skysight-inc/HackerNews huggingface dataset:
Is this an application that will run on your own web servers, or do you intend businesses and individuals to install it on their own machines? If the latter you might consider whether your business can flourish under a GPL license with the option of a community interest to improve the software.

My immediate suggestion would be to get the code checked into a private repository, hosted at github or elsewhere. Then with a high volume laser printer on hand, get into a routine where you print out your code base on a weekly basis.

At that point its just a matter of hiring some folks to take a look at what you have, as far as the code base goes, before deciding who to pay next to advance the project.
Thanks! I'll show your comment to my editor there... Typically, they like articles to be short because the conventional wisdom is that people reading blogs have a 700-word attention span. (I tend to disagree with this wisdom, and even if it's true, I have little to say to people who can only comprehend 700 words at a time.) I was already pushing it at 1,100 words, and I had absolutely had to cut it down from 1,500.

Fortunately, if you do want something longer, there's always that 156,083-word essay you mentioned...
"My proposed special concentration in the intersection between "technology and its impact on society" could not be classified purely as economics or computer science. Each Dean reacted to my proposal with the same look: how could one even think such unclassifiable thoughts!"

Looks like you went to the wrong school.[1] But on a serious note, did they actually not make a serious attempt to accommodate you? It's not exactly a novel area of study.

[1] http://sts.stanford.edu/about.html
The best bit of that speech was the business of looking in the mirror every morning and asking if you want to do what you're going to do that day.

The trouble is, I'm going to college, I am saying "no" an awful lot of the time, but I'm not brave enough to quit.
Have you used server-clustering with pgsql?
Slony doesn't do multi-master, and requires manual failover; I understand the technical reasons for this (The slave may not be up to date, so data will be lost, etc), but we're looking for other options.

pg_cluster and it's ilk seem under tested, but I'd be VERY interested in your experiences, if any.

Clustering under mysql has always been fairly trivial, so it'd be nice to find a decent solution.
if you don't know any of the theory behind a problem, you don't even necessarily know if theres a solution thats useful in practice.

A good example in Computer Science is the various reductions (efficient or not )between different problems, where you relate the difficulty of the problem to any other computational problem which you find you're able to encode within the structure of the orginal problem.
Small fixed-price projects has been the key when I've done this. Anything too large, and the scope will not be apparent to the people you're outsourcing too. Also, I use google to search rentacoder.com bio pages and find someone who has already successfully done as close as possible to what I'm looking for, but for a different client. As Aneesh said, if they're good, keep them busy with new projects.
Programming is just as hard in general as theorem proving. To understand why thats hard, read up on undecidability,
to learn why they're the same intellectual act,
read up on the curry howard isomorphism and the like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curry-Howard_correspondence
Classes in Javascript? Absolutely
"When given two choices, always choose the harder one."

Whenever I have been brave enough to go this route, I have been rewarded... either with an awesome prize or wisdom.

Now days I usually look for the harder option. It doesn't make sense all the time since you might just waste a lot of time but it makes a lot of sense if it will cause you to grow.

Good tip!
Look up Daniel Ocean's business card.
Solid advice!

My first business mentor said it a little differently:

"Perception is everything until they buy!"
they are guilty ... they ought to find better things fun

I'm pretty sure what the downmodders are reacting against is the absoluteness of your moralism. Personally, I'm not offended by it. I'm flabbergasted by it.

Edit: this just reminded me of one of the best pieces of advice I ever received: Judge not, lest ye be judged. How's that for swinging back on topic?
I've got three:

Tell 'em what you're gonna tell 'em, then tell 'em, then tell 'em what you told 'em.

When you create, stick to three C's: Clear, Concise, and Complete.

Just Start.
Cleaning Up A Symlink Mess
QUOTES THAT HAVE INFLUENCED ME GREATLY:

* You can tell how badly you want [something] by observing your actions each day. Are they consistent with [attaining your goal]? ~ Brian Tracy

* Character is destiny. ~ Sigmund Freud

* Heaven and hell are a state of mind. ~ The Four Agreements

* We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do. ~ Mother Teresa

* There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly. ~ Richard Buckminster Fuller

* After you go to the bathroom, you don't just stand there and look at what you just dropped in there for all night long. At some point you gotta flush it, man. ~ Kobe Bryant

* Whether you believe you can, or you believe you can't... either way you're right. ~ Ron Sutton at The SBRC

* There are some things you can do something about and some things you can't do anything about... don't worry bout stuff you can't do anything about. ~ Dunno

* Work Harder. Play Hardest. ~ Me

* Attraction is not a choice. ~ David DeAngelo

* Intelligence is defined by prediction. ~ Jeff Hawkins

* "Every beginning requires an ending, another revolution around the wheel of life. Death is not sad; the sad thing is that most people dont really live at all." ~ Dan Millman

* Magnify what's best. Focus on what's next. ~ Change How You See Everything book

* Focus attention on opportunities not problems, strengths not weaknesses and what can be done instead of what cant. ~ Change How You See Everything book

* A diamond is just a hunk of coal made good under pressure. ~ Rod Weckworth

* There are three classes of people: those who see, those who see when they are shown, those who do not see. ~ Leonardo da Vinci
Yes, I know what they are responding to. I also noticed that they, and you, failed to comment on whether what I said is true.

