sixstringtheory

I’ve developed crash reporters for years now. The only way personal information is making its way into crash reports is if the app developers put it there. Otherwise it’s function names, the OS version, binary images that were loaded into the app, the time it happened.

Certain termination reports do contain small memory dumps and/or register values, so theoretically could could contain decodable PII. This is something the OS vendor provides, not the developer of the app or the crash reporter.

I hardly think something like a crash report diagnostic is stalking, though. Maybe you could make the case for transaction conversion funnels. That’s really a case by case basis for which analytics provider is being used and how the product owners consume them.

It’s not as simple as the dichotomy you’ve presented. I exercise all the agency I can summon to avoid seeing ads, yet still I am presented with them and tracked so that companies can present them to me. If I had the choice I would deny them any ability to track me. So, don’t I lack some agency here? Is it my fault? And if I see an image or text I am not prepared for, my lower perceptual faculties process it before my prefrontal cortex can reason about it. Advertisers and psychologists know this, it’s why they keep doing what they do, because it works.

And then if you’re curious to know more about ionizing radiation and the scale at which we absorb it and where it really becomes concerning, there’s an XKCD for that: https://xkcd.com/radiation/

I usually look at the beginning and end characters. Is this any safer? Does the difficulty scale the same way with added bits even if they aren’t adjacent?

As someone who expounds often on the merits of statically typed languages for production code, I couldn’t disagree more with the sibling comments discouraging teaching children programming with Python. I think it’s the best choice.

I remember when I was a TA teaching CS 101 with C++. People constantly stumbled with types and compilation. Just the concept of storing a value in a variable and retrieving it again was too much for some people.

That is where Python will shine for youngsters. Variables, control structures, functions. I bet they will get to the point on their own when they’re like “what’s the deal with numbers and letters being different”? and then you can take their hand and say “grasshopper, you are ready to learn about C/integers/ASCII/floating point”.

May their gas cost skyrocket and their engine wear out speedily.

First you complain that the title doesn’t have enough information–more information please! Then you imply there should be no titles at all–less information please! Do you see the impossible double standard?

Strong “dropbox could be done in a weekend with rsync” vibes.

Also “If You Can Keep Your Head When Everybody Round You Is Losing His, Then It Is Very Probable That You Don’t Understand the Situation”

I don’t even think it’s that calculated. I think it’s just that there are teams of designers employed there that would have nothing else to do once the design is “finished”.

My ideal is to create a product that is well loved and used, automate the hell out of every conceivable customer support and operational concern, and either/both move on to a different product or kick back on the beach.

Nobody wants change. I only ever see hordes of people complaining whenever any UI changes. There is never an equivalent mob of true believers on the other side of the line.

TIL. There’s gotta be a browser extension for this!

Very cool concept and execution. Love the circular periscope viewport. I think the only thing I would've preferred is to have a smaller set of options for each, where they're all visible, instead of having to scroll through a long list, where I've forgotten some options by the time I get to the bottom. Or just put the whole list off to the side so I can see them all.

You should probably look into enjoying some dance, you're wound up really tight.

That was just the perfect reply, haha.

Seriously, they are definitely doing just what you've described, but even more advanced. Not that I think it's intrinsically wrong. It's much more efficient to have protocols for all the modes of interaction that are discovered, e.g. The collection of raw ideas expressible via internet web pages is like a test bed for the possibilities. They eventually graduate into ossified structures under the control of Apple, like Messages reactions, gifs, replies etc. (Even HTML/FTP/etc and browsers are sandboxes with much more restrictions than arbitrary methods of drawing/sculpture/sound/dance and other types of art.)

But with power comes responsibility. I'm not even sure it's possible for a corporation to be accountable to the full extent necessary for such control over so many people's interactions. There're unimaginable quantities personal stuff on their servers and clients.

I was hoping more for the aha moment where they realize how invasive it is to ask for the information.

Of course this won't matter because the poor counter employee has no control. It's faceless corporations taking this information, the responsibility is too diluted for anyone to turn that ship around.

I hate giving out contact info now because of this kind of thing.

Once I verbally told a counter employee my phone number and immediately started receiving dick pics. There were only two other people in the waiting area but it could’ve even been the employee, who knows?

Now I never say it, I’ll write it on paper and take it with me afterwards, but maybe I’ll start saying “I don’t like giving out that info, but if you must have it, I’ll make a trade: I’ll give you mine and you give me yours.”

This is my grandmother, I just wanted to add some confirmation to balance out the current downvotes. I’m an Apple fanboy and developer but I’m not in denial that Apple loves their sandbox just as much as the next corporation. Throw iCloud drive, email (doubly so now with hidden email forwarding), Apple pay, TV and Music in the mix too.

I didn’t bring it up, it was a quote from the article that was being discussed upthread.

I don’t believe in disrespecting anyone because of their beliefs prima facie. It’s how they react to those beliefs being challenged that I find myself losing respect for them over.

It’s like the difference between “suffer the little children, for they know not what they do” and “ whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble”.

Now I can’t speak for the article’s author or the other replies above us, but to me that is the kind of bigotry I have problems with.

In my experience, people who hold beliefs like “black people innately are more criminal” react more immaturely to discussion than people discussing the underpinnings of astrophysics do.

Also note that my spectrum for respect is orthogonal to my spectrum for love/hate. Just because I don’t respect someone due to their beliefs doesn’t necessarily mean I hate them or think they are evil. But I’m less likely to be influenced by their opinions in the future, or to even give them the time to listen to what their opinions are on other things.

> I'm not wishing any harm

I just wanted to note the progression from "disqualify themselves from my respect" to "wishing harm".

What is your definition of bigotry?

Annoying the way they've broken them up into different PDFs. Fascinating series though! There's gotta be close to 10,000 pages.

Bigotry is prejudice, as in, judgement without (yet) having facts, or even in spite of them. That's not simple disagreement, it's willful and obstinate ignorance. I agree it's not worthy of respect.

I really like the format, it helps to humanize the participants and generate empathy and relaxation. It feels like people just don't know how to disagree, and would rather wall themselves off from those they don't agree with, figuratively and literally. I also wonder what a "speed debating" meetup would look like.

In theory, yes, it's sensible to fund the infrastructure. However, I think the priority should go towards safety issues first. Hell, they would issue so many tickets, I bet at first it would far outweigh the revenue from express lane tolls. Not everyone is using express lanes, but basically everyone is speeding, and speeding tickets cost more than the express lanes do. Once you hit long tail status, then move to express lane tolling.

…this is an article about France

As an outsider I would say Germany has just as recognizable of a food culture, and nearly as much of an alcohol culture.

Yes, but only for people as dumb as you

> potential future introduction of road pricing

Interesting, because in the states, similar infrastructure is being deployed specifically for road pricing. I assume then we can start working on the more sensible uses you describe, but don’t have high hopes that it will be easy or quick.

> I don't like ALPRs…

I echo the sentiments of the parents where limits should be absolutely enforced, but also your concern about privacy.

At the end of the day though, this is what the majority is asking for, by dint of consistently breaking the rules. If people obeyed the limits, there’d be no need to expand the vast quantities of resources to build all the infrastructure for these cameras. It certainly sucks for those who always obey the limits (probably a low single digit percentage of drivers) and will get caught in the dragnet.

I foresee IR dazzlers becoming more popular on license plates and windshield/window frames.

Good on you, then!

There wouldn’t have been anything on my list past step 4 because I would have doubled my salary requirement in order to return for any subsequent requests for help.