Collin Donnell

I coined the term “Mac Assed Mac App.”

Software developer from Portland, Oregon.

📱 #Swift (iOS and Mac).
🚂 #Ruby (and Rails)

Cohost of the #RooftopRuby podcast. Friend of DeSoto.

Blog: https://collin.blog
Photo Blog: https://collin.photo
Music: https://collin.band
Ruby Podcast: https://www.rooftopruby.com

Public Key

npub1te0prz28ux2rgut343unk0t0m4qlq6edg9fgrns064g9wkfzl0zqxjyy4k

NIP-05 Address

[email protected]

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs9uhs339r7r9p5w9c6c7fm84ha6s0sdvk5z55pec8a25zhty30h3qprpmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0d4hhxarj9ecxjmntqe45wy

Publishing to

relay.momostr.pink

Author Public Key

npub1te0prz28ux2rgut343unk0t0m4qlq6edg9fgrns064g9wkfzl0zqxjyy4k

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Last Notes

2026-07-12 16:32:55 UTC

I’m so mad I moved here and sold my car to work for someone who would let me go without ever receiving even a warning. It was almost paid off and now I’m gonna have to use some of the limited funds I have available to get an older used car I’ll be paying off for the next fucking five years.
I was doing a good job and I got let go under pretty nebulous reasons and I’m pretty fucking pissed about it. I don’t know what I’m gonna do. Really hoping I can find a job back in the United States quickly.

2026-05-21 02:15:53 UTC

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It seems to me that Mastodon was designed so that it could stay small and that’s fine, but Bluesky needs to grow since they rely on VC funding and cost a lot of money to keep running?

2026-05-20 15:51:31 UTC

How does Bluesky continue indefinitely into the future if every metric seems to say that they peaked at the end of 2024 and have been on a slow decline ever since? Aren’t they pretty reliant on funding from investors? https://bsky.jazco.dev/stats

2026-03-31 00:54:37 UTC

I really love my team at Procreate. They’re all super talented but also open to trying to new things. It’s awesome.

2026-03-12 12:12:14 UTC

I live in Australia now. How crazy is that? Also, I think tomorrow will be my last day being sick, so I can finally go back to work on Monday.

2026-03-11 13:15:14 UTC

If Claude Code, or whatever, is increasing productivity 10x or 100x or even 2x, where is all the amazing new non-slop bug free software that didn’t exist before?
If everything isn’t better than it was a couple years ago, the claims have to be bullshit, right?

2026-02-07 03:30:42 UTC

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenDoc?wprov=sfti1

2026-02-07 00:27:06 UTC

What are the macOS native task management apps people like these days? Is it still Things and OmniFocus?

2026-02-05 00:50:40 UTC

“We are currently entering what is called the ‘junior death spiral.’” Employment for people over 35 has increased (supposedly?) but everyone said LLMs could write junior level code and stopped hiring junior developers. Fantastic.
https://youtu.be/WfjGZCuxl-U?si=CMqCP8kU77gQyV94

2026-01-11 21:28:41 UTC

Stop being mean to yourself, we’re in the middle of a societal of collapse.
https://cdn.masto.host/rubysocial/media_attachments/files/115/878/587/239/277/353/original/300335251b47f979.jpg

2025-12-19 00:46:53 UTC

Does anyone else just feel kind of bad and self doubting all the time? Especially in regard to their creative endeavors? I really have no idea how to get over this if I haven’t already, but I also don’t want to keep feeling this way forever.

2025-10-13 21:57:11 UTC

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I do like when it can review your own PR just as a check before you send it elsewhere, because it will flag really dumb stuff that I miss all the time. That almost just feels like automation though and not AI. Like popping up a warning that you left a log statement somewhere you didn’t want to.

