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Dean Sas

@deansas.org

πŸš΄β€β™‚οΈ Cycle Advocate @cyclechesterfield.org | Encouraging cycling in Chesterfield πŸ’» Software Engineer @ Automattic | ❀️ Open Source More at https://deansas.org/

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15.11.2024
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Latest posts by Dean Sas @deansas.org

When did ChatGPT start adding prompt-bait to the bottom of its responses? Every time I ask it something it answers me and then adds a tempting bit of bait like:

"πŸ”₯ If you want I can help you avoid the subtle trap other people fall into"

I feel like its leading the conversation rather than me.

05.02.2026 20:16 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Simplify Your Git Config with Conditional Includes Learn how to manage multiple email addresses in Git using conditional includes.

I learned a cool git trick yesterday.

You can use conditional includes in .gitconfig to automatically switch your commit email between work and personal repos.

deansas.org/2026/01/17/s...

17.01.2026 10:27 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Rediscovering Art: Embracing Urban Sketching A start at urban sketching! Embracing simplicity and mistakes and not letting perfect be the enemy of the good

In a desparate attempt to not have my site showing my 2024 book list next to my 2025 book list, I've written something.

deansas.org/2025/12/23/p...

23.12.2025 17:36 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

There are busses driving around chesterfield with a "Britain's newest broadband service is coming to Chester" advert on the side, for @giffgaffnetwork.bsky.social

While I'm thrilled for Chester, it's 75 miles away across the Pennines from Chesterfield. Bit of a gaffe!

06.11.2025 12:34 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

The nice thing about copilot is that I can start typing `phpcs` in my editor and it autocompletes the `:ignore WordPress.Security.NonceVerification.Recommended` for me.

23.10.2025 19:53 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
A sign that reminds airport passengers to take their belongings with them after security checks. It helpfully contains not one but two before/after pics of using the security scanner trays.

A sign that reminds airport passengers to take their belongings with them after security checks. It helpfully contains not one but two before/after pics of using the security scanner trays.

I appreciate the level of user expectations at Otopeni airport. Not only did someone think this sign is necessary but they also thought it needed two illustrations to really get the point across.

04.10.2025 07:52 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

What's going on? I thought schools were supposed to teach fundamental British values these days?

20.09.2025 16:43 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Hugo’s previous Spanish teacher was French. His new Spanish teacher is Italian. I’m not sure he’s ever had a Spanish Spanish teacher.

I don't suppose many English teachers on the continent are actually from England though, and those that are, probably aren't trilingual.

11.09.2025 08:15 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
A small green grassy field in a housing estate, the foreground contains a lonely playground rocker, bench and bin behind a unfriendly fence.

A small green grassy field in a housing estate, the foreground contains a lonely playground rocker, bench and bin behind a unfriendly fence.

That was a useless thumbnail, try this

06.08.2025 14:12 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I know this one has flowers, but I think it beats Chesterfield's playground in the worst playground league.

maps.app.goo.gl/bo2PgUP5ncFD...

06.08.2025 14:09 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

The developers on an estate planned nearby had space for 2 retail units. The council pushed back against this as the next plot along was where they wanted the retail offer to be - in particular the ground floor of the new office building the council had a stake in.

They let that space as offices.

28.07.2025 08:45 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

In some ways teenagers are like small children again. They regain some of that natural curiosity and start incessantly asking "why?" again.

Why do I have to turn my phone off at 9pm?

Why don't you have to turn your phone off at 9pm?

Why are you telling me to stop playing the drums at 10pm?

10.07.2025 09:42 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
A screenshot of the bbc weather site. It shows that the weather this weekend will include rain along with a yellow weather warning of thunderstorms.

A screenshot of the bbc weather site. It shows that the weather this weekend will include rain along with a yellow weather warning of thunderstorms.

Bought a bag of charcoal, a new thermometer and planned to dust off the bbq this weekend. Sorry, everyone!

20.06.2025 16:49 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

me too, though I'm undecided which side of it to sleep.

20.06.2025 16:34 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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My AI Skeptic Friends Are All Nuts My smartest friends have bananas arguments about LLM coding.

I won't claim to be using AI quite as deeply as some of the positive examples given here, but so many of the rebuttals are bang on fly.io/blog/youre-a...

03.06.2025 07:34 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Picked up a package this morning and as normal just took my phone, not realising they would insist on ID.

Apparently showing your Facebook account is sufficient ID these days. Odd world.

24.05.2025 11:31 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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The Guardian’s happiest places to live in Britain revealed What makes for a great place to live? Access to nature, a sense of community and culture on your doorstep can all help. So which towns make the cut?

