skysight-inc/HackerNews huggingface dataset:
Ask HN: How to compare bubble charts programmatically?
1.) I have data points for a bubble chart of age vs weight [['<15 yr', 30], ['<25 yr', 60], ...]

2.) I also have 4 or 5 canned models for overweight population, malnutrition, etc.

How to tell (programmatically) if a given set of data matches any of the pre-determined models.

What specific math or statistics literature I need to look for direction.
> I am so glad that these psyops tools will only be used against bad guys.

I'm afraid that isn't right. A stated goal from the RFP: "Counter messaging of detected adversary influence operations."
Had Google won the auction, then we likely wouldn't be having this discussion. Google would have had a huge stockpile of patents with which to countersue Apple, Microsoft, and Oracle, the result being a cross-licensing deal where everyone goes back to actually making things. Google's loss created a mismatch in power, so the cartel can sue them without fear of reprisal. It's this mismatch that has led to the current situation of companies competing in the courts instead of the marketplace. Just think: if Microsoft managed to impose another $15/unit licensing fee on Android, would it even be worth their while to try to compete? Why bother with WP7, which is never likely to be the market leader, when you can make more money leeching off Android?
Thanks, guys.
Redcarpet is great, but for code highlighting you can use pygments.rb, which has an embedded python in it and is therefore faster than albino.

Check it out: https://github.com/tmm1/pygments.rb
It sounds like we need an RFC for automated packet-switched transport of physical goods. Surely the existing algorithms used for physical logistics and IP network routing could be used to create a highly-reliable automatic package delivery system.
How is your quoted example more noble than this one?

"I will go onto that dangerous interstate if I know you need the [food / building supplies / fuel / etc] I'm hauling. I will risk life and limb to maintain the lifestyle you enjoy. And in the process, I acknowledge that there is a chance that -I- may not survive."

Both occupations put their lives on the line, every day, so that the rest of us can live safe and comfortable lives. But while one occupation commands great respect from the community (deservedly so), the other is mostly looked down upon (unfairly).
Gorgeous Touch Gesture Reference Cards
You base your statement on the premise lower IQ people use IE correctly. Considering the volume of malware that infects Windows boxes through IE, I'd assume the opposite.
US Senate Uses Scribd Cloud Strorage for Sharing Docs with Public
Gallery: B-Town Specials » That 30s show » poorna-sl.jpg
turn this into an app!
Yes, yes, another great choice.

(( What kind of maniac downvotes a friendly response? ))
The hypocrisy is unbelievable:

Google is a major investor in patent troll firm Intellectual Ventures.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_Ventures

http://www.techflash.com/seattle/2011/05/intellectual-ventur...

Amazon, Apple, Cisco, eBay, Microsoft, etc. are also investors but they are not acting like whiny babies and acting all high and mighty going around preaching about how patents are destroying innovation.
For me the problem if i write html is that i write it different all the time. In one place i might use <b> while i the next time use <strong> or maybe even go as far as <p style="font-weight:bold;">.

Forgot to change paragraph with a </p><p>? Just add a <br /> instead!

With markdown there is only ONE way to do things right and there's not many thing you can do (wrong) actually. With html it's too easy to go overboard and either mess things up or start being creative with individual styles all over.
Poll: Do you use AdBlock?
Following on from the "See what Google knows about you" (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2840916) thread, many HN'ers wrote that they don't really care what ads are targeted to them because they run AdBlock anyway.

So here it is - do you run AdBlock/some other mechanism that scrubs adverts from your browser?

Given the controversial nature of this practice and it's impact on the websites that rely on the advertising, I'm also curious if you work for a startup/company that relies on advertising for some or all of it's revenue.
Yes - and I DO work for an ad-supported startup/company
Yes - and I DON'T work for an ad-supported startup/company
AdrianforFacebook.com:the Facebook version of Googlepleasehire.me?
Right, and those companies are full of shit, because Apple's UI is just an amalgamation of shiny icons and features that have been used countless times in countless places--in mobile, the web, standard oses, everywhere. Do they do a great job of packaging all these features together for a good user experience? Certainly. But 'good design' shouldn't be patentable.

