jacobian
@jacobian.org
django, security, eng management, basketball shitposting.
web: jacobian.org
signal: jacobian.01
web: jacobian.org
signal: jacobian.01
The “default” working model for open source projects is working in public: you don’t need permission to contribute, you can just show up. When this doesn’t work, people often retreat into working in private. This is a mistake! There is a middle ground:
jacobian.org/2025/oct/18/...
jacobian.org/2025/oct/18/...
Working in Between Public and Private - Jacob Kaplan-Moss
If working in public isn’t working, consider adopting a middle-ground option instead of retreating into fully-private.
jacobian.org
October 21, 2025 at 3:45 PM
The “default” working model for open source projects is working in public: you don’t need permission to contribute, you can just show up. When this doesn’t work, people often retreat into working in private. This is a mistake! There is a middle ground:
jacobian.org/2025/oct/18/...
jacobian.org/2025/oct/18/...
Reposted by jacobian
Hey #Django fam do I Know anybody at Zest Health? They've got some jobs I'm interested in and are apparently a django shop.
Boosts appreciated!
Boosts appreciated!
September 2, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Hey #Django fam do I Know anybody at Zest Health? They've got some jobs I'm interested in and are apparently a django shop.
Boosts appreciated!
Boosts appreciated!
Reposted by jacobian
Reading @jacobian.org 's exit from tech rings a bell. We love computers but we hate the tech industry. We love space but we dread the space industry. We love music but we loathe the record industry.
We can have nice things, just not under capitalism.
(OTOH, excited for him ❤️)
We can have nice things, just not under capitalism.
(OTOH, excited for him ❤️)
Changing Directions - Jacob Kaplan-Moss
<p>I have two important announcements:</p>
<ol>
<li>
<p>I’m leaving the tech industry. Hopefully “for good”; if not, at least “for now”.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>As such, the co...
jacobian.org
July 21, 2025 at 6:52 AM
Reading @jacobian.org 's exit from tech rings a bell. We love computers but we hate the tech industry. We love space but we dread the space industry. We love music but we loathe the record industry.
We can have nice things, just not under capitalism.
(OTOH, excited for him ❤️)
We can have nice things, just not under capitalism.
(OTOH, excited for him ❤️)
In case anyone’s wondering, `jacobian . bsky . social` isn’t me. Super flattered that I now rank high enough to score an impersonator tho!
May 17, 2025 at 3:23 PM
In case anyone’s wondering, `jacobian . bsky . social` isn’t me. Super flattered that I now rank high enough to score an impersonator tho!
A lot of tech people, particularly more junior folks, are looking for jobs right now. A short but important note for them: newcomers should generally ignore career advice from people who've been in the field longer than 10 or 15 years.
jacobian.org/2025/mar/13/...
jacobian.org/2025/mar/13/...
Beware tech career advice from old heads - Jacob Kaplan-Moss
If you’re new to tech – say, less than 5 years in the field – you should take career advice from people who’ve been in the industry more than 10-15 years with enormous skepticism.
jacobian.org
March 13, 2025 at 4:54 PM
A lot of tech people, particularly more junior folks, are looking for jobs right now. A short but important note for them: newcomers should generally ignore career advice from people who've been in the field longer than 10 or 15 years.
jacobian.org/2025/mar/13/...
jacobian.org/2025/mar/13/...
Reposted by jacobian
A reminder: doing illegal things is illegal. If somebody gives you an order to do something illegal, it is your obligation to say no. "Just following orders" has never been a defense, legally or ethically.
February 1, 2025 at 5:14 PM
A reminder: doing illegal things is illegal. If somebody gives you an order to do something illegal, it is your obligation to say no. "Just following orders" has never been a defense, legally or ethically.
Worth reviewing: freedom.press/digisec/blog...
Here’s how to share sensitive leaks with the press
Thinking about securely leaking information to news organizations? This guide will show you how.
freedom.press
January 29, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Worth reviewing: freedom.press/digisec/blog...
Part six of my risk series is up — a final (long) sidebar to the introduction, coming back around the the concept of quantitative risk analysis and giving a more complete explanation of what I see as the pros and cons of that practice: jacobian.org/2025/jan/28/...
Sidebar #4: Quantitative Risk Revisited - Jacob Kaplan-Moss
In part 1 of this series, I briefly covered quantitive risk measuring – assigning a numeric value to risk, like “$3,500”, rather than a qualitative label like “medium” – only to quickly recommend agai...
jacobian.org
January 28, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Part six of my risk series is up — a final (long) sidebar to the introduction, coming back around the the concept of quantitative risk analysis and giving a more complete explanation of what I see as the pros and cons of that practice: jacobian.org/2025/jan/28/...
> Lots of situations in life are like this, where there’s a loud way to accomplish very little and a quiet way to do some good. And far too often, we reward people for doing the loud ineffective thing.
alexgaynor.net/2025/jan/27/...
alexgaynor.net/2025/jan/27/...
