huge windows that gape incessant...
patternlanguage.cc
July 10, 2025 at 12:15 PM
@tenderlove.dev We were talking about views (landscape, not page) earlier, right? This is the Christopher Alexander pattern I mentioned: patternlanguage.cc/Patterns/Zen...
Reminiscing about the Rails Rumble and wondering if it’d be fun to run a Context Quarrel: teams submit prompts plus context, judging consists of handing it off to a model to vibe code
July 8, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Reminiscing about the Rails Rumble and wondering if it’d be fun to run a Context Quarrel: teams submit prompts plus context, judging consists of handing it off to a model to vibe code
I'm in Philadelphia for the last RailsConf. The Ruby community has been pivotal in my life -- friends, work, inspiration -- for almost as long as RailsConf has existed. I'm grateful that I was able to contribute in whatever small ways I could. This is the end of an era, and I already miss it.
July 7, 2025 at 9:52 PM
I'm in Philadelphia for the last RailsConf. The Ruby community has been pivotal in my life -- friends, work, inspiration -- for almost as long as RailsConf has existed. I'm grateful that I was able to contribute in whatever small ways I could. This is the end of an era, and I already miss it.
Oh man, I think I need to reboot Moodprint ASAP
a friend of mine shared this ai-generated "emotion wheel" and unfortunately i have been laughing my ass off at it for like 15 minutes now. today i am feeling Fnliinneon
June 5, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Oh man, I think I need to reboot Moodprint ASAP
This is a very good practice: www.schneems.com/2025/06/03/d...
Don't McBlock me
“That cannot be done.” Is rarely true, but it’s a phrase I’ve heard more and more from technical people without offering any rationale or further explanation...
www.schneems.com
June 4, 2025 at 11:38 AM
This is a very good practice: www.schneems.com/2025/06/03/d...
Reposted by Ben Scofield
The real bottleneck for useful AI isn’t just model quality.
It’s the walls around our data.
A thread on walled gardens, economic incentives, and why even the best models can’t help us if they can’t see us. 🧵
It’s the walls around our data.
A thread on walled gardens, economic incentives, and why even the best models can’t help us if they can’t see us. 🧵
May 30, 2025 at 9:05 AM
The real bottleneck for useful AI isn’t just model quality.
It’s the walls around our data.
A thread on walled gardens, economic incentives, and why even the best models can’t help us if they can’t see us. 🧵
It’s the walls around our data.
A thread on walled gardens, economic incentives, and why even the best models can’t help us if they can’t see us. 🧵
Reposted by Ben Scofield
I just had a conversation with an old Ruby friends and got re-excited to be going to the last ever @rubycentral.org RailsConf in July.
If you didn't know it's the last one and you used to go, maybe the fact that some of us old folks will be there is enough to tip you into coming?
If you didn't know it's the last one and you used to go, maybe the fact that some of us old folks will be there is enough to tip you into coming?
May 7, 2025 at 7:17 PM
I just had a conversation with an old Ruby friends and got re-excited to be going to the last ever @rubycentral.org RailsConf in July.
If you didn't know it's the last one and you used to go, maybe the fact that some of us old folks will be there is enough to tip you into coming?
If you didn't know it's the last one and you used to go, maybe the fact that some of us old folks will be there is enough to tip you into coming?
@scalzi.com Random question, but who designed the covers for the latest OMW mass market paperbacks? I'm in the bookstore paging through and can't find a credit...
December 16, 2024 at 4:31 PM
@scalzi.com Random question, but who designed the covers for the latest OMW mass market paperbacks? I'm in the bookstore paging through and can't find a credit...
We’re following up season three of Ten Thousand with Dr. Brooke Macnamara (@brookemacnamara.bsky.social). She’s worked extensively in expertise, skill acquisition, and more. Have a listen, and look for Ten Thousand to be back in 2025! tenthousand.fm/episode/expe...
Expertise: Brooke Macnamara
We've just finished the fiction series, so it's time for another meta episode!
Dr. Brooke Macnamara is an associate professor of psychology at Purdue. She...
tenthousand.fm
December 2, 2024 at 7:08 PM
We’re following up season three of Ten Thousand with Dr. Brooke Macnamara (@brookemacnamara.bsky.social). She’s worked extensively in expertise, skill acquisition, and more. Have a listen, and look for Ten Thousand to be back in 2025! tenthousand.fm/episode/expe...
