Posts by cazabon@mindly.social
 (DIR) Post #AYKWUd2VVGudwHWvEe by cazabon@mindly.social
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       I'm told I need pinned posts on my profile.I'm a #software #engineer living in #Saskatchewan, #Canada, the middle of the prairies.  I've worked in countless domains, but find #python generally useful for many of them, and have been using it for nearly 30 years.I'm a #HouseRabbit enthusiast and have had them for more than 20 years.Other hobbies include #electronics, #rock music / playing #guitar, writing #FreeSoftware, and enjoying novelty music & #RiffTrax / #CinematicTitanic / #MST3K.
       
 (DIR) Post #Ap2evR0qaEmWh7X4rI by cazabon@mindly.social
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @TerryHancock My favourite #debunking of the "government paid $EXCESSIVE for $THING" kind of story was by Jerry #Pournelle.  It's currently offline, and archive.org is still recovering, so I can't link it.  Actual numbers below are made up because I don't remember the exact figures, but the gist is correct.It was the "#Pentagon paid $17,000 for a #toilet seat" one.  What actually happened was that the Pentagon needed to procure more toilet seats for the B-52 bomber - the planes were (and still are!) old and stuff wears out or gets damaged.  There was no remaining stock of parts.The problem was that the #manufacturer had long ago junked the tooling used to make the parts (they were metal, requiring tool & die etc).  Making that tooling is quite expensive - it's difficult, skilled work.  Other costs involved in getting a #manufacturing line set up are also expensive.  And they couldn't justify buying and storing tons of extra toilet seats.So what you get is a high fixed #cost to rebuild a line, divided by a relatively small number of finished articles, giving an apparently absurd price per unit.  Say, a million dollars to make 60 replacement toilet seats to original spec.And that gives... $16,667 per seat.  And a great, totally #misleading #headline.#B52 #B52Bomber #ToiletSeat #GovernmentWaste #waste #procurement
       
 (DIR) Post #AvACWMZSuyL3KGqkfw by cazabon@mindly.social
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @amd @3dprinting Enshittification...#e14n
       
 (DIR) Post #B1JfJTnzVyZVbUaMcK by cazabon@mindly.social
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @Featherwatt It's worth keeping in mind that when big companies announce a change that's obviously purely for their own benefit, then walk it back due to public uproar, they virtually always re-introduce it later, usually in stages and with better-managed PR about it.It would be good for those affected to continue to find ways to exist outside the Amazon ecosystem, and yes I know that sounds impossibly difficult.  I sympathize with the authors.
       
 (DIR) Post #B28RkJkZWAi5wMqTz6 by cazabon@mindly.social
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @welshpixie This is very cool, and though making or drawing them is not for me, I'm glad these booklets exist!The curious part of me wants to know if you have the patterns for any of the ones that transport you between alternate timelines 😉 #MerchantPrinces #CharlesStross #CharlieStross #Celtic #CelticKnot #AlternateTimeline