skysight-inc/HackerNews huggingface dataset:
I didn't blip over your argument, I rejected your premise. Economies of scale mean it works better the bigger it gets (up to a certain point in most cases which I already said, whether that point in this case is greater than a state or less than a country I'm not going to make any sort of claim on). If I'm manufacturing a widget my fixed costs aggregate over all widgets produced. A prototype is extremely expensive. The first 10 million are much cheaper. The next 90 million are even cheaper than that. Yes the benefits get less drastic on a per unit basis, but the total savings for that last 90 million could still be extremely significant. Whether this actually applies to health care I'm not about to say because its incredibly complex, but the idea that it would work is not an outrageous one.

Now that I'm done defining what scaling means...
I think it would be great if the states could actually get it done, but the lower the office the less scrutiny is placed on an elected official and the more influence insurance companies can exert on them.

>The alternative isn't "Federal plan or nothing"

I'm well aware that federal action is not the only possibility, but I and many other people think it is the best one which is why we support it.

>you shouldn't need to force people to take advantage of them at the point of a gun

Who is advocating this? I would support single payer despite being in the class with incredibly low health care costs, but I know thats not going to happen any time soon so I advocate a public option. As the name implies, it is an option, not mandatory (as opposed to the boondoggle that actually got passed which I'm only okay with because it does have redeeming qualities that make up for the corporate handout). I believe state governments simply don't have the resources to set a system like this up.

Other arguments for federal action on this issue:

- it is a fundamental human right that must be protected at the highest levels. States protecting free speech doesn't mean federal doesn't need to.

- a uniform minimal baseline is desirable, on top of which the states can build how they choose.

>Big Medicine is pretty Big already.

Its objective is not to provide health care. Its objective is to generate profit. It is extremely good at generating profit, but not as good at providing quality health care for anyone who needs it.

>It's never a choice between "the Feds do it" or "we sit on our hands"

Who has ever said that it was? It may be the best choice we can get done.
Yeah, i've been to Beijing and people don't really seem to drive in lanes there. It would be really nice if they could get this to work, but it seems a bit utopian.
What's a war room? Google, ironically, was of no help.
What is a ‘computer program’?
Its indeed awesome for a company as large as Apple to keep things this way. I have several friends at Cisco and Oracle and the teams there are just bloated beyond belief. I think a lot of this flows top down and the management needs to get it. Once you work at a well-run startup, you know that the only way to get things done is with small teams and a core team of star engineers who move around and get things done.
Again, Google wants to operate and market in China without complying to Chinese law.
That said... &&= might be deemed obscure. Even experienced rubyists seem confused when I use it.
While I'm not as up on FreeBSD, OpenBSD's package management has really improved over a year or so ago - I run snapshots on my desktop, updating the whole shebang every week or two, and "sudo pkg_add -ui -F update -F updatedepends" just updates everything* via binary packages. It updates as smoothly as Debian.

Also, in 7 years, I've never had package updates break things on OpenBSD (aside from config file formats changing or postgres database transfers, with warnings at update). That happened to me a couple times with Debian (around woody).

* except for my ports that haven't made it upstream yet.
Ask HN: Kneeling Chairs?
Has anyone had any bad experiences with kneeling chairs? I'm looking into them as a way to alleviate the long days of sitting, and I'm not sure if I'm missing the 'balance' or there are only positives to see.
The cost to purchase a home went up, but that isn't the same thing as the cost of housing, since home purchases have a strong component of speculative investment.

An analogy to make it more obvious: imagine I sell packages consisting of 1 banana + 1 share of Chiquita stock. If Chiquita stock goes up, does that mean we had food price inflation?
Euro Daily Forex Strategy Aug 2nd 2010 | Videos World
> But there are two outcomes I think are likely.

It's undefined behavior. Any outcome is likely. The compiler could halt your program immediately if it wanted to, and that's just as likely as either of the cases you offer.
Why do people always feel the need to point out that Android is supported by multiple manufacturers whenever the issue of Android vs. iPhone market share is mentioned, as though they think they've just dropped a bomb on the conversation? Is this just some bizarre way of standing up for Apple's honor?

> But comparing iPhone sales to Android sales is comparing an apple to a bushel of oranges.

No it isn't. The real story is mobile OS market share trends, and how that relates to third-party application development. From that perspective the underlying hardware manufacturers and cellular carriers are largely irrelevant.

However, this particular report doesn't take into account the iPhone 4 sales numbers, so take it with a grain of salt...
I'm more of a hardware hacker myself, and many of the linked web pages tell little about the startups. Does YC fund many hardware based startups, or is it exclusively software?
The computing world is changing dramatically. There might not be anything called a 'desktop' in 8 years. I'd wager that what you're using instead will involve Linux in some way.
Not bias, but rather a prior. If you know someone quit Google, finding out they disliked a lot of things about Google doesn't give you much more information.
LYAH might not be serious or idiomatic, but maybe that's why it works - well it worked for me anyway. Its lighthearted but that makes a great first contact with the language, for some audiences anyway.