Same with Java. Name one feature of Java that hasn't been done 100 times in one form or another in some other language

This is why software patents are absurd. We are all standing on the shoulders of giants.
My cleaning lady is a hacker now. So is the garbageman.
It's sad that pro-patent asstroturf hijacks serious anti-patent discussions on HN, it's obvious that the HN sentiment towards software patents is that of disgust, yet when a passionate and rare post like this makes headlines somehow a pro-patent sentiment creeps out.

Software patents are a joke, just listen to this now famous 'This American Life' piece: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/441/w...

In this case it's so blatantly anti-competitive you have to be blind no to see the problem with it, we have all of Android's competitors consorting together, time and time again to block Google from buying patents so they could kill it.

Even if you are pro-patent (slim chance if you are a HN member) you should appreciate the anti-competitive risk of these patent consortiums. And if the government wasn't infested with IP lawyers (former RIAA, MPAA, BSA; None reformists) this issue would have taken center stage ages ago.
I get all my good ideas in the morning - when brushing my teeth or in the shower. Research has shown that you get good ideas when your mind is unfocused and relaxed - and away from distractions of any kind. I guess in today's connected world, the bathroom is one of the few places where this is still true! I also recommend you read the wonderful book "Where Good Ideas Come From.." by Steven Johnson (check it on Amazon) for a great set of principles on how discoveries and invetions come about.
How is it that when Google bid for the Nortel patents, it was "defensive," but when Apple won, it was "trolling?"

Perhaps Apple bought them so that Google couldn't use them defensively against Apple's own legitimate patents? Perhaps Apple bought them so that Google couldn't use them offensively against Apple?

I am open to correction, but my understanding is that so far, the only suits Apple has launched against Android manufacturers (not Google!) are with respect to patents Apple has filed itself.

Buying the Nortel patents doesn't mean anything one way or the other until such time as someone files a lawsuit based on one of the Nortel patents. Which is, you must agree, the second part of the definition you quoted, the "and then sues someone for violating one of the purchased patents" part.
Don't Ask Questions Until the Player Can Answer (RPG Game Design)
Tabco parodies Apple Lemmings ad from 1985
No, that's about right. Seismic waves propagate between 2-8 km/s depending on rock density. 2.4 m/s is an easy run for most people.
Oh hey, look at that, they un-deprecated <u> in HTML5:
http://dev.w3.org/html5/markup/u.html#u

Even more reason for it to be supported in Markdown :)
Original Apple ad here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYP1Tjgt1Ao
EA founder: Apple Is Peaking, Will Decline
RotoSub: the self-silencing fan
None of it is over the top, and none of it recommends to stay awake (only says to take caffeine if needed), you're just not seeing the picture because you want to believe that truck drivers are better drivers than anyone else because they do this for a living. It's a fallacy, of course. They're not immune to fatigue because they get paid to drive. They're reflexes and judgement are impaired as they would for you or me.

It's as dangerous as it sounds, if it was me who didn't get a whole night's sleep, had to drive a long distance on a deadline (no time for breaks), was sedentary, and had to drive through long and boring rural roads, you'd tell me to get the hell off the road before I kill someone.

I understand someone has to drive trucks to get my food to the supermarket, but that doesn't mean we should ignore the obvious risks, and reasons why the current system is a bad idea. I think driverless trucks would be the best solution.
I feel like getting into the Python project and making some contributions would not only look good, but would make me a better developer as well. The only problem is that I've tried and I was so overwhelmed. I had no idea where to start and I tried fixing a bug and had no clue what I was doing.

Any tips are most welcome. :)
Unless you're using adblock

Interesting. So here's a poll I just created on that: "are you running AdBlock?"

