Let’s go for my web review for the week 2025-52. This is the last one of the year, hope you all had a merry xmas.EthicsTags: tech, ethicsIndeed I wish our profession would have a strong and binding set of ethics like doctors or lawyers. That wouldn’t prevent all problems, but that’d tame some of the issues of our time.https://inessential.com/2015/02/26/ethics.htmlIs Firefox Firefucked?Tags: tech, web, browser, firefoxThis is pretty much where I’m at as well regarding Firefox… Sad state of affairs.https://kevquirk.com/blog/is-firefox-firefucked/I foretold that Mac app notarization is security theaterTags: tech, apple, securityAlways hated this notarization with a passion when I had to target Macs… One reason being that it felt fairly useless, and it’s confirmed: it is pretty much useless.https://lapcatsoftware.com/articles/2025/12/5.htmlFlock Exposed Its AI-Powered Cameras to the InternetTags: tech, surveillance, privacy, iotThere are just too many of those cameras deployed. The fact that they are badly secured are compounding the negative effects.https://www.404media.co/flock-exposed-its-ai-powered-cameras-to-the-internet-we-tracked-ourselves/Generative AI hype distracts us from AI’s more important breakthroughsTags: tech, ai, machine-learning, gpt, criticism, ethicsAdd to this how generative AI is used in the totally wrong context… and then I feel like I could have written this piece. I definitely agree with all that.https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/12/15/1129179/generative-ai-hype-distracts-us-from-ais-more-important-breakthroughs/History LLMs: training the largest possible historical LLMsTags: tech, ai, machine-learning, history, politics, cultureInteresting research. Can it give insights on the pervasive views of the time?https://github.com/DGoettlich/history-llms?tab=readme-ov-fileAn initial analysis of the discovered Unix V4 tapeTags: tech, unix, historyInteresting historical work. It indeed went through a fast paced evolution cycle.https://www.spinellis.gr/blog/20251223/?ms261223x-ray: A tool to detect whether a PDF has a bad redactionTags: tech, pdf, securityInteresting tool. Indeed very often people send PDFs with useless redaction in them. Better check first.https://github.com/freelawproject/x-rayPassphrases That You Can Memorize — But That Even the NSA Can’t GuessTags: tech, securityAn oldie now but still the best way to create a passphrase.https://theintercept.com/2015/03/26/passphrases-can-memorize-attackers-cant-guess/Go ahead, self-host PostgresTags: tech, cloud, databases, postgresql, self-hostingThings went too far with the cloud monoculture. It’s time to remember that it doesn’t always makes sense, and in the case of databases maybe it’s rarely worth it to go for fully managed options.https://pierce.dev/notes/go-ahead-self-host-postgrescargo-coupling: Visualizing Coupling in Rust Projects - じゃあ、おうちで学べるTags: tech, complexity, design, architecture, rustInteresting tool and I like the underlying approach. I wish we’d have good equivalent tools for other ecosystems.https://syu-m-5151.hatenablog.com/entry/2025/12/21/152559Rust’s Block PatternTags: tech, rust, patternThis is definitely a useful idiom. A bit like the immediately invoked lambdas in C++ but less verbose. This is nice to control intermediate variables locality and mutability like this.https://notgull.net/block-pattern/Performance HintsTags: tech, performance, optimization, memory, c++Excellent resource for keeping an eye on performance issues in your codebase. It’s very C++ oriented but most of the insights can be generalised to other ecosystems.https://abseil.io/fast/hints.htmlmap::operator[] should be nodiscardTags: tech, c++, apiI definitely agree there. It looks like a missed opportunity to improve the API and nudge people in the right direction.https://quuxplusone.github.io/blog/2025/12/18/nodiscard-operator-bracket/The Rule of ZeroTags: tech, c++, memoryAnother explanation for the rule of zero in C++. We should definitely stick to it.https://blog.feabhas.com/2015/01/the-rule-of-zero/Logging Sucks - Your Logs Are Lying To YouTags: tech, logging, observabilityLots of good advice on how to improve your logs.https://loggingsucks.com/Refactoring with Loops and Collection PipelinesTags: tech, refactoring, dataPipelines are very widespread nowadays, still I don’t see them used much. Having a few refactoring ideas under our belt to replace loops with such pipelines might help.https://martinfowler.com/articles/refactoring-pipelines.htmlOn Metastable Failures and Interactions Between Systems – Aleksey CharapkoTags: tech, distributed, failure, reliabilityA good explainer on what metastable failures are and how to try to mitigate them.https://charap.co/on-metastable-failures-and-interactions-between-systems/What Actually Makes You SeniorTags: tech, career, leadershipI think this is a good pick at a