Chris K Wensel
@chris.wensel.net
Co-Organizer of https://lu.ma/sf-distsys
Developer of https://github.com/ClusterlessHQ, https://cascading.wensel.net, and other data related projects.
Developer of https://github.com/ClusterlessHQ, https://cascading.wensel.net, and other data related projects.
Pinned
Chris K Wensel
@chris.wensel.net
· Oct 26
github.com
Thought I'd share a project i'm tinkering on
github.com/ClusterlessHQ/subpo...
it's a cli for finding emerging patterns. think of it as a way to diff one or more subsets of data in a dataset.
Or, what patterns (or itemsets) are showing more frequently in an outlier set than are in an inlier set.
github.com/ClusterlessHQ/subpo...
it's a cli for finding emerging patterns. think of it as a way to diff one or more subsets of data in a dataset.
Or, what patterns (or itemsets) are showing more frequently in an outlier set than are in an inlier set.
Reposted by Chris K Wensel
In 2006 a high school English teacher asked students to write to a famous author & ask for advice.
KURT VONNEGUT - born 103yrs ago today - was the only one to respond.
His reply was a doozy.
KURT VONNEGUT - born 103yrs ago today - was the only one to respond.
His reply was a doozy.
November 11, 2025 at 10:39 AM
In 2006 a high school English teacher asked students to write to a famous author & ask for advice.
KURT VONNEGUT - born 103yrs ago today - was the only one to respond.
His reply was a doozy.
KURT VONNEGUT - born 103yrs ago today - was the only one to respond.
His reply was a doozy.
Perhaps the final irony is that it is the most successful automated
systems, with rare need for manual intervention, which may need
the greatest investment in human operator training.
— LISANNE BAINBRIDGE
systems, with rare need for manual intervention, which may need
the greatest investment in human operator training.
— LISANNE BAINBRIDGE
November 11, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Perhaps the final irony is that it is the most successful automated
systems, with rare need for manual intervention, which may need
the greatest investment in human operator training.
— LISANNE BAINBRIDGE
systems, with rare need for manual intervention, which may need
the greatest investment in human operator training.
— LISANNE BAINBRIDGE
Reposted by Chris K Wensel
It's much easier to use apps that support end-to-end encryption than it used to be, but it's still good to know how it works. ssd.eff.org/module/deep...
A Deep Dive on End-to-End Encryption: How Do Public Key Encryption Systems Work?
If you haven’t yet, we recommend reading a few guides before this one, to help cement some of the concepts discussed here: What Should I Know About Encryption?, Key Concepts of Encryption, and Key Verification.
If used correctly, end-to-end encryption can help protect the contents of your messages, text, and...
ssd.eff.org
November 10, 2025 at 9:59 PM
It's much easier to use apps that support end-to-end encryption than it used to be, but it's still good to know how it works. ssd.eff.org/module/deep...
Reposted by Chris K Wensel
AWS Private CA now supports post-quantum digital certificates
AWS adds quantum-proof signatures to Private CA so you can start paying them now to protect against computers that don't exist yet. Nothing says "enterprise ready" like acronym soup: ML-DSA via FIPS 204 for your PKI's OCSP and CRL needs!
AWS adds quantum-proof signatures to Private CA so you can start paying them now to protect against computers that don't exist yet. Nothing says "enterprise ready" like acronym soup: ML-DSA via FIPS 204 for your PKI's OCSP and CRL needs!
November 10, 2025 at 10:09 PM
AWS Private CA now supports post-quantum digital certificates
AWS adds quantum-proof signatures to Private CA so you can start paying them now to protect against computers that don't exist yet. Nothing says "enterprise ready" like acronym soup: ML-DSA via FIPS 204 for your PKI's OCSP and CRL needs!
AWS adds quantum-proof signatures to Private CA so you can start paying them now to protect against computers that don't exist yet. Nothing says "enterprise ready" like acronym soup: ML-DSA via FIPS 204 for your PKI's OCSP and CRL needs!
