Hacker News
1Ask HN: The government of my country blocked VPN access. What should I use?
- Indonesia has blocked Twitter and Discord, along with Cloudflare's WARP service, causing communication disruptions. Users are seeking alternative methods to bypass these restrictions and maintain access to these platforms during the ongoing crisis.
VPN circumvention techniques
Discussion of various VPN approaches including obfuscation protocols like obfs4proxy and Shapeshifter, setting up personal VPS servers, and using tools like XRay/VLESS to bypass censorship. Focus on avoiding detection and maintaining access.Protocol blocking challenges
Experiences with governments blocking entire protocols like Wireguard, discussion of DPI detection methods, and technical workarounds like wstunnel. Includes regional examples from Uzbekistan, China and Russia.Societal implications
Concerns about increasing internet restrictions in Western countries like UK/Australia, impact on citizen journalism, and how technical barriers may prevent average users from accessing free internet.
2Google has eliminated 35% of managers overseeing small teams in past year
- Google has reduced its number of managers overseeing small teams by 35%, as part of ongoing efficiency efforts. CEO Sundar Pichai emphasized the need to scale without relying on headcount growth. The company has offered voluntary buyouts across 10 product areas, with 3-5% of eligible employees accepting these offers.
TLM role effectiveness
Mixed views on Technical Lead/Manager role - some found it valuable for transitioning to management, others saw it as inefficient due to competing responsibilities. Google phasing it out to separate technical and management tracks.Management span
Debate over ideal number of direct reports - some argue 5 is optimal, others prefer 10-20. Small teams can lead to micromanagement while large teams force delegation. Google eliminating managers with <3 reports.Cultural shift
Discussion of Google's changing culture, particularly how executives communicate with employees. Many note deterioration since 2011-2013, with more top-down management style emerging.
3Altered states of consciousness induced by breathwork accompanied by music
- This research investigates the neurobiological mechanisms behind high ventilation breathwork (HVB) and its ability to induce altered states of consciousness similar to psychedelic experiences. The study found that the intensity of these altered states correlates with cardiovascular changes and cerebral blood flow alterations in brain regions associated with emotional memory processing and respiratory awareness.
Light and sound machines
Discussion of devices using LED lights and binaural beats to induce altered states, with users sharing experiences using commercial products like Mindplace Procyon and phone apps like Lumenate, debating their effectiveness vs traditional psychedelics.Breathing techniques
Discussion of various breathwork methods including meditation, pranayama and hyperventilation, with debate around effectiveness compared to psychedelics, proper technique, and scientific validation of traditional practices.Unusual experiences
Collection of unconventional personal anecdotes about achieving altered states through unorthodox methods, sparking skepticism and humor from other users while highlighting diversity of approaches to consciousness exploration.
4Unexpected productivity boost of Rust
- This appears to be a title or heading about potential productivity advantages of using the Rust programming language, but there's no actual content to summarize.
Fearless refactoring
Rust's type system enables confident large-scale code changes, with developers reporting that once code compiles it typically works correctly. This contrasts with dynamically typed languages where refactoring is more risky.Location.href behavior
Discussion of whether TypeScript's inability to catch href assignment bugs is a language flaw or an inherited JavaScript API design issue, with debate about proper setter behavior and browser event loop implications.Type system benefits
Debate about whether Rust's advantages come mainly from static typing or its unique features like ownership/borrowing, with discussion of trade-offs between safety guarantees and learning curve.
5The GitHub website is slow on Safari
- Users report severe performance issues with GitHub on Safari browsers, particularly when handling large pull requests or files. The site becomes extremely slow and unresponsive, with symptoms including 100% CPU usage, slow rendering, and difficulties with basic interactions like scrolling and commenting. The issue appears Safari-specific, as Chrome performs better, though users emphasize the importance of maintaining browser diversity rather than switching to Chrome as a solution.
Github performance decline
Discussion of Github's deteriorating performance, particularly after moving from Rails to React. Users note significant slowdowns in PR reviews and file viewing, with many blaming the shift to SPA architecture and React implementation.Safari-specific issues
Recent changes in Safari's handling of DOM nodes and CSS transforms are causing performance problems, particularly with large PRs. WebKit team has merged improvements to address these issues.Corporate software development culture
Discussion of how large organizations prioritize developer hiring over performance, leading to suboptimal tech choices and poor user experience. Project managers push features while developers struggle with quality concerns.
