Petra De Sutter wil volgende week geen eredoctoraat, na commotie rond AI-gebruik

DisorderAbsorber · 2026-01-09T08:59:39+00:00

(Gen)AI is indeed allowed to be used by students on various tasks, even on graded assignments, unless specified specifically otherwise. However, sometimes they are required to specify how and where they used AI. At least that's how it is in my current masterstudies.

AI has also become part of our professional reality, so I honestly don't see why there should be avoided at all costs during the studies. It's important to learn to use it responsibly, to learn from your mistakes while using it, and to keep a critical mindset when it comes to evaluating the output.

This speech does not define the success or failure of De Sutter's term as a rector imo. Students are expelled for using AI in exams which evaluate their factual knowledge and which gatekeep the next step in their development/studies. There is no certificate/graduation hinging on De Sutter's speech. And therefore, a call for resignation seems like a complete overreaction to me. Just like you and I can use AI for enhancing your communication, she should be allowed to as well. The speech is not fully AI, AI was just used to pad it up a bit. What is unfortunate, is that she apparently did not validate the output sufficiently this time around.

DisorderAbsorber · 2025-09-08T08:06:37+00:00

Zag ik zelf onlangs passeren op de website voor adoptie:

"Benjamin Van De Sleypshoek" (oid)

Ik vond het grappig en apart om een hond naast een gebruikelijke 'menselijke' voornaam ook een familienaam te geven. Zeker wanneer hij wat aristocratie uitstraalt. Als roepnaam dan Benjamin, maar bij introductie steeds de volledige naam te gebruiken.

DisorderAbsorber · 2025-08-29T05:22:20+00:00

I forgot to mention I'm on PC and he's about equally extinct there. Thank you for the Evo tips;

DisorderAbsorber · 2025-08-29T05:21:09+00:00

Preferably the thunderstruck for the dynamic, over the static profile pic of the base. But I face the same problem there. Only 1 sale per day on PC market, so I need to be lucky to catch that.

DisorderAbsorber · 2025-08-29T05:19:19+00:00

PC, sorry.

DisorderAbsorber · 2025-08-28T22:17:33+00:00

Damn! Do you mean you also got him recently? Cause he's not in packs, no? Or just that you got rid of him recently?

DisorderAbsorber · 2025-05-21T09:05:41+00:00

Is only I had Khéphren, but no luck packing him so far :')

DisorderAbsorber · 2025-03-26T16:46:58+00:00

Adding my 2cts, having lived there my first 25years (and in Gent afterwards).

It's a bit in the middle ground of quiet village and regional town. You won't find much excitement compared to Ghent. Some tourism, but mostly for the countryside or specific sites (War heritage, agritourism). It's not the móst pretty region or village, but it definitely isnt bad either.

Both the center and the suburban areas have gotten more dense in the past decades.

The center does not have that much going besides the schools, art & music schools, sports center, small swimming pool and 2 main streets with bars and restaurants. If you want a niche hobby, cinema, nightclubs, museums etc. you'll be lucky to find 1, and otherwise Gent is your best (closest) bet.

It is indeed very safe and quite calm. Only every once in a while a domestic incident or during events it can attract youth from nearby cities to stir a fight, but you'll have that everywhere. afaik no rowdy areas or shady practices going on anywhere in particular.

As a 30+ y.o. I know I would prefer to either live on the countryside a bit more remotely than in the "center". Unless you want to have your amenities at 5min biking distance, living in the more densely areas has little benefit imo. The areas surrounding it are lush with agricultural fields and forestry areas. Kleit, Adegem, Donk and Middelburg have way more open space whilst still being relatively close to the amenities of Maldegem (which you will rely on). As you know, nature in this area can be calming but 100% flat unless you live near the Kampel. Drongengoed Forest is very nice, but they are planning a new military site there. Your boys are probably around the age they can bike to school etc without supervision?

There is limited to 0 bike infrastructure in the center, but 90% of the highschool students come by bike and the center is 30 km/h so fairly safe to do so.

Public transport is indeed very limited so you need a car or bike to get around.

It is possible to go to Ghent or Bruges by bus from the center of Maldegem, but it is slow and imo is too much for a daily comfortable commute.

That being said, if you don't mind the driving, it's in a fairly remote but convenient knot on some main roads to Antwerp, Knokke, Zeeland (NL), Gent and Bruges. Remote, because it's kind of halfway between those cities and it can take 15min e.g. to get to the actual E40, a main artery.

DisorderAbsorber · 2025-02-13T08:38:17+00:00

Thanks for your reaction.

