jkeisling/hacker-news-corpus-2007-2022 huggingface dataset:
Show HN: Redirect clicks using a formula
https://www.nimblelinks.com/redirect-formula
Part of my day job requires me to review a report monthly. The URL for July's report looks something like this:

fancyreport.com?from=2022-07-01&to=2022-07-31

Typing this URL manually every month was just enough pain for me to put up a simple script on somedomainiown.com/magic that redirected me to the report for the current month by automatically filling in the "from" and "to" values in the URL. This way, I could bookmark one link and always open the latest report with one click.

At some point, I figured I should put this behind a UI so that I could share it with my colleagues and maybe HN too. A couple of weeks of hacking, and here we are with an MVP the little imposter inside me finally accepted to post online.

P.S. the "formule" implementation gets the job done for me, but is pretty rudimentary. Would love to know if you have a specific use case that'd benefit from other parameters or a more advanced formula system.
Ask HN: Learning PHP
I've been programming professionally for more than 10th years, starting with C++ and then Java.

I am trying to learn PHP to expand opportunities for my career.

What's the best way to learn PHP? Any books do you recommend?

(I see there was a discussion here: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=401022, but that was almost two years ago.)

Thanks!
MongoPress - The High-Performance, Object Based NoSQL, OpenSource CMS
http://www.mongopress.org
MongoPress is an instantly scalable, incredibly flexible content management system that uses MongoDB, PHP and jQuery to deliver a powerful object-orientated environment which is both flexible and free. It is the only GPLv3 open-sourced CMS running in a NoSQL environment that we know about and includes a multitude of features that simply work, right out of the box - this includes intelligent perma-trails, framework themes and full customisation, working plugin functionality, sophisticated media storage and serving through GridFS support and much, much more.<p>MongoPress aims to be as light as a feather when it comes to resources, as fast as lightning when it queries and as tight as a crab's bottom when concerning security.
Discuss my Idea: How about a more generic version of posterous?
I've been thinking about this idea over the past few days. I've even already written code for it and have a functional prototype. But, everyone I tell the idea to doesn't seem to grasp the concept or just can't see why it would be useful. I was even told that I "could achieve more" by looking for new ideas, lol.

My idea is simple and came to me in a simple manner. The idea is this - a hosted database service (a la MongoHQ) with an easy and highly accessible CRUD interface via SMTP (a la Posterous).

The idea came to me while thinking about writing my own SMTP-based blog, like Posterous. I wanted to write my own blog that I was able to write to using any email client I had, instead of using some annoying WYSIWYG editor. I'd just use Markdown for formatting. But then a friend suggested, "why not generalize it for more than just blogs"? I'm not sure to what extent he meant, but I immediately envisioned something similar to Posterous but much much more generalized. Basically, a database that anyone could perform CRUD on using their email client.

Why email? Everyone has it. It's easily accessible. It doesn't take much explanation. There are email client implementations in pretty much every environment you can think of.

It obviously wouldn't be for heavy read/write traffic database applications, but more for casual users that don't fully understand the internal workings of how to use their own database. It could perhaps be used by myself to write my own Posterous-esque blogging platform. It could be used for email storage and backup. It could be use for file sharing, backing up files with associated meta data. A simple API could provide non-SMTP read access to your data - perhaps REST.

I feel like this idea excites me because of two reasons, A) it has a clear cut hosting-based business plan and B) I don't even know if I fully know how this is entirely useful or what the applications of it could be. I haven't gotten very good feedback on it, though. So, to exercise some of what I've read about lean startups and just throwing your ideas out there, I figure I'll see what you guys think about this?

Here is what I have running for it so far. It's just something I wrote in a single afternoon as kind of a proof of concept for myself. I wrote a simple SMTP server that does nothing but handling incoming emails and performs some simple, crude authentication on them. Authentication is done by signing up on the site, downloading the provided "db.auth" file. To submit data to the database, address an email to "db@collabreate.co" and attach the "db.auth" file. The records will appear on the website. There is no other functionality in this demo.

http://collabreate.co:8080/records/

You have to include the /records/ otherwise it won't load anything. It's port 8080 because it's running on my home fios connection. The domain is just something I use to play with - it's not related to this particular idea.

