Jonathan Anderson
@trombonehero.bsky.social
Associate Professor. Computer Security. Sometimes grumpy (but I repeat myself).
Pinned
We need to make online security a mandatory subject in our schools. It's not just about protection of personal devices and data, but one person's brief lapse in judgement can bring down a school, a payroll system, or a hospital.
2/2
2/2
Counterpoint: if one person’s brief lapse in judgement can bring down the whole org, we’re building our systems all wrong.
What a thing of beauty
github.com/dspinellis/u...
github.com/dspinellis/u...
GitHub - dspinellis/unix-history-repo: Continuous Unix commit history from 1970 until today
Continuous Unix commit history from 1970 until today - dspinellis/unix-history-repo
github.com
February 9, 2026 at 12:46 PM
What a thing of beauty
github.com/dspinellis/u...
github.com/dspinellis/u...
😳
Breaking, from me: An executive order from Oklahoma's governor directs most of the state's public colleges to "phase out tenure." #AcademicSky #HigherEd @chronicle.com
www.chronicle.com/article/tenu...
www.chronicle.com/article/tenu...
Tenure Will Be Eliminated at Most of Oklahoma’s Public Colleges, Governor Says
Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, directed the state’s two-dozen regional universities and community colleges to phase out the practice. Existing faculty members will be grandfathered in.
www.chronicle.com
February 5, 2026 at 11:43 PM
😳
From @pkrugman.bsky.social:
“Analyzing crypto prices isn’t like, say, analyzing housing prices in the Naughties, where you could compare prices with fundamentals — because with crypto there are no fundamentals, it’s vibes all the way down.”
open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...
“Analyzing crypto prices isn’t like, say, analyzing housing prices in the Naughties, where you could compare prices with fundamentals — because with crypto there are no fundamentals, it’s vibes all the way down.”
open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...
Is This Crypto’s Fimbulwinter?
Political power may not be enough to save the crypto cult
open.substack.com
February 5, 2026 at 2:16 PM
From @pkrugman.bsky.social:
“Analyzing crypto prices isn’t like, say, analyzing housing prices in the Naughties, where you could compare prices with fundamentals — because with crypto there are no fundamentals, it’s vibes all the way down.”
open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...
“Analyzing crypto prices isn’t like, say, analyzing housing prices in the Naughties, where you could compare prices with fundamentals — because with crypto there are no fundamentals, it’s vibes all the way down.”
open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...
I am clearly going to the wrong conferences… cruisecon.com
CruiseCon – The Flagship of Cybersecurity
cruisecon.com
February 2, 2026 at 11:09 PM
I am clearly going to the wrong conferences… cruisecon.com
Reposted by Jonathan Anderson
You can test new tech ideas using the Seinfeld Test
Would the product eliminate the plot of an episode? (Google maps, cell phones, paypal, battery packs)
Good tech.
Would the product inspire new Seinfeld plots? (NFTs, AI chatbots, crypto currency, blindboxes, metaverse land sales)
Bad tech.
Would the product eliminate the plot of an episode? (Google maps, cell phones, paypal, battery packs)
Good tech.
Would the product inspire new Seinfeld plots? (NFTs, AI chatbots, crypto currency, blindboxes, metaverse land sales)
Bad tech.
January 31, 2026 at 6:57 AM
You can test new tech ideas using the Seinfeld Test
Would the product eliminate the plot of an episode? (Google maps, cell phones, paypal, battery packs)
Good tech.
Would the product inspire new Seinfeld plots? (NFTs, AI chatbots, crypto currency, blindboxes, metaverse land sales)
Bad tech.
Would the product eliminate the plot of an episode? (Google maps, cell phones, paypal, battery packs)
Good tech.
Would the product inspire new Seinfeld plots? (NFTs, AI chatbots, crypto currency, blindboxes, metaverse land sales)
Bad tech.
Second prong of the Seinfeld Test: tech invented after Seinfeld finished its run is probably bad.
You can test new tech ideas using the Seinfeld Test
Would the product eliminate the plot of an episode? (Google maps, cell phones, paypal, battery packs)
Good tech.
Would the product inspire new Seinfeld plots? (NFTs, AI chatbots, crypto currency, blindboxes, metaverse land sales)
Bad tech.
