skysight-inc/HackerNews huggingface dataset:
The biggest annoyance I have with all this stuff is that taking a stance and not buying this game doesn't work out anyways. The publisher will just look at the poor sales, quote some piracy numbers and claim any poor sales are a result of piracy and that more significant steps will need to be taken.
I think what's disguised behind "anarchy" is communism, civil rights movement, maybe unions movements and zionism too.
There is a Pandora's box effect here, to be sure.

I think the best we can hope for is for one or two really spectacular failures, by organisations on the scale of Google or Facebook, where the potential damage becomes obvious to everyone but because of the scale of the problem the plug gets pulled quickly before too much damage can be done.

IMHO, this would be preferable to slowing building up lots of databases and having an endless stream of small-scale leaks, each of which is also damaging to those involved, but none of them big enough to make this a serious political issue.
To me it really depends on the type of material. Obviously if I'm reading a math paper, I may re-read the same sentence half a dozen times, so it doesn't apply.

But there are clearly cases where I want to read as fast as possible, without necessarily skipping. E.g. scanning the news, or reading a novel in a shallow fashion.

(But yeah the blog post talks about learning techniques, so I don't know how relevant it is)
But you come back and try again, don't you?
Revealing information is not the same thing as making a statement.

Richard Stallman deliberately tells you his website/etc is powered by free software. You can infer from the http headers of my homepage that it is powered by free software. Stallman is making a statement, my host (NYU) is just not bothering to obfuscate headers.

Similarly, a person who wears comfortable, easy clothes is just revealing information. A person who actively selected their clothes based on the message they send is making a statement.
Start With Why: Learn How To Run A Better Business & Live A Better Life
Link to a related post analysing meritocracy :
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1103408
Emotional accounting
How to rob somebody using Google Buzz
Some of us don't like getting information from videos, especially at work where bandwidth and internet usage is monitored....
Microsoft offers web browser choice to IE users in Europe
I certainly am! The notification idea is a good one - thanks :)
Yes, most likely. What’s striking for me is that the anarchist charge is the go-to indictment for the FBI in this case. Reading the indictment, you get the sense they think it is the most damning.
Robot genetics
The thing is that git is a developer's tool. It's made for people who are on a commandline anyway, and I don't find it any more difficult to use than SVN or any other VCS I've tried. Most SVN users aren't used to the distributed paradigm, and so they might have a learning curve there, but otherwise most non-trivial SVN operations occur at a CLI too.

I agree that it'd be nice to see Git's functionality bundled up nicely, but that's not an exercise for Git's devs. Git, as one might expect, follows the normal philosophy in UNIX circles: do one thing and do it well. Adding a nice UI is an exercise for someone who wants to do that, and there are many projects attempting to do things like that, see http://git.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/InterfacesFrontendsAndT... .

Linux is the same way. Linux is just a kernel. It's up to others to throw nice GUIs (or any other program) on top of it. This is happening more and more, though I agree it could use more structure and organization. And for the record, I find GNOME much more usable than Windows.
Ask HN: Please re-review my new website www.favilous.com
Invention of the day: A spokeless bicycle
No worries, Glenn Beck has taken the torch.
Opening locks with foil impressioning
FFS man, it's still on the front page..
Chart: Where Your State's Revenue Comes From
Sarcasm? Or do you seriously believe that the government should have the right to violate people's privacy based on their political leanings?
They should use git-svn. It lets you still talk to that ugly SVN server and mostly obscures any associated pain. You just use git like normal, and then when you need to push to the SVN server, it's just git svn dcommit, or git svn rebase to pull. SVN doesn't know any different and you're not stuck trying to deal with it.
Leica's digital Ms are the only cameras I can think of. (Focus, Aperture and exposure, beyond that you are also out of luck. Consindering that M cameras don't have much else beyond ISO and EV correction to adjust, the digital Ms nevertheless remained pretty analog cameras.)

Make no mistake, other cameras (usually DSLRs) do have dials, but they usually have multiple functions depending on the mode you are in or the buttons you pressed.

DSLR lenses allow for analog control over focus and (if they are zoom lenses) focal length. Some odd cameras might throw in dedicated dials for such things as EV correction and ISO (the recent G series models from Canon). Adding additional dials (which can be assigned special functions) has also become quite popular with higher end small sensor cameras like the S90 from Canon.

But I don't know any camera (except the Leicas which are way too expensive for many, many people including myself) which conciously decided to reduce the complexity of the digital interface in favour of analog controls. Sure, you can use the analog stuff, but you can also go the digital route. Which leaves cameras with their complex user interfaces.

I don't know whether that's the right or wrong way to go. Digital cameras do have many more incredibly useful functions analog cameras didn't have. So a fully analog control might not be practical.
The best path forward is the one that lets you iterate easily and bring a product to market as quickly as possible. Until you have validated your MVP with customers you are burning cash with the risk of zero return.

