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John Carmack is reading and contributing to OpenBSD source code (marc.info)

744 points by hellschreiber · 2332 days ago · 257 comments on HN

Article summary

John Carmack, a renowned programmer, is reading and contributing to OpenBSD source code, focusing on improving code clarity without changing functionality. He is considering writing an article about his exploration of the codebase. Carmack is also taking notes and adding comments to various files to help others understand the code better. His contributions include suggesting renaming functions to improve clarity, such as renaming 'alloc_attr' to 'pack_attr'.

Main themes

  • John Carmack's OpenBSD contributions
  • Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) feasibility
  • Innovation and breakthroughs
  • Expertise and relevance
  • Predicting AGI timeline
  • Collaboration vs individual contributions

What commenters say

  • Some commenters hope John Carmack will write an article about his experience with the OpenBSD source code.
  • There is a debate about the feasibility of achieving Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) in the near future, with some arguing it is centuries away and others claiming it is impossible to predict.
  • The skillset required for AGI research is different from other areas of expertise, and some commenters question whether John Carmack's background is relevant to the field.
  • Others argue that Carmack's ability to drive innovation and make significant contributions to various fields should not be underestimated.
  • The development of AGI may require a fundamental breakthrough, and it is unclear whether current approaches will lead to success.
  • Some commenters note that predicting the timeline for achieving AGI is difficult, if not impossible, due to the complexity and uncertainty of the field.
  • The importance of individual contributions versus collaborative efforts in achieving breakthroughs in AGI research is also discussed.
  • The relationship between John Carmack's work on AGI and his involvement with OpenBSD is seen as potentially relevant by some commenters, while others view them as unrelated.