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Miles McBain

@milesmcbain.bsky.social

2.2K followers 670 following 530 posts

Code hacker, number cruncher, #rstats user, board gamer, road racer, plant eater, bass slapper. I like big bikes and I cannot lie. #cargobike Coming to you from AUS / BNE. https://milesmcbain.com

milesmcbain.com

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Miles McBain @milesmcbain.bsky.social · 22h

semi_join, anti_join

Miles McBain @milesmcbain.bsky.social · 14d

I got into this habbit of putting test / noodling / debugging code down the bottom of the R file in an anonymous function i.e. function() {}. In both package dev or targets the code is unreachable. Semi regularly I will accidentally commit it. Some collaborators find it disturbing.

Reposted by Miles McBain

Nick Tierney @njtierney.bsky.social · 19d

Hey #rstats friends! 👋

Only one week to go until my "Introduction to R Packages" tutorial at #WOMBAT2025!

This is a gentle introduction to making R packages, going from initial code to `devtools::check()`

Still plenty of spots available :)

Sign up at: wombat2025.numbat.space

Miles McBain @milesmcbain.bsky.social · 20d

Nah a combination of living in the opposite corner of the earth and in the ‘busy parent’ season of life means I passed it up this year. Will check out this talk when it drops though. And I appreciate the heads up! 👍

Miles McBain @milesmcbain.bsky.social · 20d

I mean that thing got third party emacs ports…

Miles McBain @milesmcbain.bsky.social · 20d

The thing is, I feel it’s the {breakerofchains} crowd who are most likely hunt me down if I ever retired the repo.

John Paul Helveston @jhelvy.bsky.social · 21d

The GOAT RStudio addin by @milesmcbain.bsky.social

Libby Heeren @libbyheeren.bsky.social · 21d

Jonathan McPherson just mentioned datapasta at the opening keynote of #positconf, so I'm sharing this once again to share the magic, for all those discovering it for the very first time ❤️

#databs #rstats

Miles McBain @milesmcbain.bsky.social · 20d

Wuuuuut? Okay so now I need to watch this!

Reposted by Miles McBain

Preorder Read This When Things Fall Apart @mskellymhayes.bsky.social · 26d

In my experience, courage is usually the product of love and/or solidarity. When we are deeply invested in each other, we are more likely to take risks that we wouldn't take out of mere principle, or for the sake of people we feel disconnected from. Our alienation mass produces cowardice.

Miles McBain @milesmcbain.bsky.social · Sep 8

No! I gave a targets talk at my work a few months back, but not polished to this level.

Miles McBain @milesmcbain.bsky.social · Aug 29

Probably easier the less pieces there are in the chain. If you only program in C you might be fine.

For me repeatedly debugging tools when I had allocated the time for work was too much stess.

But I salute those out there on the bleeding edge who find and report all the issues. 🫡

Miles McBain @milesmcbain.bsky.social · Aug 29

Haven’t used this distro, but have used a number of Arch wrappers over the years. Clearing the installation hurdle is just the start…

Keeping your tool chain functional if you use the system for any kind of productive work becomes the ongoing time sink.

Miles McBain @milesmcbain.bsky.social · Aug 29

It’s actually pretty close to a CRAN like setup. You’re getting recent versions effectively forced on you, but bthere’s a thin layer that stops catastrophic shit from coming down the pipe and rendering your setup unusable.

Miles McBain @milesmcbain.bsky.social · Aug 29

I’ve tried a bunch. Running OpenSUSE tumbleweed atm. That’s like seriously uncool. But damned if it doesn’t ‘just work’ in a way that no other rolling distro has.

Miles McBain @milesmcbain.bsky.social · Aug 29

Arch is Sys Admin Simulator. Do not install it unless you have hours you can give away to ‘git gud’ via the wiki.

Miles McBain @milesmcbain.bsky.social · Aug 29

Same. It’s not the product. It’s the externalities. It’s the grift. It’s the sell out of all the people who talked a talk of caring about making things open for the benefit of all.

Miles McBain @milesmcbain.bsky.social · Aug 28

What?! No!

Reposted by Miles McBain

Chris Cox @coxyjindas.bsky.social · Aug 27

Great video by @ohtheurbanity.bsky.social featuring Brisbane's low cycling mode share. Fun fact: in 2006 Brisbane aimed to more than double cycling from 2% to 5% by 2026.

In 2016 when they reviewed the plan, mode share was...still 2%. What did they do in the 2016-2036 plan?
youtu.be/_DQonhJLKTc?...

The Cycling Potential Hiding in Plain Sight

YouTube video by Oh The Urbanity!

Miles McBain @milesmcbain.bsky.social · Aug 27

a baby is sitting in a car seat with a funny face .

ALT: a baby is sitting in a car seat with a funny face .

media.tenor.com

Miles McBain @milesmcbain.bsky.social · Aug 26

Yeah that kinda stuff 👍

Miles McBain @milesmcbain.bsky.social · Aug 26

Depends on data infrastructure and degree of reproducibility though. Queries / calls might be okay if infrastructure is high quality.

Miles McBain @milesmcbain.bsky.social · Aug 26

“Fully reproducible” is s REALLY deep rabbit hole.

Dependencies and inputs need to be controlled. Mechanisms vary.

Lockfile is low effort minimum for dependencies.

Inputs will ideally be files and ideally versioned, as opposed to queries or API calls.

Reposted by Miles McBain

The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · Aug 25

Tax breaks for huge, American-style utes cost the Australian government $250 million in 2023.

But it gets worse.

Emissions from passenger cars have fallen since 2005, but that drop was wiped out by the increased use of big utes. #auspol

Miles McBain @milesmcbain.bsky.social · Aug 24

I do it with the testthat expect_ family, works great. Only one tool to remember how to use in both package dev and pipeline code.

Miles McBain @milesmcbain.bsky.social · Aug 22

Ah this is good 👍