Hacker News
1Show HN: Jmail – Google Suite for Epstein files
- Luke introduced himself as the co-creator of Jmail (with Riley Walz) and mentioned that friends collaborated on building more of the app suite last night following the DOJ's "Epstein files" release. He's inviting people to ask him anything.
Technical implementation and UI cloning
Discussion about how developers quickly created a Gmail-like interface for browsing Epstein files, with debate over whether it's truly "cloning" vs just copying the UI. Technical details shared about using Next.js, Vercel, Cloudflare R2, and caching strategies to handle millions of visitors for only $10 in costs.Data completeness and redaction concerns
Users questioning whether the released files are heavily censored or incomplete, with concerns about over-redaction beyond legal requirements. Discussion of multiple datasets (DOJ, House Oversight, Yahoo emails) and speculation about what may have been withheld or destroyed.Content analysis and discoveries
Users sharing interesting findings from browsing the emails, including Amazon purchases, book orders, network setup photos, and connections between elite figures. Discussion of tools being built to analyze the data and concerns about the voyeuristic nature of examining someone's digital life.
2Flock and Cyble Inc. weaponize “cybercrime” takedowns to silence critics
- Cyble Inc. filed false abuse reports with Cloudflare claiming the Have I Been Flocked website was phishing and infringing trademarks, attempting to remove the site that publishes public records exposing Flock's surveillance platform abuse. The site operators migrated off Cloudflare and continue operating.
Legal implications of false takedown notices
Commenters discuss whether Flock could face fraud or perjury charges for filing false DMCA/abuse reports. Key points include the 5 elements of fraud, difficulty proving damages, and the fact that no one has been prosecuted for DMCA perjury despite widespread abuse.Privacy concerns with Flock surveillance systems
Multiple cities are ending Flock camera programs due to privacy concerns. Discussion covers grassroots activism against surveillance, client-side license plate hashing being ineffective security, and concerns about expanding private surveillance networks.Y Combinator's ethical responsibilities
Debate over whether Y Combinator has ethical obligations regarding portfolio companies like Flock engaging in questionable behavior. Commenters note YC's policy of moderating YC companies less on HN and their historical support for startups challenging regulations.
3Logging sucks
- This content discusses the fundamental problems with traditional application logging practices, arguing that current logging approaches are inadequate for modern distributed systems. The author explains how string-based log searches fail to provide meaningful context when troubleshooting issues across multiple services, and introduces concepts like structured logging and cardinality as part of a solution to make logs more queryable and useful for debugging complex system failures.
Wide events vs traditional logging
Discussion centers on the pros and cons of "wide events" (single comprehensive log entries) versus traditional narrow logging. Users debate implementation challenges, readability trade-offs, and the risk of losing visibility when errors occur mid-request.Modern distributed systems complexity
Users question whether the complexity of modern microservices architectures (15 services, multiple databases) is necessary, with many advocating for simpler monolithic approaches and suggesting the industry has overcomplicated software development.Observability tooling and attribution
Debate about proper attribution to pioneers like Charity Majors in observability, discussion of tracing tools' costs versus benefits, and comparison of various logging frameworks and approaches for correlation across distributed systems.
4Pure Silicon Demo Coding: No CPU, No Memory, Just 4k Gates
- The author created two demo entries for the Tiny Tapeout 8 ASIC design competition - a retro-style intro with starfield background, 3D checkerboard, and scrolling text, plus a nyan cat demo. Working within extreme constraints of about 4000 logic gates, no ROM or RAM, they developed innovative techniques like using vector rotation instead of sine tables and implementing perspective transforms for the checkerboard effect, ultimately creating demos that fit within the tiny chip area while producing VGA output and audio.
Technical implementation details
Discussion of HAKMEM sine/cosine generator vs CORDIC algorithms for hardware-friendly trigonometric calculations. HAKMEM offers single-cycle computation with adds/shifts, while CORDIC provides better accuracy but requires multiple iterations.Accessibility and practicality of chip design
Debate over Tiny Tapeout's $150 silicon fabrication service - whether it's revolutionary for hobbyists to access real chip manufacturing or impractical compared to powerful microcontrollers costing under $1.Pedantic interpretation of "no memory"
Humorous nitpicking about the title's claim of "no memory" when the design still uses registers, flip-flops, and other forms of state storage inherent in digital circuits.
5The Going Dark initiative or ProtectEU is a Chat Control 3.0 attempt
- The European Commission has lost the Chat Control 2.0 initiative, according to a post by Mullvad VPN on Mastodon. This appears to reference the failure or defeat of proposed legislation that would have implemented increased surveillance or monitoring capabilities for digital communications within the European Union.
Repeated attempts to pass surveillance laws
Discussion centers on EU repeatedly proposing similar privacy-invasive legislation despite opposition. Users debate whether privacy rights should be constitutionally protected and suggest mechanisms like "cooldown periods" to prevent lawmakers from reintroducing defeated bills with similar intent.Balancing child protection with privacy rights
Debate over whether mass surveillance is justified to combat child sexual abuse material. Some argue the problem demands solutions while others contend that collective punishment violates "innocent until proven guilty" principles and won't effectively stop determined criminals.VPN service quality and compliance challenges
Discussion of Mullvad's stance against compliance and broader VPN provider comparisons. Users debate port forwarding removal, IP address flagging issues, and how VPN services might handle legal requirements to start logging user data.
