Top Stories Daily

A few weeks ago I fixed a bug in #OpenZFS and I can't stop thinking about it.

https://despairlabs.com/blog/posts/2025-07-10-an-openzfs-bug-and-the-humans-that-made-it/

Here's a neat analysis of a subtle OpenZFS bug by @robn.

https://despairlabs.com/blog/posts/2025-07-10-an-openzfs-bug-and-the-humans-that-made-it/

I love reading thoughtful analyses of bugs and the factors that produced them. Nowadays I usually arrive somewhat resigned, and expecting a "zeroth order" C bug -- something like bad pointering or failure to initialize a variable.

This is more of a "second order" C bug, and the author goes through the potential tradeoffs and rightfully points out that the answer is not "git gud." I'll put my thoughts on the bug in a reply so as not to spoil it for you.

Anyway, it's a good short read.

A few weeks ago I fixed a bug in #OpenZFS and I can't stop thinking about it.

https://despairlabs.com/blog/posts/2025-07-10-an-openzfs-bug-and-the-humans-that-made-it/

An (almost) catastrophic OpenZFS bug and the humans that made it (and Rust is here too) • Rob Norris

https://despairlabs.com/blog/posts/2025-07-10-an-openzfs-bug-and-the-humans-that-made-it/

#openzfs #rust #opensource

An (almost) catastrophic OpenZFS bug and the humans that made it (and Rust is here too) • Rob Norris

https://despairlabs.com/blog/posts/2025-07-10-an-openzfs-bug-and-the-humans-that-made-it/

#openzfs #rust #opensource

🚨 Oh no! A programmer discovered a #bug in #OpenZFS that might unleash chaos upon the universe... except it didn't, and #Rust didn't save the day either. 🐛 Looks like "despair labs" is now open for business, offering free lessons in overdramatizing code fixes! 😂
https://despairlabs.com/blog/posts/2025-07-10-an-openzfs-bug-and-the-humans-that-made-it/ #DespairLabs #CodingHumor #TechDrama #HackerNews #ngated

https://despairlabs.com/blog/posts/2025-07-10-an-openzfs-bug-and-the-humans-that-made-it/

#HackerNews #OpenZFS #Bug #Humans #Tech #News #Software #Development

A few weeks ago I fixed a bug in #OpenZFS and I can't stop thinking about it.

https://despairlabs.com/blog/posts/2025-07-10-an-openzfs-bug-and-the-humans-that-made-it/

An (almost) catastrophic OpenZFS bug and the humans that made it (and Rust is here too) https://despairlabs.com/blog/posts/2025-07-10-an-openzfs-bug-and-the-humans-that-made-it/

Link: https://despairlabs.com/blog/posts/2025-07-10-an-openzfs-bug-and-the-humans-that-made-it/
Comments: https://lobste.rs/s/jjqmuu

"It is very impressive. A whole generation has **forgotten** that you can run software on servers instead of on clouds. Even though this can be an order of magnitude cheaper." - https://berthub.eu/articles/posts/the-european-situation/

"It is very impressive. A whole generation has **forgotten** that you can run software on servers instead of on clouds. Even though this can be an order of magnitude cheaper." - https://berthub.eu/articles/posts/the-european-situation/

Although tons of words have been written already on Europe's cloud predicament, I've found that it makes sense to briefly describe the very high level picture of where we are. "We rely on non-European SaaS based on non-European clouds":
https://berthub.eu/articles/posts/the-european-situation/

"You’d typically have a piece of software in your office, on one of your computers, to calculate payroll with. Most other computers would have copies of WordPerfect installed. This software would function for years without updates or maintenance. If WordPerfect-the-company would disappear, you would not even notice."

https://berthub.eu/articles/posts/the-european-situation/

Those were the days, my friends!

Although tons of words have been written already on Europe's cloud predicament, I've found that it makes sense to briefly describe the very high level picture of where we are. "We rely on non-European SaaS based on non-European clouds":
https://berthub.eu/articles/posts/the-european-situation/

Although tons of words have been written already on Europe's cloud predicament, I've found that it makes sense to briefly describe the very high level picture of where we are. "We rely on non-European SaaS based on non-European clouds":
https://berthub.eu/articles/posts/the-european-situation/

The European Cloud/Computing Situation
L: https://berthub.eu/articles/posts/the-european-situation/
C: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44531865
posted on 2025.07.11 at 09:24:34 (c=1, p=8)

"You’d typically have a piece of software in your office, on one of your computers, to calculate payroll with. Most other computers would have copies of WordPerfect installed. This software would function for years without updates or maintenance. If WordPerfect-the-company would disappear, you would not even notice."

https://berthub.eu/articles/posts/the-european-situation/

Those were the days, my friends!