Would the product eliminate the plot of an episode? (Google maps, cell phones, paypal, battery packs)
Good tech.
Would the product inspire new Seinfeld plots? (NFTs, AI chatbots, crypto currency, blindboxes, metaverse land sales)
Bad tech.
February 2, 2026 at 6:49 PM
Second prong of the Seinfeld Test: tech invented after Seinfeld finished its run is probably bad.
Reposted by Jonathan Anderson
"Would Kramer be convinced he should get in on it"
January 31, 2026 at 7:01 AM
"Would Kramer be convinced he should get in on it"
Reposted by Jonathan Anderson
Now ask whose cuts kicked off the whole crazy cycle… 🤔
Immigration minister says struggling universities must ask provinces for help
Canada immigration: Minister says schools must ask for help
Canada’s immigration minister says universities and colleges struggling to balance the books after federal cuts to the international student program will have to turn to their provincial governments for financial help.
www.ctvnews.ca
February 1, 2026 at 12:31 AM
Now ask whose cuts kicked off the whole crazy cycle… 🤔
Finally checked out @ltratt.bsky.social's pizauth for OAuth2 authentication with background mbsync and msmtp... where has this tool been all my life?
(answer: doing its thing quietly and without making a big splash)
(answer: doing its thing quietly and without making a big splash)
January 29, 2026 at 2:16 PM
Finally checked out @ltratt.bsky.social's pizauth for OAuth2 authentication with background mbsync and msmtp... where has this tool been all my life?
(answer: doing its thing quietly and without making a big splash)
(answer: doing its thing quietly and without making a big splash)
Great work, everyone.
January 23, 2026 at 3:26 PM
Great work, everyone.
Hey kids: there was a time when the whole Web looked like this (but with a grey background instead of white). It was glorious.
“OK, grandpa”, etc.
www.sce.carleton.ca/netmanage/to...
“OK, grandpa”, etc.
www.sce.carleton.ca/netmanage/to...
January 16, 2026 at 11:51 AM
Hey kids: there was a time when the whole Web looked like this (but with a grey background instead of white). It was glorious.
“OK, grandpa”, etc.
www.sce.carleton.ca/netmanage/to...
“OK, grandpa”, etc.
www.sce.carleton.ca/netmanage/to...
This is too funny: every time I try to renew, ieee.org seems to work but then it stops immediately when I validate my card details. It can't actually be me breaking ieee.org, right? Right?
downforeveryoneorjustme.com/ieee.org
downforeveryoneorjustme.com/ieee.org
January 13, 2026 at 4:33 PM
This is too funny: every time I try to renew, ieee.org seems to work but then it stops immediately when I validate my card details. It can't actually be me breaking ieee.org, right? Right?
downforeveryoneorjustme.com/ieee.org
downforeveryoneorjustme.com/ieee.org
January 12, 2026 at 9:32 PM
Sorry guys, looks like I broke the IEEE.
Tried to renew my IEEE membership, and it didn't like the characters in my city (St. John's, NL). Now when I visit ieee.org:
"The requested URL was rejected. Please consult with your administrator."
Tried to renew my IEEE membership, and it didn't like the characters in my city (St. John's, NL). Now when I visit ieee.org:
"The requested URL was rejected. Please consult with your administrator."
ieee.org
January 12, 2026 at 9:27 PM
Sorry guys, looks like I broke the IEEE.
Tried to renew my IEEE membership, and it didn't like the characters in my city (St. John's, NL). Now when I visit ieee.org:
"The requested URL was rejected. Please consult with your administrator."
Tried to renew my IEEE membership, and it didn't like the characters in my city (St. John's, NL). Now when I visit ieee.org:
"The requested URL was rejected. Please consult with your administrator."
Elegant thoughts about "programming" in natural language and why formal representations (like programming languages) aren't going anywhere:
"Formal languages empower us with precision, gifting us a more perfect command over our subjects." (Alejandre)
alexalejandre.com/languages/en...
"Formal languages empower us with precision, gifting us a more perfect command over our subjects." (Alejandre)
alexalejandre.com/languages/en...
Is AI the End of Programming Languages?
Karpathy and fans call English the hottest new programming language. I guess COBOL's retro now.
alexalejandre.com
January 9, 2026 at 6:10 PM
Elegant thoughts about "programming" in natural language and why formal representations (like programming languages) aren't going anywhere:
"Formal languages empower us with precision, gifting us a more perfect command over our subjects." (Alejandre)
alexalejandre.com/languages/en...
