183 pointsby pabs39 hours ago10 comments
  • paol4 hours ago
    Sometime in the 2000s I started reading the RISKS Digest mailing list[1] from the beginning. I did it for fun - it's an interesting mix of fun anecdotes and lessons learned, and the 80's and early 90's were before my time which I found interesting too.

    A side effect of reading the mailing list in bulk is that a set of common "stereotypes" of failure (for lack of a better word) start to emerge clearly from the stream of anecdotes. These really influenced my mental model of technology risks. I would still recommend the exercise for anyone interested in the subject.

    [1] https://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks/

    • nickdothutton3 hours ago
      RISKS Digest got me started too. I think there are some things best learned from the very beginning. "Consider modes of failure" is probably my favourite piece of security advice.
  • ontouchstart27 minutes ago
    Bookmark this link for future reference, it is very relevant in the era of “agentic engineering”

    https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/1005937.1005938

    • ontouchstart18 minutes ago
      > Although there is an element of apparent sloppiness in many creative people, discipline is also required. (Note that time-sharing has been condemned by some as encouraging sloppiness, as opposed to batch processing [where sloppiness can be exceedingly costly in time and computing resources]. Perhaps time-sharing could actually encourage creativity, although there is the countering argument that computers intrinsically stifle creativity.) Similarly, diversity of experience also appears to be extremely important (e.g., [Sheppard]); the perspective afforded by familiarity with a variety of systems, subsystems, programming languages, and methodologies provides extremely valuable insights, especially where there is wide diversity (e.g., among TOPS-20, Multics, UNIX, and OS/370; SCRIBE, TEX, PUB and ROFF; Pascal-based languages and LISP; a formal methodology/specification language and conventional design).

      I will think “Agentic Engineering” is the “time-sharing” of our time. Embrace it.

  • jgrahamc3 hours ago
    I loved reading RISKS and looks like back in 1991 (35 years ago! Eek!) I was worried about trojan horses on Netware 286: https://catless.ncl.ac.uk/risks/11/65#subj3

    RIP

  • gnabgib8 hours ago
    Previously (25 points - same list, LWN host) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48172640
  • pelasaco3 hours ago
    To see "Albert Einstein" in the list of his mentors was beautiful. He was a connection link to many of the greatest minds in our history. RIP.
  • raverbashing3 hours ago
    The mailing list style and his personal web page tells me all that I need to do

    (And if you don't get it, you wouldn't get it)

    • imdsman hour ago
      It feels as though an entire era is fading day by day
  • edwinjman hour ago
    Not to be confused with John von Neumann
  • aaron6956 hours ago
    [dead]