"You’d typically have a piece of software in your office, on one of your computers, to calculate payroll with. Most other computers would have copies of WordPerfect installed. This software would function for years without updates or maintenance. If WordPerfect-the-company would disappear, you would not even notice."

https://berthub.eu/articles/posts/the-european-situation/

Those were the days, my friends!

"It is very impressive. A whole generation has **forgotten** that you can run software on servers instead of on clouds. Even though this can be an order of magnitude cheaper." - https://berthub.eu/articles/posts/the-european-situation/

The Scopes "Monkey Trial" started on this day 100 years ago. Clarence Darrow won, right? No he did not. He lost and then lost on appeal — all four challenges rejected. The case was dismissed on a technicality, and the law it was fighting existed for another 40 years https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scopes_trial

The Scopes "Monkey Trial" started on this day 100 years ago. Clarence Darrow won, right? No he did not. He lost and then lost on appeal — all four challenges rejected. The case was dismissed on a technicality, and the law it was fighting existed for another 40 years https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scopes_trial

The Scopes "Monkey Trial" started on this day 100 years ago. Clarence Darrow won, right? No he did not. He lost and then lost on appeal — all four challenges rejected. The case was dismissed on a technicality, and the law it was fighting existed for another 40 years https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scopes_trial

The Scopes "Monkey Trial" started on this day 100 years ago. Clarence Darrow won, right? No he did not. He lost and then lost on appeal — all four challenges rejected. The case was dismissed on a technicality, and the law it was fighting existed for another 40 years https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scopes_trial

The Scopes "Monkey Trial" started on this day 100 years ago. Clarence Darrow won, right? No he did not. He lost and then lost on appeal — all four challenges rejected. The case was dismissed on a technicality, and the law it was fighting existed for another 40 years https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scopes_trial

The Scopes "Monkey Trial" started on this day 100 years ago. Clarence Darrow won, right? No he did not. He lost and then lost on appeal — all four challenges rejected. The case was dismissed on a technicality, and the law it was fighting existed for another 40 years https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scopes_trial

Scopes trial - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scopes_trial

The Scopes "Monkey Trial" started on this day 100 years ago. Clarence Darrow won, right? No he did not. He lost and then lost on appeal — all four challenges rejected. The case was dismissed on a technicality, and the law it was fighting existed for another 40 years https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scopes_trial

The Scopes "Monkey Trial" started on this day 100 years ago. Clarence Darrow won, right? No he did not. He lost and then lost on appeal — all four challenges rejected. The case was dismissed on a technicality, and the law it was fighting existed for another 40 years https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scopes_trial

This is the best take on Fermi's Paradox that I've ever seen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermi_paradox

This is the best take on Fermi's Paradox that I've ever seen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermi_paradox

This is the best take on Fermi's Paradox that I've ever seen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermi_paradox

This is the best take on Fermi's Paradox that I've ever seen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermi_paradox

This is the best take on Fermi's Paradox that I've ever seen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermi_paradox

This is the best take on Fermi's Paradox that I've ever seen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermi_paradox

This is the best take on Fermi's Paradox that I've ever seen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermi_paradox

This is the best take on Fermi's Paradox that I've ever seen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermi_paradox

This is the best take on Fermi's Paradox that I've ever seen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermi_paradox

This is the best take on Fermi's Paradox that I've ever seen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermi_paradox

Thinking for no particular reason today* about the peculiar genius of Stanislaw Lem

A Jew, a doctor, a Pole, in the resistance against Hitler & Stalin & capitalism, an SF legend, feared by PK Dick, lauded by UK Le Guin

…& one of the earliest AGI skeptics

>… held that information technology drowns people in a glut of low-quality information, and considered truly intelligent robots as both undesirable and impossible to construct.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanis%C5%82aw_Lem

*seriously, this is not a subtoot

Thinking for no particular reason today* about the peculiar genius of Stanislaw Lem

A Jew, a doctor, a Pole, in the resistance against Hitler & Stalin & capitalism, an SF legend, feared by PK Dick, lauded by UK Le Guin

…& one of the earliest AGI skeptics

>… held that information technology drowns people in a glut of low-quality information, and considered truly intelligent robots as both undesirable and impossible to construct.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanis%C5%82aw_Lem

