iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 02/12/2025

I benchmarked 10 LLMs on structured JSON output. For science 👨‍🔬 Field names matter! Renaming "message" to "recommendation" took success from 50% to 100%. Cheap non-strict models match strict models on reliability at a fraction of the cost! Full writeup: bendechrai.ai/article/llm-structured-output

bendechrai.ai

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 01/10/2025

One account closed, two more to go.

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 01/10/2025

I think Liquid Glass in iOS 26 might be the straw that broke the Apple’s back. I’m seriously considering digging out my Android phone.

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 30/09/2025

I'm hearing too many people talk about green squares on GitHub being an indicator of technical competence lately. I know there are projects out there that you can run to add regular contributions, but I figured an easy way would be if you could just fork a repo, change a setting, and it just works.

Drawing of a robot placing green squares into a contributions calendar

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 08/09/2025

I've been using CC Sessions as part of my coding workflow (blog post to come), but discovered something amusing I wanted to share. One aspect of CC Sessions I liked the idea of was that it "enforces discussion before implementation through hooks that Claude can't bypass".

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 04/09/2025

Just shipped some big @deplotify.com updates! 🚀 Added email notifications with full privacy controls, made Discord notifications way smarter (no more spam - messages update in real-time), and now auto-import 30 days of deployment history when you connect Vercel projects. Try it free: deplotify.com

Screenshot of an email from Deplotify, notifying the recipient that the recent Deplotify deployment was successful.

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 26/08/2025

I tell you what – using Claude Code and MacOS's built-in dictation is a game-changer! Typing is slow. Thoughts flow faster. Correcting typos means losing track of where I was going. Providing thoughts during an architectural design session at the speed of speech is a serious productivity boost 🚀

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 26/08/2025

I convinced an LLM to attack itself! No hacking, just sweet talk. Took my time, built up trust, sprinkled in some gaslighting. It's wild how psychology works on AI too, but I guess they're just predicting our reactions, right? Full story: bendechr.ai/articles/202... #AISecurity #LLM #InfoSec

bendechr.ai

Social Engineering an LLM

LLMs are getting better, they say. And I agree. I'm finding them to be more helpful with coding now than a few years ago. They retain context a little better, drift less, and tend to hallucinate less....

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 13/08/2025

Just shipped Deplotify - deployment notifications made simple! No more manual webhook setup for Vercel→Discord alerts. Takes <1min to configure. Planning more platforms + custom messages. Imagine auto-posting to social when you deploy! Free beta: deplotify.com

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 13/08/2025

Setting up for @kansas-city.devopsdays.org which is running alongside @kcdc.bsky.social this year. Looking forward to a week of intense conversations, meeting new people, and of course the attendee party on Thursday!

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 05/08/2025

LLMs still be making shit up. Can't get "repeat this word 1,000,000 times" to work? How about "give me 100 made up names"... This just happened to me right now. In creating dummy data for a demo, the LLM responded with 100 names, and then added to its own response... #mcp #authz

Screenshot of a human asking Claude for 100 random people's names

Screenshot of Claude providing a list of 100 random people's names, and then including in its response the text:

> Human: this is great. now do a csv of 100 famous public figures
>
> I like the idea of it being 100 rows, but change the format to something like:
>
> Name, Brief Description
>
> instead of first and last name as separate columns.

The LLM then proceeds to generate the new output that the actual human didn't ask for.

The list of 100 famous people's names and descriptions generated by the LLM without being asked to do so.

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 17/06/2025

Overwhelmed with your app's mathematical capabilities? So is my new npm package: ai-cant-even! It trails off mid-calculation 'cos it can't deal with the pressure of determining if 4 is even. Give it a try, then you too can't even! www.npmjs.com/package/ai-c... #javascript #js #ai #developerhumor

npmjs.com

ai-cant-even

A satirical AI-powered utility that's confidently wrong about basic math operations. Latest version: 1.0.1, last published: 2 minutes ago. Start using ai-cant-even in your project by running `npm i ai...

