The hottest Software Development Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Security is Not an SBOM Problem

Security Is • 39 implied HN points • 15 May 24
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Software Development Vulnerability Management Information Security
  1. A Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) lists all the components in software, which can help in understanding security risks but isn't a magic fix for vulnerabilities.
  2. The real issue with fixing vulnerabilities isn't about having information; it's about how hard and complicated it is to apply patches to software.
  3. While SBOMs are getting a lot of hype, they mostly offer a new format for existing information and may not change how organizations manage security vulnerabilities.

Defending CI/CD Environments - The NSA/CISA Way

Resilient Cyber • 299 implied HN points • 29 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Software Development DevOps Cloud Computing Information Security
  1. CI/CD environments are crucial for the development and delivery of software, but they can also be targeted by hackers. It's important to secure these systems to prevent attacks.
  2. The NSA and CISA have released guidelines that offer best practices for protecting CI/CD pipelines. Using existing frameworks and tools can help improve security effectively.
  3. Transitioning to a Zero Trust model is recommended to enhance security in software development. This approach minimizes risks by ensuring that all access is restricted and monitored.

Data Science Weekly - Issue 490

Data Science Weekly Newsletter • 379 implied HN points • 13 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Data science Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence Data Engineering Software Development
  1. Data science is evolving quickly, and many new tools and techniques are being developed. This opens up exciting job opportunities in various fields like AI and machine learning.
  2. Using programming languages like R and SQL can extend beyond traditional data analysis. They can be powerful tools for creative applications in data science.
  3. Learning and implementing good practices in software development, such as automating tests and improving code efficiency, can save time and resources in data science projects.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Console #170 -- An Interview with Alex of DocuSeal - Open source DocuSign alternative

Console • 413 implied HN points • 13 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Open Source Programming Web Development Software Development AI
  1. DocuSeal is an open source platform for digital document signing as an alternative to DocuSign.
  2. Ruby on Rails is used as the backend for DocuSeal, offering an easy and efficient development process.
  3. The developer of DocuSeal is motivated by community interest, aims for wider adoption before monetization, and plans to prioritize user feedback for future project development.

Inconsistency as a service

Gradient Ascendant • 13 implied HN points • 10 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Software Development Engineering Quality Assurance Data processing
  1. Testing is really important for both hardware and software, especially when things can fail sometimes. In making chips, a lot of resources go into making sure they work properly.
  2. With AI like LLMs, you have to keep checking their outputs because they can be unpredictable. It's smart to set up a test system to know if what you're getting makes sense.
  3. We're still figuring out the best ways to test AI technology. Just like with traditional software, it will take time to develop good practices for making sure LLMs work well and reliably.

The Sequence Radar #486 : The Amazing AlphaGeometry2 Now Achieved Gold Medalist in Math Olympiads

TheSequence • 28 implied HN points • 09 Feb 25
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Data science Research Software Development
  1. AlphaGeometry2 has become a top performer in solving geometry problems, even surpassing human math Olympiad gold medalists. It can handle tough geometry concepts and has a better understanding of different math problems compared to its predecessor.
  2. The latest improvements in AlphaGeometry2 include an enhanced symbolic engine and a wider range of mathematical language features. This allows it to solve more complex geometry problems efficiently.
  3. AI is getting closer to matching or even exceeding human capabilities in competitive mathematics. This success in geometry could lead to similar advancements in other scientific fields like physics and chemistry.

GroupBy #29: Scaling AI/ML Infrastructure at Uber, The Sisyphean struggle and the new era of data infrastructure

VuTrinh. • 59 implied HN points • 02 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Data Engineering Machine Learning Infrastructure Software Development Cloud Computing
  1. Uber is focusing on building strong AI and machine learning infrastructure to keep up with the growing complexity of their models. This involves using both CPUs and GPUs for better efficiency.
  2. Data management is becoming crucial for companies like Netflix as they deal with massive amounts of production data. They are developing tools to effectively manage and optimize this data.
  3. The data streaming landscape is evolving, with new technologies emerging that make handling data easier and more efficient. This is changing how companies approach data infrastructure.

ChatGPT: Siri on Steroids

Diane Francis • 419 implied HN points • 30 Jan 23
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Software Development Human-computer interaction Ethics Innovation
  1. ChatGPT is a powerful AI tool that can understand and respond to human language, making it helpful for tasks like summarizing information and writing poetry.
  2. While ChatGPT represents a major step in AI development, it is not perfect and should not be relied upon for important decisions without verification.
  3. As AI progresses, there are ethical concerns about how it can be used, and it's important to remember that technology reflects the intentions of its creators.