*seriously, this is not a subtoot

Thinking for no particular reason today* about the peculiar genius of Stanislaw Lem

A Jew, a doctor, a Pole, in the resistance against Hitler & Stalin & capitalism, an SF legend, feared by PK Dick, lauded by UK Le Guin

…& one of the earliest AGI skeptics

>… held that information technology drowns people in a glut of low-quality information, and considered truly intelligent robots as both undesirable and impossible to construct.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanis%C5%82aw_Lem

*seriously, this is not a subtoot

Thinking for no particular reason today* about the peculiar genius of Stanislaw Lem

A Jew, a doctor, a Pole, in the resistance against Hitler & Stalin & capitalism, an SF legend, feared by PK Dick, lauded by UK Le Guin

…& one of the earliest AGI skeptics

>… held that information technology drowns people in a glut of low-quality information, and considered truly intelligent robots as both undesirable and impossible to construct.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanis%C5%82aw_Lem

*seriously, this is not a subtoot

Thinking for no particular reason today* about the peculiar genius of Stanislaw Lem

A Jew, a doctor, a Pole, in the resistance against Hitler & Stalin & capitalism, an SF legend, feared by PK Dick, lauded by UK Le Guin

…& one of the earliest AGI skeptics

>… held that information technology drowns people in a glut of low-quality information, and considered truly intelligent robots as both undesirable and impossible to construct.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanis%C5%82aw_Lem

*seriously, this is not a subtoot

Thinking for no particular reason today* about the peculiar genius of Stanislaw Lem

A Jew, a doctor, a Pole, in the resistance against Hitler & Stalin & capitalism, an SF legend, feared by PK Dick, lauded by UK Le Guin

…& one of the earliest AGI skeptics

>… held that information technology drowns people in a glut of low-quality information, and considered truly intelligent robots as both undesirable and impossible to construct.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanis%C5%82aw_Lem

*seriously, this is not a subtoot

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanis%C5%82aw_Lem

*seriously, this is not a subtoot

Thinking for no particular reason today* about the peculiar genius of Stanislaw Lem

A Jew, a doctor, a Pole, in the resistance against Hitler & Stalin & capitalism, an SF legend, feared by PK Dick, lauded by UK Le Guin

…& one of the earliest AGI skeptics

>… held that information technology drowns people in a glut of low-quality information, and considered truly intelligent robots as both undesirable and impossible to construct.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanis%C5%82aw_Lem

*seriously, this is not a subtoot

Thinking for no particular reason today* about the peculiar genius of Stanislaw Lem

A Jew, a doctor, a Pole, in the resistance against Hitler & Stalin & capitalism, an SF legend, feared by PK Dick, lauded by UK Le Guin

…& one of the earliest AGI skeptics

>… held that information technology drowns people in a glut of low-quality information, and considered truly intelligent robots as both undesirable and impossible to construct.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanis%C5%82aw_Lem

*seriously, this is not a subtoot

Also, don’t let the name fool you. @Iconfactory is more than icons! They did a fantastic job on the concert poster for this year’s LIVE near WWDC show.

I wrote about my experience going from concept to final artwork with them:
https://jamesdempsey.net/2025/06/06/from-concept-to-finished-poster-with-iconfactory.html
https://mastodon.social/@bigzaphod/114835065685492567

Also, don’t let the name fool you. @Iconfactory is more than icons! They did a fantastic job on the concert poster for this year’s LIVE near WWDC show.

I wrote about my experience going from concept to final artwork with them:
https://jamesdempsey.net/2025/06/06/from-concept-to-finished-poster-with-iconfactory.html
https://mastodon.social/@bigzaphod/114835065685492567

I wrote about my experience going from concept to final artwork with them:
https://jamesdempsey.net/2025/06/06/from-concept-to-finished-poster-with-iconfactory.html
https://mastodon.social/@bigzaphod/114835065685492567

Also, don’t let the name fool you. @Iconfactory is more than icons! They did a fantastic job on the concert poster for this year’s LIVE near WWDC show.

I wrote about my experience going from concept to final artwork with them:
https://jamesdempsey.net/2025/06/06/from-concept-to-finished-poster-with-iconfactory.html
https://mastodon.social/@bigzaphod/114835065685492567

Also, don’t let the name fool you. @Iconfactory is more than icons! They did a fantastic job on the concert poster for this year’s LIVE near WWDC show.

