Hacker News
1TurboTax’s 20-year fight to stop Americans from filing taxes for free (2019)
- ProPublica investigates how Intuit has waged a decades-long campaign to prevent the US government from creating a free tax filing system, using lobbying, deceptive marketing of "free" TurboTax products that often charge fees, and maintaining the Free File program to block IRS alternatives. The company's success depends on keeping tax filing complicated while their executives became wealthy, with CEO Brad Smith's stake growing from $20 million to $220 million during his tenure.
Free alternatives to tax prep industry
A developer created freetofile.com to help low-income people access free tax filing, highlighting how many don't realize they can file for free. Discussion includes suggestions for better messaging and concerns about VPN blocking, with users sharing experiences of various free filing options.Why US doesn't have government-provided tax filing
Users debate why America privatizes tax preparation when other countries provide free government services. Discussion covers lobbying influence, cultural preferences for private enterprise, and comparisons to countries with automatic tax filing systems.Government should calculate taxes automatically
Users argue the government already knows tax obligations but forces citizens to calculate themselves, creating unnecessary complexity. Discussion includes comparisons to other countries' automatic systems and debate over whether this is politically feasible in the US.
2Zed is now available on Windows
- Zed code editor is now available on Windows with full platform support including weekly updates. It features direct Windows integration using DirectX 11, WSL and SSH remote editing capabilities, full extension compatibility, and all AI features. Users can download the stable or preview release.
Binary size and bloat concerns
Users report Zed's 400MB+ install size is surprisingly large for a Rust application, with some experiencing 1.4GB compiled binaries and 2000+ dependencies. Comparisons made to lighter alternatives like Sublime Text (52MB) and concerns about dependency management.Performance and rendering issues
Discussion centers on GPU acceleration benefits versus problems like missing subpixel font rendering on Linux/Windows, DirectX requirements causing compatibility issues with VMs/RDP, and TypeScript LSP performance being slower than VSCode.Missing features blocking adoption
Key missing functionality preventing users from switching includes DevContainer support, file change detection, proper Windows keyboard shortcuts, ARM64 support, and various quality-of-life features available in VSCode.
3Retiring Windows 10 and Microsoft's move towards a surveillance state
- The Secure Resilient Future Foundation calls for extending Windows 10 support, but the author argues for switching to Linux instead due to Windows 11's privacy concerns including forced OneDrive backup, AI Copilot installation, upcoming Recall tracking tool, and mandatory Edge browser. Linux alternatives like Zorin OS, PopOS, and Ubuntu are recommended, though some software like Adobe products and certain games may not work and require alternatives.
TPM and Secure Boot debate
Heated discussion on whether TPM and Secure Boot are security features or surveillance tools. Some argue they prevent rootkits and enable secure encryption, while others worry about remote attestation enabling corporate/state control and locking users out of their own hardware.Linux migration experiences and recommendations
Users sharing successful transitions from Windows to Linux, discussing distro choices (Fedora, Ubuntu, Mint), gaming compatibility improvements, and business migration strategies. Many report better performance and fewer issues than expected.Windows 11 frustrations driving users away
Widespread complaints about Windows 11's forced Microsoft accounts, intrusive ads, surveillance features, UI regressions, and constant nagware. Users feel Microsoft shows hostility toward customers while forcing unwanted "features."
4Leaving serverless led to performance improvement and a simplified architecture
Serverless limitations and workarounds
Developers share experiences with serverless constraints like upload limits, timeout issues, and cold starts, often requiring complex workarounds that negate the supposed simplicity benefits of serverless architectures.Technology complexity vs simplicity
Discussion about how modern tooling and "easy" solutions often create more problems than they solve, with many advocating for simpler approaches using basic tools like containers, bash scripts, and monolithic architectures.Architectural mismatches and trade-offs
Debate over whether serverless failures stem from poor architectural choices (like using stateless edge runtimes for latency-critical APIs) versus inherent platform limitations, emphasizing the importance of matching tools to use cases.
5Journalists turn in access badges, exit Pentagon rather than agreeing new rules
- Dozens of Pentagon reporters turned in their press badges and left the building rather than agree to new government restrictions on their reporting imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The new rules would make journalists vulnerable to expulsion for reporting unapproved information. About 40-50 reporters from major news outlets left together, with only One America News Network signing on to the restrictions. Trump and Hegseth defended the rules as "common sense" to regulate a "disruptive" press corps, while journalists said the restrictions would prevent them from doing their jobs properly.
Journalistic integrity vs government control
Users debate whether journalists are finally showing backbone after years of being "embedded shills" or if this represents a calculated move. Some see it as genuine resistance to authoritarianism, while others argue media has been complicit for decades and this is just "safe courage."Effectiveness of boycott strategy
Discussion centers on whether journalist boycotts work or if they simply allow the administration to control narrative with fewer dissenting voices. Game theory concerns about defectors and whether this gives the government exactly what they want dominate the conversation.Comparison to authoritarian regimes
Users draw parallels between new Pentagon restrictions and censorship laws in Russia and North Korea. The discussion explores whether America is sliding toward authoritarianism and how current policies mirror tactics used by dictatorial governments.
