Stefano Marinelli

BSD.cafe and illumos Cafe "Barista", Founder and System Administrator, Unix enthusiast (FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, DragonflyBSD, illumos and Linux), with a keen eye for everything happening in this world and the fascinating beings that populate it. I enjoy music, photography, and, of course, technology.

My other blogs: https://it-notes.dragas.net (IT Notes) - https://my-notes.dragas.net (My Notes) - My main Fediverse profile is Stefano Marinelli (npub1ef5…gcpc)

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Last Notes

2025-07-14 14:10:00 UTC

One of the reasons I’m always so happy to attend conferences and technical events (the *real* ones – not the flashy, sponsor-driven ones designed just to sell products or services) is because I get to meet amazing people and always come away having learned something new.
I’ve been using WordPress since 2006 and have been managing hundreds of installations from a sysadmin perspective. Over time, I’ve noticed a clear pattern: most hacks and compromises happen through plugins or outdated installations. And often, these installations (and plugins) become outdated because they’ve been patched together so messily that updating them becomes nearly impossible – especially when the PHP version changes.
In March 2025, I attended a fantastic conference: [OSDay 2025](https://osday.dev/ ). I gave a talk on [why I believe it makes perfect sense to consider the BSDs in 2025](https://it-notes.dragas.net/2025/03/23/osday-2025-why-choose-bsd-in-2025/ ), but many of the other talks were truly eye-opening.
To [mark the launch of the BSD Cafe Journal](https://journal.bsd.cafe/2025/07/14/announcing-the-bsd-cafe-journal/ ), I’d like to share the link to a particularly interesting talk by Maciek Palmowski: *“How we closed almost 1k plugins in a month — the biggest WordPress bug bounty hunt.”*
What struck me right away was how much his analysis of WordPress security aligned with what I’ve seen over the years: WordPress, out of the box, is reasonably secure. It’s the plugins – often old, unmaintained, or poorly written – that make it vulnerable.
I highly recommend watching his talk. It’s definitely worth your time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3HsjvRAofk
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2025-07-14 07:38:10 UTC

Dear friends of the BSD Cafe,
This idea has been in my mind since the very beginning of this adventure, almost two years ago. Over time, several people have suggested it. But until recently, I felt the timing just wasn’t right — for many reasons. Today, I believe it finally is.
So I’m happy to announce a new service: **The BSD Cafe Journal**.###
What is The BSD Cafe Journal?At first, I thought I’d use BSSG for it (I even added multi-author support with this in mind), but in the end, it didn’t feel like the right tool for the job.
The idea is to create a **multi-author space**, with content published on a fairly regular basis. A reference point for news, updates, tutorials, technical articles — a place to inform and connect.
Just like people in Italy used to stop by cafés to read the newspaper and chat about the day’s news, the BSD Cafe Journal aims to be a space for reading, sharing, and staying informed — all in the spirit of the BSD Cafe.###
What it’s Not<li>It’s not here to replace personal blogs, or excellent newsletters like Vermaden’s.</li><li>It’s not an aggregator.</li>###
What it *Is*<li>A place where authors can write original content.</li><li>A space to share links to posts on their own blogs or elsewhere.</li><li>A platform to publish guides, offer insights, or dive into technical explanations.</li>###
Our Guiding PrinciplesThe guiding principles are the same as always: **positivity, constructive discussion, promoting BSDs and open source in general.**<li>No hype: Sharing a cool new service is fine, posting non-stop about the latest trend is not.</li><li>No drama, no politics: The goal is to bring people together, not divide them. To inform, not inflame.</li><li>Respect, tolerance, and inclusivity are key. Everyone should feel welcome reading the BSD Cafe Journal — never judged, offended, or excluded.</li>###
Why WordPress?The platform I’ve chosen is WordPress, for several reasons:<li>It’s portable (runs well on all BSDs).</li><li>It has great built-in role management (contributors, authors, etc.).</li><li>And — last but not least — it supports ActivityPub.</li>
This means every author will have their own identity in the Fediverse and can be followed directly, and it’ll also be possible to follow the whole Journal.
Original and educational content is encouraged, but it’s also perfectly fine to link to existing articles elsewhere. Personally, I’ll link my technical posts from ITNotes whenever I publish them there.
The goal is simple: a **news-oriented site, rich in content, ad-free, respectful of privacy** — all under the BSD Cafe umbrella.###
Getting InvolvedContent coordination will happen in a dedicated Matrix room for authors. [There’s also a public room](https://matrix.to/#/#bsdcafejournal:bsd.cafe ) for discussing ideas, giving feedback, and sharing suggestions.
Of course, I can’t do this alone. A journal with no content is just an empty shell.
So here’s my **call to action**:
Who’s ready to lend a hand? If you enjoy writing, explaining, sharing your knowledge — **the Journal is waiting for you!**
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2025-07-14 06:22:37 UTC

Welcome to **The BSD Cafe Journal**! This platform is an extension of the [BSD Cafe](https://bsd.cafe ), born from a long-held vision to create a central, multi-author space for the BSD and open-source communities. Just like the traditional Italian cafés (called “*bar*“) where people gathered to read the news and chat, our Journal aims to be a vibrant hub for reading, sharing, and staying informed.###
What You’ll Find HereThe BSD Cafe Journal is dedicated to providing **original, educational, and insightful content** on a regular basis. You can expect:<li>News and Updates: Stay current with the latest happenings in the BSD and Open Source worlds.</li><li>Tutorials and Guides: Learn new skills and deepen your understanding.</li><li>Technical Articles: Dive into detailed explanations and analyses.</li><li>Author Contributions: Our writers will share original articles, link to their own blog posts (but not only), and offer unique perspectives.</li>
This isn’t an aggregator, nor is it here to replace your favorite personal blogs or newsletters. Instead, it’s a complementary space where authors can contribute high-quality content that informs and connects our community.###
Our Guiding PrinciplesThe BSD Cafe Journal operates on [the same core values that define the BSD Cafe](https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/about ):<li>Positivity and Constructive Discussion: We aim to build up, not tear down. Supporters, not haters.</li><li>Promoting BSDs and Open Source: Our focus is on the advancement and sharing of knowledge within these communities.</li><li>No Hype, No Drama, No Politics: We steer clear of trends, conflicts, and divisive topics. Our goal is to unite, not inflame.</li><li>Respect, Tolerance, and Inclusivity: Everyone is welcome here. We strive to create an environment where readers and contributors alike feel respected, never judged, offended, or excluded.</li>###
Our Platform: WordPress and the FediverseWe’ve chosen **WordPress** for its robust features, including excellent role management for contributors and authors, its portability across BSDs, and crucially, its **ActivityPub support**. This means:<li>Individual Author Identities: Each author can have their own identity within the Fediverse and be followed directly.</li><li>Follow the Journal: You can also follow the entire Journal to get all our updates.</li>
We encourage original content, but also welcome links to relevant articles published elsewhere. For example, the founder will link technical posts from [ITNotes](https://it-notes.dragas.net ) when they’re published. Our aim is a **content-rich, ad-free, privacy-respecting news site** under the BSD Café umbrella.###
Join the Conversation!Content coordination for authors happens in a dedicated, private **Matrix room**. We also have a **public Matrix room** (https://matrix.to/#/#bsdcafejournal:bsd.cafe) where you can discuss ideas, provide feedback, and share suggestions with the community.
The success of the Journal depends on its contributors. If you enjoy writing, explaining, and sharing your knowledge, we invite you to **join us!** The Journal is waiting for your unique voice.
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