In this episode, Conor moderates a discussion between Aaron Hsu and Jon Smith about tersity.

Socials

• Tacit Talk YouTube Playlist
• Conor Hoekstra: Twitter | BlueSky | Mastodon

About the Guests

Aaron Hsu is the implementor of Co-dfns and an advocate for a terse and minimal array programming style. Hsu has a background in academic functional programming, and was primarily a Scheme programmer for ten years before learning APL. He was introduced to APL by Morten Kromberg while working on a GPU-hosted compiler, and switched to Dyalog APL for the project, which is now Co-dfns.

Jon Smith is a senior software engineer and security researcher with a focus on compilers, reverse engineering, and low-level systems development. His expertise spans multiple architectures and operating systems, with a particular emphasis on LLVM internals, static analysis tooling, and custom native code generation, including everything from shellcode and bootloaders to bespoke object file layouts. He has written custom compiler optimizations, firmware for embedded systems, and tooling for both offensive and defensive security applications. With a strong background in C, C++, and assembly, he often works at the intersection of language tooling and binary analysis, applying deep systems knowledge to practical engineering problems. He also maintains a public Twitch stream aimed at making vulnerability research accessible to newcomers without a formal computer science background.

Show Notes

Date Recorded: 2025-03-24
Date Released: 2025-03-28

• GitHub Discussion of ADSP Episode 197: 🇬🇧 Algorithms & Tersity with Aaron Hsu
• ADSP Episode 197: 🇬🇧 Algorithms & Tersity with Aaron Hsu
• Co-dfns
• Conway's Law
• Bill Gate's "An Open Letter to Hobbyists"