Brandon Philips
@ifup.org
Dystopia aware techno-optimist, founder (CoreOS), father (2), Oregonian, software engineer, AFOL, cyclist, gardener. (he/him) https://ifup.org
Pinned
Brandon Philips
@ifup.org
· Jan 29
Voting Machines
The only open-source voting machines used in United States elections. Designed to VVSG 2.0.
www.voting.works
VotingWorks is making American voting machines right: open source, built for accessibility, and paper based. Excited for their continued success.
www.voting.works/machines
www.voting.works/machines
Quick Hack: Fix epub's for early reader books. github.com/philips/kids...
The HTML/CSS of kids early reader books is atrocious and impossible for koreader to render correctly. So, just throw it all out and repack the epub.
The HTML/CSS of kids early reader books is atrocious and impossible for koreader to render correctly. So, just throw it all out and repack the epub.
November 6, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Quick Hack: Fix epub's for early reader books. github.com/philips/kids...
The HTML/CSS of kids early reader books is atrocious and impossible for koreader to render correctly. So, just throw it all out and repack the epub.
The HTML/CSS of kids early reader books is atrocious and impossible for koreader to render correctly. So, just throw it all out and repack the epub.
I posted an article on HN and people are super passionate about voting systems and also very under informed on the scale and complexity (particularly in the USA).
news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4565...
news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4565...
Public trust demands open-source voting systems | Hacker News
news.ycombinator.com
October 21, 2025 at 6:31 PM
I posted an article on HN and people are super passionate about voting systems and also very under informed on the scale and complexity (particularly in the USA).
news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4565...
news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4565...
Reposted by Brandon Philips
Yesterday, news broke that Dominion Voting Systems was sold to a new company, Liberty Vote. Dominion, the second-largest voting systems vendor in the US that currently tabulates 1 in 5 American votes, is no more.
www.voting.works/news/public-...
www.voting.works/news/public-...
October 10, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Yesterday, news broke that Dominion Voting Systems was sold to a new company, Liberty Vote. Dominion, the second-largest voting systems vendor in the US that currently tabulates 1 in 5 American votes, is no more.
www.voting.works/news/public-...
www.voting.works/news/public-...
With how bad robot detection has become across the internet and AI crawling everything in sight it makes me wonder if the future is more like @tailscale.com ACLs and less like the wide default routed internet.
Off I go emailing support and asking for an IP whitelist like it is 1999.
Off I go emailing support and asking for an IP whitelist like it is 1999.
October 21, 2025 at 3:49 PM
With how bad robot detection has become across the internet and AI crawling everything in sight it makes me wonder if the future is more like @tailscale.com ACLs and less like the wide default routed internet.
Off I go emailing support and asking for an IP whitelist like it is 1999.
Off I go emailing support and asking for an IP whitelist like it is 1999.
It is remarkable a software and brand we (CoreOS team) created 12 years ago (!!!) is still relevant enough for people to debate on Hacker News.
October 19, 2025 at 11:39 PM
It is remarkable a software and brand we (CoreOS team) created 12 years ago (!!!) is still relevant enough for people to debate on Hacker News.
I love this. A bike designed for long term maintenance with limited supply chain: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV88...
How The Amazingly Burly ‘Buffalo Bicycle’ is Changing The World
YouTube video by Berm Peak
www.youtube.com
October 12, 2025 at 6:28 PM
I love this. A bike designed for long term maintenance with limited supply chain: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV88...
An actually useful GMail AI integration: forcing users to Reply All unless the body contains sensitive documents or shit talk.
August 25, 2025 at 12:56 AM
An actually useful GMail AI integration: forcing users to Reply All unless the body contains sensitive documents or shit talk.
In 2025 and you can't buy a light switch without brand advertising on it.
Lutron, Leviton and Legrand are not high fashion brands- they are light switches.
Product manager from Leviton saying "Well everyone else is doing it" www.reddit.com/r/homeautoma...
Lutron, Leviton and Legrand are not high fashion brands- they are light switches.
Product manager from Leviton saying "Well everyone else is doing it" www.reddit.com/r/homeautoma...
August 6, 2025 at 11:43 PM
In 2025 and you can't buy a light switch without brand advertising on it.
Lutron, Leviton and Legrand are not high fashion brands- they are light switches.
Product manager from Leviton saying "Well everyone else is doing it" www.reddit.com/r/homeautoma...
Lutron, Leviton and Legrand are not high fashion brands- they are light switches.
Product manager from Leviton saying "Well everyone else is doing it" www.reddit.com/r/homeautoma...
