skysight-inc/HackerNews huggingface dataset:
Anyone who starts a post with "Unfortunately i probably have more balls than sense" is worth reading, if only for laughs. The typography and grammar leave a lot to be desired... but I'm in two minds about the content.

It's possible that this is a case of multiple perspectives, multiple interpretations. Some insiders think they're sitting down for a bit of kvetching, others think it's heading for a cartel (and blow the whistle). It'd be interesting to hear the perspective of a few of the other people around the table, especially the ones who tipped off Arrington.

Is there any other informed reaction to this stuff out there? Anyone else 'at the table' who's commented yet?
Blurb (Bay Area print-on-demand publishing company) is hiring Rails developers as well: http://www.blurb.com/join_us

Good luck! :)
Ask HN: Anyone with a FFFFound account/invite for fellow HNer?
Hi,
I have been lurking on FFFfound for almost 3 years, but I don't know anyone online or offline that has an account or an invite. If another HNer can spare one I'd really appreciate it. My email is on my profile. Thank you!
You really need to out the company that did this. If not for revenge, do it so that they can't screw anyone else over in a similar situation.
Genius, you guys are seriously underestimating how good this will be for them in the long run.

Everyone here has now heard of them, most of you probably felt a lost opportunity when you found out what they offered and now you couldn't have it anymore. Well surprise!

Robert Cialdini would be proud.
If you look closely, I think the 'initiate flight' in this case happens via a tow from a car.
Short answer: No.

Slightly longer answer: If you use SSL on the login page, how do you maintain state between requests over non-SSL sessions? If you just SSL encrypt the logon you're given a cookie. If you send that cookie over HTTP, the end user is susceptible to more or less the same issues as before, only instead of the account being compromised, it's the session (until it expires).

The user can mitigate this by logging out, in which case compromise is limited to the session, assuming that the adversary doesn't have the ability to intercept and block the logout request (which they most likely would in an intercept situation).
wow, that's a very high pages/visit rate, congrats.
http://twitter.com/job.html?jvi=owPbVfwb,Job
There's no shame in going back, in fact, you'll likely be welcomed. It makes sense for you, it makes sense for them. Swallow the pride, do the rational thing.
You mind sharing the details of your story?
Renewing the link of our blog http://sportlyzer.com/blog/2010/08/19/how-to-make-a-startup-...
Cultivating a thicker skin would be wise. Would you leave the US because you're embarrassed to go back to your old job?

Possibly if you're at a large enough company, you might be able to split the difference and find a job at another team within the same company...
Is the PayPal account still frozen?
?

Apple -> iPhone ( = h/w )
Google -> Android ( = s/w )
Microsoft (!FB) -> WinMo 7 ( = s/w)
I generally e-mail people I interview afterwards, and call them to let them know the decision. There's a fair few that don't make the cut, particularly when it comes to investigations, but they're always good to keep in touch with.

I'm also with edw519 on the courtesy front, it's just that in this modern day and age I find that people's attention spans when it comes to job worries are more suited to a quick email than a letter a few days later.
How Reddit Kicked Digg’s Ass (video)
Sense of Justice
Nelson seems to be something that can be perverted by multiple means (e.g. ignoring sources of debate). It just felt like having FoxNews/MSNBC shouting at me as I try to get my own opinion of the material.

Coupland has the feel of ebooks in the age of CyberPunk/Shadowrun. It feels a little too groupy and corporate happy ("have you read the list?"). Its like a social network for the corporate wage slave.

Alice looks like what Infocom could have evolved into. It is a great concept for interactive fiction, but a lousy concept for author driven narrative. One vision is a powerful thing.
Sportlyzer Closed Seed Investment
Sportlyzer, a newcomer in sports web applications working on an intelligent online fitness instructor, closed venture capital investment from Estonian Development Fund and a private angel investor Rein Lemberpuu. Sportlyzer has made its goal to become the leading online fitness advising artificial intelligence in the world.

In August 2010 Estonian Development Fund and private angel investor Rein Lemberpuu made a seed capital investment into a sports technology company Sportlyzer that is developing a social web application for workout tracking and consulting. Sportlyzer’s uniqueness stands in workout and motivation management algorithms that give birth to a digital online fitness instructor. Rein Lemberpuu, former CEO of Playtech Estonia, head of Supervisory board at Sportlyzer, explains his investment into Sportlyzer: “I invested into Sportlyzer because I find its idea contributing to community and the team has potential to build a major leader in the area of fitness-management applications.”
Got a couple of friends with kids here in South Australia and they pay $70 a day (USD and AUD currently almost on par) for pretty standard child care. I think they'd be quite excited were $100/wk an option!
If possible, could you post the name of the company that "hired" you, maybe let others know so they'll think twice before joining that company?