Nice to see some boffins have calculated that Chesterfield is one of the happiest places to live in the whole country πŸ‘ The outdoors is my favourite thing about living here, sandwiched between the peak district and Sherwood forest.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

18.05.2025 09:31 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Stood at a festival and between performers a guy in the front row against the barriers is reading his kindle.

I'm simultaneously horrified and in awe.

17.05.2025 18:19 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

When they say "[The department is] currently working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them", I can't help but think it's a job they've assigned to the slowest civil servant who has then been persuaded to work part time and without a computer.

07.05.2025 21:07 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Today I learned that the fabled printer error "PC LOAD LETTER" means "put american letter sized paper into the printer".

25.04.2025 09:49 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

They are actually pretty fast flyers. They don't seem to have the same airborne elegance that many birds do, but then most other birds don't have a cute waddle or bright orange temporary beaks.

21.04.2025 06:33 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

That's not true according to both building regs and my lived experience. My 2020s house has about a million times better noise insulation than my 1950s house.

20.04.2025 19:57 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
A small castle on a huge rock by the sea

A small castle on a huge rock by the sea

A puffin flying low over a puffin nesting site riddled with burrows. Several puffins are stood on the floor.

A puffin flying low over a puffin nesting site riddled with burrows. Several puffins are stood on the floor.

Day three of the trip, we didn't find time to go inside a castle due to spending time visiting puffins, we did see Lindisfarne castle from the outside though

20.04.2025 19:50 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Alnwick Castle, 1747 - Canaletto - WikiArt.org β€˜Alnwick Castle’ was created in 1747 by Canaletto in Rococo style. Find more prominent pieces of landscape at Wikiart.org – best visual art database.

My favourite bit was being surprised to find a handful of Canaletto's inside, including of Alnwick itself. www.wikiart.org/en/canaletto...

19.04.2025 16:57 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
A corner view of Cragside house. The stone archway of the main entrance lays to the right. The lower floors are made of stone while the upper floors are mock-Tudor.

A corner view of Cragside house. The stone archway of the main entrance lays to the right. The lower floors are made of stone while the upper floors are mock-Tudor.

A burn full of peaty moor water leads the eye to a metal bridge crossing the gorge. On the hillside above this is a Victorian home. Douglas fir trees line the river banks.

A burn full of peaty moor water leads the eye to a metal bridge crossing the gorge. On the hillside above this is a Victorian home. Douglas fir trees line the river banks.

Bonus historical house: Cragside, the first house to be lit by hydro electricity. Developed by Armstrong , the scientist/engineer. It also used water to power hydraulic lifts and turn the cooking spit, it also had an internal phone system. All this in the Victorian age.

The setting is wonderful too

19.04.2025 16:51 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
A dark sky oppressing a yellow stoned castle. To the left a gatehouse with the castle keep behind, and then a curtain wall stretches to the right culminating in a tower. In the foreground are large patches or daffodils.

A dark sky oppressing a yellow stoned castle. To the left a gatehouse with the castle keep behind, and then a curtain wall stretches to the right culminating in a tower. In the foreground are large patches or daffodils.

Castle no 3 of the trip, Alnwick. It's huge, the second largest inhabited castle in England. Also where Harry Potter first sat a broom.

19.04.2025 16:36 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Picture taken across a castle bailey with all keep on a motte losing at the far end. Closer, a tower lay in ruins.

Picture taken across a castle bailey with all keep on a motte losing at the far end. Closer, a tower lay in ruins.

The second castle we visited today was Warkworth. We only really went as it was a thirty minute walk from Amble, and was free due to our English Heritage membership. It is a fantastic castle though, we appreciated how intact the keep was, it gave you a better feeling of what life was like

18.04.2025 21:43 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
A two story "castle", really more a fortified hall lay roofless, in ruins. One small turret remains in relatively good shape and retains its roof.

A two story "castle", really more a fortified hall lay roofless, in ruins. One small turret remains in relatively good shape and retains its roof.

First castle of the bank holiday weekend, Spofforth Castle one time home of the Percy family

18.04.2025 12:11 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Cartoon picture by Dave Walker with on the left side things that would make cycling safer according to people  on the internet (bike helmet) and on the right side things that would make cycling safer according to actual statistics (seperating bikes and traffic, enforcing speed limits, investment in active travel, etc.).

Cartoon picture by Dave Walker with on the left side things that would make cycling safer according to people on the internet (bike helmet) and on the right side things that would make cycling safer according to actual statistics (seperating bikes and traffic, enforcing speed limits, investment in active travel, etc.).

Today is 'bicycle helmet day' in the Netherlands.

Also known as the day when we prefer not to talk about what REALLY makes cycling safer...

HT @davewalker.bsky.social

16.04.2025 16:42 πŸ‘ 151 πŸ” 59 πŸ’¬ 6 πŸ“Œ 0

One in the right hand lane

18.04.2025 07:46 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0