2025-10-13 21:41:59 UTC

All I know is that there are people who are better at programming than me who use AI constantly, and there are people who are better than me who use Vim with no plugins or autocomplete.
The main point here is that a lot of people are better at programming than me 😂

2025-10-03 09:08:22 UTC

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True, although I’m probably not up-to-date on what they all are. My understanding is that equating ethnicity to nationality is kind of the mainstream view in Japan and that they tend to be fairly conservative compared to the west when it comes to social issues. The things he said may not seem as objectionable coming from that culture.
I don’t want to speak out of turn though. I’m not from there and I’ve only been once. I could be totally wrong.

2025-10-03 08:42:53 UTC

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I have thoughts, but it’s purely conjecture, so I’ll keep them to myself.

2025-10-03 01:06:43 UTC

It's pretty nuts. DHH has gone full ethnonationalist, everyone is going to keep working with him, and no Rails core members have quit or spoken out. Even if they don't agree, blatant racism clearly isn't a dealbreaker for any of them. No-one has even said "I don't agree with this.” Wild.

2025-10-02 03:26:23 UTC

I keep taking these political compass tests and it keeps putting me way over to the left. I honestly don't think I'm that far out. Or maybe I underestimate how conservative this country is.

2025-09-17 05:10:34 UTC

I’m finally back in Portland. I can’t believe how exhausted I am.

2025-09-08 22:52:31 UTC

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you can call him anything you want. He’s been an asshole my whole life. I don’t know why I expected any of these terrible people to be any better or less self centered now.

2025-09-08 22:23:43 UTC

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My brother texted to ask if I was going to “be a man” and go see my mom again. I told him yes, after I’m done waiting for my dad to die and why did he think that was a good way to talk to me given any circumstance.
He’s either too dumb to know how to see when people have messaged him back or doesn’t care enough to respond and possibly have to acknowledge how fucked up that was.
I’d believe either possibility.

2025-09-08 22:20:07 UTC

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All of these terrible people can bite me. I literally said “me and my dad.”
Also, it is a tiny bit about me. He’s my dad and I’m having to make all these decisions with no support from any of them even on the level of seeing how it’s going.

2025-09-08 22:18:49 UTC

I had to block my uncle because I asked him why he hasn’t reached out to ask how me or my dad are doing and he got defensive and started saying how it wasn’t about me.
I guess no one ever reached out or asked how he was holding up when my aunt had an accident and was in the hospital when I was a kid. Which is strange, because I remember us driving a few hours to go see them and keep him company.

2025-09-05 22:48:00 UTC

If I had a nickel for every time I told someone in Knoxville I’m from Portland they started going off on how bad it is and how it’s burning down, I’d have ten cents. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened more than once.
It’s like if when I met someone from the south I said “oh where all the MAGA fascists are from?” (which I don’t believe, btw). Who meets someone, starts talking trash about where they live, and then doesn’t believe them when corrected?

2025-08-20 20:43:39 UTC

My mom has dementia. I'm trying to help financially, but when my uncle said I should give up my plans to orient my life around her, I put my foot down.
She was horrible growing up. Every day she screamed at me until I was crying in my room. We weren't close and my memories not good. I've got a limit on what I'm willing to do because of that.
He said I need to get over my crappy childhood, but I have. I talk to her and I help, but I'm not changing my life for someone who made mine miserable.

2025-08-10 00:27:22 UTC

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That's honestly sounds like a miserable way to live. I can't imagine doing this job if I didn't get enjoyment out of it. I really can't imagine not totally sucking at it if I didn't get personal satisfaction from improving at it.

2025-08-09 22:48:42 UTC

There’s any assumption with pro-AI people that most of what we do is tedious, boring, and should be replaced. Writing code, editing photos, etc.
Is that true? Is most code tedious to write? There are times I haven’t liked the architecture I was working with and found that frustrating, but writing code is the fun part. Even writing tests is fun because you get to figure out how you’re going to test something.
Who are these people in creative fields who hate doing their craft?

2025-08-08 00:03:48 UTC

The best thing about programming as a career is that you're constantly learning and growing. Why would we give up a lifetime of that in order to get a JIRA ticket done 25 minutes faster? All the things AI can do for you is taking away the fun parts. Yes, even figuring out how to test something.

