Punycode: My New Favorite Algorithm - Ian Duncan - Ian Duncan

kept by eddie dec 02, 25

Punycode uses adaptive bias adjustment, delta compression, and variable-length base-36 encoding to efficiently encode Unicode into ASCII for DNS without shared state.

What's up with all those equals signs anyway?
The stray equals signs in Epstein email dumps come from a botched Quoted-Printable decode after converting Windows CRLF line endings to Unix LF.
also on #encoding, #software-engineering
Using Unicode Half-Stars Symbols in Ratings
Unicode half‑star symbols exist since 2018 but have uneven font support; you can reliably display them by embedding a subset of Noto Sans Symbols 2 or using alternatives.
also on #unicode
ASCII characters are not pixels: a deep dive into ASCII rendering
A developer built an ASCII renderer that uses shape vectors and contrast enhancement to achieve sharp edges, overcoming blurriness from treating characters as pixels.
also on #algorithms
Why didn’t IPv6 work in my home network?
IPv6 stopped working on the author's home network because AdGuard Home's DNS settings had an option checked that disabled all IPv6 DNS queries.
also on #dns
AWS builds DNS backstop for times flaky US East region fails
AWS launched a Route 53 feature guaranteeing 60-minute RTO for DNS changes during US East region disruptions, acknowledging the region's notorious instability.
also on #dns