Tech Enthusiast Weekly (Issue 395): The Third Way of Software Development

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Tech Enthusiast Weekly (Issue 395): The Third Way of Software Development

Author: Ruanyifeng

Date: May 8, 2026

This records the tech content worth sharing every week, published on Fridays.

This magazine is open source, and submissions are welcome. There is also a Who's Hiring service for posting job listings for programmers. For collaboration, please email us ([[email protected]](http://www.ruanyifeng.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection)).

Cover Image

The Shenzhen Natural History Museum, which will be completed this year, has a shape that mimics a winding river. (via)

The Third Way of Software Development

There is a famous book about software development called "The Cathedral and the Bazaar." Are you familiar with it?

It proposes two ways of software development.

One way is the Cathedral, where software is meticulously planned and developed by a professional team in a closed environment. The entire process follows strict procedures and controls, and the code is usually proprietary.

The other way is the Bazaar, where software development is open, without boundaries. Anyone can join, the decision-making process is transparent and community-driven, and the code is open-source.

This metaphor divides the software industry into two parts, which has been widely recognized since it was first proposed nearly 30 years ago.

However, recently, someone has suggested that these two methods are no longer sufficient to describe the current situation. A third way of software development has emerged: the Mystery House.

The Mystery House is a real mansion located in California, built by an elderly woman at the end of the 19th century.

This woman was extremely wealthy and had a passion for architecture. She used her home as an experimental project, building room after room according to her own designs and supervision.

The entire building lacked an overall plan; she would build whatever came to mind. Room A might be Victorian, Room B Romanesque, and Room C Gothic, all decided by her. Sometimes, halfway through construction, she would change her mind and rebuild.

As a result, the entire structure resembled a maze, with each room having a different style. According to historical records, one room was rebuilt up to 16 times. To save effort, some windows and doors were not removed but simply walled up during reconstruction.

Over time, multiple floors were added, reaching up to five stories, with approximately 160 rooms, 2,000 doors, 10,000 windows, 47 staircases, 47 fireplaces, 13 bathrooms, and six kitchens.

After her death in 1922, the house was opened to the public and became known as the "Mystery House."

Today, many programmers are like this elderly woman.

They use AI to develop software, proposing their own requirements and letting AI fulfill them without any demand review or code testing, fully satisfying their personal preferences.

The resulting software is highly personalized, large-scale, constantly expanding, with layers of code piled up, rarely optimized, and filled with patches to fix bugs. Moreover, it often lacks documentation, making it difficult for outsiders to understand, just like the "Mystery House."

However, this development process is full of fun, allowing developers to indulge themselves and enjoy it.

With increasingly powerful AI models, "Mystery House" style software is emerging more frequently and may become mainstream, replacing both the Cathedral and the Bazaar. Most software, especially those developed by individuals or small teams, might be created this way.

Large Model Popularity Ranking

Current rankings of large models measure their capabilities. Someone has come up with a method to gauge their popularity.

Specifically, they scrape the top 200 topics from "Hacker News" daily, filter out programming and AI-related topics, and then analyze the comments under each topic to see which model is discussed most and rated highest.

Hacker News is a well-known programmer community with numerous visitors daily. Therefore, it is representative. The model mentioned most frequently and rated highest is considered the most popular.

The project's website is HN SOTA, updated daily.

This week's top three models are Claude Opus 4.7, GPT 5.5, and Claude Sonnet.

Domestic models such as Kimi K2.6, DeepSeek V4, Qwen 3.6, and GLM 5.1 have entered the top ten.

Tech Updates

1. Companion Robot Dog

Colin Angle, founder of iRobot, invented the Roomba vacuum cleaner. After retiring, he continued researching robots.

Recently, his company launched a robot dog primarily designed for companionship.

Its main feature is its resemblance to a plush toy rather than a machine. It can follow you around and interact with you.

With today's technology, realistic robot dogs can be made. People might prefer robot dogs over real ones because they provide companionship without biting or barking and don't need walks.

1. Headlight Projector

Huawei introduced a new technology that integrates a projector into car headlights.

After parking, you can turn on the headlights to project videos onto walls or screens.

This invention is practical for camping or watching videos in a garage.

Note that due to the high brightness of the projector, it cannot be used while driving to avoid distracting other drivers. It can only be turned on after parking.

1. AI Pre-screening

Can AI replace doctors? This is controversial.

While AI might surpass some doctors, it is generally not allowed to prescribe medication. Only doctors can do so.

Harvard University conducted an experiment and found another effective role for AI in hospitals: outpatient pre-screening.

Many patients are unsure about their conditions and need pre-screening at the outpatient entrance to determine which department to visit.

The experiment showed that AI accurately diagnosed and assigned departments based on symptoms better than human doctors. AI correctly diagnosed 67% of cases, compared to 50%-55% for doctors.