2025-08-04 22:56:04 UTC

I have a couple months of availability for freelance iOS/macOS work in my schedule starting immediately. Can do code or design reviews as well. 17 years experience, former Apple engineer, etc.
Great time to bring someone like me on if you’re trying to get your iOS 26 update over the line.
Get in touch here or through my website at https://collin.blog. #iOSDev #iOS #macOS

2025-07-30 19:37:11 UTC

It’s so strange when people think if you criticize something, it means you don’t like it. I mostly only criticize things I like, because I don’t spend much time thinking about things I’ve already decided aren’t for me.

2025-07-24 20:56:48 UTC

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my problem is that I use Safari and the extension just isn’t the same as having it built in. If I was on a different browser, I’d already be on Kagi.

2025-07-24 20:54:19 UTC

No shot. They’re going to ship whatever version they’ve got by the end of August/beginning of September.
https://mastodon.social/@marcoarment/114902628028134120

2025-07-24 20:50:31 UTC

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Google has ruined it itself chasing AI. It’s an actual tragedy because nothing else comes close.

2025-07-21 21:58:09 UTC

Is there any documentation for using “able” as a suffix for Ruby mixin names? I see it used a lot where it doesn't feel right. I would call a mountain “climbable", but what about a mountain goat? You don't climb a goat. What would you call their ability to climb?

2025-07-21 00:16:22 UTC

I am definitely not moving at the speed I would coding with an LLM, but I am certain doing this the hard way is helping things stick faster. Since learning is the entire point of this project, I'm happy with that result.
Also it's more fun this way.

2025-07-19 00:16:06 UTC

Why does part of me desire a Linux laptop for funsies? I know that's a silly idea. And yet.

2025-07-17 03:02:34 UTC

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Zed isn’t native and way too horny for AI. Even if you turn off the AI features in settings, the menus stay junked up with Agent this and Chat that, but also it feels off. I’m glad people like it, but for me, it somehow feels even less native than VS Code.
Nova’s core editor is great, and the UI is A+ in a lot of places, but the extensions aren’t maintained, don’t usually work, and there’s very little built in.
Sorry I couldn’t think of another way to say “horny for AI” 😂

2025-07-17 02:23:43 UTC

If I wanted to give up and use NeoVim, how do I do that where setting up autocomplete isn't a project that will take an afternoon?

2025-07-14 20:08:29 UTC

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I just deleted Claude and ChatGPT. I’m not sure we’re seeing the gains they promise or that they come at no cost.
LLMs have existed for a while. If they doubled productivity, companies would be shipping twice the features. I don’t see evidence of that.
If you ask an LLM, you get a response tailored to your code. With traditional research, you have to take what you read and synthesize a solution for your codebase. You can’t do that without understanding it at least a little.

2025-07-14 06:51:47 UTC

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Nice! What’s it like to be famous?

2025-06-27 23:50:55 UTC

I had a job recently, where one of the backend engineers updates at standup tended to be along the lines of “I think I’ve almost got the perfect prompt to get the code I need.” I found that to be rather “cringe,” as you might say.

2025-06-24 00:55:33 UTC

I’ve been making macOS and iOS apps since 2008. I’m the person who coined the term “Mac-assed Mac app.” Someone should definitely hire me to work on their app. I’m a real catch. #getfedihired #macos #swift #iosdev

2025-06-23 11:05:27 UTC

Really hoping this week is a better one.

2025-06-19 22:20:27 UTC

I hate not having a job. I just want to make cool apps. If you need an #iOS or #macOS developer, I've been doing this since 2008. I worked at Apple on the Reminders app, and I've got lots of #SwiftUI and #Swift experience. I'm really quite the catch.