Proxy Fine-Tuning LLMs

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 79 implied HN points • 26 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Data science Software Development
  1. Proxy fine-tuning lets you improve a language model's performance without changing its internal settings. It only uses the model's output to make adjustments.
  2. Combining different approaches, like retrieval and fine-tuning, can lead to better results with language models. It's about using the best methods together instead of relying on just one.
  3. Using proxy fine-tuning can help organizations better understand and organize their data. It encourages them to explore their information needs more deeply.

📽 Fully Virtual: Agents in Production

TheSequence • 77 implied HN points • 01 Nov 24
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Software Development Virtual Events Automation
  1. There's a virtual event coming up on November 13, 2024, about using AI agents in different industries. It's a great chance to learn from experts about real-world uses and strategies.
  2. The event features speakers from well-known companies like Hugging Face and OpenAI. You can connect with leaders in AI and machine learning.
  3. If you're interested, you can register for free to join and explore how AI can help in areas like e-commerce and customer service.

I spent 4 hours figuring out how BigQuery executes the SQL query internally. Here's what I found.

VuTrinh. • 79 implied HN points • 24 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Data Engineering Database Systems Cloud Computing Big Data Software Development
  1. BigQuery processes SQL queries by planning, optimizing, and executing them. It starts by validating the query and creating an efficient execution plan.
  2. The query execution uses a dynamic tree structure that adjusts based on data characteristics. This helps to manage different types of queries more effectively.
  3. Key components of BigQuery include the Query Master for planning, the Scheduler for assigning resources, and Worker Shards that carry out the actual computations.

NVIDIA Releases Nemotron 70B

TheSequence • 84 implied HN points • 20 Oct 24
🕹 Technology AI Models Machine Learning Software Development Tech Innovation Data Access
  1. NVIDIA just launched the Nemotron 70B model, and it's getting a lot of attention for its amazing performance. It's even outshining popular models like GPT-4.
  2. The model is designed to understand complex questions easily and give accurate answers without needing extra hints. This makes it really useful for a lot of different tasks.
  3. NVIDIA is making it easier for everyone to access this powerful AI by offering free tools online. This means more businesses can try out and use advanced language models for their needs.

Sort is now available on the AWS Marketplace!

Database Engineering by Sort • 23 implied HN points • 28 Oct 24
💼 Business Data Management Software Development E-commerce
  1. Sort is now on the AWS Marketplace, making it easier for businesses to manage data changes. This means users can quickly add Sort to their systems.
  2. Sort helps streamline data change management with a simple process for proposing and approving changes. It makes it easy for teams to fix errors or update records without hassle.
  3. Every data change is logged by Sort, creating a clear history of what changes were made and why. This feature ensures full transparency and helps maintain high data quality.

Console #173 - Interview With Martin of Zammad - open source helpdesk & customer support system

Console • 354 implied HN points • 03 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Open Source Software Development Customer Support Programming Languages
  1. Zammad is an open source user support/ticketing solution managed via various communication channels.
  2. Martin founded Zammad with a focus on open source philosophy and sustainable business models.
  3. The Zammad team aims to enhance the platform, make it widely used globally, and uphold its commitment to open source values.

GroupBy #28: Tableflow - The Stream/Table, Kafka/Iceberg Duality, Kafka tiered storage deep dive

VuTrinh. • 59 implied HN points • 26 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Data Engineering Software Development Machine Learning Cloud Computing Big Data
  1. Tableflow allows you to easily turn Apache Kafka topics into Iceberg tables, which could change how streaming data is managed.
  2. Kafka's new tiered storage feature helps separate compute and storage, making it easier to manage resources and keep systems running smoothly.
  3. Data governance is important but can be lackluster if it doesn't show clear business benefits, making us rethink its role in today's data landscape.

Enterprises Need RAG, Not Fine-Tuning.

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 19 implied HN points • 26 Jun 24
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Data science Software Development Information Systems
  1. Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) is more effective than fine-tuning for enterprises. It connects to external data sources, making it easier to get accurate information.
  2. Using RAG helps reduce hallucinations in language models, which means the outputs are more reliable and trustworthy.
  3. Enterprises can maintain better control over their information by using RAG, ensuring relevant and precise responses.

Edge 449: Getting Into Adversarial Distillation

TheSequence • 63 implied HN points • 19 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Data science Software Development
  1. Adversarial distillation is a new model training method inspired by generative adversarial networks (GANs). It uses a setup where one part generates data and another part tries to tell if it's real or fake.
  2. This method helps improve knowledge transfer in models by combining typical distillation techniques with adversarial training. It's like guiding a student while testing their understanding.
  3. The process involves a generator that creates synthetic samples and a discriminator that distinguishes these samples from real ones, making learning more effective.

