The hottest Substack posts right now

according to Hacker News
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How to be safe from infinite loops[Technique Tuesdays]

Technology Made Simple • 99 implied HN points • 28 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Coding Programming Innovation Software Engineering
  1. The Jolt Approach provides a simple yet powerful method to detect and escape infinite loops by monitoring program progress and identifying loop iterations that produce the same state, which is an indication of being stuck in a loop.
  2. It's crucial to address the limitations of the Jolt Approach, especially in scenarios where programs cycle between different states, by implementing strategies like storing each state, breaking if a seen state recurs, and having code that accounts for these situations.
  3. To safeguard against infinite loops, ensure your code progresses in every step, have clearly defined exit strategies, use kill-switches like iteration limits, and implement thorough logging for observability.

Must Learn AI Security Part 17: Social Engineering Attacks Against AI

Rod’s Blog • 99 implied HN points • 28 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Social Engineering Data Protection Artificial Intelligence Cybersecurity AI Security
  1. Social engineering attacks against AI involve manipulating AI systems using deception and psychological tactics to gain unauthorized access to data.
  2. Strategies to mitigate social engineering attacks include developing AI systems with security in mind, monitoring system performance, and educating users about potential risks.
  3. Monitoring aspects like AI system performance, input data, user behavior, and communication channels can help detect and respond to social engineering attacks against AI.

Microsoft Sentinel SOC 101: How to Detect and Mitigate Malware Attacks with Microsoft Sentinel

Rod’s Blog • 99 implied HN points • 20 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Incident Response Automation Security Threat Detection Threat intelligence
  1. Malware attacks can result in data breaches, financial losses, and damage to an organization's reputation, underscoring the importance of robust security measures and tools like Microsoft Sentinel.
  2. Microsoft Sentinel offers customizable anomaly detection and User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) anomalies to identify and respond to potential threats effectively without complex tuning.
  3. Threat intelligence integration, data connectors, and built-in analytics rule templates in Microsoft Sentinel help organizations import, centralize, and leverage threat indicators to proactively detect and respond to malware attacks.

Microsoft Sentinel SOC 101: How to Detect and Mitigate Phishing Attacks with Microsoft Sentinel

Rod’s Blog • 99 implied HN points • 19 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Threat Detection Cloud Computing Data Analysis Cybersecurity Automation
  1. Phishing attacks are a significant threat that targets human vulnerabilities and can lead to identity theft or financial fraud.
  2. Organizations can mitigate phishing attacks by adopting a 'defense in depth' strategy that includes user education, email filtering, and incident response planning.
  3. Utilizing Microsoft Sentinel, Kusto Query Language (KQL), and integrating with Microsoft 365 Threat Protection can enhance proactive threat hunting and response capabilities against phishing attacks.
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Lost in Navigation: Overcoming the Paradox of Choice in UX Design

UX Psychology • 99 implied HN points • 01 Sep 23
🕹 Technology UX Design Psychology Navigation User Research Information Architecture
  1. Providing more choices in user interfaces does not always lead to better decisions due to the paradox of choice - too many options can lead to decision overload and poorer choices.
  2. Choice paralysis in UX occurs when users are overwhelmed with options, leading to inaction or abandonment of tasks - simplifying navigation options can help prevent this.
  3. Hick's Law states that decision time increases with the number of choices available, emphasizing the importance of streamlining navigation design to reduce cognitive effort and aid decision-making for users.

Problem 85: Count Complete Tree Nodes [Amazon]

Technology Made Simple • 99 implied HN points • 04 May 23
🕹 Technology Algorithms Coding Tech industry Data Structures
  1. The post discusses Problem 85: Count Complete Tree Nodes [Amazon], focusing on recursion, trees, and data structures.
  2. It is about solving a problem related to counting the number of nodes in a complete binary tree efficiently.
  3. The post mentions the importance of community engagement in choosing problems to discuss and the growth of the author's newsletter.

