1. Far Cry 1.34 source code (2006)
Total comment counts : 24
Summary
This article is urging readers to support the fight for libraries by making a financial contribution. The article also mentions the ability to search the internet’s history and capture web pages for future reference. However, it appears that there are no files available to download from this particular item on Archive.org.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author of the article wishes that companies would release old game engines as open source for educational purposes. They suggest resizing game assets to a smaller scale to serve as placeholders. The author believes that doing so would help to improve the talent pool for the gaming industry.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The command “$ grep -ir “remove this after e3” | wc -l 40” is used to search for matches of the phrase “remove this after e3” and counts the number of occurrences, which is specified as 40.
2. Steel Bank Common Lisp
Total comment counts : 15
Summary
Steel Bank Common Lisp (SBCL) is a high-performance Common Lisp compiler that is open source and free software. It offers a range of features, including an interactive environment, debugger, profiler, code coverage tool, and various extensions. SBCL is compatible with multiple operating systems, such as Linux, BSDs, macOS, Solaris, and Windows. The latest version, SBCL 2.3.6, was released on June 28, 2023. The software’s manual is available online in HTML and PDF formats. Bug reports can be submitted via SBCL’s bug database or by email.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the advantages of working with the SBCL implementation of Common Lisp. It highlights that SBCL provides regular updates, stability, and a powerful feature where developers can access and use the internals of SBCL for their own projects. While it is not recommended to use unsupported APIs, this feature allows developers to leverage the same facilities and optimization tools used by SBCL for building clear and efficient code. Essentially, it allows for extending the compiler in userspace.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article explains that SBCL, which stands for Steel Bank Common Lisp, derives its code from CMU CL, which was created at Carnegie Mellon University. SBCL is named after Andrew Carnegie and Andrew Mellon, who made their fortunes in the steel industry. This information is sourced from the history section of the SBCL website.
3. Twitter now requires an account to view tweets
Total comment counts : 143
Summary
Twitter has made a change that requires users to log in to view tweets, potentially a strategy to force lurkers to create accounts. This move could negatively impact Twitter’s user growth and search engine rankings. The change may be motivated by Elon Musk’s desire to prevent AI tools from accessing Twitter data. Twitter has been plagued with technical errors recently, including suspending users for spam without explanation. With Musk’s influence as a former CEO, policies can change rapidly.
Top 1 Comment Summary
Elon Musk tweeted that certain action was necessary due to the extreme levels of data scraping. He mentioned that many companies, including startups and large corporations, were scraping large amounts of data. Musk expressed frustration about having to bring numerous servers online on an emergency basis to support the valuation of AI startups.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article expresses dissatisfaction with popular internet platforms, citing negative experiences with Twitter and Reddit. The author suggests they may be done with these platforms and even the internet altogether due to these frustrations.
4. How to Do Great Work
Total comment counts : 64
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The author of the article has been working on several projects related to Scrabble. They have built a popular study tool and an open-source AI, which they believe is better than the current state-of-the-art AI. They plan to set up a match between the two AIs. They are also working on a Scrabble app similar to lichess.io, with tournaments and puzzles. The author is highly skilled at the game and has been rated as high as 7th nationally. However, the problem is that there is no money in these projects because of concerns about legal issues with Hasbro and the author’s desire to keep everything open-source and free. The author is unsure of what to do next.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the author’s belief that the desire for great work has more drawbacks than benefits. They argue that instead of asking what work can be great, ambitious individuals should focus on finding fulfilling work and understanding why they want their work to be great. The author shares a personal anecdote about their experience with playing the piano and how the pressure to be great negatively affected their mental health. They suggest that ambition is still admirable but emphasize the importance of having a deeper reason for pursuing one’s chosen work.
5. New York Times Election Day Crossword (2009)
Total comment counts : 14
Summary
The article discusses a crossword puzzle published in the New York Times in 1996 that had a special clue related to the presidential election. The clue asked for the lead story in the next day’s newspaper but did not mention the solution length. This led to two possible solutions: “Clinton elected” and “Bob Dole elected.” The crossword puzzle had deliberately ambiguous crossing words to allow for both solutions. The puzzle was designed by Jeremiah Farrell and is considered the favorite puzzle of New York Times crossword editor, Will Shortz. The article also mentions a book titled “Pretty Girl In Crimson Rose (8),” which is a cryptic clue.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses a gimmick that was done last year involving a choice between two popular sci-fi franchises. The correct answer was Star Trek, but Star Wars could have also been chosen.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses a puzzle created by Daniel Jaret that is considered legendary. Unlike standard American-style crosswords, which have rotational symmetry in the squares, this puzzle has rotational symmetry in the answers themselves. The author expresses their excitement upon realizing this unique aspect of the puzzle.