Console #172 - Interview with Dima of Novu - open-source notification infrastructure

Console • 354 implied HN points • 27 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Open Source Software Development Project management Collaboration
  1. Novu is an open-source notification infrastructure created by Dima and his co-founder to simplify communication for businesses.
  2. Novu empowers users to switch between email or SMS delivery providers seamlessly with its core principles of Triggers, Workflows, and Providers.
  3. Novu has a diverse team from around the world, emphasizes self-hosting, and offers a managed cloud version and enterprise licenses for revenue.

How to avoid the Migration Trap | Bruce Wang - Director of Engineering at Netflix

platocommunity • 98 implied HN points • 18 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Engineering Innovation Software Development
  1. Successful technology migrations require thorough planning, dedicated resources, and strategic funding to avoid falling into the "Migration Trap."
  2. Proving significant value in a migration is essential - the new system must offer transformative benefits that the old system couldn't achieve to justify the effort and resources required for the migration.
  3. Maintaining a learning mindset throughout the migration process is crucial; being open to challenges, re-evaluating assumptions, and being willing to abandon the migration if it doesn't serve its intended purpose can lead to better outcomes.

Google deepens AI integration across operations

philsiarri • 22 implied HN points • 31 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Cloud Computing Software Development Product Management Digital marketing
  1. Google is using a lot of AI in its work, with over a quarter of new code created by AI and checked by engineers. This shows how much they're relying on technology to improve their services.
  2. The company's earnings are strong, with significant revenue from both Google Services and Google Cloud. AI features are helping to boost sales and attract new customers.
  3. Google's new AI tools are changing how people search online and are driving more ad revenue on platforms like YouTube, which is now making over $50 billion from ads and subscriptions.

HCF EP 007: Prototyping with imported data

Hasen Judi • 35 implied HN points • 17 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Software Development Programming Data Management UI Design Web Development
  1. The project aims to develop a conversation view that displays threaded replies in a linear format, improving user experience compared to platforms like Twitter or Reddit.
  2. A data model is proposed to track parent-child relationships between posts and replies, allowing for efficient retrieval of both ancestors and descendants of a post.
  3. The author emphasizes using the same 'Post' type across different system layers, arguing that this reduces code complexity and increases productivity compared to using separate representations for each layer.

The DX Core 4 Framework

Fish Food for Thought • 11 implied HN points • 11 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Productivity Metrics Engineering Practices Data Analysis
  1. The DX Core 4 Framework helps companies measure developer productivity by looking at four main areas: Speed, Effectiveness, Quality, and Impact. This balanced approach provides a complete picture of how well teams are performing.
  2. It includes a Developer Experience Index (DXI) that shows how developers feel about their work, helping identify areas for improvement. This means companies can catch issues before they become bigger problems.
  3. The framework focuses on connecting developer productivity to business goals, making it easier for all levels of the organization to understand how engineering work impacts the company's success.

Readers respond to TDD x Psychological Safety survey

🔮 Crafting Tech Teams • 119 implied HN points • 14 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Engineering Testing Psychological safety Quality Assurance Software Development
  1. Experts find more ways to reward themselves while they work, not because they are more disciplined.
  2. Identity and team cohesion play a significant role in TDD adoption among tech teams.
  3. TDD adoption can lead to a blameless culture, improved design, and higher quality when implemented correctly.

Tech Debt

The Weekly Gazette • 26 implied HN points • 27 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Software Development Technical Debt System Architecture Internet Infrastructure
  1. Software systems, like the one behind HealthCare.gov, often fail due to poor planning and shortcuts taken during development. This can lead to major issues when many people try to use the system at once.
  2. Cybersecurity programs can unintentionally cause widespread problems. For example, a failed update from a security company led to major outages and millions of dollars in losses.
  3. Technical debt accumulates when programmers prioritize quick solutions over solid code. While it can't be completely avoided, it's important to understand and manage it to prevent future issues.

Round-Up of the Yocto Project Summit 2023.11

burkhardstubert • 59 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Embedded Systems Software Development Open Source Continuous Integration Automation
  1. Implementing a fallback mechanism during system updates is crucial. If an update fails, it can prevent endless reboots by reverting to a stable version.
  2. Keeping your Yocto project layers simple can reduce maintenance and complexity. Using minimal layers can help avoid outdated code and improve build efficiency.
  3. Setting up a CI pipeline for Yocto builds can simplify the development process. It provides ready-to-use images for developers without requiring deep knowledge of Yocto.

