<rss version="2.0" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"><channel><title>Hacker News: mjevans</title><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=mjevans</link><description>Hacker News RSS</description><docs>https://hnrss.org/</docs><generator>hnrss v2.1.1</generator><lastBuildDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 18:55:45 +0000</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://hnrss.org/user?id=mjevans" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"></atom:link><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by mjevans in "Microcode inside the Intel 8087 floating-point chip: register exchange"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Mathematicians vs Computer / Systems Engineers.  The machine only has so much space, so it's best to imagine every value also has a corresponding error range attached and that managing the growth of that error range so that it remains under the target value is key.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2026 20:24:00 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48340258</link><dc:creator>mjevans</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48340258</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48340258</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by mjevans in "Exit IP VPN servers mitigation rollout"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I'd really like some version of E.G. Librewolf configured to spoof the exact SAME information no matter who's using it.  Like standard resolution for a 1080p monitor, the same GPU profile, Allow device timing stuff to work but with a fixed profile etc.<p>Effectively, stop spoofing random data, start spoofing still useful but not for finger printing data.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 25 May 2026 19:00:11 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48270366</link><dc:creator>mjevans</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48270366</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48270366</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by mjevans in "2026 HIPAA Security Rule Update"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>How kind of them to require 2FA without requiring the governments to issue real 2FA tokens for use in signing / interacting.  No doubt this will require some rootkit 'authenticator' app on the consumer's purchased mobile device that they are then not allowed to truly own.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 25 May 2026 14:54:36 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48267599</link><dc:creator>mjevans</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48267599</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48267599</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by mjevans in "Fast Factorial Algorithms"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>My approach to the first 100 Euler eventually involved a bitmap of possible primes (only odd numbers, there's only one even prime) which was initially seeded by a 'magic number' set representing the lowest primes and would grow up to a target number of cached small / really fast primes.<p>Then the algorithms I understand less kick in.  Most of those involve some form of modo math to wrap the number space based on one or more origami like folds and use well known and test algorithms which were previously exhaustively proven to cover the entire 32 bit number-space when utilized in a composite fashion.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 23 May 2026 15:20:41 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48248439</link><dc:creator>mjevans</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48248439</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48248439</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by mjevans in "sp.h: Fixing C by giving it a high quality, ultra portable standard library"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>For reference, Dialup Internet (E.G. ~2-3KByte/sec transfer) was NOT uncommon even into the early 2000s.<p>In 1994 even dialup internet connections were rare and most software distribution occurred by floppy disk (encased in hardshell plastic).  _storage_ space was also at a major premium with internal hard disk size indexed in CHS rather than LBA and new (rarely seen by most end consumers) models barely passing 1GB in capacity. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seagate_Barracuda" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seagate_Barracuda</a><p>Even in the early 'dot com' era as DSL and early cable modem became common downloading software updates could still be painful, though far less so than hours or days on dialup.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 23 May 2026 07:18:54 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48245492</link><dc:creator>mjevans</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48245492</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48245492</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by mjevans in "US bill proposes new national EV tax, while some push to slash gas tax to zero"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Offhand, the maintenance costs are something similar to a scalar that is the square of a vehicle's weight.<p>Rather than indirectly taxing via fuel it would be more proper to do so by said maintenance scalar (weight based) and the distance driven as the inputs.  Presumably paid at the time of registration renewal or at vehicle inspections.<p>That sounds like a lot of infra change to setup, so there should be plenty of planning and cutover time.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 18 May 2026 22:19:51 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48186575</link><dc:creator>mjevans</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48186575</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48186575</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by mjevans in "Mozilla to UK regulators: VPNs are essential privacy and security tools"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I'm more fine with schools banning frivolous use of tech devices on school grounds during school hours.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 17 May 2026 14:53:46 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48169464</link><dc:creator>mjevans</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48169464</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48169464</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by mjevans in "Let's Buy Spirit Air"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Some of them want to create a monarchy with them in charge... Remember to be on the lookout for that trend too.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2026 02:23:53 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48003931</link><dc:creator>mjevans</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48003931</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48003931</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by mjevans in "Denuvo has been cracked in all single-player games it previously protected"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I'm willing to buy on Steam, however not with intrusive DRM. Nor with 3rd party store requirements (like EA games on Steam).<p>E.G. I'd like to own a copy of the modern Persona games.  I'm in no particular rush.  If the studios want my money when they're on sale for like 50% off launch price, gain some profit per sale and additional sales by axing the useless DRM.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2026 21:40:06 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48001819</link><dc:creator>mjevans</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48001819</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48001819</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by mjevans in "The USB Situation"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>The mandatory labeling should express:<p><pre><code>    - Intended maximum safe Power Delivery\*
    - Intended maximum link speed
</code></pre>
* in Watts; optional voltage / current --- Gbit/sec '1/2' as rounding for 480mbit, permissible to use Engineering notation and power of 10 (rather than 2) values, must specify bit or byte base size unit.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2026 14:29:13 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47997298</link><dc:creator>mjevans</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47997298</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47997298</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by mjevans in "The West forgot how to make things, now it’s forgetting how to code"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Democracy requires informed thoughtful voters to function.<p>Public education was supposed to deliver that.  This is a dream that has failed in the US.<p>Possibly the most lacking tools are Critical Thinking (not directly taught as a subject AFAIK) and some class with a focus on how government(s) work.  The latter was an elective I took in high school (not a core requirement, it should be).<p>At least when I was in college it helped to have critical thinking skills, but was not a basics (100 level) course.  Political studies might be a different degree, but again not a core course.  I find that ironic since everyone has to interact with government regulations and vote.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 26 Apr 2026 14:56:31 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47910852</link><dc:creator>mjevans</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47910852</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47910852</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by mjevans in "Why Japan has such good railways"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I do strongly agree about specific kinds of relaxing.<p><pre><code>  * Clear and concise approvals process
  * No more NIMBY BS
  * Impact based assessment (similar to Japans)
  * Possibly goals to encourage desired types of use (but not hard LIMIT beyond disallowed!)
