skysight-inc/HackerNews huggingface dataset:
Despite the disadvantages, the author "taught English at Yale University from 1998 to 2008." Additionally, right now, his homepage states he is on a break. So, at the end of the day, where would the author rather be? Would he rather send his kids somewhere else? I doubt it, but internally he may have a streak of contempt while living and working in this environment.

I visited Stanford for a few hours while travelling through California and even the bookshop clerk pretended I was some sort of king. Maybe she took acting classes, or denies the fact were she not employed by Stanford, many of the students wouldn't give her much more than the time of day.

I have nothing against Standford or the people that attend, and the article rang true with my experience passing through the school and my experience with people in that 'sphere' of influence. I don't associate myself with any sphere, and I aim to look at everyone's humanity. Furthermore, I went to a top univeristy (in Australia), but was one of the 'searchers,' so perhaps you can go to an Ivy league school but obtain the benefits on your own terms. When I got to university, I realized that not only had I not 'arrived,' but that I had barely even started. It really depends how deep you want your journey to go.

Says the article: "There’s no point in excluding people unless they know they’ve been excluded."

Social exclusion as practiced by the 'elites' (or anyone with any modicum of power) has its usefulness - it's a way to get ahead and stay ahead with that power. As such, people that are excluded shouldn't take it personally when they realize that the person or people who are excluding them overtly or covertly have designated them as their worst enemy, biggest rival, and their greatest fear. Ironically, for those not truly confronting their fears, the greatest power is deflected.
I would highly recommend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for a computer science curriculum. The location is beautiful plus the education is top notch. There is no graduate program so even though the school has 20,000 students, classes never get over 40 people.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Polytechnic_State_Un...
Ask YC: Looking for feedback on DuelingMovies
I'm sitting in a presentation about this app at the O'Reilly Velocity conference. Looks pretty awesome.
Gift Wrap Not Required | ServiceLive Blog
Thanks. :-) There's actually a whole archive of posts (linked on the right) that detail my thinking at various points in the venture; I haven't seen it mentioned here, so I dunno if people don't know about it or haven't gotten around to reading anything but the postmortem or just aren't interested. Some of them may be helpful to folks though; there's a bunch on quitting the day job from July 07 and a lot of Pylons/Django comparisons in Dec 07.

I'm going on vacation in about 10 minutes, so I'm not going to see the rest of the discussion. If folks find other articles on the blog interesting, feel free to submit them; I have more than enough karma already.
I'd recommend against that. A friend of mine did that, and its a huge pain in the ass. Just apply to the engineering school directly. They hold you to a pretty tough requirement to switch colleges, which puts a lot of stress on your first couple semesters.
In that example I would have thought "typing" just means, well, typing.
I subscribe to the print edition of eWeek, and the editors and writers do an excellent job of reporting on the enterprise and IT. A lot of research. I'm skeptical about techcrunch trying to enter eWeek's turf. techcrunch breaks a lot of news (e.g. new startup) but doesn't necessarily write a lot of articles and/or stories.
Thoroughly enjoyed this post, especially since I remember a lot of these events as they happened. I was peripherally involved in the startup also for a good amount of time, and absolutely agree with everything he's said. I would also add that a big reason we had trouble getting off the ground was that Jon was really the only serious coder we had. The rest of us involved in the startup had skills in other areas (marketing, graphic design, etc), which although useful, were really NOT what the project needed at that point.

I would also say we probably fell in love a bit too much with our first idea, and probably held onto it too long.

Oh, and think (1) low cost, (2) sustainable, and (3) ability to monetize. We had #1 and #2 down pretty well, but had absolutely no real concept of how this thing could possibly make money. Most startups are NOT going to get taken over, so unless you are in it for non-$$$ reasons, it is probably a good idea to at least come up with some way you can profit if you manage to attract an audience but not a buyer.
Joel calls this "Architecture Astronomy." http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000018.html
Last time I checked, our society frowns on me beating up old ladies for their money.

