Stephen Checkoway
@stevecheckoway.bsky.social
Associate Professor of Computer Science at Oberlin College. No kings, no nazis.
Reposted by Stephen Checkoway
We know everyone is asking for your money this month, but here's a twist: We're NOT asking you to donate in December, we're asking you to spread the word.
Help the trans people and allies who don't know Assigned Media's reputation for excellence and originality in trans news find us!
Help the trans people and allies who don't know Assigned Media's reputation for excellence and originality in trans news find us!
December 3, 2025 at 10:49 PM
We know everyone is asking for your money this month, but here's a twist: We're NOT asking you to donate in December, we're asking you to spread the word.
Help the trans people and allies who don't know Assigned Media's reputation for excellence and originality in trans news find us!
Help the trans people and allies who don't know Assigned Media's reputation for excellence and originality in trans news find us!
I've mostly avoided the accommodations discourse but I think multiple things are true simultaneously:
1. Some accommodations are rivalrous in the economic sense;
2. Some people use such accommodations which can cause others to go without; and
3. Gatekeeping accommodations is more harmful than not.
1. Some accommodations are rivalrous in the economic sense;
2. Some people use such accommodations which can cause others to go without; and
3. Gatekeeping accommodations is more harmful than not.
December 3, 2025 at 7:44 PM
I've mostly avoided the accommodations discourse but I think multiple things are true simultaneously:
1. Some accommodations are rivalrous in the economic sense;
2. Some people use such accommodations which can cause others to go without; and
3. Gatekeeping accommodations is more harmful than not.
1. Some accommodations are rivalrous in the economic sense;
2. Some people use such accommodations which can cause others to go without; and
3. Gatekeeping accommodations is more harmful than not.
Reposted by Stephen Checkoway
This is an ethnic cleansing campaign
Officials prepare immigration operation in Minnesota that would focus on Somali immigrants, source tells AP, as Trump says he doesn't want Somalis in U.S.
Federal authorities plan operation in Minnesota focusing on Somali immigrants, AP source says
Federal authorities are preparing an immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota, focusing on Somali immigrants living unlawfully in the U.S.
bit.ly
December 3, 2025 at 12:27 AM
This is an ethnic cleansing campaign
Reposted by Stephen Checkoway
She shouldn't have to keep doing this by herself. She is supposedly a member of a political party and every single one of her *colleagues* should be BLASTING the fascist in chief. ALL OF THEM. Where is the solidarity???
Congresswoman Omar calls Trump's comments about her 'creepy' after the US president launches into an anti-Somali tirade.
Ilhan Omar denounces Donald Trump for calling Somali immigrants ‘garbage’
Congresswoman Omar calls Trump's comments about her 'creepy' after the US president launches into an anti-Somali tirade.
bit.ly
December 3, 2025 at 12:34 AM
She shouldn't have to keep doing this by herself. She is supposedly a member of a political party and every single one of her *colleagues* should be BLASTING the fascist in chief. ALL OF THEM. Where is the solidarity???
Reposted by Stephen Checkoway
I want us to hang on to the fact that the people who were murdered were just civilians out in boats, most likely fishermen, who had never even heard the sketchy conclusions of American officials for which they were executed, much less had a chance to defend themselves.
Megyn Kelly on alleged war crimes: "I really do kind of not only wanna see them killed in the water, whether they're on the boat or in the water, but I'd really like to see them suffer. I would like Trump and Hegseth to make it last a long time so they lose a limb and bleed out."
December 2, 2025 at 2:55 PM
I want us to hang on to the fact that the people who were murdered were just civilians out in boats, most likely fishermen, who had never even heard the sketchy conclusions of American officials for which they were executed, much less had a chance to defend themselves.
Reposted by Stephen Checkoway
Venezuela Bombs American Drug Yacht, Wiping Out Entire Sackler Family Cartel: tinyurl.com/mr472vs5
December 2, 2025 at 5:11 AM
Venezuela Bombs American Drug Yacht, Wiping Out Entire Sackler Family Cartel: tinyurl.com/mr472vs5
I teach material that is relevant but not necessary all the time but worse than that, literally nothing I teach is required for professional licensure because CS doesn’t require that. If I were here, my chair, dean, and provost would have to approve of everything in all of my courses.