Post Delay- Computer Issues

Technology Made Simple • 99 implied HN points • 10 May 23
🕹 Technology
  1. The author's post was delayed due to computer issues, but research is ready and will be posted as soon as the computer switches on again.
  2. The author appreciates the readers' understanding and assures that they will love the upcoming post.
  3. The post conveys a polite and transparent communication style, keeping readers informed about the delay and the situation.

Getting GEO Information for IP Addresses without Using a Microsoft Sentinel Playbook

Rod’s Blog • 99 implied HN points • 06 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Data Analysis
  1. A Kusto function called geo_info_from_ip_address() enables retrieving geolocation details for IP addresses without relying on third-party APIs.
  2. This function can gather Country, State, City, Latitude, and Longitude info for both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.
  3. While IP-API.com offers additional details like IP management entity and mobile device indication, they may not always be necessary.

Three psychological effects that screw with your team's productivity

PeopleStorming • 99 implied HN points • 08 Aug 23
💼 Business Productivity Psychological Effects
  1. The Planning Fallacy: We often overestimate the impact of work and underestimate its cost, known as the planning fallacy. To combat this, consider worst-case scenarios when planning.
  2. Sunk Cost Fallacy: We tend to continue investing in something because we've already put in time or resources, even if it's not the best decision. Regularly assess if the payoff aligns with the cost to avoid this.
  3. Complexity Bias: We often choose complex solutions when simple ones would suffice. Combat this bias by taking action, choosing practical systems, and simplifying mental models.

Are you a platform?

Developer GTM – by Calyx Consulting • 99 implied HN points • 14 Jun 23
💼 Business API Product Development Platforms Ecosystems Consultancy
  1. Platforms come in various forms, not just through APIs, and successful platforms connect different parts of the value chain.
  2. Organic growth is crucial for platforms to succeed, and the relationship between platform and ecosystem is interdependent.
  3. Building a platform requires internal buy-in from leadership and alignment with company goals to ensure long-term success.

Understanding the Different Types of Transformers in AI [Math Mondays]

Technology Made Simple • 99 implied HN points • 11 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Natural Language Processing Neural Networks Machine Learning AI Deep Learning
  1. There are three main types of transformers in AI: Sequence-to-Sequence Models excel at language translation tasks, Autoregressive Models are powerful for text generation but may lack deeper understanding, and Autoencoding Models focus on language understanding and classification by capturing meaningful representations of input data.
  2. Transformers with different training methodologies influence their performance and applicability, so understanding these distinctions is crucial for selecting the most suitable model for specific use cases.
  3. Deep learning with transformer models offers a diverse range of capabilities, each catering to unique needs: mapping sequences between languages, generating text, or focusing on language understanding and classification.

The 3 Pillars of Observability in Distributed Software Systems[System Design Sundays]

Technology Made Simple • 99 implied HN points • 19 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Metrics Observability
  1. Observability in distributed software systems is crucial as they grow in complexity and scale.
  2. The 3 pillars of observability are logs, metrics, and traces, each offering unique insights into the system's operations.
  3. Combining logs, metrics, and traces is essential for building tools that enhance observability and improve system performance.

3 Techniques to Make your Machine Learning more efficient[Technique Tuesdays]

Technology Made Simple • 99 implied HN points • 04 Apr 23
🕹 Technology AI Tech industry Data science Machine Learning Software Engineering
  1. Reducing the number of features in your data can improve performance and keep costs down in machine learning processes.
  2. Active learning focuses on prioritizing data points for efficient machine learning model training.
  3. Using filters and simpler models for specific tasks can lead to better performance and cost savings compared to always using large, powerful models in AI.

When This “Red Boy” Grows Up, AI-Based Tool 360GPT Could Give China an Edge in Cyber Conflict

Natto Thoughts • 99 implied HN points • 12 May 23
🕹 Technology China Cybersecurity AI Big Data Cyber Warfare
  1. Qihoo 360 is developing an AI tool called 360GPT that could potentially enhance China's cyber defense capabilities.
  2. Zhou Hongyi, the founder of Qihoo 360, is actively embracing AI technology to strengthen cybersecurity in China and prepare for cyber warfare.
  3. There are tensions between the US and China in the cyber realm, with Qihoo 360 openly calling out US hacking activities and emphasizing the need for national preparedness in cyber warfare.