6Ruby website redesigned
- Ruby is a programming language beloved by developers worldwide for its natural, readable syntax that resembles spoken language. It offers a rich ecosystem of over 200,000 gems and mature tools like Rails, enabling rapid development with less code. The Ruby community follows the "Matz is nice and so we are nice" philosophy, creating a welcoming environment where developers support each other through conferences, meetups, and collaborative knowledge sharing.
Website performance and JavaScript dependency
Users criticize the new Ruby website for requiring JavaScript for basic functionality like displaying code examples and having a loading indicator that shows "0%" when JS is disabled. Many argue the site could be built with just HTML/CSS.Ruby language appreciation
Developers share positive experiences returning to Ruby after years with other languages, praising its expressiveness and joy to work with. The Ruby community is described as supportive, and the language continues to evolve with solid best practices.Website design and user experience
Discussion of the new website's visual design, comparing it to the previous version's clearer messaging. Some appreciate the aesthetic while others critique the "programmer's best friend" tagline as less descriptive than the old approach.
7Over 40% of deceased drivers in vehicle crashes test positive for THC: Study
- A study of 246 fatal car crashes in Ohio found that over 40% of deceased drivers tested positive for THC, with average blood levels of 30.7 ng/mL—far exceeding legal impairment thresholds of 2-5 ng/mL. Legalization of recreational cannabis in 2023 did not change these rates, indicating consistent public health risks regardless of legal status.
THC testing limitations and impairment measurement
Discussion centers on flawed THC blood testing that doesn't reliably indicate impairment, especially for habitual users who maintain baseline levels above legal limits. Research shows no correlation between THC presence and actual driving impairment.Study methodology and statistical concerns
Participants question the study's scope (single Ohio county), sample size (246 drivers), potential selection bias in testing protocols, and lack of comparison to general population THC usage rates for proper context.Post-COVID driving behavior changes
Users report widespread increases in reckless driving since COVID, including red light running, aggressive behavior, and general lawlessness, potentially linked to reduced traffic enforcement rather than THC use specifically.
8Charles Proxy
- This content shows the release history of Charles, a web debugging proxy application, spanning from 2006 to 2023. The releases include major version updates, bug fixes, security patches, and new features like HTTP/2 support, SSL improvements, and UI enhancements. Notable releases include Charles 5 beta testing in 2023, Charles 4 with HTTP/2 support in 2016, and the iOS version launch in 2018.
Charles proxy alternatives
Users extensively discuss alternatives like Proxyman (especially popular on macOS), mitmproxy (free/open-source with scripting capabilities), Burp Suite (security-focused), and Fiddler. Many praise Proxyman's native macOS UI and ease of use compared to Charles.Tool comparison and use cases
Discussion covers different tools' strengths: Charles for HTTP debugging with minimal friction, Burp/ZAP for security testing, mitmproxy for advanced scripting, Wireshark for network analysis. Users share specific workflows and feature preferences.Platform availability and mobile development
Conversations focus on cross-platform support, iOS simulator integration, mobile app debugging, certificate installation challenges, and Apple's restrictions on packet tunnel APIs requiring paid developer accounts.
9OpenSCAD is kinda neat
- The author designed a simple battery holder using OpenSCAD, a code-based CAD tool, after originally creating it in Autodesk Fusion. By writing a short script with parameters for battery type, rows, and columns, they can generate customized battery holders without expensive CAD software. The code creates a box and cuts out holes for batteries using simple geometric operations.
OpenSCAD vs traditional CAD tools
Discussion about OpenSCAD being more intuitive for programmers despite limitations, versus traditional parametric CAD programs like Fusion 360, SolidWorks being more powerful for complex designs but having steeper learning curvesAlternative Python-based 3D modeling tools
Users sharing SDF-based libraries, Build123d, CadQuery, and other programmatic CAD alternatives that offer more flexibility than OpenSCAD while maintaining code-based workflowsOpenSCAD performance improvements and libraries
Strong recommendations to use nightly builds with Manifold backend for dramatically faster rendering, and BOSL2 library for advanced features like filleting and rounding that vanilla OpenSCAD lacks
10Show HN: Books mentioned on Hacker News in 2025
- This appears to be a web interface for browsing books mentioned on Hacker News in 2025, featuring a library loading system, monthly book recaps, and a selection interface where users can choose books to read community opinions about them.
Book identification errors
Multiple users pointed out mismatched books in the dataset, including "The Martian" being grouped with "The Martian Chronicles," "Gödel, Escher, Bach" listed separately from "GEB," and "The Dragon Book" compiler reference showing as a children's book instead.Hitchhiker's guide coincidence
Users noted the cosmic irony that "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" appeared exactly 42 times in mentions, referencing the book's famous "Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything."Personal reading experiences
Community members shared positive interactions with authors on HN, recommended books, and discussed their 2024 reading lists including Foundation series, Three-Body Problem trilogy, and Andy Weir's works.