skysight-inc/HackerNews huggingface dataset:
There's plenty they could do. They could offer insurance for this sort of situation (yes, they'd have to add an insurance fee or increase their rates for this to make business sense). They could implement credit card address verification, and require that a credit card be in their system for some period of time (3 or 5 days) with a hold on it before someone can make their first rental, which would make it a lot less likely that someone could effectively use a stolen credit card. They could verify phone numbers of guests and hosts by calling them (perhaps even with an automated system, that calls someone up and asks them to punch in a number they got when signing up for Airbnb), which would give an additional piece of evidence about someone's identity if needed. They could implement a trust system in which people with established histories using the system can vouch for someone else, and if no one vouches for you, then you need to do one of the above steps or some other form of additional identity verification. I'm sure there are other ideas that I haven't come up with that would also help and not be too cumbersome; these are just a few off the top of my head.

I don't think that any of these would make the service unusable; if they did all of them, it might be a bit cumbersome, but implementing one or two of these measures would be fine. They would add a little bit of friction, for sure, but I think that it would be worth it for avoiding these sorts of awful situations.
The first class met with Dave McClure and the Chilean President as part of one of Dave's Geeks on a Plane visits to South America recently.

Looks like they do a fair bit of networking.
A local (Brazilian) phone operator made 'we only have unlocked phones' as their selling-point. Also they don't have contracts, and (at least for me) no crapware apps.

Sorta gives me a bit of hope on capitalism. I stay with them on principle.
I'm embarrassed for both of you. Will you please stop baiting one another?
Wouldn't veteran users, in many cases, have already looked at the front page? They check the top 2-3 articles to see if anything is new and then can skim/see the thumbnail for any link below the top few. I feel like this would make a big impact as the first time I look at the frontpage in the morning I read it differently than later in the day.
Force multiplier
CMS vs. CMS [infographic]
You should, because I was wondering why experienced redditors seemed to be fixated on blank space according to this image: http://www.gazehawk.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/redd...

...The two red hot-spots to the right and further down the page.

Is it an emergent distortion because of the heat map? Is it an aggregate spot between the link above and the link below that ends up being significant? Do experienced redditors rest their eyes on blank patches of the page??
Burt Rutan’s Boomerang – Safety Through Asymmetry
I've been using this: http://sontek.net/turning-vim-into-a-modern-python-ide
Google+ Allows Circle Reorder--Adds Creepy Giraffe
+1
Couldn't have said it better.

I get the point of being focused but if anyone handed me this before a bigwig meeting I'd lose all respect and think they were arseholes straight off.

"7. Stand during micro-meetings."

Fuck off!
Whorver wrote this sounds like an asshole. Working for him/her sounds like a chore. Handing out shit like this is an insult to your "minions". Calling people for whom you you are supposed to be a leader "minions" is also an insult. I don't care if you are a Balmer or Jobs; this is a dick move.
How about a tagging function. Users can vote if a tag applies or not. That way you get a self-generating ontology.
If they pay for this incident, they are possibly opening the door for the kinds of schemes people pull on insurance. You know, the whole "rob my place and I'll collect the insurance" schemes.

If Airbnb pays for this incident, they effectively become an insurance company. Maybe what they should do is offer some type of actual insurance package on checkout. This way, they are providing a much needed service and indemnify themselves. Making their customers aware of this possibility rather than pretend it doesn't exist would also help create a safer environment.

Paying to make this right _should_ come out of a big, huge, hairy insurance policy. We haven't even begun to talk about the potential legal liability that AirBnb is under here. If they don't have an insurance policy that covers this stuf... You really shouldn't be in the hospitality business.

Dude, I work in an ER. When someone slips on a wet floor in a grocery store, they do _whatever_ _it_ _takes_ to be sure the person is cared for, taken to the ER and checked out. I've seen store managers drive people to the ER after getting hurt in their store.

Why? Because you take care of people. It's just good business.