Understanding Software Dependencies [Math Mondays]

Technology Made Simple • 99 implied HN points • 01 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Coding Types
  1. Software dependencies are vital relationships where one component relies on another to function properly.
  2. There are two types of software dependencies: direct dependencies, where we directly call packages, and transitive dependencies, where we indirectly use tools created by others.
  3. Improperly managed software dependencies can lead to conflicts and errors when updating or changing the software, creating what's known as Software Dependency Hell.

Group Assignment in a Frontend vs. Backend A/B Test

Sarah's Newsletter • 99 implied HN points • 19 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Frontend Experimentation UI/UX Data Analysis Backend
  1. Decide which product feature should be behind a test, read the results of an A/B test, prioritize features based on data
  2. Understand that frontend tests focus on user experience and user groups in the browser, while backend tests require business logic and user assignment in the database
  3. Choose frontend user group assignment for speed and simplicity via firing analytics events; go for backend assignment for more complete data by storing user assignment in a database model

Must Learn AI Security on Kindle Vella

Rod’s Blog • 99 implied HN points • 01 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Tech news AI Security
  1. The Must Learn AI Security series is now available on Kindle Vella, allowing readers to access book chapters as they are written or on a schedule
  2. Following the story on Kindle Vella notifies readers of new chapters and provides a larger audience for the important information
  3. Readers can like episodes, purchase Tokens to unlock more, and give Faves to their favorite stories on Kindle Vella

✅ Monday briefing: Celebrating 150 Substack newsletters

Wadds Inc. newsletter • 99 implied HN points • 02 Oct 23
💼 Business Social media Media Artificial Intelligence Public Relations Management
  1. The newsletter has celebrated its 150th edition, continuing since it started during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. It's designed to help readers understand weekly top stories in their community.
  2. There are growing concerns about issues like greenwashing and the unequal payment for news subscriptions. Many people want diverse news sources but struggle to find value in paying for them.
  3. AI technology is rapidly evolving, with tools like ChatGPT now having internet access. This raises questions about how AI should be regulated globally as it becomes more integrated into various sectors.

Removing Deprecated Analytics Rules in Microsoft Sentinel

Rod’s Blog • 99 implied HN points • 06 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Threat intelligence Microsoft Sentinel
  1. Having outdated Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) in your analytics rules in Microsoft Sentinel can be unproductive and consume resources. Consider cleaning up the deprecated rules to optimize performance.
  2. Check for **[Deprecated]** rules in the Rule Templates section of the Analytics Rules blade in Microsoft Sentinel to identify outdated rules that need removal.
  3. Consider implementing Microsoft's Threat Intelligence solution to enhance threat detection by matching log data with up-to-date IOCs generated by Microsoft.

Why Philosophy Is Not An Option

Weekly Wisdom • 99 implied HN points • 16 Aug 23
📖 Philosophy Self-reflection Ethics Self-Actualization Existentialism Hedonism
  1. Philosophy is not just a rarefied activity - it's about the basis informing our decisions and can be seen as a life operating system.
  2. Our default philosophy often revolves around seeking pleasure and avoiding pain, but self-reflection can help in moving towards more conscious decision-making.
  3. Understanding our hypocricy quotient - the gap between our beliefs and actions - can lead to deeper self-awareness and satisfaction in life.

GPT-4 (sometimes) captures the wisdom of the crowd

The Counterfactual • 99 implied HN points • 25 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Machine Learning AI Data science
  1. Researchers often use survey data to understand human behavior, but collecting reliable human responses can be complicated and expensive. Using large language models (LLMs) like GPT-4 could make this process easier and cheaper.
  2. LLMs can sometimes produce responses that closely match the average opinions of many people. In some cases, their answers were actually more aligned with the average responses than individual human judgments.
  3. While LLMs can be helpful in gathering data quickly and inexpensively, it's important to be careful. They might not always be accurate or representative of all viewpoints, so it's wise to compare LLM results with human responses to ensure quality.

