Hacker News: krisbolton

New comment by krisbolton in "Please Do Not A/B Test My Workflow"

krisbolton — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 12:59:52 +0000

Not to start an internet argument -- I don't think it is appropriate in this context. A/B testing the features of a web app is not unexpected or unethical. So invoking the memory of cambridge analytica (etc) is disproportionate. It's far more legitimate to just discuss how much A/B testing should negatively affect a user. I don't have an answer and it's an interesting and relevant question.

New comment by krisbolton in "Please do not A/B test my workflow"

krisbolton — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 12:16:50 +0000

The framing of A/B testing as a "silent experimentation on users" and invoking Meta is a little much. I don't believe A/B testing is an inherent evil, you need to get the test design right, and that would be better framing for the post imo. That being said, vastly reducing an LLMs effectiveness as part of an A/B test isn't acceptable which appears to be the case here.

New comment by krisbolton in "How Did the FBI Get Nancy Guthrie's Nest Doorbell Footage?"

krisbolton — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 20:53:41 +0000

The article even says "[...] some Nest devices record event histories and store them on-device. The third-gen wired Nest Doorbell can save up to 10 seconds of clips, while the first and second-gen wired doorbells can save up to three hours of event history, all without a subscription.".

New comment by krisbolton in "Moroccan sardine prices to stabilise via new measures: officials"

krisbolton — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 09:31:10 +0000

Nothing to do with sardines, but Economics Explained (YT) has a recent interesting video on the Moroccan economy. It's executed some well-designed policy and become a large automotive and aerospace manufacturer. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YHuaa8Jr2A

New comment by krisbolton in "Stargaze: SpaceX's Space Situational Awareness System"

krisbolton — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 16:41:08 +0000

There's an interesting podcast covering space situational awareness from RUSI (Royal United Services Institute, UK). Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/eyes-in-orbit-space-si...

New comment by krisbolton in "Stargaze: SpaceX's Space Situational Awareness System"

krisbolton — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 16:38:22 +0000

This article is a short history of anti-satellite weapons, discussing who has demonstrated their capability: https://www.raf.mod.uk/what-we-do/centre-for-air-and-space-p...

I'm sure I read a more recent account of a satellite moving another satellite around in order to degrade its orbit, but I can only find this 2022 instance: https://www.twz.com/44054/a-chinese-satellite-just-grappled-...

New comment by krisbolton in "House of Lords Votes to Ban UK Children from Using Internet VPNs"

krisbolton — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 18:38:10 +0000

No. This a motion within one house of Parliament and hasn't become law, nor is there any guarantee it will be. It's something to be aware of.

New comment by krisbolton in "UK House of Lords Votes to Extend Age Verification to VPNs"

krisbolton — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 18:33:47 +0000

What you describe is the representative democratic system. Misunderstanding is the source of any distrust. It is frustrating to write to an MP only to be given boilerplate in return. But setting your expectations and continuing to advocate for your point of views is the only way to participate. One letter won't change anything, and how could it? There are other people writing opposing points of view. It's taken in the aggregate.

New comment by krisbolton in "UK House of Lords Votes to Extend Age Verification to VPNs"

krisbolton — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 18:23:13 +0000

This. It's not a waste of time. I know it's frustrating. You have to set your expectations. The best you can do is write as eloquently and succinctly as possible to get your point across and make it clear what you're advocating for. Better still, encourage others to write / email / call with that same clarity.

New comment by krisbolton in "FBI cyber cop: Salt Typhoon pwned 'nearly every American'"

krisbolton — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 16:38:44 +0000

Top tier state-sponsored actors don't need backdoors, their skill, resources, and persistance mean they can penetrate almost any system. Ascrbing this to mandatory backdoors distracts from the fact we need to improve cyber resilence and build better offense.

Reading the Atlantic Council's recent paper on what the US can do to counter the system China has created which funnels exploits to their government shows how mistatched the West is versus China. Paper here: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/C...

New comment by krisbolton in "Fewer students are enrolling in doctoral degrees"

krisbolton — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 15:50:16 +0000

I think it is valuable to the nation, some subjects are arguably more or less valuable, but its about talent at a macro level. If a nation doesn't invest in talent through PhD funding, talented people can and do go elsewhere, work in a diferent economy, contribute to a different society.

Obviously, that's only one avenue for talent. Some talented people never do a PhD, they may create start-ups etc instead. But its about fostering an ecosystem to develop and retain talent.

New comment by krisbolton in "UK demands access to Apple users' encrypted data"

krisbolton — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 14:04:48 +0000

Lawfare has some good articles covering the different perspectives on the encryption debate from the last 10 years. https://www.lawfaremedia.org/search-results?prod_search-inde...

New comment by krisbolton in "UK ICO response to Google's policy change on device fingerprinting"

krisbolton — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 09:23:32 +0000

Personally I do wish they would intervene more, but if you consider how broad GDPR/DPA18 is I honestly don't think they can enforce it in the way a normal person would expect. Either it's a legislative issue (i.e., legislate better) or we accept these attempts at "balance". It's usually not the institutions weakness it's the legislation or the framework in which they exist.