Happy customers don't sue you. Angry customers sue you, even if you didn't do anything wrong, and you have no legal liability whatsoever.
I remember that the first "iTunes" phone was really a stalking horse by Apple to learn and understand the phone manufacturers and carriers... then they released the iPhone 2 years later which took over the world.

If this is the same type of move by Facebook, good on em... sometimes you learn best from failures.
It's the heatmap. The threshold between red and white in the heatmap appears to be more meaningful than it actually is.
So does that become S-Q-L-ite or S-Q-Lite, you think?
This isn't anymore a Facebook phone than the INQ stuff
Building and Organizing the Social Intranet
My problem with this is that they've advertised "UNLIMITED" data and convinced a lot of people to join their network because of it, and now they are saying that's not actually true.

I know they have footnotes in the contract, but isn't it some kind of false advertising? It's not "unlimited", it's more like "a lot", and they get to decide what a lot means.

If you're not going to really give people unlimited data, and you're going to get upset about it when people actually try using it as if it was unlimited, then how about you stop advertising it as such?
Whoo 10x faster Integer performance... unfortunately the Atom will still be slow in many workloads unless the floating point unit is upgraded and not to mention the in-order execution, Cache and much more.

But that is OK. The 14nm Atom is going to live in exactly the same niches the current atom is, it may have slightly better performance, but at the end of the day if they are looking at beating ARM, they are going to need to really reduce the power consumption of the supporting chipsets.
Pretentious. The points that particularly irk me are:

#1 - Duh, everyone does.

#3 - Why do you assume I need pen and paper to keep track of what is going on.

#5 - Why am I responsible for your lack of time management skills.

#8 - The async nature of email threads works well for a lot of complex topics.

#17 - The definition of irony.

Edit: My HN posts like this one usually get a quick down one negative vote and then climb out of the hole from there. It all started after I posted this comment http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1331769.
Could whoever has me on their bozo filter lighten up. Thanks.
I also find great humor in the throw-away line concerning the necessity of the acquisition of T-Mobile at the end.

Apparently AT&T has hired Cato the Elder to do their PR. This is bad news for Carthage.
Chromebook security: browsing more securely
Using the Social Intranet
I wonder what the internet penetration, internet speed and mobile penetration is in Chile. Do they see this as something that would directly benefit Chile through the products or something that would just create a pool of people and ideas that would indirectly improve the startup environment in Chile.

And then the broader question in my mind is: can you build a successful US focused startup from somewhere else? Aren't the first six months some of the most critical stages of your product development where you have to be close to your users and understand their needs well?
I agree with some, disagree with others, but for me this is critical, I see a lot of documents, many of which are bloated with irrelevant material to try and deliberately make them seem weightier than they are...

For example a technical design document that reasonably contained less than a page of technical information plus a couple of useful diagrams padded out to 10 pages with user requirements that had been cut and paste from the original requirements document.

The design may or may not have been good, but teasing it out from within vaguely familiar material wasn't worth the effort for most readers, so it gets ignored, the dev thinking they have consensus starts implementing and is suprised by the ensuing shit-storm.

An email or post-it with a single paragraph or bulleted list of "here's what I'm going to do" would have been more effective
In my ignorance I see "...an open query langauge for JSON..." and I think "Cool. Now I'll be able to store complex database in plaintext." Am I wrong or just missing the point?

I like the idea of SQLite but it would be nice to not have to jump through hoops to access the databases of programs (I recall having some trouble with Pidgin in the past that I gave up on because I was too much of a newb to know how to interact with SQLite databases).
Just a side note.. have you guys ever wondered what the impact of this story would've been if AirBnB was not an YC company? That's a big reason why AirBnb is always talked about here. If this was just a regular, non-YC, non-funded company, I doubt this would be a big story. I doubt Techcrunch would talk about it and I doubt we here would vehemently argue about this... In the end, it's about a woman who's room got trashed.. Yes, very unfortunate, but let's face it, this would not make big headlines if this was just a regular company.
The $1 Billion Armageddon Trade Placed Against The United States
Sounds neat. I use superfeedr (the company behind Msgboy) for push notification in my rss app.

