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codinghorror

@[email protected]

co-founder stackoverflow.com, discourse.org, blogger. I have no idea what I'm doing, but I know I'm doing it really, really well. Let's be kind to each other.

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@jerry@infosec.exchange avatar jerry , to random

I just arranged my studio space to record a video and i sat and talked for an hour about my 35 years in IT. I haven’t looked at the video yet. Hopefully it’s worth posting.

codinghorror ,
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@jerry ok but was it like that scene with Sharon Stone? Inquiring minds wish to know. Not me, a friend.

codinghorror ,
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@jerry ok like how much are we talking, then.. and are there any coupon codes?

codinghorror ,
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@jerry @tehstu

SHUT

UP

AND

TAKE

MY

MONEY

DOT

JIFF

@codinghorror@infosec.exchange avatar codinghorror , to random

new phone case, who dis? 🤙

iPhone in a giant "brick phone" case designed to look like those huge early wireless phones. The first handheld cellular phone call was made by Motorola engineer Martin Cooper on April 3, 1973, in New York City, using a prototype DynaTAC device. This "brick phone" weighed 2.5 pounds, offered 30 minutes of talk time, and required 10 hours to charge. It became commercially available in 1983 as the $3,995 DynaTAC 8000X. See https://www.etsy.com/listing/1862561919/retro-motorola-dynatac-brick-phone-case
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codinghorror OP ,
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@TheBreadmonkey lol I remember this skit, somehow

@codinghorror@infosec.exchange avatar codinghorror , to random

Do not let the tyranny of the minority of hateful people take your joy from you. Do not let them do that to you... or anyone you love. 💛

@codinghorror@infosec.exchange avatar codinghorror , to random

It's been a year, indeed. We've launched the second, longer term project to address systemic problems in this country. https://blog.codinghorror.com/launching-the-rural-guaranteed-minimum-income-initiative/

@codinghorror@infosec.exchange avatar codinghorror , to random

"If the Minnesota resistance has an overarching ideology, you could call it 'neighborism'—a commitment to protecting the people around you, no matter who they are or where they came from. The contrast with the philosophy guiding the Trump administration couldn’t be more extreme. Vice President Vance has said that “it is totally reasonable and acceptable for American citizens to look at their next-door neighbors and say, ‘I want to live next to people who I have something in common with. I don’t want to live next to four families of strangers.’” Minnesotans are insisting that their neighbors are their neighbors whether they were born in Minneapolis or Mogadishu. That is, arguably, a deeply Christian philosophy, one apparently loathed by some of the most powerful Christians in America." https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/the-neighbors-defending-minnesota-from-ice/685769/

@codinghorror@infosec.exchange avatar codinghorror , to random

“My name is Alex Vindman, and I have made the decision to run for the United States Senate in Florida.

Over two decades ago, I swore an oath to protect this country when I joined the U.S. Army.

I honored that oath in 2019 by blowing the whistle on Donald Trump’s corrupt phone call with Ukraine, an act that led to Trump’s first impeachment and cost me my military career.”

av-4fl.com/l/ZTqa22

@codinghorror@infosec.exchange avatar codinghorror , to random

“I learned the same lesson hiking the Appalachian Trail, which no one can do without an enormous amount of completely unearned generosity from strangers. I needed some kind of help almost every day, and every time I needed it, there it was.” https://www.todayintabs.com/p/whatever-you-think-it-is-it-s-worse

@codinghorror@infosec.exchange avatar codinghorror , to random

I absolutely love that this article features yo-yo. And yes, "number go up" is a dumb game with no real winners. I wouldn't trust anyone seriously playing that game. 🪀💛 https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/13/books/review/why-keeping-score-isnt-fun-anymore.html

@codinghorror@infosec.exchange avatar codinghorror , to random

Behold the CRAZY EYES!! 🟢 🟢 😱

Photo of black cat on a bed, crouched down in pounce mode with crazy wide open eyes
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@codinghorror@infosec.exchange avatar codinghorror , to random

Replacing keycaps is so relaxing 🤓

Large plush Mastodon elephant holding a small mechanical keyboard with some of the keycaps replaced
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@codinghorror@infosec.exchange avatar codinghorror , to random

Is that how it should be? No. It's not. https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1ifd3ys/im_giving_away_half_my_wealth_to_make_the/

menntu: "Hey man, good on you! Can you tell us how you came around to making this decision, not generically but more intimately how you came to consolidate your thinking on this topic? For example, did something happen in your life that gave you deep pause, a chance to reflect on changing in overall strategy? Or was this the combination of thinking that originated much earlier? I’m very interested in this." thecodinghorror: "The wealth arrived in 2021, and I didn't really know what to make of it, to be completely honest with you. After a few years as a "rich person", and particularly after attending a theater performance of The Outsiders at my son's nearby high school, I saw how difficult it is for everyone else... but is that how it should be?""
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@codinghorror@infosec.exchange avatar codinghorror , to random

Sometimes, cat happens.