How to save your systems from collapsing- Graceful Degradation [Technique Tuesdays]

Technology Made Simple • 99 implied HN points • 03 May 23
🕹 Technology Software Engineering Software Design System reliability Web Development AI
  1. Graceful Degradation is a design principle that ensures systems maintain limited functionality even when parts are rendered inoperative.
  2. Implement the 80-20 principle while integrating Graceful Degradation to focus on backing up critical components and keeping systems active.
  3. Combine Progressive Enhancement with Graceful Degradation to provide essential content to all users while delivering the best possible experience to modern browsers.

Understanding Big Oh, Big Theta, and Big Omega Notations[Math Mondays]

Technology Made Simple • 99 implied HN points • 16 May 23
🕹 Technology Algorithms Education Computing
  1. Time complexity refers to the number of instructions a software executes, not the actual time taken to run the code.
  2. Three common asymptotic notations for computing time complexity are Big Oh, Big Theta, and Big Omega.
  3. Understanding time complexity bounds is essential in computer science and software engineering, as they are fundamental concepts that appear regularly.

Perennial Problems, Projects & Philosophies - Part 2

Weekly Wisdom • 99 implied HN points • 11 May 23
📖 Philosophy Philosophy Spirituality Traditions Religion Ethics
  1. The project aims to explore the convergence and divergence of different traditions and schools of thought to understand cultural breadth.
  2. Traditional systems of thought that have endured for centuries hold value and merit consideration alongside modern perspectives.
  3. Comparative soteriology analyzes the ideals and aims of various religious, spiritual, and philosophical traditions, offering insights into different paths to attainment.

Under the microscope: Ecco the Dolphin — Defender of the Future

Rings of Saturn • 174 implied HN points • 07 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Gaming Programming Software Cheats Engineering
  1. There are special cheat codes in the game 'Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future' that can be activated by naming your save file a certain way. These codes unlock features like immortality and all-level access.
  2. A reverse-engineering tool called Ghidra was used to find these codes and understand how they were hidden in the game. It shows how programming can uncover secret game mechanics.
  3. Some codes do different things, like showing the frame rate or unlocking a bonus game. One code is mysterious and doesn't seem to do anything at all, adding an element of fun discovery.

Enterprise Prompt Engineering Practices

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 19 implied HN points • 17 May 24
🕹 Technology Data Engineering Research NLP AI
  1. Users spend a good amount of time, around 43 minutes, editing prompts to get better results from language models. They often make small, careful changes instead of big rewrites.
  2. The main focus of edits is usually on the context of the prompts, such as improving examples and grounding information. This shows that context is crucial for getting good outputs.
  3. Many users try multiple changes at once and sometimes roll back their edits. This indicates that they might struggle to remember what worked well in the past or which changes had positive effects.

The Secret Inside One Million Checkboxes

eieio games • 2 HN points • 29 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Web Development Game design User Interaction Digital Art Programming
  1. The One Million Checkboxes website let people check or uncheck boxes that affected everyone worldwide. It became super popular, with millions of boxes checked in just a short time.
  2. Users found a creative way to send messages in binary code by checking boxes. This led to an unexpected community forming where they experimented with drawing and animations.
  3. Although some people disliked bots because they cluttered the site, the creator found inspiration in how young developers used them creatively. It was a reminder of the fun and opportunities coding can bring.

Synapse Investor Marc Andreessen Says CFPB "Terrorizes" Fintech, Crypto To Protect Big Banks

Fintech Business Weekly • 156 implied HN points • 01 Dec 24
💰 Finance Fintech Consumer Protection Banking Investments Regulation
  1. Marc Andreessen claims that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is making it hard for fintech and crypto companies to succeed because it wants to protect big banks. He believes the CFPB causes banks to refuse services to risky customers.
  2. Andreessen argues that independent government agencies like the CFPB aren't accountable to the public and can act without checks. He feels this restricts innovation in financial services.
  3. Despite claims of 'debanking,' major companies are still engaging in crypto activities. The claims about being pushed out due to regulatory pressures may not reflect the whole truth about the market's adaptability.

