Category Archives: General

Emacs Indentation

Posted on 2020-11-16 by jcs

One of the darker corners of Emacs that always seems to cause problems for n00bs and old-timers alike is indentation, tabs, and spaces. When I started, I somehow stumbled onto a configuration that worked for me and I haven’t touched … Continue reading →

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Asimov on Science and Superstition

Posted on 2020-11-15 by jcs

I recently came across an old video of Isaac Asimov being interviewed about his thoughts on science, rationality, and superstition. It’s from 1988 but, sadly, still relevant today. Much of Asimov’s discussion concerns his thoughts about religion but that’s not … Continue reading →

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The Biggest Problem with Org-mode

Posted on 2020-11-14 by jcs

Here’s a pithy, yet accurate, take on the primary downside to Org-mode: Honestly the biggest drawback of org-mode, is the fact that your collaborators might not be using it. #emacs #orgmode — Thomas Kobber Panum (@tpanum) November 13, 2020

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An Advantage of Emacs Centrism

Posted on 2020-11-13 by jcs

The technical side of the Internet is all atwitter about macOS suddenly refusing to launch non-Apple apps. The more excitable elements even suggested some dark plot on Apple’s part: Tim Cook: “We at Apple believe that privacy is a fundamental … Continue reading →

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Lean and the Mathematical Library of the Future

Posted on 2020-11-12 by jcs

Over at Quanta magazine, Kevin Hartnett has an interesting article about using computers in the service of Mathematics. That’s nothing new, of course, but this isn’t about numerical methods or LaTeX, it’s about using computers to help develop mathematical proofs. … Continue reading →

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Adtech and Bad Data

Posted on 2020-11-10 by jcs

If you aren’t in Marketing, it’s really easy to hate Adtech. It turns out that even if you are in Marketing, you should still hate it. The fact is, the numbers that Adtech produces are pretty much worthless. Although that’s … Continue reading →

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Mu/Mu4e on Linux

Posted on 2020-11-09 by jcs

It’s no surprise to anyone at this point that I really like the Mu/Mu4e mail client. It runs in Emacs, has excellent search capabilities, and is fast and easy to use. I run it on top of macOS and get … Continue reading →

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Dijkstra

Posted on 2020-11-08 by jcs

Most Irreal readers probably know the name Dijkstra, if only from his famous letter to the ACM entitled “Go To Statement Considered Harmful” and his celebrated shortest path algorithm. In fact, Edsger Wybe Dijkstra was a giant in the field … Continue reading →

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Unix As Literature

Posted on 2020-11-07 by jcs

Someone has reposted Thomas Scoville’s article from 1998 on Unix as Literature. The article’s premise is that Unix (and these days, Linux) users are different from the users of other systems. That seems like a low calorie assertion but it’s … Continue reading →

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Ball Point Pens

Posted on 2020-11-06 by jcs

What could you buy for the price of a ball point pen? No much. Not a newspaper, not a cup of coffee, and certainly not a hamburger. You can get one of the ubiquitous Bic pens for a little over … Continue reading →

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