When and if (and it's a BIG if) companies are expressing interest in acquiring your technology, you can sort out whether you'll need to rewrite portions as part of a deal. But far more likely is that the product will pivot at least to some degree, and you'll be thankful that you're using technology that you can comfortably and quickly modify.
Out-teach the competition
Very few people have ever gone into a closet and closed the door?
Many people seem to forget that the browser is under your control, ultimately. You control whether style sheet is applied, you control the font and sizing. If you think her font is too small, simply increase it. Usually <CTRL><=>
That's true, especially if users keep their shared passwords in a password safe.

And if the copy-pasting raises some red flags, the account owner could also record keystrokes and replay them, with a bit of randomness added to the timing, with software or a hardware attachment (http://www.practicalarduino.com/projects/virtual-usb-keyboar...).

This is the sort of countermeasure that attempts to cut down on casual account sharing, not a determined cheapskate.

I thought from the headline that this software was recording all keystroke timing, not just the password, and would detect intruders, not account sharers. That might be another application, or privacy invasion, depending on one's perspective.
Ask HN: How to control licensing with a server control?
I'm developing an asp.net server control for the first time and I was wondering how others have dealt with licensing and piracy.

Function of the control:
Calls out to other servers periodically, builds a local cache and then displays the result to the end user. There's a web admin page for the site owner to configure it's settings.

Options I've thought about:
Restrictive - Have the web admin page call out to my server to make sure the license is still valid. There would be leeway in case my server goes down for some reason.

Middle of the road - Have the control generate a key that the license is built on. The user would submit the key and I would generate a license based on the key. User would have to resubmit their key for a new license if they move servers.

Loose - Generate a license key when purchased and have the control match the license with my server only once on installation. I like this option best because it gives the user more flexibility and I can suspend the license from allowing more installs if it looks like it's being abused.

Questions:
Are there better options than these?
What would you put up with as a developer? Which option seems the best to you?
Am I being overly protective even with the "loose" option?

Other thoughts:
How would you restrict the demo version? My current idea is to replace some text with junk randomly in the output until it's registered.
I don't know ... what's the difference?
He forgot what I think is one of the most important steps. Before heating the pad and the component lead, touch the solder to the tip of the iron just to wet it a little. The little bit of solder on the tip of the iron really helps in conducting heat to the components. And only use 60/40 lead/tin solder (Radio Shack brand solder works the best.) Save the lead free stuff for when you are in production and someone else is doing the soldering, it is much harder to work with
25%, of course.
it seems everyone is focusing on speed reading and the memorization items on the list. I personally find #2, #3, #4, #6, #7 are stuff i already do and very effective. Stuff like breaking down things to smaller pieces, reinterpreting concepts, comfortable environment, drawing complex relationships on paper, etc. DO speed up learning - learning in the true sense of the word.
i'm sure it does depend on the person, and the circumstances, but i am a little sceptical of the idea that you can consistently, every 3 - 4 years, learn a new language + culture to the point where you're, say, able to discuss politics in an informed way without offending people, or make a joke (that people laugh at!) at a party...
Seems like this topic comes up pretty often. I agree with Fred but some level of nurturing by mentors is important; the mold usually needs some shaping and polishing. ycom, techstars, et al. are prime examples of this.
Mauritius spearheads sea-cooled data centre
Top startup Mentors To Follow
Ask HN: Does having a DISQUS comment form improve comment counts?
I am feeling the effect of seeing DISQUS on certain blogs in that it makes me more likely to comment. Is this true for others here? Does any blog/site owner have data on increased comment counts after using DISQUS?
Yep, this. And this trial should be the homepage, with some kind of explanation, i.e. "Speckle lets you manage your to-dos with multiple check-boxes per item!"
> A custom solution will always be better

Really? I guess in principle it can always be at least as good, but it's certainly not always going to be better in practice.
Photoshop Turns 20 Today
Brilliant! I'm using my own little hacked-together system for all my sites right now that handles like a champ, but this looks like a much more structured and secure setup.
Rails :)
The only reason Microsoft is on the top is its marketshare. People don't want to know anything about their computers, they just want to watch funny videos and talk to their friends.

If you sit someone in front of something that doesn't look like Windows, they flip out. My grandma flips out when we try to show her something on our Linux computers, she says, "Where's your icons? Why does this look different? This is crazy."

The sad thing is that a lot of this is Microsoft's fault in the first place. They've used their marketshare totally irresponsibly. Failings in the design and implementation of Windows have made users almost universally afraid of tinkering with their computers because of the possibility of breakages, viruses, and other unpleasant consequences.

