Kyle Rankin

Linux security & infrastructure professional, FOSS advocate, public speaker, author of How To Write A Tech Book, Linux Hardening in Hostile Networks and many other books, ex-Linux Journal columnist, weaver.

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npub1spv862zpz9vhpxep3948pmu9s0rcsmrerkgfmp382j6lyl3rr7xs5stz9m

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kyle_at_mastodon.kylerank.in@mostr.pub

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Last Notes

2024-09-16 23:28:25

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@npub14c2…umaq Layoffs are tough. I really appreciate your message here and I wish you and anyone else on your team that's affected the best in finding the next place worthy of your talent and vision.

2024-09-11 15:49:51

"Ford Motor Company is seeking a patent for technology that would allow it to tailor in-car advertising by listening to conversations among vehicle occupants, as well as by analyzing a car’s historical location and other data, according to a patent application published late last month."
https://therecord.media/ford-patent-application-in-vehicle-listening-advertising
#privacy

2024-09-03 00:11:55

This weekend I went camping in Grizzly Creek State Park in California. It's a beautiful place and one claim to fame is that many of the iconic Endor scenes in Return of the Jedi were filmed here.
https://mastodon.kylerank.in/system/media_attachments/files/113/070/707/095/620/884/original/6a96fe99b761ec5b.jpg

2024-08-30 01:11:15

It looks like Purism finally got around to deleting my WordPress account, which unfortunately means the years of articles I wrote there no longer list my byline. It's a shame. I admit I'm pretty proud of some of those articles. End of an era I guess...
Due to the way the site is generated, the static copy of my WordPress author page still provides some sort of index to the articles I wrote for those of you who are interested.
https://puri.sm/posts/author/kyle-rankin/

2024-08-28 23:32:41

I noticed that the puri.sm domain was suspended this morning, but I don't have any special insight to the cause. The most likely explanations are registrar mistakes (like last time), or someone internally forgetting to renew it.
The bad news for librem.one users, is that domain relies on puri.sm name servers so it's down too (among the reasons I migrated to my own instance when I was laid off). The good news is that someone could possibly fix that faster than puri.sm with NS changes.

2024-08-27 16:31:19

When you see someone mention Ethernet and instantly recall the patch cable color pattern like it’s a mantra, you might be a sysadmin.
#sysadmin

2024-08-24 19:43:35

Projects like this really underscore the amazing impact Framework is having on computing by being repairable and having all of their parts for sale. #framework #righttorepair
https://hackaday.com/2024/08/24/flying-lotus-is-a-framework-powered-portable-all-in-one-computer/

2024-08-18 14:26:33

I'm really tempted by this 3D printed 8-shaft table loom design. The creator is charging for the design, which is only fair given how complex it is. Even when you factor in the cost of the design and the plastic and parts, it still comes in hundreds of dollars cheaper than a commercial 8-shaft table loom.
https://hackaday.com/2024/08/17/simple-3d-printed-table-loom-for-complex-weavings/
#3dprinting #weaving

2024-08-10 00:20:44

While I've managed teams (and even a company) before, there is something about my current job that has made me really embrace and enjoy everything involved with managing. I actively enjoy all the opportunities to take care of my team and help them succeed at a deeper level than I felt in past jobs.
It's probably some combination of the great team I'm leading, and my own maturity in my career. In any case, it's something Kyle from 15 years ago wouldn't have understood at all.

2024-08-03 14:48:47

This is a pretty cool looking portable Linux terminal project. The Blackberry keyboard is the kicker I think.
https://github.com/ZitaoTech/Hackberry-Pi_Zero

2024-08-01 00:01:02

Come work with me! I'm looking for a Product Security Engineer to join my incredibly talented security assurance team. We sit in the middle of the entire technology stack, and you'd be working among the very best security engineers on an incredibly important (and very interesting!) mission: securing autonomous freight vehicles.
You can find all the details (including how to apply) on our careers page:
https://aurora.tech/jobs/staff-product-security-engineer-7324951002
#jobs #careers #infosec

2024-07-27 12:44:23

I watched @npub1hmc…84pj 's video about her challenges with starting a product business and it really hit home. So many of her experiences mirror what I saw while at Purism. I really hope it works out for her, because the disillusionment when it doesn't, is especially bitter.
https://youtu.be/iEAShZ8TJCs

2024-07-23 00:02:41

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@npub1pzn…y2as The keychron k2 is small enough it could work for travel, but I don't know if it meets your ergonomic needs.

2024-07-22 23:59:49

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@npub1fnl…d00k Congratulations! So happy to hear the good news.