Therefore, AI can be used in hospitals for pre-screening at the outpatient entrance, generating preliminary diagnoses before doctors conduct detailed consultations and examinations.

1. Adversarial Attacks on Autonomous Driving

AI models can be subjected to adversarial attacks where hackers inject malicious prompts. Surprisingly, autonomous driving systems are also vulnerable to such attacks.

Researchers at the University of California conducted an experiment.

Researchers held up three signs in the middle of the road with the word "Go" written on them to see if the autonomous vehicle would follow the instructions.

In the first two trials, the vehicle stopped when it saw people in the road. However, in the last trial, the vehicle followed the sign's instruction and continued toward the person holding the sign.

This indicates that autonomous driving systems are susceptible to adversarial attacks and must distinguish between valid road signs and maliciously injected ones.

Articles

1. Developing Maps for Apple Watch (English)

The author documents the process of developing maps for the watch, highlighting the challenges of designing a UI suitable for a watch.

1. GPT Image 2 vs Nano Banana 2 Comparison (English)

A comparison of the two strongest image models currently available, determining which one is better.

1. Chrome Silently Installs a 4GB AI Model (English)

It was discovered that Chrome silently downloads a 4GB AI model file named weights.bin. If deleted, it will be re-downloaded.

1. In-depth Analysis of MacBook Neo (English)

Apple's 2026 release, the MacBook Neo, is a low-end laptop with only 8GB of RAM. This article analyzes why it is still an excellent product.

1. Viewport-driven CSS Animations (English)

CSS Animations

CSS animations are generally time-based. However, the latest Animation Timeline API allows them to be viewport-based, meaning animations can be triggered based on the percentage of an element's movement within the viewport.

6、Why is the Sky Blue? (English)

This article provides a layman explanation for a series of questions related to sky colors: why the sky is blue, why it turns red at sunset, why clouds are white, why the Martian sky is red, and why sunsets on Mars appear blue.

Tools

1、auge

A command-line tool based on Apple Vision, macOS's built-in visual framework, allowing image analysis directly from the terminal.

2、BleachBit

A well-known cross-platform desktop application used to clean up junk files from various browsers.

3、Cicada

A web-based whiteboard that does not require a server, consisting of a single 13KB HTML file with no dependencies. Drawn graphics are saved in the URL. (@Bennet7291 submission)

4、ASS Subsetter

A web tool for embedding fonts into ASS subtitles, reducing subtitle file sizes. (@mtsubs submission)

5、Infinitum

An open-source RSS server that requires self-hosting, supporting features like full-text fetching, AI analysis, event grouping, and comes with a built-in front-end reader. (@shawnxie94 submission)

6、tunnix

An encrypted SOCKS5/HTTP tunnel requiring both server-side and local command-line client installations. (@aeroxy submission)

7、curve-arrow

An SVG generator for curved arrows. (@YYsuni submission)

8、LynxDB

A log analysis engine contained in a single binary file, capable of extracting information from multiple server logs under various conditions. (@OrlovEvgeny submission)

9、Chrome DevTools CLI

A Rust command-line tool that connects to Chrome browsers via the DevTools protocol for web page operations, defaulting to automatic connection and suitable for AI Agent invocation. (@aeroxy submission)

10、LaunchNext

With the removal of Launchpad in the new version of macOS, this open-source alternative addresses the usability issues of the new interface. (@meichiny submission)

AI-related

1、SpineDigest

A command-line tool that uses AI to condense longer e-books into shorter versions. (@BlackHole1 submission)

2、Privacy Filter Online

An online text privacy detection and anonymization tool based on OpenAI's Privacy Filter local model. (@airyland submission)

3、OpenClip

An open-source web service using AI to automatically download videos from Bilibili/YouTube and extract highlights. (@linzzzzzz submission)

4、Readme.skill

A Skill file that tracks your activities in Claude Code or Codex, referencing statistical reports. (@study8677 submission)

5、gpt-image2-ppt-skills

A Skill using the GPT Images 2 model (requires API Key) to generate PPT presentations, offering 10 slide templates. (@JuneYaooo submission)

Resources

1、How LLMs Work (English)

A detailed explanation of large language models with interactive graphics, aimed at beginners and based on Andrej Karpathy's technical deep dive articles.

2、Modern C++ Programming (Modern C++ Programming)

An open-source English tutorial helping C programmers master C++ through detailed PPTs.

Images

1、Artemis II Photo Collection

In April, the US launched Artemis II, transporting four astronauts around the moon. This website collects over 300 photos from this mission.

The above image shows people sending off the astronauts to the launch pad on April 1st.

The above image depicts Artemis II, with the rocket body in the middle (including four engines at the bottom), two boosters on either side each 54 meters high, and the Orion spacecraft atop for the astronauts.