2025-06-17 20:48:23 UTC

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I’ve been made redundant at my job. If you want to hire an excellent Apple platforms developer (iOS, etc.) with 17 years of experience, time at Apple, and lots of SwiftUI experience, or a great Ruby on Rails developer, reach out.
Full-time or freelance. Ready to go immediately. Please spread the word. #Swift #RubyOnRails #GetFediHired

2025-05-23 20:26:10 UTC

The most fun part of programming is finding the abstractions in your code and getting all your objects talk to each other. Please don't take that away from me. I have so little 🥺

2025-05-10 23:23:25 UTC

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Pull the cash from anywhere, add it to the deficit, whatever. That’s such a low cost. Imagine how awesome Amtrak would be if we made it even 5 billion. The military just accidentally dropped $100 million worth of jets in the ocean.

2025-05-10 23:16:45 UTC

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The total operating cost of USPS is something like $3.5 billion, and Amtrak is around $1 billion. That seems like a hell of a deal for what they provide. If it’s that cheap to operate Amtrak, we should put a couple more billion dollars into it, make it nicer, and lower ticket prices.
Edit: The USPS number is quarterly, but, still.

2025-05-10 23:16:44 UTC

It’s bizarre we talk about USPS and Amtrak as operating at a “loss.” They are public goods, so I don’t know why there’s an expectation that they turn a profit. Whatever the shortfall is should be considered the operating cost of the service, like every other agency.

2025-04-11 11:01:19 UTC

So it looks like next week I will be driving down to Sonoma County, then San Francisco, and then taking Route 50 (the loneliest road in America) to hang out with @npub18hw…ussc. Should be an adventure.

2025-03-13 19:53:38 UTC

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I believe it’s trained on Apple’s code and runs locally on device. It’s like Copilot, although not as good.

2025-03-13 19:50:42 UTC

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do you not use any of it at all? How do you feel about something like Apple’s on device completion thing built into Xcode?

2025-03-08 02:12:10 UTC

How is this real? What the fuck is wrong with Democrats? We’re getting advice from the “what is a woman” Christian troll guy now? I knew when they lost the election they would learn all the wrong lessons, but I had no idea how fast or hard that swing would be.
https://cdn.masto.host/rubysocial/media_attachments/files/114/124/385/723/566/195/original/2c44e3e5efe71c64.jpeg

2025-03-05 22:47:11 UTC

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Knowing how good those guys are, I bet the two apps share a lot of code. I've always been impressed at how fast they can spin one of these apps up, which makes me think the base code is *very* well factored.

2025-02-21 05:54:16 UTC

There’s no such thing as a “Roman salute.” The Roman’s didn’t do that. It’s a Nazi salute.

2025-02-15 02:02:21 UTC

Offer is signed and returned! 🎉

2025-01-29 01:58:39 UTC

On the next episode of Rooftop Ruby, Joel and I discuss the value of Time Machine backups after Joel learns about me deleting my Application Support directory right before we were set to record 😑 #ruby

2025-01-28 03:00:53 UTC

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Mastodon and Bluesky each have their ups and downs, but I like both. Threads isn't fun for me.

2025-01-28 03:00:02 UTC

I don't think Threads is a bust. I just think it kind of sucks. It's a great place to go if you want to argue with strangers and see clickbait content from people you've never heard of. Truly the “Instagram Reels” of Twitter-like social media apps.
https://mastodon.social/@daringfireball/113903594531173954

2025-01-25 05:39:11 UTC

This Section 31 movie is baaad. I like all Star Trek and I don’t know if I can finish this.

2025-01-24 23:19:04 UTC

My last question at an interview is always “who’s your favorite Star Trek captain?” I think it’s a pretty good one.

2025-01-23 01:51:32 UTC

I think the next four years are going to be a lot worse than the first time around.

2025-01-13 02:47:27 UTC

I’m turning 40 on Tuesday. Not sure how I feel about it, but I think I’m doing okay.

2025-01-06 22:23:13 UTC

Looking for work! Available immediately for iOS/macOS and Ruby on Rails development — contract or full-time.
Former Apple engineer with 15+ years of iOS experience and 4 years in Ruby on Rails. I'm great at both.
Please share! 🙏 #iosdev #swiftdev #macdev #ruby #rubyonrails

2024-12-09 03:01:26 UTC

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I’m not saying I know better or whatever, I’m saying I’m having cognitive dissonance trying to square the rhetoric with the behavior.