The comment addresses the seeming contradiction between our views on beating up old ladies, and outwitting dumb people. For example, witness the practices of many payday loan operations.

I'm not taking a stance one way or the other at this point, but I found the comment compelling.
Forget Jaws, Now it's . . . Brains
I know probably 99% of the C++ standard and used C++ in anger for years, and I do not recommend learning it unless you need to do so. Getting into the (console & PC) game industry is one of the only reasons I can think of. Even so, most veteran game programmers use only a small subset of C++, and most of the code is effectively C.

C++ is a terrible hack, and if you're very familiar with other languages you'll be shocked by what is considered beautiful or elegant in the C++ world. (e.g. Boost)

If you want to just low-level optimise parts of a program written in a high-level language, C++ is actually a pretty poor choice. C is actually going to give you fewer headaches with language interop, as it has a standardised ABI. There are tools to do, say, C++ to Java interop, but I can't recommend even trying to do that kind of thing. In comparison, JNI (implementing Java class functions in C) is a walk in the park.

Yes, you can do anything you can do with C in C++. Yes, C practices (char* strings, etc.) are considered bad style by the C++ world. I'm going to just come out and say it: in my opinion, the C++ world has no idea what good style is.

As for learning C, it's a very good idea. You'll learn a whole load of things that will help you even when you're not using C itself. Hopefully, you won't need to use C itself all that much in practice, but it's a damn handy language to know, even if all you use it for is to write glue code between some libraries and your favourite language.
I do own a K&R ANSI C, and i thought of reading it, but didn't find low level programing as fun as python. I will learn it eventually

This is why I reckon it's better to learn C before you learn any of the higher-level scripting-type languages. Same reason you should learn to drive a manual before you learn to drive an automatic.

(Of course in both cases I'm just advising people to do the same thing that I did, which is always the weakest form of advice.)
I would love to get regional HSR in the states. Don't know if it's economically feasible (yet).
Loopt is a location-based social network...
...for douchebags who wear two ill-fitting polo shirts at the same time. :)
The junior college route can work well. I went to Orange Coast College for 1.5 years and then transferred to Stanford. Many of my friends transferred to Berkeley. There are some really good instructors at junior colleges here in California. You'll have to do your research to find out which ones they are, but when you do, they will often take a personal interest in your success. You'll save a ton of money, get the education you deserve (read this again), and leave with a nice brand name on your resume. Highly recommended.

The only downside is that most of the value of college isn't the classes or even the professors, but the relationships and friendships you form with your student peers. It's tougher to find people you'd want to be friends with at a junior college, and when you transfer, you'll have to start all over again. But it worked out fine for me.

Fred
Breaking news: A geek makes a fashion faux pas. More at 11.

In other news, I can't believe you created an account just for this douchebaggery.
It sounds like a bad proxy cache is serving someone else's content to him. I'm just guessing, but I've seen it happen before (with both Gmail and FriendFeed).
This headline jumps to premature conclusions; he saw something weird but there's no confirmation yet that it's a Gmail-specific vulnerability.

In particular, it could be a problem with a misbehaving cache closer to him. (Note especially: in his second screenshot, he's in "Basic HTML" mode. In both screenshots, he's using plain 'http' not 'https' connections.)

It's possible it's Google's fault, but to broadcast that impression without further investigation is unfair to readers -- it's stealing attention with trumped-up claims.
I also have some limited knowledge of ruby and i decidet not to learn it yet because i just don't like how it feels. I noticed that there are a lot of method calls in the tutorial i read. Something like object.method1.method.2 and from python i know that if you have more than one dot, you are mistaking somewhere. It might not be a mistake in Ruby, i know its supposed to look like UNIX pipes, but it just doesn't feel right. I wouldn't call it a step backwards though, for someone it might be, but for others ruby is superior, i just like python better and i will learn ruby some day. But for now C it is, but i will read my scheme book to the end first(its only 99 pages long).
This is wonderful advice for my start-up. Thank you.
He must be a genious if he is an expert in half of all the available CS topics!
Are we really at the point where the only schools that count as "top-tier" are MIT and Caltech now? I can't believe people here are talking about Berkeley like it's some sort of a fallback option.