They could do better, but don't, that's practically the definition of immoral. They value the wrong things, again, that's practically the definition of immoral. What am I wrong about? That some of the best things ever made are better than football?
I have known who Aaron is since like...1999 (I was 13)? I've been checking ThinkComputer once or twice a year since then but there never seemed to be updates on what was going on - it's good to see he is still involved in the tech industry at some level.

Anyway, it was interesting read his perspective on Harvard / higher education (and see a little more commentary on the Facebook issue).
1. State.
2. Functional languages.
Is the Voice 2.0 bubble breaking! 
Looks like Voice 2.0 startups are going through tough times. Jangl, an anonymous calling web based VoIP widget closed their door.
It includes all users who posted before Wed 7 May 2008. It doesn't have lurkers. Some profiles may be two weeks old. It is a more complete version of the previous version ( http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=173045 ), which mostly excludes accounts which had only been used to post one or two items.
Alexa sucks?
Scraping in Perl. That's to follow in the next day or so.
Much less so with top 100 sites. Surely it is right more often than it is wrong.
Indeed - a good Python dev is worth multiples more than than 80k. But we're talking cofounders here, no?
pokemon and football are higher up on the universally accepted scale of morally justifiable hobbies than internet forum flamebaiting. sorry about this - someone needed to let you know.
It's more than that, though -- we've had similar productivity increases in the US, yet we haven't experienced the same demographic shift.

If anything, we're currently in the middle of a baby-boom echo.
This is interesting. I haven't read the Curry-Howard stuff myself, but I found this article interesting. Aaron Sloman argues that Turing machines (or related formalisms like lambda calculus) are actually irrelevant to how computers have developed and how they are programmed. This, or some version of it, appeared in a book on the current state of (good old fashioned) AI, and he turns attention to AI specifically, but makes the case looking at computer technology's development and use more generally.

http://www.cs.bham.ac.uk/research/cogaff/sloman.turing.irrel...
"Don't work for money. Then you'll just get rich. And it's harder for a rich man to go to heaven than a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Why would you want to get rich if after you die you can't enjoy the next life?

"Just find what your passionate about and do that. Then you'll love life, you'll be in a great mood for your wife and kids. And you'll make plenty of money to get by."

Norm Nemrow, My Accounting Professor at BYU (My hero)

Edit: I don't think I wrote this exactly the way he said it -- he took an hour and a half to say what I tried to write here in just a couple paragraphs.
I'm serious. You, apparently, aren't. You're just calling me a troll. I think on PG's scale that is DH0 - Name Calling.

http://www.paulgraham.com/disagree.html
Thank you for the story. I really enjoyed it. Welcome to YC. :-)
Like another commentator, I also get several compile errors trying to digest your question.

For example "alienate my friends" gives a compile error: if they are really your friends, being a reclusive from time to time wouldn't alienate them.

I have some friends from the arts scene, and my impression is that they are under a lot of pressure to be special and artsy. What made you think that they would be closer to life than hackers? At least hackers create something real, whereas most art is entirely virtual (in the eye of the beholder).

If you are doing something truly cutting edge, it will probably always be a lonely affair. Just try to find the right balance? You might also enjoy this letter from feynman to wolfram: http://elzr.com/posts/wolfram-feynman

Personally, I guess I am already spoiled by my involvement with computers. To me, people are "just" algorithms that run for a short amount of time, similar to threads in a computer system. In the long term, individual experiences don't matter much. In that sense, mathematics seem way more important to me than daily human struggles. A new mathematical formula could live for thousands of years. I am not sure about computer programs, but perhaps the same goes for some of them. Certainly they can outlive their creators.

I am not saying that daily human life is pointless (who is to judge)? I care about my people's happiness, too (including my own). I compromise to be reasonably popular (ie I invest time in buying nice clothes). But when I really think about it, mathematics seems so much more important and interesting.

Also, there might be environments that are more suited to you (or me). I imagined some universities to be like that, but it is hard or impossible to get into there (for example complex systems research in Santa Fe, or ycombinator). Trying to find the peer group where you really belong might be the ticket nevertheless. I am not sure how to do it, but just because neither the artsy people nor the hardcore hackers are for you, doesn't mean that there is no other group that would be suitable.
Most apps labeled "social" these days should probably be labeled as "consumer", meaning they are intended to do "business" directly with the public.