They're using launchrock to do the "share this link with yr friends if you want acess" thing. So...

http://beta.msgboy.com/rvzs1
Different people are different. Its not particularly profound. What is useful about this list, is that it establishes some boundaries in a working relationship. Establishing those boundaries are essential.

If you are an employee it is less stressful to know very clearly what your supervisor expects, and even if they are an asshole, knowing the kind of asshole is a good thing vs trying to discover it by bumping into various traps.

Larry Bossidy's book on execution [1] has some good discussion about how clear roles, and clear communication structures, are critical to getting things done in a timely way. When you are struggling to keep three or four different potential solutions to your current problem straight, if your peers are doing the same, its impractical to think your manager will be jugging the n x m set of potentials. Rather they are balancing the relationship of what everyone in their group is working on against things being delivered and things needed in peer groups.

This 17 rule missive in the blog posting reads like someone externalizing their tools for maximizing the important signals out of all the possible signals they are getting input on. I don't think it sounds 'rude' I think it sounds 'blunt.' The difference for me being that rude implies negative judgment and blunt implies negative tact.

[1] http://www.amazon.com/dp/0609610570/
For immersion, the best is go and live in a country that speak the language you wish to learn. Et si est le pays d'origine mieux. Muchos paises adoptaron los modismos a tal punto de "crear" un nuevo idioma.
I don't believe so. She seems to really appreciate all the help offers from strangers, and even turns down money and recommends others to enjoy their time by staying in a hotel room. That doesn't scream 'hating humanity' at all.

Also, when first AirBnb heard about this, they could've

a.) choose to protect her and other users from future incidents

b.) hide and hope it goes away

If they choose a, 5 weeks ago, they would've already either changed the business process, or blogged about it to their community to warn them of danger (heck, the perp hasn't been caught/IDed yet).

But because nothing was done, the fact that they kept outputting PR responses, and offered no tangible amount/receipt/proof that they helped her, tells me AirBnb is the one that is shady.
Blindly repeating a mantra without addressing the argument at hand is going to get you nowhere.
Considering this is supposed to be a Facebook supported phone, this thing looks like crap. Kind of a good idea, but with that sort of hardware and half-baked UI this is just as good as any other "social" phone that's come out in the past three years. Next.
The rules would seem less harsh if posed as recommendations, nevertheless there is lots of good advice in there.

> Don't sent me long documents. I like precision

I'm certain that the irony of this finale and typo will not escape this readership.
That sounds about as fun as rock climbing with your teeth.

Also, our usernames are alarmingly similar in this font.
Why would Google do this? There is no way it would not be discovered leading to a lot of ill will and little gain for Google. Plus I know of no current Google marketplace where they adjust cost based on user information.
A quick perusal of the download shows this to be very much what it says: internal data. There are a bevy of contact information, employee files with resumes/photos, correspondance with NATO and other contractees, requisition forms and planning documents, presentation slides, and the like. I haven't seen anything particularly damning, although I'll keep digging.

Edit: this was far too good to pass up. By far the most damning thing I've found: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/36733961/Funny%20Pictures.docx

That's right. A bunch of 'funny' pictures, pasted into a word document, and saved on the company server. Your tax dollars at work, ladies and gents.
I rewrote the examples from VowsJS site in Coffee a while ago:

https://github.com/igorgue/vowsjsexamples
It's illegal to offer unlimited in Australia if it's not by definition, unlimited.

http://www.theage.com.au/business/accc-seeks-unlimited-optus...

http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2011/01/dodo-busted-by-accc-for...

Optus is the second most popular ISP in Australia. Telstra is most popular and even they got slapped for having 'Unlimited' in the past (Now called Liberty plans).
Getting Started – Allocating Equity and Founder’s Investment
Movie a Day: July 29 - &quot;One Week&quot;
I've worked with this guy. He's actually one of the most tolerant and respectful people I've met. The fact that he's incited a flamewar is actually pretty funny.