2024-07-06 18:28:42

My mother-in-law gave my wife and I tickets to an introductory pottery class for our anniversary. It was fun and I just got my bowl back after being glazed and fired. I can see and feel the flaws but I’m pretty pleased with the results given it was my first try at throwing on a wheel.
https://mastodon.kylerank.in/system/media_attachments/files/112/740/953/974/444/773/original/2f8c173d4144d829.png
https://mastodon.kylerank.in/system/media_attachments/files/112/740/954/289/567/613/original/54185f9b90fa2183.png

2024-07-03 14:23:28

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@npub1yfp…996n One of my favorite mechanical calculators to use though!

2024-07-03 00:36:31

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@npub1lny…65xd I personally appreciate how you handled it. To me that is the real measure of a project.

2024-06-30 20:10:09

One upside about being stuck on the couch the past two days, icing my skating injury, is that it gave me plenty of time to catch up on my reading.
I just finished Great Expectations, and what a wonderful novel. Charles Dickens doesn't waste your time and every chapter has the kind of serial-writer sensibilities that drive the plot forward. I think it might just make it on my personal top 10 list.
#books #reading
https://mastodon.kylerank.in/system/media_attachments/files/112/707/378/073/480/871/original/5f6d0cbb2058b8b2.jpg

2024-06-29 18:46:44

First back-to-skating injury! I didn't stick the landing on a mute grab 180 launch out of a bowl, my wheels slid out, and I ended up doing the partial splits. Ouch. Definitely pulled some muscles in the process. My left leg was in too much pain when I stretched it out to operate the clutch so I had my wife pick me up and now I'm home on the couch icing everything.
#skating #InlineSkating #AggressiveInlineSkating

2024-06-26 23:44:06

Interesting new entry into the smartphone-that-runs-desktop-Linux market. This one in particular appears to run Debian Trixie and uses Phosh as its desktop shell.
https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/26/furi_phone_flx1_debian_smartphone/
#LinuxPhone #phosh #debian

2024-06-25 19:24:44

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@npub1up6…5rqj No comment…

2024-06-22 04:24:58

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Power is still out, some complication when replacing the power pole apparently. Too late to run the generator, but we are making the most of it.
https://mastodon.kylerank.in/system/media_attachments/files/112/658/362/790/270/702/original/8e325a03867f70a9.png

2024-06-21 20:21:10

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I had to turn on the generator, but a nice thing about Ecoflow battery banks is that they charge quickly if you have enough input power. The charging speed will slow down as it gets closer to 80-90% but it is still surprisingly fast.
https://mastodon.kylerank.in/system/media_attachments/files/112/656/455/849/235/232/original/2a9c47da70e9572a.png

2024-06-21 18:52:19

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Update halfway through the day: so far the battery is holding up, but every time the fridge compressor kicks on the output wattage doubles to ~200W. As a result I will probably need to fire up the generator in a couple hours to top up the battery.
https://mastodon.kylerank.in/system/media_attachments/files/112/656/103/004/984/437/original/7e2c8bd61e19cad6.png

2024-06-21 16:08:31

The power company is replacing a power pole up the street so our home will be without power all day. This gives me a chance to practice my emergency plan, which centers on a Ecoflow battery bank powering critical systems, supplemented by a generator when needed. It looks like this will last me through most if not all of the outage without firing up the generator. #PowerOutage #emergencypreparedness
https://mastodon.kylerank.in/system/media_attachments/files/112/655/450/902/559/249/original/f2d56a81504e6de2.png

2024-06-12 23:45:46

Congrats, and thank you, @npub102c…225a for your fantastic investigative journalism that is making a difference.
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2024/06/one-of-the-major-sellers-of-detailed-driver-behavioral-data-is-shutting-down/

2024-06-10 13:37:58

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@npub19yu…k4fq The groundswell of community support around the Framework line of laptops is hard to ignore. That plus bluefin-dx seems like a killer combo to me.

2024-06-10 00:46:30

I went to a new skate park in my area, the first time I've skated at a park in about a decade. It was a great park with a lot of potential, but wow am I out of shape.
I pushed it until I could tell I was starting to make fatigue-based mistakes that would lead to hurting myself, then I called it a day. Clearly I need to do this more often.
#InlineSkating #skating #AggressiveInlineSkating

2024-06-06 23:47:13

Humane appears to be a cautionary tale of what can happen when you create a culture that emphasizes positivity to the extreme and punishes constructive criticism.
This culture is very damaging both to employees and to the product itself. In essence you are lying to yourself and your staff, and employees have to believe and repeat the company line to some degree or be sidelined or dismissed. Something built on top of lies will eventually collapse.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/06/report-humane-ai-pin-did-7-million-in-sales-wants-to-sell-for-1-billion/

2024-06-05 22:35:55

It’s quite the compliment when someone in a video call asks whether your carefully curated home office background is a photo.

