On convenience and understanding

When we automate something we’re choosing to not have to think about the concerns we’re automating away. This is fine since we can’t know everything. It’s good to acknowledge this. The stuff a learner has to know about changes in an interesting way in that they still have to know about the thing they’re trying to setup plus additionally a bunch of things related to how the automation works. (And of course what do you do when the abstractions leak …)

Being intentional about friction

Thinking about how people get started with a new website has changed recently with clankers. On the table now is “from nothing, and prompt”. This skips a lot of learning as it turns out. Not all learning is super useful probably but some of it is. And not starting from zero can help somebody get their berrings, or avoid problems others have seen before. Starting from 0 does seem like a step … back / sideways? … too far.

  • LLMs make it easier to avoid learning, but also create new opportunities to learn.
  • LLMs enable more people to make simple apps, but complex systems still require developer skills.
  • Acquiring developer skills still involves learning to code.
  • LLMs open new entry paths for acquiring dev skills, especially with support from existing developers.
  • The productivity gains of LLM coding are exaggerated, and reduced or reversed with overreliance.
  • LLM code generation is not very useful on niche or novel problems.

5x faster Edge Functions: v8 isolates to Firecracker MicroVMs

Neat description of a platform built based on firecracker microvms. I have no common frame of reference for this kind of system. I wonder how much custom code they have in the platform vs being able to rely on off the shelf components like proxies and such.

Wrong, not broken

Great we have to figure out how to review successful requests for wrong information returned now. And also terrifically we have to use the same system that produced the invalid and valid information to tell us if that information is invalid or valid.

Try some chips, why don’t you?

Cute little ui control for a select one-from-many type situation. Hrm there’s a story for checkboxes too!

How the Claude Code team does code review

  • Claude has /code-review, /security-review skills that should be used during development
  • REVIEW.md notes feedback that is given repeatedly
  • Trusted authors have a lighter review process
  • Human reviewers review more important changes
  • Humans weigh in on
    • Should we do this?
    • Architecture, patterns
    • Risky code reviews
    • Responsibility for outcomes
  • Ask the clanker to explain how something works

What Is the Root of Trust? FAQ Friday #64

Oxide computer rack controls h/w that verifies low level code came from oxide, and o/s, and can attest that up to the vm a chain of trust starting at boot time of the rack.