skysight-inc/HackerNews huggingface dataset:
If someone has "what it takes to be a success in America", they should spend their time and talent on being a success at home rather than trying to convince US government officials that 1) they are not taking Americans' jobs, and for us Arab muslims that 2) they are not a terrorist.

Please note that the problems are 1) you have to do this when your competitors do not, and 2) your explanations have to go though a government official, ie you will waste many years and the process has nothing to do with logic or facts.

I say this as someone who left the USA even after my employer and my wife's both offered to convert our H1B visas to greencards. But I decided that 6 years (our H1B time in the USA) was already too long that I delayed my startup, and waiting for the green card again was not worth it.

I think your real problem is not that you are not in the USA, it is that you are in Egypt. Bahrain, my country, has problems, but Egypt is something else.

So I think you should really go to Dubai. (I want to say Bahrain, but Dubia is our Silicon Valley, so go there my friend.)

Also, while in Egypt, or Dubai, or anywhere else in the Arab world... apply to Seedcamp. In my year, Talasim from Jordan won, as did my own company, although I applied from Cambridge, UK. But now I am in the Gulf, pursuing clients, and I can tell you that I have access to some here who are more sophisticated than any I saw in the USA. So use what have, go where you can work quickly, because that is what you need for success, not being in the USA.
Thanks for sharing, I truly believe a "fast mover advantage" is super important in Startups, especially when a window of opportunity becomes obvious, it's all but a race of speed to market by a multiplitude of startups.

Having said that, I wouldn't try to steal users from Facebook or Google in the same market today because of the "network advantage" they have created over the years - it's where your friends use, and that makes the website sticky. Maybe there are ways to do it, but I think it's more efficient to try create something completely new.

Perhaps Foursqaure or Gowalla isn't that sticky yet?
> I want to institutionalize the mentally ill.

Institutionalize is a nice, clinical sounding word, but what it means is incarcerate. Imprison.

You are talking about locking up people without them committing any crime, without any trial, without them having any appeal or defense, for a week, or a year, or their entire life.

You, I suspect, would condemn a police authority who wanted to imprison whoever it liked, for however long it liked, on grounds of serving the general good. It is just as wrong to give a medical authority those powers and declare they'll only be used to help the people they're imprisoning.
I'm sorry--was that an anecdote you used to make your point?
Android portable hot spot feature is more or less the only thing (together with the better notifications) that is preventing me from selling my N1 in favor of an iPhone 4...
It is not obvious to me than anchoring matters nearly as much in situations where the party being anchored knows they are in a negotiation.

(Couldn't you defeat it by, I don't know, pulling out a piece of paper and writing a number on it beforehand? Granted, that would be an improvement over the truly atrocious negotiations I've seen and been party to... I mean, if you are hearing the first whisper of your market value during salary negotiations, something is seriously borked with your decisionmaking processes.)
A similar program to what we have in California, you're saying?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proposition_36
Howfuckedismydatabase.com
Ada Lovelace was the first computer programmer. Of the first six programmers for the ENAIC, all were women.

Of course, that isn't quite as well known as it could be, and recent role models are more important than historical ones, but still.

Another problem is that, by and large, the only tech people who the average person can name are those who have hit it big, generally by starting and running a famous company (Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg are not well known because of their programming, but because of their companies).
Founder Institute: How To Launch In 10 Steps With Less Than $2,000
That's like saying "I desperately need a wife". Not likely, sorry.
"Sit around feeling smug about your superior moral philosophy without doing anything, and the poor bugger'll starve to death."
I figured. I'd delete this post if I could. But it is kind of like that - critical.
How can you buy an unlocked phone, though? Except for the N1 through the developer connection? I am guessing that tbray uses a N1. So do I and most other Android developers I know.

Which means we are all living in a fantasy land. We have a good experience, whereas life for the people we told to buy an Android phone will suck.
Any word of advice? Maybe I can learn something? How do you like beepl?
Why just not to pipe all the traffic through SSH proxy (-D) to avoit user agent filtering? Or do they also block connections to other ports than 80?

(Telcoms are really ripping off people in some contries. I pay 14 EUR per month for unlimited, uncapped, unfiltered 3G data for three(!) devices.)
I only know Cocoa Touch, but there it's not really the case. Parts of it are done using protocols, but a lot is still classical inheritance.
I was tuning my Opera to have tabs at the bottom for quites some time since. They had tabs at the bottom by default originally, then switched them to being at the top.

I guess it was one of those changes where they chose to move along with the crowd, since their market share is minor. Other example is key combinations.
The formulas for giant companies are the same
Its amusing, amazing, surprising, but the general bunch of formulas used to build giant companies, monopolies and the sort have remained the same over more than a century.