You should spend some time reading his code. You will learn something.
Something like http://www.trustcloud.com could help in situations like these.
Another sign that AirBnb could care less about its customers.

When first AirBnb heard about this, they could've

a.) Choose to protect her and other users from future incidents

b.) Hide and hope it goes away

If they choose a, 5 weeks ago, they would've already either changed the business process, or blogged about it to their community to warn them of danger (heck, the perp hasn't been caught/IDed yet).

But because nothing was done, the fact that they kept outputting PR responses, and offered no tangible amount/receipt/proof that they helped her, tells me that AirBnb is all about the $1 billion valuation. Nothing more.
No probs. And of course roll your own with Linux From Scratch: http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/ A great way to really learn Linux too :)
August Issue of Hakin9 Magazine: Hacking RFID
People are naturally unresponsive to criticism. If you can get someone to admit they're wrong without shame or guilt, they will happily concede.
The business isn't different, however if you have a vacation rental, as the owner, you don't "live" there so you don't have your valuables, the couch you inherited from a favorite aunt, the nice new tv etc etc.

Airbnb and others have you sharing your primary residence, which puts it at risk if you are not also there. (and perhaps even if you are).
I agree with most of these points, disagree strongly with others, and think this list could shrink by half with no loss of meaning, but above all I'd still rather see something like this documented rather than assumed. Too often a community has a set of unwritten rules which they will expect new members to follow, and short of lurking for a long time you can't learn those rules; even then you won't learn them all, and you'll (hopefully) get informed when you screw them up. I'd rather see documentation.

(I also think that the authoritarian tone people attribute to this document comes from the context; if you read it as a list of rules for sane interaction with any professional rather than with a particular individual, it seems quite reasonable. Granted, it didn't start out that way, but that seems like the spirit intended by reposting it.)
Apple and Google are not foreign corporations, but they own foreign subsidiaries which are responsible for doing business in their respective countries.
"There's also no reason to assume that tax money goes from wealthy pockets to poor ones directly. The government can build infrastructure (which they do a lot more of than private industry), fund R&D, etc. Individuals could also invest their money into funds that fuel R&D, fund startups, etc. It's incorrect to claim that only the wealthy invest."

And there are some project that only the government can take on due to how long cost recoup would be or the risk levels (Space, Internet...) but those things fund high paying jobs.
MPEG LA: 12 companies own patents essential to Google's VP8 codec
To be completely honest, I like this quite a lot. I would much rather deal with someone I know is firm, fair and decisive than a dithering worry-wort who tries to tiptoe around everyone's various emotional states.

It's words on a piece of paper. This guy is very clearly laying out a list of guidelines for subordinates in a way that leaves absolutely no room for second-guessing. You guys getting insulted by this, I'm not sure what to say.
AT&T Wireless To Throttle Unlimited 3G Users
It also has a video output, making it a computer that can be used directly (especially the $35 version with ethernet and 2x USB). The "*plug" computers are more geared to non-interactive use (file sharing / backup / etc).

The Raspberry Pi is more comparable to a BeagleBoard http://beagleboard.org/.
That's not true at all, or not anymore after iOS 4, at least. (to be fair, lots of Androids don't need rooting at all, too)

In fact, it's quite the opposite of what rooting is intended to do in the context of this article, which is putting the phone in a pure, clean state.
Again, it's all in how you phrase 'em.

Example: I wouldn't date a girl who was vegetarian, who smoked, or who didn't shave her armpits. And that's fine. But if I gave my girlfriend a printed list which says:

RULES FOR DATING ME

1. Do not smoke

2. Eat meat at least three times a week

3. Keep your armpits free of hair

...

then she would rightly think that I was a complete asshole.
Startup Chile: Cofounder Wanted
Fwiw, you got an up vote from me. Your comment was out of date, not trolling. I'm really wondering if down voting needs to be removed from most people.
CloudFlare does have a feature to minimize some resources called Auto Minify. http://blog.cloudflare.com/an-all-new-and-improved-autominif...
Well, if he really is a nice guy and seems like an asshole in the list, then that's an even bigger reason to think that the list is bad.

