🛡️ Protecting a Forgejo Instance from AI Web Crawlers
A clever and pragmatic solution that showcases how individual developers can push back against uncontrolled AI scraping while maintaining openness and usability.
This article explains how a developer used a simple nginx setup to block aggressive AI crawlers that disregard robots.txt. The solution relies on requiring a JavaScript-set cookie to distinguish humans from bots, preventing automated scraping while keeping access open for real users. It originated from repeated crashes caused by crawler traffic and reflects the growing conflict between open-source hosting and large-scale AI data harvesting.
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♿ You Can’t Opt-Out of Accessibility
A deeply human take on accessibility, urging technologists to move beyond compliance toward empathy-driven design and true inclusion.
This passionate essay argues that accessibility is a fundamental, non-negotiable part of web design and development. The author criticizes the industry’s neglect of inclusive design and ‘checkbox compliance’ mentality, sharing personal experiences that highlight the real-world harm of exclusion. The piece closes with a call for personal accountability in making the web usable for everyone.
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📵 Eight Months into the Dumbphone Journey
A thoughtful reflection on digital minimalism that speaks to the quiet resistance against hyperconnectivity and tech addiction.
After eight months of using a dumbphone as their main device, the author shares how it has reduced screen time and digital dependence while retaining essential functions through a SIM-less iPhone. They express dissatisfaction with Android privacy-focused systems and embrace the iPhone as a pragmatic balance. What began as an experiment has evolved into a sustainable rejection of digital overload.
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💻 I Can’t Upgrade to Windows 11 — Now Leave Me Alone
A pointed critique of manipulative UX in operating systems, echoing wider frustration with tech giants eroding user control in pursuit of profit.
The author expresses exasperation at Microsoft’s relentless upgrade reminders on a Windows 10 PC that fails to meet Windows 11’s hardware requirements. Despite being marked as unsupported, the system continues prompting users with no option to permanently dismiss the notice, instead linking to promotional material for new devices. The essay denounces this as another example of Microsoft’s disregard for user autonomy and consent.
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🔐 The ‘Going Dark’ Initiative: A Chat Control 3.0 Revival
A stark reminder of ongoing privacy battles in the EU, this post highlights fears of surveillance creep under the guise of public safety.
A post from Mullvad VPN criticizes the EU’s increasing centralization of power, arguing that it paves the way for invasive measures such as ‘Chat Control 3.0.’ The author contends that only radical decentralization can prevent governmental overreach and warns that meaningful reform may only come after severe societal disruption.
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🚗 Waymo Pauses Service During San Francisco Blackout After Traffic Chaos
A vivid case study of the limits of automation, reminding us that even the smartest cars still need a working city to navigate safely.
During a major San Francisco blackout, Waymo suspended its autonomous ride-hailing service after multiple vehicles became stuck at intersections, worsening traffic congestion. The outage, which disabled traffic lights across large parts of the city, exposed how dependent self-driving systems remain on traditional infrastructure. Waymo cited safety and emergency access as reasons for the temporary shutdown.
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🔥 You’re Not Burnt Out — You’re Existentially Starving
An inspiring, philosophical reflection on the modern search for purpose in work, reminding us that energy follows meaning, not the other way around.
Neil Thanedar argues that burnout is less about exhaustion and more about a loss of meaning. Drawing on existential philosophy, he frames the modern ‘burnout epidemic’ as a call to rediscover purpose beyond comfort or productivity. Through his own journey from startup founder to advocate, he urges readers to reconnect their ambitions with service and self-fulfillment.
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📚 Show HN: Books Mentioned on Hacker News in 2025
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