Stop Demanding Performance · Alex Gaynor
alexgaynor.net
January 27, 2025 at 8:56 PM
> Lots of situations in life are like this, where there’s a loud way to accomplish very little and a quiet way to do some good. And far too often, we reward people for doing the loud ineffective thing.
alexgaynor.net/2025/jan/27/...
alexgaynor.net/2025/jan/27/...
I'd like to write a version of jacobian.org/2020/may/8/e..., but tailored to management roles.
If you have a manager resume that lists specific accomplishments, and you'd be OK with me anonymized bits in a post like that, please email me your resume? jacob at jacobian dot org.
If you have a manager resume that lists specific accomplishments, and you'd be OK with me anonymized bits in a post like that, please email me your resume? jacob at jacobian dot org.
What accomplishments sound like on software engineering resumes - Jacob Kaplan-Moss
Effective resumes need to contain two things: responsibilities and accomplishments. The first tells the read what your job was; the second, what your results were. Unfortunately, most people fail at t...
jacobian.org
January 27, 2025 at 8:53 PM
I'd like to write a version of jacobian.org/2020/may/8/e..., but tailored to management roles.
If you have a manager resume that lists specific accomplishments, and you'd be OK with me anonymized bits in a post like that, please email me your resume? jacob at jacobian dot org.
If you have a manager resume that lists specific accomplishments, and you'd be OK with me anonymized bits in a post like that, please email me your resume? jacob at jacobian dot org.
Reposted by jacobian
💪❤️🇺🇸 hello former 18f and usds colleagues. reach out and say hi www.propublica.org/tips/federal...
Do You Work For the Federal Government? ProPublica Wants To Hear From You.
We’re doubling down on our coverage of government agencies and federal policy. With your help, we can dig deeper.
www.propublica.org
January 27, 2025 at 12:33 PM
💪❤️🇺🇸 hello former 18f and usds colleagues. reach out and say hi www.propublica.org/tips/federal...
Reposted by jacobian
400 individual members of the Django Software Foundation – pretty cool milestone! https://thib.me/400-django-individual-members Now going for 500! 🌈 That’d be a great milestone to reach for the 20-year birthday of #Django in July 2025. Submit a nomination, or 2, or 3 to help make it happen?
400 individual members of the Django Software Foundation
As of a few weeks ago, the Django Software Foundation reached 400 individual members.
thib.me
January 23, 2025 at 12:31 PM
400 individual members of the Django Software Foundation – pretty cool milestone! https://thib.me/400-django-individual-members Now going for 500! 🌈 That’d be a great milestone to reach for the 20-year birthday of #Django in July 2025. Submit a nomination, or 2, or 3 to help make it happen?
Last night someone lit a Tesla on fire at the dealership here in Salem. Golly gee.
January 21, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Last night someone lit a Tesla on fire at the dealership here in Salem. Golly gee.
Part whatever in my risk series:
When you look at a likelihood/impact risk matrix, you might notice that “medium” appears twice – once as high-likelihood/low-impact, and once as low-likelihood/high-impact. These two “mediums” aren’t at all the same!
jacobian.org/2025/jan/17/...
When you look at a likelihood/impact risk matrix, you might notice that “medium” appears twice – once as high-likelihood/low-impact, and once as low-likelihood/high-impact. These two “mediums” aren’t at all the same!
jacobian.org/2025/jan/17/...
Sidebar #3: Two Flavors of Medium Risk - Jacob Kaplan-Moss
When you look at a likelihood/impact risk matrix, you might notice that “medium” appears twice – once as high-likelihood/low-impact, and once as low-likelihood/high-impact. These two “mediums” aren’t ...
jacobian.org
January 17, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Part whatever in my risk series:
When you look at a likelihood/impact risk matrix, you might notice that “medium” appears twice – once as high-likelihood/low-impact, and once as low-likelihood/high-impact. These two “mediums” aren’t at all the same!
jacobian.org/2025/jan/17/...
When you look at a likelihood/impact risk matrix, you might notice that “medium” appears twice – once as high-likelihood/low-impact, and once as low-likelihood/high-impact. These two “mediums” aren’t at all the same!
jacobian.org/2025/jan/17/...
Most serious accidents aren't singular events, but instead are the result of a series of small, seemingly-inconsequential missteps. We call this the Swiss Cheese Model, and it's one of the most important concepts in risk management:
jacobian.org/2025/jan/16/...
jacobian.org/2025/jan/16/...
Sidebar #2: The Swiss Cheese Model - Jacob Kaplan-Moss
In the real world, accidents happen when a series of small missteps align to create severe consequences. This is something we call the “Swiss Cheese Model”: imagining a systems failure as a set of “ho...
jacobian.org
January 16, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Most serious accidents aren't singular events, but instead are the result of a series of small, seemingly-inconsequential missteps. We call this the Swiss Cheese Model, and it's one of the most important concepts in risk management:
jacobian.org/2025/jan/16/...
jacobian.org/2025/jan/16/...