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2843040
As other people have mentioned, it's a lot easier to try a startup when you've had a chance to save money from a $250,000 salary. Plus, you have the experience working for a big PE firm so you know you can always find another great job. I love hearing these stories, but his 'risk' wasn't really as great as someone who quits an $80,000 job with $10,000 in savings. I know that story too well :)
Sometimes I check on http://brandstack.com/ for stock logos. They recently merged upstack, so you can go for a custom design on the same site.
London’s bus network to benefit from Wi-Fi and open data (Wired UK)
Euclideon are not saying they are more awesome than everyone, they are saying they are up against the polygon industry.

The point is that they're the only ones being deliberately misleading in order to attract investment, which is pretty easy to see as unfair. There's no mention that the variety of what you're seeing is severely technically limited by space, despite specific attention being given to the fact that a "real video game would use artists and everything would look a lot better"
I'm not pro-patent, I just want Google's motives as I see them to be more transparent, and that is what I am aiming to achieve with my comment.

If they thought patents were more strategic for them, they wouldn't be anti-patent. For them it's purely a strategic viewpoint that benefits them due to their current size.

That patents are grossly abused is a serious issue that is quickly coming to a head, so it won't take ages from now for major reform to occur.
Thanks. I saw that one but I measured myself and it looks like I need it to go to about 42", fred only goes to 38".
Man, I am getting tired of people shitting all over an article and getting rewarded with top comment status. Note, I didn't say "giving a critical critique". That's fine and should be encouraged. But this is just slinging mud for the sake of it.

Comments like this offer no value. Maybe it doesn't deserve a downvote, but it certainly shouldn't be #1.

EDIT - Just realized this post may technically not have the most votes, but since I can't see the score I have no way of knowing. I still stand by everything I said otherwise.
I don't claim to know anything. I assumed it's willful because it's been a repeated pattern of behavior and because of the full court propaganda press they have been making against patents.
1) Google needs patents to stay in business because other companies have patents to use against them.

2) See #1. Stanford owns the patent on PageRank because it was developed by Stanford graduate students on an NSF research grant. Not really relevant.
The only gotcha with this is that you'll need a way to put the Arduino bootloader on new AVR chips, or pay a small premium to buy them preloaded with Arduino firmware.
Super Affiliate Commissions Review
Astute observation. Reminds me of this pg classic on PR:

http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html

The timing is certainly convenient for Google.
Particularly useful for HTML e-mail - write once and it'll look great in both the plaintext version and the HTML one.
I thought it was going to turn out that Michael Ian Black was behind lulzec.
Groupie Challenges Groupme over trademark
My biased summary: Unsurprisingly, a report by the right-wing “Manhattan Institute” takes extreme joy in the 2010 Census numbers showing New York State “losing” 1.6MM people, declining in population from 18.97MM people in 2000 to a new low of 19.38MM people in 2010.

This is clearly because of New York State's high tax structure, loose liberal morals, and socialist subsidy culture and has nothing to do with multiple recessions, the unfortunate incident of September 11, 2001, nor a federal revenue system which sucks tax revenue out of urban areas and sends them to rural areas or a state education system which penalizes urban areas with a lower reimbursement rate per student than in suburban or rural areas.

