Python Bytes #465 Stack Overflow is Cooked
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Jan 12, 2026 Explore a powerful tool called Port-Killer that simplifies managing and killing local ports for developers. Discover how optimizations have tripled the speed of Python's packaging library. Delve into the troubling decline of Stack Overflow's traffic and its potential long-term effects. Uncover the role of AI in developer companies, and hear about CodSpeed for benchmarking performance in CI environments. Plus, learn tips on password security and the fascinating advancements in agentic coding.
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Manage Rogue Local Ports
- Use a port manager to find and kill stray services instead of hunting terminals or task managers.
- Install a cross-platform tool like Port Killer to monitor ports, manage tunnels, and forcibly stop processes with one click.
Many Small Optimizations Add Up
- Small, focused changes can compound to large speedups when profiling systematically.
- Packaging achieved ~3x overall speed by stacking many 2–37% improvements guided by profiling.
Measure, Keep Readable, Then Tune
- Profile before changing code and prefer readable defaults, then optimize measured hotspots.
- Consider conditional implementations to leverage faster features on newer Python versions.
