דלג לתוכן הראשי

2023-06-15

New York State Senate passes prohibitions on non-competes

  • The New York State Senate has approved two bills that could ban or limit the use of non-compete agreements in the state.
  • Bill No. S3100A would prohibit employers from entering into non-compete agreements with employees, independent contractors, or others who perform work for the employer. Violators could be subject to up to $10,000 in damages per violation.
  • Bill No. S6748 aims to prevent the establishment of monopolies and restraints of trade. It would require employers to have a "good faith basis" to believe a non-compete agreement is enforceable and would also broaden the definition of non-compete agreements to include certain other types of agreements.
  • Both bills still need to pass the New York State Assembly and be approved by Governor Kathy Hochul to become law.

Industry Reactions

  • The New York State Senate has passed prohibitions on non-compete agreements, which is a significant development.
  • This ban primarily affects the finance and technology sectors, particularly high-frequency trading (HFT) firms and proprietary trading shops employing software professionals.
  • The new law invalidates contractual non-compete agreements but does not address non-association clauses, which restrict working with former colleagues.

I booted Linux 293k times in 21 hours

  • A bug in Linux 6.4 causes it to hang on boot, but only in about 1 in 1000 boots.
  • The author noticed this bug while running tests with libguestfs, and decided to investigate further.
  • Through a process called bisection, the author identified the specific commit that introduced the bug by running Linux 292,612 times.
  • This post is special because it highlights the tenacity and effort required to locate and fix a bug in a complex software system like Linux.

Industry Reactions

  • A developer shares their experience of debugging a rare failure in a large integration test suite by triggering a large number of runs overnight and using Bayesian statistics to narrow down the failure point.
  • The bug in the Linux kernel that caused the system to crash was discovered through the bisecting process involving over 292,000 different commits.
  • The bug report and discussion on the Linux Kernel Mailing List highlight the importance of persistence, thorough testing, and version control in software development while discussing various tools and techniques for bug hunting.

The Reddit blackout will continue

  • Reddit has announced a policy change that will affect third-party Reddit apps, leaving only the official mobile app as an option.
  • In response to this, many subreddits have gone black in protest, including popular ones such as r/aww, r/music, r/videos, and r/futurology.
  • Over 300 subreddits have announced that they are prepared to remain inaccessible indefinitely until Reddit addresses their concerns.
  • The blackout is demanding changes in API technical issues, accessibility for blind users, and parity in access to NSFW (not safe for work) content.
  • Reddit CEO Steve Huffman claims that the blackout has not had a significant revenue impact, but many subreddits are committed to staying black until their demands are met.

Industry Reactions

  • The internet has transitioned from being built by volunteers to being owned by corporations.
  • Hope for the rise of decentralized and community-driven platforms to replace Twitter, Reddit, and Facebook.
  • Nostalgia for the early days of the internet and dissatisfaction with the current state of social media.

First people sickened by Covid-19 were scientists at WIV: US government sources

  • Evidence suggests that the first people to be infected with COVID-19 were Chinese scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).
  • The scientists were engaged in "gain-of-function" research, which involves increasing the infectiousness of viruses like SARS-like coronaviruses.
  • This information challenges previous official statements and adds to the growing evidence that the virus accidentally escaped from the WIV.

Industry Reactions

  • The US government sources suggest that scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology were among the first to be infected with SARS-CoV-2.
  • The Director of National Intelligence is required to declassify information about the infected researchers on June 18th.
  • The article raises questions about the origins of COVID-19, including the lab leak theory, the wet market, and high-density areas contributing to the spread.

Bay Area woman is on a crusade to prove Yelp reviews can't be trusted](https://www.sfgate.com/tech/article/yel-review-fraud-kay-dean-18150617.php)

Industry Reactions

  • Yelp reviews are considered untrustworthy by many due to concerns about manipulation and extortion.
  • Both Yelp and Google Maps have issues with their search algorithms, leading to hidden results and inaccurate rankings.
  • The problem of fake reviews extends beyond Yelp and is a broader issue on the internet.

The Reddit blackout has left Google barren and full of holes

  • Over 8,000 subreddits have gone offline in protest of Reddit's upcoming API changes, leading to a significant impact on Google search results.
  • The loss of these subreddits means that users no longer have access to the valuable content, discussions, and answers found on Reddit.
  • Reddit's blackout highlights the communal and informational nature of the platform, and the impact it has on the wider internet beyond just one website.

