I ignore the spotlight as a staff engineer
Lately I’ve been reading Sean Goedecke’s essays on being a Staff+ engineer. His work (particularly Software engineering under the spotlight and It’s Not Your Codebase) is razor-sharp and feels painfully familiar to anyone in Big Tech. On paper, I fit the mold he describes: I’m a Senior Staff engineer at Google. Yet, reading his work […]
NextJS Security Vulnerability
A critical vulnerability has been identified in the React Server Components (RSC) protocol. The issue is rated CVSS 10.0 and can allow remote code execution when processing attacker-controlled requests in unpatched environments. This vulnerability originates in the upstream React implementation (CVE-2025-55182). This advisory (CVE-2025-66478) tracks the downstream impact on Next.js applications using the App Router. […]
Building optimistic UI in Rails (and learn custom elements)
Custom elements are one of those web platform features that sound complicated but turn out to be surprisingly simple. If you have used Hotwire in Rails, you have already used them. Both and are custom elements. They are just HTML tags with JavaScript behavior attached. This article walks through what custom elements are, how they […]
Programming peaked
by Samir Talwar Tuesday, 25 November 2025 at 09:00 CET I remember my first job vividly. It helps, of course, that I still consider many of the people I worked with friends, and I know some of them even still read this blog. (Hi!) I also think it might have been the beginning of the […]
It’s time to free JavaScript
You have long ago abandoned the JavaScript trademark, and it is causing widespread, unwarranted confusion and disruption. JavaScript is the world’s most popular programming language, powering websites everywhere. Yet, few of the millions who program in it realize that JavaScript is a trademark you, Oracle, control. The disconnect is glaring: JavaScript has become a general-purpose […]
Elites Could Shape Mass Preferences as AI Reduces Persuasion Costs
Abstract:In democracies, major policy decisions typically require some form of majority or consensus, so elites must secure mass support to govern. Historically, elites could shape support only through limited instruments like schooling and mass media; advances in AI-driven persuasion sharply reduce the cost and increase the precision of shaping public opinion, making the distribution of […]
The Mysterious Realm of JavaScriptCore (2021)
TL;DR JavaScriptCore (JSC) is the JavaScript engine used by Safari, Mail, App Store and many other apps in MacOs. The JSC engine is responsible for executing every line of JavaScript (JS) that needs to be executed, whenever we browse to a new website or simply send/receive emails. Finding vulnerabilities in JSC can be intimidating and, […]
Saturn (YC S24) Is Hiring Senior AI Engineer
Why Saturn? Saturn is revolutionizing financial services with AI, building the operating system for financial advisors. Our mission is to democratize financial advice for one billion people by providing the world’s most trusted, intelligent platform for financial planning and compliance. This is a rare chance to build a category-defining company in a high-stakes, regulated environment. […]
Uncloud – Tool for deploying containerised apps across servers without k8s
# Start with any cloud VM or your own server $ uc machine init [email protected] # Deploy your app with automatic HTTPS $ uc run –name my-app -p app.example.com:8000/https app-image:latest ✨ Your app is available at https://app.example.com # Achieve high availability by adding more machines and scaling the app $ uc machine add [email protected] $ […]
Cassette tapes are making a comeback. Yes
For a supposedly obsolete music format, audio cassette sales seem to be set on fast forward at the moment. Cassettes are fragile, inconvenient and relatively low-quality in the sound they produce – yet we’re increasingly seeing them issued by major artists. Is it simply a case of nostalgia? Press play The cassette format had its […]