TX Tech has a flow chat for guidance on what can be taught in the university system. Two things:
1. Very little content seems to be permitted. This is partisan control of the curriculum.
2. I would not enjoy teaching under these conditions, but I really would not want to be a Chair or Dean.
1. Very little content seems to be permitted. This is partisan control of the curriculum.
2. I would not enjoy teaching under these conditions, but I really would not want to be a Chair or Dean.
December 2, 2025 at 12:46 AM
I teach material that is relevant but not necessary all the time but worse than that, literally nothing I teach is required for professional licensure because CS doesn’t require that. If I were here, my chair, dean, and provost would have to approve of everything in all of my courses.
My house doesn’t have a Master Roksn. Do I need to remodel?
December 1, 2025 at 9:46 PM
My house doesn’t have a Master Roksn. Do I need to remodel?
TIL that Lawfare editor-in-chief, Ben Wittes, is an Oberlin alumnus.
December 1, 2025 at 4:30 PM
TIL that Lawfare editor-in-chief, Ben Wittes, is an Oberlin alumnus.
Reposted by Stephen Checkoway
I am so torn between wanting to share this with no context so that the reader can have the full experience of developing a relationship with each of the parties in the discussion to this PR, and with knowing that the full impact of what is happening here might evade many without more explanation
DWARF support for macOS and Linux by joelreymont · Pull Request #14369 · ocaml/ocaml
DWARF v5 Debugging Support for OCaml Native Compiler
This PR adds DWARF v5 debug information to the OCaml native compiler, allowing proper source-level debugging in GDB and LLDB.
What's Impleme...
github.com
November 27, 2025 at 7:01 PM
I am so torn between wanting to share this with no context so that the reader can have the full experience of developing a relationship with each of the parties in the discussion to this PR, and with knowing that the full impact of what is happening here might evade many without more explanation
Reposted by Stephen Checkoway
OK - pie discourse - best pie story:
In 2016, we were living in Andover, in the UK. My wife was assigned as an exchange officer at the Army Air Corps base at Middle Wallop (yes, really).*
The US Army has a tradition: senior leaders, in dress uniform, serve junior troops Thanksgiving dinner.
/1
In 2016, we were living in Andover, in the UK. My wife was assigned as an exchange officer at the Army Air Corps base at Middle Wallop (yes, really).*
The US Army has a tradition: senior leaders, in dress uniform, serve junior troops Thanksgiving dinner.
/1
November 26, 2025 at 5:02 AM
OK - pie discourse - best pie story:
In 2016, we were living in Andover, in the UK. My wife was assigned as an exchange officer at the Army Air Corps base at Middle Wallop (yes, really).*
The US Army has a tradition: senior leaders, in dress uniform, serve junior troops Thanksgiving dinner.
/1
In 2016, we were living in Andover, in the UK. My wife was assigned as an exchange officer at the Army Air Corps base at Middle Wallop (yes, really).*
The US Army has a tradition: senior leaders, in dress uniform, serve junior troops Thanksgiving dinner.
/1
Reposted by Stephen Checkoway
Handing back student work that’s been written by ChatGPT with a 0 followed by the comment “This essay will never stand in authentic wonder before the Beauty of God’s creation.”
Pope Leo XIV told students not to use artificial intelligence for homework, saying that AI ‘won’t stand in authentic wonder before the beauty of God’s creation.’
Even God Is Worried About ChatGPT
Pope Leo XIV told students not to use artificial intelligence for homework, saying that AI ‘won’t stand in authentic wonder before the beauty of God’s creation.’
www.vulture.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Handing back student work that’s been written by ChatGPT with a 0 followed by the comment “This essay will never stand in authentic wonder before the Beauty of God’s creation.”
Reposted by Stephen Checkoway
clarence thomas has no jurisprudential argument, he just hates women and thinks the constitution doesn’t protect a varia suit
November 25, 2025 at 5:20 PM
clarence thomas has no jurisprudential argument, he just hates women and thinks the constitution doesn’t protect a varia suit
Reposted by Stephen Checkoway
movie: we can't trace their payload, it's behind two layers of base64!
computer knowers: *groan*
reality:
computer knowers: *groan*
reality:
November 25, 2025 at 1:17 PM
movie: we can't trace their payload, it's behind two layers of base64!
computer knowers: *groan*
reality:
computer knowers: *groan*
reality:
I sure love debugging Makefiles.
$ cat Makefile
blarg:
$(file >$@,"Let's see some text!")
$ make
make: `blarg' is up to date.
$ cat blarg
cat: blarg: No such file or directory
$ cat Makefile
blarg:
$(file >$@,"Let's see some text!")
$ make
make: `blarg' is up to date.
$ cat blarg
cat: blarg: No such file or directory
November 24, 2025 at 6:13 PM
I sure love debugging Makefiles.
