Doug Nelson
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dochne.com
Doug Nelson
@dochne.com
61 followers 130 following 77 posts
Software Dev. Hiking keeps my soul intact (maybe)
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dochne.com
“But almost all programs have paths that crash, and perhaps the density of crashes will be tolerable.” This is a very odd statement. Mature C programs written by professional coders (Redis is a good example) basically never crash in the experience of users. Crashing, in such programs, is a rare occurrence mostly obtained by attackers on purpose, looking for code paths that generate a memory error that - if the program is used as it should - are never reached. This does not mean that C code never segfaults: it happens, especially when developed without care and the right amount of testing. But the code that is the most security sensitive, like C Unix servers, is high quality and crashes are *mostly* a security problem and a lot less a stability problem.
November 7, 2025 at 10:20 AM
dochne.com
What's the multicoloured one here? I couldn't see it on elephpant.me
August 3, 2025 at 7:07 PM
dochne.com
Worked it out! The emoji is meant to be 0x2614 ☔ but *somehow* it's also added in the 0xfe0f "variation selector" char into the emoji ☔️. Regex notices it doesn't belong, so it tries to * the useless char instead - computers, never as simple as they should be :D
June 22, 2025 at 9:15 PM
dochne.com
From this weekends walk! I do love the Peak District
A view from the top of a cliff - the day is warm and the view slightly hazy despite having great viewing distance. A reservoir can be seen in the mid distance, surrounded by green fields. A woman sits on a rock in the foreground looking out over the scenery
March 13, 2025 at 7:33 AM
dochne.com
Now advent of code is over, I have (some limited) energy for side projects!

state.dochne.com - an easy way to write tests for vaguely reassuring state machines :D

@happyautomata.com
A webpage screenshot. On the left hand side, it has a sidebar with all the recent vaguely reassuring state machines generated by HappyAutomata - on the right it has the image of the state machine, with three form controls underneath: one for the regex itself, one for a list of valid patterns and one for a list of invalid patterns
December 27, 2024 at 12:10 AM
dochne.com
It'd be nice seeing if we can have a social network with less centralised outrage - just some positive community vibes.

Anyway, I'm Doug - I like the Peak District, LitRPGs and on a good day, computers.

I take (and can give) walk recommendations! #hikesky
A photo off Curbar Edge in the Peak District. Green fields stretch off into the distance with a sky that is mostly blue, but with some large fluffy clouds. In the foreground you can just see the edge of the rocks that we're looking off.
November 19, 2024 at 7:25 AM
dochne.com
If you see this, please repost with a favourite photo of the sky that you’ve taken recently.

The edge of the Peak District at the end of last winter (recent is relative! :D)
A dirt path winds through a green field travelling all the way to as far as you can see - a solitary tree can be seen in the mid-distance by the path, giving the photo a odd sense that it represents a journey in itself. Above, we're treated to the beginnings of a sunset as the sky just starts to tinge pink, above hills of enough distance they're of different shades. The sky itself is blue with small amounts of wispy clouds reflecting the suns light to bring a kind of richness to the sky.
November 19, 2024 at 6:57 AM