Reposted by Chris K Wensel
I have a lazyweb request: does anyone have access to this paper? I'm coming up empty
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Conversational Interfaces: Exploring Affordances and Signifiers Through a Theoretical Framework | Request PDF
Request PDF | On May 28, 2025, Luis Martín Sánchez-Adame and others published The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Conversational Interfaces: Exploring Affordances and Signifiers Through a Theoretical Framework ...
www.researchgate.net
November 6, 2025 at 6:47 AM
I have a lazyweb request: does anyone have access to this paper? I'm coming up empty
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
Reposted by Chris K Wensel
If you’re confused about the difference between “age verification,” “age estimation,” “age assurance,” and “age gate” — you’re not alone. Let’s help you make sense of it all. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
Age Verification, Estimation, Assurance, Oh My! A Guide to the
Age verification, age assurance, age estimation, age gating—they get thrown around interchangeably, but they technically mean different things. And those differences matter a lot when we're talking
www.eff.org
November 8, 2025 at 9:00 PM
If you’re confused about the difference between “age verification,” “age estimation,” “age assurance,” and “age gate” — you’re not alone. Let’s help you make sense of it all. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
Reposted by Chris K Wensel
Reposted by Chris K Wensel
November 6, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Reposted by Chris K Wensel
Over the last months, we’ve entirely rebuilt search on Our World in Data — we just launched it:
ourworldindata.org/introducing-...
Let me know what you think. Does it work for you?
ourworldindata.org/introducing-...
Let me know what you think. Does it work for you?
Introducing our new, more powerful search
Finding what you’re looking for, or discovering something new, has never been easier.
ourworldindata.org
November 6, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Over the last months, we’ve entirely rebuilt search on Our World in Data — we just launched it:
ourworldindata.org/introducing-...
Let me know what you think. Does it work for you?
ourworldindata.org/introducing-...
Let me know what you think. Does it work for you?
Reposted by Chris K Wensel
Then I wanted to make it easier to play with, so another hour with Claude Code and I had a plugin for @simonwillison.net's llm: github.com/btucker/llm-...
What's cool this is you don't have to install anything other than some python packages & you have full access to a reasonably capable LLM.
What's cool this is you don't have to install anything other than some python packages & you have full access to a reasonably capable LLM.
GitHub - btucker/llm-apple: LLM plugin for local apple-foundation-models available on macOS 26
LLM plugin for local apple-foundation-models available on macOS 26 - btucker/llm-apple
github.com
November 6, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Then I wanted to make it easier to play with, so another hour with Claude Code and I had a plugin for @simonwillison.net's llm: github.com/btucker/llm-...
What's cool this is you don't have to install anything other than some python packages & you have full access to a reasonably capable LLM.
What's cool this is you don't have to install anything other than some python packages & you have full access to a reasonably capable LLM.
Reposted by Chris K Wensel
I'll tell you something. I have a private theory that this kind of division (which is clear as day to ppl in tech and like, baffling to ppl outside of it) is a version of the "I will help you survive but not thrive" phenomenon but worked out re: tech belonging
journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
November 6, 2025 at 7:51 PM
I'll tell you something. I have a private theory that this kind of division (which is clear as day to ppl in tech and like, baffling to ppl outside of it) is a version of the "I will help you survive but not thrive" phenomenon but worked out re: tech belonging
journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Chris K Wensel
the thread is great; saving the article to read later
I'll tell you something. I have a private theory that this kind of division (which is clear as day to ppl in tech and like, baffling to ppl outside of it) is a version of the "I will help you survive but not thrive" phenomenon but worked out re: tech belonging
journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
November 6, 2025 at 8:00 PM
the thread is great; saving the article to read later
I’d really like to think @waymo.bsky.social is hiring local artists to do the artwork on their vehicles.
If not I know a few. DM me.
If not I know a few. DM me.
November 6, 2025 at 2:35 PM
I’d really like to think @waymo.bsky.social is hiring local artists to do the artwork on their vehicles.
If not I know a few. DM me.
If not I know a few. DM me.
