Recent submissions

Comment · 8 months ago
This article is a great explainer of the basics underlying anonymous credentials. I look forward to the promised follow-up explaining real-world examples.

The key issue however is trust. The underlying protocols may support zero-knowledge proofs. But as a user I'm unlikely to be able to inspect those underlying protocols. I need to be able to see exactly what information I'm allowing the Issuer to see. Otherwise a "correct" anonymous scheme is indistinguishable from a "bad" scheme whereby the Issue sees both my full ID and details of the Resource I wish to access. Assuming a small set of centralized Issuers, they are in a position of great power if they can see exactly who is trying to access exactly what at all times. That's the question of trust - trust in the Issuer and in the implementation, not the underlying math.

Comment · 1 year ago
In case you don't already know - set noprocrast in your HN profile to limit the time you spend on this site.
Comment · 2 years ago
It's great that you slip into this mode automatically.

For me, the reframing of "goal" to "quest" helps enormously with this change of mode. A "goal" is something I hope/want to achieve in future - but today I'm busy with day-to-day chores etc. A "quest" however is something you are on. So if I'm on a quest to do X, of course I need to do something toward it every day.

Comment · 2 years ago
Comment · 2 years ago
Comment · 2 years ago
With Google->Alphabet and Facebook->Meta, we can now use MAAAM instead.
Comment · 3 years ago
Not for trains - there's a shared expectation that pedestrians should not access the track.

Similarly, not for a freeway.

Where some feel the balance is wrong, is at local-level streets. Today the assumption in most places is that cars have total right of way, and pedestrians must keep clear. It doesn't have to be that way. In a residential area, it's quite feasible to say all road users have equal right to use the space. And in that circumstance, put the onus on the car user (wielding a heavy, dangerous weapon) to not hit other road users.

Comment · 3 years ago
> If you’re in a group and talking about something factual

A good rule of thumb for this that a few of my circles use: you can check, but only after 10 minutes have passed. Of course, 95% of the time by then no-one cares, as you say. Occasionally it's still relevant after 10 minutes, and so checking makes sense.

Comment · 3 years ago
They are not sailing downwind in this case - they're sailing across the wind, which is why they are able to travel so much faster.
Comment · 5 years ago
Do you check everyone's card when you split the bill? What makes you think the others are debit rather than credit cards?

For info: the debit & credit cards from my bank look almost identical. The only difference is one says "credit" in small black text. My credit card handles exactly like my debit card in terms of tap-and-pay etc. I just wouldn't use it to take out cash from an ATM, but then I can't remember when I last needed to do that.

Comment · 5 years ago
Easy! People have lots of different reasons why they may choose not to eat meat or dairy. "Not liking the taste" is one possible reason. If that particular one isn't your reason, then you may still miss the taste/texture of certain foods, so having a substitute helps.
Comment · 6 years ago
ELO ratings start at 600 for absolute beginner. With a good amount of effort, a dedicated amateur can reach ~1500 without too much difficulty, and at that level you'll beat any casual player. 2000 is international standard. Best human player is around 2700. Note - chess.com does not use ELO ratings - they have their own rating system which is more complex (includes an uncertainty factor based on how recently you have played), but is supposed to be roughly equivalent. The author of the article is playing blitz chess (3 minutes a game) rather than standard chess, so the ratings are largely irrelevant to standard levels.
Comment · 6 years ago
For a very large set of people, motivation to study is absolutely key. If your motivation comes directly from learning the concept itself, you may be right that studying it directly is more effective. But for many, trying to do that because it's "better" will lead to worse outcomes when they end up not completing the study.

Calling it "an excuse to slack off" ignores that different people's motivations are different. If being interested in poker makes someone want to learn the underlying math, then that probably is the most effective way _for them_ to study it.

Comment · 6 years ago
You're right - though it's more about the precise timing of the tones than the frequencies themselves.

The T.38 protocol exists to allow faxes to send over a packetized network. Already if you're sending a fax there's a high chance it's been converted to T.38 at some point, as SPs gradually move toward a fully packetized core.

Comment · 6 years ago
That's not the case where I work.

It's a sound business decision for a company to invest in its people. Better-trained staff, happier staff, longer retention.

It sounds like the place you work isn't like that. There are other places that are better.

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