A look at the Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS) 3.0

Resilient Cyber • 219 implied HN points • 31 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Vulnerability Management Data Analysis Risk Assessment Software Development
  1. EPSS 3.0 helps security teams focus on the vulnerabilities that are most likely to be exploited soon. This makes managing vulnerabilities easier and more efficient.
  2. Many organizations struggle to fix all their vulnerabilities and often end up wasting time on those that are rarely exploited. EPSS aims to change that by identifying threats more accurately.
  3. The new version of EPSS shows a big improvement in predicting which vulnerabilities are at risk. This means companies can spend less time on unimportant issues and focus on what really matters.

Edge 451: Is One Teacher Enough? Understanding Multi-Teacher Distillation

TheSequence • 56 implied HN points • 26 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence Data science Computing Software Development
  1. Using multiple teachers in distillation is better than just one. This method helps combine different areas of knowledge, making the student model more powerful.
  2. Each teacher can focus on a specific type of knowledge, like understanding features or responses. This specialization leads to a more balanced learning process.
  3. Although this approach might be more expensive to implement, it creates a stronger and less biased model overall.

All the bullshit I did as a kid (part 1?)

Basta’s Notes • 204 implied HN points • 17 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Programming Web Development Operating Systems Software Development Tech industry
  1. The author reflects on the interesting and ambitious projects they worked on as a kid, showcasing a strong interest in technology and programming.
  2. Despite lacking mentorship, the author taught themselves valuable programming skills, such as building their own web browser and writing complex code like a CSS parser.
  3. The journey from tinkering with personal computers to winning a programming contest and earning internship opportunities highlights the author's growth and passion for technology.

Decoding Developer Productivity

Wisdom over Waves • 79 implied HN points • 08 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Productivity Measurement Value Creativity
  1. Estimating software development work and productivity is tricky due to the unknowns and constant changes in the software development process.
  2. The desire to measure developer productivity stems from the human need for clarity in transactions, like buying software products, despite the complexities and uncertainties involved in software development.
  3. It's time to change the perception of software developers as mere code generators and start recognizing them as creative problem-solvers who bring unique value to the development process.

DoRA is The New LoRA!

Aziz et al. Paper Summaries • 59 implied HN points • 07 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Data science Programming Software Development
  1. LoRA helps fine-tune large language models without changing all their parameters. It uses two small matrices, which keeps the performance quick during use.
  2. LoRA's updates to weights can miss valuable details you'd get from full fine-tuning, because it treats magnitude and direction together.
  3. DoRA improves on LoRA by separating magnitude and direction, leading to better performance on reasoning tasks and other applications. It works best with smaller settings, making it efficient.

Collaborative Markdown with Lix Change Control

Opral (lix & inlang) • 7 HN points • 07 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Version Control Automation
  1. Using Lix Change Control for Markdown makes collaborative writing better. It helps everyone work together smoothly and keeps track of changes easily.
  2. With Lix, you can make changes, submit them for review, and see who changed what. This makes it easy to approve or reject edits.
  3. Automation features let you set rules for content quality and manage updates or translations. This saves time and ensures the final product is accurate.

How to build a side-project to get a job in Machine Learning [Storytime Saturdays]

Technology Made Simple • 159 implied HN points • 01 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Machine Learning Career Advice Software Development Artificial Intelligence Side Projects
  1. Developing an amazing side project is crucial for getting your first job in Machine Learning. Ditch the basic datasets and focus on building exceptional projects to stand out.
  2. When building your career in Machine Learning, individual factors like goals, interests, skills, location, experience, and networks play a significant role. Tailor your approach based on your unique situation.
  3. For undergrad students seeking a role in Machine Learning, focusing on creating strong side projects is a key step. These projects can help you differentiate yourself and showcase your skills effectively.

The Tech Buffet #1: How To Design a System To Chat With Your Private Data

The Tech Buffet • 159 implied HN points • 04 Sep 23
🕹 Technology AI Data science Software Development Architecture Machine Learning
  1. Building a custom chatbot helps in getting accurate answers from specific internal data without the risk of it making things up. This is especially useful for specialized knowledge.
  2. Using a chatbot saves time and makes it super easy to find information quickly, boosting productivity for users.
  3. You can keep improving and updating the bot as your data changes, and you have full control over privacy by using open-source tools.

Microservices vs. Monoliths: Why Startups Are Getting "Nano-Services" All Wrong

Tech Thoughts • 2 HN points • 08 Sep 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Startup Strategies System Architecture Cloud Computing
  1. Startups should avoid jumping into microservices too early. It's better to keep things simple with a basic structure while you're still figuring out your product.
  2. Creating too many tiny services, or 'nano-services', adds unnecessary complexity. This can slow you down and make it harder to manage your product.
  3. Focus on finding your product's market fit first. Once you have traction and need to scale, then it's time to consider adopting more complex systems like microservices.