skysight-inc/HackerNews huggingface dataset:
There were many medical apps developed back in the 80s, but ... doctors&co. don't wont to loose their lifestyle to some stupid computers.
Do you have a link to where they mentioned they'd manage it? If they did, your points speak volumes.
Oh I understand it perfectly and I think you misunderstood me.

Whether you say "scaling is a good problem to have" or "paying CGT is a good problem to have", it just means you never experienced how hard it really is to scale, and how hard it is to deal with taxes/accountants/lawyers and lose money. They're still problems and when you're in the thick of them, they're not good.
You can administer both Firefox and Chrome with group policies. I know because we do, having supplanted IE6 as the corporate standard with Firefox 3.x last year (and testing Chrome 6 right now). It was far easier to install an alternative browser than it was to ensure an IE upgrade wouldn't break some legacy systems no one could support.

<edit> This will be more helpful:
http://store.frontmotion.com/FirefoxPackager/
http://www.google.com/chrome/eula.html?msi=true
You can't go wrong with any programming books Brian Kernighan co-wrote, really. I have _The ANSI C Programming Language_ ("K&R"), _The Practice of Programming_, _The AWK Programming Language_, and _The Unix Programming Environment_, and they're all great. Concise, with a lot of depth that reveals itself on repeat reading.

Ieursalimschy's _Programming in Lua_ ("PiL") was written in a similar style. I recommend it quite highly, too. Great language, great programming book.

Also, the PSD, SMM, and USD books (_4.4BSD Programmer's Supplementary Documents_, etc.) are dry, but also have excellent introductions to several classic Unix tools. They're included as documentation in some BSD installations, and should be easy to find otherwise. The intros to lex and yacc are particularly good.
That's a fair point. I'm mostly concerned with the actual drag and drop method anyways. It's cumbersome, and fairly difficult. Each installer has their own special graphical representation, and it's not always clear. Then you get the applications that have multiple files, and I'm sitting here wondering which one I'm supposed to install.

And while you do have a point, I think it could be solved through some other method.
Not to mention Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and a bunch of other countries where English is the de facto official language.
I think the more likely explanation is that the story was just made up. Look at the rest of the stories in there, it would hardly be setting a new precedent.
Since I have the domain and hosting for a year, I will keep it running. However, if it does not seem worthwhile I would probably not invest any more time in it - eventually it will die (or fade away into the oblivion).

So the way the pricing would have been figured - I started the pricing at $20 when I started advertising. I then reduced it every week by $5 all the way down to $5. At each point I could measure how many people were interested. Eventually this would lead me to a decent starting price. Unfortunately even $5 did not generate enough interest. The $10 on the website right now is just there.... :)

Thanks for the comments - the design definitely needed some work to make it more efficient. I think the contact page has worked fine for me on most browsers.
Why I Hate Geeky Conferences
That's a silly reasoning you have. One mistake doesn't invalid a persons entire integrity. All this proves, is that Erdős wan't god.
A timeline of blog acquisitions
iOS is based on Darwin/XNU. These are all the upper layers that are closed-source.
I'm not qualified to answer your main point, but I can tell you that a good next-step for an unsuccessful adwords campaign is to use disqualification marketing - if you haven't already.

In its most common form, it's basically listing, in the ad itself, as many of the things that are stopping people buying as you can. For example, if price was the sticking point, the common approach would be to hide the price while you sell the product so as not to scare people off while you're winning them over. The disqualification marketing technique would be to put that scary price right in the ad text, the idea being that those who click are not going to be scared off by the price, as they already know it.

This can do wonders in effectively multiplying your adwords spending - all those people who were never going to buy at that price stop using up your ad budget, leaving you more ad clicks for those who might buy despite the price.
Conversely, I learned about Erdős from that comic, initially.
It's a lot better than watching TV 4 fricking hours everyday.(That's American statistics) It's a practically a part time job for many people.

Better to use that attention span for something else, like minecraft.
I assume they mean aileronless rather than just flapless?

Or is "flap" a general term for flaps, ailerons and rudder surfaces?
In search of the next shiny thing » git - basic commands
I agree. Spotlight is sweet. The problem is, to install the app, I have to use the mouse. Then, I have to come back over and use the keyboard to open up spotlight to load the app I just installed. I mean, it just seems like an absurd number of steps to get to the most likely scenario.

Though, I find that often. I love creating a movie in iMovie for iTunes, and then having to tell iTunes about it. You can't just save the media into the appropriate folder and have iTunes pick it up. At least, it's never worked that way for me.
We use this:

http://nvie.com/posts/a-successful-git-branching-model/
Many people consider Perl to be the next evolution of awk, but I prefer to think of awk as (just) the essentials of Perl. Perl has CPAN, etc., but for quick string hackery, everything you need fits in one tiny awk reference. Its design hasn't sprawled the way Perl's has. (Except for gawk. The FSF does bloat better than anyone.)