So, what do you all think? :P
User event aggregation using MongoDB
http://www.shrikar.com/blog/2012/05/20/designing-apis-for-aggregation-of-user-events/
http://www.shrikar.com/blog/2012/05/20/designing-apis-for-aggregation-of-user-events/
Ask HN: Would you quit a job before finding a new one?
I recently started a new job, but it's turned out to be entirely different than what I had expected. There are a number of reasons why I want to leave (which I can explain if necessary), but I'm wondering if I should do so before finding a new position.

Several recruiters have told me that it's the kiss of death to leave a job before finding a new one, and that employers look favorably upon people who are still employed. Is this really true in the tech industry?

Also, I'm having a hard time coming up with ways to interview without leaving in the middle of the day. Last time I was looking, I was never offered an after-hours interview, and had to take several half days. Were I actually unemployed, I'd be able to interview at all hours of the day.

So should I quit before finding something new? What has your experience been in the past?
The Handwritten Report of Mindmaps on how to Start a StartUp
http://handwritten.posterous.com
Hello YC Crowd.Mindmaps are a note taking method that envisions information visually and attempts to instead "draw" a story instead of force feeding readers with a pre-set and rigid sequence that is a block of text . This design form is a great learning aid and is used in some medical schools by students to assimilate course material and make it reference-able. Each page is meant to describe an individual concept but all merge into an individual story, flow and narrative, which is in this case today, a perspective that every new startuper must take up inorder to "win" at this business of building and making of a new digital world.<p>While this book is targeted for everyone who comes to this parts (i would call them digital pyramid-makers), those who "get it" will have some artistic sensibilities to fully appreciate the marriage of message and design that is this report.<p>Imagine an exam-cheating app that is an improvement from the scraps of paper that people carry into exam rooms which are noisy and can be repossessed as evidence by the administrative bureaucracy.<p>The idea being to cheat exams digitally with scanned "cheatsheets" made in advance on A4 paper and then scanned them into .JPEG files. The app should also "pool" this cheatsheets globally, the course work across universities to be relatively standardized and so what one individual uploads for a certain course code/name is useful to any student, anywhere in the world to cheat with. The idea is to help students compress course material into smaller, digitized and zoom-able scraps accessible via a mobile app. Users should be encouraged to upload their own "work" on different course material. This is the true value of the idea, a database of cheat-sheets, while mobile phones are the hardware to run the Cheating-as-a-service app.<p>/end monologue/
Ask HN: Trade design or writing for WP coding
Hello! I'm a copywriter/blogger who also does graphic design, and I'm searching for someone who's kickass at coding for WP. I'll essentially need two separate sides coded up.

In exchange, I offer web or print copywriting, blogging, or graphic design (logos, headers, websites, etc.)

My portfolio (which will ultimately be part of the website you're coding!) can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lindsaygoldner/sets/72157626548226572/

For some of my writing, check out my blog at http://linzlovesyou.com
First site fully dedicated to NoSQL is online. Welcome to AboutNoSQL.com
http://aboutnosql.com/
We are stoked to introduce our latest initiative AboutNoSQL.com. AboutNoSQL™ is a community resource, dedicated to profiling and teaching about NoSQL and related subjects. NoSQL has been a buzz word for some time. Recent success of MongoDB and the troubled launch of HealthCare.gov only increased interest in this emerging technology. Nevertheless, a resource that would explain the differences between various NoSQL solutions, what kind of problems those solutions solve and best practices to adopt NoSQL is still missing. AboutNoSQL.com is filling this void.

We at Thumbtack Technology believe that NoSQL has a great potential in solving some of the most challenging problems faced by companies today, including big data processing and machine learning. Through this site we want to educate our visitors about benefits and applications of NoSQL and help them with achieving their goals by using this exciting technology.

We are excited for your visit. Welcome!

