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The best problem-solving writing in software engineering — databases, performance, security, frontend and distributed systems, in one feed.

11,670 articles
Performance — Running A Page Speed Test: Monitoring vs. Measuring — Smashing Magazine

Running A Page Speed Test: Monitoring vs. Measuring — Smashing Magazine

What does your performance “stack” look like? There are all kinds of tools available for measuring page speed, but what data and assumptions do they use to measure performance? And speaking of *measuring* performance, there’s quite a difference between that and *monitoring* performance. Let’s dig in!

GGGeoff GrahamGeoff Graham·August 10, 2023Performance
AI & ML — Scaling the Instagram Explore recommendations system

Scaling the Instagram Explore recommendations system

Explore is one of the largest recommendation systems on Instagram. We leverage machine learning to make sure people are always seeing content that is the most interesting and relevant to them. Using more advanced machine learning models, like Two Towers neural networks, we’ve been able to make the Explore recommendation system even more scalable and […]

CWChris Wiltz·August 9, 2023AI & ML
Security — How Meta is improving password security and preserving privacy

How Meta is improving password security and preserving privacy

Meta is developing new privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) to innovate and solve problems with less data. These technologies enable teams to build and launch privacy-enhanced products in a way that’s verifiable and safeguards user data. Using state-of-the-art cryptographic techniques, we have developed Private Data Lookup (PDL) that allows users to privately query a server-side data set. […] Rea

MEMeta Engineering·August 8, 2023Security
SRE & Ops — Fixit 2: Meta’s next-generation auto-fixing linter

Fixit 2: Meta’s next-generation auto-fixing linter

Fixit is dead! Long live Fixit 2 – the latest version of our open-source auto-fixing linter. Fixit 2 allows developers to efficiently build custom lint rules and perform auto-fixes for their codebases. Fixit 2 is available today on PyPI. Python is one of the most popular languages in use at Meta. Meta’s production engineers (PEs) […]

CWChris Wiltz·August 7, 2023SRE & Ops
SRE & Ops — Using short-lived certificates to protect TLS secrets

Using short-lived certificates to protect TLS secrets

Short-lived certificates (SLCs) are part of our latest efforts to further secure our Transport Layer Security (TLS) private keys on our edge networks. SLCs have a very short exposure compared to traditional certificates and lower the chances of a compromised private key being abused. Implementing SLCs has required us to address tradeoffs between operability and […]

CWChris Wiltz·August 7, 2023SRE & Ops
AI & ML — Using Friction As A Feature In Machine Learning Algorithms — Smashing Magazine

Using Friction As A Feature In Machine Learning Algorithms — Smashing Magazine

Friction often has a negative connotation in user experience design, but it actually has many benefits. Its best-known use case is mitigating unintended consequences in high-risk scenarios, yet it has a new place in the age of artificial intelligence. Adding strategic friction to interfaces can lead to profound efficiency gains in machine learning algorithms.

MPMaximillian PirasMaximillian Piras·August 7, 2023AI & ML
Engineering — Is your work style written in the stars?

Is your work style written in the stars?

Product Research Intern Jacky Huang and Software Engineer Willy Wu discuss their FigJam widget that matches up your work style with the stars, and how fun is the future of collaborative work.

HLHerbert Lui·August 4, 2023Engineering
Engineering — A checklist and guide to get your repository collaboration-ready

A checklist and guide to get your repository collaboration-ready

In the world of software development, collaboration can make the difference between a brittle last-minute release and a reliable, maintainable, pain-free project. Whether you’ve been coding for a day or a decade, your colleagues are there to help strengthen your work. But they can only help if you’ve given them the tools to do so.

JPJon PeckJon Peck·August 4, 2023Engineering