Changelog News Vouch for an open source web of trust
6 snips
Feb 9, 2026 A deep dive into Mitchell Hashimoto’s vouching trust system and Ghostie’s plan for denouncements. A wild experiment where agent teams attempted to build a C compiler and the controversy that followed. A look back at repeated attempts to replace developers and why demand stays high. A comparison of NanoClaw and OpenClaw’s security approaches. Skepticism about overinvesting in LLM-generated code.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Explicit Trust For Open Source
- Mitchell Hashimoto proposes Vouch to recreate real-world trust through explicit vouching for open source contributors.
- The system lets trusted contributors vouch or denounce others, controlling who can contribute to projects.
Agent Team Built A Compiler
- Nicholas Carlini ran 16 agents over ~2,000 cloud sessions to build a Rust-based C compiler able to compile Linux 6.9.
- The project cost ~$20,000 in API calls and produced a compiler with significant limitations.
Progress Vs. Practical Usability
- The agent-built compiler can build Linux but fails basic programs like Hello World, exposing gaps between milestone claims and real functionality.
- Public reaction focused on the failure, overshadowing the technical progress and tooling advances.