Twitter Archive
Twitter dot com was a microblogging and social networking service, where users could share short posts (commonly known as “tweets”) with text, images, and video.
This is an archive of all my tweets from 2008–2025.
These days, you can find me on Bluesky or Mastodon.
By year
- 2025 33 posts
- 2024 203
- 2023 97
- 2022 91
- 2021 89
- 2020 26
- 2019 0
- 2018 6
- 2017 56
- 2016 108
- 2015 71
- 2014 197
- 2013 180
- 2012 160
- 2011 162
- 2010 171
- 2009 238
- 2008 101
Popular
I love this—putting heads on geometric forms makes it easier to do mental rotations.
How to get VC funding
Wow. This is an incredible list of programming language implementation resources by @tekknolagi: bernsteinbear.com/pl-resources/
Compilers, runtimes, runtime optimization, "small JITs to help understand the basics", assembler libraries, small JIT IR libraries, …
Compilers, runtimes, runtime optimization, "small JITs to help understand the basics", assembler libraries, small JIT IR libraries, …
The real innovator's dilemma.
Why do so many German web sites end with "24"? Do Germans need reminding that the internet doesn't close at 8pm and all day on Sunday?
Every subject should have a series like this.
My best advice for better technical communication is to *stop* doing two things:
- Introducing the topic with general facts
- "Tell 'em what you’re going to say, say it, then tell them what you said"
- Introducing the topic with general facts
- "Tell 'em what you’re going to say, say it, then tell them what you said"
Maybe you've heard that "<100ms is perceived as instantaneous"…
The unsurprising origin is, well somebody just made it up. twitter.com/thorstenball/s…
The unsurprising origin is, well somebody just made it up. twitter.com/thorstenball/s…
New blog post: Bytecode VMs in surprising places
→ dubroy.com/blog/bytecode-…
Most people probably associate bytecode VMs with general-purpose programming languages. But sometimes they appear in surprising places!
→ dubroy.com/blog/bytecode-…
Most people probably associate bytecode VMs with general-purpose programming languages. But sometimes they appear in surprising places!
500 Lines or less: Experience programmers solve interesting problems — aosabook.org/en/#500lines
(I should have know about this book, but didn't — and it looks great.)
(I should have know about this book, but didn't — and it looks great.)
So sad to see your heroes fall so low.
Are there any good podcasts out there about programming language design and implementation? Languages, compilers, VMs, etc.
This is super interesting. A long time ago I noticed that a lot of inventions in computing came from a partnership — often one philosopher and one hacker.
Kay & Ingalls
Metcalfe & Boggs
McCarthy & Russell
etc twitter.com/ItaiYanai/stat…
Kay & Ingalls
Metcalfe & Boggs
McCarthy & Russell
etc twitter.com/ItaiYanai/stat…
This is out of nowhere but I really appreciate what a positive influence @recursecenter has had on computing culture in the past 10+ years.
So many of the most thoughtful and interesting people I run across on the internet turn out to be connected to RC.
So many of the most thoughtful and interesting people I run across on the internet turn out to be connected to RC.
There's such a huge difference between reading a paper about an algorithm/system/etc., and trying to implement it yourself.
I read the paper and think "I get it".
I try to implement it and realize I didn't get it *at all*.
I read the paper and think "I get it".
I try to implement it and realize I didn't get it *at all*.
📝New blog post —
Visualizing Packrat Parsing: dubroy.com/blog/visualizi…
All about the Ohm visualizer, and the design challenge of creating a full visual explanation of the parser's execution.
Visualizing Packrat Parsing: dubroy.com/blog/visualizi…
All about the Ohm visualizer, and the design challenge of creating a full visual explanation of the parser's execution.