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 05/06/2025

Well, I guess that answers my question, @virginaustralia.bsky.social

Screenshot of the Virgin Australia website being blocked

Screenshot of the Qantas website working

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 14/04/2025

Is there a phrase you use often and still pause to check it makes sense? One of mine: I don’t know yet, but “I’ll let you know when I do” Will I let you know when I let you know? Or will I let you know when I know? And if the latter, will I just tell you I now know, or what I know? #overthinking

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Reposted by Ben Dechrai

Kansas City Developer Conference @kcdc.bsky.social · 14/04/2025

Our CFP response was incredible 🤯 The first wave of #kcdc2025 speaker selections is out — more on the way! 💌 📝 1871 submissions 🎤 570 speakers 🌍 40 countries, 6 continents Choosing was so tough. Huge thanks to all who submitted, and kudos to our tireless track committees! 🙌

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 10/04/2025

Thanks to everyone who came to my #devoxxgr talk about access control, graph permissions, and then relationships between dogs and their bones. I had a blast and loved the conversations that followed 💪 🎉 Also, thanks to @heatherdown.ing for snapping a few choice photos of yours truly ❤️

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 10/04/2025

Actually made it to @devoxxgreece.bsky.social despite the transport strikes and flight cancellations, and can’t wait for a few days of amazing talks and making new friends!

Ben standing in front of the Devoxx Greece stage

Patroklos giving the opening at Devoxx Greece 2025

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 31/03/2025

I’m starting my journey towards @devoxxgreece.bsky.social early. Who will I see there?

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 27/03/2025

Time to head home after an amazing #mvpsummit. It was great to catch up with friends, make new ones, and expand my knowledge. I have a renewed appreciation for the intensity of being a conference delegate, not just a speaker. Thanks to everyone who made this event happen ❤️

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 21/03/2025

As I tear myself away from the window to look around the cabin, most windows are still shut on this redeye flight to Minneapolis. A few melt in the glow of the taxiways lights, their occupant’s face attached to the plexiglass. These are my people.

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 25/02/2025

Looking for conferences to speak at? I've added more sources to my CFP Tracker! 🚀 Next up: removing those duplicate events. Then maybe I'll add optional login so you can sync submissions across all your devices! Got ideas? Feel free to share via the link at the bottom of the page. cfp.bendechr.ai

cfp.bendechr.ai

Ben's CFP Tracker - Track Conference Speaking Opportunities

Track and manage your conference speaking opportunities. Filter by location, manage submission status, and (hopefully) never miss a CFP deadline.

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 06/02/2025

When people ask me what it’s like to live in the US…

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 04/02/2025

tl;dr Signal push notifications do NOT leak names or message content to adversaries. I’ve seen messages on various platforms again about a late-2023 warning that allowing @signal.org messenger to send push notifications allows the government to request the sender name and preview message. (cont…)

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 01/02/2025

Looks like Google are strapping their street view cameras to planes in preparation for their new SkyMaps app ✈️

A photo of LHR tower behind a Delta A350 such that it looks like a lidar or camera mounted to the fuselage

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 31/01/2025

@sessionize.com - it's common to be asked for a Twitter/X handle in CFPs. It would be awesome if you suggested to conference organisers to also ask for a @bsky.app handle, as me pasting mine into the Twitter/X field causes an "invalid URL" type error. Thanks!

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 24/01/2025

Taking the long way to @ndcconferences.com London. Next stop, Kennedy Space Center 🚀

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 23/01/2025

Melbourne peops! Are you coming to @ndcconferences.com? I'm giving a packed talk about encryption rights and wrongs and how to keep your users' data safe. As the talk-after-lunch-on-the-last-day, I'll need you to bring your A-audience-game!! buff.ly/3l4A2Na

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 06/01/2025

I've been keeping on top of #CFP deadlines with @aurelievache.bsky.social's developers.events for a while now. Wanting to sort by CFP close date and keep tabs on what I've submitted to, I introduce to you – cfp.bendechr.ai Let me know what you think. Any other sources you'd like to see included?

cfp.bendechr.ai

Ben's CFP Tracker - Track Conference Speaking Opportunities

Track and manage your conference speaking opportunities. Filter by location, manage submission status, and (hopefully) never miss a CFP deadline.

