Tags: web-review, risk, self-hosting, communication, architecture, language, hiring, complexity, hardware, foss, neural-networks, design, library, react, networking, google, asynchronous, optimization, frontend, mathematics, work, business, api, web, funny, gaming, 3d, hr, machine-learning, version-control, culture, tech, git, decision-making, debian, safety, type-systems, security, programming, performance, elixir, fake, management, portability, privacy, politics, conflict, rust, data-oriented, knowledge, ssh, c4, microsoft, browser, surveillance, c++, ai, life, backend, remote-working, coroutine, phoenix, postgresql, tools, system, webcomponents, http, law, trust, geometry, memory, gui, france, dns, object-oriented, databases, zoom, licensing, geospatial, framework, censorship
Let’s go for my web review for the week 2023-34. It’s bigger than usual since it’s a double issue.
Tags: tech, foss, debian
One of the most important projects out there in my opinion. Happy birthday!
https://bits.debian.org/2023/08/debian-turns-30.html
Tags: tech, browser, censorship, france, politics
Please, even if you’re not French go and sign this. It can’t be allowed to pass, this would create a dangerous precedent.
Tags: tech, web, self-hosting
I admit I’d love it if it made a come back. That’d be a big boost to self-hosting websites for people. Our infrastructures are not quite ready for it though.
https://rohanrd.xyz/posts/every-phone-should-be-able-to-run-personal-website/
Tags: tech, zoom, licensing, foss, surveillance
Definitely this! There are awesome Free Software alternatives to Zoom. We need to get more people to use them
https://sfconservancy.org/news/2023/aug/15/exit-zoom/
Tags: tech, machine-learning, zoom, law, licensing
Good explanations around the (deserved) complaints against Zoom and their not that new user license.
Tags: tech, web, google, privacy, surveillance
Good reminder on how the W3C works and what it evaluates. If Web Environment Integrity would become a “standard” it’d likely be more of a “de facto” thing because a major player shoved it everyone’s throat.
https://www.w3.org/blog/2023/web-environment-integrity-has-no-standing-at-w3c/
Tags: tech, microsoft, security
What a bad idea. From the information at hand I don’t see how this can go well.
Tags: tech, hardware, ai, machine-learning, neural-networks
Now this could turn out to be interesting. To be confirmed when this get closer to production (if it does), especially on the power consumption side. This will be the important factor to make this viable I think.
https://research.ibm.com/blog/analog-ai-chip-inference
Tags: tech, optimization, geospatial, geometry
Not as detailed as I would like on the proposed solution. A good starting point for inspiration though. Should help with geospatial and fleet management problems.
https://nextbillion.ai/blog/optimizing-point-in-polygon-calculations-for-geospatial-applications
Tags: tech, 3d, mathematics
If you want to know more about how to use mirror balls to create environment maps, this is a good resource.
https://mirrorball.frost.kiwi/
Tags: tech, gaming, 3d, portability
Interesting rewrite attempt. Gives nice information on the original code and the PSX architecture as well.
https://phoboslab.org/log/2023/08/rewriting-wipeout
Tags: tech, dns, networking
Doesn’t go much in depth, but this is a nice resource with interesting references to follow to dig deeper and learn mDNS.
https://fabiensanglard.net/mdns/index.html
Tags: tech, web, api, security
Nicely explain how to secure your webhooks step by step.
https://snyk.io/blog/verifying-webhook-signatures/
Tags: tech, c++, coroutine, asynchronous
Beware of the problems coroutines might bring. Some are “obvious” and related to concurrency in general, but some are running deep in their design in C++.
https://reductor.dev/cpp/2023/08/10/the-downsides-of-coroutines.html
Tags: tech, data-oriented, object-oriented, memory, gaming, 3d
A bit C++ and game engine focused (to be expected since this is were this kind of techniques originate from), bit very good explanation on how to have packed layouts for your objects and reduce pressure on memory allocation for data intensive tasks.
https://floooh.github.io/2018/06/17/handles-vs-pointers.html
Tags: tech, programming, rust, type-systems
Illustrated with Rust in this case, but definitely one of the big advantages of having type systems. Adding constraints (even runtime ones) to your types make it harder for bugs to hide.
https://corrode.dev/blog/illegal-state/
Tags: tech, programming, language
Very good points. Picking a particular language is likely not the right approach. Trying to apply the main principles of functional programming on the other hand is more likely to bear fruits.
https://notes.eatonphil.com/2023-08-15-thinking-about-functional-programming.html
Tags: tech, programming, elixir, backend, frontend
This is clearly getting more mature. Even the list of issues presented here actually makes me want to try it more as to evaluate the exact impacts.
