Issue #19 – Node Zebra Newsletter

Weekly bites

How long is a second in JavaScript: Since Date is out and Temporal is the new kid in the block, here’s a history lesson. Iago writes about how JavaScript handles time with POSIX, when precision matters, and why timekeeping isn’t as simple as it seems.
A Brief History of Code Signing at Mozilla: Shipping large software securely to end-user devices is complicated. Ben (Release engineer at Mozilla) writes about the challenges of signing thousands of of artifacts a day. Spoiler alert it’s automation.
When Imperfect Systems are Good, Actually: Bluesky engineers are publicly embracing imperfection and seeking balance. By not overthinking system performance and reliability, they continue to provide a good service to the end-user without sacrificing the scalability of the system.
How I learned to code with my voice: Struggling with severe hand pain, Salma writes about her journey with Talon and Cursorless, and practical tips for hands-free development.
Generative AI is not going to build your engineering team for you: Charity argues that software engineering is an apprenticeship-based field, generative AI should be viewed as a tool to augment human engineers — not replace them. Maybe critical thinking, experience, and mentorship are the friends we made along the way.