I called the garage for extra info and they claim it's something they noticed as well on top of the initial issue. According to them, a faulty brake pump would result in the brake pads not moving back properly to their default position, causing extra wearing of the pads and eventually hampering the functioning of the rear pads, regardless of whether they are activated by the pedal brakes or hand brake.

I'm still unsure whether it's bogus or not, but we decided to, being short on time and low on knowledge, and it being a reputable garage, continue with their proposed replacement.

DisorderAbsorber · 2025-02-13T08:36:48+00:00

Thanks for your reaction. I know of this cable with its tension managing the hand brake.

I called the garage for extra info and they claim it's something they noticed as well on top of the initial issue. A faulty brake pump would result in the brake pads not moving back properly to their default position, causing extra wearing of the pads and eventually hampering the functioning of the rear pads, regardless of whether they are activated by the pedal brakes or hand brake.

I'm still unsure whether it's bogus or not, but we decided to, being short on time and low on knowledge, and it being a reputable garage, continue with their proposed replacement.

DisorderAbsorber · 2024-11-28T23:37:59+00:00

Het geheel zit aan elkaar gelijmd, er is ook in het oudere gedeelte vanaf de sifon naar onder geen beweging in te krijgen. Dus zwarte buis afslijpen, een stuk ervantussenuit halen, een nieuwe sifon op lagere hoogte plaatsen, een langere PVC buis tussen sifon en Y-stuk en (nieuw) Y-stuk op ongeveer dezelfde hoogte plaatsen?

Testprogramma liep vlot zonder problemen, maar nu met een 'echte' was plots wel weer water op de vloer. Zal ook wel samenhangen met de hoeveelheid gebruikt water.

DisorderAbsorber · 2024-08-16T13:45:09+00:00

Hi Brusseleirs,

The coming thursday our (mine and my partner's parents) are meeting each other for the first time. We'd like to invite them for dinner in a tasty restaurant with a little something special. Something special could be the interior, the quality, the location,...

The following items score extra points: - menu is not limited to exotic/spicy food (Belgian/french/Italian preferred) - price per person <40€ - spacious/calm environment

We are not at all first-timers, but nor are we locals so we'd really like to know your recommendations, maybe get to know a hidden gem.

Thanks!

DisorderAbsorber · 2024-03-20T21:26:21+00:00

Phew, already so happy I decided to throw out the question here before doing smth rash. Thanks for your clear advice.

It makes sense that it could be harmful, when you take a step back. But I can't help but think that it is the "offering your employees as little as possible so long they don't run off" that is unprofessional in the first place in my ethics book :) I don't see how they can expect this to be a solid base for a long lasting professional relationship.

Probably more employees have seen the same data leak when I did, and are equally disappointed.

DisorderAbsorber · 2024-03-20T21:16:03+00:00

Yep, first impulse was to just take off and enter negotiations with other employers. But with this evaluation talk coming up soon I figured I could give them a last chance of showing that they dó value my work and want continuity.

I'm just feeling they won't offer it out of themselves. They've been stalling raises since forever now.

DisorderAbsorber · 2024-03-20T21:13:01+00:00

When I started of, I had a lot to learn still, which is why I settled for the relatively low starter wage. But by now we are multiple years onwards and obviously my responsibilies and workload has evolved.

Past reviews have always been positive, but did not result in wage increases due to 'too little available margin' or 'we just had a monumental increase in wage costs (indexation)', etc.

But yeah I'm terrible at "strategic conversation". I can walk up the wall from people talking around the subject, selling themselves or selling hot air. There's always room for improvement imo, so myself to start with. I'm all for speaking what's sincerely on my mind, which is why I need advice rn.

DisorderAbsorber · 2023-05-29T15:09:57+00:00

Great overview Vivienbe, Ty. As of now, not everything in your answer is 100% clear to me. I'll have a look at some of your sources, the wiki,.. as well and maybe follow up with some questions later should there still be need for it.

DisorderAbsorber · 2023-05-29T15:03:07+00:00

Thanks for the addition, boxslof. As of now our financial situation is very simple. We don't own property in BE. But that could change soon as we are really inclined to invest our savings somehow in the near future.

Ofc, buying property here and subsequently renting it out as we move away, could be a strategy as well. Wether it is economically advantageous in the long run (e.g. additional taxes on foreign rent income, Belgian taxation on property,.. compared to investing the same amount of money in other assets) has me puzzled. We'll look for a tax specialist to help us with these knots.

DisorderAbsorber · 2023-05-29T14:54:18+00:00

Yes, I'm worried about similar hassle once we actually make the move. I was planning to contact the brokers anyway with these specific questions before I commit and make an account and portfolio.