Look at http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/grad/com/s...

Sure it's for graduate schools, but I have to imagine that it tracks pretty close. In my experience, most of the programs there in the top 20 are all pretty comparable.

(FYI, University of Michigan, loved it)
Study abroad, for example here at the ETH Zurich.
If you are good, there won't be a problem to do your master at one of the top US universities, or at least do an excahnge year there or a master thesis.
But you must understand german ;)
Seems to me people in smaller cities live differently. The size where you can't walk into the center without bumping into somebody you know.
BBC show on the financial aspects of running your own business
"Do you have a question about self employment? Paul Lewis will put your questions to a panel of experts: accountant John Whiting, lawyer Ian Hunter and occupational psychologist Cathy Brown."

Moneybox is always good, although pretty UK specific. Our American readers should grab a copy of the Friday Night Comedy podcast instead - go on, it's a gift from television owners in the UK :)
Too bad the link isn't working for me, otherwise I'd be able to sneer and make a smart-ass comment...

AOL sucks.

See how I turned that around?
It's been more than a year since I helped an elderly neighbor put out his recycling. Not that he asked me, and Not that he didn't vigorously refuse any help. We ended up talking for 2 hours well after dark there in the street. I've always wanted to have a bachelor's dinner at my house where I invite all the neighbors over for some food and coffee and drinks.

this article has inspired me. I'll try it this weekend.

Wish me luck.
Ah-ha a Freebase competitor.
The success of low-cost point to point air carriers and air shuttles has already shown that there's a market for regional HSR.
It may not be exactly what you are after, but I highly recommend considering woti.

www.woti.com/jobs.cfm
www.woti.com/benefits.cfm
If a lot of people are thinking this way, then Android and OpenMoko are in for a world of hurt! I think this is a deliberate strategy on Apple's part. They want to get there first and benefit from network effects.
Setbacks for Google's Android
Criminals Hire College Kids to Hack under premise of Security
Oh, I'm certainly going to apply for the top-tier schools. I'd just like to have some other options open.
Google and Microsoft Putting Your Medical Data Online
Your opinions on startup funding
Hi,
A lot of discussion on funding for web startups has been centered on getting money from VCs, at least in the early stages. I am wondering if there are any web startups that have been self-funded from the beginning (from the founder's own equity and ultimately through revenues earned by the startup)?
TheFunded.com is a good source.
Scientists Create Direct Electron to Photon Circuitry
Revisiting Coroutines
Newspapers could have a significant competitive advantage over Craigslist. For one thing, since they charge, they are more spam-proof. If I were a paper, I would develop a web app that would easily and painlessly post an ad in both the newspaper, the newspaper's online site, and on Craigslist simultaneously.
Discussion started on LtU: http://lambda-the-ultimate.org/node/2868
Thats an interesting resource. Thanks for sharing this.
Subversion 1.5 released (now with merge tracking!)
Missouri University of Science & Technology (formerly known as the University of Missouri at Rolla, and before that the Missouri School of Mines) is a great engineering school. It's very affordable, the engineering and science graduates pretty much all make above the national average starting salary. A lot of career engineers came from there and have made it good at Boeing, LockMart, Raytheon, etc in aerospace and defense sectors for example.

It also has a huge number of engineering degrees to choose from, and some of them are very unique. It was the first to offer a minor in Explosives Engineering in the country. Their Student design teams regularly win most of the undergrad engineering design competitions in the country (and a few notable world events).

The downside is it's like being on a pirate ship. It's hard work, bad food, and no women. It's worth it though. Most fun I ever had in my life.

The site is mst.edu <- check it out.
California might build one. (hopefully). It will have both interurban, and intraurban travel. Eg. Sf. to palo alto becomes a 15mins, that will be much faster than a car. While SF to LA is promised to be around 2:30. Much faster than the current 6-7 hour it takes by car. Plus you could read, sleep, or maybe be in the internet in the train, making the jurney even more pleasant.

http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/

It will be in the ballot on Nov. 2008 for a bond. Since California is in a huge deficit right now; there has been oposition to this. But with gas prices only rising by November hopefully people will see that HSR is a very viable way of transportation.