Windows is #1 because of its marketshare and that's it. There may have been reasons they got to #1 a long time ago, but those are irrelevant now. What's relevant now is that Windows keeps on trucking because any program or component you pick up at the store will work on Windows, because everyone uses Windows, and you wouldn't make any money selling something that Windows can't work with. Everyone knows how to use Windows; they know to click the Start button, to click on the blue E, they know where things are. It's just like the systems they use at work or school.

For most people, the reason they choose Windows is because Windows is everywhere, and that's it. You won't find many people saying that they want to use Windows because they love the concept of the Start button. They use Windows because they know how it works. A few smaller niches use Windows because a program or a set of programs that are important to them run [well] on it. Very, very few use Windows because of Windows itself.

So, uh, now that we're done with that tangent, I think the Linux community recognizes the need for usability. You should read Planet GNOME or Planet KDE more often; there are frequently posts there about usability studies and improvements on their software. They are making strides. It's just that getting cooperation, funding, etc., is an uphill battle when your installed base is under 2%.
A massive misallocation of online advertising dollars
Thanks for that reference to the Leica M digital cameras! I have been looking for a manual digital camera for a long time, but had never come across those!
Why do we need the kind of privacy you speak of? Because while people nod in approval to your rhetoric, their behavior shows that they feel free to give it up the "privacy" of what they're eating for breakfast en masse.
I think you're underestimating the ubiquity of caves.
Achieving a 10,000+ Lifespan
Inside HP's New Air-Cooled UK Data Center (Photo Tour)
Google Gets US Approval To Buy and Sell Energy
The Derivation of Y Combinator
I like the sound of that... I guess the challenge is to give people an incentive to post idea to the site without guarantee of remuneration.

Future partnership is a strong incentive... but that implies that the "idea" guy can give added value beyond the initial idea, which may or may not be true.
Making Interactive Maps With jQuery
From Debating Stack Overflow to Re-designing Janko
How do VCs analyze companies?
Did Twitter Topple Toyota?
a) how far along are they? (just starting, coded some stuff, beta ready,etc.?)

b) do you think there will be minimal money in the company at some point soon?

c) is this a product you really want to see built? In other words: if they were two of your buddies, you were having a drink late one night, would you say to them when the idea came up: "wow this is a great idea, id like to help be a part of it".
How to Create a Computer Virus
Another thing: good tools matter (just like with software). Don't try to solder electronics with a RadioShack iron. It can be done, sure, but it's frustrating. Get a temperature-controller solder station and a fine tip for the iron. This will cost about $100, but will last years and produce much better results.

Another nice thing to get is a circuit board holder so you don't have to lay the board upside down on the table as shown in the comic. A good holder will help you work with surface-mount stuff too.

I also have a fan with a carbon filter to help with the fumes. Much nicer than blowing smoke out of your way yourself :)
Can you step me through this worst-case situation you're thinking of? People's most-emailed contacts being auto-added to their buzz stream doesn't count.
I don't have any experience to back it up, but I'd say go for the technologies you want to use: Good programmers can learn a new language pretty quickly, whereas knowing whatever is language du jour doesn't make you a good programmer. Hiring someone just because they know a framework doesn't really strike me as a sensible hiring strategy.

There might not be as many Clojure programmers as Java Programmers, but there's probably a higher proportion of good programmers working in Clojure than Java. Hire whoever you can find who is technically able, passionate about tech and your idea, and I'd wager they will pick it up pretty damn quick.
I find it odd that the biggest display of corporate advertising in the events themselves are the skis and snowboards.

No other piece of equipment gets to pimp their name and logos as much. Why?
Yeah ... but their "ultra-strong backgrounds" and "major high-level contacts" aren't worth jack if the company's product(s) don't work.

(Well, they still might make some money off of them before they get caught out, but that sort of fraud, inadvertent as it might be, is not something you want to be associated with.)

The "technical employee" is a necessary (but not sufficient) part of their potential success, and getting the technology right is a lot harder than non-techies realize.

The biggest problem here, especially today, is that there are so many hungry people on the streets looking for work that your negotiating position isn't strong. On the other hand, if these non-techie founders truly are savvy they'll know there's not exactly a surplus of really good people to choose from....

My bottom line is that when non-technical founders devalue technical employees they also tend to devalue all the technical things that are needed to make the venture successful, and that that's a very bad environment in which to work.
"why not just create an 18+ category in the App store"

Because every app that accesses the web in some way is forced to be rated 18+.
School that spied on students with laptop cameras says it was security feature
It has been a month exactly since we posted Favilous for review.

You all gave us such excellent feedback and we have been working through each of those to try to enhance the site. We also have a lot of exciting new features that we are working on in the next month or two.