2024-06-05 01:58:31

My home office is a finished shed in my back yard, and it gets pretty hot in the summer. I just got a portable AC unit for it, but as my desk is next to the window, I spent the last few evenings building a vent through the soffit. Unfortunately it restricted the exhaust too much, which caused the compressor to cut out.
After spending many days on the problem, and many trips to the hardware store, I gave up and just moved my desk away from the window. The simplest solutions are often the best.

2024-05-29 13:57:16

This blog post makes some good points about using "login" and "permissions" for authentication and authorization, respectively. In summary the two "auth" words sound similar enough that it can lead to confusion for many, and "authn" and "authz" aren't much better.
This is something I might consider in future writing. I always try to make my tech explanations a simple as possible.
https://ntietz.com/blog/lets-say-instead-of-auth/

2024-05-27 18:48:11

Speaking of hobbies, today I’m brewing the first batch of beer in quite a while. This is a Bock and calls for a 90 minute boil.
#brewing #homebrew #beer
https://mastodon.kylerank.in/system/media_attachments/files/112/514/532/019/346/402/original/5c7e50ff5812b7ad.png

2024-05-27 18:40:00

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From what I hear, aggressive inline skating (along with a lot of other `90s things) is getting back in fashion. Apparently the demand for vintage Palm wrist guard gloves like I have was so high (the company itself folded about 20 years ago) that a new company spun up to re-create the gloves: https://rookskate.com/

2024-05-25 16:36:36

Burnout in the FOSS community is real, and I'm glad that it's something that is being talked about more in blogs and conferences. There is a different flavor of burnout and emotional toll when you are sacrificing for a cause you believe in (especially in FOSS where people are often working for free or at below market rate). Working for a cause you believe in brings the highest highs when things are going well, but the lowest lows when they go badly.
#FOSS #burnout

2024-05-22 00:49:24

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@npub1lny…65xd Any particular hardware or software support edge cases that still need to be worked out or is everything just working out of the box?

2024-05-19 18:52:10

It was time to change the oil in our family car and while I was picking up the oil and filter I splurged and got one of these ramps. Totally worth it. I didn't realize how much I procrastinated oil changes just because of the annoyance of dealing with the jack:
https://www.autozone.com/engine-and-vehicle-lift/ramp/p/flotool-12-000lbs-capacity-rhino-ramp/89618_0_0
#cars #maintenance

2024-05-19 15:17:29

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@npub1vst…t6n6 Thank you! I did end up using a temple, which helped quite a bit.

2024-05-11 22:51:56

Cue the jealous girlfriend meme with Microsoft, Canonical and Red Hat:
https://siliconangle.com/2024/05/10/microsoft-red-hat-open-source-partnership-rhsummit/
#FOSS #RedHat #Microsoft #Canonical #Azure

2024-05-10 02:03:18

I know I've been pretty light on the security content over the past few months, but a lot of that was because I was unemployed. A lot of my security posts were inspired by my work.
I suspect that will change now that I'm a month into a new security job. There's something especially inspiring when you are surrounded by a bunch of talented people, learning a ton of new things and working on interesting security problems.

2024-05-09 19:09:12

I’m trying out mineral powder-based sunscreen to see if it may work for travel. Application was easy, but now my arm is sparkling like I’m some kind of vampire.

2024-03-13 17:35:02

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@npub1l20…0c0w The power of a duopoly.

2024-02-19 19:56:33

The stole is finished! Because the silk is reflecting a lot of light, I'm finding it hard to take a good picture that shows the colors accurately (a dark hunter green and a light felt green).
This was a challenging project, but by the end I got into a good groove.
#weaving
https://mastodon.kylerank.in/system/media_attachments/files/111/959/902/762/233/598/original/a68a2d6897f216f9.jpg
https://mastodon.kylerank.in/system/media_attachments/files/111/959/902/957/133/465/original/8c2202881618db32.jpg