Hopefully your old company will take you back!
It's some kind of weighted average of recent posts, as opposed to an all-time average, so it can change a lot day to day.
Total compensation of teachers usually is a higher percentage above their nominal salary than it is for most other workers. They tend to have better family medical benefits, MUCH better pensions (rather dubiously funded, but lavishly guaranteed with state constitutional protections in many states), and other fringe benefits not common in private enterprise. This varies from state to state (especially) and from bargaining unit to bargaining unit, of course. Most school districts do not bargain vigorously on behalf of students and taxpayers, but most teacher negotiators bargain vigorously indeed.
My first, my very first C++ project, started in Year 9 - coming from VB6 - was a 3D graphics engine. Yeah, that failed. It failed 5 times (fun fact - the fourth rewrite occurred moments after exclaiming "oh those are references!"). But the 6th one was pretty neat! I'd written a file-loader for 3D Studio Max, an event system, input, etc. The seventh rewrite would have gotten rid of the hardware T&L and used shaders instead. I was in Year 12 by then. Then I went to uni, studying CS, and afterwards got a job at a video games company, implementing a 3D graphics engine.

Honestly, sometimes you just have to do it, even without any training. Maybe do it six times.
I don't. ?
> Make a joke of it.

This right here.

If you didn't have immigration status to worry about I'd say just go find another RoR job, the market is full of them ATM.

But in your case I'd say swallow your pride. You seem to be on good terms with your current team so yes this this will be a little bit awkward, but nothing more. Make a joke out of it and let people make jokes about it at your expense. Put it out in the open and laugh about it.

Don't apologize for the choices you've made (it was a business decision, not a personal one). Your manager and team will probably be relieved that you're staying, though you can probably forget any significant promotion in the short-term :)

If you can find some reasonable token of commitment (though I have no idea what that might be - anyone?), keep that in reserve.
I am a teacher in private practice. I agree that teaching well is hard work. I also agree with others here that many teaching positions offer good pay (without necessarily requiring good-quality work, I might add). The pay is adequate for paying list price for many useful software products, and it compares well with the pay from many other occupations.
Krugman: A Country Is Not a Company (1996)
it depends, but it couldn't hurt. I see such emails as fluff, but that's just me. I wouldn't hold it against someone either, because that would be incredibly petty. but, you never know, so why not? as long as it's concise and (at least sounds) sincere, only a total jerkwad would hold it against you.

(funnily enough, the job I have now is the only one I didn't bother sending thank you emails for, since after weeks of interviewing I got tired of the whole ritual. go figure.)
The discounts on Westlaw for law students in the late 1980s were certainly meant to gain lock-in. The law librarian who taught my law school class how to do online searching told us, "The company wants you to think of their product as heroin."
If that page is any indication, it sounds like he was just lucky enough to be hanging around the building when the money truck came by. I wouldn't put him charge of marketing dog food.
I see - you are talking about artificial lighting of the plants, while I was thinking of sunlight. With sunlight the ceilings will block the light going to the neighboring plants.

What you are saying seems to make sense for some circumstances, though I earlier pointed out there's isn't that much light which is going to waste which could be used for photosynthesis. I looked around for "mirror garden", on the thought that home gardens would be the most likely candidate for using mirrors, but the only mentions there were for decorative purposes.

I suspect there's a strong economic reason which makes it not practicable. Perhaps it's that a greenhouse with glass is more efficient because it makes better use of free natural light.
The resemblance is entirely coincidental. The two words have unrelated etymologies. We might as well advise people to avoid words like "luck" and "truck," which are not technically profane, but obviously sound very close to a very bad word.
Most companies do have technical career path. Being a permanent employee not only gives you the benefits (others have listed them), but also lets you work on much more interesting projects (contractors typically work on isolated projects rather than on core systems and algorithms; I know, of course, of exceptions to that but they're rare). It also frees you up of the overhead of finding the next contract.

I know many people who have done contracting and several told me a) the money _is_ very good b) other than the money, it's not worth it (stressful, uninteresting projects, high overhead).
Thanks for this. I have definitely frustrated friends who come to me complaining, in exactly the way you describe, because I offered only problem solving when they wanted commiseration. I think I can identify commiseration (they come complaining about something stupid, and then reject my sensible suggestions), but I don't know how to solve it -- how do you effectively commiserate with someone?
As much as I share this sentiment, I'd advise against it.

They were very unprofessional and left you in the lurch, but that's not a reason for you to hit the blogs and start throwing mud.

In a few years this company may not even be around any more, but naming and shaming with posts and comments on the net will be around long after this is all a distant memory and that will reflect very badly on you wrt future employers.
Every once in a while you've got to double-take and say to yourself 'damn, there's some good advice floating around HN'.

This is one of those times. The process of leaving a job makes it feel so very final. A bunch of people made an effort to give you a good send off and just coming back seems like making a mockery of that. They gave you a good send off because they cared. You are the one who made the most effort and got burned the hardest. They'll understand. They'll be glad to have you back.