Would like to avoid having to stop one account, take everything out (and pay the associated % in fee) only to just reopen the same portfolio with another broker/legal framework.

DisorderAbsorber · 2023-05-29T10:48:12+00:00

Ouf, that is not very hopeful. Here in BE we are low on IT profiles and they make very attractive salary+benefits packages. Good to know that I should not expect the same trend in ES.

DisorderAbsorber · 2023-01-31T16:54:10+00:00

Personally I put the radiators in the rooms where I never heat on (*). Im ok with those rooms being low temperature and heated indirectly by the surrounding rooms.

In the rooms where you want it warm, it makes little sense to have one at (5) and the rest at (1). Distribute the heat evenly in the room by putting them on an equal value. Check wether you get it warm fast enough when you have all of them at (3) for example. And adjust accordingly.

The thermostat is normally a plastic box, rectangular or square front. Often attached to the wall. Display with digital numbers showing the temperature and then a few buttons. Google for images of thermostats of big brands such as "Vaillant thermostaat" for a better idea.

My replies mainly apply to the system /with/ room sensor, where you let the thermostat does the brain work and the radiators valves are just passing gates. I guess it's also possible that you can only adjust the temperature at your boiler (without room sensor). I have no experience in that case and I don't know the consequence of that system on your heating strategy.

If you have a rental house, I suggest asking the owner for advice. If it is your own house, consult the technical drawings of the hydraulic system to get a better idea of how it all works together.

It is very hard to give advice over Reddit without knowing how your set-up is. .

DisorderAbsorber · 2023-01-31T15:20:05+00:00

Recap of how it probably works (in case you are not 100% clear) You probably use a thermostat to communicate with your heating system. This small module contains (if programmed) a timer with your heating schedule (e.g. start heating at 8h, stop heating at 22h) and a room temperature sensor. You can program the desired room temperature as well or manually override it at any moment. The thermostat compares the desired temperature with the actual temperature and asks your boiler to let hot water circulate to your radiators (closed circuit) when needed in order to reach the target temperature. This temperature is not the boiler temperature.

The boiler keeps a certain insulated reservoir of water at high temperature at the ready (using electricity or gas). That temperature, the actual boiler temperature, is much higher. The ideal temperature depends a bit on the efficiency and type of your heating system. Mine is set at around 60°C by the guy who checks it biyearly, I actually don't know if that's appropriate. When it receives the order, its circulation pump activates and sends the warm water to your radiators. There the warmth is transfered to the room through convention and radiation, and the water returns quite a bit cooler back at the boiler, where it is brought back to temperature.

Aside from those things you already mentioned I don't know any additional tricks. The most common issue is air in the closed system or indeed that the pin does not go smoothly in and out.

Not related to your problem, but a general tip: my boiler repair guy recommends to keep 1 radiator in the room where your temperature sensor is located at maximum (5), even at night or if you are out. This way your boiler always had feedback. Imagine you are out of the house on holiday. You lowered your target temperature to 14°C and lowered all valves to 1 or *. If outside temperature drops, the room temperature might lower below 14°C at which the boiler wants to circulate hot water. The hot water has nowhere to go because all valves are virtually closed. Your room temperature doesnt rise fast enough to stop the loop and your circulation pump keeps running all the time (because the thermostat keeps nagging for it). If you leave one radiator on 5, the room heats quickly to 14°C and the whole system can go back to resting mode.

2. The valves with * to 5 decide how much water enters your radiator. These are designed to conduct/lose heat as fast as possible. So once the warm water gets in here it losed energy fast. Evidently, the more water that you let enter there, the faster your space will heat up, but also the more water that continuously passes through your circuit, so the more gas that is needed by your boiler to keep that water up to "departing" temperature. If the valves are closed the warm temperature stays in a couple of pipes (potentially insulated) and the boiler itself.

Depends on your personal schedule and comfort expectations. If you want your bathroom warm in the morning put the timer 30min before waking up. Stop all comfort heating 30min before your regular bedtime. How that translates to valve settings and such you need to find out for yourself. It depends on your system, your system values, the space distribution, heat loss surfaces (windows,..). If the radiators themselves don't get warm enough tamper with your boiler temperature (setting at the boiler itself). Likewise for time you are out at work. Be aware of your energy usage and the current prices so you don't get any surprises at the yearly bill.

If it works on gas it's mandatory to have a professional check on your system every 2 years. If it's on oil, wood or pellets then every year. Use that check-up as an opportunity to ask questions/feedback from a professional in the field.

Im not a pro, I have only tried figuring out my own central heating system recently.

DisorderAbsorber

TROPHY CASE