July 17, 2025 at 8:38 PM
I am in the market for smoke alarms. When I think smoke alarms I think of @bradfitz.com ❤️
But, does anyone else have recommendations? I like Nest Protect but would consider other options. Must be battery powered. Must have push notifications. Ideally no subscriptions.
But, does anyone else have recommendations? I like Nest Protect but would consider other options. Must be battery powered. Must have push notifications. Ideally no subscriptions.
July 16, 2025 at 2:35 AM
I am in the market for smoke alarms. When I think smoke alarms I think of @bradfitz.com ❤️
But, does anyone else have recommendations? I like Nest Protect but would consider other options. Must be battery powered. Must have push notifications. Ideally no subscriptions.
But, does anyone else have recommendations? I like Nest Protect but would consider other options. Must be battery powered. Must have push notifications. Ideally no subscriptions.
Excellent overview video of Apple Containerization by Michael Crosby (who played a critical role in getting opencontainers.org to v1.0)
Amazing to see these standards used in such a well integrated way 8 years later.
developer.apple.com/videos/play/...
Amazing to see these standards used in such a well integrated way 8 years later.
developer.apple.com/videos/play/...
June 10, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Excellent overview video of Apple Containerization by Michael Crosby (who played a critical role in getting opencontainers.org to v1.0)
Amazing to see these standards used in such a well integrated way 8 years later.
developer.apple.com/videos/play/...
Amazing to see these standards used in such a well integrated way 8 years later.
developer.apple.com/videos/play/...
There are many reasons I limit Disney in my house. And here is another one. Disney adds Newsmax to Hulu.
www.msn.com/en-us/entert...
www.msn.com/en-us/entert...
MSN
www.msn.com
May 12, 2025 at 6:10 PM
There are many reasons I limit Disney in my house. And here is another one. Disney adds Newsmax to Hulu.
www.msn.com/en-us/entert...
www.msn.com/en-us/entert...
Reposted by Brandon Philips
And now, a note on Bill Owens who, until this past week, was the executive producer of 60 Minutes.
We’ll be back next week with another edition of 60 Minutes.
We’ll be back next week with another edition of 60 Minutes.
April 28, 2025 at 12:38 AM
And now, a note on Bill Owens who, until this past week, was the executive producer of 60 Minutes.
We’ll be back next week with another edition of 60 Minutes.
We’ll be back next week with another edition of 60 Minutes.
@bsky.app next up, tshirts that say: Facilitate is an active verb
This whole order from the fourth circuit gives me chills. I can’t believe step one is convincing the Executive of due process.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com
April 18, 2025 at 10:24 PM
@bsky.app next up, tshirts that say: Facilitate is an active verb
had this thought today.
April 17, 2025 at 10:20 PM
had this thought today.
Photo apps need the UX equivalent for "sifting through the shoe box". I want to collect the photos worth backing up forever.
Google Photos "favorites" doesn't work: you can't bulk favorite items.
Adding the photos to an "album" doesn't give indication if they are in or not in "the box".
Google Photos "favorites" doesn't work: you can't bulk favorite items.
Adding the photos to an "album" doesn't give indication if they are in or not in "the box".
April 4, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Photo apps need the UX equivalent for "sifting through the shoe box". I want to collect the photos worth backing up forever.
Google Photos "favorites" doesn't work: you can't bulk favorite items.
Adding the photos to an "album" doesn't give indication if they are in or not in "the box".
Google Photos "favorites" doesn't work: you can't bulk favorite items.
Adding the photos to an "album" doesn't give indication if they are in or not in "the box".
Reposted by Brandon Philips
This is nonsense. A district court decision holds just as much legal weight as a Supreme Court decision. The only difference is the district court’s ruling is appealable. But until you WIN an appeal a district court’s decision binds all parties, including the executive branch.
WATCH: Schumer says "our democracy will be at stake" if Trump disobeys the Supreme Court—but "we're not there yet."
March 19, 2025 at 2:19 AM
This is nonsense. A district court decision holds just as much legal weight as a Supreme Court decision. The only difference is the district court’s ruling is appealable. But until you WIN an appeal a district court’s decision binds all parties, including the executive branch.
Google is playing the same "you don't get your own incremental backups" with Google Drive too.
news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4178...
What are people using instead of Google Photos and Drive?
news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4178...
What are people using instead of Google Photos and Drive?
March 15, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Google is playing the same "you don't get your own incremental backups" with Google Drive too.
news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4178...