Black cat, mostly under a bedside table, front paws and head poking out, staring at the camera.
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@codinghorror@infosec.exchange avatar codinghorror , to random

I'd like an exorcism, stat

MS Edge popup in Windows 11 -- "Would you like to pin facebook.com to your taskbar? Microsoft Edge would like to pin facebook.com to the taskbar."
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@codinghorror@infosec.exchange avatar codinghorror , to random

It is an absolute delight to do firmware updates via a simple web browser. Another reason I like Teenage Engineering stuff! https://teenage.engineering/apps/update

Teenage Engineering web-based update page https://teenage.engineering/apps/update
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@jerry@infosec.exchange avatar jerry , to random

Now that December is here, it’s time to make everyone thing even less of me by sharing a playlist with my favorite Christmas music.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3pvPd26T9UEKj9vHw2aHvG?si=xbpqHvE8R0aFEsCJeTELjA&pi=TKAF8_pMS72Ij

codinghorror ,
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@jerry 🤘

@nixCraft@mastodon.social avatar nixCraft , to random

Building the PERFECT Linux PC with Linus Torvalds.

Watch full episode on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfv0V1SxbNA

codinghorror ,
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@nixCraft I'm sorry, do you mean GNU/Linux? 😉

@nixCraft@mastodon.social avatar nixCraft , to random

Stack Overflow is down... I didn't notice, as it's the weekend. But even if it were a workday, most devs now use LLMs. They get very few new questions, too. Overall, I feel like it's just a matter of time before SO goes to /dev/null. Effectively, AI summarization by Google and LLM tools killed it just like rest of the web. It is sad situation.

https://www.stackstatus.net/

codinghorror ,
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@codinghorror@infosec.exchange avatar codinghorror , to random

You tell 'em, Lisa

Lisa Simpson sticker -- "the whole damn system is wrong!" from Simpsons S09, E13 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D51q3ktqhpo
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@Daojoan@mastodon.social avatar Daojoan , to random

Increasingly convinced that the internet's entire understanding of the concept of "irony" is based on Alanis Morissette

codinghorror ,
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@Daojoan they can't even spell "Impostor" correctly https://infosec.exchange/@codinghorror/115561872601654418

@jerry@infosec.exchange avatar jerry , to random

This thanksgiving, don’t be a 🐓 and instead show your gratitude by pushing that vide coded mess to production right before closing your computer for the long 4 day weekend.

Im super thankful for all of you, which is why I’ll be upgrading mastodon this afternoon right before I head out.

Be well, friends. 🦃

codinghorror ,
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@jerry Thank you jerry! You are one of my top 5 all time favorite llamas.

@soatok@furry.engineer avatar soatok , to random
codinghorror ,
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codinghorror ,
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@zenkat @soatok yeah, but "averages" are not great here. Read the 2 dollar a day book. It's absolutely brutal, and poverty and "real estate values" are NOT distributed anywhere close to equal in this country. I'll purchase you both a copy via whatever means you want, just ask. https://bookshop.org/p/books/2-00-a-day-living-on-almost-nothing-in-america-h-luke-shaefer/589712c6bfb34fa0

codinghorror ,
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@zenkat @soatok FYI, the people in that book are literally selling their own blood to survive. Try reading it. I could not even finish, I had to put it down and move on 😭

codinghorror ,
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@soatok @secretgeek @zenkat honestly, I was trying to be nice .. that "My Life Is a Lie" fucking sucks ASS in my opinion, if you really want to know what I think..

codinghorror ,
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@soatok @secretgeek @zenkat seriously, if you want the book, just message me. But be warned. It is a very, very difficult read. I could not make it.

codinghorror ,
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codinghorror ,
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@trashpanda @soatok @zenkat yeah, it's fucking bullshit , is what it is.. and that guy, the author of that hideous substack post, is absolutely part of the problem, even though he thinks he is part of the solution... better luck next time, buddy!

codinghorror ,
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@jef @trashpanda @soatok @zenkat no, it's totally fucking incorrect, and if this guy wants to call me and talk about it, please, I'd love that. But he probably won't, because.. https://infosec.exchange/@codinghorror/115533370583063059

@briankrebs@infosec.exchange avatar briankrebs , to random

New, by me: Is your Android TV streaming box part of a botnet?