Reposted by Chris K Wensel
"By integrating LLMs into pedagogical and research contexts before establishing a critical framework for their use, the University subjects itself to being governed by contingent, ever-evolving, and domain-non-specific norms that structure the model's virtual representation"
arxiv.org/abs/2505.03513
arxiv.org/abs/2505.03513
Ruled by the Representation Space: On the University's Embrace of Large Language Models
This paper explores the implications of universities' rapid adoption of large language models (LLMs) for studying, teaching, and research by analyzing the logics underpinning their representation spac...
arxiv.org
November 4, 2025 at 6:41 PM
"By integrating LLMs into pedagogical and research contexts before establishing a critical framework for their use, the University subjects itself to being governed by contingent, ever-evolving, and domain-non-specific norms that structure the model's virtual representation"
arxiv.org/abs/2505.03513
arxiv.org/abs/2505.03513
Reposted by Chris K Wensel
Rethinking thanksgiving plans.
Just setup a Google maps mcp server for Claude and now workshopping itineraries with the family.
White Sands anyone?
Just setup a Google maps mcp server for Claude and now workshopping itineraries with the family.
White Sands anyone?
November 6, 2025 at 5:57 AM
Rethinking thanksgiving plans.
Just setup a Google maps mcp server for Claude and now workshopping itineraries with the family.
White Sands anyone?
Just setup a Google maps mcp server for Claude and now workshopping itineraries with the family.
White Sands anyone?
Reposted by Chris K Wensel
It’s already done? I mean they spent barely a fraction of what has been spent on not quite working AI.
They need to spend more!
They need to spend more!
End of The Line: how Saudi Arabia’s Neom dream unravelled on.ft.com/47FBigb
End of The Line: how Saudi Arabia’s Neom dream unravelled
Mohammed bin Salman’s utopian city was undone by the laws of physics and finance
on.ft.com
November 6, 2025 at 5:41 AM
It’s already done? I mean they spent barely a fraction of what has been spent on not quite working AI.
They need to spend more!
They need to spend more!
Reposted by Chris K Wensel
This is really cool. I added the example to my second brain, and it just works.
www.ssp.sh/brain/run-du...
www.ssp.sh/brain/run-du...
November 2, 2025 at 1:45 PM
This is really cool. I added the example to my second brain, and it just works.
www.ssp.sh/brain/run-du...
www.ssp.sh/brain/run-du...
Reposted by Chris K Wensel
60 Minutes Edits Donald Trump Telling Them 60 Minutes Should Edit Donald Trump Talking About How 60 Minutes Paid Him For Editing Kamala Harris
60 Minutes is under new management and things are getting stupid faster than you might expect. Last night’s episode featured President Trump, which is…
60 Minutes is under new management and things are getting stupid faster than you might expect. Last night’s episode featured President Trump, which is…
60 Minutes Edits Donald Trump Telling Them 60 Minutes Should Edit Donald Trump Talking About How 60 Minutes Paid Him For Editing Kamala Harris
60 Minutes is under new management and things are getting stupid faster than you might expect. Last night’s episode featured President Trump, which is currently being described as “nuts.” There are all sorts of crazy moments to call out, but let’s start with the recursively meta nonsense. 60 Minutes edited out a segment where Donald Trump tells them to edit out a segment in which he brags about getting CBS to pay him because of them editing out part of an answer by Kamala Harris, and he notes that CBS clearly did the wrong thing in editing Harris in the same fucking sentence he tells them to edit out what he’s saying.
www.techdirt.com
November 3, 2025 at 7:03 PM
60 Minutes Edits Donald Trump Telling Them 60 Minutes Should Edit Donald Trump Talking About How 60 Minutes Paid Him For Editing Kamala Harris
60 Minutes is under new management and things are getting stupid faster than you might expect. Last night’s episode featured President Trump, which is…
60 Minutes is under new management and things are getting stupid faster than you might expect. Last night’s episode featured President Trump, which is…
Reposted by Chris K Wensel
📝 Blogged: "'You Don't Need Kafka, Just Use Postgres' Considered Harmful"
In which I'm arguing that both Postgres and Kafka are great tools for their respective purposes. But don't create your custom implementation of one on top of the other.
👉 www.morling.dev/blog/you-don...