It's incredibly handy, yet the language is small enough that you can learn most of it in an evening, with just a bit longer if you don't know regular expressions.
From a quick glance I would think also about changing your pricing structure. $10 a conversion sounds high, a better alternative might be to offer a subscription model with a free trial up front perhaps?

In terms of finding customers I would suggest you forget AdWords (too scattered) and start with direct contact with the major companies in the mapping field. For example, why not drop Ordnance Survey a line and explain about your product and ask if there's any way this could be useful to their users etc?

http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/gisfiles/
Didn't Orville and Wilbur's prototype steer by twisting the wings?
When I was in high school, I was riding with a friend who was kind of a jackass. For some stupid reason, he flipped off some guys in a truck, who promptly started chasing us. Immediately behind them was a cop car. We ran into some traffic, had to stop, the grown men jumped out to kick our asses, and the pursuing police immediately asked them at gunpoint to get on the ground.

Just sayin, it happens.
I'm glad you saw this thread. It's always nice to find out somebody actually paid attention to (and appreciated) some advice you put out on the interwebs.
Because he "…will now be editing it and doing the index," presumably.
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You've got me thinking now

The story is part of Jewish history, and as we know, they're not a mythological people. As far as I know (it's not really my thing, and I'm too tired to do any research), there doesn't seem to be much doubt that they were slaves to the Egyptians at some point in time.

So - Jews in Egypt, then out of Egypt, and they kept a written history which obviously did exist at some point in time, and did not exist at some point prior. Does any one know what the gap is between the start of the Jewish nation and their recorded history?
It is a natural byproduct of the speed of submissions and necessity to hit a certain number of points before "making" it.
I want to know how I can get involved as a seed. I have bandwidth, and I'd love to donate it.
Study: Top web sites riskier than porn
Here is an example that will search hacker news (via google). This is based on the wikipedia example:

javascript:function se(d) {return d.selection ? d.selection.createRange().text : d.getSelection()} s = se(document); for (i=0; i<frames.length && !s; i++) s = se(frames[i].document); if (!s || s=='') s = prompt('Enter%20search%20terms%20for%20HackerNews',''); var goo = 'http:'; var g = '//'; var le = 'www.google.com/'; open(goo + g + le + (s ? '#q=site%3Anews.ycombinator.com ' + encodeURIComponent(s) : '')).focus();
Thanks. That makes sense and was a very interesting way of putting it.
I haven't touched GIS stuff in ages but last I worked with maps they were bought by the corporation and not quite cheap from what I've heard.

So I totally don't see somebody uploading the map to your server, not to mention they were rather huge, so not the kind of file you attached to an email.

This really needs to be some desktop tool although I see why you would do it as a website (no piracy).
Sorry I rattled these off, going back and clarifying and adding some references in a moment so that the entire argument doesn't get simply shot down by pointing out a single feature :). Thanks.
Looking forward to seeing more details on this... I'm guessing an ARM build of Chromium OS' userspace components[1], ported to run on iOS' Darwin kernel?

If that's the case, I'm guessing there could be a Chromium OS "App" for "normal" jailbroken iPads (running in a chroot jail or similar.)

As I see it, the alternative way would be a working port of Linux to Apple's A4 SoC, but AFAIK that doesn't exist. :(

[1] http://code.google.com/p/chromium-os/wiki/ArmWIP
I'm reading a book all about the Wright brothers at the moment (and this story made me think about it), absolutely fascinating to see how unbelievably revolutionary they were.

And in a way this highlights just how much; (one of) their great innovation(s) was flaps and wing warping for control, it put them light years ahead of other inventors (who mostly were trying for "automatically stable" flight). It's fascinating to see that it is only now we are (in a sense) re-innovating their invention.

If you get chance to read up on the Wrights it is worth it; they were simply brilliant hackers. They were smart and creative, and had no concerns about disagreeing with established theory if they thought it was wrong (in fact going to great lengths to correct theories).

My favourite "story" about them, though, is that the propeller was an after thought - they spent so long perfecting the wings, flight control and the engine and had assumed a normal boat propeller would work. When they realised the error - just a few months before making their attempt they - they hacked something together using wind tunnel data collected for wing designs. And when they went to Kill Devil Hills in 1903 were simply confident "it would work", because they had calculated it to do so.

You may gather I'm a little in awe of them :)

(all of which is not entirely related to this story, but still seemed an interesting semi-relevant thing to share :))

EDIT: although as pointed out below I am assuming that by "flaps" they mean all flaps because Ailerons were not a Wright innovation (they used Wing warping) but a rudder and flaps were part of the Wright flyer and crucial to the control.
Sending the letter by email is better than nothing. However, handwritten letters usually have more weight.