"On the surface, the Superbox media streaming devices for sale at retailers like BestBuy and Walmart may seem like a steal: They offer unlimited access to more than 2,200 pay-per-view and streaming services like Netflix, ESPN and Hulu, all for a one-time fee of around $400. But security experts warn these TV boxes require intrusive software that forces the user’s network to relay Internet traffic for others, traffic that is often tied to cybercrime activity such as advertising fraud and account takeovers."

The story looks closely at what Superbox is, how it operates, and what it appears to do on the sly. Spoiler: A Censys researcher found that installing the apps that allow these channels to stream enrolls the user's IP in a residential proxy service, and that these devices include powerful network discovery and remote access tools like Tcpdump and Netcat.

Overall, the Superbox is just one brand in an ocean of no-name Android-based TV boxes that are widely available and that either come pre-infected with malware or require malicious apps to use.

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2025/11/is-your-android-tv-streaming-box-part-of-a-botnet/

A screenshot of the Walmart website shows 397 results for Superbox devices. They look like small wireless routers, include a remote, and come in bright metallic blue or black.
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codinghorror ,
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@briankrebs @Sempf it’s “free” which is a hell of a drug.

@codinghorror@infosec.exchange avatar codinghorror , to random

Mastodon and Building For the Long Term 👏🐘💛

https://www.patreon.com/posts/building-for-137854404

@aral@mastodon.ar.al avatar aral , to random

What kind of fucked up country has a secretary of war? What are you, orcs?

codinghorror ,
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@aral well, it was either Orcs or Humans.. and we may have chosen poorly for the moment. Next game, I'll make sure we choose the better team. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warcraft_II:_Tides_of_Darkness

@codinghorror@infosec.exchange avatar codinghorror , to random

"never gamble any money you can't afford to lose" https://www.theinformation.com/articles/bitcoin-falling-crypto-stocks-crashing?rc=hhpn9c&shared=e8ea06ff4fe200a2

The Information - Nov 16, 2025 Sunday Insights Bitcoin Is Falling and Crypto Stocks Are Crashing
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@codinghorror@infosec.exchange avatar codinghorror , to random

The world is a lot right now. But we all gotta fight for love. Because the path of hate is so simple, so easy, so seductive.. black vs. white.. us vs. them.. you're either on our team, or you are our sworn enemy.. whereas the path of love is far, far more complicated and difficult.

But love is the only survivable path.

Hating someone is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. It’s only a matter of time before that hatred eats you -- and everyone else around you -- from within.

Choose love. Come with us if you want to truly live. 💛

@arstechnica@mastodon.social avatar arstechnica , to random

Valve says it’s still waiting for better chips to power Steam Deck 2
Even a 50 percent performance-per-watt improvement wouldn't be enough, engineer says.
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/11/valve-says-its-still-waiting-for-better-chips-to-power-steam-deck-2/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

codinghorror ,
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@arstechnica if only they had access to Apple's incredibly elite, unprecedented industry best power per watt SoCs.

@briankrebs@infosec.exchange avatar briankrebs , to random

New, by me: Google is suing more than two dozen unnamed individuals allegedly involved in peddling a popular China-based mobile phishing service that helps scammers impersonate hundreds of trusted brands, blast out text message lures, and convert phished payment card data into mobile wallets from Apple and Google.

In a lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York on November 12, Google sued to unmask and disrupt 25 “John Doe” defendants allegedly linked to the sale of Lighthouse, a sophisticated phishing kit that makes it simple for even novices to steal payment card data from mobile users. Google said Lighthouse has harmed more than a million victims across 120 countries.

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2025/11/google-sues-to-disrupt-chinese-sms-phishing-triad/

This is good to see. I've written at least five stories this year about innovations from Lighthouse, which has been blamed for a huge share of the text-message scams that are constantly bombarding mobile users.

An image shared by an SMS phishing group shows a panel of several dozen mobile phones responsible for mass-sending phishing messages, arranged in 3 racks of 10 phones each snugged side by side and plugged into to power cords. These panels require a live operator because the one-time codes being shared by phishing victims must be used quickly as they generally expire within a few minutes. At the bottom of the bank of phones is a young man's arm hovering over a phone. On the table that the bank of phones is siting on is a lighter, an ashtray full of stubbed cigarettes, and a pair of glasses.