In which I'm arguing that both Postgres and Kafka are great tools for their respective purposes. But don't create your custom implementation of one on top of the other.
👉 www.morling.dev/blog/you-don...
November 3, 2025 at 10:20 AM
📝 Blogged: "'You Don't Need Kafka, Just Use Postgres' Considered Harmful"
In which I'm arguing that both Postgres and Kafka are great tools for their respective purposes. But don't create your custom implementation of one on top of the other.
👉 www.morling.dev/blog/you-don...
In which I'm arguing that both Postgres and Kafka are great tools for their respective purposes. But don't create your custom implementation of one on top of the other.
👉 www.morling.dev/blog/you-don...
Reposted by Chris K Wensel
Final call! 📣
Join us with @kelseyhightower.com tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov 4, at 17:00 UTC to explore the future of configuration with our Configuration Control Plane, and turn configuration from a source of risk into a source of reliability!
Register here: luma.com/ysloofz3
Join us with @kelseyhightower.com tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov 4, at 17:00 UTC to explore the future of configuration with our Configuration Control Plane, and turn configuration from a source of risk into a source of reliability!
Register here: luma.com/ysloofz3
CUE Labs launch event with Kelsey Hightower · Zoom · Luma
Configuration chaos is a multi-billion-dollar blind spot. But imagine a world where configuration isn't a source of fear, but a source of reliability. A world…
luma.com
November 3, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Final call! 📣
Join us with @kelseyhightower.com tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov 4, at 17:00 UTC to explore the future of configuration with our Configuration Control Plane, and turn configuration from a source of risk into a source of reliability!
Register here: luma.com/ysloofz3
Join us with @kelseyhightower.com tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov 4, at 17:00 UTC to explore the future of configuration with our Configuration Control Plane, and turn configuration from a source of risk into a source of reliability!
Register here: luma.com/ysloofz3
Reposted by Chris K Wensel
I've asked the team behind Cue to come prepared to discuss the limits of configuration management when dealing with different configuration systems, for example, using Terraform, Kubernetes, and GitHub Actions to manage a single project, something that occurs more often than you would think.
Final call! 📣
Join us with @kelseyhightower.com tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov 4, at 17:00 UTC to explore the future of configuration with our Configuration Control Plane, and turn configuration from a source of risk into a source of reliability!
Register here: luma.com/ysloofz3
Join us with @kelseyhightower.com tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov 4, at 17:00 UTC to explore the future of configuration with our Configuration Control Plane, and turn configuration from a source of risk into a source of reliability!
Register here: luma.com/ysloofz3
CUE Labs launch event with Kelsey Hightower · Zoom · Luma
Configuration chaos is a multi-billion-dollar blind spot. But imagine a world where configuration isn't a source of fear, but a source of reliability. A world…
luma.com
November 3, 2025 at 4:03 PM
I've asked the team behind Cue to come prepared to discuss the limits of configuration management when dealing with different configuration systems, for example, using Terraform, Kubernetes, and GitHub Actions to manage a single project, something that occurs more often than you would think.
Reposted by Chris K Wensel
Most configuration management systems have no way of expressing dependencies on external configuration, nor have the ability to validate or enforce configuration policies across multiple tools, which creates conflicts that lead to downtime. Take the classic firewall misconfiguration for example.
November 3, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Most configuration management systems have no way of expressing dependencies on external configuration, nor have the ability to validate or enforce configuration policies across multiple tools, which creates conflicts that lead to downtime. Take the classic firewall misconfiguration for example.
Reposted by Chris K Wensel
Forrest Smith, the only National Park Service engineer cleaning up abandoned oil and gas wells, lost his contract, leaving 93 orphaned wells on park lands unmanaged. These leaking wells release methane and toxins, threatening human health and the environment.
He Alone Tracked Leaky Oil Wells in National Parks. He Was Let Go.
www.nytimes.com
November 3, 2025 at 5:58 AM
Forrest Smith, the only National Park Service engineer cleaning up abandoned oil and gas wells, lost his contract, leaving 93 orphaned wells on park lands unmanaged. These leaking wells release methane and toxins, threatening human health and the environment.