I personally did most of LYAH and then hit RWH (subsequently, I found the first few chapters of RWH were boring and slow in comparison to how the same topics were introduced in LYAH).
I would be interested in this question as well. I got contacted last week by a company in Cyberjaya and while I didn't get to proceed with their interview, it does sound like a cool area. I have studied some Mandarin and am considering moving to a place where I could speak Mandarin daily.

I have lived in China and probably would not go back. Taiwan is another option I am considering but I imagine KL to be cheaper and more fun.
In fact, the bad old days are still with us, as most applications still rely on fragile custom code, running in an application server like Ruby on Rails, Python's Django, or some kinda Java thing.

I'm pretty sure the fragility of the code is as much down to the person writing it as it is to the platform. I don't think it's fair to say that application servers are inherently fragile; run Python or Java apps on App Engine and you're unlikely to ever have a genuine scaling problem...

BTW is that how we quote text here?
Plugin/Library Distribution Checklist
> 5. I really like source / ports-tree-based packaging ... Some Linux distros (Arch and Gentoo) have similar packaging systems, now.

FreeBSD user here. I've always been curious about the ports-tree-based packaging systems found in these Linux distros. Is anyone familiar enough with both to offer a comparison?
Sadly, there will almost always be hoops, and you will almost always have to jump through them.

I know this might seem too fatalistic of an outlook, but I personally find that it's mostly true, and accepting it allows you to better deal with hoops in their various shapes and sizes. You can break the mold every now and again, and avoid the hoops, but often it's more effective to just practice your hula (hoop)
I'm not trying to be argumentative, trollish, etc. But, really none of those are very compelling and a couple are negatives. I can see 3,4,5 being important if I developed software that is directly affected by any of that. 1 is a political argument and one that I stand on other side of the fence on. 2 just sounds like it takes longer for stuff to be released. 3 meh. 4,5 extra meh. Recompiling is so trivial that not having to recompile is a non-feature. 6. I never groked ports I might not hate it if someone explained it to me. OTOH rpm and apt made sense from reading docs.

My point is, isn't there anything else? Cause if that's it, I totally understand the respective "market share" FreeBSD and Linux have.

btw I've used OpenBSD for public facing firewalls way long ago cause it's security emphasis was a huge feature over Linux.
The vast majority of YC companies are pure software companies, but there are a few that aren't. A couple of the companies on the YCommonApp are working on hardware, including Wattvision.
Just keep doing what you are doing. I don't know you and I read your blogpost and signed up for the preview. Make sure you talk about it and don't be shy about asking people to look at your app.

Good luck!
I was trying to think why I found this so disturbing: "I simply have no ulterior motive or incentive against organized groups who have their livelihoods and PhDs based on Haskell." The thing is, it cannot be honest. A simple reflection, a Google search, e.g. http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&a... and some time spent reflecting on the modules linked, will show that Don S. could make a far better 'livelihood' doing just about anything other than writing Haskell. The trouble you are faced with is this, that the only way to explain all of this is that he does these things because he thinks they are right and good, and for no other reason.
We're one of the companies that will hire people through the	YCommonApp, and we don't care if you're on twitter, github, stackoverflow, have a blog or a website, and whether you've played with RoR, Django, Clojure, or some other flavor of the week technology. Being damn good at what you do is more than enough for us.
Can you provide some of the reasoning that led you to the $12.79 amount. That is a rather odd amount, but it seems like you have a reason for it and I'm curious as to what it is.

I agree it sucks to get locked out when your trail runs out. I think your idea of locked down afterwards is a better idea.
Stagnation doesn't necessarily refer to the frequency of release.
True blood is on hbo; no commecials
Is it just me, or does the first example assign to 4 variables, not 3?
No, I think "top money manager at a major Wall Street firm" and otherwise unattributed actually is random people.
pypy and pypi, it took me the longest time to remember which is which
There are 21.
There's still a lot to like about Google; it attracts brilliant engineers, it treats them well, it builds some remarkable products and there's a good deal of status associated with working there.

Every company will have its flaws. Google has over 20000 staff now so there's always going to be some politicking required if you want to get ahead. It's still probably a lot better than other companies that size.
The Nordic countries are quite a bit more expensive than Germany (and have worse bread). Which stems from the slightly lower VAT in Germany, less regulations and taxes on the sale of alcoholic beverages and the fact that Germany has Aldi, Lidl, Penny, Plus, Netto, etc. (all of them competing discount stores).
Is this a bad thing? Is saying "we'll give you $5000 off your taxes if you buy a hybrid car" worse than saying "we'll throw you in jail unless you buy a hybrid car"? That's the alternative.

