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2023-08-16

We reduced the cost of building Mastodon at Twitter-scale by 100x

  • Red Planet Labs achieved a 100x reduction in cost for building a Twitter-scale Mastodon instance using the Rama platform.
  • The instance was built with only 10,000 lines of code, compared to Twitter's 1 million lines.
  • Rama offers scalability, performance, and fault tolerance, simplifying backend development. The team plans to release Rama for public download and open-source their Mastodon implementation. PState in Mastodon is used to track data and improve efficiency. Optimization techniques are discussed, and the release of Rama documentation and API is mentioned.

Reactions

  • The article focuses on Rama, a new backend framework that aims to simplify and reduce the cost of building scalable applications.
  • Commenters discuss the comparisons made to Twitter and question the scalability of Rama.
  • The discussions also delve into the challenges of decentralized platforms, the pros and cons of using Entity Component Systems in game development, and the importance of security and moderation.

Firefox finally outperforming Google Chrome in SunSpider

  • Firefox has surpassed Google Chrome in the SunSpider JavaScript benchmark, marking a significant achievement for Mozilla developers.
  • Despite this success, Chrome continues to outperform Firefox in the more demanding JetStream 2.0 benchmark.
  • Firefox has focused on improving upload speed and introducing other enhancements to enhance its overall performance.

Reactions

  • The discussion threads focus on various topics related to web browsers such as Firefox, Chrome, and Safari.
  • Users engage in debates about performance benchmarks, customization options, memory usage, and user interface.
  • Concerns are raised about security, password managers, and the dominance of Chrome, and discussions surround the decline of Firefox and the potential impact of Google's control over the web.

The OpenTF Manifesto

  • The OpenTF Manifesto raises concerns about a license change in Terraform, an open-source platform, and advocates for either reverting the change or establishing a foundation to maintain an open-source version.
  • Various companies and individuals actively participate in open-source community initiatives to enhance projects and foster collaboration.
  • On August 15th, 2023, a group of individuals contributed to individual development and open-source community efforts, such as testing, documentation, consultancy, and utilizing open-source tools.

Reactions

  • The OpenTF Manifesto is a discussion by developers advocating for a fork of Terraform into a non-profit foundation due to concerns about lack of maintenance and support from Hashicorp, the current owner.
  • Some developers argue for a fork to improve the language and prioritize community needs, while others hope for a change of mind from Hashicorp.
  • The discussion also addresses secret management products, limitations of declarative programming, impact on the open-source community, provider ecosystem, revenue generation by Hashicorp, alternative licensing options, renaming and rebranding projects, lack of testing framework in Terraform, ownership issues, and concerns with the new license.
  • Users express support for an open-source Terraform and explore alternative solutions.
  • Concerns about switching licenses, impact on revenue growth, limitations, compatibility, and influence of cloud vendors on open source tools are also discussed.

How Is LLaMa.cpp Possible?

  • The author examines the feasibility of running the LLaMa inference code in raw C++ on different hardware, including devices with limited RAM like the Raspberry Pi.
  • The significance of memory bandwidth in deep learning is discussed, along with the benefits of using lower precision models to decrease memory usage.
  • Calculations and examples are provided for running LLaMa on various hardware, with an emphasis on the importance of memory bandwidth when sampling from transformers. Additionally, the author highlights the importance of distillation and extended training for smaller models to improve efficiency. However, they acknowledge the possibility of errors in their calculations and encourage feedback.

Reactions

  • The discussions revolve around quantizing models, Llama language model's capabilities, CPU-based inference, memory bandwidth limitations, AI's potential to match human performance, limitations and potential of language models for AGI, and challenges in obtaining human-made text.
  • Participants cover specific platforms, methods, and hardware configurations.
  • Differing opinions are expressed on the feasibility and future advancements of AI models.

Opendream: A layer-based UI for Stable Diffusion

  • Opendream is a web UI tool that introduces features like layering, non-destructive editing, and portability to image generation and manipulation through diffusion models.
  • Users can build upon existing images, conduct multiple experiments on the same image, and save and share their workflows.
  • Opendream supports extensions and offers a user-friendly method to write and utilize new diffusion features.