The formulas used by the Gateses, Ellisons, Sergeys & Brins are more or less the same as the formulas used by the Venderbilts, Rockerfellers, Carnegies, Morgans...
Unfortunately it depends also on the hardware. The Milestone and afaik the droid are very unlikely to support the official 2.2 tethering as the Wifi chip does not support AP mode.

But you can get easily tethering on a the milestone (or many other 2.1/1.6 devices) with the adhoc mode. Root your phone (you just have to intsall one application nowadays) and install the open source wireless-ether <http://code.google.com/p/android-wifi-tether/>; package
An installer or a program running at installation time as the super user has different permissions than just any old application.

Think about it, if an application can write to the boot area then you've got a giant hole in your security.
Here are some things I wish I understood when I was 17:

1. Being "unique" doesn't mean trying to alienate everyone else. Many of the people that you meet, and who seem simple or uninteresting, have a great story to tell or a special talent to share. So, trying to "fit in" a little bit and getting to know lots of people doesn't make you a lesser person in any way; it makes you greater for the broader perspectives that you will get.

2. As you begin to learn to find something of value in each person, also begin to learn to find something of value in the work that you do. Stubbornly refusing to do homework only hurts you, and proves nothing. This is the best time to begin developing the discipline required to focus completely on a mundane task and finish it as quickly as possible; if you can get the hang of that, then there's no job you can't master.

3. Do not talk yourself out of saying "hi" to that girl. You're missing out on a lot of fun, it won't hurt you, and the sooner you start practicing this the sooner you'll get the hang of it.

4. Make sure you maintain a healthy balance in your life. Working all day behind a computer and then going home to play around with a computer until the early morning will eventually cause you to burn out and completely disrupt everything you have in order to feel healthy again. Even though you enjoy it now, you're better off leaving some time for learning how to work on a car, or running around outside, or socializing; then you'll have something to do when you can't stand working on a computer anymore.

5. Most of all, spend less time on the internet. In 10 years you'll barely remember any of the message boards that are so important to you now; you'll have trouble remembering many of the people that you associate with online; you won't be certain exactly what it was you did with all your time online. If you want to socialize, meet some people in person; if you want to learn something, start with a book; if you want to waste some time, try another hobby; and if you want pornography, try finding a girl to say hi to instead.

6. Oh, and finally: you probably won't heed any of this advice anyway, because you're irrationally stubborn, determined to do things your own way, and still struggling with some bad habits that you refuse to get help with. That's OK. You'll be fine so long as you keep pushing yourself a little bit every day.

I'm sure none of these apply to you, but I wished I knew them 15 years ago. :-)
An intresting idea. For those that would like to be charitable to the homeless but are concerned about how it gets spent, we've started carrying a few $10 gift cards to McDonalds (or something similar). That way we know it gets spent on a relatively decent meal, and not booze. Recently we've seen more homeless families with kids - and it's especially nice to be able to give them a few of those.

edit: An added benefit during the winter, is that they get to be a 'paying customer' somewhere warm for at least a couple of hours.
> The US has the single best healthcare system in human history, if you can afford it.

It's that if you can afford it that makes it worst healthcare systems in any developed nation in some people's eyes.

Everyone is comparing apples to oranges when it comes to this stuff.

System 1: Everyone has health care but it may be subject to wait-listing which leads to major problems.

System 2: A percentage of the population can't afford basic care but those that can, get exceptional care. Emergency care is typically available to everyone through public hospitals regardless of ability to pay but if you can afford part of it, it has the potential bankrupt you.

The systems reflect cultural bias.

Note: Any system has the potential to become rationed.
From an entrepreneur's perspective, devoting one's business solely into the app store isn't a wise move. Since Apple has the veto power over the app distribution channel the risk of wasting hundreds of hours but not getting to the market is too high.

What one should do is to develop software that runs multiple platforms, and if it becomes popular I doubt Apple would want to lose out in the fanfare.

Imaging Apple disapproving Dropbox? not quite possible, because people love it on other platforms, and if Apple doesn't support it on iPhone people will go get a blackberry.
Already made the frontpage 3 days ago (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1636113)
I think that the kind of folks who are _capable_ of building significant iOS based apps simply choose not to, instead of simply producing fart apps.

I avoided the platform for as long as I could. During that time: the tools improved, hardware and APIs have improved greatly, provisioning hardware got a lot easier, and the review process shortened significantly.

So now, I'm dipping my toes in and embarking on a fairly significant app. However, because I'm a long-time Mac developer, much of my existing code and experience moves over without much fuss—perhaps the developers of "signifiant" apps just have a different kind of "fart app"?

Rob's situation is fairly unique, and unfortunate. The whole ordeal is a load of BS, and I hope things change for the better for him. Briefs is a great idea, and it was easily the coolest iOS product demo at C4[3].
The path to enlightment is a lonely one
Communicate Like Drugs
> So many of the things you learn, things you'd like your 17 year old self to know, are things that other 17 year olds already know; and vice versa.

