2025/12/25

1. We invited a man into our home at Christmas and he stayed with us for 45 years from bbc.co.uk
   1147 by rajeshrajappan 1d ago | | |

   Article: 17 min

   A couple in Cardiff, UK, took in a homeless man named Ronnie Lockwood for Christmas in 1975 and continued to provide him with shelter until his death in 2020. This act of kindness led to an unusual companionship that lasted 45 years.

   • Rob Parsons and Dianne welcomed Ronnie Lockwood into their home on Christmas Day 1975.
   • Ronnie was autistic and had been homeless since the age of 15.
   • The couple provided Ronnie with a stable environment, helping him find employment as a waste collector.

   Discussion (272): 60 min

   The comment thread discusses a heartwarming story of kindness and compassion, highlighting the positive impact of helping those in need. The conversation delves into the complexities of homelessness, mental health, and societal responsibility, with many agreeing on the importance of empathy and better care systems.

   • kindness can make a significant impact on people's lives
   • homelessness is often related to mental health issues and lack of support

   Counterarguments:

   • risk assessment in helping strangers, especially those with mental disabilities
   Humanitarian Social Services, Homelessness
2. Maybe the default settings are too high from raptitude.com
   879 by htk 1d ago | | |

   Article: 13 min

   The article discusses the benefits of slowing down consumption, whether it's reading a book or eating food, to enhance enjoyment and comprehension. It uses examples from Lord of the Rings and eating habits to illustrate how giving more time to consuming content can lead to deeper appreciation.

   • Slowing down consumption speeds increases rewards.
   • Reading a book aloud helps maintain engagement.
   • Slowing down consumption allows more time for meaning to propagate in the mind.

   Discussion (292): 1 hr 28 min

   The comment thread discusses various opinions on the benefits of slowing down reading, listening speeds, or consuming information in general. It highlights how this can lead to deeper understanding and appreciation, especially for complex texts or media. The discussion also touches on the role of technology, such as AI tools and audiobooks, in personalizing consumption speeds while managing potential challenges like time constraints or lack of personal touch.

   • Slowing down reading and listening speeds can lead to a richer experience
   • Audiobooks offer flexibility but require active management for optimal enjoyment
   • The default pace might be too high, leading to superficial understanding

   Counterarguments:

   • Some people might find it difficult to slow down, especially when time is limited.
   • Audiobooks might not always offer the best listening experience without active management.
   • The default pace of consuming information might be suitable for most tasks and preferences.
   Reading Literature, Personal Development
3. Ruby 4.0.0 from ruby-lang.org
   744 by FBISurveillance 1d ago | | |

   Article: 38 min

   Ruby 4.0.0 introduces Ruby Box and ZJIT, along with numerous improvements to Ractor, language changes, core classes updates, and compatibility issues.

   Ruby's advancements may influence web development practices and contribute to open-source communities.

   • Ruby Box provides separation about definitions, enabling isolation of monkey patches and loaded libraries.
   • ZJIT is a new JIT compiler for Ruby, aiming to improve performance and encourage outside contributions.
   • Ractor improvements include the introduction of Ractor::Port class for communication between Ractors.
   • Language changes include updates to Array, Binding, Enumerator, ErrorHighlight, Fiber, File, IO, Kernel, Math, Pathname, Proc, Range, Ruby, Set, Socket, String, Thread classes.
   • Core classes like Array, Binding, Enumerato, ErrorHighlight, Fiber, File, IO, Kernel, Math, Pathname, Proc, Ractor, Set, Socket, String, Thread have been updated or promoted to core classes.
   • Compatibility issues include deprecated methods and removed functionalities.

   Quality:
   The article provides detailed information on the Ruby 4.0.0 release, including new features and compatibility issues.

   Discussion (183): 42 min

   The comment thread discusses various aspects of Ruby, including its features like Ruby::Box and Ractors, the addition of static typing with Sorbet, performance comparisons with other languages, and community dynamics around language preferences. There is a mix of positive feedback for certain features and opinions on the value of static typing in dynamic languages.

   • Ruby::Box provides useful features for managing multiple versions of code.
   • Ractors are powerful but have some limitations in terms of garbage collection and sharing objects.
   • Sorbet is a valuable tool for adding static typing to Ruby, improving code safety and readability.