An image shared by an SMS phishing group shows a panel of several dozen mobile phones responsible for mass-sending phishing messages, arranged in 3 racks of 10 phones each snugged side by side and plugged into to power cords. These panels require a live operator because the one-time codes being shared by phishing victims must be used quickly as they generally expire within a few minutes. At the bottom of the bank of phones is a young man's arm hovering over a phone. On the table that the bank of phones is siting on is a lighter, an ashtray full of stubbed cigarettes, and a pair of glasses.
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codinghorror ,
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@codinghorror@infosec.exchange avatar codinghorror , to random

"... the reality is stark. According to the 2024 Knight Frank Wealth Report, there are about 225,000 individuals in the U.S. with net assets of $30 million or more, just 0.07% of the population. Far from expanding opportunity, this excessive wealth locks millions out of the chance to innovate and build, weakening growth for all." https://time.com/7325632/universal-basic-income-millionaire/

@stux@mstdn.social avatar stux , to random

RE: https://mstdn.social/@stux/115503086707473316

11 hours left, over 5K votes

Outcome is pretty clear

codinghorror ,
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@stux I live in the US and I voted no.

@Daojoan@mastodon.social avatar Daojoan , to random

The moderates make sense, so they're boring. The extremists are insane, so they're viral. Every movement gets defined by its worst members because outrage is the only thing that scales...

codinghorror ,
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@Daojoan this is a far too complex way of simply saying "if it bleeds, it leads"

@Daojoan@mastodon.social avatar Daojoan , to random

When the topic gets ruined by the worst 5% of its advocates.

Veganism becomes "you're a murderer." Crypto becomes "have fun staying poor." Effective Altruism becomes "letting people die today is good actually." The reasonable majority gets drowned out by the loudest extremists and now nobody can have normal conversations about anything.

The flanks capture the discourse.

codinghorror ,
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@Daojoan only if there's zero moderation.

@Daojoan@mastodon.social avatar Daojoan , to random

Wild that "Lean In" became "Gaslight Gatekeep Girlboss" became "actually maybe rest is radical" became "tradwife softgirl era" in about eight years.

codinghorror ,
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@Daojoan anything from Meta is poison, just of varying toxicity levels.

@Daojoan@mastodon.social avatar Daojoan , to random

Sanity is expensive, and extremism pays dividends.

We talk a lot about polarization as if it were a disease that infected society, but we’re missing a key data point:

Polarization is a growth hack, and it works.

It delivers results.

https://www.joanwestenberg.com/p/how-to-stay-sane-in-a-world-that-rewards-insanity

codinghorror ,
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@Daojoan this is more rasslin kayfabe stuff. Telenovelas. Manufactured drama. If it bleeds it leads, but at industrial scale.

@molly0xfff@hachyderm.io avatar molly0xfff , to random

"Pondering my orb" meme 

"Pondering my orb" meme 
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codinghorror ,
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@codinghorror@infosec.exchange avatar codinghorror , to random

Had a great call with Mastodon today! Happy to support a non-profit open source project that gives us, the users, control. Cheers. And thanks for this cute elephant in the room! @Gargron @mellifluousbox @renchap

picture of a grey arm chair with a muted yellow mastodon plushie, a "stay golden" sunflower pillow, and a tangle fidget toy
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@molly0xfff@hachyderm.io avatar molly0xfff , to random

i guess Black Friday is just November now

codinghorror ,
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@molly0xfff vantablack friday is necessary

@indivisibleteam@mastodon.social avatar indivisibleteam , to random

🚨 We’re hearing that Senate Democrats are on the verge of caving to Trump in another “Schumer Surrender.”

That means your Democratic senators need to hear from you right now.

Call: https://indivisible.org/resource/call-now-tell-democratic-senators-keep-holding-line-shutdown-fight/?source=mastodon

Email: https://act.indivisible.org/sign/funding-fight-democratic-senator/?source=mastodon

Ezra Levin on Bluesky: “I'm hearing the same thing. Dems are nearing a surrender. I'm shocked. Largest protest in history + best election night in years + polling showing we're kicking their ass in public opinion. And now Dems may cave. It ain't over til it's over, so please do call if you've got a Dem senator.”
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codinghorror ,
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@indivisibleteam well, that ended poorly.