Indeed, and many parents make a mistake by not realizing this.

They think about what they missed in their lives (e.g. money) and they want their children to have it, so they force them to go to med school and make their lives miserable by being too strict about studying and discipline.

They never look at what they themselves (the parents) had and took for granted (e.g. freedom, social life) and they don't see that their children don't have these things. The parents might even view these things as unimportant, because after all, they had a social life in their youth, but it didn't earn them any money! So it's better for their children to not have a social life, but instead get a good career so that they can earn money!
Jeremy Rifkin On "The Empathic Civilization"
If it's that easy, why isn't everyone doing it?
It is not obvious to me than anchoring matters nearly as much in situations where the party being anchored knows they are in a negotiation.

On the other hand, an anchor can backfire when the party being anchored doesn't know they're negotiating, too.

When Google offered me a job back in 2006, they named the first number -- and coming from an academic background and having no experience in industry, it didn't occur to me to try to negotiate. Instead, the low offer simply contributed to me rejecting the offer.

It's entirely possible that I would be working for Google if they had offered me what they thought I was worth. (I don't know what they thought I was worth, but in hindsight and with the benefit of talking to many Googlers in similar positions, I'm sure it would have been at least 25% and probably 50% higher.)
So, it's preferable to have a company not able to use its apps to get business done then have a non-updated browser?
Women In Tech and Women Entrepreneurs, The Truth
Clean People Feel Morally Superior
Wearing Designer Knockoffs May Have Hidden Psychological Costs
Foursquare autocheckin experiment
Google GMail Phone/Voice Service
Great suggestions, a few of them I've been trying to take onboard already. I've found running has been great to get away from the 'net!
Mertado: Looking for Senior Software Engineer (LAMP)
Mertado (YC W2010) is based in Palo Alto, CA and are founded by a team of entrepreneurs that have several years experience building consumer based applications. Our team includes PhD, Harvard MBAs and best of breed engineering. We are well funded by prominent Silicon Valley venture capitalists that have invested in companies like Netflix and MySpace.

We are looking for an exceptionally intelligent, talented and enthusiastic Software Engineer to drive development of our web-application. You will get to work closely with the founders of the company and deliver an application that will be used by millions of users. You are a self starter eager to make a mark for yourself.

Skills:

- Generalist software engineer: Expertise building scalable systems and algorithms

- Expertise in working with PHP and MySQL

- Understanding of AJAX, CSS, JavaScript & jQuery

- Experience managing large amounts of data

Requirements:

- BA/BS in CS, EE, or equivalent education experience

- 3+ years software development experience

- Strong product sense and an interest in building web applications

- Entrepreneurial spirit

- High levels of creativity

This is a full-time position. Compensation includes competitive salary, early-stage equity and health benefits. Please apply with your resume, and a tell us about exciting products you have built. We are looking for a high-energy engineer who can join ASAP.

Apply to jobs@mertado.com
Is there anything similar in zsh? That could be quite helpful?
DeviceVM App Runs Windows on an Apple iPad
I never once saw women "treated like shit" in any of my computer science classes in college. All I observed was that guys had a mild bias towards being more helpful and cooperative with girls.
So funny and i'm not even a geek!
Interesting letter. Never seen before. Thanks for the links! .. btw my point was not so much about Einstein's religious beliefs, but just that even he found changing beliefs (scientific ones) hard.
Ierusalimschy's LPEG (a PEG parser for Lua[1]) also has some new developments. IIRC, he found a way to greatly improve the space performance of PEGs. I've used it a lot (it's a nice middle ground between REs and a full parsing framework, and Lua is one of my favorite languages), but I'm not familiar enough with Ford's PEG implementation to be more specific.

Also, here's a good blog post[2] in which the author discovered how using parsing tools to syntax-highlight text as it's being modified quickly led him to the frontiers of parsing research.

[1]: http://www.inf.puc-rio.br/~roberto/lpeg/lpeg.html

[2]: http://www.codekana.com/blog/2009/04/02/on-the-speed-of-ligh...
Why Tech Warriors Give Up: A Closer Look At Built To Flip (TCTV)
>Betting on a social guru with no technology training is like betting on the Mayans.

I find this analogy to be incorrect and extremely muddled at best and insensitive at worst. Betting on the Mayans to what? As a civilization? They are one of the few civilizations to invent writing and create a robust arithmetical system and number theory as well as sophisticated astronomical methods. To cease existing? Nah, they never disappeared and their descendants are many.

To be destroyed by the Spanish Inquisition? Okay that one makes sense. Just saying. Oh and I agree with the message of the article but not the tone.
If like me your reaction was "I can't believe it's pure CGI", you'll like this

http://vimeo.com/8200251

and this too

http://vimeo.com/8217700

I found the last video mesmerizing even though (or because) I can't understand 99% of what's going on.
I happen to be one of those "gurus" that provide social media consultancy service to a government agency on the sideline. I totally agree with your points and am surprised there are people who just pretend to be professional social media experts.