Hell, they might even feel like they dodged a bullet on this one and work extra hard to make sure you stop looking elsewhere for employment. "Remember that time we almost lost Bill to that startup? That was a close one, eh?"
I appreciate that your intentions are good, but I think going that far is risky (except maybe in some specific cases/industries)...if you're going that far out of your way (and yes, in this day and age a written letter is going out of your way), it could very well strike someone as brown-nosing. not to mention it can be hard to convey 100% sincerity in written form. maybe I'm just a cynic...
When you talk about the time it takes to compose and send a physical letter, I simply don't agree or understand. How does taking more time mean you're more thoughtful, serious, or classical? If you're just saying that snail mail seems classy because of its cultural significance, then I understand, but just taking a long time alone doesn't seem particularly thoughtful, serious, or classy.
It looks like it is being pulled by a car?
I've been a hiring manager for hundreds of programmers over the years at several companies. With the exception of maybe one or two people I was preparing to get rid of anyway, if any one of the people who quit came back during their notice period with this story I would insist that they stay and fight fiercely with any other forces in the company that might resist it. It also wouldn't lower my esteem for the person. I'd be happy that he or she felt that he or she could come back. I have been happy when they've come back. It's never been as soon as this, but I've had people leave to try startups or other jobs and had them not work out. The good ones leave to try things sometimes. I'm happy to be good enough that when it sometimes doesn't work out, even though it is a time to consider many options, they elect to come back.
The Nomadic Coder - Derek Sivers IS Caine From Kung Fu [audio]
Hi Chris,

Thank you for your feedback.

1. The user still needs to find witnesses to watch them sign the will and attest to their soundness of mind.

2. There are legal differences from state to state. For example, some states require 2 witnesses while other require 3 witnesses.

3. I have considered referring high worth individuals to estate attorneys, but it would require me to forge some relationship with attorneys before that can occur. For now, I just want to see whether the site is useful for even 1 person to purchase it.

4. Good point. I'll look into incorporating the requirements for completing the will into the beginning of the process or into the FAQ. Another option I'm considering is to delay the need to signup until the end of the questionnaire.

Again, thank you for your feedback.
And the back button doesn't even work.
I've found a good technique to use - if you don't feel you are able to make the 'one' big decision (e.g. quit your job and work full-time on your startup) - is to make sure that every day you do something that moves you closer to your primary goal.

I find its similar to Bezos' regret minimization framework in that if you feel you are moving towards the goal, on a daily basis, no matter how slow it may be, then you are less likely to have regrets about the other 'distractions' to that goal that you encounter during the day.
Unfortunately it does. I've seen the exact same thing at a startup where they hired a receptionist. The girl took the job and told her current employer she was quitting. Probably no more than 2 days later the company reneged on their offer. All I know is nothing legal ever came of it, but it made those of us working there that found out sick at the gross negligence on behalf of accounting to say the funds were there when they weren't. My guess is someone working a receptionist job doesn't have the funds or time to seek legal counsel.
I see your ploy here, Jacques. :P
IJSON: Parse Streams of JSON in Python
SWEII (Software Engineer 2). Management considers this a transitional level. People are expected to move out of it quickly.
Watching Other People Use a Computer
http://xkcd.com/792/

Collect your audiences personal details and use them for nefarious ends while twirling your mustache and hiding out in a secret lair in a volcano. (Kinda like how Zuckerberg does it)
Seems like Bin38 will be the biggest beneficiaries of this whole affair.

They should go with it and rename that back room with the big table "the collusion room" and give out free monocles and eyepatches to everyone that books it for a private party.
He can name them respectfully, maybe just in this post. Respectfully is key, and any potential future employer should understand this.
I know exactly how the poster feels, but your suggestion is the best way to handle it. Do it this way, and it will be forgotten that afternoon. Do it wrong, and people may never trust you again.
It's obvious that a small group of great programmers beats a large group of bad ones. This is pointed out constantly on HN and in other programming communities. I'm curious though if anyone has any hard data to support this, beyond anecdotal evidence. (I'm not disagreeing with the sentiment, I agree completely. I'm just interested in seeing any studies done on the subject. I imagine this applies to many other fields as well.)
Fractint was quite snappy on 386s.
World Bank Data API Updated
And these, which are all over eBay (search for "808 camera", this is just the first google hit I got, not any particular recommendation for this seller):

http://cgi.ebay.com/808-Car-Keys-Micro-camera-Spy-DVR-Suppor...

and _really_ inexpensive - you get ~60-70 mins of recording on a 4gig card, which is about the internal battery life too. I bough a few of them and am playing with recording my 40min (motorcycle) commute every day...

Again, they miss some of the stated requirements, but at $15 or so they can be forgiven some faults...
The article gets it right in defining the classic problem: buyers are not generally users. And when they are, they're not qualified to make informed decisions about design.