*The site is currently in the beta stage. We would greatly appreciate any feedback about the typos and errors you find. Please, contact us at support@aboutnosql.com.
Why searching for jobs is not like searching for books or movies
http://dev.theladders.com/archives/2010/04/search-and-the-ladders.html
Since starting at The Ladders heading up search technology in January, I can say that I have gained a new perspective on the search technology consumer. I love working with language technology in general but working on search technology that connects jobs with job seekers is especially rewarding.<p>Most people think of "search technology" as "Google". When I tell people what I do, they generally squint a little and then say "oohhhhh.....just like Google!". I generally just smile and nod....especially when it's my grandmother. But, really, that is not it at all. Consumers of search technology on job sites like ours have a completely different information need and a completely different tolerance for accuracy than users of general internet search engines like Google, MSN or Yahoo!.
Ask HN: Check out my very first open source project: django-puzzle-captcha
I recently released my first open source project, Django Puzzle Captcha. It's a Django Form Field that displays an image puzzle that the user must arrange correctly in order to validate the form.<p>Here's the source code:

https://github.com/MegaMark16/django-puzzle-captcha

And here's a demo of it:

http://puzzlecaptcha.apprabbit.com/

You can either drag and drop the pieces or click to select a piece and click again to drop it (to make it compatible with mobile platforms.)

I'd love to hear everyones feedback.
Google GMail OAuth access shows up as suspicious activity
http://getsatisfaction.com/syphir/topics/gmail_activity_warning
How do you distinguish user logins from OAuth access in GMail?
The :before and :after pseudo-elements syntax
http://www.red-team-design.com/before-after-pseudo-elements
This article’s purpose is to clarify some common misunderstandings regarding the above pseudo-elements syntax.
Microsoft informs husband he infected wife's computer with virus
http://www.brianjones.ca/archives/2011/06/07/unwanted-calls-episode-3-wife-is-going-to-kill-me/
A telephone call I recorded from a scammer pretending to work for Microsoft, who's trying to trick people into install spyware. I pretend to have installed the virus on my wife's computer, and panic.
Global Trends
http://oilagas.pr.co/69894-famous-blog-discusses-biographies-of-larry-ellison-bill-mcdermott-are-leaders-born-or-made
The lives of these two software stalwarts corroborate the age-old concept that leaders are born. They possess inherent and inborn qualities that make them stand out in the world firmament. They make a mark by dint of their sheer talent without making any kind of fuss for help or support. It is their natural instincts that take them along the right path, and make them innovative. Leading by example, and optimizing the use of available resources are the two essentials making one a leader. It was not circumstances that led them to become leaders, but their natural talent and instincts. Thus, leaders are born, not made. The article is dedicated to President Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr
Can Circuit Theory Help Critters Connect?
http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/washington/misc/art32039.html
Mountain goats, mule deer, sage grouse and black bears can’t recognize park boundaries or wildlife areas. They roam far and wide across Washington in search of food, water and mates, relying on interconnected corridors of undeveloped land to survive.

Conservancy ecologist Brad McRae is out to help these critters. He has created a technique that uses computers to locate wildlife corridors.

Borrowing from engineering models that predict electricity flows through circuits, the technique creates maps that pinpoint obstacles—roads, mountain peaks, subdivisions — impeding the movement of species.
BSNES emulates every published SNES game
http://byuu.org/
The BSNES project has just reached a milestone by achieving 100% emulation of all published SNES games.
Ask HN: How is your startup's visitor retention?
http://blog.mixpanel.com/2009/02/using-analytics-to-understand-visitor-retention/
I am very curious, how is your startup's visitor retention looking?

What steps are you taking to improve it?
Statuscode weekly email for developers
http://statuscode.org/
Brought to you by CooperPress ( behind HTML5 Weekly and Javascript Weekly).
Search "Google Drive pricing" at DuckDuckGo. First result: "It will cost you"
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=google+drive+pricing
No other search engine returns this, but the URL is valid.
Show HN: React Holmes – Elementary State Orchestrator for React
https://github.com/devx-os/react-holmes
Holmes is a 0 config, fast and elementary state orchestrator for React.