On the other hand I do take pride in my work because - as bizarre as it may sound - there are managers out there just don't get "social". As more and more organisations nowadays want to become social and start engaging their users, there are definitely opportunities in this new field - but not by people talking about unicorns of course! Codes and standards will come in time.
and what are these formulas?
For a really good primer in basic negotiations, take a look at Fisher & Ury's Getting to Yes (http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Yes-Negotiating-Agreement-With...).

It's a quick read but very useful, and these guys are respected in the field of negotiation.
I really feel for the economic (and more) problems Americans and Canadians have to endure in this context just to acquire something that should be natural to every "mobile" person on the planet: easy and unhindered communication.

I really, really hope Europe won't become the same hell.
http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/The_Market_for_Lemons...

Probably in this case it would be enough to require inclusion of quotient between exclusive and total space in all advertisements and agreements.

There should be some bounds on advertisement. Can commercial lie about facts? Can it promote alcohol? Can it promote medication without obligatory warning?
thanks for the comment. I agree. New startups should look at Facebook and Google as platforms and not competitors. It doesn't just apply to startups though, I think all businesses that make money online have more to gain by being fast instead of first.
Review my first webapp
expand B(x+2)?? but how??
Satoshi Kon's last words
What time zone does it post in?
How did this become the #1 free iphone game in Japan?
CyanogenMod 6.0 built on Froyo released
How would you expand 3(x+2)?
"...a man who had appeared with a can of beer and poured half into her paper cup. Joanne appeared sober."

I wonder about the accuracy of this reporters story, after reading this passage.
The problem is this assumes you are able to predict now what a later version of yourself will regret later, which isn't possible. Every decision creates a different you which will value different things. A path that he takes now because of his imagined future no-regret prediction may have prevented him from taking a path from which he would have ended up learning something much more, which would have a completely changed his judgements about what he would regret. No-regret is a good aspect of making decisions, but he might want to through in a few principles and values into the mix as well.
One of the problems in the UK is that it's hard to find an unlimited internet plan. Nearly all the networks place a 500MB limit, which is very easy to go over if you use tethering apps. It can end up costing an absolute fortune.
Wow, I'm really surprised to find someone on HN who is against capitalism. Here are a few points for you to consider, they might help you clarify your position on capitalism:

1. What you are probably really against is collusion between big government and big business. This is a real problem and is antithetical to true capitalism.

2. In a free market economy, there is plenty of room for charity and there is no one stopping people from organizing and participating in communes.

3. Taking my money through force to redistribute through inefficient state run welfare programs is not going to benefit anyone but the government. The poor will continue to be poor, and the elite will continue to extort those who actually add value.
Please cite your sources. Many countries have females serving in combat roles.

The same arguments they used 50 years ago to keep woman out of frontline police work are still being used to keep woman out of combat.
This.

The US tax laws in this respect are retarded; you have to pay taxes at the moment you exercise your options, regardless of whether you can resell them or not. In the previous bubble, it happened that people exercised options that made them tax liable for e.g. $1M (because e.g. an IPO made it worth $5M), but had a lockup of 6-months, which is quite common, and at the end of the lockup period, their stocks were worth less than $1M.

In some other countries, you only pay taxes when you actually see money. That makes a lot more sense.

And, Israel is now considering a new tax law which says an investment into a "startup" (whatever that means) is immediately considered a capital loss. Then, if it makes money, you have capital gain.
for large-capital-base angels, it makes cash flow simpler, -- and in fact, if they elect to use it, they'll pay more taxes on their successes at the end.
for small-time angels making one or two investments a year, it is a huge difference in cashflow.
for the state, it doesn't matter in the long run, because it just gets the capital lost written down sooner than later.
Use FB Connect or RPX. Please don't make me create yet another user account.
Maybe consider Jailbreak - there's a paid jailbreak-apps store called Rock, which I heard is legally legal (don't quote me on this). Although I suspect people who jailbreak their phones may not be the target market for something like Briefs
I prefer how vertical tabs look in the current stable builds: http://i.imgur.com/cjdFY.png
Very interesting video. The RSA really puts out some good videos. Their other one on drive and motivation is also excellent.
It is important to have balanced representation in any field that is considered valuable to society and it's even more important to have balanced representation in a field that has high overall impact on peoples' daily lives.

Civil Engineering should have balanced representation from across the IQ scale. Medicine should have balanced representation from scientists and various major religions.

Technology is such a field and I don't understand why everyone is being so defensive about the subject of including more women in technology.

Besides "balanced representation" being a crock, how do you "include" someone who from all appearances doesn't want to be included?
Less Framework 2.0 Released