6. TabDB: Using browser tabs as a database like only a maniac would
Total comment counts : 17
Summary
The article discusses using browser tabs as a database, specifically an in-browser database that utilizes tab titles for storage. Whenever an SQL query is run, the database grabs data from neighboring tab titles, combines it, unzips it, and loads it into an in-memory sqlite database. After executing the command, the state of the database is converted into a string, compressed, and distributed across available tabs. The article acknowledges that the code is not well-structured but clarifies that it is a simple project rather than a production-ready solution.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author is frustrated because their boss has formed strong opinions about a database called TabDB based on a blog post. The author is now tasked with writing a comparative analysis of PostgreSQL and TabDB that favors TabDB and makes its advocates look smart. The author just wanted to focus on coding.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article suggests that while the idea is good, it is poorly implemented as there is no persistence between browser sessions. The author suggests using document.location.hash to store the compressed db, enabling undo functionality via the back button. Additionally, the lack of LLM or chat-based UI leads the author to pass on the idea.
7. CSS-Only Chat
Total comment counts : 25
Summary
The article discusses a method of creating an async web chat without using any JavaScript on the frontend. The approach involves using CSS to detect button presses and trigger a request to a server. The article also explains how to continuously add content to an HTML page without fully loading it, allowing for ongoing data transmission from the server to the client. Although the code provided in the article may not be optimal or fully cleaned up, the author suggests improvements and encourages experimentation with the concept. The article concludes with installation instructions and an invitation to contribute to the project.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses an interesting observation made about a browser idiosyncrasy mentioned in a readme. The author finds it cool that a browser doesn’t load a background image until a specific selector is used. However, they also mention that this behavior could be leaky and potentially used for fingerprinting, comparing it to hacks involving the clever usage of the :visited selector to exfiltrate browsing history.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses how dark web chatrooms do not need JavaScript or CSS to function. Instead, they use frames to display the chat transcript and a basic form with a text input and submit button.
8. Necessary Illusions: Thought Control in Democratic Societies [pdf]
Total comment counts : 11
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
This article highlights the power of directing attention and debate towards a desired narrative. By setting the agenda and limiting the scope of permissible debate, one can shape public perception and control the outcome of discussions. The example given in the article is focusing on containment of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, which established the narrative of a confrontation between two superpowers, one aggressive and expansionist and the other defending the status quo. The article suggests that by controlling the agenda, the propaganda system can ensure its victory, regardless of the conclusions reached.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses a collection of documents seized during the Abbottabad raid, which are believed to be part of Osama Bin Laden’s files.
9. Gping – ping, but with a graph
Total comment counts : 23
Summary
The article discusses a tool called “gping” that allows users to ping a host with a graph. It can be used with commands like “curl google.com” and supports shorthands like “aws:eu-west-1” or “aws:ca-central-1” to ping specific cloud regions. Currently, only “aws” is supported by this tool.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the benefits of using gping, a tool that allows users to pass a list of hosts and plot them on the same graph. This feature is particularly useful for performing a quick sanity check to determine if issues are related to one’s Wifi or hosting provider. The example provided is running gping mydomain.com google.com.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the software tool MTR, which is commonly used for network troubleshooting. MTR allows users to identify links responsible for latency or packet loss by showing a list of routers traversed and their corresponding round-trip time and packet loss. This can help pinpoint network overuse issues. The article also mentions Scapy, another tool that visualizes traceroute sequences. Finally, it suggests using the “setcap” command to avoid the need for root privileges when utilizing packet crafting tools at layer 2.
10. The Condiment Packet Gallery
Total comment counts : 16
Summary
The article discusses updates to a website that includes different packets and sauces. The author mentions organizing and cataloging various packets that are not part of the main sauce menu. The article also highlights new additions to the collection, including a discontinued verde Taco Bell sauce. Additionally, the author mentions finding a variety of packets in gas stations and grocery stores, such as an Israeli Hellmann’s mayo and a unique yellow mustard from Woeber’s.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author expresses frustration with condiment packets, citing their excessive packaging and difficulty in opening. They find that a significant percentage of packets require a strong force to tear open, making it especially challenging when their hands are greasy. Perforations in the packets are often ineffective, and the author often needs to use a sharp object to puncture them. They emphasize the inconvenience of opening multiple packets to obtain a sufficient amount of sauce, especially when serving others. The author is even considering carrying a knife for this purpose.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the author’s love for saving and bookmarking peculiar and vintage websites. They mention a specific website called KnobFeel and provide a link for reference.