You should send him this thread. Oh wait, he doesn't like email. You should have a micro-meeting with him in which you tell him the URL to this thread. Be sure to remain standing.
It helps, but it still wouldn't protect you from someone serious on bullying a host or the system.
Ohh, the irony: NoSql - because SQL is bad and we thought of fixing it! Fast forward some years into the future, current times - NoSql gets its, you guessed it, SQL back.

Can someone help me stop laughing at this, please?

Nevermind, it looks like a waste of time.
They can't even view the side ad.
if you read it as a list of rules for sane interaction with any professional rather than with a particular individual, it seems quite reasonable

But there's some stuff here that's specific to this individual. He doesn't like email. Some folks do.

Honestly, I really do think it's a good idea to give your underlings some kind of guide to how you prefer to work. It's just also important to do it without being rude.
It made sense in the context of the now-deleted comment to which it's a reply.
Ummmm.

Put the tinfoil hat away, citation needed, man.

Ratchet up the level of discourse, okay?
Those "corporate coffers" you refer to are real investments. Apple is not going to settle for getting a 0% return on the cash it holds. It has to put the money somewhere. It's going to invest it in something, whether it be stocks, bonds, or a bank account of some type...all of which benefit the economy in a different way.
Waren Buffet was talking a while back about how it's ridiculous that he pays 17% taxes when his secretary pays over 30%. He's not a big fan of the current capital gain tax.
Paul,You, Sir, are a major league asshole.your arrogance is going to get the better of you.
How you can help East Africa Famine Victims online
How you can help East Africa Famine Victims online
Even better example; Casino's - I know people barred in pretty much every UK Casino, because they share the info.
Why the downotes? Some further explanation I guess: Early at PayPal, we had lots of competitors making pronouncements like this and what they seemed to miss is that the actions they were complaining about were the very ones that made us successful.
What's the worst that could happen? Ask Airbnb
Obama's Twitter Timeline annoying his followers with #Compromise Campaign
Since then twitter #Compromise is trending fast. even though the president’s social campaign is getting it momentem, many are getting frustrated and annoyed bu the spamm-like tweet time lines from the President.
Rjd, my feeling is that you're in the minority. I don't have any numbers to back up my statement, and I think it's safe to say we are both speculating here. This is my reasoning:

Even if people don't want smartphones, I would speculate that people who want to be connected to Facebook ALSO want to be connected to other services: Twitter, Google+, etc. Tying a phone (with a contract life cycle of 24 months) to fickle online services with no room for expansion is a letdown waiting to happen. Just my $0.02.

Btw, when the iPhone first came out, battery life was a huge issue, which turned out to be a non-issue for the millions of iPhone owners. Most people have an extra cable in the car or office to charge it through the day. And those that didn't, didn't forget to charge it because they loved their iPhone so much. It was really quite fascinating to watch Apple shrug off the battery life issue so eloquently, which, unfortunately set the trend for shorter battery life (e.g. my coworker goes from 100% to 20% in 4 hours on his LG Revolution). I agree with you that this is pretty abysmal, but what can you do...?
Well I guess as long as he always spells it that way he is being precise, just not that accurate:)
CrowdDB: uses SQL to crowdsource queries that database systems cannot answer
I'm thinking of applying as well. I'm sure it'll be an awesome experience overall.

Right now i run django dev studio(http://cloudshuffle.com), helping others launch. Might be time to jump in to some product ideas i've had for a while, but need to put in some research time before i make up my mind for sure.

But best of luck on your search still!
It need not be a "merge" as such, as long as we are granted the ability to mark something as a dup (and mark what it's a dup of). Everything else can be done algorithmically; I outlined some ideas for this in an Ask HN last year: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1975950