דלג לתוכן הראשי

2023-06-25

Try: run a command and inspect its effects before changing your live system

  • The try command allows users to run a command and inspect its effects before making changes to their live system.
  • It uses Linux's namespaces and the overlayfs union filesystem to create a sandbox environment for testing.
  • The try command is still a prototype and should not be used for executing untrusted commands or performing actions that could potentially harm the system.

Industry Reactions

  • "Try" is a command that allows users to run a command and inspect its effects before making changes to their live system.
  • The command uses overlay file systems to isolate the changes made by the command, providing a way to preview changes without committing them.
  • It is particularly useful for testing and experimenting with commands, especially in cases where changes to the live system could be risky or potentially harmful.

Russian paramilitary chief says his forces will turn around

  • Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary group, has unexpectedly called off his march on Moscow and withdrawn his forces from a military hub in southern Russia.
  • Russia has dropped charges against Mr. Prigozhin and stated that he will be going to Belarus.
  • The Wagner mercenaries are leaving their headquarters and the city of Rostov-on-Don, with residents bidding them farewell.

Industry Reactions

  • There was an unsuccessful coup attempt in Russia led by the private military company Wagner.
  • The coup attempt revealed vulnerabilities within the Russian regime and raised questions about the control and stability of the Russian government.
  • The outcome of this event could have significant implications for the power dynamics within the Russian government.

Why doesn't TypeScript properly type Object.keys?

  • TypeScript doesn't properly type Object.keys because of TypeScript's structural type system and its behavior with missing and extraneous properties.
  • Object.keys is typed the way it is to enforce the acknowledgment that objects may contain properties that the type system is not aware of.
  • Structural typing allows for more flexible and decoupled code, as demonstrated in the example of using a more minimal interface for a specific function.

Industry Reactions

  • TypeScript doesn't properly type Object.keys because of the limitations of structural typing.
  • Object.keys returns an array of strings, not a type that corresponds to the keys of the input object.
  • Using type guards, casting, or validation libraries like zod can help address these type issues in TypeScript.

Every Mastodon user has an RSS feed

  • Mastodon is a decentralized social network with 12.8 million user accounts, funded by user donations and run by volunteers.
  • Every Mastodon user has an RSS feed that can be accessed by adding ".rss" to their profile URL.
  • The RSS feed includes media content and the user's avatar, and there are suggestions for potential improvements to the feed.

Industry Reactions

  • Mastodon users have RSS feeds, which allows others to subscribe to their updates without signing up for Mastodon or visiting the site.
  • RSS feeds used to be a standard feature on social websites but have become less common as platforms focus on revenue generation through ads and subscriptions.
  • Nitter and Prose.sh are examples of platforms that still support RSS feeds, allowing users to keep up with their favorite accounts outside of the platform.

A large crash spike affecting Firefox users on Linux

  • There has been a significant increase in crashes affecting users of the Firefox web browser on the Linux operating system.
  • The cause of these crashes is currently unknown, but it is a widespread issue that is affecting many users.
  • The crashes are causing inconvenience and frustration for Firefox users on Linux, and it is important for the developers to identify and fix the issue as soon as possible.

Industry Reactions

  • Firefox users on Linux experienced a significant increase in crashes.
  • Some users reported experiencing crashes when using Google Image Search, Google Maps, or other heavy web applications.
  • The crash was caused by a bug in Firefox's JavaScript JIT compiler, triggered by specific code generated by Google.

$900k Median Package for Engineers at OpenAI

  • OpenAI has a median package of $900k for software engineers, including a base salary of $300k and stock options.
  • The company offers different career levels, and engineers with 11+ years of experience can earn the highest salaries.
  • OpenAI uses a Profit Participation Units (PPU) structure for stock vesting, with 25% vesting annually over a 4-year period.

Industry Reactions

  • OpenAI pays engineers a median package of $900k, with $300k in cash and $600k in profit participation.
  • Engineers at large tech companies like Facebook and Google can also make high salaries, but OpenAI's compensation model offers higher potential rewards.
  • The compensation package at OpenAI includes the opportunity to invest in a startup and potentially realize significant returns.