Holmes has a very minimal API. It is as simple to use as React’s integrated hooks, but all state is globally accessible.

Easy as React state hooks

State synchronization between components

Distributed and not centralized state

No mutable objects

Fast
ShowHN: UI Pattern Gallery for iPads/Tablet devices
http://www.tabpatterns.com
This is a UI/UX design pattern library specifically for tablets. Right now it's mostly iPads. Just like pttrns, but with a deeper tablet focus. Good for inspiration
Behaviour design, or how to make our apps more human
http://blog.pixel2html.com/2014/design/behaviour-design-or-how-to-make-our-apps-more-human
Nice article about behaviour design and some basic points.
Show HN: Wrote a scifi poetry book illustrated with Dalle2 (excerpt in comments)
https://www.amazon.com/Remains-Golden-Airship-Illustrated-Intelligence-ebook/dp/B0B9KDB52W
Hi friends at HN. Since OpenAI cleared commercial use for their service, I started working on a poetry book illustrated using their imaging model.

I thought it could be an interesting application of the service as there is no storyline from one poem to the other, so there wouldn't be any expectation of continuity from one image to the other. Adding to that, poetry can be very abstract so the set of acceptable images is much larger than when requiring something in particular.

For some details on the creative process:

Most of the time, I would run the poem first as a query and see if the interpretation of the model would yield something interesting. Sometimes, I did have a specific image in mind and I'd try to coax the model to produce that. Much harder than going with its interpretation.

I purchased 3 rounds of credits for the book (barely touching the last one). Usually, I could get something interesting in about 2 queries, but a few took me 5 to 10 tries to get an approximation of what I was looking for. In terms of prompt engineering, I didn't rely on anything too fancy. Mostly appending "digital art", the mood I was looking for, "photorealistic" if I wanted something with more details, "impressionist" for the contrary.

Thinking about the whole process, I think the machine ended up having some influence on the final product. There was one occasion where the picture I got was too good not to use even if it didn't correspond to what I was aiming for, so I adjusted the lines to fit the pic. There was also a few times where one image would inspire the next poem.

Below are some of my favorites (and the preview on amazon also has the first 10 available).

temporal pincer

ghosts of my inverted selves

nudging me forward

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FaOCif1XkAI2KQe?format=jpg&name=...

---

sea of thousand eyes

and silicon neural nets

exploring frontiers

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FaPIGu6WAAEVgDL?format=jpg&name=...

---

century's highlight

a footnote in history

naught ultimately

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FaPIOFdXgAU2z8i?format=jpg&name=...

I'll be hanging around for questions/comments.
Lowpings Game Server Provider In-Depth Review
http://techcombo.com/lowpings-game-server-provider-in-depth-review
Lowpings.net was founded just six years ago in 2003. Countless numbers of European Gamers who are mostly professionals, use lowpings highly managed hosting and as it is such a great service the gaming community tend to stay with Lowpings purely because the company has built up so much positive respect.

In addition to professional gamers, Lowpings address the casual gaming community which as we all know is a bigger market. LowPings offer great new products, high quality services and the support could not be any better as well as providing great discount prices.

Four Years of astounding Game hosting in a nutshell.

- In 2003, Lowpings was founded.

-Later in 2005 after establishing itself on its territory Lowpings became Europe’s largest professional host.

- In July 2007, Lowpings acquired and expanded by GameData, Inc.

- Just 4 months later in November, Lowpings launched a new hosting portal...
Amazon Web Services ~5 Minute .NET Quick Start « Composite Code
http://compositecode.com/2010/08/09/aws-5-minute-quick-start/
This is the beginning of a series of blog posts I’m putting together on building out a website on Amazon’s Web Services. This is a quick start on where to find the .NET SDK, what templates are installed in Visual Studio 2010, and what you get when starting a new Web Application Project with the A...
Show HN: I've made Lazy Copy tool in Python
https://github.com/rp-4/Lazy_Copy_Tool
This application can help you store those strings with a few word description and an associate image to identify the string. For example, if you're a mechanical designer (like me), you might want to set string as a frequently used Part numbers (or assembly numbers) with an image and description, so you will be able to identify the Part number, copy it and paste to Product Data Management (PDM) or database to find or import design.