This week, we’re wrapping the fiction season by talking to Gwenda Bond (@gwenda.bsky.social), who’s written across genres and formats, and who is focused on finding that one reader who connects with the story she’s telling. Take a listen! tenthousand.fm/episode/fict...
November 25, 2024 at 4:55 PM
This week, we’re wrapping the fiction season by talking to Gwenda Bond (@gwenda.bsky.social), who’s written across genres and formats, and who is focused on finding that one reader who connects with the story she’s telling. Take a listen! tenthousand.fm/episode/fict...
Reposted by Ben Scofield
In 1976 Siskel looked like a cop on the edge and Ebert looked like his boss who was telling him he was over the line and a loose canon.
November 19, 2024 at 10:36 PM
In 1976 Siskel looked like a cop on the edge and Ebert looked like his boss who was telling him he was over the line and a loose canon.
This week on Ten Thousand, Ken Liu (@kyliu99.bsky.social) joins to talk about language as a tool, and how being good at writing fiction involves inventing new ways to communicate your unique perspective on the world
tenthousand.fm/episode/fict...
tenthousand.fm/episode/fict...
November 18, 2024 at 5:05 PM
This week on Ten Thousand, Ken Liu (@kyliu99.bsky.social) joins to talk about language as a tool, and how being good at writing fiction involves inventing new ways to communicate your unique perspective on the world
tenthousand.fm/episode/fict...
tenthousand.fm/episode/fict...
We're moving to the indie side in Ten Thousand this week, with Chris Huisjen (who writes as Aest Belequa online). We talk about serialized fiction, the writer's toolkit, and how lowering the stakes makes for better learning opportunities. Give it a listen! tenthousand.fm/episode/fict...
November 11, 2024 at 5:28 PM
We're moving to the indie side in Ten Thousand this week, with Chris Huisjen (who writes as Aest Belequa online). We talk about serialized fiction, the writer's toolkit, and how lowering the stakes makes for better learning opportunities. Give it a listen! tenthousand.fm/episode/fict...
Fiction continues, this week with Andrea Phillips (@andrea.bsky.social)! We talk about writing for different media (short stories, novels, interactive fiction, scripts) and different ways that collaboration can work. tenthousand.fm/episode/fict...
Fiction: Andrea Phillips
This week's conversation is with Andrea Phillips, novelist and storyteller across prose, games, and immersive experiences.
We talk about the importance of...
tenthousand.fm
November 4, 2024 at 5:05 PM
Fiction continues, this week with Andrea Phillips (@andrea.bsky.social)! We talk about writing for different media (short stories, novels, interactive fiction, scripts) and different ways that collaboration can work. tenthousand.fm/episode/fict...
Ten Thousand series 3 starts today! This time, we’re looking at expertise in writing (fiction), and the first episode is an interview with Dr. Eric Schwitzgebel - philosophy professor and short storyist. Take a listen! tenthousand.fm/episode/fict...
October 28, 2024 at 5:11 PM
Ten Thousand series 3 starts today! This time, we’re looking at expertise in writing (fiction), and the first episode is an interview with Dr. Eric Schwitzgebel - philosophy professor and short storyist. Take a listen! tenthousand.fm/episode/fict...
Two seasons of Ten Thousand are in the book, and we're celebrating with an interview with Barbara Gail Montero -- former professional ballet dancer, current philosopher, and author of articles and books on expertise!
tenthousand.fm/episode/expe...
tenthousand.fm/episode/expe...
Expertise: Barbara Gail Montero
Ten Thousand's first meta episode! Dr. Barbara Gail Montero is a philosopher (and former professional ballet dancer) who works on expertise. We dig into...
tenthousand.fm
September 16, 2024 at 5:33 PM
Two seasons of Ten Thousand are in the book, and we're celebrating with an interview with Barbara Gail Montero -- former professional ballet dancer, current philosopher, and author of articles and books on expertise!
tenthousand.fm/episode/expe...
tenthousand.fm/episode/expe...
We’re wrapping up the philosophy season! This week, I talk with Johnathan Flowers (@shengokai.bsky.social) covering good public philosophy, how philosophers practice, and how important (and rewarding!) it is to get past the grind of the typical intro class.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p...