https://korban.net/posts/2023-08-11-thoughts-on-elixir-phoenix-liveview/
Tags: tech, elixir, phoenix, web, framework
Nice little primer about Elixir and Phoenix. Be careful though, I spotted a couple of mistakes in the code examples. That still gives a good idea of advantages and limitations of this stack.
https://joyyo.app/elixir-for-humans-who-know-python
Tags: tech, web, frontend, framework, react
Long post but worth the read in my opinion. It lays out good reasons for reducing the dominance of React and move beyond it. There are good reasons to do so, and they’re piling up with the time passing.
https://joshcollinsworth.com/blog/antiquated-react
Tags: tech, frontend, web, webcomponents
Good balanced view about Web Components. Interestingly it seems the adoption is already higher than I expected.
https://nolanlawson.com/2023/08/23/use-web-components-for-what-theyre-good-at/
Tags: tech, gui, design
Good reminder that we have no idea of the window size the user will have. It’s in the context of web frontends here, but really it applies to desktop applications as well (we have a bit more control on the minimal size there but that’s it).
Tags: tech, licensing, foss
Looks like a handy tool for licenses compatibility checking.
Tags: tech, tools
Looks like an interesting tool to manage user environment when they join a project.
https://github.com/HexmosTech/Ansika
Tags: tech, networking, tools, ssh, http
Looks like a very nice alternative to ngrok. It’s free, doesn’t require any particular command to download, just works through SSH.
Tags: tech, git, version-control
A good reference on most of the branching patterns you can find. From this you can derive your project wide policy. Also it’s spot on when it says that branching is easy but each time you branch you need to keep in mind how you’re going to merge.
https://martinfowler.com/articles/branching-patterns.html
Tags: tech, optimization, performance
Obvious advice perhaps, but so easily forgotten somehow…
https://two-wrongs.com/optimise-the-expensive-first
Tags: tech, system, safety, knowledge, risk
A good reminder on how the “five why” are just a starting pont. For proper investigation and risk management you need to go deeper.
https://codywilbourn.com/2018/01/02/root-cause-is-plural/
Tags: tech, architecture, communication, c4
Good reminder of the benefits of having a model of your architecture and keeping it up to date. It’s something too often forgotten in teams I think. Interesting to see C4 getting some traction, I think it strikes a good balance.
https://www.unravelled.dev/how-architecture-diagrams-enable-better-conversations/
Tags: tech, databases, postgresql, architecture, complexity
Excellent points. Don’t be fooled by alluring architecture changes. Always keep the complexity in check and favor tuning what’s already here or changing your use patterns to meet the performance you need.
https://blog.danslimmon.com/2023/08/11/squeeze-the-hell-out-of-the-system-you-have/
Tags: tech, library, framework, web, architecture
Good thinking about abstraction levels on top of a platform. It’s very much focused on the Web platform but applies more generally. Good food for thought on the libraries vs framework debate, why escape hatches matter and why you want a layered architecture.
https://surma.dev/things/cost-of-convenience/
Tags: tech, programming, complexity
To take with a pinch of salt, it conflates a few things in my opinion. Still it’s a good reminder that eliminating complexity shouldn’t be a goal. Managing said complexity and avoiding the undue one, this is what matters.
https://cohost.org/tef/post/2503472-complex-simple-good
Tags: business, fake
Very good advice. Don’t waste time believing false business claims and trying to replicate them. Easier said than done though, most people don’t have the privilege of insiders knowledge.
https://www.atvbt.com/the-carrot-problem/
Tags: business, management, decision-making
Clearly very much inspired by the science peer review system. Having experienced it, indeed I wish more business decisions would be made that way.
https://www.yegor256.com/2023/08/15/decision-making-process.html
Tags: tech, management, remote-working
Those who listen (not mandate) to their employees and hire whatever the location will come out on top. It’ll require planning real estate ahead of course but the writing is probably on the wall.
Tags: hr, hiring
This advice makes sense. People performance fluctuate you need to know where the extremes are before hiring them. Easier said than done though.
https://jacobian.org/2023/aug/16/floors-not-ceilings/
Tags: management, communication, conflict
Lots of good advices for dealing with a conflict. Choosing the right words and the right time matter. Not easy to apply but worth trying.
https://hbr.org/2014/06/choose-the-right-words-in-an-argument
Tags: communication, trust
Interesting advices. As usual with this kind of topics it’s probably easier said than done though.
Tags: life, work, culture
Very good points about cultural differences. Indeed some people directly ask and express their needs, others are more waiting and take into account everyone else’s needs when asked. Both have pros and cons, it’s important to know where you stand.
https://jeanhsu.substack.com/p/ask-vs-guess-culture
Tags: tech, funny
Experience the gruesome work of being an operating system. Now show some respect!
https://plbrault.com/blog-posts/i-created-the-nerdierst-game-ever-en/
Bye for now!