core skill for senior developers. Indeed removing ambiguity for the rest of the team is an important factor.https://terriblesoftware.org/2025/11/25/what-actually-makes-you-senior/The Code Is Just the SymptomTags: tech, organisation, conway, architecture, quality, management, leadershipThis is very true. It’s not like whoever produced bad code is particularly stupid, in most cases it’s the context around which breaks the people.https://medium.com/@rubyghetto/the-code-is-just-the-symptom-c77f43b29320Take Pride in Your Legacy (Code)Tags: tech, legacy, qualityThe definition of legacy code is ambiguous enough. We generally mean “bad code” (the wrong definition to me…). What about seeing things differently and trying to leave a great legacy behind us?https://8thlight.com/insights/take-pride-in-your-legacy-codeWell-factored architectureTags: tech, architecture, qualityA good list of characteristics to aim for. Gives clue about the quality of your software architecture.https://jchyip.medium.com/key-practice-well-factored-architecture-b9d53f5549fbThe cardinal sin of software architectureTags: tech, software, architecture, data, stateIt’s not the only factor leading to troublesome architectures of course. Still, if state and thus data is wrongly handled, you’re indeed on the wrong track.https://functional.computer/blog/the-cardinal-sin-of-software-architectureA Definition of Systems Thinking: A Systems ApproachTags: tech, systems-thinking, complexityA nice little primer on what systems thinking is about.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877050915002860?ref=pdf_download&fr=RR-2&rr=7e18ecfcdd9e2916Agile Software GuideTags: tech, agileMartin Fowler obviously wrote a lot on the topic. This is a nice guide pointing to some of the most interesting resources on his blog around the agil topic.https://martinfowler.com/agile.htmlHow Pairing & Swarming Work & Why They Will Improve Your ProductsTags: tech, pairingIt still something I don’t see happening often. I think it is unfortunate.https://www.jrothman.com/mpd/project-management/2014/07/how-pairing-swarming-work-why-they-will-improve-your-products/Essential XP: Card, Conversation, ConfirmationTags: tech, xp, tests, project-managementWhere are acceptance tests coming from? They’re generally the result of a conversation.https://ronjeffries.com/xprog/articles/expcardconversationconfirmation/Story Slicing, How Small is Enough?Tags: tech, project-management, agileA good justification of why you want to slice your stories finely. It definitely helps steering the project and reduces chances of bottlenecks.https://agilepainrelief.com/blog/story-slicing-how-small-is-enough/10 Tips to Get Your Agile teams Better at Story EstimationTags: tech, agile, estimatesNice list of ideas for stories estimations. I applied some of that with nice success.https://www.liminalarc.co/2014/01/10-tips-better-story-estimation/Effective Standups around Kanban BoardTags: tech, agile, kanbanWhen teams grow the usual standup/daily meeting format doesn’t work anymore. What’s proposed here is a nice alternative.https://brodzinski.com/2011/12/effective-standups.htmlSeven Changes To Improve Flow In Your Software Development ProcessTags: tech, kanban, flow, project-managementIndeed, people getting into lean processes tend to obsess over “eliminating waste”. Sure there might be some waste to clean up but it’s pretty much useless if you don’t focus on the flow of work.https://flowchainsensei.wordpress.com/2014/08/19/seven-changes-to-improve-flow-in-your-software-development-process/Cross-Functional Collaboration in Agile: What It Does and Doesn’t MeanTags: tech, team, project-managementIndeed, having generalists in teams is definitely what you want. Having only specialists will reduce the project efficiency.https://www.mountaingoatsoftware.com/blog/cross-functional-doesnt-mean-everyone-can-do-everythingHire generalists to help your specialists shine!Tags: tech, team, project-management, problem-solvingThe other advantage of not relying only on specialists. You actually get teams better at solving problems due to the extra context and communication channels the generalists will bring.https://softwaredevelopmenttoday.blogspot.com/2014/01/hire-generalists-to-help-your.htmlUsing Brainwriting For Rapid Idea GenerationTags: knowledge, problem-solving, ux, business, strategyDefinitely required more preparation work than brainstorming. That said it’s a nice alternative, maybe easier to get right.https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2013/12/using-brainwriting-for-rapid-idea-generation/The Science Of Good Sleep: There’s A Reason You’re Always So TiredTags: science, biology, sleepLots of insight and advice in here. Are you sure you’re having enough sleep? Of high enough quality?https://www.elitedaily.com/life/ways-to-get-better-sleep/974053Bye for now! And see you in 2026!