Some examples of questions qwen2.5-coder:32b AI (running on a PC, locally) can answer

(long text replies omitted for readability)

tp@ubuntu:~$ ollama run --verbose qwen2.5-coder:32b
create a html5 web page code with two sliders 10cm long that have position indicators in percent and a volume control knob

Certainly! Below is an example of an HTML5 webpage named `controls.html` that includes two sliders (each 10cm long) with position indicators in 
percent, as well as a graduated volume control knob with a position indicator in percent.

tp@ubuntu:~$ ollama run qwen2.5-coder:32b
is sodium bicarb safe to eat with cooking ?

Here are some points to consider:

1. **Baking**: Baking soda is a common leavening agent that helps baked goods rise by releasing carbon dioxide when it reacts with acids (like 
buttermilk or yogurt) or heat.

2. **Neutralizing Acidic Foods**: Adding baking soda can help neutralize acidic foods, which might be useful in certain recipes to improve flavor or 
texture.

3. **Cooking and Seasoning**: In small quantities, baking soda can act as a mild alkalizer and can also enhance the color of certain vegetables when 
cooking.

4. **Safety in Moderation**: While it's generally safe, consuming large amounts of baking soda can lead to side effects such as digestive issues 
(e.g., gas, bloating) or other health problems if consumed excessively over time. It is not recommended as a regular dietary supplement without 
medical supervision.

5. **Health Considerations**: People with certain medical conditions, particularly those related to kidneys or heart disease, should be cautious and 
consult their healthcare provider before consuming baking soda in significant amounts.

In summary, baking soda can safely be used in cooking in normal recipe quantities, but it's always a good idea to use it according to the recipe 
instructions and be mindful of your overall consumption.

analyse this forth code, what is the user usage method ?
“Blocks for Mecrisp-Stellaris, blocks,fs”

Brilliant point by point analysis of complex forth code ! my own personal tutor !

what is 22/7 to 10 decimals, answer only

3.1428571429

what is 3/93 in decimal answer only

0.0322575221

did the romans have zero in their number system

No, the Romans did not have a symbol for zero in their number system.

>>> explain the flaw in the roman number system
The Roman numeral system had several limitations and flaws, including:

1. **Lack of Zero**: The Romans did not have a symbol for zero, which made it difficult to represent certain concepts and calculations, especially 
those involving place value.

2. **Complexity for Large Numbers**: Representing large numbers became cumbersome in the Roman numeral system. For example, the number 1999 would be 
written as MCMXCIX, which is quite complex compared to the Arabic numeral system where it is simply 1999.

3. **No Decimal System**: The Roman numeral system was not a positional or decimal system, meaning that the value of each symbol does not change based 
on its position in the number. This makes arithmetic operations like addition and multiplication more difficult and error-prone compared to modern 
numeral systems.

4. **Limited Use for Arithmetic**: Due to its structure, performing arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division 
was cumbersome and often required the use of an abacus or other tools for practical calculations.

5. **Ambiguity in Representation**: Some numbers could be represented in more than one way, leading to potential ambiguity. For example, the number 4 
can be written as IIII or IV.

These limitations eventually led to the adoption of the Arabic numeral system, which is much more efficient and versatile for mathematical 
calculations.

was the roman number system base 12

No, the Roman numeral system was not based on a base-12 (duodecimal) system. The Roman numeral system is actually based on a combination of additive and subtractive principles using specific symbols for certain values:

- I = 1
- V = 5
- X = 10
- L = 50
- C = 100
- D = 500
- M = 1,000

The system does not follow a consistent positional or base structure like the decimal (base-10) system. Instead, it uses combinations of these symbols 
to form numbers through addition and subtraction. For example:
- IV represents 4 (5 - 1)
- IX represents 9 (10 - 1)
- XL represents 40 (50 - 10)

The Roman numeral system is more accurately described as a non-positional, additive-subtractive system rather than being based on any particular number base.

what was the summerian number system ?

The Sumerian number system was a sexagesimal (base-60) positional system that used specific symbols for 1 and 10. It was highly effective for certain 
calculations but lacked a zero placeholder, which limited its precision in some contexts.

how many litres in 1 US gallon, answer only

3.78541 liters

is it faster for 1 man or 100 men to roll a beer keg up a hill, summary only

One man would be slower than 100 men to roll a beer keg up a hill due to the increased combined strength and ability of multiple people.

is it faster for 1 man or 100 men to carry a football up a hill, summary only

One man would be slower than 100 men to carry a football up a hill due to the increased combined strength and ability of multiple people. However, carrying a single football is a task that does not benefit as much from additional manpower as rolling a keg, so the difference might be less pronounced.

does a FET or BJT offer lower voltage loss when switching a 100 A load ? summary only

A Field-Effect Transistor (FET) generally offers lower voltage loss compared to a Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT) when switching a 100 A load due to 
its typically higher efficiency and lower on-state resistance

which is the best choice of mains powered air conditioner, one with on-off control of the compressor, or a inverter type ? summary only

An inverter-type air conditioner is generally the better choice for mains-powered operation as it offers more precise temperature control, higher 
efficiency, and lower energy consumption compared to an on-off compressor control system.