If gas consumption is too high, why not increase the gas tax and let individuals figure out the best way to deal with it? Maybe for some people the best solution is to reduce their commute rather than buy a new car.
Haha, yeah, where I work whenever there is a crisis, the "Tiger Team" swings into action.

No you're not tigers. You're a bunch of middle-aged middle-managers in a medium sized IT organization. No-one thinks you look like a helicopter pilot with your stupid Bluetooth headset. Grow the fuck up!

And said crisis is something that was probably caused by their poor decision making in the first place. Umm hello McFly, cutting 50% of the features to save 5% of the budget is not a bargain...

Keep in mind that management wants things that are good for Google. You care about what's good for you

This isn't true either. A manager wants what's good for his or her career 10x more than an engineer does. As I have said before, the only people who become managers are those who want to, which implies they want it more than doing engineering. If they convince you it's "for the good of the company" well that's just a tactic to get you to put their interest ahead of your own.

Not that companies don't need management. But don't get starry-eyed about it.
Google's results are fairly decent if you give it a little disambiguation help, though there's still a lot of room for improvement:

http://www.google.com/search?q=war+room+software+development

From the Joel-on-Software thread:

http://www.ns.umich.edu/Releases/2000/Dec00/r120600a.html
I also have not heard of 'footfalls'. Brick and mortal stores refer to door count.

Also there is a lack of details on your site. You do have the video, but there was not enough details on the site to want me to watch it. You didn't hook me into wanting to know more about the service.
startups usually pay 20% higher then those listed on glassdoor. From my small experience. and biased to bay area.
Ask HN: How can I learn about social engineering exploits?
I recently read The Art of Deception by Kevin Mitnick [1], and watched the BBC show The Real Hustle [2]. As someone who has a natural tendency to trust people, I'm interested in learning more about the underlying principles that social engineers and con artists employ, and seeing well-executed examples, from phishing to guy-on-the-street scams.

Question for security-savvy HN readers: what websites or books on this topic would you recommend? (For example, I like reading the links Schneier [3] occasionally posts about ingenious schemes he comes across.)

In case it's of interest to anyone, I'll post in the comments a compilation of the most frequent tricks & lessons I learned from the full series of The Real Hustle.

[1] http://www.amazon.com/Art-Deception-Controlling-Element-Security/dp/0471237124

[2] http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=25386750441983070#

[3] http://www.schneier.com/
I know of a couple of entrepreneurs who made a good few mil by selling their startup and were looking to start a business as a lifestyle cashflow only business. When I asked him why, he said they did not want to dip into their savings for daily expenses and wanted to have a business that was sure to make them just enough money without way too much effort. I think this is not a bad strategy unless you just don't want to work, which I think is rare.

In terms of growth, I think its wiser to invest in BRIC where the core domestic markets are getting stronger and the stock market returns are a lot better, though choppy. Also if you diversify into real estate (recurring income), CDs (monthly income), and such other opportunities, then you can strike a balance for yourself.

Influence is VERY tough though. I wouldn't count on it as an indefinite opportunity to earn money when needed, assuming you are able to cut through the noise and build credibility (which itself may be tougher than having a decent exit. Plus it is not for everyone). New influencers constantly displace current influencers and it would take a lot more work to maintain it unless you founded Google or something.
My bad. I totally misread this whole thread. I thought this was a common application for all YC-like programs. Totally botched it there. Sorry!
As promised in my post:

Most common tricks used in "The Real Hustle":

1. Fake an appearance of authority (wear a uniform, get a sign, etc.)

2. Get a shill/accomplice.

3. Get people to make exceptions to routine security measures based on extenuating circumstances.

4. Get people distracted or nervous

5. Use social conditioning to prevent people from speaking out (e.g. taboos against making a scene in public)

6. Appear to concede something of your own (give someone fake collateral)

7. Give the mark a motive to be surreptitious (e.g. get the mark to commit a crime)

8. Make people think there's an information asymmetry to their advantage (e.g. pretend not to know how much Euros are worth, thus making the person think they're ripping YOU off)

9. Put the mark under time pressure.

10. Use easily obtainable information for authentication. (e.g. eavesdrop on the person)

11. Do a verification of authenticity, but then cause an interruption that lets you swap back to counterfeit. (e.g. show someone the laptop you're selling them, but at the last moment swap it out of the bag for a block of wood)

12. Cause a plausible emergency situation that voids the usual authentication mechanisms. For example, put an "out of order" sign on a bank deposit box and stand to collect people's money.

13. Fake credible signals. For example, people are willing to believe what they overhear while eavesdropping on you, since they don't realize they've been set up, and therefore don't think you have any reason to be dishonest.

14. To increase trust, give the mark a token sign that you're following security guidelines: "sorry, I'm not allowed to accept money from you. Please call this number instead."