   Counterarguments:

   • Adding static typing to Ruby can be seen as unnecessary complexity for a dynamic language.
   • Ruby's performance is not always competitive with languages like Python or JavaScript in all scenarios.
   Software Development Programming Languages
4. Alzheimer’s disease can be reversed in animal models? Study from case.edu
   479 by thunderbong 1d ago | | |

   Article: 9 min

   A team from Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals (UH), and the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center has challenged the long-held belief that Alzheimer's disease (AD) is irreversible. They demonstrated in preclinical mouse models and human AD brains that maintaining proper NAD+ balance can prevent and even reverse the disease.

   This discovery could lead to new treatments for Alzheimer's disease, potentially improving quality of life for millions of patients worldwide.

   • Decline in NAD+ levels is a major driver of AD.
   • Research team from Case Western Reserve University, UH, and Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center led by Kalyani Chaubey.

   Quality:
   The article provides clear, concise information about the research and its implications.

   Discussion (120): 29 min

   The discussion revolves around the potential effectiveness and safety of P7C3-A20, a compound that reverses Alzheimer's pathology in mice models. Opinions vary on whether this translates to human application, with concerns about cancer risk associated with NAD+ supplementation. The debate also touches upon the limitations of animal models in drug development.

   • The compound P7C3-A20 reverses Alzheimer's pathology and recovers cognitive function in mice models.

   Counterarguments:

   • There is a concern about the potential risk of cancer associated with NAD+ supplementation, especially when compared to existing drugs.
   Biotechnology Neuroscience, Research
5. I sell onions on the Internet (2019) from deepsouthventures.com
   478 by sogen 1d ago | | |

   Article: 12 min

   The article is about a web developer, Peter Askew, who started selling Vidalia onions online after acquiring the domain name VidaliaOnions.com in 2014. He developed the business from scratch, focusing on customer service, marketing, branding, and logistics, eventually partnering with a local farmer to expand operations.

   Encourages entrepreneurship, showcases small business success

   • Started the business without an initial idea
   • Partnered with a local farmer for operations

   Quality:
   The article is well-written and provides a clear narrative of the business journey.

   Discussion (163): 39 min

   The comment thread discusses the value of domain names in business, particularly through the inspiring story of selling onions online. It highlights the importance of motivation and unique ideas in entrepreneurship and contrasts this with traditional brick-and-mortar businesses' costs. The community shows a high level of agreement on these topics but also engages in light debate about the ethics of domain name speculation.

   • Domain names can significantly impact business success, especially in early stages.
   • Starting a business from scratch requires motivation and unique ideas.
   Business E-commerce, Online Retail
6. Python 3.15’s interpreter for Windows x86-64 should hopefully be 15% faster from fidget-spinner.github.io
   393 by lumpa 1d ago | | |

   Article: 23 min

   The article discusses the performance improvements of Python's interpreter for Windows x86-64 when using a tail-calling interpreter instead of a switch-case interpreter, resulting in approximately a 15% faster execution on pyperformance benchmarks.

   The improved performance of Python's interpreter could lead to faster development cycles and more efficient use of resources in the industry, potentially reducing costs and increasing productivity.

   • Python 3.15's interpreter for Windows x86-64 shows a 15% faster execution with the tail-calling interpreter.
   • The speedup is observed on both macOS AArch64 and Windows x86-64 platforms, but the article focuses more on the latter.
   • Tail calling resets compiler heuristics to sane levels, allowing compilers to perform optimizations better.

   Discussion (145): 33 min

   This discussion revolves around Python's performance improvements, particularly focusing on tail call optimizations and their impact on interpreter speed. There is a notable agreement among participants regarding the significance of these enhancements, with some expressing concerns about relying on undocumented compiler behavior for optimization.

   • Python's performance has improved significantly over time.
   • Tail calls can optimize Python interpreters, especially in MSVC.

   Counterarguments:

   • Concerns about relying on undocumented compiler behavior for optimization.
   Programming Python Development
7. Fahrplan – 39C3 from fahrplan.events.ccc.de
   376 by rurban 1d ago | | |

   Article: 24 min

   The 39c3 Fahrplan (schedule) lists a series of events and talks across various categories such as security, ethics, society, politics, art, science, hardware, and entertainment. The schedule is organized by day and time slots, with each event having a duration ranging from 40 minutes to 60 minutes.