6Claude Skills
Conceptual churn and complexity
Developers worry about the growing maze of overlapping AI concepts (tools, functions, skills, agents, subagents, commands, apps) creating confusion similar to frontend development churn, with complex frameworks building on this mess.Skills vs existing solutions
Discussion about how Claude Skills relate to existing features like MCP prompts, subagents, and CLAUDE.md files, with many seeing Skills as essentially repackaged documentation or prompt engineering rather than fundamentally new capability.Implementation and foundational concepts
Technical discussion explaining the core "agentic loop" pattern underlying all these features - an LLM called in a loop with context history and tool access, implementable in ~100 lines of Python, helping demystify the various abstractions.
7How I bypassed Amazon's Kindle web DRM
- A developer bought an ebook from Amazon but couldn't read it offline or export it to their preferred reader due to the buggy Kindle app. Frustrated by the restrictive DRM, they reverse-engineered Amazon's web reader system, discovering multiple layers of protection including randomized character mappings that change every five pages. They defeated the DRM using font matching techniques and created a tool to download purchased ebooks, emphasizing this was done to access content they legally owned rather than for piracy.
DMCA and legal concerns
Discussion about whether describing DRM circumvention methods could violate DMCA Section 1201, with debate over prosecuting prose descriptions versus actual code distribution. Some express concern about legal consequences for the author.DRM removal workflows and alternatives
Users share methods for removing DRM from purchased ebooks, including old Calibre workflows that Amazon broke. Many switched to piracy or alternative platforms like Kobo when Amazon made DRM harder to circumvent.Kobo vs Kindle comparison
Multiple users praise Kobo readers as more open alternatives to Kindle, citing easier DRM removal, ability to sideload files, and running custom software like KOReader without needing jailbreaks.
8Show HN: Halloy – Modern IRC client
- The author began developing Halloy, a modern IRC client written in Rust, in 2022 to give back to the IRC community they've been part of for twenty years. The project has grown to include core contributors and over 200 users in their channel, with hopes it will continue beyond their lifetime.
Accessibility concerns
Users with screen readers cannot access Halloy due to the Iced GUI framework lacking accessibility support. The underlying framework has accessibility on its roadmap but not until after the next release, leaving visually impaired users unable to test the application.Interface design limitations
Multiple users report difficulties managing many IRC channels without tabs, finding the interface unwieldy for heavy IRC usage. Some workarounds exist like setting buffer action to "replace-pane" for more tab-like behavior, but proper tab support remains a requested feature.Rust for desktop applications
Discussion about why Rust is becoming popular for cross-platform desktop apps, with users citing benefits like single binary distribution, memory safety, performance, and easier packaging compared to Python/Java. Halloy serves as a showcase for the Iced GUI framework.
9M5 MacBook Pro
Linux vs macOS development experience
A Linux user regrets switching to M4 MacBook Pro, citing compatibility issues, ARM64 limitations, window management problems, and loss of Linux ecosystem openness. Others debate whether this reflects unfamiliarity or genuine macOS limitations for development work.M1 still good enough, questioning upgrade necessity
Users with M1 MacBooks question whether M4/M5 upgrades are worth the cost, noting Apple's marketing targets M1 users but many don't see meaningful performance differences in daily use. Battery life remains excellent on older models.Memory limitations and Apple's product segmentation
Discussion around M5 MacBook Pro maxing out at 32GB RAM, forcing users to wait for Pro/Max variants for higher memory. Debate over whether 16GB base memory is sufficient and Apple's strategy of memory-based product differentiation.
10Tor browser removing various Firefox AI features
- Tor Browser 15.0a4 is now available as the likely final alpha release before stable launch in late October. This version includes Firefox security updates and removes AI features, renames meek-azure to meek, improves dark theme support, removes Firefox branding, updates emoji fonts for Linux, enhances CJK text rendering, and transfers WebAssembly restrictions to NoScript extension.
AI integration concerns
Users express mixed feelings about AI features in browsers. While some find Firefox's AI sidebar useful for research and translation, many worry about privacy and security implications. Several alternative browsers like Waterfox are removing AI features entirely.Browser alternatives and forks
Discussion of privacy-focused browser alternatives including Waterfox (Firefox fork removing AI), Orion (Kagi's browser), and Zen. Users seek browsers with better defaults and fewer unwanted features, though maintaining browser forks is challenging.Feature implementation philosophy
Debate over whether AI should be built into browsers or offered as extensions. Users want more configurable browsers and criticize hardcoded feature lists, preferring the extensible approach Firefox historically offered.