6Malicious versions of Nx and some supporting plugins were published
- Security alert regarding the compromise of the popular Nx build system package with data-stealing malware that targets wallets and credentials, as reported by StepSecurity and Semgrep.
Disabling npm install scripts
Discussion of security practices around npm, with focus on disabling post-install scripts, using alternative package managers like pnpm, and containerization approaches like Docker/bubblewrap to isolate npm operationsDevelopment environment isolation
Developers discussing using VMs, containers, and dedicated environments to isolate development work from main system, with focus on protecting against supply chain attacks and malicious dependenciesAI-powered malware
Concerns about malware using LLMs like Claude to scan systems for secrets and sensitive data, representing a new "living off the land" approach that bypasses traditional security measures
7I Am An AI Hater
- A passionate manifesto against AI technology, arguing it's fundamentally harmful and expressing disdain for its use, creators, and supporters. The author proudly identifies as an "AI hater," criticizing both the technology's negative impacts and those who defend or casually use it, while celebrating human authenticity and creativity.
Art and creativity
Debate over whether AI can create "real" art, with discussion of emotions, intent, and tools. Some argue AI lacks necessary human qualities like empathy, while others say it's just another creative tool like cameras or paintbrushes.Environmental and ethical concerns
Discussion of AI's environmental impact, training costs, and ethical issues around bias and copyright. Debate over Google's claims of minimal environmental impact and whether copyright concerns are legitimate.Generational perspectives
Observations about age differences in AI acceptance, with younger people generally more enthusiastic. Discussion of whether this stems from experience levels rather than age, and criticism of "AI worship" culture.
8Are OpenAI and Anthropic losing money on inference?
- This analysis challenges the belief that AI inference is prohibitively expensive, revealing that input processing is extremely cheap while output generation carries real costs. The economics are particularly favorable for use cases like code assistance that require large inputs but minimal outputs, suggesting AI services can be highly profitable.
Inference vs training costs
Debate over whether inference alone being profitable matters when excluding massive training costs. Some argue training costs must be included in unit economics, while others say inference profitability is a meaningful metric on its own.Model efficiency comparisons
Discussion of DeepSeek's efficiency claims vs other models like GPT-5, with debate over whether DeepSeek's inference and training optimizations represent a real advantage or just expected industry progress.Input/output token costs
Criticism of article's math around token processing costs, especially assumptions about input vs output token ratios and costs. Several point out flaws in calculations and unrealistic performance estimates.
9Uncomfortable Questions About Android Developer Verification
- The article discusses concerns about Google's developer verification program, focusing on privacy and anonymity issues faced by app developers. It uses the example of ICEBlock, an app whose developer faced backlash after revealing their identity, to highlight potential risks and poses questions about Google's policies and future app development constraints.
Freedom and control
Debate over Google/Apple's increasing control over devices users own, with many citing Stallman's predictions about software freedom being proven right. Concerns about this extending to PCs and removal of user autonomy.Foss mobile OS challenges
Discussion of why it's difficult to have truly free/open source mobile operating systems, citing hardware/driver restrictions, app ecosystem limitations, and banking/payment system requirements.Banking app restrictions
Users sharing experiences with banking apps blocking rooted/modified devices, requiring official app stores, and moving away from web interfaces - limiting choices for privacy-conscious users.
10VIM Master
- VIM Master is a browser-based game teaching Vim commands through interactive levels. Players learn essential editing commands, movements, and search functions while receiving real-time feedback. Features include normal/insert modes, command logging, validation, badges, and a challenge mode, making Vim learning engaging and accessible.
Learning resources and tools
Multiple learning tools discussed including vim-adventures.com, vimtutor, vim-hero.com and vimgolf.com. Debate over paid vs free resources, with vimtutor praised as effective basic training but some seeking more advanced tutorials.Learning strategies
Discussion of effective vim learning approaches, including using markers, registers, and incremental learning. Users share personal experiences with muscle memory development and recommend specific plugins and exercises.Vim commands and shortcuts
Users exchange tips about efficient command usage, including exit commands (:xa vs :wq), marker usage (ma, y'a), and keyboard remapping (CAPS to ESC). Debate over best practices for common operations.