Today I'm working through "Computer Graphics from Scratch" in Rust: gabrielgambetta.com/computer-graph…
After 20 minutes debugging, refactoring, and then trying to get my code to compile
…you have no idea how happy I was to see this silly little triangle. 😊
After 20 minutes debugging, refactoring, and then trying to get my code to compile
…you have no idea how happy I was to see this silly little triangle. 😊
✍️ The influence of Self: dubroy.com/blog/self/
All about the Self programming language, the most influential language that most programmers have never heard of.
All about the Self programming language, the most influential language that most programmers have never heard of.
Now that's an inspiring CV. twitter.com/splashcon/stat…
New blog post: Taking Learning Seriously
→ dubroy.com/blog/taking-le…
→ dubroy.com/blog/taking-le…
Ooh, love this term: "ghost knowledge".
I definitely know the concept but hadn't heard this term for it before.
I definitely know the concept but hadn't heard this term for it before.
Most visual programming languages make limited use of the visual channel — the program structure is represented visually, but not much else. Usually the shapes and colors they use have an abstract (symbolic) meaning, not a concrete one.
What are some different approaches?
What are some different approaches?
Hey! @warianoguerra & I are starting a meetup in Munich, tentatively called "Homebrew Systems Club".
~~Vibes~~
Programming languages, environments, systems
Databases
Operating systems
Virtual machines
{Handmade, local-first, lo-fi, home cooked} software
~~Vibes~~
Programming languages, environments, systems
Databases
Operating systems
Virtual machines
{Handmade, local-first, lo-fi, home cooked} software
Looks like an absolutely incredible set of resources —
lectures (+exercises etc.) from Mario Wolczko's "Virtual Machines and Managed Runtimes" course at Berkeley: wolczko.com/CS294/index.ht…
Lecture guests
- Peter Deutsch & Allan Schiffman
- Dave Ungar
- Cliff Click
- Lars Bak
🔥
lectures (+exercises etc.) from Mario Wolczko's "Virtual Machines and Managed Runtimes" course at Berkeley: wolczko.com/CS294/index.ht…
Lecture guests
- Peter Deutsch & Allan Schiffman
- Dave Ungar
- Cliff Click
- Lars Bak
🔥
Ok so I ended up making a PDF playground: dubroy.com/pdf-playground/. Thanks to @pdfjs it was actually super easy.
Sharing here in case anyone else wants to experience the weird and wonderful world of the PDF stack language. twitter.com/dubroy/status/…
Sharing here in case anyone else wants to experience the weird and wonderful world of the PDF stack language. twitter.com/dubroy/status/…
One of the best decisions I've made in the past few years is to stop treating side projects like work projects.
E.g.
- "doesn't something like that already exist?"
- "you shouldn't implement that yourself"
Both make sense at work, but wrong attitude for side projects imo.
E.g.
- "doesn't something like that already exist?"
- "you shouldn't implement that yourself"
Both make sense at work, but wrong attitude for side projects imo.
Excited to announce a new project with @warianoguerra — a digital-first book called WebAssembly from the Ground Up.
Follow @WasmGroundUp for updates, or sign up at wasmfromthegroundup.com.
👉 We're looking for beta readers! Get in touch for early access (reply, DM, or email)
Follow @WasmGroundUp for updates, or sign up at wasmfromthegroundup.com.
👉 We're looking for beta readers! Get in touch for early access (reply, DM, or email)
Interesting to think about this when teaching programming. Not much thought is given to exposing kids (people) to the process of creating “serious” stuff, or seeing an expert practitioner work.
(From “How Children Learn” by John Holt.)
(From “How Children Learn” by John Holt.)
Good stuff twitter.com/_feynon/status…
This is why I fed conflicted about the idea of dynamic media replacing papers, textbooks, etc.
I routinely read papers that are 30 or 40 years old. When 30-40 year old software is easily runnable, it’s a wonderful surprise. twitter.com/spiralganglion…
I routinely read papers that are 30 or 40 years old. When 30-40 year old software is easily runnable, it’s a wonderful surprise. twitter.com/spiralganglion…
Academic papers are pretty great actually.