Reactions

  • The discussion centers around the application of AI technology in image editing, art, and animation, highlighting its potential benefits and challenges in these fields.
  • Topics covered include the development of a layer-based UI, the potential harm of AI-generated controversial content, concerns about copyright infringement, and the ethical and legal implications of AI training and use.
  • The debate also explores the responsibility of service providers, the necessity for regulation, and the impact on artists' livelihoods, raising important questions about the future of AI in these industries.

ISPs complain that listing every fee is too hard, urge FCC to scrap new rule

  • The US broadband industry is opposing a requirement by the FCC to disclose all monthly fees, arguing that it would add complexity and burden for both consumers and providers.
  • Lobby groups suggest including an explanatory statement about fees, similar to government-imposed taxes, instead of listing all fees.
  • Consumer advocates criticize this proposal, stating that it allows ISPs to hide the true cost of service.
  • The FCC's broadband labeling rules, including pricing and additional charges, are currently being reviewed by the US Office of Management and Budget.

Reactions

  • The discussion covers multiple topics concerning ISPs, such as fee transparency, regulation as utilities, tipping culture, tap water availability, pricing transparency, and fees charged by ISPs.
  • It also includes concerns about lobbying, government corruption, deceptive pricing, competition from new entrants, and ISP surveillance and data collection practices.
  • The overall theme is the call for more transparency, consumer protection, and regulation in the ISP industry.

CSS Selectors: A Visual Guide

  • This visual guide provides an explanation of various CSS selectors, including pseudo-classes and pseudo-elements, with examples of their usage.
  • The guide covers selectors for elements, classes, IDs, attributes, and different states of input elements.
  • It also mentions additional CSS pseudo-classes and pseudo-elements for targeting and styling specific elements within a webpage and provides resources such as SVG generators, tools, and design resources. Please note that it includes affiliate links for related services.

Reactions

  • The article delves into the functionalities of CSS selectors, explaining their various uses and providing examples.
  • Advanced features such as nth-child and selectors with specific values at the start or end are discussed.
  • The article also explores a tool for generalizing CSS selectors and highlights the usefulness of regular expression syntax in CSS.

How should I read type system notation?

  • The Programming Language Design and Implementation Stack Exchange is a platform for programming language designers and implementers to exchange questions and answers.
  • A recent question on the site sought guidance on reading type system notation.
  • The site provides an explanation of the basics, including syntax, grammars, relations, judgments, axioms, and inference rules. It also discusses the role of the context or type environment in determining variable types and other considerations in specifying type systems.

Reactions

  • Understanding and using type system notation is crucial in computer science and programming languages.
  • The article explores the historical development of type system notation and its use in logic.
  • Different viewpoints and experiences regarding the placement and convention of type annotations in programming languages are discussed.

Why host your own LLM?

  • The author presents an argument in favor of self-hosting language models (LLMs) instead of relying on publicly available models like OpenAI's GPT-4.
  • Self-hosting offers greater control over model architecture and weights, customization and fine-tuning capabilities, and a long-term relationship with the AI model.
  • Self-hosting allows for more experimentation, optimization, and staying up-to-date with evolving technology, while APIs may not provide the same level of access and understanding.

Reactions

  • The article explores the reasons and challenges of self-hosting Language Model Models (LLMs), instead of relying on OpenAI's API.
  • Alternative options for hosting LLMs, such as Beam, personal hardware, and George Hotz's Tiny Box, are discussed.
  • Feasibility and benefits of self-hosting LLMs, including cost-effectiveness and privacy concerns, are explored.

Modern CSV version 2

  • The developer of Modern CSV, Evan, has released version 2 of the tabular file editor/viewer for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
  • This new version introduces several improvements including an enhanced UI/UX, improved performance, additional features, updated documentation, and native support for Apple Silicon.
  • Users are encouraged to try out the new version and provide feedback to the developer.

Reactions

  • Modern CSV version 2 has been released for Windows, Mac, and Linux, offering a powerful tabular file editor/viewer that enhances CSV file handling.
  • The update comes with an improved UI/UX, better performance, more features, updated documentation, and support for Apple Silicon.
  • Users have recommended rebranding and providing clearer software purpose while discussing alternative options, expressing frustrations with Excel, and raising concerns about communication and delayed updates.