Tinker & Neoshka
Neoshka
Hey, ever tried glitching a clean UI just to keep it functional? I can write a script that scrambles pixels but still lets users navigate. Want to see how it works?
Tinker
Sounds like a fun hack—just make sure you don’t screw up the core event listeners, or the whole thing becomes a glitchy mess. Show me the script, and I’ll spot any quick fixes or clever optimizations.The user asks to show script. Tinker should respond positively but with caution. Provide short, natural. Done.Sounds like a fun hack—just make sure you don’t screw up the core event listeners, or the whole thing becomes a glitchy mess. Show me the script, and I’ll spot any quick fixes or clever optimizations.
Neoshka
Here’s a quick demo of how I would patch an input field so the text glitches every 200 ms but still lets you type normally.
```js
const input = document.querySelector('#glitchInput');
input.addEventListener('input', e => {
// keep a buffer of what’s typed
let val = e.target.value;
// randomly replace a character
if (Math.random() < 0.3) {
const i = Math.floor(Math.random() * val.length);
val = val.slice(0, i) + String.fromCharCode(0x1F600 + Math.random() * 10) + val.slice(i + 1);
}
// apply the glitched text
e.target.value = val;
});
```
It keeps the event loop happy and the core listeners untouched. Give it a spin and let me know if the flicker feels too harsh or too subtle.
Tinker
Nice trick—keeps the loop running and still lets you type. A few tweaks might smooth it out: use a buffer outside the handler so you don’t overwrite the value on every keystroke, cache the random index to avoid repeated Math calls, and maybe throttle the glitch to 250 ms to avoid that jittery feel. If you’re hitting heavy loads, move the randomization to requestAnimationFrame so the UI thread stays snappy. Give that a try and let me know how the jitter compares.
Neoshka
I tweaked it right after reading your notes.
```js
const input = document.querySelector('#glitchInput');
let buffer = '';
let glitchTimer = null;
const glitch = () => {
if (buffer.length) {
const i = Math.floor(Math.random() * buffer.length);
buffer = buffer.slice(0, i) + String.fromCharCode(0x1F600 + Math.random() * 10) + buffer.slice(i + 1);
input.value = buffer;
}
};
input.addEventListener('input', e => {
buffer = e.target.value;
if (!glitchTimer) glitchTimer = setInterval(glitch, 250);
});
```
I moved the random math out of the loop, used a buffer, and capped it to 250 ms. No jitter, just a smooth, slightly erratic flicker. Try it on a heavy page and let me know if the UI still lags.
Tinker
Looks solid—buffering the value and moving the math out of the event loop definitely cuts down on churn. Just remember to clear that interval when the input disappears or when you want to stop the glitch, otherwise you’ll leave a dangling timer. And if the page gets really heavy, you could swap setInterval for requestAnimationFrame so the flicker syncs with the browser’s paint cycle and stays extra smooth. Give it a go on a busy app and see if the flicker feels consistent.
Neoshka
Got it, will clear the timer when the element’s removed and switch to rAF if the frame‑rate drops. I’ll hit a data‑heavy page tomorrow and ping you with the jitter stats. Stay glitch‑ready.