Where the article gets it wrong is the solution. At least in my limited experience, enterprises are slow to change things if they "work", however painful. They also do not always entertain SAAS for a variety of reasons, two of which are probably inertia and a different sales process than they're used to.

Couple that with IT departments that block "productivity" or "personal storage" sites and you can see where alternatives can't even work their way in slowly.

I think the solution described is the best chance we have of getting better enterprise apps, but it's by no means going to be easy. It does seem that over time things will get better. It's already been far, far too long. I hate using broken tools.
Space agency to stream aurora borealis online
Haha, you had me wondering there, but sure, why not, have an upvote on me :)
Scoopler is Looking for Great Front-End Developers for new Celeb site
Judging by his year of birth, he did a 5 year undergrad/MSc program.
You don't know or you don't show ;)?
Any HNers using Couch heavily? I'd love to hear about people's experience with CouchApps.
Money that comes from the public is a vote of confidence.

But Clinton was impeached by a political process where money was not the main issue.

The public as a whole seems to have been on Clinton's side, but the will of the public was not represented by the legal system.

Point being, Clinton makes more money giving speeches than he ever did sitting in the White House collecting a salary :p

I think the beauty of money being exchanged in a free market is that it really shows you what society cares about. But the Presidency is not decided by money, so it's a totally different system and the money theory is not applicable.
wget or curl come to my mind
Electronic Arts looks to Unity for cross platform development
100% agree with frossie.
I know it is ridiculous but with your immigration status at stake, don't think of all this. Just go and talk to them.

Also, once you get your job, send http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:yR0N5a0R8puacM:http://www... to the company who retracted the offer.
It's not easy, but in my estimation - it has to be done, or we're going to be stuck with the crap we've had for years and it will just keep going and going.

It's going to hurt; but man - can you imagine if it succeeded?
I know it is ridiculous but with your immigration status at stake, don't think of all these. Just go and talk to your current boss.

Also, once you get your job back, send http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:yR0N5a0R8puacM:http://www... to the company who retracted the offer.
If a clone proceeds to take all your business, I would suggest that perhaps your business model was not sustainable.
Sent you an email. Thanks for reaching out.
The startup has committed what is known legally as "Promissory estoppel", basically a broken promise. In general they are liable for any reasonable expenses that you have incurred with the assumption that they would keep the promise. If for example you had already moved to the bay area, you could file a lawsuit to recover the cost of the move and the cost of moving back.

If you do want to get any monetary compensation from the company, I would suggest bypassing the recruiter and speaking with a founder or executive at the company directly. Hopefully they will be motivated to do the "right thing", and they will certainly have an interest in preserving their reputation.
how do you effectively commiserate with someone?

I think people want their suffering to be understood. All that's necessary is to let them know you identify with their problem. Just validate their complaint.

For example, saying "oh man! that sucks!" might be all that's needed. Or, "I can't believe he said that!" Or, "you can't be expected to read their mind!" etc.

You'll know you're effective if such comments start to relieve your conversation partner. If you're wrong and problem solving is actually called for, people will explicitly ask you for solutions-- especially if it's a conversation at work, as in the OP.
> Stick to your existing employer. This event might be
> embarrassing but everyone will get over it.

I agree. Once a company has made the offer, it's not illegal to withdraw it, but it certainly shows a lack of organization and a scummy level of honesty. Next time you want to jump, have the new company pay for moving costs and immigration lawyer fees up front. That should stop them being such jerks again.
Focus rituals
Corr(HackerNewsKarma, HackingAbility) = 0.0.
I don't know who else explicitly doesn't show up, but names drop off the list if they haven't been active on the site for a period of time (a few months, I think).
It looked like it was pulled by a car until it was airborne, then you saw and heard the cord disconnect and the plane continue to fly on its own power as the car with the cameraman drove off at a slight angle.
You might also consider paying for your teams food at the "take me back" lunch as a thank you gesture for their good will in sending you off.
I agree with everyone else: try to get your old job back. Throw away the 'it will look ridiculous' idea - none of this will matter in a couple of months.

If they were disappointed to see you go, they will welcome your return.

As another person who has had a similar experience before, and whose immigration status is tied to employment, I can imagine how distressing this must be[1]. I hope the general outpouring of support on HN eases your mind a bit! Think it through clearly and move on.

1: In fact, I'm pretty much in the same situation as you were: accepted an offer with a bay area company and undergoing the visa process, and this post does give me pause. I'll respect your decision to not name names though.
Is this the worst job ad ever?
Likely in the long run that move cost them dearly.
Maybe it's a joke... I just can't figure it out.
I think I read somewhere that it's 60 days (IE if you haven't posted -- or maybe logged in -- in 60 days, you are dropped). Anyone want to confirm or deny?