Consumer websites have one of the lowest barriers to entry in the history of business. You don't have to know anyone, don't have to get a permit, don't have to do anything at all besides make your website and put it online. That's why they are popular to start and stories about them generate so much hype.

Consider this from another perspective for a moment, possibly your friend's perspective. Someone you know made something that you think is really cool and useful, but it probably isn't going to go anywhere. Trying to sell the "B2B" route requires connections, years of industry experience and nice suits. Odds are that neither of you have any of those things (or else I'd assume you'd be using them)

But what you can do is build a consumer app and hope the "social" side gains popularity. The very small chance of it becoming "the next facebook" (or insert ridiculously lofty goal inspired by dhh here) is probably about equal to the odds you'll be able to develop the B2B connections you need to do a good job of selling the product. Business relationships and reputation generally take years to develop and B2B customers are very demanding. It's theoretically possible (but unlikely) that a consumer app will be an "overnight sensation". That almost never, ever happens with B2B apps.

Lastly, we all want useful software. We just tend to talk about consumer software here on hackernews because that's the game we've chosen to play. I'm sure there are far, far less interesting sites out there devoted to B2B software hacking if you look for them.
Very cool. How well does the back (280 North logo on what looks like a road) print out?

This is going to sound trivial, but to me, something about the text in the top-right corner on the white side seems off. I think the colors are too dark compared to what you have on the other side.

It might just be my monitor or the fact that they aren't in print to me. Otherwise, I really like the simplicity of the design. Very straight forward and too the point, which is good (and the big print also makes it easier to read).
Amazing how the media has gone from "zomg overpopulation bomb" to "zomg underpopulation catastrophe" so smoothly. Especially with Japan, for crying out loud, which nobody has criticized as having too much elbow room. Does everything need to be a disaster?
The article misses something important in all of its "Japan is doomed because of the loss of the children" predictions.

Its easy to make more kids.

As the country becomes more empty, it will be more desirable to have kids. (Perhaps living in an apartment the size of a closet puts a damper on ones desire to have rugrats in there with you?) The Japanese population may simply be correcting for the space and resources available, not vanishing in an x-files-esqe mystery as the over-sensationalized article suggests.
The question you are looking for is much deeper than "people or code?".

You are really looking to figure out who you are and what you care about in life. And this is not a simple answer. People usually have many parts/areas of their "self" that they need to define as time flows on. Some of areas include spirituality, profession, service, fitness, family, etc.

You have to decide what areas of your life are important to you and from there, decide if the current state of those areas are what you'd like. If not, you need to work on that area. You don't need a life revolution even though it may feel like it. You need evolution. Keep parts of your self that you like. Reinvent the rest.

Reminds me of a quote that goes something like this: "Life is like a movie... You can either play an 'extra' in your life... or you can be the lead character."
but his was funny
50 Startups Strut Their Stuff At PlugandPlay Expo
Code without an observer is true beauty! Beauty in nature does not demand an observer to beg for its act and beauty. Why should you demand an observer to make a tom foolery or praise out of your code or people?

You cannot have code without people, so understand the people (hint: start with yourself, you'll realize you are very much like "other people"; gulp this, you will uncover more about anything)!
Just enable Javascript in emails. Seems like Microsoft was on the right track after all.

Or wait - wasn't that the main reason why everybody hates Microsoft now?
Never burn bridges.
I usually provide a TON of documentation to make the project as error-proof as I possibly can. Sometimes contractors don't like to think for themselves.
Google.org to help small and medium businesses
“Compound Time” Like Compound Interest?
Probably old, but it was new to me and I thought it was interesting, especially the "initiative brief" PDF. Sorry if this isn't appropriate for HN.
One company ago I made a mistake: Not a huge mistake, but a mistake that was big enough. Summoned to the CEO's office, I figured I'd soon be stuffing my knickknacks in a box.

Instead he told me the following story about Sam Walton, the founder of a somewhat successful retail venture.

A newly hired executive had made a multi-million dollar mistake and he too was summoned to the corner office. Before Sam could get a word in, the executive said "Save the lecture and just fire me."

Sam studied the young executive for a few moments and replied "Fire you? I just invested millions of dollars in your education - you don't even get to resign".

Like Sam Walton's freshly minted executive, I learned an important lesson that day. Mistakes, even those of the multi-million dollar variety, are inevitable. What is of utmost importance is that we learn the lessons taught.

(Only later did I fully grasp that small mistakes are actually desirable).
Trading your time for money is stupid, but you're not gaining anything if you outsource your life either.