--
These studies always conflate New York State and New York City. Upstate New York is dying and has been for several decades. There are many reasons for that, taxes may well be one reason. New York City has a constant flow of people into and out of the city, and certainly post 9/11 many people left for many reasons, some economic, some out of fear, others out of pain and anguish.
This is an incredible claim. Do you realize that Apple and Microsoft are being sued constantly as well?
They clearly listened to This American Life's piece on patents. That title can't be coincidence. They just appended the word "Android" to it. :-)
evaluating/rating articles on the base of references and citations of them in other articles has been a useful and known practice in academia. Applying it to web pages was innovative (compare with original _invention_ of such algorithm for the scientific articles), yet doesn't seems to be something that warrants involvement of government force to keep others from applying the same academia article evaluation principles to web pages.
Randi Zuckerberg leaves Facebook for her own startup
Web.com buys Domain Registrar Network Solutions for $560.8 Million
Being an exclusive licensee provides significant rights to Google, for example, they could sue for infringement of that patent.
Which end user? You or someone like my mom and dad and wife?
So when Apple and Microsoft buy bankrupted company's patents and use them to sue Google, they are not patent trolling? What are they then? Innovating? This is plain patent trolling and make those two companies effective patent trolls no matter how you try to turn the story. Even if they are innovating on other fronts. Just like I can save someone's life one day and kill someone the next day. That doesn't mean I'm not a killer because I'm a humanist on a good day.
I never stay in the bathroom long enough to have good ideas. My shower time is approx. 5 minutes.
From his WickedFire thread:

MY EMAIL ID- sjaghanivasan@gmail.com
Please drop me a mail or a PM with the info of the logo to be done!
My paypal ID is different. I will send you my paypal ID after completing the order as I always request payment after completing the order.
Regarding Apple's UI claims, IIUC that's mostly against Samsung's modifications of Android. Further, how many ways can you arrange finger-sized square icons on a portrait-mode screen? If two phones have two screens of similar size, and one puts 48x48 (or whatever) pixel icons on them, they will form similar grids.

Oracle is another matter entirely, and arguing that case requires discussing whether an unoriginal programming language and associated virtual machine should be patentable. Oracle gets no sympathy from me because of the way they've treated the various communities that built up around Sun's products, but beyond that, I think a rational case can be made that Google's independent implementation of a register-based VM should not be seen as infringing patents on Java's stack-based VM, and/or that Java's patents cover things that are obvious or non-novel.
Web.com Acquires Network Solutions for $405 Million + Stock
Thanks guys. I'm willing to spend a few bucks for something that looks nice, just dont want to get swindled. Gonna try a foldable drafting desk I think. Will blog the results.
> So when Apple and Microsoft buy bankrupted company's patents and use them to sue Google

Has this happened?
i believe keynes approach during times of economic recession is the right one. when firms and household spending declines, economic output will decline, leading to a deflationary spiral. government spending needs to increase to buoy the economy.

this was the one of the mistakes that occurred during the great recession; government chose to shrink its spending, thereby letting asset asset prices fall, thereby reducing production, wages, and demand.

had we allowed our large banks to fail, would have only amplified the impact of the impending recession. without government support, there would had been no confidence in our financial system and therefore our economy (as short-term credit markets are essential for the day-to-day operations of businesses). though not the ethical choice to bail out banks with tax payers' money, it was the right choice for the economy in the long-run.

however, the government bail out of the detroit big three is a different story.
What's obvious and trivial to professionals may not be trivial at all in common sense. What's obvious and trivial after the fact may not be trivial at all before someone come up with it in the first place.

The question remains to what extend do we protect IP so the system yields net benefit to the society, not the opposite?

I have no answer, but I'm Chinese, I've witnessed a complete disregard for IP in practice facilitates intellectual cesspool and general lack of innovation. I hesitate to join the chant for total software patents abolishment.
> How is it that when Google bid for the Nortel patents, it was "defensive," but when Apple won, it was "trolling?"

Because Google never sued any one on patents without being on the defensive. Apple and Microsoft have a track record on attacking big and small companies on patents.
Untrue by inspection. Patents have a life of 20 years, software written over 20 years ago not all trivial.

Totally irrelevant to the current conversation. No one thinks all patents are good or valid. Contrast with what Google does: (1) copy exactly what the leader does as close as possible, (2) not license any of the innovations we're copying and (3) push propoganda that any patents we might walk over are "bogus".
I recently wrote something just like this for Node.js:

https://github.com/joehewitt/markdom

It's used on http://uponahill.com to extract Flickr urls so I can query the Flickr API and get complete metadata about each photo. My gf, who does most of the writing/photography on the site, has found writing in Markdown and copy/pasting Flickr urls a pretty frictionless experience compared to the Wordpress CMS.
Google is lying if they are pretending that Apple and MSFT have started the software patent issues. And they clearly could have tried harder for the Nortel patents if they wanted to. How about try to not just bid a magical number but actually try and win auctions instead?