I wrote about my experience going from concept to final artwork with them:
https://jamesdempsey.net/2025/06/06/from-concept-to-finished-poster-with-iconfactory.html
https://mastodon.social/@bigzaphod/114835065685492567

Also, don’t let the name fool you. @Iconfactory is more than icons! They did a fantastic job on the concert poster for this year’s LIVE near WWDC show.

I wrote about my experience going from concept to final artwork with them:
https://jamesdempsey.net/2025/06/06/from-concept-to-finished-poster-with-iconfactory.html
https://mastodon.social/@bigzaphod/114835065685492567

Also, don’t let the name fool you. @Iconfactory is more than icons! They did a fantastic job on the concert poster for this year’s LIVE near WWDC show.

I wrote about my experience going from concept to final artwork with them:
https://jamesdempsey.net/2025/06/06/from-concept-to-finished-poster-with-iconfactory.html
https://mastodon.social/@bigzaphod/114835065685492567

#Auspol #AntiSemitism

#RonniSalt always has a lovely way with words

“Yes, while snooping through the pages of a middle-aged woman he barely knew, and confronted with the image of a starving child, this wealthy privileged white male suddenly felt ‘unsafe’.”…
“The pro-Israel machine is not about balance, it’s not about objectivity. That would rely on all voices being heard and all sides being given equal sympathies and equal access to power. The pro-Israel lobby isn’t designed to balance debate nor to enrich it – it is designed to silence it. “

https://theshot.net.au/uncategorized/israel-silencing-dissent-everywhere/

#Auspol #AntiSemitism

#RonniSalt always has a lovely way with words

“Yes, while snooping through the pages of a middle-aged woman he barely knew, and confronted with the image of a starving child, this wealthy privileged white male suddenly felt ‘unsafe’.”…
“The pro-Israel machine is not about balance, it’s not about objectivity. That would rely on all voices being heard and all sides being given equal sympathies and equal access to power. The pro-Israel lobby isn’t designed to balance debate nor to enrich it – it is designed to silence it. “

https://theshot.net.au/uncategorized/israel-silencing-dissent-everywhere/

Ronnie Salt in The Shot:

‘The reality is of course that the Israeli propaganda machine is a highly organised movement that has been well under way since the middle of last century. As we have seen in Australia, it is slick, it’s coordinated and it’s designed to do two things – silence any dissent and terrify any other person or organisation from doing the same. The proof sits boldly on top of Australia’s forever damaged, censored and cowed arts and cultural institutions.’

This entire article is well worth your time to read

#Auspol
#Israel
#ForeignInterference

https://theshot.net.au/uncategorized/israel-silencing-dissent-everywhere/

#Auspol #AntiSemitism

#RonniSalt always has a lovely way with words

“Yes, while snooping through the pages of a middle-aged woman he barely knew, and confronted with the image of a starving child, this wealthy privileged white male suddenly felt ‘unsafe’.”…
“The pro-Israel machine is not about balance, it’s not about objectivity. That would rely on all voices being heard and all sides being given equal sympathies and equal access to power. The pro-Israel lobby isn’t designed to balance debate nor to enrich it – it is designed to silence it. “

https://theshot.net.au/uncategorized/israel-silencing-dissent-everywhere/

Doxxing, censoring fascists who cheer on and enable #Israel's filthy genocide of Palestinian people have no 'right to feel safe'. Give Segal the boot, @AlboMP & protect Australian democracy. https://theshot.net.au/uncategorized/israel-silencing-dissent-everywhere/ #ZionismIsWhiteSupremacism #StopIsrael #auspol

#Auspol #AntiSemitism

#RonniSalt always has a lovely way with words

“Yes, while snooping through the pages of a middle-aged woman he barely knew, and confronted with the image of a starving child, this wealthy privileged white male suddenly felt ‘unsafe’.”…
“The pro-Israel machine is not about balance, it’s not about objectivity. That would rely on all voices being heard and all sides being given equal sympathies and equal access to power. The pro-Israel lobby isn’t designed to balance debate nor to enrich it – it is designed to silence it. “

https://theshot.net.au/uncategorized/israel-silencing-dissent-everywhere/

RonniSalt in The Shot calls it…

“Australians over the past few years have had to witness their own country’s artistic and cultural institutions continually hijacked to their detriment by a foreign entity. This hijacking raises a very serious question that Australia’s politicians are yet to address: are some Jewish Australians and non-Jewish Australians loyal to Israel to the overall detriment of Australian life? I suspect we know the answer.”