Take action, Protect end-to-end encryption

  • Worldwide legislation like Chat control, the EARN IT Act, and the Online Safety Bill threatens end-to-end encryption and privacy.
  • It is important to take action and write letters to government agencies to express the value of privacy and the need to protect end-to-end encryption.
  • Sample letters are provided for the European Parliament, the United Kingdom, and the United States to help readers communicate their concerns effectively.

Industry Reactions

  • Congressional representatives have been contacted regarding the issue of end-to-end encryption, with Chuck Schumer being the only one to respond, but his position remains unclear.
  • The potential outlawing of encryption could have significant implications for the iOS and Android ecosystems, as users may have to switch to operating systems from outside the US or risk compromising their privacy.
  • There is frustration with the lack of representation for the tech community in politics, as neither party seems to prioritize their concerns. Additionally, there is concern about the tax burden on software engineers and the impact it has on the country.

US vendor accused of violating GDPR by reputation-scoring EU citizens

  • TeleSign, a US-based fraud prevention company, has been accused of violating the EU's data protection rules, specifically the GDPR, by collecting and processing data from millions of EU citizens without their knowledge and consent.
  • Austrian privacy advocacy group noyb, led by lawyer Max Schrems, filed a complaint against TeleSign, claiming that the company secretly collected data on cellphone users worldwide and used it to generate "reputation scores" that are sold to customers like TikTok, Salesforce, and Microsoft.
  • The complaint also implicates TeleSign's former Belgian parent company BICS and Belgian telecom giant Proximus, accusing them of violating GDPR rules related to data transfer and safeguards. Noyb is seeking the cessation of data transfers, deletion of unlawfully transmitted data, and potential fines of up to €236 million ($257 million).

Industry Reactions

  • A US vendor, TeleSign, has been accused of violating GDPR by reputation-scoring EU citizens.
  • The article's headline underscores the US vendor, but the underlying corporate structure is Belgian.
  • Some commenters argue that reputation scoring is necessary for fraud prevention, while others express concerns about privacy and the potential for false positives.

Common bugs in writing (2021)

  • The post provides guidelines on avoiding common bugs in writing, specifically in technical and academic writing.
  • It emphasizes the importance of clarity, concise language, and logical connections between sentences and paragraphs.
  • The post offers practical tips on grammar, punctuation, capitalization, use of abbreviations, and citation formatting.

Industry Reactions

  • "In other words" is considered a redundant phrase that can hurt the clarity of writing.
  • Different people may find different explanations helpful, so it can be useful to explain things in multiple ways.
  • "In other words" can be seen as throat-clearing and unnecessary filler language.
  • Dense texts with a lot of information can benefit from breaks such as "in other words" to alleviate the density.
  • Language preferences and writing styles may vary across different cultures and countries.
  • Starting a paragraph with a summary sentence can help improve clarity and readability.
  • Following a storytelling structure, such as the hero's tale, can make technical presentations more engaging.
  • Tables of content can be useful navigational devices in live presentations but may not be necessary in written content.
  • Guidelines and style guides can be helpful to improve writing skills.
  • The passive voice can be appropriate in certain situations, such as when emphasizing an object over an action.
  • Archaisms and outdated writing conventions should be avoided unless specifically relevant or appropriate for the context.
  • There are several resources, such as books and videos, available for learning grammar and improving writing skills.
  • Writing well is a skill that takes practice, and there are no absolute rules but rather guidelines to consider.

Maker's schedule, Manager's schedule (2009)

  • There are two types of schedules: the manager's schedule and the maker's schedule. The manager's schedule is for bosses and operates on one-hour intervals, while the maker's schedule is preferred by people who make things (like programmers and writers) and operates in units of at least half a day.
  • Meetings are disruptive for those on the maker's schedule, as they can break up valuable blocks of time and change the mode of work. This can be detrimental to productivity and ambitious projects.
  • Y Combinator, a startup accelerator, operates on the maker's schedule and uses office hours as a way to simulate the manager's schedule within their preferred schedule. This allows for focused work time while still being available for meetings with founders.

Industry Reactions

  • "Tech Lead" positions in many startups can result in individuals being pulled in different directions, leading to ineffective performance in both their managerial and technical responsibilities.
  • Maintaining a balanced schedule as a Tech Lead involves finding a rhythm that includes a combination of meetings, focus work, personal development, and exercise.
  • It is beneficial to have team leads who can contribute technically while also participating in resourcing discussions to maintain a nuanced decision-making process.