   The conference may influence public discourse on technology's role in society, privacy concerns, and ethical considerations in AI development.

   • Scheduled talks cover a wide range of technical and non-technical subjects.
   • The conference is organized by day, with each day having multiple sessions throughout the day.
   • Speakers include experts in their respective fields such as security researchers, artists, scientists, and activists.

   Quality:
   The Fahrplan provides a comprehensive overview of the event, including diverse topics and speakers.

   Discussion (200): 30 min

   The comment thread discusses the anticipation and experience of attending the Chaos Communication Congress (CCC), with opinions divided on the event's content, particularly regarding political topics. Attendees appreciate the technical talks and the overall community atmosphere but express concerns about a perceived shift towards more political content that may overshadow technical discussions. The ticket availability and cost are also points of discussion, highlighting the growing popularity and size of the event.

   • The CCC event is highly anticipated and enjoyed by many attendees.

   Counterarguments:

   • Attendees who prefer more technical topics might find the political content overwhelming or irrelevant.
   • The event has become more inclusive and diverse in its offerings, which some attendees appreciate but others do not.
   Community Projects CCC & Community, Hardware, Art & Beauty, Science, Ethics, Society & Politics, Entertainment
8. Mattermost restricted access to old messages after 10000 limit is reached from github.com/mattermost
   373 by xvilka 1d ago | | |

   Article: 2 min

   A Mattermost user reports an issue with the platform's message limit, which restricts access to old messages after reaching 10,000. The user seeks clarification on when this restriction was implemented and if it applies to messages from a specific date or just recent months.

   This issue could affect user experience and satisfaction with the platform, potentially leading to discussions about message retention policies in similar software solutions.

   • 10,000-message limit reached
   • Messages before September 26, 2025 are hidden

   Quality:
   The post is informative and seeks clarification on a specific issue, but lacks sources for verification.

   Discussion (237): 42 min

   The comment thread discusses concerns over Mattermost's transition from an open-source model to one that includes feature limitations and enterprise licensing. Users express frustration with the lack of transparency and communication regarding these changes, while also recommending alternative open-source chat platforms like Zulip, Matrix, IRC as better options. The discussion highlights issues related to funding models for open-source projects and the impact on user communities.

   • Mattermost's licensing model has changed, limiting features for free users
   • Alternative open-source chat platforms offer better value or functionality
   • Users are frustrated by the lack of transparency and communication from Mattermost

   Counterarguments:

   • Mattermost's need for funding through enterprise licenses or subscriptions
   • Alternative platforms may have their own limitations or require more setup effort
   Software Development Cloud Computing, Security
9. Who Watches the Waymos? I do [video] from youtube.com
   296 by notgloating 2d ago | | |
   Discussion (115): 21 min

   The comment thread discusses various aspects of self-driving cars, including their safety benefits, environmental impact, and economic implications. There is a mix of appreciation for the technology's advancements and critical analysis regarding its potential effects on urban planning, transportation jobs, and sustainability.

   • Self-driving cars have potential safety benefits but also raise concerns about land use, congestion, and job displacement.

   Counterarguments:

   • Criticism of the cost-effectiveness and environmental impact of self-driving cars compared to traditional vehicles.
10. Asahi Linux with Sway on the MacBook Air M2 (2024) from daniel.lawrence.lu
    260 by andsoitis 1d ago | | |

    Article: 9 min

    The article discusses the author's experience setting up Asahi Linux with Sway window manager on a MacBook Air M2, comparing it to previous setups and highlighting customization for the new laptop.

    • Asahi Linux installation process
    • Fedora minimal installation
    • Line scan photography software (Alkeria SDK) installation

    Discussion (304): 1 hr 21 min

    The discussion revolves around challenges faced by Asahi Linux, a project focused on enabling Linux support for Apple Silicon Macs. Key points include the monumental effort required due to proprietary hardware and lack of sponsorship, superior battery life offered by Apple's silicon compared to other laptops running Linux, and the high regard for older ThinkPad models in terms of build quality and compatibility with Linux.

    Computer Science Operating Systems, Hardware