how does a inverter type work, summary only

An inverter-type air conditioner works by varying the speed of the compressor using an inverter circuit, allowing for precise temperature control and 
efficient operation by adjusting the power output continuously rather than switching it fully on or off.

provide the city running costs of a small suv style 100% EEV, compared to a similar car thats diesel powered ? summary only

A small SUV-style 100% electric vehicle (EEV) generally has lower running costs than a similar diesel-powered car due to cheaper electricity prices 
compared to diesel fuel, lower maintenance costs for the electric drivetrain, and no need for oil changes or exhaust systems. However, initial 
purchase cost and availability of charging infrastructure can vary.

it’s 6pm in brisbane, what is the time in wisconsin, USA ? summary only

If it is 6 PM in Brisbane (AEST/AEDT), it is approximately 2:30 AM or 3:30 AM in Wisconsin, USA, depending on whether Daylight Saving Time is in 
effect

what is 31C in F ? answer only

87.8°cF

create “The End!” in large bold type in latex, summary only

```latex
\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
{\Large \bfseries The End!}
\end{document}

> create a complete forth word "the-end" that when executed prints "That's All Folks !!"


Certainly! Below is a complete Forth code snippet to define a new word the-end that, when executed, prints “That’s All Folks!!”:

: the-end ( -- )
  ." That's All Folks!!" cr ;

Well that was unexpected!

A member of my embedded IRC channel is a retired professional programmer who made a small Ruby app. It converts one XML data format to another, and I’ve wanted such a program for ages, but couldn’t be bothered writing one in XSLT.

The upshot is it didn’t work and I don’t know Ruby programming. The error was related to a Ruby Gem library it wanted being the wrong version. Gahh, library hell.

So I posted the article into my local Quencoder AI and asked “whats the problem with this code”, the answer was unexpected in that it said something
like “there is a problem with a Gem library, would you like me to design a new one with no library dependency ?”

I didn’t even have to ask it!

So I said yes, and the resultant AI version was Gem library free and worked first try.

As my app is in Lua not Ruby and I didn’t want my users having to install Ruby I told the AI to design a program that did the same thing as the Ruby one, but in Lua. Also, could it also replace the Ruby hardwired input file name with a user entered command line parameter ?

10 minutes later, when I came back to check, I found I had a new program working perfectly in Lua, first try. This one required a user supplied filename as a input parameter.

Before AI I would have just given up when the Ruby app failed to work … too hard, too time consuming.

You can take my Internet, take my Google, take my freedom of speech etc, but you’re only taking Quencoder AI from my cold dead fingers !

While online AI, like the free to use poe.com is great, it only has 3000 free points every 24 hours and any decent coding task uses 2000+ points or more.

poe.com is the cheapest subscriber model at $7.50 AUD a month for 10,000 points a day, and one could easily burn that up doing one small part of a new program.

So local AI, even old slow ones definitely have a place in the maker ecosystem.

When you have ‘Vibe Coders’ in your office

They were fairly dismissive of vibe coding at Humbug last Saturday and none of the coders there used it.

One argument I have seen is that vibe coding takes about the midpoint on the Bell distribution of code where the distribution is based on volume of code and hence not related to quality. For really excellent code at the top end of the curve you probably need an expert in that domain.

I am not a coder but have found LLMs to be extraordinarily helpful in my sysadmin tasks. Like you, without it I would have probably give up and tried another way or moved on to something else. For me LLMs have not necessarily meant that I have more time away from the computer but rather they let me dwell a little longer in my happy place.

I’m curious about giving one of the coder focussed models such as qwen coder a go at some stage. I’m in the camp where I wouldn’t necessarily trust the output of an AI model (yet), but I’ve found general LLM tools useful to help understand what’s going on or doing a bit of rubber duck debugging of my own [terrible] code or a router/switch configuration. Are there specific languages or language families that qwen coder is optimised for, or is it more of a “generalist programmer”?

I’ve found that AI models have been extraordinarily useful for those scenarios where I’ve looked at a problem for so long my brain has gone to mush. I can have the AI run me through something line by line and find the logic error or the incorrect bit of syntax relatively quickly. For me, AI falls into the “chainsaw” category - it’s a very powerful tool which can increase productivity, but someone’s going to get hurt if it’s not handled very carefully.

I think that’s an important insight. Time will tell whether the organisations laying off software engineers made the right call. I suspect that the pendulum will swing back the other way before too long as the decision makers realise there’s still a need to review/rewrite/debug/secure AI generated code.

The crossbow was likely invented in early China or Central Asia before 400 BC.

With the invention of the crossbow, critics argued that it required less physical strength to operate effectively compared to traditional bows, which could be seen as undermining the value of physical prowess and skill in combat.
This ease of use also raised concerns about the rapid spread and accessibility of the weapon, potentially leading to an imbalance in warfare where less skilled soldiers could wield a powerful weapon.
Another argument against the crossbow was its perceived inhumane nature due to the severe and often fatal wounds it inflicted. This led to the Lateran Council of 1139 outlawing its use against Christians, describing it as “hateful to God” and “unfit for Christians” because of the devastating injuries it caused.

Every disruptive invention has always had arguments against it’s use, but none of the arguments ever held it back.

Just ask Ned Ludd about the invention of the loom ?

AI is no different, the cat is out of the bag.

Adapt or fall by the wayside.