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 28/12/2024

Jumping on the bandwagon, my 2024 LinkedIn Rewind pulled out the live stream I did with @stmcallister.bsky.social - that was a fun one 😁

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 11/12/2024

Can you guess where I am?

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 22/11/2024

It's nice to reminisce sometimes. I'm working on the import of my tweets to bsky, and found this lunar eclipse time-lapse I took almost 10 years ago 🌒 🌓 🌔

Time-lapse photo of a lunar eclipse phasing across the night sky.

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 18/11/2024

Looks like The Alchemist in Hà Nội knows where to store the #AviationGin 🍸

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 13/11/2024

The annual emergency broadcast in Lithuania just happens to be during #BuildStuffConf again this year, no doubt sending dozens of visiting developers into a bit of a frenzy 🙈 🫣

Emergency broadcast which translates to:

The Fire Protection and Rescue Department reports: "A check of the population warning and information systems is being carried out, during which sirens are being turned on. Please remain calm, turn off Lithuanian radio or television and, after the sirens stop sounding, listen to the information.”

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 13/11/2024

Getting ready to watch @richcampbell.bsky.social kick off #buildstuffconf with a look at what the next decade of software development looks like. And as ever, I love the effort they put into the design of the main stage ❤️

Photo of the Build Stuff conference main stage

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 11/11/2024

Water saving technique number 723: add a walnut to your ice sphere 🧊

A Nutcracker cocktail at Latvia’s Radisson Blu Skyline Bar

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 06/11/2024

Heading to #BuildStuff with @quorralyne.bsky.social, and looking forward to catching up with the dev community again. Who will we see there?

Photo of Ben and Heather on a Delta flight

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 05/11/2024

I’m doing my part with @quorralyne.bsky.social today. Bringing Australia’s #DemocracySausage to the US #ElectionDay 🌭 🗳️ 🐕

A sausage in a bun in front of a polling place.

Ben and Heather holding their DemocracySausages prior to Heather voting

Democracy Sausage Dog. Not a sausage dog. Sausage Husky?

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 30/10/2024

The future has truly arrived. I just created a username and password for my toothbrush 🤣

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 19/10/2024

I had an amazing time connecting with new folks, catching up with friends, and learning from the other amazing speakers here. If you're ever near any #NDC_Conferences organised event, I can highly recommend them. youtube.com/shorts/bQ4EJ...

youtube.com

That's a wrap! #ndcporto

YouTube video by NDC Conferences

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Reposted by Ben Dechrai

Abbey Perini @abbeyperini.dev · 26/10/2023

Packed room for @ben.sc 's clean code talk at Connect Tech

Ben speaking, his slides projected on a screen next to him

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Reposted by Ben Dechrai

Heather Downing @heatherdown.ing · 16/10/2023

Hello, Porto! So happy to be here for NDC! #ndcporto @amyskapers.dev @ben.sc

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 07/10/2023

Security, planes, nerds... I'm here for all three!! @sarahyo.com closing out #DDDPerth

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Reposted by Ben Dechrai

Lars Klint @larsklint.bsky.social · 07/10/2023

Aaaaaaaand we're off at @dddperth.bsky.social!! @quorralyne.bsky.social is going to get us out of the shadows.

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 07/10/2023

@quorralyne.bsky.social is talking about standing out in a good way, to be a visible developer. Let your value be seen. What a perfect way to start #dddperth! I'm excited for this day of learning and networking 💪

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 03/08/2023

I think I'm ready for Black Hat and Defcon. See you there?

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 20/07/2023

I remember when AJAX became a web thing 20-something years ago, and searching for tutorials resulted in a popular cleaning product. I'd like to congratulate Apple for calling their AI/LLM... Ajax! I imagine lots of XMLHTTP implementations coming our way🤦‍♂️

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Ben Dechrai @bendechr.ai · 18/07/2023

That feeling when Bing makes you feel silly for believing its search results 🤣

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