MLS, SimpleX, PSQL, Europol, eSIM, Firefox, Visualizations

1. Matrix: Two more users reported that they won't be using Matrix / Element  (@ Wikipedia) anymore, because it's so buggy and slow. It's hard to get people to try and onboard something new. But after they find out it's bad and won't workout then they leave. After that it's much harder to get them ever back again. I unfortunately do understand them, constant encryption problems (several different types, can't post messages, can't read messages, etc), insane lag, application crashing, bad UX and so on. Frustration on every level, when even the trivial basic stuff simply is broken beyond any usability.

2. Read lots more about Matrix and adapting MLS for it. Sounds challenging, complex and buggy, as expected. Even MegOLM (@ gitlab.matrix.org) has issues after years of production use. I can't imagine how broken the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) (@ Wikipedia) will be for a long long time.

3. Have I mentioned how much I appreciate Microsoft Teams developer teams ultimate competence? Here's some more accomplishments by them. I don't know why, but with the latest Teams version the chat often goes under the left menu bar, so first 20% of each row on screen isn't visible. This also includes the text input box, which makes it extra annoying. Ok, I can write blind, as I often do anyway. But I'm sure there are users whom aren't happy with that. Oh why, why such quality design and implementation? Just exactly as annoying and outright enraging as the task bar which covers shell / chat inputs way too often and it's hard to get rid of it. Many times only good solution is to unmaximize window and make it smaller, so it's not under that cursed task bar anymore.

4. SimpleX Chat (@ simplex.chat) latest version for Android contains option to automatically delete (all) messages after day, week or month. Excellent, just the feature I were looking for and provides option to encrypt the database. Yet this application is developing incredibly fast right now.

5. PostgreSQL 15 (@ postgresql.org) - A new version again, let's see what kind of goodies we've got this time. Sort & Compression performance, those are features that probably almost everyone use and a lot. Compressed WAL files. Awesome. In many cases even light compression reduces amount of writes by 75-90% is my experience with databases so far. Zstd inclusion is also nice. Filtered replication, excellent! 

6. In many cases DEFLATE (@ Wikipedia) should be replaced by zstd (@ Wikipedia), it's just clearly superior. It's faster and compresses better. So there's no argument about if it's faster OR compresses better.

7. Found newish and interesting: Europol podcast (@ www.europol.europa.eu). It also covers cybersecurity and cyber crime and of course other international EU law enforcement / police operations.

8. Nice article about: PET communication apps (@ itsgoingdown.org). Many apps are claimed to be secure, but often without real backing. kw: Briar, Cwtch

9. Duplicati, I love it when issues which cause uncertainty in programs operation are open for five years. Just so lovely: Warnings & Error level for missing folders #2798 (@ GitHub).

10. Anonymous eSIMs (@ Wikipedia)? Why not. See: silent.link (@ silent.link). There's also nice silent.link related interview Anonymous SIM cards via Silent.Link (@ optoutpod.com). kw: IMEI, IMSI, SIM, eSIM, voice fingerprinting, Anonymity, logging, data retention.

11. It seems that now that Firefox is being used with Snap on Ubuntu. Every update breaks FIDO2 features, and I need to recheck and configure udev rules. - Meh! - Yet that has been fixed with latest releases.

12. It's amazing how great visualizations and presentations are possible with modern technology. I really love this simple site, if you try to explain some of the things to people, it might be hard. But go and see yourself: Sound (@ ciechanow.ski). Don't forget to check rest of stuff on that site, it's all amazing.

13. Something different? LMUR, Fateh-110 and Zolfaghar missiles (all @ Wikipedia). Also reminded my self about basic stuff like: floating box and static surveillance in the anti-surveillance guidebook.

2023-12-03