Industry Reactions

  • The open internet is becoming centralized, with platforms like Reddit dominating the space.
  • The lack of searchability in platforms like Discord hinders the preservation and discoverability of valuable information.
  • The shift from blogs and forums to platforms like Reddit has limited the discoverability of specialized and niche content.

Native JSON Output from GPT-4

  • OpenAI has released a new feature called function calling for their GPT models, which allows them to call a function and return JSON data instead of just a string.
  • This feature is currently available for the chat models gpt-3.5-turbo-0613 and gpt-4-0613.
  • A demo app called Recipe Creator showcases how this new feature can be used to generate JSON responses for providing instructions on cooking dishes.
  • By using a JSON schema, developers can define the structure of the JSON data they want to receive from the GPT model.
  • This new feature reduces the need for prompt engineering and makes it easier to generate correct JSON output.
  • It also allows for the possibility of using GPT models as intelligent backend APIs for applications and no-code prototyping tools.
  • The JSON schema can be used to implement more complex agents and thought processes in a single API call.
  • OpenAI's API supports various JSON Schema features, allowing for the creation of more sophisticated and efficient agents.
  • While not all JSON Schema features are supported, the ones that are enable developers to embed complex strategies into a single API call.

Industry Reactions

  • Concerns expressed about the use of GPT-4 to construct SQL queries and summarize emails without proper human validation.
  • Worries about developers removing human review, increasing the risk of prompt injection and compromised agents.
  • Lack of clear documentation and education from OpenAI on secure app development and LLM security practices.

Reddit Doubles Down

  • Reddit is facing backlash from users and moderators over plans to charge developers to use its API, potentially impacting third-party clients and network enhancements.
  • CEO Steve Huffman made it clear that Reddit does not intend to offer any concessions and believes the controversy will pass.
  • Thousands of subreddits have gone dark and moderators are extending the blackout indefinitely, demanding that Reddit reverse the changes.

Industry Reactions

  • Reddit CEO warns employees about potential threats and frustrations from upset individuals and advises caution in wearing Reddit gear in public.
  • Concerns about the impact of proposed API changes on subreddit moderation and spam control.
  • Speculation about the future of Reddit and the potential for a new platform to emerge.

Always the same warning signs

  • Laronde, a biotech firm, has faced major problems reproducing data that helped raise them hundreds of millions of dollars last year.
  • The company's circular-mRNA technology, known as "endless RNA," was expected to have better stability, distribution, and longer-lasting protein expression, but no one else could get it to work.
  • Colleagues were denied access to raw data, while management blamed others for replication issues, similar to the Theranos scandal.
  • Warning signs include only one person achieving successful results, stonewalling legitimate questions, and missing or hidden important data.
  • These warning signs should not be ignored, as they indicate potential problems within a company or research project, which can lead to financial loss and damaged careers.

Industry Reactions

  • Computer tech is often seen as a better fit for startup funding compared to biotech because it is easier to understand and evaluate.
  • Biotech companies carry more R&D risk but have a guaranteed market size based on patient numbers and the potential to charge healthcare agencies.
  • The scientific due diligence in biotech is harder to fake compared to the more easily manipulable user growth numbers seen in software companies.

Serotonin booster leads to increased functional brain connectivity

  • A new study published in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging examines the effects of a serotonin booster called prucalopride on the brain.
  • Serotonin receptors, particularly 5-HT4 receptors, are found in areas of the brain that regulate mood and cognitive function.
  • The study found that participants who received prucalopride showed increased functional connectivity in the brain, specifically between cognitive networks and regions involved in attention and information processing.
  • These findings suggest that prucalopride may have therapeutic potential for treating cognitive deficits in mood disorders and other psychiatric conditions.
  • The study adds to the growing evidence that drugs targeting serotonin receptors could be a novel way to improve cognitive function in depression and other disorders.

Industry Reactions

  • Intelligence in one area does not necessarily mean qualification in other fields.
  • The study suggests that a serotonin booster leads to increased functional brain connectivity.
  • It is important to approach the suggestions and conclusions made in the comments with caution and skepticism.