Continuing my risk series with a short sidebar: we usually define Risk as the product of Likelihood and Impact, but some disciplines include a third factor, Exposure. What's up with that?
jacobian.org/2025/jan/15/...
jacobian.org/2025/jan/15/...
Sidebar #1: "Exposure" - Jacob Kaplan-Moss
Risk is usually defined as the product of two factors: Likelihood and Impact. However, some disciplines include a third factor: Exposure. What’s that about, and when is it useful?
jacobian.org
January 15, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Continuing my risk series with a short sidebar: we usually define Risk as the product of Likelihood and Impact, but some disciplines include a third factor, Exposure. What's up with that?
jacobian.org/2025/jan/15/...
jacobian.org/2025/jan/15/...
Reposted by jacobian
I am a former incarcerated firefighter. I served in a California fire camp from 2009 to 2012.
Misinformation is afire on the internet, so here are facts about the prison firefighter program, all in one place.
A thread.
Misinformation is afire on the internet, so here are facts about the prison firefighter program, all in one place.
A thread.
January 15, 2025 at 1:20 AM
I am a former incarcerated firefighter. I served in a California fire camp from 2009 to 2012.
Misinformation is afire on the internet, so here are facts about the prison firefighter program, all in one place.
A thread.
Misinformation is afire on the internet, so here are facts about the prison firefighter program, all in one place.
A thread.
shotenfreude (n): the pleasure at watching the other team shoot an airball
January 9, 2025 at 4:32 AM
shotenfreude (n): the pleasure at watching the other team shoot an airball
My favorite new years tradition is reading about all the dumb things people did to their wieners last year defector.com/what-horribl...
What Horrible Things Did We Do To Our Penises Last Year? | Defector
Happy new year to one and all. Make a resolution never to do any of these things. All descriptions are taken verbatim from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s database of emergency room visi...
defector.com
January 2, 2025 at 2:30 AM
My favorite new years tradition is reading about all the dumb things people did to their wieners last year defector.com/what-horribl...
Reposted by jacobian
I was on the board of a nonprofit that received funding from MacKenzie Scott. Her no strings attached gift was game changing. More philanthropists need to adopt this model instead of capitalist brained ideas of efficiency that are ultimately counterproductive.
Ah yes, I see it's the time of year when the Philanthropy Industrial Complex (Big P for short) seeds negative stories about Mackenzie Scott because everything about the way she gives money undercuts their entire model...
fortune.com/article/mack...
fortune.com/article/mack...
MacKenzie Scott's game-changing philanthropy still mystifies nonprofits: 'Her gifts are super generous, but unfortunately, they don’t provide long term sustainability'
"What they are saying with trust-based philanthropy is to offer support beyond a check," Indiana University's Pamela Wiepking says, "and that’s typically not what she is doing.”
fortune.com
December 31, 2024 at 12:44 AM
I was on the board of a nonprofit that received funding from MacKenzie Scott. Her no strings attached gift was game changing. More philanthropists need to adopt this model instead of capitalist brained ideas of efficiency that are ultimately counterproductive.
Reposted by jacobian
No DSF Office Hours this week — we’re all off celebrating various holiday things. See y’all next week!
December 23, 2024 at 4:45 PM
No DSF Office Hours this week — we’re all off celebrating various holiday things. See y’all next week!
No DSF Office Hours this week — we’re all off celebrating various holiday things. See y’all next week!
December 23, 2024 at 4:45 PM
No DSF Office Hours this week — we’re all off celebrating various holiday things. See y’all next week!
Reposted by jacobian
I heard there was a secret ooze that turned four reptiles into dudes, but you don’t really care for turtles do ya
It’s a cold and it’s a broken “cowabunga”
December 22, 2024 at 11:27 PM
I heard there was a secret ooze that turned four reptiles into dudes, but you don’t really care for turtles do ya
Did my usual Portland/San Francisco trip yesterday, third year in a row doing it in an EV (Ioniq 5). Went super smoothly; the charging infrastructure along I-5 is _noticeably_ better than even just a year ago. New stations with more plugs, no de-rated stations, all just super smooth.
December 22, 2024 at 3:57 PM
Did my usual Portland/San Francisco trip yesterday, third year in a row doing it in an EV (Ioniq 5). Went super smoothly; the charging infrastructure along I-5 is _noticeably_ better than even just a year ago. New stations with more plugs, no de-rated stations, all just super smooth.
Reposted by jacobian
i get why folks like to rate and rank game changer episodes, but for what it's worth, i don't like thinking about the series that way!! i like thinking about it a ~portfolio~ of evidence that will one day lead to my arrest
December 18, 2024 at 5:17 PM
i get why folks like to rate and rank game changer episodes, but for what it's worth, i don't like thinking about the series that way!! i like thinking about it a ~portfolio~ of evidence that will one day lead to my arrest