You know they'll tell you:
- what the problem is
- a high-level description of their solution
- how it compares to other solutions
…and usually in the first 2-3 pages.
95% of blog posts / landing pages can't manage to do this.
You know they'll tell you:
- what the problem is
- a high-level description of their solution
- how it compares to other solutions
…and usually in the first 2-3 pages.
95% of blog posts / landing pages can't manage to do this.
Was reminded again today that Starting Forth (forth.com/starting-forth/) is really a delightful book in so many ways.
Impressive & heartening: "@ProjectDrawdown is the most comprehensive plan ever proposed to reverse global warming." drawdown.org
This aesthetic
Thinking a lot about visual communication in technical writing. What should I read?
Is there anything like “Understanding Comics” but more a focus on explanation rather than narrative?
Is there anything like “Understanding Comics” but more a focus on explanation rather than narrative?
Some personal news:
This week I joined @srcgraph as an Engineering Manager on the Frontend Platform team.✨
I used Sourcegraph a *ton* in my day-to-day work at Lyft, and now I'm excited to help make it better for everyone!
This week I joined @srcgraph as an Engineering Manager on the Frontend Platform team.✨
I used Sourcegraph a *ton* in my day-to-day work at Lyft, and now I'm excited to help make it better for everyone!
Really enjoyed this talk by Will Wilson (CEO of @AntithesisHQ) —
Testing a Single-Node, Single Threaded, Distributed System Written in 1985
→ youtube.com/watch?v=m3HwXl…
or, "How to beat Mario with a random number generator"
Testing a Single-Node, Single Threaded, Distributed System Written in 1985
→ youtube.com/watch?v=m3HwXl…
or, "How to beat Mario with a random number generator"
"Like other forms of art, programming teaches you new ways to pay attention to your surroundings."
From @maxbittker's "My Creative Research Process"
maxbittker.com/creative-resea…
From @maxbittker's "My Creative Research Process"
maxbittker.com/creative-resea…
Knuth on reusable code:
"re-editable code is much, much better"
"re-editable code is much, much better"
Why have I never seen a book with a "Debugging" section in the first chapter before? Honestly a great idea.
From "Fundamentals of Computer Graphics by @Peter_shirley et al.
From "Fundamentals of Computer Graphics by @Peter_shirley et al.
I’ve been looking for a really minimal virtual DOM implementation — ideally a single file that I could inline into projects.
This week I discovered Superfine by Jorge Bucaran (creator of Hyperapp) which is just that: github.com/jorgebucaran/s…
This week I discovered Superfine by Jorge Bucaran (creator of Hyperapp) which is just that: github.com/jorgebucaran/s…
New blog post: Make it happen
It's an old story about a trip to LA, and a couple of spontaneous decisions that changed the course of my career.
It's an old story about a trip to LA, and a couple of spontaneous decisions that changed the course of my career.
In 2022 I didn't expect APL to have an online REPL+tutorial that beats many modern languages. It's quite nice: tryapl.org
Ok so I decided to do this 😅
pdubroy.github.io/200andchange/
Want to add a new example or help annotate an existing one? PRs welcome! twitter.com/dubroy/status/…
pdubroy.github.io/200andchange/
Want to add a new example or help annotate an existing one? PRs welcome! twitter.com/dubroy/status/…
Here it is — very happy to officially release the book that @warianoguerra and I have been working on for the past 2½ years.
If you bought it in early access, thanks for your support! 🙏
If you haven't bought it yet, please check it out!! twitter.com/WasmGroundUp/s…
If you bought it in early access, thanks for your support! 🙏
If you haven't bought it yet, please check it out!! twitter.com/WasmGroundUp/s…
Programmer: "What are the rules for designing good fonts?"
Designer: "Can't you see?"
Programmer: "Can't you tell me the rules?"
Designer: "Can't you see?"
Programmer: "Can't you tell me the rules?"
