RuBy – Blocking Russia and Belarus
The Internet is a funny place. At the exact same moment that Russian troops are committing war crimes in the real world, Russian users online are just bopping around as if everything is cool. ShutdownHook is anything but a large-scale website, but it does get enough traffic to provide interesting insights in the form of … Continue reading RuBy – Blocking Russia and Belarus
You got your code in my data, or, how hacks work.
Once upon a time, hacking was easy and cheap entertainment, and we did it all the time: Microsoft’s web server used to just pass URLs through to the file system, so often you could just add “::$DATA” to the end of a URL and read source code. Web server directory browsing was usually enabled, making … Continue reading You got your code in my data, or, how hacks work.
Ground-Up with the Bot Framework
It seems I can’t write about code these days without a warmup rant. So feel free to jump directly to the next section if you like. But where’s the fun in that? My mixed (ok negative) feelings about “quickstarts” go back all the way to the invention of “Wizards” at Microsoft in the early 1990s. … Continue reading Ground-Up with the Bot Framework
Forty for Forty
I really was born at exactly the right time to ride the golden age of computing. When I was in high school and college, computers were powerful enough to impact every corner of our world, but simple enough that actual humans could still develop a connection to the metal. I surfed those years straight into … Continue reading Forty for Forty
You are in a maze of twisty little languages, all alike.
It seems like everywhere I go these days I’m talking to a bot. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all for technology that keeps me from having to interact with actual humans. And truth be told, they’re getting pretty good — talking to Alexa has just become something I do without thinking about it. But … Continue reading You are in a maze of twisty little languages, all alike.
Layoffs Suck… for Everyone
My first experience with layoffs came during the dot-com bust in early 2001. I’d helped to build a company called drugstore.com during the boom period — we had a remarkable team full of insanely great people. The mission in those early days was simple: (1) get big fast to establish merchandizing power; (2) use technology … Continue reading Layoffs Suck… for Everyone
Shutdown Radio on Azure
Back about a year ago when I was playing with ShutdownRadio, I ranted a bit about my failed attempt to implement it using Azure Functions and Cosmos. Just to recap, dependency conflicts in the official Microsoft Java libraries made it impossible to use these two core Azure technologies together — so I punted. I planned … Continue reading Shutdown Radio on Azure
Refine your search for “gunshot wound”
I tend to be a mostly forward-looking person, but there’s nothing like a bit of nostalgia once in awhile. After finally putting together a pretty solid cold storage solution for the family, I spent a little time going through my own document folders to see if there was anything there I really didn’t want to … Continue reading Refine your search for “gunshot wound”
Cold Storage on Azure
As the story goes, Steve Jobs once commissioned a study to determine the safest long-term storage medium for Apple’s source code. After evaluating all the most advanced technologies of the day (LaserDisc!), the team ended up printing it all out on acid-free paper to be stored deep within the low-humidity environment at Yucca Mountain — … Continue reading Cold Storage on Azure
Fake Neurons Are Cool
Back when I was in college, getting a Computer Science degree meant taking a bunch of somewhat advanced math courses. My math brain topped out at Calc2, so clearly I was going to have to work the system somehow. Thus was born my custom-made “Cognitive Science” degree, a combination of the cool parts of Psychology … Continue reading Fake Neurons Are Cool
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