(Always nice to see decade old effort still get referenced on occasion. :) )

Source: Username checks out. :D

Background on the "trust metric" implemented on the site: https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000542/https://advogato....

Apparently my account on the site is/was now more than a quarter of a century old... Gonna try to avoid thinking on that too deeply. :D

There's been a non-zero number of occasions since that time where I've observed situations that mirror the trust-based challenges Advogato sought to solve.

It is perhaps telling that as prescient as Raph's work on trust metrics was he later moved on to the notoriously challenging realm of font rendering--presumably because it seemed more tractable. :D

It turns out the data associated with MindMaze (& other encyclopedia data) changed storage format over subsequent releases of Encarta and these changes provide some interesting historical insights--including that if MS had had its way we'd all be writing web pages in RTF rather than HTML[1]. :D

You may ask, "What connection does this have to the Sony MMCD?".

Well, one of the storage formats used with early Encarta data is `.mvb` which is a format used by Microsoft Multimedia Viewer[2] (also known by multiple other names--none of which are any easier to web search :D ).

And, it turns out, "Multimedia Viewer could compile titles for Tandy Video Information System and other Modular Windows systems, as well as Sony Multimedia CD-ROM Player, a portable MS-DOS-based CD-ROM XA reader released in 1992."[2][3]

According to my research the tool "...includes software tools that simulate the look and feel of the Sony player titles on a PC" which is interesting in the context of the emulator for the Discman mentioned in the original post.

Anyway, that's the very short version of the rabbit hole--maybe in another five years I'll get around to writing up the rest...

Oh, just found my original tweet thread (including screenshots) about this rabbit hole as it happened[4]: https://xcancel.com/RancidBacon/status/1401009436949237763

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[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encarta_MindMaze (New as of October 2025.)

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackbird_(online_platform)

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Multimedia_Viewer (First added some time after my ~2021 research.)

[3] The Tandy VIS being a "Modular Windows" system is also of historical interest and FWIW has some support in MAME.

[4] Including screenshots of "Modular Windows Shell" and various "Multimedia Viewer" versions running under WINE.

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Multimedia_CD-ROM_Player

There are a couple of YouTube videos showing the device (filmed both around launch and more recently).

(I'll try to add some more context in a follow-up comment.)

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[0] a.k.a. "Sony Bookman" a.k.a. "Sony Multimedia CD-ROM Player" a.k.a. "Sony PIX100" a.k.a. "Sony Corporation Programmable CD ROM Player".

Heed the above warning as down this rpath madness surely lies!

Exhibit A: https://gitlab.com/RancidBacon/notes_public/-/blob/main/note...

Exhibit B: https://gitlab.com/RancidBacon/notes_public/-/blob/main/note...

Exhibit C: https://gitlab.com/RancidBacon/notes_public/-/blob/main/note...

Oh, sure, rpath/runpath shenanigans will work in some situations but then you'll be tempted to make such shenanigans work in all situations and then the madness will get you...

To save everyone a click here are the first two bullet points from Exhibit A:

* If an executable has `RPATH` (a.k.a. `DT_RPATH`) set but a shared library that is a (direct or indirect(?)) dependency of that executable has `RUNPATH` (a.k.a. `DT_RUNPATH`) set then the executable's `RPATH` is ignored!

* This means a shared library dependency can "force" loading of an incompatible [(for the executable)] dependency version in certain situations. [...]

Further nuances regarding LD_LIBRARY_PATH can be found in Exhibit B but I can feel the madness clawing at me again so will stop here. :)

While not perfect, I have some hope that Jujutsu may be a path forward for improved ergonomics in version control: https://github.com/jj-vcs/jj/blob/main/README.md#introductio...

Two features that come to mind as IIRC being unique (as compared to Illustrator) were multi-page documents and multiple page size multi-page documents. Ideal for the complete standard set of company branded print documents: business card, "With Compliments" slip, and letterhead. :D

Adobe's acquisition of Macromedia and subsequent killing of (the IMO superior) FreeHand contributed directly to my subsequent decision to avoid closed source application software--especially for creative tools--even if alternatives were "technically inferior".