If you have the time, write the letter out by hand, and word it your own way rather using the boilerplate the EFF provides. Then mail it to your Senators by snail mail.
Wrong, SSL was developed by Netscape, including v2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_Layer_Security#SSL_ve...

http://www.mozilla.org/projects/security/pki/nss/ssl/draft02...

at that moment it was referred to as 0.2 though.
Every Lenovo I have used at work in the past 2 years has put out this super high pitched sound. Like the sound you could hear from an old tv. It drives me absolutely out of my mind to the point where I have to wear headphones when using one.
Just to be clear, I'm not asking for people to vote for my stories, ever.

Why then, when I looked at your site, did it pop up a little pseudo-window saying "Hello HN reader, if you like this I would really appreciate an upvote"?
Elon Musk's Guide to the Galaxy
That's what leverage is for (and if it goes wrong you end up like LTCM).
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You should also keep in mind that even WebKit isn't standardized. Webkit rendering is wide and varied.
It was a large reason I didn't choose GitHub. Who wants to manage and prune their minor projects to fit into arbitrary limits?
So, you write a paper on a recent physics experiment. You publish it on Science magazine, or your Lab. Both of them have carefully designed templates (science mag specializes in this). Creativity involved.

You just compiled your CLI program, and you're testing it's output. You're staring at specialized typefaces and an optimized screen. Creativity involved (you aren't a good programmer if you lack creativity).

The other side: you're a store manager, programmer manager, or X manager, you have to make a fast presentation of your key notes. You start PowerPoint, and select some template. (Creativity Involved?)
AACS, yes. BD+, no. People like to say BD+ has been cracked because most BD+ disks have been ripped by now, but that's the whole point of BD+; whenever Rovi wants, they can renew the scheme and force people to painstakingly re-break it.
I am clarifying the list now, point applies either way - lots of innovation that we appreciate today came out of IE

I was a web dev at the time of 3, and I remember a lot of CSS properties that IE supported and added, I will dig up a list. Thanks.

(btw agree on IE5 being a great browser, I had a lot of work replacing internal intranet desktop apps with IE5 intranets - the enterprise loves ie5)
Because then Office would end up like iTunes for Windows. Office for Mac is actually really, really nice. I'm sure they have a lot of shared common libraries between the two, but it isn't a quick and dirty port. They take what they can use, but make sure that the end result is tuned for the OS.
Even if your target user thinks your tool is the greatest thing since sliced bread, do they have the authority to get out a company credit card and spend $10 on the spot?

Do people want to use a "beta" product for production work? (I assume very few people do GIS file conversions for fun.)

What happens if a customer gets a slightly different source file and needs to convert it again? Does that cost another $10? Instead of charging per-conversion, what if you offered a thirty-day "all-you-can-convert" plan?

In general, the website doesn't inspire confidence and it certainly isn't optimized for conversion. Payment information is lacking (yes, I see it's buried in your FAQ).
I think that's why a lot of people here have gone on to do their own thing rather than working for another Dick. Although I have to say, being your own boss can sometimes be worse than working for a Dick.
Same here. It's straightforward, just forward the link to everyone.
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OpenOffice.org forsakes Oracle, forms new foundation and fork
Has our society become so utilitarian that we can't even spare the change for paying a few people to work on things that previous generations have considered worthy of pursuit? (a.k.a. The Arts) Sure, producing more widget workers for the foobar factory sounds good at first, but won't we all end up in wage slavery like this? I am a great supporter of 'useless' cultural pursuits, if only because that is what makes us human. Without culture, we're no more than monkeys with tools.
See also: working computer made inside of Dwarf Fortress (http://www.boingboing.net/2010/04/15/colossal-turing-mach.ht...)
No the shop doesn't get the email address. I wouldn't want that either!! They can choose a banner ad to appear on your email receipt based on keywords. The receipt is sent from our system and we don't give them your email.

The shops register with us but the customers can choose to give their email on the till or register a barcode to swipe at the till (any barcode will do) that maps to an email in our system.
I'm not sure...when I click on the link above to go to my site, I see the popup asking me if I want to subscribe to the RSS feed:

http://img.skitch.com/20100929-xq3tsubtd9dkgj9uxbjdechmik.pn...

I installed WP Greet Box, which displays different messages to different people depending on their referrer, but I didn't think it was working for HN. Maybe it's because we're on different browsers (I'm on Safari 5)?

Also, this message would only appear if you were coming from the story on HN, not from a link on Twitter, so I'm not sure it's relevant here anyway.