15. Make an offer you know they'll refuse, but that enhances your credibility nonetheless. (e.g. offer to authenticate yourself in a way that would inconvenience them, such as having them call a number and wait on the line.)

16. Stores/restaurants don't let you leave without paying, but they're more comfortable if someone in your party sticks around. Befriend an innocent bystander and make them complicit by giving the business the impression that you know the person.

Protecting against scams:

1. Always keep your valuables in a hard-to-reach location

2. Require credible authentication! If someone calls, ask for a number to call them back.

3. If you can't get credible authentication, take a picture. Get the conman's identity. They should be happy to give you more info. Or put them in a surprise situation that will throw their scam off guard.

4. For a game or proposition bet: ask "Is there a trick?"

5. If an out-of-the-ordinary event happens and you get your attention drawn to something, keep in mind that it could be a scam.

6. Bargains rarely come looking for you, unless there's a catch.

7. Remember: Situations that look like coincidences are easy for conmen to set up!!!
"Hard science" and medical school
Seems more like professional-grade trolling than a serious suggestion.

Still, on the offchance they do start doing it, I'll be first in line for rainwater tanks, so I can protect the purity of my precious bodily fluids.
If what you say is true, why is all this free money still lying around? Is there some systematic reason for why hedge funds don't do it, or why too few people bid on courthouse auctions?
Actually I didn't tell the 25 startups to use HireHive. The HireHive founders convinced them. It was easy because they're all desperate to hire.

And Posterous I use because I genuinely like it. Before Posterous we never blogged at all, because it seemed like too much trouble.
This certainly does seem like a step above anything that's been done before. Fluoride is intended to be basically inert as far as ingestion goes--- its purpose is to improve tooth strength, but not to have any medically noticeable internal effects when the water's drunk. Adding a substance that is medically active when internally ingested as a default drinking-water option would be quite a step. At the very least, we might want to get a lot better handle on what the possible downsides are. There are these studies showing a good preventative association with suicides, but does increasing lithium intake do anything negative? It would be surprising if it had no possible negative effects, so the question is more what they are and how likely/serious they are.
Sure, but I'd assume they'd decide that in a later phase. Submitting something to YCommonApp is just like going to a mixer where you think interesting companies might be.
I commented on the original article as well and see if mine comment gets moderated or not. Here is the full text with some spelling correction

<<<Wow! you bring out A example and make a blanket statement about msft!! Perhaps I should (or someone) also bring "A" example (or a few) from Msft to disprove your POV??? So the example I can think of is the Windows Mobile virtual earth app which was built by A employee. So does msft think like startup?
I hate blogs because they are just "opinions">>>
I think most candidates who are good will find this to be way too much work to prove their point. They won't do it. Secondly, depending on the job a lot of people may get disqualified just because they seem lame on video, though they are stellar at what they do.

But as an idea, I like it for its novelty. The jobs space is broken in many ways and this is worth a shot. Just don't think it will work for every job type. For hiring at Crate & Barrel or Starbucks perhaps.
What ever happened to choosing a company that you think is a good fit? Product fit is part of the equation.
I've been experiementing with changes in sitting position. Regular chairs do something to my blood pressure that I don't like. I've read that kneeling chairs may actually be harmful.

In the last few days I started using the full lotus position as my "regular" sitting position. It has a centuries-long track record of enabling one to sit comfortably for long periods, so I think it's a more likely candidate than most "alternatives" out there. Just a matter of getting the workspace adapted to it and getting used to how it feels. I'm cheating a bit using my bed as a backrest, and propping my computer on the rounded footrest of my regular stool chair.
Server and Tools Business?
It is probably worth noting that AMD brought 64-bit to the PC world. Intel was telling customers they didn't need it.

AMD actually took a small bite out of Intel and Intel quickly changed its mind.

Breaking the Wintel monopoly will spur a lot of innovation. A third choice like Chrome or Android on tablets or notebooks might do the trick.
The people who sell phones are idiots. Twice now AT&T employees have tried to tell me that Android phones only have AGPS, which isn't real GPS, and just uses cell towers. There are so many things wrong with that, that when you try to correct them, you just sound like an obnoxious windbag and they tune out.
Don't do it. Less than half is a more than a reduced salary. That's a major cut. After 3 months do you get any compensation for the first 3 months of reduced pay?

Even in tough economic times like now, I would not take the offer unless I had nothing else. Its hard enough to work at a startup without this added stress.

I believe that employees are absolutely critical to the success of a start up and I can't image that this start up is going to attract the best and brightest to work there with this attitude. I suspect that no matter how you perform, after 3 months, they will try to keep you salary low because they have already undervalued your contribution in the first 3 months.

What we do is to offer a short term contract during which we pay them normal contract rates, but we have the option of not hiring them at the end of the contract. No matter what they get paid for their work and if we like them, we bring them on at above industry average rates.