</code></pre>
While at the same time, the quality of built items should be increased.  That is the minimum code should reflect a value that produces a good quality of life for those in the buildings at a reasonable expenditure of resources over the lifetime of the building.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 18 Apr 2026 18:09:41 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47818077</link><dc:creator>mjevans</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47818077</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47818077</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by mjevans in "Why Japan has such good railways"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>This is my major problem as a renter in the US.  The minimum code really is too minimum.  The city ordinances also enforce high limits on walls in ways that preserve a baby boomer childhood era view of suburbs.<p>It'd suck less if it felt like E.G. noise and environmental pollution ordinances were ever enforced.  (Break up those parties and stop people from doing trash burns / crappy fires during burn bans which are pretty much always...)</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:51:12 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47816847</link><dc:creator>mjevans</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47816847</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47816847</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by mjevans in "Jury finds Meta liable in case over child sexual exploitation on its platforms"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>The correct nuance here is...<p>* Classifying accounts as child accounts (moderated by a parent)<p>* Allowing account moderators to review content in the account that is moderated (including assigning other moderation tools of choice)<p>In call cases transparency and enabling consumer choice should be the core focus.<p>Additionally: by default treat everyone online as an adult.  Parents that allow their kids online like that without supervision / some setting that the user agent is operated by a child intend to allow their children to interact with strangers.  This tends to work out better in more controlled and limited circumstances where the adults involved have the resources to provide suitable supervision.<p>At the same time, any requirements should apply only to commercial products.  Community (gratis / not for profit) efforts presumably reflect the needs of a given community.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 24 Mar 2026 23:53:24 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47511283</link><dc:creator>mjevans</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47511283</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47511283</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by mjevans in "Ubuntu 26.04 Ends 46 Years of Silent sudo Passwords"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Could be an external keyboard state thing.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 22 Mar 2026 03:43:27 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47474254</link><dc:creator>mjevans</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47474254</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47474254</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by mjevans in "Woman in Labor at Florida Hospital Brought in Zoom Court for Refusing C-Section"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I disagree.  The government SHOULD be able to force people to do things to be up to standard for the good of society.  Attending a basic level of public education?  Maintenance of hygiene?  REASONABLE actions to prevent the spread of diseases?  I believe a vaccine which has been scientifically proven to have a lower risk of death than the disease it prevents qualifies as such.<p>Contrast the above with a case of two lives in one package.  An independently functional mother and an as yet unborn child.  Is it reasonable to allow the mother to risk their own life (and endanger the linked child's life) in pursuit of some belief when that risk does not spread to others?  That is a very different question than one which has an impact on risk to society as a whole.<p>I will say, if you support enforcing a particular outcome against 'parents rights' in this case, you had better also be for more state intervention and standards upkeep with respect to ensuring that child has sufficient resources and support to become a functioning member of society.  If you're willing to go that far, then I can support the logical stance of extending said support even to the point of forcing the child out of their mother against the only individual who could consent or deny consent for that effort.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 21 Mar 2026 01:50:11 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47463252</link><dc:creator>mjevans</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47463252</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47463252</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by mjevans in "US commercial insurers pay 254% of Medicare for the same hospital procedures"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>The US is allergic to taxes.  Maybe it's a marketing thing.  Benefits paid for by society.<p>Maybe a department of Return on Investment.  See what those taxes pay for.  Contrast to buying private versions of the services at the same SLA or better.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2026 01:42:36 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47407578</link><dc:creator>mjevans</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47407578</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47407578</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by mjevans in "Harold and George Destroy the World"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>It's more of a thinker if you get past the very well done and entertaining first layer of 'slop'.  (Content warning: there's some offensive potty humor and LOTS of violence in that first layer!)<p>The movie considers potential.  A literal multiverse of potential.  It also explores how society treats people using their potential and time in different ways.  As fellow readers gray and their family relations start to get older they too will likely have the misfortune of knowing people entering dementia.  How people are treated as they slide away from this reality is represented rather well by the film.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 15 Mar 2026 15:15:53 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47388212</link><dc:creator>mjevans</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47388212</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47388212</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by mjevans in "Harold and George Destroy the World"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Society absolutely needs to more correctly incentivize smart people to 'get together' to form child creating and raising units (families).<p>Maybe society should focus on supporting high quality environments for raising children well.<p>This probably includes a bunch of budget expensive things like...<p><pre><code>  * Rich interaction between smart adults and children, at low density
  * Ensure good breakfast and lunch at minimum
  * year round childcare
  * Every child great medical care
</code></pre>
If we like the idea of biological parents bonding strongly with their children, the whole 'work from home' and 'work life balance' things should also be strongly evaluated.  I happen to think that delivering strongly on the above points would also pair well with at least some 'work from home' so that parents have time to work, time for being human, and time to be a good parent.  Harder to measure experimental results probably include a healthier emotional and motivational status, lower stress for everyone involved, and maybe even higher output if not just higher quality output during hours worked.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 15 Mar 2026 15:09:40 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47388140</link><dc:creator>mjevans</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47388140</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47388140</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by mjevans in "Can you instruct a robot to make a PBJ sandwich?"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I'm reminded of wish-granting genies, and then of 'undefined behavior' and compilers...</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 13 Mar 2026 05:15:53 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47360965</link><dc:creator>mjevans</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47360965</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47360965</guid></item></channel></rss>