We have redesigned the homepage in line with your comments and we still need to tweak it some more.

We now have over 275 users (more than Reddit in their first month) and have over 7000 links bookmarked.

Any further help you can give would be much appreciated!

Thanks

Steve
> the problem is not "government"; the problem is "power". it is power that is being abused. whether that power comes through the government, or through other means is largely irrelevant.

Except that it's not, because govt power is qualitatively different. A company can't throw you in jail. All that a company can do is refuse to deal with you.

> i wish americans would understand this.

I wish that non-Americans actually understood power.

Real power is when someone can do something to me or stop other people from dealing with me. It isn't when they refuse to deal with me.
That particular letter is from a group self-identified as "The Women Patriot Corporation".

They're upset that Countess Michael Karolyi didn't get a visa, so they go on a 16-page jihad: if the countess doesn't get one, then Einstein shouldn't get one either and it should be revoked.
Chicken and egg. The point of looking good is often to get the Italian woman to notice you in the first place.

Having said that, the last time I bought suits I brought my Italian mother-in-law to help me pick them out, so I guess I basically followed your advice.
Typically, if behavioral biometrics are used for authentication they mitigate replay attacks by asking users to answer a challenge chosen at random.

So, if authenticated via keystroke dynamics a users would be asked to type a given challenge string.
In a similar vein, with speaker verification scheme the user would be asked to speak out the challenge.

When the same biometrics are used for identification purposes they should not assume the collaboration of the user.

I don't have idea about what Scout Analytics' solution does.
I believe the reason is freedom of choice. Clearly not everyone wants to be part of this system. Do you not know of people who lock their profiles on facebook, or people who strictly avoid social networking sites in the first place? If that is the case, I would be very surprised. Do we remove their ability to choose?
In his later years, he had many lady friends of all sorts :)
In practice "get things in writing" doesn't help unless it's simply to memorialize the agreement. If your partners act in bad faith it just gives you (additional) grounds to sue ... and in this case they aren't exactly ensuring you have the money to sue. So unless the venture becomes so successful that you can get a lawyer on contingency....
I get the point you are trying to make, but I think it would only be valid if people fully understood the transaction they are making and chose to make it anyhow. I do not think we are there. Nor do I think this is because people are "stupid"; these issues are complicated. Over time, many of these people have discovered the issues that can arise and regret their decisions in hindsight; many more will come to the same realization in the future.

It should also be pointed out that privacy advocates in general are not saying these transactions should be impossible; what they are saying is that it should be possible to not conduct these transactions. There's basically no option to participate on Facebook and, say, pay them money to leave you the hell alone.
The bookmark tools slide down animation is incredibly jerky is safari.

Also the front page doesn't tell me enough to get me excited about your product. How does it differ from Reddit/Delicious? What makes it special? Why should I sign up?
Thanks for the correction, duly noted.
Thanks a lot for your POSITIVE feedback! :-)
And, of course, I agree with regards to the landing page - it'll be ready by Monday next week. It takes some time to prepare nice image that (we hope) will help to explain the purpose of the website.
Great app!

This actually fits a real need that I have. More functionality than Google Tasks, but not so intense/overburdened as Basecamp, or even Google spreadsheets.

For my specific needs, what would make this app a real killer:

* saving lists as templates, creating lists from templates. We often run through the same checklist while doing regression testing, or a site launch, so would be nice to have templates. There is the "import tasks" function, which is sufficient for now, but would be nice.

* comment box per task, or maybe just one for a list. This doesn't have to be some complicated system, just literally one textbox per tasks that everyone can view/edit.

* who's responsible for the task. Just literally being able to assign a task to an individual.

I tried to make my suggestions not be too feature creep and not just features for the sake of it. The last two shouldn't be difficult at all... templating system is a lot more intense, and probably overkill at this time.
Hi guys,

I have gone back to your last submission and think you have, largely, done well.

You have taken the comments on board and implemented them pretty effectively. 275 users is pretty good going too.

I would like to be able to convert my existing bookmarks however before I sign up with you..

Keep up the good work.
Cold-war noise - ex-German spies were hired by the CIA and FBI to generate "intelligence" which they did - by making up rumors about famous people, to keep the pipe full of reports and keep their jobs. Refer to the last pdf - when Einstein died the final investigation concluded all "reports" were by unknown sources or people dead or moved to Russia - "Case closed"
Inspirational Rat Story
This virtually demands a reprise of that Guardian piece:

Objections we cannot relate from IP holders we cannot detail prevent us from announcing congratulations to the downhill skier whose name we cannot utter. At the completion of the run we cannot describe she took off the helmet we cannot hawk and and spoke words we cannot repeat. This made us feel emotions we cannot get into, particularly not in front of our wives.

Rock on, anonymous downhill skier.