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Steps Towards Happiness (2015)
Kind people already sent donations that will make my childrens' lives easier, when I'm not there any more. Thank you enormously! :-)
Topics /
Society, Policy & Culture
The most popular blog posts about society, policy & culture on Hacker News. 629 posts.
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Why Telegram had to follow Apple and Google when they suspended a voting app
telegra.ph/why-telegram-had-to-follow-apple-and-google-when-they-suspended-a-voting-app-09-252021229 points168 comments details
Telegram gives its users more freedom of speech than any other popular mobile application. Unlike other apps, Telegram can't be pressured by shareholders, cloud providers or advertisers into unjustified censorship. Telegram doesn't exist in isolation, however. It depends on other companies to function, from banks and…
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Your face is not a bar code: arguments against automatic face recognition (2001)
An abridged version of this article appeared in Whole Earth 106, Winter 2001, pages 74-77.
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My interview with Steven Levy re. leaking of my Facebook Goodbye post
Bottom Line Up Front: Frances, if you read this, do please tell the DCMS committee up front (and don’t let them distract or dissuade you) that people need the privacy which end-to-end encrypt…
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The California Exception
You know how I linked to that New York Times editorial pleading for regulation of dark patterns? Turns out I missed something in the Times’ convoluted cancellation policies. They give you the choice of speaking with someone over the telephone or speaking with someone using an instant messenger. Both have similar hours…
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Google I/O 2021 and Uncomfortable Questions
Android app development books
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Policies that make the poor less poor
We should have policies to make the poor less poor. Unfortunately, policies explicitly aimed at trying to make the poor less poor typica...
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Facebook is other people
This is what "democratization" looks like
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Tales from Prediction Markets
Prediction markets are fun, at least if you're making money.
281
Tracking the WhatsApp habits of random smartphones
Scaling the WhatsApp online-status hack from a single contact to 5000 random phone numbers — what the data says about phone usage habits.
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I paid for Spotify playlist placements so you don’t have to
As part of my ongoing mission to throw money into thin air I decided to promote some of Corserine’s songs on Spotify. Objectives: increase monthly streams on my Spotify artist page so I can g…
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A Timeline of CIA Atrocities (1993)
A timeline of CIA atrocities.
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NP Complete 3rd Grade Math Problems (2018)
Leo’s third grade class got to try a Noyce Foundation math worksheet [1] the other day. They didn’t fare so well, but I gotta tell you, some of the problems are REALLY hard! In fact, on…
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The Paywalled Garden: iOS is Adware (2020)
Over the years, Apple has built up a portfolio of services and add-ons that you pay for. Starting with AppleCare extended warranties and…
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Useful Spy Books
Reading a good book is a great joy. And recommending a good book is almost as enjoyable. I’ve long been fascinated by books on espionage, and this contributed in no small part to me eventually joining the Dutch intelligence world, and later, rejoining it in some fashion. If you have favorite books that should be on…
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Buy a coal mine, drive a gas guzzler, and other uses of reverse logic
Readers with long memories may recall the brief, inglorious UK fuel shortage of a few weeks ago, which was mostly caused by the rush to refuel for fear the pumps would run dry. Some petrol stations…
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The Sucker Complex
One is killed every minute
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Fighting Like Taliban
Over the last month or so we have seen several reports out of Afghanistan registering the shock of the Americans, the Afghani government, and even the Taliban itself with the speed at which the Tal…
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ISP announces 86% slowdown “in line with others”
Altice wins the race to the bottom.
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The computer revolution hasn’t happened yet (1997)
In this video, Alan Kay talks about his vision of object oriented programming and how to design scalable systems.
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Fictional Cryptocurrencies
I said they were fictional! Stop trying to invest in them!
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Does QE Cause Wealth Inequality?
Originally published: November 2021 One of the most polarizing topics today is wealth inequality. I think a better description is to refer to it as wealth concentration. Nobody should expect wealth to be equal in a society, but when wealth becomes extremely concentrated (way more unequal than usual), it’s often a sign…
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Towards a more Elvish vision for Technology
This essay is telescopic . It can shrink or expand, depending on how much attention you are willing to give. This is the original version (3344 words). Show other sizes .
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