What are people using instead of Google Photos and Drive?
news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4178...
What are people using instead of Google Photos and Drive?
Gah! Google! I use photoslibrary.readonly to backup my family photos to an external disk via rclone.
Google Takeout is a joke.
Where do I go now @ente.io? Last I tried it was way too slow on migrating my photo library. I really don't want to self host photos. Gah. What a mess.
Google Takeout is a joke.
Where do I go now @ente.io? Last I tried it was way too slow on migrating my photo library. I really don't want to self host photos. Gah. What a mess.
March 7, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Gah! Google! I use photoslibrary.readonly to backup my family photos to an external disk via rclone.
Google Takeout is a joke.
Where do I go now @ente.io? Last I tried it was way too slow on migrating my photo library. I really don't want to self host photos. Gah. What a mess.
Google Takeout is a joke.
Where do I go now @ente.io? Last I tried it was way too slow on migrating my photo library. I really don't want to self host photos. Gah. What a mess.
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
The President aims to ban an entire law firm from Federal buildings.
I worked with professionals at Perkins Coie through my time at CoreOS.
I hope our judicial system can hold.
The President aims to ban an entire law firm from Federal buildings.
I worked with professionals at Perkins Coie through my time at CoreOS.
I hope our judicial system can hold.
March 7, 2025 at 12:13 AM
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
The President aims to ban an entire law firm from Federal buildings.
I worked with professionals at Perkins Coie through my time at CoreOS.
I hope our judicial system can hold.
The President aims to ban an entire law firm from Federal buildings.
I worked with professionals at Perkins Coie through my time at CoreOS.
I hope our judicial system can hold.
Reposted by Brandon Philips
I got laid off today, with the rest of 18F.
18F was an elite federal software shop. We made gov't websites work better, more efficiently for the American people. We saved taxpayers from getting screwed over by contractors. And were fired for it.
We made this website to tell our story:
18f.org
18F was an elite federal software shop. We made gov't websites work better, more efficiently for the American people. We saved taxpayers from getting screwed over by contractors. And were fired for it.
We made this website to tell our story:
18f.org
We're not done yet | 18F
18f.org
March 1, 2025 at 10:38 PM
I got laid off today, with the rest of 18F.
18F was an elite federal software shop. We made gov't websites work better, more efficiently for the American people. We saved taxpayers from getting screwed over by contractors. And were fired for it.
We made this website to tell our story:
18f.org
18F was an elite federal software shop. We made gov't websites work better, more efficiently for the American people. We saved taxpayers from getting screwed over by contractors. And were fired for it.
We made this website to tell our story:
18f.org
How will judicial systems survive generative AI?
Will they need to charge for judiciary attention on some sort of exponential scale? With indIvidual citizens getting a guaranteed level of free tokens.
The amount of garbage b.s. generated by disingenuous assholes is going to be crazy.
Will they need to charge for judiciary attention on some sort of exponential scale? With indIvidual citizens getting a guaranteed level of free tokens.
The amount of garbage b.s. generated by disingenuous assholes is going to be crazy.
February 16, 2025 at 6:05 PM
How will judicial systems survive generative AI?
Will they need to charge for judiciary attention on some sort of exponential scale? With indIvidual citizens getting a guaranteed level of free tokens.
The amount of garbage b.s. generated by disingenuous assholes is going to be crazy.
Will they need to charge for judiciary attention on some sort of exponential scale? With indIvidual citizens getting a guaranteed level of free tokens.
The amount of garbage b.s. generated by disingenuous assholes is going to be crazy.
VotingWorks is making American voting machines right: open source, built for accessibility, and paper based. Excited for their continued success.
www.voting.works/machines
www.voting.works/machines
Voting Machines
The only open-source voting machines used in United States elections. Designed to VVSG 2.0.
www.voting.works
January 29, 2025 at 3:18 AM
VotingWorks is making American voting machines right: open source, built for accessibility, and paper based. Excited for their continued success.
www.voting.works/machines
www.voting.works/machines
Tailscale + Nextdns is great! Access to my home network and filter 90% of the terrible ads from anywhere.
@tailscale.com
tailscale.com/kb/1218/next...
@tailscale.com
tailscale.com/kb/1218/next...
Use NextDNS · Tailscale Docs
Use NextDNS with devices in your tailnet.
tailscale.com
January 24, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Tailscale + Nextdns is great! Access to my home network and filter 90% of the terrible ads from anywhere.
@tailscale.com
tailscale.com/kb/1218/next...
@tailscale.com
tailscale.com/kb/1218/next...