$ cat Makefile
blarg:
$(file >$@,"Let's see some text!")
$ make
make: `blarg' is up to date.
$ cat blarg
cat: blarg: No such file or directory
$ cat Makefile
blarg:
$(file >$@,"Let's see some text!")
$ make
make: `blarg' is up to date.
$ cat blarg
cat: blarg: No such file or directory
Reposted by Stephen Checkoway
Keys are hard. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/w...
Cryptographers Held an Election. They Can’t Decrypt the Results.
www.nytimes.com
November 22, 2025 at 2:07 AM
Keys are hard. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/w...
Reposted by Stephen Checkoway
i know we've all laughed about the worm and the affair but this is a profoundly dangerous person who should be expelled from the government.
Breaking News: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he personally instructed the CDC to abandon its position that vaccines do not cause autism. The move underscores his determination to challenge scientific orthodoxy — in this case, that vaccines save lives — and bend the health department to his will.
RFK Jr. Says He Instructed CDC to Change Vaccines and Autism Language on Website
In an interview, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. cited gaps in vaccine safety research. His critics say he is ignoring a larger point: Vaccines save lives.
nyti.ms
November 21, 2025 at 7:43 PM
i know we've all laughed about the worm and the affair but this is a profoundly dangerous person who should be expelled from the government.
The thing I've missed the most about IDA Pro when I use Ghidra is when you click on a register in Ghidra, it doesn't highlight all uses of that register.
TIL: maxkersten.nl/2024/02/28/g...
TIL: maxkersten.nl/2024/02/28/g...
Ghidra Tip 0x01: Cursor Text Highlighting – Max Kersten
maxkersten.nl
November 19, 2025 at 4:50 PM
The thing I've missed the most about IDA Pro when I use Ghidra is when you click on a register in Ghidra, it doesn't highlight all uses of that register.
TIL: maxkersten.nl/2024/02/28/g...
TIL: maxkersten.nl/2024/02/28/g...
Bsky seems to send telemetry with every with nearly every action you take.
November 18, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Bsky seems to send telemetry with every with nearly every action you take.
Reposted by Stephen Checkoway
The fact that no one in the room stood up for her says a lot about how we got here bsky.app/profile/pale...
"Quiet! Quiet, Piggy."
November 18, 2025 at 2:55 PM
The fact that no one in the room stood up for her says a lot about how we got here bsky.app/profile/pale...
Reposted by Stephen Checkoway
POV: you are a young woman celebrating a recent academic success
November 17, 2025 at 7:20 PM
POV: you are a young woman celebrating a recent academic success
Storage of items prohibited in the storage closet.
November 14, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Storage of items prohibited in the storage closet.
Reposted by Stephen Checkoway
I always get a kick out of the NYT Defense Squad trotting out harrumphing takes about how serious journalists don't report on mere speculation, blow things out of proportion, dig into their colleagues' email, etc etc
November 13, 2025 at 7:44 PM
I always get a kick out of the NYT Defense Squad trotting out harrumphing takes about how serious journalists don't report on mere speculation, blow things out of proportion, dig into their colleagues' email, etc etc
Reposted by Stephen Checkoway
I’m begging here: elections officials should be proactively asking for help from security researchers in calls like this.
Analysis should be done, and the system should be public before announcing adoption.
Doing it this way forces bad press that I don’t want to give. It’s bad for democracy.
Analysis should be done, and the system should be public before announcing adoption.
Doing it this way forces bad press that I don’t want to give. It’s bad for democracy.
November 13, 2025 at 4:55 PM
I’m begging here: elections officials should be proactively asking for help from security researchers in calls like this.
Analysis should be done, and the system should be public before announcing adoption.
Doing it this way forces bad press that I don’t want to give. It’s bad for democracy.
Analysis should be done, and the system should be public before announcing adoption.
Doing it this way forces bad press that I don’t want to give. It’s bad for democracy.
Reposted by Stephen Checkoway
“Security experts say that while nothing on the internet can be completely impenetrable from hacking, advances in cloud-based technology, as well as linking mobile voting to a paper backup system, could help alleviate some of the concerns”
This is incorrect, and no security expert was quoted.
This is incorrect, and no security expert was quoted.
November 13, 2025 at 4:55 PM
“Security experts say that while nothing on the internet can be completely impenetrable from hacking, advances in cloud-based technology, as well as linking mobile voting to a paper backup system, could help alleviate some of the concerns”
This is incorrect, and no security expert was quoted.
This is incorrect, and no security expert was quoted.