Meta developed Strobelight, an internal performance profiling service built on open-source technologies like eBPF and Spark. It provides continuous, low-overhead profiling of their C++ services, allowing engineers to identify performance bottlenecks and optimize CPU usage without deploying special builds or restarting services. Strobelight leverages randomized sampling and aggregation to minimize performance impact while offering flexible filtering and analysis capabilities. This helps Meta improve resource utilization, reduce costs, and ultimately deliver faster, more efficient services to users.
Meta is arguing that its platform hosting pirated books isn't illegal because they claim there's no evidence they're "seeding" (actively uploading and distributing) the copyrighted material. They contend they're merely "leeching" (downloading), which they argue isn't copyright infringement. This defense comes as publishers sue Meta for hosting and facilitating access to vast quantities of pirated books on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, claiming significant financial harm. Meta asserts that publishers haven't demonstrated that the company is contributing to the distribution of the infringing content beyond simply allowing users to access it.
Hacker News users discuss Meta's defense against accusations of book piracy, with many expressing skepticism towards Meta's "we're just a leech" argument. Several commenters point out the flaw in this logic, arguing that downloading constitutes an implicit form of seeding, as portions of the file are often shared with other peers during the download process. Others highlight the potential hypocrisy of Meta's position, given their aggressive stance against copyright infringement on their own platforms. Some users also question the article's interpretation of the legal arguments, and suggest that Meta's stance may be more nuanced than portrayed. A few commenters draw parallels to previous piracy cases involving other companies. Overall, the consensus leans towards disbelief in Meta's defense and anticipates further legal challenges.
Meta's AI Demos website showcases a collection of experimental AI projects focused on generative AI for images, audio, and code. These demos allow users to interact with and explore the capabilities of these models, such as creating images from text prompts, generating variations of existing images, editing images using text instructions, translating speech in real-time, and creating music from text descriptions. The site emphasizes the research and development nature of these projects, highlighting their potential while acknowledging their limitations and encouraging user feedback.
Hacker News users discussed Meta's AI demos with a mix of skepticism and cautious optimism. Several commenters questioned the practicality and real-world applicability of the showcased technologies, particularly the image segmentation and editing features, citing potential limitations and the gap between demo and production-ready software. Some expressed concern about the potential misuse of such tools, particularly for creating deepfakes. Others were more impressed, highlighting the rapid advancements in AI and the potential for these technologies to revolutionize creative fields. A few users pointed out the similarities to existing tools and questioned Meta's overall AI strategy, while others focused on the technical aspects and speculated on the underlying models and datasets used. There was also a thread discussing the ethical implications of AI-generated content and the need for responsible development and deployment.
DistroWatch reports a potential issue with Facebook suppressing or shadowbanning discussions related to Linux, specifically mentions of certain distributions like "Fedora." Users attempting to post about these topics found their posts not appearing publicly or reaching their intended audience. While the cause isn't definitively identified, speculation includes Facebook's algorithms misinterpreting Linux-related terms as spam or inappropriate content due to the frequent inclusion of version numbers and code snippets. The issue is intermittent and inconsistently affects different users, leading to frustration and difficulty in sharing information about Linux on the platform.
Hacker News users discuss a DistroWatch post mentioning a Facebook group banning discussions of Linux phones, specifically the PinePhone. Commenters generally agree this ban is unusual and possibly related to Facebook's perceived competition with Linux-based mobile OSes. Some suggest it's due to automated moderation misinterpreting "PinePhone" as related to illicit activities, while others suspect intentional suppression. A few commenters mention similar experiences with Facebook groups arbitrarily banning seemingly innocuous topics. The most compelling comments highlight the irony of a platform built on open-source software restricting discussion about another open-source project, raising concerns about censorship and control within online communities.
Summary of Comments ( 7 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43290555
Hacker News commenters generally praised Facebook/Meta's release of Strobelight as a positive contribution to the open-source profiling ecosystem. Some expressed excitement about its use of eBPF and its potential for performance analysis. Several users compared it favorably to other profiling tools, noting its ease of use and comprehensive data visualization. A few commenters raised questions about its scalability and overhead, particularly in large-scale production environments. Others discussed its potential applications beyond the initially stated use cases, including debugging and optimization in various programming languages and frameworks. A small number of commenters also touched upon Facebook's history with open source, expressing cautious optimism about the project's long-term support and development.
The Hacker News post discussing Facebook's Strobelight profiling service generated several comments, mostly focusing on comparisons with existing profiling tools and some skepticism about Facebook's open-source contributions.
One commenter highlights the similarities between Strobelight and existing open-source continuous profiling tools like Parca, pyroscope, and conprof, questioning the novelty of Facebook's solution. They suggest that Facebook could have contributed to these projects instead of creating a new one. This sentiment is echoed by another user who mentions contributing to async-profiler, a Java profiler, and expresses disappointment that large companies often reinvent the wheel instead of collaborating with existing open-source efforts.
Another commenter focuses on the perceived "open-washing" aspect, arguing that Facebook's history with open source has been more about taking than giving back. They express doubt that Strobelight will be truly open and actively maintained, suggesting it might be abandoned like other Facebook open-source projects.
A few users discuss the technical details of Strobelight, comparing its eBPF-based approach with other profiling methods and speculating about its performance characteristics. One commenter mentions using a custom-built eBPF profiler similar to Strobelight and shares their experience, providing a practical perspective on the technology.
Some comments also touch upon the challenges of profiling in production environments and the complexities of performance analysis. One user raises the question of whether Strobelight addresses the issue of "noisy neighbors" in shared infrastructure, highlighting a common problem in cloud-native environments.
Overall, the comments express a mix of curiosity about the technical aspects of Strobelight, skepticism about Facebook's open-source commitment, and comparisons with existing profiling solutions. Several users advocate for collaboration with existing open-source projects instead of reinventing the wheel. The conversation provides a glimpse into the perspectives of developers and engineers familiar with profiling tools and the challenges of performance optimization.