# Key Points from #hplusroadmap IRC Log

• Developers were actively improving "paperbot," a tool that automatically downloads academic papers from publisher websites, with specific focus on fixing issues with ScienceDirect PDF retrieval and implementing support for multiple ezproxy endpoints.

• Technical discussions revealed insights about JSTOR's DOI system, particularly how they handled the "10.2307" prefix before 2012, which was often omitted in their URLs, providing valuable information for academic paper retrieval systems.

• A significant logistics conversation centered on acquiring and transporting a free Illumina Genome Analyzer (DNA sequencer), including details about its substantial weight (412 lbs unboxed, 511 lbs crated) and shipping considerations.

• Privacy concerns in quantified self (QS) technologies were highlighted, with specific mention of the Angel Sensor wearable health device and how many commercial QS devices upload user data to cloud services without adequate user control.

• User bbrittain shared a self-developed GPS logging application (https://github.com/cavedweller/QS-GPS-Logger) created specifically to avoid the privacy issues of commercial alternatives that upload location data to third-party servers.

• Developers discussed technical implementation details of Python programming, including debates about Python 3's Global Interpreter Lock (GIL) performance with threads versus coroutines, and approaches to plugin system design.

• An interesting historical perspective was shared suggesting that the Industrial Revolution may have depended on a concentrated core of skilled workers (approximately 4-5% of the workforce) rather than broad skill distribution across the population.