2024-02-12 04:47:51

I made my first pie and it turned out!
My wife is away on a trip and asked me to put a spare pie crust we had in the fridge in the freezer "or make a pie." I had never made a pie before and figured I'd try it. This is a chocolate cream pie from a family cookbook. The filling is a combination of chocolate custard, meringue, and whipped cream. Delicious!
#cooking #pie
https://mastodon.kylerank.in/system/media_attachments/files/111/916/685/817/516/611/original/bf26eaf6c7966c86.jpg
https://mastodon.kylerank.in/system/media_attachments/files/111/916/685/839/809/488/original/36c6d59aa808fd4d.jpg
https://mastodon.kylerank.in/system/media_attachments/files/111/916/685/929/081/278/original/ecca44cd412984e2.jpg

2024-02-06 18:56:53

The Linux desktop is a house owned by an amateur DIY home improvement person. Floor boards squeak, the back door doesn't latch unless you close it a certain way, you have to jiggle the toilet lever, and there's tape on a light switch controlling an outlet that needs constant power.
The homeowner doesn't fix these things, because they know to jiggle the lever, how to close the door. Working around these flaws has become second nature so they don't even realize they are doing it.
1/2

2023-10-21 13:16:25

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@npub1skl…g2qx @npub1rv5…z2l6 @npub1l9m…5t7u Congratulations on your first book!

2023-09-27 16:25:22

I became an author by accident; I was just in the right place at the right time when someone on the inside invited me in. It wouldn't have happened without a publisher guiding me through the process.
You don't need to be an expert, and entering this world is easier than it seems. Tech publishers want new authors and ideas. What's been missing is a guide to navigate new authors through the process to a publisher.
So I wrote one.
https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/kyle_rankin
#writing #publishing

2023-09-20 18:58:49

I noticed a hole in one of my favorite shirts a few weeks back and noticed it again when I put it on this morning, but unlike in the past, today I decided to do something about it. I took a brief break from the job hunt to fetch my sewing kit and try my hand at darning. Is it an amazing job? No, but it was my first time, darn it!
#mending #sewing
https://mastodon.kylerank.in/system/media_attachments/files/111/099/001/761/940/088/original/fafdbe14db9cb312.jpeg

2023-09-15 22:01:11

On this Friday afternoon I'm reminded of the boss years ago who scheduled a mandatory all-hands meeting at 8am Monday, and another at 5pm Friday every single week. The former was a weekly stand-up/sync-up while the latter was a retrospective with an "employee of the week" award.
This boss was from the startup founder school of "employees should work minimum 80hr weeks." Everyone knew it was a not-so-sneaky way to ensure people showed up at the office early on Monday and stayed late on Friday.

2023-09-15 17:12:21

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@npub1r4m…968p I haven't, do you recommend it?

2023-09-15 15:28:23

I recently read Planta Sapiens, which aims to make the case for plant intelligence (with implications for AI). While interesting in parts, I can't say that it convinced me, but gave plenty of food for thought.
More convincing was the argument that historically scientists have been poor at defining intelligence and detecting it when it takes unique forms.
This Ars Technica article on bird intelligence underscores the point:
https://arstechnica.com/?p=1968585
#science #intelligence #biology

2023-09-10 20:46:30

I have finished what I'm now calling my Towels of Many Colors!
Background: earlier this year I entered Woolery's Weave Off competition and won 1st place in the Structure category for a yellow and brown towel with a reversible, doubleweave overshot pattern.
The 1st place prize was 26, one-pound cones of 5/2 cotton yarn from Bluegrass Mills--all their colors. I decided to weave a set of towels with the same pattern, but using each of the 26 colors. I'm so pleased with the result!
#weaving
https://mastodon.kylerank.in/system/media_attachments/files/111/042/788/326/151/014/original/17039265c830dc41.jpeg
https://mastodon.kylerank.in/system/media_attachments/files/111/042/794/187/647/199/original/88fab37e91a4040f.jpeg

2023-09-03 14:21:38

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This is the blog post where I first learned about the technique for removing samples from the loom. I should note that I didn't follow the directions exactly in my own example--you are supposed to weave in two dowels or lease sticks, not just one:
https://peggyosterkamp.com/2020/04/cutting-off-some-of-the-cloth-before-the-warp-is-finished-the-two-stick-heading/

2023-09-02 21:14:56

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@npub1nkc…mky5 Lovely! Is that krokbragd? How did you end up handling the seams?

2023-08-30 19:00:42

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@npub102c…225a It's all part of a book launch! I've been in book promotion mode myself the past few weeks so I know how it is.

2023-08-30 16:01:29

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@npub1qg4…augv Hardware is a challenging business, even harder if trying to do it ethically (much harder than ethical software). Creating custom hardware (instead of white label) is even harder and requires a significant amount of cash up front.
The main alternative to private funding is crowdsourcing, and I can say from personal experience that there are many problems with that approach as well.
I don't have a good solution, but I do have empathy for people who are trying to find one.