(And, indeed, "creative tool killed/hampered for business reasons" is a story which has been repeated elsewhere multiple times in the quarter century[0] since.)

While Inkscape is still missing features compared to FreeHand it is however also still here many years later and is what I've used ever since when I need 2D vector design software. (Although I've also been keeping an eye on Graphite: https://graphite.rs)

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[0] Oh, weird, apparently it's actually less than 25 years: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_FreeHand#Adobe_FreeHand Seems I've been holding the grudge for less time than I thought. :D

Now I just have to remember this next time I need to select text within a link. :)

A long time ago I developed a project called "Handbag[0] for Android"[1] based around a similar concept--it targeted the short-lived "Android Open Accessory Protocol" initially over USB & later also over network/WiFi.

(My project notes from the time mentioned a long-term goal of also supporting Bluetooth but that never eventuated...)

Handbag made use of a "generic" Android app for UI display/interaction and an Arduino library that communicated with the app over a binary protocol.

The app would display various UI widgets such as labels/progress bars to display feedback from the accessory and text inputs/buttons to accept input forwarded to the accessory.

While the project did not take the world by storm, I was reminded when digging up these links that at least one person called the concept genius[2]. :)

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[0] Because it let you "accessorize your Android phone or tablet". :D

[1] https://web.archive.org/web/20130205135845/http://handbagdev...

[2] https://www.doctormonk.com/2011/11/handbag-android-and-ardui...

Example output based on Linux kernel @ "Cregit-Linux: how code gets into the kernel": https://cregit.linuxsources.org/

I learned of Cregit recently--just submitted it to HN after seeing multiple recent HN comments discussing issues related to line-based "blame" annotation granularity:

"Cregit-Linux: how code gets into the kernel": https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43451654

Of course, in your situation I guess such a tool would only help if other people use it. :D

Example output based on Linux kernel @ "Cregit-Linux: how code gets into the kernel": https://cregit.linuxsources.org/

I learned of Cregit recently--just submitted it to HN after seeing multiple recent HN comments (yours being one I've had open in a tab for a week to remind me! :) ) discussing issues related to line-based "blame" annotation granularity:

"Cregit-Linux: how code gets into the kernel": https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43451654

Example output based on Linux kernel @ "Cregit-Linux: how code gets into the kernel": https://cregit.linuxsources.org/

I learned of Cregit recently--just submitted it to HN after seeing multiple recent HN comments discussing issues related to line-based "blame" annotation granularity:

"Cregit-Linux: how code gets into the kernel": https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43451654

Unfortunately the direct line-number link above doesn't seem to provide the same view as manually choosing "squash_the_stupid_serial_number(...)" rather than "Overall" in the selection/option menu accessible via the page link: https://cregit.linuxsources.org/code/6.13/arch/x86/kernel/cp...

(Apparently the only code directly from Linus' original commit for that function is `, lo, hi`. :) And, unfortunately, being from the pre-git era, it is lacking any sort of informative commit message...)

Also, as the documentation mentions the token-tracing isn't perfect, e.g. the `squash_the_stupid_serial_number` name did actually exist before the cregited commit: https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/0a488a53d7ca46ac638...

(Perhaps this could be related to there being multiple function implementations selected via #ifdef?)

An advantage of a per-token commit attribution view is you don't need to transit through the history of an entire line.

Cregit is the tool used to produce the per-token view: https://github.com/cregit/cregit

I encountered Cregit recently while doing some "code history spelunking/archaeology" and thought it seemed pretty nifty.

Decided to share the link as there have been a couple of recent HN threads which included discussion about the poor granularity of line-based git "blame" functionality.