Read more:

https://theshot.net.au/uncategorized/israel-silencing-dissent-everywhere/

Ronnie Salt in The Shot:

‘The reality is of course that the Israeli propaganda machine is a highly organised movement that has been well under way since the middle of last century. As we have seen in Australia, it is slick, it’s coordinated and it’s designed to do two things – silence any dissent and terrify any other person or organisation from doing the same. The proof sits boldly on top of Australia’s forever damaged, censored and cowed arts and cultural institutions.’

This entire article is well worth your time to read

#Auspol
#Israel
#ForeignInterference

https://theshot.net.au/uncategorized/israel-silencing-dissent-everywhere/

RonniSalt in The Shot calls it…

“Australians over the past few years have had to witness their own country’s artistic and cultural institutions continually hijacked to their detriment by a foreign entity. This hijacking raises a very serious question that Australia’s politicians are yet to address: are some Jewish Australians and non-Jewish Australians loyal to Israel to the overall detriment of Australian life? I suspect we know the answer.”

Read more:

https://theshot.net.au/uncategorized/israel-silencing-dissent-everywhere/

Why is Labour so afraid to admit that we must tax the rich to help the poor?
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/11/why-is-labour-so-afraid-to-admit-that-we-must-tax-the-rich-to-help-the-poor?

Andy Beckett explores Labour's redistribution problem;

even when Labour is redistributive its reticent about it & when explicitly accused of seeking to tax the rich adopts denial & obfuscation.

However, in a society an unequal as the UK currently is, there really is little alternative than to find (further) ways to tax the rich to help pay for the necessary weaker support for the poor.

Labor, he argues, needs to be more honest about redistribution

#taxes #politics
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/11/why-is-labour-so-afraid-to-admit-that-we-must-tax-the-rich-to-help-the-poor

#taxes #politics
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/11/why-is-labour-so-afraid-to-admit-that-we-must-tax-the-rich-to-help-the-poor

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/11/why-is-labour-so-afraid-to-admit-that-we-must-tax-the-rich-to-help-the-poor

Why is Labour so afraid to admit that we must tax the rich to help the poor? | Andy Beckett https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/11/why-is-labour-so-afraid-to-admit-that-we-must-tax-the-rich-to-help-the-poor #Incomeinequality #Inequality #Incometax #Politics #Poverty #Labour #UKnews #Tax

Why is Labour so afraid to admit that we must tax the rich? | Andy Beckett | The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/11/why-is-labour-so-afraid-to-admit-that-we-must-tax-the-rich-to-help-the-poor

Andy Beckett explores Labour's redistribution problem;

even when Labour is redistributive its reticent about it & when explicitly accused of seeking to tax the rich adopts denial & obfuscation.

However, in a society an unequal as the UK currently is, there really is little alternative than to find (further) ways to tax the rich to help pay for the necessary weaker support for the poor.

Labor, he argues, needs to be more honest about redistribution

#taxes #politics
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/11/why-is-labour-so-afraid-to-admit-that-we-must-tax-the-rich-to-help-the-poor

Andy Beckett explores Labour's redistribution problem;

even when Labour is redistributive its reticent about it & when explicitly accused of seeking to tax the rich adopts denial & obfuscation.

However, in a society an unequal as the UK currently is, there really is little alternative than to find (further) ways to tax the rich to help pay for the necessary weaker support for the poor.

Labor, he argues, needs to be more honest about redistribution

#taxes #politics
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/11/why-is-labour-so-afraid-to-admit-that-we-must-tax-the-rich-to-help-the-poor

Using glass as an extension of the screen makes sense. It could be more convincing if glass elements didn’t float below the UI, but felt like they were part of the surface itself. Like the fake click effect, some UI elements could be rendered to feel like a dynamic indentation on the surface you touch.
Imagine a form field that looks and feels like your phone’s screen has a real indent.

https://ia.net/topics/liquid-glass

(Wrote most of it on the way from WWDC to SF Airport, but wanted to try it first)

Using glass as an extension of the screen makes sense. It could be more convincing if glass elements didn’t float below the UI, but felt like they were part of the surface itself. Like the fake click effect, some UI elements could be rendered to feel like a dynamic indentation on the surface you touch.
Imagine a form field that looks and feels like your phone’s screen has a real indent.

https://ia.net/topics/liquid-glass

(Wrote most of it on the way from WWDC to SF Airport, but wanted to try it first)

https://ia.net/topics/liquid-glass

(Wrote most of it on the way from WWDC to SF Airport, but wanted to try it first)