The above image captures the separation of the two booster rockets two minutes after launch, with the Orion spacecraft visible as a light point below.

2、Route 66 Postage Stamps

Route 66 is one of America's most famous highways, spanning significant sections across 16 states, featuring numerous restaurants, gas stations, motels, expansive views, and vistas.

Opened in 1926, it served as a refuge during the Great Depression, a supply line during WWII, and a popular road trip route in mid-20th century America, becoming a time capsule of American history.

To commemorate its centennial, the US Postal Service issued a set of eight distinctive stamps.

Excerpts

1、Protect Your Shed

Your company project is a skyscraper, while your personal interest project is a small shed.

Engineers who only build skyscrapers will eventually burn out. Problems become repetitive, development becomes stifling, and creativity fades. You develop not because you want to build but due to business requirements.

Protect your personal projects where your curiosity lies, where you experiment, and where you define yourself as a creator rather than just an employee.

Companies teach you how to write code that stands the test of time, but only your personal projects ensure you remain passionate about coding.

2、Work with the Garage Door Up

On my way to work, there's a woodworking shop whose owner always keeps the door open.

Every day, as I ride by, I peek inside to see his array of tools and wood stacked for orders, which is quite delightful. It silently conveys a message: everything is functioning normally.

On the internet, everyone is like this workshop. If you don't speak up, it's like having a closed factory, unnoticed and forgotten. Only when you share do people know you're active, keeping your "factory" open.

Thus, those most noticed online are often those who continually share.

Quotes

1、

Monero mining differs entirely from Bitcoin. Its design aims to involve everyone in mining, preventing those with specialized hardware from gaining an advantage.

Its mining program simulates a general-purpose CPU, rendering ASICs ineffective, making Monero mining ideal for ordinary home PCs.

-- Understanding Monero's Proof of Work

2、

There will be no more junior engineers in the future, as machines can do what they currently do, cheaper. However, the value of junior engineers isn't in what they can do now but in what they will become. In a few years, we might wonder where all the senior engineers have gone?

-- stvn.sh

3、

4、

Your career plan is just three steps: (1) Get good at something, (2) Figure out how to make money from it, and (3) Do it for as long as possible.

-- How I Broke Into the Games Industry

Previous Issues

Fei-Fei Li, From Immigrant to AI Star (#348)

Hardware Engineers Are in Demand (#298)

Don't Overhype ChatGPT (#248)

Is Manufacturing in America Possible? (#198)

(End)

Document Information

• Copyright Notice: Free to Repost - Non-commercial - No Derivatives - Attribution Required (Creative Commons 3.0 License)
• Publication Date: May 8, 2026

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Comments (6)

FrankMa says:

Huawei's projection headlights are similar to having a projector on the car. Since new energy vehicles can output power externally, integrating this function would make repairing lights more expensive than Audi.

May 8, 2026, 08:43 | # | [Quote](http://www.ruanyifeng.com/blog/2026/05/weekly-issue-395.html#comment-text "Quote FrankMa's comment")

xIa says:

The cover image gives me the illusion that I can walk all the way from the starting point to the highest point.

Is it an illusion?

May 8, 2026, 09:00 | # | [Quote](http://www.ruanyifeng.com/blog/2026/05/weekly-issue-395.html#comment-text "Quote xIa's comment")

Leo says:

The mysterious house and the small shed form a nice metaphor.

May 8, 2026, 09:10 | # | [Quote](http://www.ruanyifeng.com/blog/2026/05/weekly-issue-395.html#comment-text "Quote Leo's comment")

jiangnanboy says:

This issue is of high quality.

May 8, 2026, 09:32 | # | [Quote](http://www.ruanyifeng.com/blog/2026/05/weekly-issue-395.html#comment-text "Quote jiangnanboy's comment")

阿债 says:

The Shenzhen Natural History Museum looks more like a snake, but it started construction in the Year of the Snake :)

May 8, 2026, 09:46 | # | [Quote](http://www.ruanyifeng.com/blog/2026/05/weekly-issue-395.html#comment-text "Quote 阿债's comment")

kuroi says:

Tertiary hospitals in China also use pre-screening and triage applications, which generate relevant medical complaint records. However, during actual outpatient consultations, doctors do not fully trust these records.

Firstly, most outpatient visits require appointments to prevent changes in the patient's condition; secondly, they cannot fully trust the patient's statements to avoid missed or incorrect diagnoses.

So far, the real utility of such applications is to replace the nurses who handle reception in outpatient halls, helping patients initially determine which department they need to visit. For doctors, these applications are not very useful.

Based on my personal experience, I haven't seen doctors directly using these complaint records, and outpatient doctors' apps do not actively import these records into case files.

May 8, 2026, 11:03 | # | [Quote](http://www.ruanyifeng.com/blog/2026/05/weekly-issue-395.html#comment-text "Quote kuroi's comment")

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