Drew DeVault’s blog features sharp commentary on open source, software engineering, programming languages, ethics in tech, and the social impact of technology.
354 articles from this blog
Analyzes the legal implications of GitHub Copilot potentially being a derivative work of GPL-licensed code used in its training.
Compares the closed federation model of IRC networks to the open federation of ActivityPub-based services like Mastodon.
Explores nuanced text selection and editing behaviors in form fields across Linux/Firefox and Android, highlighting hidden efficiencies.
A technical article about implementing a finger protocol client in a custom language, exploring its networking stack and design.
A developer's monthly update on SourceHut platform improvements, GraphQL APIs, and progress on a custom programming language.
Explores the 'as is' clause in open source licenses and its implications for user entitlement and maintainer burnout.
A technical deep dive into building a high-performance Finger protocol server using Linux's io_uring interface for async I/O.
A guide to writing effective release notes for software, focusing on clarity, structure, and best practices for open-source projects.
Author details a personal email setup using aerc, mbsync, and postfix for robust, offline-capable email management.
A detailed review of the Pinebook Pro laptop, covering its ARM-based hardware, Linux compatibility, and performance as a daily driver.
A software engineer critiques 'unlikable' software features, using an airplane seat display's intrusive ads as an example, and argues for user-respectful design.
An update on the godocs.io fork of godoc.org, detailing improvements made over six months to support the Go community.
A developer praises Alpine Linux for its simplicity, stability, reliability, and robustness, comparing it favorably to other distributions.
A developer argues that cryptocurrency has caused widespread abuse of free CI services and damaged trust in the software industry.
A signal-boosted article explaining the philosophy and commitment behind Lichess, a free and open-source online chess platform.
Explores the design and implementation of a self-hosting parser for a new systems programming language, detailing the evolution from a yacc-based prototype.
A developer's monthly update focusing on a private programming language project, seeking experienced contributors for cryptography, date/time, and networking tasks.
Explains why the Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO) is a better, more transparent alternative to Contributor License Agreements (CLAs) for open-source projects.
A critique of Signal's centralization and a proposal for a federated, protocol-based chat app with end-to-end encryption.
An analysis of the Go programming language's strengths, praising its simplicity, stability, and suitability for internet-scale software development.
