Hacker News
1Boycott IETF 127
- A petition calls for boycotting the 127th IETF meeting in San Francisco due to safety concerns for international travelers to the US. It cites examples of detentions at US borders and argues that holding meetings in the US contradicts IETF's inclusivity values. Several community members refuse to attend or express support.
Conference relocation
Discussion of moving tech conferences out of US, with suggestions for alternative locations in Canada, Mexico, or Europe due to safety/visa concerns. Debate about pros/cons of different locations and logistical challenges.Flagging of posts
Controversy over politically-motivated flagging of posts critical of US, with users debating moderation policies and suggesting alternative ways to view flagged content. Some see this as censorship of important tech community issues.Concerns about RFK Jr quotes
Debate about accuracy of quotes attributed to RFK Jr regarding "wellness farms" for drug users and ADHD patients, with discussion of historical context and interpretations of his statements.
2Career Development: What It Means to Be a Manager, Director, or VP (2015)
- The article discusses management hierarchy levels, criticizing traditional HR practices like performance reviews and job leveling systems. It focuses on three key management levels: managers who need support, directors who work independently, and VPs who create strategic plans and are ultimately accountable for results.
Unseen management work
Managers do significant behind-the-scenes work that ICs don't see, especially around retention, performance management, and crisis handling. Being proactive rather than reactive is key, as is managing emotional labor.Title inconsistency
Manager/Director/VP roles vary widely between companies in responsibilities and expectations. Company size strongly influences whether roles are hands-on technical or purely management focused.Career development vs compensation
Debate over whether linking career advancement to compensation through leveling systems is effective. Some argue it creates box-ticking behavior, while others see it as necessary structure for fair advancement.
3IronRDP: a Rust implementation of Microsoft's RDP protocol
- IronRDP is a collection of Rust crates implementing Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol with a security focus. It includes a full-fledged RDP client with non-blocking I/O and supports various bitmap codecs including raw bitmap, RLE, RDP 6.0 compression, and Microsoft RemoteFX. The project offers both asynchronous and synchronous implementation examples.
Microsoft RDP vs alternatives
Discussion compares RDP's performance, features and integration vs other solutions like Sunshine+Moonlight, VNC and RustDesk. RDP praised for performance and integration but criticized for Microsoft ties and framerate limitations.RDP implementation aspects
Technical discussion of how RDP works compared to VNC, focusing on GUI state awareness, hypervisor integration, overhead considerations and protocol design. Includes debate about using RDP vs VNC for virtualization.IronRDP's potential
Discussion of IronRDP's capabilities as independent implementation, including potential use in projects like Proxmox to replace VNC/SPICE, and Cloudflare's adoption for browser-based RDP access.
4France rejects backdoor mandate
- The French National Assembly rejected a proposal that would have weakened encryption by allowing law enforcement to secretly access private messaging conversations. The decision is seen as a victory for digital rights and privacy, setting an important precedent for other countries considering similar anti-encryption laws.
Politicians' understanding of encryption
Debate over whether politicians genuinely don't understand encryption or are deliberately pushing backdoors despite knowing the risks. Some argue it's technical ignorance, others say it's intentional policy driven by voter demands.Backdoor implementation challenges
Discussion of technical impossibility of creating "selective" backdoors that only good actors can use. Criminals will always have access to uncompromised encryption tools while backdoors make everyone else vulnerable.French political context
The rejection occurred in a divided National Assembly where opposing the backdoor was politically expedient. MPs might vote differently under different circumstances like after a terror attack or with pressure from their own party.
5Retro Boy: simple Game Boy emulator written in Rust, can be played on the web
- Retro Boy is a Game Boy emulator built with Rust and playable in web browsers. It features accurate CPU emulation, audio and graphics support, and various Game Boy cartridge compatibility. The web interface offers fullscreen mode, customizable controls, cheat code management, and a mobile-friendly design.
Audio emulation challenges
Discussion of audio implementation difficulties in browser-based emulators, particularly WASM+Audio issues requiring larger buffers and multi-threading solutions to avoid clicking/glitching soundsRetro gaming handhelds
Conversation about affordable Chinese retro gaming handhelds, their capabilities, custom firmware options, and recommendations for devices like Miyoo Mini Plus and Retroid Pocket 5Classic game recommendations
Users suggest essential Game Boy titles for newcomers, including Pokemon Red/Blue, Zelda: Link's Awakening, Tetris, Super Mario Land, and Kirby's Dream Land, with discussion of their historical significance
6Leaking Passwords and more on macOS
- The article discusses a macOS vulnerability (CVE-2024-54471) and provides an in-depth explanation of the Mach kernel's history, architecture, and inter-process communication in macOS. It details how Mach evolved from a Carnegie Mellon research project to become a crucial component of Apple's operating systems through NeXT's acquisition.