"Formal languages empower us with precision, gifting us a more perfect command over our subjects." (Alejandre)
alexalejandre.com/languages/en...
Are you someone who cares about privacy in Newfoundland and Labrador? We'd love to see your proposal for a presentation, panel or workshop at APSIM 2026!
Also, save the date for November 26–27...
Also, save the date for November 26–27...
Are you a professional working in access to information, privacy, information management, or information security? Would you like to present at our conference? Applications are now open! www.gov.nl.ca/apsim/
#privacy #accesstoinformation #foi #infosec #informationmanagement
#privacy #accesstoinformation #foi #infosec #informationmanagement
January 8, 2026 at 4:17 PM
Are you someone who cares about privacy in Newfoundland and Labrador? We'd love to see your proposal for a presentation, panel or workshop at APSIM 2026!
Also, save the date for November 26–27...
Also, save the date for November 26–27...
Reposted by Jonathan Anderson
New blog post! A close look at Tahoe menu icons https://tonsky.me/blog/tahoe-icons/
It’s hard to justify Tahoe icons
Looking at the first principles of icon design—and how Apple failed to apply all of them in macOS Tahoe
tonsky.me
January 5, 2026 at 11:10 AM
New blog post! A close look at Tahoe menu icons https://tonsky.me/blog/tahoe-icons/
Shoveling accident…
These should not be made, they must not be made, etc.
These should not be made, they must not be made, etc.
January 5, 2026 at 9:47 PM
Shoveling accident…
These should not be made, they must not be made, etc.
These should not be made, they must not be made, etc.
This is like the entire justice system failed a phishing test.
A woman was charged with sending a threatening email to ex-justice minister Jon Denis. Courts learned somebody had faked the email through a Czech website. Quite the story from @robsonfletcher.com & Meghan Grant
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
She was accused of threatening a former Alberta justice minister, others — until a spoofed email came to light | CBC News
A Calgary woman accused of sending five emails that threatened former Alberta justice minister Jonathan Denis, his mother and several of his friends has seen those charges dropped after evidence was r...
www.cbc.ca
December 17, 2025 at 4:36 PM
This is like the entire justice system failed a phishing test.
This is utterly shocking: a forensic examination of an email, one that led to criminal charges and a trial, didn’t include… looking at the headers!? Spoofing is a thing!
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/... Lots of details were left out, but this is an important story. I have so much to say about this story. But I cant publicly because I am involved in legal proceedings with one of the people named.
She was accused of threatening a former Alberta justice minister, others — until a spoofed email came to light | CBC News
A Calgary woman accused of sending five emails that threatened former Alberta justice minister Jonathan Denis, his mother and several of his friends has seen those charges dropped after evidence was r...
www.cbc.ca
December 17, 2025 at 4:28 PM
This is utterly shocking: a forensic examination of an email, one that led to criminal charges and a trial, didn’t include… looking at the headers!? Spoofing is a thing!
Reposted by Jonathan Anderson
This is 100% infuriating.
The ACM Digital Library, where a LOT of computing-related research is published (I'd say at least 75% of my own publications), is now not only providing (without consent of the authors and without opt-in by readers) AI-generated summaries of papers, but they appear as the *default* over abstracts.
December 17, 2025 at 4:13 PM
This is 100% infuriating.
Reposted by Jonathan Anderson
Just so I'm clear on this, computer memory has tripled in price because a bunch of it that hasn't been produced yet has been ordered to populate GPUs that aren't installed in data centers that aren't built yet in order to service a demand that doesn't exist to make profits that don't happen.
December 15, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Just so I'm clear on this, computer memory has tripled in price because a bunch of it that hasn't been produced yet has been ordered to populate GPUs that aren't installed in data centers that aren't built yet in order to service a demand that doesn't exist to make profits that don't happen.
Bluesky has the chance to do the funniest thing
Operation Bluebird wants to reclaim Twitter’s ‘abandoned’ trademarks for a new social network
Operation Bluebird wants to reclaim Twitter’s ‘abandoned’ trademarks for a new social network
Will Twitter finally return?
buff.ly
December 11, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Bluesky has the chance to do the funniest thing