Philosophy: Johnathan Flowers
This episode is a conversation with Dr. Johnathan Flowers, assistant professor of philosophy at California State University Northridge.
We talk about philos
podcasts.apple.com
September 9, 2024 at 4:26 PM
We’re wrapping up the philosophy season! This week, I talk with Johnathan Flowers (@shengokai.bsky.social) covering good public philosophy, how philosophers practice, and how important (and rewarding!) it is to get past the grind of the typical intro class.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p...
This week's interview is with Louise Antony, professor emerita at UMass Amherst, and a foundational figure in philosophy of mind, feminist philosophy, and other fields. Find out what "the practice is the doing" means in philosophy!
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p...
September 2, 2024 at 6:18 PM
This week's interview is with Louise Antony, professor emerita at UMass Amherst, and a foundational figure in philosophy of mind, feminist philosophy, and other fields. Find out what "the practice is the doing" means in philosophy!
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p...
Continuing the philosophy season, our next episode features Nicholas Drake - grad student at the ANU, working on measures of national well-being. Is being good at philosophy the same as being good at finding truth? podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ten...
Philosophy: Nicholas Drake by Ten Thousand
Philosophy season continues! In this episode, we talk to Nicholas Drake, a graduate student and researcher at the Australian National University.
We discuss the different aims that philosophical work...
podcasters.spotify.com
August 19, 2024 at 4:38 PM
Continuing the philosophy season, our next episode features Nicholas Drake - grad student at the ANU, working on measures of national well-being. Is being good at philosophy the same as being good at finding truth? podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ten...
Season 2 of Ten Thousand starts today! We're excited to kick off our interviews with philosophers by talking to Mary Kate McGowan. Check it out at podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ten...
Philosophy: Mary Kate McGowan by Ten Thousand
Let's talk about expertise in academic philosophy! We kick off this season with Mary Kate McGowan, professor of philosophy at Wellesley College. We talk about how what counts as good philosophy has ch...
podcasters.spotify.com
August 12, 2024 at 4:58 PM
Season 2 of Ten Thousand starts today! We're excited to kick off our interviews with philosophers by talking to Mary Kate McGowan. Check it out at podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ten...
Dave Thomas (@pragdave) is a foundational figure in software. I got to speak to him as the last interview of Ten Thousand's first season. Take a listen!
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
Ten Thousand: Software: Dave Thomas on Apple Podcasts
Show Ten Thousand, Ep Software: Dave Thomas - May 20, 2024
podcasts.apple.com
May 20, 2024 at 3:58 PM
Dave Thomas (@pragdave) is a foundational figure in software. I got to speak to him as the last interview of Ten Thousand's first season. Take a listen!
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
The latest episode of Ten Thousand is out! This time, I got to speak to @nodunayo.bsky.social, who (as always) is amazing! Check it out!
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
Ten Thousand: Software: Nadia Odunayo on Apple Podcasts
Show Ten Thousand, Ep Software: Nadia Odunayo - May 13, 2024
podcasts.apple.com
May 13, 2024 at 4:11 PM
The latest episode of Ten Thousand is out! This time, I got to speak to @nodunayo.bsky.social, who (as always) is amazing! Check it out!
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
Episode 2 of Ten Thousand is now out, with Aaron Patterson (@tenderlove, for those in the know). Take a listen!
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
Ten Thousand: Software: Aaron Patterson on Apple Podcasts
Show Ten Thousand, Ep Software: Aaron Patterson - May 5, 2024
podcasts.apple.com
May 6, 2024 at 6:13 PM
Episode 2 of Ten Thousand is now out, with Aaron Patterson (@tenderlove, for those in the know). Take a listen!
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
For literally years, I've wanted a podcast to exist that looked at expertise as a journey -- not just interviews with Olympians, or discussions of what novices miss, but conversations with people all along the path. After much dithering, I finally started it: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
Ten Thousand on Apple Podcasts
Education · 2024
podcasts.apple.com
April 30, 2024 at 2:33 PM
For literally years, I've wanted a podcast to exist that looked at expertise as a journey -- not just interviews with Olympians, or discussions of what novices miss, but conversations with people all along the path. After much dithering, I finally started it: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...