Suggestions are always welcome.
I am not an expert programmer, I am still learning. This application is written in python as non-OOP because I am learning OOP and will try to re-write this app in python as OOP.
JavaScript performance playground
http://jsperf.com/
jsPerf aims to provide an easy way to create and share test cases, comparing the performance of different JavaScript snippets by running benchmarks.
Things that systemd gets right
http://utcc.utoronto.ca/~cks/space/blog/linux/SystemdRight
/r/linux discussion

http://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/14lkmr/things_that_systemd_gets_right/
Planetary Skin, a Cisco-Nasa partnership
http://www.ciscozine.com/2009/03/04/planetary-skin-a-cisco-nasa-partnership/
NASA and Cisco Inc. announced Tuesday a partnership to develop an online collaborative global monitoring platform called the “Planetary Skin” to capture, collect, analyze and report data on environmental conditions around the world.

Under the terms of a Space Act Agreement, NASA and Cisco will work together to develop the Planetary Skin as an online collaborative platform to capture and analyze data from satellite, airborne, sea- and land-based sensors across the globe. This data will be made available for the general public, governments and businesses to measure, report and verify environmental data in near-real-time to help detect and adapt to global climate change.
URL design for an HTTP API
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4409877/url-design-for-an-api
Hi HN,
I know there's some very smart and experienced developers out there, so I'm double posting here hoping I'll find a good solution to this.

Thanks for your help !
7 Reasons Why The Best Internet Marketers Are Bloggers
http://www.thesmartwebletter.com/blogging/7_reasons_why_the_best_internet_marketers_are_bloggers/
If, like me, one of your self-proclaimed titles is an "internet marketer", then you've probably asked yourself at some point, "Why would I want to blog anyway?"
Ask HN: How do you take accountability in 2022?
I hear the phrase "taking accountability" all the time in recent years, but I came to the realisation that what I understood under this phrase is different than what it seems most people ask to happen.

When I was young "taking accountability" meant for me to admit my faults, apologise for it, ask another person for forgiveness by showing humility and trying to do things which can help to undo the damage done before.

However, I think I've come to the realisation that this is not what most people understand as "taking accountability". It seems that what most people want to happen when someone takes accountability is to lose their job and ideally become unemployable by anyone for as long as possible. It almost feels like that "taking accountability" needs to result in the person suffering themselves so that other people can get gratification and satisfaction from it. The other thing I noticed though is that even when someone does lose everything as a result of their wrongdoings and they visibly suffer, the people who asked for the suffering still have no interest in ever showing forgiveness. It's some absurd dark form of Schadenfreude.

What does "taking accountability" actually mean for people on this forum? Many tech leaders in the past and many of us will face situation where people will call for us to take accountability for some mistakes we might have made at some point in our lives. How do you prepare for it?
Ask HN: How to Network Effectively
Hi HN,
How can an individual network effectively and maintain a healthy relationship
Security Guru: Leave Your Wi-Fi Unsecured Because It's Polite
http://advice.cio.com/al_sacco/in_home_wi_fi_to_secure_or_not_to_secure
Bruce Schneier, a well known security expert, says he leaves his home Wi-Fi network unsecured as a courtesy to friends and neighbors. And he thinks security isn't an issue as long as everyone that uses open networks is "polite."
How does a 'Warren Buffet' company handle climate change?
http://www.netjetseurope.com/climate/eng/
by just getting on with it and using it as a point of difference?
Elon Musk testifying before US Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense
https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/441226253824057345
Live stream: www.appropriations.senate.gov/streama.cfm
Is Marco a Location-Based Service with Better Implementation for Privacy?
http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2010/09/guest_post_marc.php
Just wrote this post about a new service called Marco that offers one on one communication on a timer for location. Wondering if you've seen anything else like this.