EDIT: Yep, I see the message now in Firefox and Chrome. Should I disable? I'm not sure I see the problem with reminding people who came to the post from HN to vote for the story if they think it's worthwhile, but what do others think?
$10 for an automatic conversion from one file format to another? For something that can be done with a handful of scripts? Or am I not seeing the added value here.
Probably bears saying that you can install git-flow which takes care of a lot this for you. It's pretty neat. You might like it!
Also beware the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" types who always view system design and framework suggestions as general programmer whining and thus not worth investing any time. A lot of times this is true but prolonged adherence to this will leave you with a fairly antiquated technology stack.
I work somewhat in the GIS space and I do a lot of conversions using a mix of apps and a few ugly hacks - so this would be immensely useful to me.

However, I guess price is your sticking point, but let me elaborate.

For people that work full time in GIS, many of the conversions you offer can be done with some very standard GIS apps that such full time professionals will likely already own. So in other words, your market is _exactly_ people like me who aren't completely immersed in GIS but make use of some simple mapping and GIS scripting from time to time.

And for people like me, $10 is asking to much - especially when we can piece together a few odds and ends and come up with a little script or an ugly conversion tool that does the job.

So, what is the perfect price point? You'll have to play around, but I guess at least a quarter of that would make it worthwhile. In fact, I would aim for something around the $1 mark - but that's up to you.

I'd suggest taking a look at the ocrterminal.com model. They offer a similar product, with a real easy registration process and a few free conversions each month.
I have dabbled with GIS files a while back and certainly would've found your website useful but 10 dollars would've been too high a price. It was a hobby project and it took some considerable effort across three different OSes to find the right free software to help me out but ultimately I got the conversion right (map projections were annoying too).

I think there is definitely a market in GIS since the current tools are such a nuisance but the current price is too high for me to experiment with it.
> I assume very few people do GIS file conversions for fun

Actually that could surprise you, I know quite a few GIS nerds that would :-)
Ha. I know Grossman, the guy who runs the The Erdös Number Project. He used to publish with my friend's father.
:) Awk threads always seem to get my attention.
Don't feel bad - this idea is pretty old. A program called "Desktop Toys" from the Win95 era comes to mind, and there are probably more examples.
If fate has doomed you to be a Minecraft fanatic, you might as well be the best damned Minecraft fanatic you can be.
Masuka reddit's AMA: when public figures start showing up on a startup forum
Well guys, I'm not very happy to see links to reddit from HN, but I think this one is pretty interesting. Masuka from Dexter is doing an AMA. This makes me think about the big Twitter/Chatroulette fame when some TV show/music star started using those sites.

Reddit being an YC company, I would say that when public figures begin to use a social network and talk with their audience, this is pretty clear that Reddit is going huge. Especially when Masuka says, in the AMA, that he is an ex-Digger..

Here is the link btw:
http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/dk62q/hey_its_masuka_im_new_to_reddit_and_love_it_ama/
The three primary control surfaces on an aircraft are the ailerons(roll), rudder(yaw), and elevator(pitch). Flaps shouldn't be interchanged with any of these surfaces, especially the ailerons, since they perform different functions. Unfortunately the video is blocked for me so I can't see how it's flying, but from looking at this picture:

http://img.metro.co.uk/i/pix/2010/09/28/article-128566123826...

it seems that the wings are one solid mass(save for the silver tab on the mid-rear edges). I'm almost inclined to chalk it up to bad journalism, but I'll have to reserve that judgment till I watch it.

Edit: Looks like I'm partially right.. the jets replace all of the control surfaces. I have to admit that's some pretty cool technology. I feel the headlines don't do much justice, but it's probably a lot easier for the general public to understand something like "flapless" rather than trying to describe "a lack of moving parts."
Really? Why? I can see "learning about computing is better than mindless entertainment", but once we've separated this into "learning" and "building" components, the "building" part seems pretty much exactly the same as being entertained some other way, except for the detail that it simulates achievement, which is arguably a bad thing.
Good point. Thank you.
That article makes my point exactly. It basically says 'spell out every detail and make sure the programmer doesn't have to think about the bigger picture, and can focus purely on the coding'. For example, from the article, "Leave off all details that the programmer doesn't need to know.", "Write a detailed walk-through of every click.", "In a text file, write down every thing you know this Version 1.0 needs to do. Every click. Every action. A long list of small simple things.", ...

From the post I take it that is is exactly what Arrington didn't want to do any more. The article you linked to basically says 'to make your idea a success, you treat the programmer in detail, and let him focus solely on the technical aspects of the software.'.
If you're looking for ideas and are into Open Source GIS, I may have a good one. I worked as GIS consultant for abiyt a year and there was one tool missing from the open source ecology that would have made work a LOT smoother. I'm still embarassed I didn't build it at some point, actually. Email me if you're interested and I will elaborate. Not sure there's much money in there though, since it's part of the whole open source thinking, but there's definitely utility in it.
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