If Google really cared about the issue of PATENTS they'd be putting as much leverage behind changing the patent laws and not just calling sour grapes for themselves. I haven't seen them jumping in and defending (actually small) tech companies from litigation or doing much more than... a blog posting.

They're also saying that the Nortel patents are dubious, but I doubt it. A legacy company like Nortel probably had a lot of patents made long ago that are worth their weight in gold.

What is Google doing about it (based on this blog post)? Not fighting the patent system itself but of course trying to overturn the patent sale, buy more patents for themselves and basically become involved in the back and forth that had predominated software patents for a while now.

This is a blog post from Google about how they want to be heavy hitters with patents too. They want to throw their weight around with patents just like everyone else and use the system in the exact same way as this axis of evil who are conspiring against them.
TreeFrog is listed as a web framework for C, but it's really a web framework for C++. They may seem similar, but they're really two totally different languages. The mixup of C and C++ is really not a good thing.
Naming Your Product – The BugSense Interview
Was .NET all a mistake?
A confidentiality agreement is one thing and is acceptable.

One of the worst mistakes I ever made was to sign an agreement (on resigning from a company) saying I would never criticize the company or its officers. It’s amazing what lawyers can do to make pretty much anything you say about such a company “criticism.”

To this day all I can say is that I worked at the company, not that I resigned, not why I resigned, not what I learned. It has lead to some extremely uncomfortably situations with potential employers and investors even many years later.
Indeed. And once Google stocks up on thousands of purchased patents (humorously they just bought a bunch of database patents from IBM, which I have no doubt they're going to start leveraging against Oracle), you will be fully supporting it as they start demanding injunctions and stoppages against Apple and Microsoft products. Right?

Those products that, to put in your don't-understand-software-patents way, STOLE from other people's innovations?

Because it's coming, and it's going to be ugly for everyone. The patent nuclear war approaches.

Your facts seems to opine that Google should simply suffer the system. They didn't make the game, but they are a young company in a industry of longstanding titans. Apple nor Microsoft nor anyone else has a right to billions in quarterly profits for perpetuity.
I'm not tech savvy enough to make an app, but I will devote part of my website to it, at some point.
Software developers, and Open Source developers in particular, have been adamantly against software patents for a very long time. It seems equally as likely that independent developers are taking advantage of Google's predicament to further their own goal of abolishing software patents.

Edit: I will add that I personally have done exactly this in conversation. But, in the worst case, Google is exploiting a sentiment that already exists, rather than creating it from nothing.
Agree totally. It doesn't really appeal to me personally, but Microsoft in particular is trying to do some new things from a UI and software perspective with Windows Phone. From what I have read about it, it actually seems like one of the few products where MS hasn't tried to systematically copy what is being done elsewhere.
The cheapest and fastest thing to do is to pick an interesting font and skip the art. Take a look around, and you'll be surprised by how many mega-corps are just the name in a memorable font.
Depends on the duration.
Yes, the good old <u>, <b> and <i> seem to be going out of fashion. Understandable in the context of web development, but so handy for a short piece of text like a blog post or comment.
Super-Hyped Start Ups
nice little interview with Gary Vaynerchuck and TechStars NYC
Companies that consider themselves in a growth phase take an anti intellectual property stance. Once they are sitting on an empire they shift positions. Its the rational thing to do. All this says about Google is that they are still looking to enter and disrupt new markets.
I'd just like to congratulate everybody on the fact that there are seven comments so far and not one of them says "That's no moon..."
And we all pay for the right to stand there, for no longer than 20 years.

In the tech industry, 20 years are couple of lifetimes long. I'm in favor of shorten the period too.