Historic security vulnerabilities
Discussion of past macOS/Unix security flaws, including the 2017 root login bypass and various old exploits from Sun, VAX and Windows systems, highlighting how security awareness has evolved over decades.Mach kernel architecture
Debate about Mach kernel's role in macOS security, with some arguing it's a source of bugs while others defend it, noting that proper entitlement checks rather than the messaging system itself are key to security.Article feedback
Readers appreciated the detailed technical and historical content but suggested including a brief upfront summary of the security issue's impact and requirements for better context.
7Apple shuffles AI executive ranks in bid to turn around Siri
- Apple is restructuring its executive team to address AI challenges, with Vision Pro creator Mike Rockwell taking over Siri development from John Giannandrea. The move comes as Apple struggles with AI technology and delayed features, especially in Siri's development, following concerns about product execution under Giannandrea's leadership.
Siri's poor performance
Widespread criticism of Siri's deteriorating capabilities, inability to handle basic tasks, and lack of meaningful improvement over years. Users share examples of Siri failing simple queries and note it's become worse over time.Apple management issues
Discussion of Tim Cook's leadership, particularly his poor judgment in hiring executives and allowing software quality to decline. Comparison to Steve Jobs era and debate about various Apple executives' impact.Apple maps vs Google maps
Users share positive experiences with Apple Maps' navigation and driving directions compared to Google Maps, though noting Apple Maps still lags in business information accuracy and temporary closure updates.
8The indieweb doesn't need to “take off”
- An article discussing the IndieWeb movement, which advocates for maintaining personal websites and digital independence. The author argues that IndieWeb's value lies not in mass adoption but in providing a meaningful platform for individuals who cherish creative freedom and personal expression through website creation.
Victory gardening analogy
Discussion compares IndieWeb to victory gardens - while some see personal websites as optional hobby like gardening, others argue it's vital for digital independence from corporate control, similar to growing food in wartime.Technical barriers
Many users find IndieWeb's technical requirements overwhelming despite interest. Setting up domains, protocols, and infrastructure creates high barrier to entry that deters adoption, suggesting need for better abstractions.Cultural relevance
Debate over whether IndieWeb represents future innovation or past nostalgia. Some see it as outdated like steam engines, while others argue its principles of ownership and independence remain vital for digital freedom.
9Minding the gaps: A new way to draw separators in CSS
- The article discusses a new CSS proposal called 'gap decorations' that aims to simplify drawing separator lines between webpage sections. It addresses limitations of current methods like borders and pseudo-elements, offering more flexibility in creating visual separators for grid and flexbox layouts while seeking developer feedback.
Pseudo-elements vs property
Debate between using pseudo-elements like :gap versus dedicated properties for styling separators, with arguments for pseudo-elements offering more styling flexibility like gradients and alternating colors.Rule terminology
Discussion of why "rule" was chosen over other terms, with explanations of its historical origins in printing and typography, and how non-native English speakers may find the terminology confusing.Border sizing challenges
Exploration of how borders affect layout sizing and spacing, with examples showing why traditional border approaches don't work well for separators in grid/flex layouts even with box-sizing: border-box.
10Calibre 8.0
- Calibre 8 introduces major improvements like enhanced Kobo support with native KEPUB handling, folder-based device connections, and refined author name handling. The update includes bug fixes for text searching, metadata editing, and viewer functionality. Notable features include customizable web search links, new icon management options, improved series name transformation rules, and enhanced content server capabilities. The release also updates various news sources and adds quality-of-life improvements to the interface and metadata handling systems.
User interface debate
Discussion divided between those praising Calibre's functional "old-school" UI that prioritizes utility over modern design trends, and others criticizing its unintuitive menus, icons and documentation. Most agree functionality trumps aesthetics.Kobo support improvements
Native KEPUB format support added, offering better page numbers, faster page turns, footnote popups and progress syncing. Previously required plugins, now integrated into main app after developer acquired Kobo device.iOS reading alternatives
Users discuss options for reading DRM-free ebooks on iOS after leaving Kindle, with recommendations including Apple Books, KyBook, MapleRead and Bluefire Reader. Each has tradeoffs in features vs simplicity.