2024-12-09 02:54:04 UTC

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You can’t reach across the aisle to Mussolini. If you really believe your own rhetoric, you can’t compromise to enable anything.
Just say that they have control of Congress and the Presidency, and if they can’t keep the government running without democratic votes, that’s their problem. I know that’s extreme, but unless you didn’t really mean it, it’s the only response you can have.

2024-12-09 02:49:57 UTC

Either Democrats didn’t really believe it when they called Donald Trump and his allies fascists, or they’re okay potentially compromising with fascists.
They sure aren’t acting as though they think the government has just been taken over by a fascist regime that needs to be resisted at every turn.
If you really believe it, you can’t do anything but resist and never compromise. I don’t see an alternative.

2024-11-24 02:17:48 UTC

If anyone is looking for help on an iOS/macOS or Ruby on Rails project, I have some immediate part-time availability and would be happy to jump in. #iOS #macOS #iOSDev #RubyOnRails

2024-11-21 07:49:32 UTC

Decided to go ahead and delete my Twitter (the everything app) account outright. I feel indifferent about it.

2024-11-20 00:21:33 UTC

I find the symmetry of this very pleasing.
https://cdn.masto.host/rubysocial/media_attachments/files/113/512/421/096/278/389/original/604e0f6addcefccc.png

2024-11-18 02:57:53 UTC

Tomorrow will be a big coding day. I am going to be so productive and code so many things. I can feel it.

2024-11-17 02:33:19 UTC

“So much for the tolerant left.”
Listen. I’m tolerant of people of different races, religions, gender identifies, sexual orientations, or anything that isn’t harmful or denying someone rights.
I never claimed to be tolerant of people with repugnant views or who support those that do.

2024-11-17 02:33:17 UTC

What are some of your favorite blogs I should be following? I’m interested in iOS/macOS development, Ruby/Rails, and photography (especially film). Can be yours, too! Just looking for good active blogs. #photography #filmphotography #ruby #rubyonrails #swift #iosdev

2024-11-15 04:59:53 UTC

This is the kind of thing I'm talking about. They're all about this bad or worse.
https://cdn.masto.host/rubysocial/media_attachments/files/113/485/203/926/114/928/original/357bd409ff81131e.png

2024-11-14 21:20:17 UTC

Someone was asking on Threads if "anyone actually uses Spotlight" on #macOS, because they'd never used it at all. It blew my mind. I can barely imagine using a Macintosh without Spotlight.

2024-11-07 05:51:09 UTC

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I stopped following everything political I was following and I took the Apple News app off my phone. My mental health cannot handle this anymore.

2024-11-05 23:42:40 UTC

As of today, I weigh the least I’ve weighed in a year, and in a couple more pounds it will be the least I’ve weighed since 2021.

2024-09-23 03:44:58 UTC

I hate how fucking close this race is. It’s killing me.

2024-09-16 09:42:38 UTC

What are some of the best places to take a vacation in #Oregon? Somewhere you can rent a cabin and hang out near nature, maybe in or near a quaint town you could walk around and take pictures in? #Portland

2024-09-11 22:17:25 UTC

Being a one handed programmer sucks about as much as you think it would.

2024-08-30 21:17:48 UTC

Went to the doctor. I’m not going to be able to say I’ve never broken a bone before.

2024-08-21 23:57:25 UTC

If we’re friends and we might meet up at a conference or whatever a couple of times a year, I’m honestly fine with sharing my location in Find My indefinitely. It doesn’t hurt anything and I don’t care if my friends know where I am.

2024-08-01 21:57:26 UTC

Pretty bummed in not hanging out with @npub1pcv…qsxs and @npub1lua…lhen right now and instead just kind of laying on my couch feeling gross 😭