Python, VPN, Firewall, Requirements, ntfsdecrypt, Matrix, deadlock, COOP

1. Improved one old Python project by using map with join when mapping set of integers into strings, it's around 20% faster than list comprehension. Also replaced some deepcopy (@ docs.python.org) calls with pickle loads(dumps()) because interestingly that's around 2.7 times faster with the objects we're copying. That's funny. Sometimes it's really important exactly how the code is written.

2. It's ironic how VPN providers say they help avoid ISP throttling, but the truth is that the VPN is the service which throttless all network traffic, not the ISP. - Only the best VPNs provide port forwarding and IPv6 support and performance which would be better than the ISP without VPN.

3. Funny, people ask to open TCP/UDP port XXXX. When I ask, why, what's it used for, where the traffic should be allowed. Hows security is handled. Answer is, we don't know we just need it open. - Well then you're out of luck. If you can't answer these basic questions, then you might just go without getting the port open. - Have a nice day.

4. Conflicting requirements, so frustrated. I'm seriously annoyed when people talk about single cases. They should not ever talk about single cases, when making changes to the system design. The system should be always considered as a whole, because that's what it is. You can't just change one thing in balanced equation and expect it still to work "correctly", ahem, be balanced. Unfortunately stuff like this, happens over and over again, all the time. Even if the order say's it's pink, we actually mean read. Next time, they'll say pink actually does mean more like white. But then the system should work automatically. Hello any logic left there?

5. Used ntfsdecrypt (ntfsprogs (@ Wikipedia)) to recover lots of files from encrypted EFS / NTFS volume, directly from data disks after the main operating system disk failed. Awesome tool, and included by default in ntfs-3g software package for Linux.

6. Matrix / Element issue - Even if all my devices cross and and cross-signed & trusted, and remote contact's all sessions are verified and trusted. Why I'm still receiving messages I still see warning "The authenticity of this encrypted message can't be guaranteed on this device". There's something very broken with multi-device / cross signing. I've already logged out, re-verified everything and the problem still persists. - Also some users are receiving messages from me (this session) which they can't decrypt, because encryption keys aren't being automatically relayed, even if the remote device is trusted and my devices / session are cross-signed. -> Boom, something is very broken, afaik. This shouldn't happen. - What's the root cause who knows, I don't unfortunately have time to debug, just telling it's broken. - Why everything is so ... - And the issue is here (@ github).

7. Had long long debugging sessions. Some processes are causing database deadlocks, plus data integrity issues, probably because the lack of proper deadlock resolution (transaction kill / abort) isn't being handled correctly. Boom! Might be complex thing to deal with, because there is so much different code from different backgrounds using the table(s) where this integrity issue occurs. Yes, SQL Server is working correctly, but the application code using it, probably isn't.

8. Checked Final portfolio ciphers of: CAESAR submissions (@ cr.yp.to). Interesting new ciphers for different use cases, like lightweight, high-performance and defense in depth applications.

9. Interesting stuff, enhanced browser context sharing management header: Cross-Origin-Opener-Policy (COOP) (@ Wikipedia). Even if it's Mozilla site, it seems that Chrome is first to use the technology.

10. Tested Fractal, native Matrix client for Linux, an alternative to Element Desktop. Liked it, it's very welcome that there will be more clients. Yet many clients aren't that good, and it's huge problem when technology like Matrix and it's clients like Element are being developed all the time, for the alternate projects need to follow up constantly.

11. Something different? Supersonic Transport, nothing new? Some plans have died and others are emerging, new players ExoSonic (@ Wikipedia) and Hermeus (@ Wikipedia).

2022-10-16