I have been to the Accela express in the east coast (Boston to NYC), and while they use older TGV models, their speed is maxed at 120mph, with average speed being about 75-80mph, due to urban restrictions on the route. Unfortunately it is not much faster than taking a bus.
If that train was going at 200+mph, it would have been hugely popular.

Addition: With the pain that flying has become, from control checkpoints, lines, to now getting charged for even the first baggage, HSR travel becomes even more attractive.
Plus travel with train in California will be very scenic.
Virtual tour of how it would look:
http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/map.htm
You have to prove your not a vc to get a log-in, once you do the information really opens up. It is worth the time and energy.
It can't hurt to try for some top schools. There
must be some
admissions officers who can distinguish between
people who are smart and those who merely get good
grades. If you're smart, spots at top schools
rightfully belong to you, so at least take a shot
at claiming what's yours.

Write your application essay about what you worked
on instead of classwork and standardized tests.
Sam is nothing compared to this guy though:
http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/3699/coolmodivatepg0.jpg
Will Uncle Sam pay you to build a better battery?
Moving Documents from Google Docs to InDesign with Perl
Special Discounts on Headboards | Roman Blinds | Bedding | Pillows
It sure feels like I'm unwrapping a gift whenever I open a package I ordered on the internet!
Forgot to mention:
1) It's super affordable.
2) Has many notable alumni (one good example is Tom Akers (Colonel, USAF, Ret.) was my bro's advisor in mathematics and holds the record for stick time on the space shuttle, broke the record for spacewalk duration, then broke it again the next day, flew on the HST repair mission, etc.)
3) Huge emphasis on undergrad education, and undergrad R&D work.
4) Recently started a program to bring big business engineering into the area (Rolla is a rural setting). A Jet engine manufacturer is setting up a facility there now.
5) You can get NRC licensed to operate a real nuclear reactor.

That's just of the top of my head. There's plenty more where that came from.
I agree, it is enlightening and very much a rewarding thing to do - striking up random conversations and generally being extroverted.

BUT: I feel also takes a considerable toll on those with more introverted worldviews.

Now adays I'm a misanthrope - also I'm a social scientist: I see new people as almost a 'chore.' Getting them caught up with your groups lingo/stories/norms is akin to teaching a kid. Exerting that much effort into a 'new friend' is difficult for me to justify - especially when the only thing tying you to the new person is a whim or chance encounter. Making friends is great, it works well with all aspects of social life and breaks routines, but there's definitely real reasons why it isn't done at the same pace as one sees in college.

When a typical jane doe moves into anomie (IE right after highschool, moving to a new place, new job) they're left to redefine themselves through the people they interact with. It's human nature to go seek new people and make new friends. In contrast - if one is rooted and knows what they like/who their friends are/the basic character makeup that they are attracted too, one has much less "drive" for us to get out and converse with new people. It's definitely a trend berthed from our culture. Japan demonstrates a different culture without this specific issue. China does too.

Anyway!
Ask YC: cheap, fuel efficient cars I can buy right now.
Hey Gang, I'm in the market for a cheap (<$15k), fuel efficient (>20mpg) car that I can buy right now in the US (NYC area).

What is the current wisdom of this crowd related to this issue? TIA!
I'm confused by this entire thread.

1. Where are you based? 4.1 weighted is a very very high GPA in California's 4.0 scale.

2. What's your SAT scores? That's more indicative of where you will be accepted than just the GPA.
Voted you up. Something else to consider when applying to Waterloo is the ridiculously high male to female ratio. If applying to Waterloo I'd recommend trying to take some shared credit courses with Wilfred Laurier students across the street.

(Not sure if CS and Eng allow that, you might have to complain a bit)
My Business Magazines Lied to Me
Generating LaTeX Beamer presentations from YAML files
I can't believe no one has said U of I yet - University of Illinois. Lots of top-tier coders, from Marc Andreessen to Max Levchin, went there.