Treat time as your most precious resource and set clear goals, everything else follows.
No, I wouldn't call that immoral at all. Immoral, to me at least, is when you cause harm to other people.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with deciding you don't want to devote enormous amounts of time and effort to something creative. For example, you can touch plenty of people's lives and have a tremendous positive impact on the world just by being there for your friends and family, something that devoting yourself to an intensely creative endeavor probably interferes with.

Don't get me wrong - entrepreneurs, authors, and other creative people are special people. That's why they are rewarded (sometimes) with praise, admiration, or money. But that most emphatically does not mean that they are better or more moral people than those who choose to live more ordinary lives.
Haha, you're welcome.

I know it sucks to hear this, but I get the impression you're probably younger than I am, and a lot of this uncertainty can only be sorted out with time, age, experience, etc.

Maybe a few more failures, too. It took some really annoying stuff happening for me to get completely out of film stuff (and music stuff too - I used to be really involved in local music)... and it was incredibly liberating.

One of the big things that got me going in my current direction was the book The Art of Innovation. That may only be inspiration for people into product design, UI, etc. (like me) and not necessarily for CS nerds... just a suggestion.
I have never made a comment on HC and I have been the silent observer for quite a while. Whether it will be of quality or not, I feel now is a good time to make the first one. To me, the greatest part of this site is the Ask YC section. Some of the most insightful and helpful advice I have ever read has come from the comments and in most cases, the comments are significantly better than the articles themselves.

The best advice that I ever received was from my father. He is one of the hardest working men I have ever met (construction) and never seems to complain no matter how tough things or life can get. This bit of advice may have been given to him at one point, but not too long ago he said to me, "Don't ever feel like you are missing out on something. There will always be another party".

While this advice is somewhat simplistic on the surface, it really has given me the ability to put life and the choices I make into perspective. It is easy to put your future on the back burner and get caught up in the feeling that it's a necessity to go out all the time (I am in college if that put things into perspective). I am gifted with the uncanny ability to rationalize to myself that the poor decision I am about to make is the somehow the appropriate one at the time(/sarcasm). Opportunities sometimes only come once in a lifetime and how we handle those situations is often the true determinant of our character.

Sometimes it is hard to stay in and direct my time and efforts into my current side project. Hopefully there will be many parties (celebratory I would like to think ;) ) to make up for the time that I am spending to make an impact and reach success outside of the norm. Sometimes I laugh at some of the comments people around me make, believing as though they can spend 6 out of 7 days a week drunk and then magically be granted a seven figure salary as the CEO of some organization right out of college. The other day someone I am unfortunate enough to know said to the people in a class "In ten years, you will all be working for me!". Well, I sure hope that in ten years I am not the katsup man in the McDonald's assembly line.

I am actually excited to submit an Ask YC question of my own in the next day or so because I really feel like I could use some direction on after college decisions. Cheers!
Because the tasks that we ask the computer to do increase as our ability to handle more complex problems increases. I can ROCK almost any programming assignment and task of 20+ years ago given today's languages and hardware. But the problems are now bigger and more complex.

"Difficult" and "Easy" are moving targets.
He is an entrepreneur doing what he loves and faced a life-changing event and never gave up. I think it's quite apt here.
I refuse to give up on the idea, and I know that the window of opportunity is only a few months.
I am considering outsourcing the development to India, so I can get it to a releasable state.

Since the window of opportunity is only a few months, i would strongly suggest not to look at the outsourcing option to India (or anywhere else). One, you would have a difficult time in finding out the right set of people (skill wise). Two, establishing a good working relationship takes a bit of time, especially working across geographies. A small startup pushing towards it's first beta is probably not the right time to start using the outsourcing model.
(Side-note: I am a developer based out of India)

You have got a lot of good suggestions on the way forward from here. I would also endorse you seeking out the Django experts on this forum who have offered help. At the bare minimum, they can review the code and tell you where exactly you are and how much more effort it would take to make a beta release.

Alongside, you can get some legal advice on getting out of this partnership with the least possible damage to you and your ethics.

Learning to code obviously would be helpful, and it really ain't that difficult.

Don't worry about this temporary setback, just get back up and give it a shot again. Being in the medical field, am sure you would have seen people fighting and coming out strong from far more difficult situations.

Good Luck.
I upmodded you because I think you raise a valid argument. But I do disagree, because I don't think it's immoral for a highly skilled doctor to quit his profession and open up a comic book store to sell Pokemon cards instead. Yes, society will be worse off for it. But does society have a right to tell the former doctor what profession he should take up? Morals would dictate that people have a basic right to do what they enjoy, as long as they aren't hurting anyone by their actions.

But is it a waste of talent for a good doctor to quit his job and pursue a less philanthropic effort? Yeah, that's probably valid.