Consider one example - you "process" (collecting, using, storing, viewing - literally anything) personal data in an electronic system without the latest security patch. Are you breaking GDPR/DPA18? Easily done, especially for sensitive data. "...taking into account the state of the art, the costs of implementation, ... the risk of varying likelihood and severity for the rights .. of natural persons ... the processor shall implement appropaite technical ... measures to ensure a level of security approapite to the risk" (DPA18 Art 32).

I imagine a large number of companies flout the above without realising. Especially when processing any information regarding health, criminal offense data, race, religion, philosophical beliefs etc, which is "special category data" and requires strong protections.

DPA18 Article 32 "Security of processing" - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2016/679/article/32

New comment by krisbolton in "UK's Online Safety Act comes into force"

krisbolton — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 10:12:20 +0000

Well, that links to EFF's own "propaganda" - perpetuating privacy at all costs. Inevitably the place law and regulation should is somewhere in between, balancing risk and striving for an acceptable position all things considered within a democratic framework.

New comment by krisbolton in "Yi Peng 3 crossed both cables C-Lion 1 and BSC at times matching when they broke"

krisbolton — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 10:58:05 +0000

While not directly addressing undersea cable sabotage this is a comprehensive open access article with case studies on 'hybrid warfare' which provides context to these types of actions. 'Shadows of power beneath the threshold: where covert action, organized crime and irregular warfare converge' - https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02684527.2024.2...

New comment by krisbolton in "Ask HN: How to handle a senior hire turning out to be junior?"

krisbolton — Sat, 08 Jun 2024 15:19:06 +0000

Do they know they're underperforming? While they may have imposter syndrome, it's a different thing to know you're actually under performing in the eyes of management. Have the difficult conversation and address the elephant in the room.

Critically, discuss your options and intentions with HR. It can get messy for everyone if you don't approach dismissal in the right way.

New comment by krisbolton in "Ask HN: Why is HN so often down?"

krisbolton — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 11:51:24 +0000

I've noticed it too - also in Europe. It could be a result of increased traffic from a recent Google search algorithm update which increased HN's ranking significantly. I understand HN infrastructure isn't enormous, so it would make sense. HN ranking discussion here - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39423949

New comment by krisbolton in "Researchers create humanitarian law digital emblem for the Red Cross"

krisbolton — Sat, 02 Dec 2023 09:08:32 +0000

I presume you're correct. They're trying to create a digital equivalent of the red cross emblem and encourage others to make it the norm. It sounds unbelievable that it would be effective, but so does a white paint job and a red sticker on a vehicle.

New comment by krisbolton in "Ask HN: I’m New to Computer Science and Engineering. Any Advice?"

krisbolton — Thu, 06 Jan 2022 09:15:01 +0000

Hello there. Some random bits that I found helpful: 1) start assignments as soon as they're given (or at least fully understand what is expected so you can plan time), then you won't be rushed and your work will be high quality. 2) learn how to write academically - sure, you know how to write but unless you've done it before you probably don't have the experience of condensing multiple pieces of referenced material into a paragraph. There will be books on this in the library. This goes hand-in-hand with achieving high grades, if you understand what a lecturer expects to see, you can do well. If you find yourself working hard and then getting a mediocre grade, its because you haven’t understood what’s expected. 2.1) visit the library and see what workshops they have on writing, referencing, research and any other university skill – take those! 3) learn how you learn, or at least actively use multiple methods if you’re unsure. Watch videos of topics covered in your lectures, read books and write notes from the books (actually use those little quizzes at the end of chapters to test your knowledge and work on areas of weakness), write flashcards and use them. 4) Read ahead on areas you think you might struggle with or areas you’ve not been exposed to before (you don’t know if you’ll find it hard and ‘waste time’ grasping the basics be under pressure and miss the opportunity to take advantage of lecture time. Or just read ahead because you’re interested. 5) Understand lecture time is a tiny amount of your time overall in university, it truly is down to you to learn. Its an active process – you have to be interested, engaged, plan and do additional work to understand and do well. 5.1) ask questions in lectures. Write questions to ask when you're doing assignments or reading around the subject. 6) Build a structure and keep to it – this is definitely a personal preference, it may not be your thing – whether its waking up at the same time everyday and going to bed at the same time, blocking periods for work, exercise, playing games, and doing it no matter what. When you’re so busy its important to ensure you control your time. It doesn’t have to be rigid, the goal is to provide structure so you can succeed, you can always choose to not follow parts of your plan. 8) Absolutely take advantage of the social life and various activities, clubs, societies etc, you can’t work all of the time!

Letterlocking

krisbolton — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 14:06:42 +0000

Article URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letterlocking

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26555153

Points: 168

# Comments: 21