However, as with the case with all the other public schools (non-CA) mentioned so far, you will pay the out-of-state tuition rate. But you'd be at a very top tier CE school, as you saw on the U.S. News list.
Does reading Hacker News count as training?
Right. But sometimes I'd settle for people doing the right thing even if it's for the wrong reason.
Gmail serves its content via HTTPS, which isn't (statefully) proxyable or cachable by design. The explanation from Google makes no sense. If they're serving readable/unencrypted content to anything but the end user's web browser then they have a serious security flaw.
Stanford, do whatever it takes to get into Stanford.
With JS off, I get an error page. With JS on, there is nothing displayed. The source is rather plain. Is this a joke?
An used 2 door Civic hatchback (2k) or a Geo Metro (1k) or a new Smart Car (14k out the door with TTL).

Now, here's my question for Hacker News: I'm trying to decide between electronic toothbrushes. Which one should I get? Sonicare for the sonic waves or Oral-B because most dentists recommend it? Can someone also suggest to me a place for lunch? Quiznos or Subways?
A payment gateway doesn't handle the transferring of money, they only communicate with the interchange. Then, you go to a processor to settle the transaction given a specific transaction ID for which you have received an authorization.

There's a very important distinction: A gateway doesn't involve transferring money, while a processor does. There's a huge set of risks on the processor side, and being a "start-up" processor seems to be a non-starter (big banks usually perform this task).

You also need to figure out what you have to lose to fraud. Gateways, it would seem, don't have that much to lose to fraud (they just handle the transaction, they don't settle it or transfer any kind of money).

There's definitely a huge market for a better gateway (Authorize.net's APIs suck). Being a new PayPal, in my opinion, is going to be incredibly difficult, for many of the reasons mentioned in this thread.

I'd start your journey by educating yourself on exactly how the credit card system works. This is a good place to start: http://authorize.net/resources/howitworksdiagram/
Yup. I guess I need to start by creating a LinkedIn profile. Don't currently have one.

How easy is it to become a member? I am working with 2 other people to build a site during weekends. I don;t really have a bio online and it will take me a while to build up a suitable LinkedIn profile. Do you think this might be a problem?
Pretty sure Sam Altman is deliberate and didn't a fashion faux pas. I'm also pretty sure he doesn't care about these comments.
Not flamebait, and actually interesting. How can his metrics be improved?
I think you went to the wrong school.
you should not have been doing boring monotonous busywork in any program at ANY college/university.
I double majored in Economics and Computer Science, and was one credit away from a math major as well. The busy work that I did was limited to a single 400 level Economics course. The course was required for business majors, and apparently business majors at SUNY Albany were unable to perform arithmetic or even perform simple substitutions into formulas without a disgusting amount of hand holding. Other than that my education was busy work free.
UIUC is a good suggestion. Undergrad admissions are not especially competitive, but their graduate CS department is one of the top 10 in the country, and that's bound to rub off on motivated undergrads.
MIT probably counts as one of the "elites," Ivy or not. But I would say my experience there runs counter to a lot of the points in this article.

The diversity at MIT is not only geographical and racial, but also cultural, socioeconomic, sexual, and anything else you'd care to measure. The culture is not at all self-affirming; most students come in wondering how they got in and leave glad to have made it to a degree. Engineering's obviously well-respected, but it's clearly not a glamorous profession, so that chase for social status and immeasurable wealth is really downplayed since most good engineers won't get there. And MIT students say they went to school in Boston (rather than Cambridge) not out of noblesse oblige, but because lots of people think it's in Michigan.

I guess the "mind and hands" ethic grounds you a little.
Create a To-Do List in Adobe AIR in Five Minutes
Thanks for that information! Maybe what I'm trying to do is set up my own gateway, so I can handle transactions for two third parties. It also seems much cheaper.
For when you absolutely, positively need to ensure no search engine ever sees any of your content.