~/Postroll

Brandon Rozek

Photo of Brandon Rozek

PhD Student @ RPI, Writer of Tidbits, and Linux Enthusiast

Inspired by Jedda’s Postroll, here is an incomplete list of blog posts that I’ve read and enjoyed in the last 3 months. This list refreshes daily.

Underground conduits to garage and shed by Thomas Jensen

Given all that hard work, adding extra unused conduits is a great idea. Thanks for sharing photos of the progress!

Added: 2025-01-05


NetPositive error messages by

A list of Haikus for 404 pages. Awesome 😎

Added: 2025-01-05


2024 Year In Review by Ribose

There are many great year in review posts, but I had to highlight this one. Visually, it's incredible. Check it out!

Added: 2025-01-05


State of the Server 2025 by Jake Howard

As a self-hoster myself, I really enjoyed reading a full post on how someone else's infrastructure looks like. In fact, this makes me want to write of version of this myself. I currently have a smattering of posts that cover some of these topics. However, a comprehensive post would be awesome. Nudge me if you're interested to motivate me to write it faster :)

Added: 2025-01-05


So you want to study Library and Information Science in Australia? by Hugh Rundle

Great advice for those looking to get into the field. Honestly, parts of this advice applies across industries as well. For example, it's a good idea to gather a wide range of work experience and act professional.

Added: 2025-01-05


An Unreasonable Amount of Time by Allen Pike

A beautiful story on how putting in time and effort into your craft yields magical results.

Added: 2025-01-05


Quirks, Caveats, and Gotchas In SQLite by SQLite Developers

It's not everyday you see a page listing all the quirks in your software. Some of these are no so much of quirks, but explicit design decisions. For example, not having a server-client architecture and not enforcing database column types.

Added: 2025-01-05


The Relationship Between Luck and Skill by Lucio

This post explores defining luck and skill in the context of games. I agree with most of the points and intuitions brought up in this blog post, except I don't believe that "imperfect information" is a necessary component of luck. For example, consider the heads-tails game. The player tosses a coin and with a 50% probability it will land heads, otherwise tails. The goal is to land as many heads as possible. If the player tosses the coin 1000 times and each of them land heads, then I would consider the player incredibly lucky. This is regardless of the fact that the player has perfect information regarding the probabilities of each outcome.

Added: 2025-01-05


Great things about Rust that aren't just performance by Nicole Tietz-Sokolskaya

I agree with everything on this list. If you haven't had a chance to program with Rust yet, I encourage you to give it a chance.

Added: 2025-01-11


Picking up volleyball in NYC with Goodrec and New York Urban by Phil Eaton

Recently Clare signed us up for a Pickleball Beginner's Clinic and my experience is very similar to what Phil describes in his post. Definitely try out pick-up games in your local area if they're available.

Added: 2024-12-27


A black cat in 2032 bytes by Evan Hahn

Such a cute demo! I appreciate how Evan walks us through how he made it. It's a great fit for Taper magazine, and if you all know any other online magazines like this, I would love to know.

Added: 2024-12-27


The Misunderstood Kelly Criterion by Chris

This is the first time that I heard of the Kelly Criterion and this post does a great job summarizing what it is and its purpose. Insurance isn't a win-lose scenario, and whether or not to take a bet should depend on your current wealth as the bet affects compounding in the long run. Give it a read!

Added: 2024-12-27


Things I enjoyed in 2024 by Josh Collinsworth

The list of games Josh played look really fun! I'll have to check some of them out myself in the new year.

Added: 2024-12-25


I've Built My First Successful Side Project, and I Hate It by Sebastian Witowski

A look into the realities of running a B2C side-business.

Added: 2024-12-22


Formally modeling dreidel, the sequel by Hillel Wayne

I don't know much about dreidel, but I do know that I don't want to play an equivalent of a dice rolling game for 6 hours. Great formal analysis, and I need to check out the PRISM probabilistic model checker myself sometime.

Added: 2024-12-19


Ultimate Guide to Hardening SSH by Nihar

Yes! Let's all secure our SSH connections.

Added: 2024-12-17