2023-08-30 13:57:26

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@npub1j2d…pv45 I don't mind the case much so far. I ended up printing one because I did have my phone slip out of my hands and fall on a corner on concrete. The phone survived but there were scratches in the aluminum on that corner and I took it as a warning to create a basic wrap case.

2023-08-30 13:56:01

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@npub1q88…60de I used the PhoneCaseSlim.stl model from here: https://source.puri.sm/Librem5/3D_designs/-/tree/master/Librem5-Case

2023-08-29 21:53:30

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@npub102c…225a Congratulations! Can't wait to read it.

2023-08-21 03:11:30

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@npub1nyx…rtuy Uniform in this case. My weaving tends to be uniform and symmetrical.

2023-08-20 21:52:04

Now my goals for this new towel project should be more clear. I'm creating a set of towels with the same pattern that won the Weave Off competition, using yarn from all 26 cones I got for my Weave Off prize. I thought this would be a good way to make a sampler to see color interaction, that was also useful.
I've arranged the yarn by color, with one half progressing in darker tones, and the second half of the towel using the lighter tones. I'm at the halfway point (for one towel)!
#weaving
https://mastodon.kylerank.in/system/media_attachments/files/110/924/152/451/739/250/original/9ac274dc8dbb4056.jpeg

2023-08-15 00:37:18

I am on an impromptu trip to an unfamiliar area due to a family emergency, and my rental car had no navigation built in. This meant I truly needed to depend on live turn-by-turn GPS navigation in Pure Maps on my Librem 5 for the first time.
It actually worked great! I packed a car vent magnetic mount and I was able to route to various destinations, reroute automatically, and otherwise use it like you'd expect.
#librem5

2023-08-11 14:48:04

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(Apologies to Elvis Costello)
I'm giving you a preview look
How To Write How To Write How To Write
How To Write A Tech Book
Chapter One: The Idea for books comes along
Chapter Two: The outline is useful for you
I pitch a publisher in the middle of chapter three
But I give all my writing tips in chapters four five and six
I'm giving you a preview look
How To Write How To Write How To Write
How To Write A Tech Book
https://kylerank.in/htwatb_sample_chapter.pdf
#writing

2023-08-10 17:24:42

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@npub1smy…zn93 Thanks for getting the book. The repeated explanation is intentional. I wrote the explanation how I felt was most clear and simply copied it in other sections that needed it. I didn't want to make people skip around the book to look up an example and didn't see a good reason to rephrase the definition each time it came up.
I did hire an editor and I would never use AI in my writing.

2023-08-09 23:30:58

In between launching a new book, I took some time to start weaving. Everything after the yellow dividing line is part of my new project. You might notice it looks very similar to my last project (apart from the colors) and you would be right.
But I have a surprise in store, which won't be apparently until I'm a few more pattern repeats in. I can't wait to see how it turns out.
#weaving
https://mastodon.kylerank.in/system/media_attachments/files/110/862/254/067/868/824/original/8e398ccdb21ec77b.jpeg

2023-08-09 15:26:58

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Most people (including most writers outside of tech) don't realize how unique the tech publishing industry is. There is a reason that some publishers and imprints focus just on tech books.
Tech books have a unique style that sits somewhere between academic journals and how-to books. Unlike with many other nonfiction authors, tech authors have to spend a significant amount of time not only writing clear how-to language, but also formatting their text much like an academic journal.

2023-08-09 14:51:07

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@npub1nvp…agzg @npub1ukw…0vkx Yes! There is so much that is specific to tech writing and tech book publishing in particular that people outside of the industry don't realize!
I agree that finding the time is *critical* and it's so important that I devote the first part of Chapter 4: The First Draft, to exactly that topic. People who are writing tech books typically already have a full-time job, so finding the time for a 2nd full-time job is a challenge!

2023-08-08 14:23:14

I'm pleased to announce the immediate release of How To Write A Tech Book!
If you have ever thought about writing a tech book, but wasn't sure how, this is for you. I distill twenty years of experience writing a dozen books for multiple publishers (and self-publishing) into a book that walks you step-by-step through the full process.
Sample chapter: https://kylerank.in/htwatb_sample_chapter.pdf
Order page: https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/kyle_rankin
#writing #publishing
https://mastodon.kylerank.in/system/media_attachments/files/110/854/436/434/287/655/original/60ca5d988d77a89e.png