I’d say it requires some base-level knowledge of how the internet works, and what peering, transit, Internet Exchanges, etc. are.
I know the basics of those bits and pieces but not well enough to explain to someone else. So it was a little slow-going for me at the start.
This is a fun, but incredibly addictive game. It’s basically the Cities Skylines / Mini Metro / Factorio equivalent, but for building an internet.
If you’re the kind of person that can blink and accidentally lose a couple of hours when playing those other games, then set a timer before you click!
We’re back with a new series of One Of These People is Lying!
This first episode includes a surprise tasting session part way through!
This is bloody great. The best computer-controlled real analogue drum kit I’ve ever heard.
Here's my summary of why websites are offline right now, and why nerds are laughing at the number 4.
I've attempted to explain the jargon in use, so those interested but not working in tech have a chance at understanding what's going on.
https://natgray.co.uk/blog/why-websites-are-offline-and-nerds-are-laughing-at-the-number-4/
if investors were willing to give me a chance i will lose at most $1-2B a year
Here's my summary of why websites are offline right now, and why nerds are laughing at the number 4.
I've attempted to explain the jargon in use, so those interested but not working in tech have a chance at understanding what's going on.
https://natgray.co.uk/blog/why-websites-are-offline-and-nerds-are-laughing-at-the-number-4/
🔹 PHP is a language used to make ~70% of websites. A backdoor has been found allowing an attacker access to any PHP server.
This is so severe that current advice is to take down PHP sites until the fix is released.
When it is released, it only fixes current supported PHP versions. Around half of PHP-based sites still use older versions than this, and they will remain vulnerable until they’re upgraded. (Which may be hard for particularly old software)
Know some stressed infosec/devops people right now? here’s why:
🔹 SSL certificates 🔐 keep the web secure, and keys to 8 of them have been compromised, meaning attackers can impersonate websites & services. Keys are passwords hundreds of characters long, but one of the compromised keys was just the digit “4”.
Firefox, Chrome, & Apple Safari browsers have all applied workarounds; but loads of other stuff relies on these certificates of authenticity and they will need to be manually updated.
I was interviewed a couple weeks ago by a grad student working on a paper about attitudes towards AI in the maker/creative communities. We had a good long discussion and in talking, we realized the divide between pro-AI people and anti-AI people mostly comes down to whether people value the process or the product.
My friend only values the product, so she doesn't understand why someone would want to spend time on the process.
My most AI-pilled friend (who also happens to be my craziest friend) text me to ask how much I'm paid for my job because she's wondering if she's underpaid. Then she asked if we're hiring, and mused about how maybe she could become a writer like me.
Then she said maybe she could come work at my office and develop AI tools for automating our work like she's done at the place she works. "Then you wouldn't have to waste hours writing those articles," she said.
I had to explain to her that people become writers because they like writing, and that they don't want that automated away.
This reply is brought to you in association with Simeticone.
Simeticone: it’s now also in there!™
This post is brought to you in association with Trapped Wind.
Trapped Wind: it’s still up there!™
And now I find out the telescope mirrors are focused using lasers and it looks like THIS
Design brief for the new CTAO telescope array appears to be "make them look like implausible props from a sci-fi movie" and I am in love
random thought:
you should have forums for your hobby / subculture / open source thing / etc., that are not discord, and that are openly accessible in HTML online. you should try to make those appear on google and be like the place to discuss the thing, if that's at all doable.
many online subcultures used to have a politeness norm of "don't ask questions without first googling it". this rule is obsolete. googling it doesn't work anymore. stackexchange is dead. it is very difficult already to find reliable information. you need to make it as easy and inviting as possible for curious people and newcomers to get used to asking human beings about the thing. this means tolerating common questions rather than replying to them like "read the FAQ/TFM/search the forum" etc.
in fact, actively establish spaces specifically meant for people who are too intimidated to ask questions. in a reddit-type forum, do "weekly quick q&a thread—all questions welcome" kinda thing (it's less intimidating to post a brief comment than making a question post). do "weekly casual chat thread" and "beginner's corner" and "off-topic fridays" and stuff like that, too.
and on the converse, actively discourage people from posting chatbot answers, through both forum rules and fostering forum culture. don't be aggressive about it but also don't be lenient.
I wholeheartedly believe that every man should watch this video, because i bet none can grasp quite how terribly women get treated, even at work, without being challenged
@thisisjofrank:
“I gave a talk at EMF titled "Men in Tech #YesAllMen", in which I told my experience of being a woman in tech. I was afraid to publish it in case it affected my current or future employment.
With all the current news I would like to add my 2¢. So here is the recording:”
