Simson Garfinkel

Computer scientist & journalist, specializing in AI, privacy, ethics, big data, usability and security. My opinions here. ORCID 0000-0003-1294-2831

[Simson Garfinkel @xchatty]

I am so tired of reading posts that start "Someone..."

[Simson Garfinkel @xchatty]

Looks like @_saraabrams has finally gotten around to posting her novel...

https://t.co/7bMwxztAUe

[Simson Garfinkel @xchatty]

Richard A. Tapia (1939-2026) was first in his family to attend college, the first U.S.-born Hispanic person elected to the National Academy of Engineering (1992), and the first mathematician to hold the title of University Professor at Rice (and the sixth person in the university’s then-94-year history to do so), and the first recipient of the Computing Research Association’s A. Nico Habermann Award (1994). He and his twin brother Bobby were drag racers from age 15; in 1968, the brothers set a world record in elapsed time for fuel dragster racing, traveling a quarter mile in 6.54 seconds. He joined his two passions in a lecture, “Math at Top Speed: Exploring and Breaking Myths in the Drag Racing Folklore,” delivered at universities and mathematics-awareness events for decades.

https://t.co/c9lIKAgKjO

[Simson Garfinkel @xchatty]

@Delta now seems to have a policy of boarding, taking off, flying, and landing with all of the shades down.

This is most horrible.

[Simson Garfinkel @xchatty]

There is now a "kudoboard" to Celebrate the life and work of Peter G. Neumann (PGN): https://t.co/OeWOKsysY6

[Simson Garfinkel @xchatty]

Why doesn’t quantum physics work for gravity?

[Simson Garfinkel @xchatty]

@Steve_Lockstep It’s theft because it belongs to someone else and there is only supposed to be one. The theft is enabled by counterfeit documents. The thing that is stolen is intangible.

[Simson Garfinkel @xchatty]

@ShriramKMurthi Oh yes. I wrote lots of TSRs. It’s how you did hot keys, screen savers, clocks on the screen, an TCP/IP…

[Simson Garfinkel @xchatty]

@Amtrak - May 2, 2026. Train 168 . Amtrak employees came into the cafe car when we entered NYP going towards Boston. They put "RESERVED" placards on every table and said that the car had to be emptied so that it could be cleaned and sanitized. But it was not cleaned and sanitized - they set it up to be the employee lounge. This is really inappropriate.

[Simson Garfinkel @xchatty]

Something is very wrong at Apple when a point release takes 18GB.

[Simson Garfinkel @xchatty]

@ShriramKMurthi I never called it gooey

[Simson Garfinkel @xchatty]

@Amtrak @AmtrakNECAlerts these are really disappointing windows for Acela first class. I understand you are replacing these 20-year-old cars, but how hard would it be to replace the windows?

[Simson Garfinkel @xchatty]

"Style is everything."

(Best quote I wrote down from BasisTech's Demo Day.)

[Simson Garfinkel @xchatty]

These days most of my new followers are bots with sexy photos and lots of digits in their usernames…

[Simson Garfinkel @xchatty]

Vibe Coding? Check out @ACM's new TechBrief, "AI-Assisted Software Development, or Vibe Coding: Benefits and Risks of AI-Driven Software Development"

https://t.co/Cs8hk9dAIO

[Simson Garfinkel @xchatty]

Michael Rabin always asked great questions at my talks at Harvard. When I found out he fought on Israel’s War of Independence, I was amazed.

https://t.co/6vgLAiu72n

[Simson Garfinkel @xchatty]

@_JasonCorso_ Thanks for the follow-up.!

[Simson Garfinkel @xchatty]

Do you love #EMACS?
If so, drop me a note.

[Simson Garfinkel @xchatty]

Tech Night at the Pops goes back to the 1890s, and predates Boston Symphony Hall. I was fascinated to learn the history and read the original programs! Read along with me at https://t.co/BLz3RLcNh1 @MIT