Microsoft's New Framework for Multi-Agent Systems

TheSequence • 175 implied HN points • 10 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Innovation Systems AI Research Software
  1. Magentic-One is a new tool from Microsoft that helps manage multiple AI agents to tackle complex tasks. It acts like a conductor guiding different musicians, making it easier to complete different jobs together.
  2. This system allows for flexibility by using different AI models for different tasks, which means it can be customized based on what you need. It's designed to improve efficiency in our daily tasks, like ordering food or doing research.
  3. While Magentic-One is powerful, it's still being improved to reduce errors and ensure it acts safely. The goal is to make sure these AI agents help us reliably without causing problems.

The Missing Multiplier

Perspective Agents • 3 implied HN points • 22 Jan 26
💼 Business Change Management Strategy Leadership Organizational Design Talent Technology Careers
  1. Top leaders now treat AI as the most consequential global issue, and leading AI builders warn of rapid advances that could replace many entry‑level white‑collar jobs within years.
  2. Companies have the models and tools but are getting little financial benefit because they lack a Human OS — the people, workflows, incentives, and governance that turn AI capability into real value.
  3. This gap is both an organizational and career crisis: without rebuilding how people learn and work, roles from juniors to middle managers are at risk while AI‑native workers and new ladders will rise, so act now to build human readiness.

The Ghost in the Machine: How I learned to stop worrying and love the AI

Experiments with NLP and GPT-3 • 7 implied HN points • 02 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Tech Adoption Organizational Change Tech History Artificial Intelligence Automation Productivity Enterprise Software
  1. Don’t treat AI as a job-stealer but as a coworker; see it as augmentation that can take over repetitive tasks so people can focus on strategy, creativity, and emotional work.
  2. History shows resisting big technological shifts costs you — the industrial-era reluctance led to missed opportunities, and the AI change is much faster so adapting quickly is essential.
  3. Adoption fails when workers aren’t trained or are afraid, so companies must teach new workflows and treat AI like a fast, naive junior who needs clear instructions to be truly useful.

Dialogues on Psychophysical Harmony, Part 2

Going Awol • 159 implied HN points • 28 Jan 23
📖 Philosophy Theism Naturalism Evolution
  1. Merely positing that the psychophysical laws are necessary doesn't predict psychophysical harmony - a theory needs to predict the actual data to be less surprising.
  2. The theory that the laws of physics are necessary and give rise to specific outcomes, like psychophysical harmony, can make the theory vanishingly improbable due to low prior probabilities.
  3. Evolutionary theory addressing psychophysical harmony might overlook the possibility that it could have not been selected for due to limitations in psychophysical laws.

Q2 NY Fed Report: Mortgage Originations by Credit Score, Foreclosures Decrease

CalculatedRisk Newsletter • 43 implied HN points • 05 Aug 25
💰 Finance Housing Mortgages Debt Credit Foreclosures
  1. Mortgage originations are mainly going to people with high credit scores now. In the past, many loans were given to people with lower scores during the housing bubble.
  2. Foreclosures are currently low and below the levels before the pandemic. This decrease is a positive sign compared to previous years.
  3. Some states are starting to see more cases of serious late payments, which could lead to an increase in foreclosures there. It's a reminder to watch the housing market closely.

Learning operations & hiring, the tech-enabled agency model, Bangkok, ...

Play Permissionless • 119 implied HN points • 17 Apr 23
💼 Business Operations Hiring
  1. Learning new skills like hiring and operations can be challenging but rewarding, especially during the initial phases.
  2. When hiring, it's essential to focus on quality over cost, especially in the beginning. Western-educated talent may require higher pay but can deliver better results with less micromanagement.
  3. Running a tech-enabled agency model can be a successful business approach. Leveraging internal tools for client success can be more impactful than turning them into public SaaS products.

Pinterest improves their Closeup Recommendation System through foundational changes

MLOps Newsletter • 98 implied HN points • 07 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Libraries ML Data AI Models
  1. Pinterest improved their Closeup Recommendation System with foundational changes like hybrid data logging and sampling.
  2. Pinterest uses a model refreshing framework to keep their Closeup Recommendation model up-to-date and adaptable.
  3. Distilling step-by-step can help train smaller, more efficient, and interpretable language models like LLMs.