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Larry Osterman

@larryosterman.github.io

Long term MSFT employee, Dad, Singer. Expect cat pictures, tech nerding, etc. Previous: SMB filesystem, Exchange Store, Windows Audio, Windows Runtime, COM, Confidential computing. Current: Azure SDK for C++ Proud LGBTQIA+ ally. Profile pic from Not

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Larry Osterman@larryosterman.github.io · last wk.

Two quick stories, both from essentially the same time (early 1990s). #1 The Windows 3.x team was told by their leadership that they needed to use the lowest end machines available to do their development because if they had low end machines they would make sure their product worked great on them.

Larry Osterman@larryosterman.github.io · last wk.

What's maybe worse is that it wasn't until I was in my mid-50's that I learned the second half of "how sharper than a serpent's tooth". My father used to say the first part when I (or my siblings) were being snippy. And I didn't discover the 2nd half until it was too late to compliment him on it.

Larry Osterman@larryosterman.github.io · last wk.

I got to use Banquo's Ghost in an analogy at work and was saddened to realize how few of my coworkers understood the reference. At least they get it when I use "how sharper than a serpent's tooth"....

Larry Osterman@larryosterman.github.io · last wk.

I got to use Banquo's Ghost in an analogy at work and was saddened to realize how few of my coworkers understood the reference. At least they get it when I use "how sharper than a serpent's tooth"....

Larry Osterman@larryosterman.github.io · 3w ago

This, 100% this. LLMs are unreliable and need independent verification of everything because they sometimes just make stuff up.

Dare Obasanjo@carnage4life.bsky.social · 3w ago

I’ve spent the past few weeks battling the fact that AI agents are unreliable because the underlying LLM technology is. My main conclusion is that the most useful tools you have are assuming everything an LLM says is wrong until verified and automating some verification with adversarial LLM reviews

Larry Osterman@larryosterman.github.io · last mo.

Picked it up on the basis of this skeet, finished the first book today. An absolutely solid murder mystery with two fascinating protagonists in an incredibly rich world I love finding new authors, thank you.

Marshall Ryan Maresca@mrmaresca.com · last mo.

Satrine Rainey is a former spy who forges her way into an inspector job to take care of her family. Minox Welling is an untrained mage and an outcast among the inspectors. Together, they work for the Maradaine Constabulary, solving the weird murders no one else can. amzn.to/447puC7

ariella@agbouskila.bsky.social · last mo.

Well, I've been affected by the Bungie layoffs, and I guess I'm now looking for work. I'm a senior narrative designer on Destiny 2. I'm going to thread a little list of stuff I've done on the game; normally I go out of my way to avoid attention, but today I'd appreciate reposts.

Larry Osterman@larryosterman.github.io · last mo.

Yesterday I went to the old house to pick some stuff up and discovered a friend in our driveway... He was chill bit watched me like a hawk as I put the stuff in my car. I know black bears are generally pretty chill but it was still somewhat unnerving.

Small black bear on a hillside seen through the window of a carSmall black bear looking over at the viewer from a hill. There is some foxglove in the foreground.Hillside with a small brown shed to the left and a rock to the right. If you zoom into the picture, there is a small black bear looking out at someone in front of it (the photographer).
Larry Osterman@larryosterman.github.io · 2mo ago

Today's "fun with LLM slop": let blob_url: Url = format!("{}{}", endpoint.trim_end_matches('/'), format!("/{CONTAINER_NAME}/{BLOB_NAME}")).parse()?; instead of let blob_url: Url = format!("{}{CONTAINER_NAME}/{BLOB_NAME}", endpoint.trim_end_matches('/'))).parse()?;

Larry Osterman@larryosterman.github.io · 2mo ago

It is so fascinating living in a "modern" apartment. We'd forgotten about the amount of urban light pollution there is (we can almost read in the bedroom with the blinds completely shut). Also the noise from the street. Otoh, it's wonderful to be able to walk to dinner in the evening.

Dat Trans Chick@dattranschick.bsky.social · 2mo ago

We really need to stop lumping all AI together. When you say things like "AI steals art" and someone counters with "What about the AI that can find cancer?" Those are two completely different things. Generative AI/LLMs are what is being talked about in the first and analytic AI is the second.

Larry Osterman@larryosterman.github.io · 2mo ago

I have forgotten how profoundly stressful moving is. And how utterly exhausting it is. Especially when you're downsizing from a very large house to a 1200 square foot apartment... Otoh, my step count for the past week and a half is through the roof....

Larry Osterman@larryosterman.github.io · 3mo ago

My group at Microsoft is significantly remote (my boss and team PM are in socal, team members are as far away as New Zealand). Once a year the entire team gathers in Redmond to celebrate our successes and meet face to face.

Larry Osterman@larryosterman.github.io · 3mo ago

Walked into a conference room early for a meeting and was the only one in the room. And suddenly had a flashback to the "power seating" games that people used(?) to play where they carefully picked the seat they used based on power politics.