The most recent kernel version on the site is v6.13: https://cregit.linuxsources.org/code/6.13/

Unfortunately, the tool itself seems not to be under active development, the most recently modified branch is from 2 years ago & the main branch was last modified 6 years ago: https://github.com/cregit/cregit/tree/newinter

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43451654

Points: 7

# Comments: 4

* "bad actors" links to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiwi_Farms

* "destroy lives" links to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiwi_Farms#Suicides_of_harassm...

While you may be correct that initial "trolls get flagged", the statement on the Asahi site agrees that while the initial comment may be flagged & killed, the other comments in the subthread are still indexed, visible & tend not to get moderated/flag:

"Unfortunately, when a comment is flagged and killed, its child subthread is not. [...] but the reduced moderation activity enables abuse to continue. Although you don't see those threads, search engines do."

Based on other remarks about the content of such subthreads it seems surprising to claim that follow-on comments are made by "honest nice people".

I'm as much of a fan of adverbs as the next person but using words like "categorically", "extremely" & "patently" doesn't seem to leave much room for nuance of interpretation when written by someone who I'd have assumed was a third party observer?

While I could understand someone describing JWZ's HN-tailored "banner" (I wouldn't suggest researching this if anyone is not already familiar) gauche and immature, it feels like somewhat of a stretch in relation to a plain text message who last sentence starts with "Please".

While my life experience has been different to yours, from what you've written about how you've been treated by others in your community, as a consequence of who you are, it seems understandable to me that you might experience those feelings--and, even if they didn't seem understandable to me, it is more important to me that you feel heard and your feelings acknowledged as valid and not dismissed.

I hope I have been able to communicate that intent effectively.

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At the risk of falling into the stereotype traps of "straight white male thinks every rhetorical invitation is a literal invitation for him to say what he thinks" & "straight-splaining" I did want to provide an answer to the question in the last sentence here:

> "As another anecdote, when I talk to my friends about Rust, the subject of "drama" frequently comes up. Why is that? Suddenly my work becomes harder for an entirely unrelated and unmerited reason. That's just me as an LGBT person - imagine how straight people feel."

(I preface the following with an acknowledgement that it's bullshit that you have had to deal with the impact of this rather than the predominantly straight white males who don't want to be made to feel uncomfortable.)

TL;DR:

FWIW, from my perspective as a straight white male I feel the subject of "Public Interpersonal Conflict" attributed to Rust is directly related to values rightfully espoused/embodied by the Rust project/community/language that are at odds with values held by other groups.

Specifically, groups consisting of predominantly straight white males believe that the comfort of predominantly highly skilled straight white males should be prioritized over the physical well-being of other humans; and, also over the security and stability of the software other humans use.

They are also unlikely to agree with this characterization.

Unlike the above group however, rather than targeting resentment at the people whose physical well-being is at risk I choose to direct my resentment at the predominantly straight white males who choose to dismiss important issues as unimportant "drama" because they resent being "made" to think about issues that impact people other than themselves.

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For anyone who disagrees with my characterization I would point out that we do not know what other contributions Alan Turing may have contributed beyond "Turing Completeness" & "the Turing Test" to current in-demand fields such as AI if he hadn't been persecuted for not being a straight white male.

I would also remind them the ARM CPU attached to that unified memory on which they're running their latest AGI & LLM models is thanks to another person some people in the present day think should be persecuted for daring to exist.

But equally people shouldn't have to trade advancements in the field of Computer Science for the right to exist without persecution.

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I will acknowledge that its entirely understandable to want to avoid the associated discomfort because from personal experience it is very uncomfortable to have to re-evaluate one's place & responsibility in the world after a lifetime of being told something different.

----

The other ~2,500 words I wrote on the topic was certainly more nuanced but pretty much said the same thing with more beating around the bush with additional personal context.

For any straight white males who may be confused why someone might think as I do, all I can say is that time spent reading/listening to this (unfortunately, archived) resource is likely to be worthwhile, if temporarily uncomfortable: https://geekfeminism.fandom.com/wiki/Geek_Feminism_Wiki