Mitar’s point

Nonenumerable database

Sometimes it is useful to first define an abstraction. A good abstraction can reveal that some problems could be solved by the same solution. A good abstraction also makes it easier for us to communicate about the solution and understand its properties.

PeerDoc — Scaling real-time text editing

PeerDoc is a collaborative real-time rich-text editor with undo/redo, cursor tracking…

JSON decoding in node is fast

I made a benchmark comparing how long it takes to decode JSON in node.js and Go. As I have noticed in the…

Store IDs in MongoDB as binary or as string?

I was curious if MongoDB compression can efficiently store IDs if they are…

Can humans grow up in zero gravity?

Gravity seems to be our first and most important teacher. Patient, consistent and always present. Children can learn cause and effect through it. What happens if I lift an object and let go? Over and over again. On repeat. Always the same thing.

Database-abstraction APIs should not exist

Database-abstraction APIs where you write a query using the host programming language should not exist. Or more precisely, should not have to exist. For example, in Django you can query the database using the following Python code:

Towards Automatic Machine Learning Pipeline Design

I recently finished my PhD thesis and is now available online. Most of the code related to the thesis is available in this repository.

Abstract

In node.js, always query in JSON from PostgreSQL

Recently I was exploring the use of PostgreSQL as a replacement for MongoDB. PostgreSQL has in recent versions great support for JSON. You can store JSON values and you can even make indices on JSON fields. When combined with node.js and its…

Cookie consent fiasco

In May 2011 a EU directive was adopted with the goal of empowering web users with control over their exposure to cookies. The main issue is that 3rd party cookies allow users to be tracked across websites. The issue is that websites are often a mash-up of content coming from various…

Pay-it-forward cryptocurrency

Bitcoin, Ethereum, and blockchain in particular are often claimed as revolutionary as the Internet itself. They will decentralize the Internet again, change how we make apps, empower end-users, and remove intermediaries. But are they really so revolutionary? Even ignoring the…

Decentralized governance and four fallacies

Together with popularization of blockchain we can notice revived calls for decentralization of national and international governments, their reboots, or even their dissolution. But such calls lack fundamental understanding of how our governments operate…

One person, one vote or one dollar, one vote and blockchain

We live in times of a hidden war between “one person, one vote” and “one dollar, one vote” ideologies. The reason why it is hidden is because we use the same terms for both: democracy, voting, consensus, etc. We govern our…

Learn how to walk

Learn how to walk. Literally. When I observe people how they walk I notice that everyone walks differently. This is great, it allows one to recognize friends from far away. But it is also bad: some types of walking and posture is worse for you than other. Especially because you are probably…

Speech recognition

I do not know much about speech recognition. I do not know what is the state of the art. But years ago I was playing a bit with it and I would like to throw an idea our there, maybe somebody picks it up, maybe it turns out useful, or maybe it is already being used. Please tell me. It can be…

Filter to extract all clean water from soda and other drinks

Can somebody create a filter which extracts only clean water from soda and other drinks? No sugar, no colors, no additives. Just pure water. It seems bottled water is more expensive than soda drinks, so, let’s just use a filter.

Building free market from scratch

Interesting that those who like free market prefer changing existing economies which are build on public spending and public infrastructure, over building their own infrastructure from scratch somewhere in the middle of an ocean, and then having free market there. I am…

Taxation and rent

Those who claim that taxation is theft, why is it any different from rent? Just because one has an implicit contract, and another an explicit? If you do not like the contract, you can always leave for another country. Oh, you cannot? Maybe you are just not trying enough, like those who cannot…