skysight-inc/HackerNews huggingface dataset:
There seems to be a convention amongst the techie crowd that social rules are a silly bit of nonsense that dumber people engage in. This is not at all the case.

When I handle a project from beginning to end, it goes smoother. I find any mistakes I've made myself; I know what assumptions I made at every step; I don't have to get my head around the job over and over again; it's all-round easier.

When a team does projects, it requires rules, with some rigidity. Each person has to act somewhat like an object-oriented sub-routine, with guaranteed input, guaranteed output. This does add some overhead, but it allows each person to function with relative freedom in his own space.

Social rules and conventions are the rules for the team comprised of a culture doing the project of living. They allow us to get through the day using hundreds of social shortcuts; assumptions about each other's behavior, needs, wants, expectations.
Ask HN: Books on overcoming shyness
Hey hackers,

tl;dr: do you know of some good "instruction manuals" to overcome shyness so I can network with hackers and find some friends?

I recently moved to Silicon Valley and I'd really like to find some friends. The problem is that I'm terribly shy and have always had a really hard time meeting people and making new friends, unless I'm forced to be with the same group of people for long periods of time. I'm working from home now so I can't meet new people at my workplace. I don't drink. I'm pretty quiet in general. I really need to fix this about myself because it's going to hold me back forever.

Do you know of books written for the nerdier crowd that give step-by-step guides on how to overcome my shyness? I want to know specifics on how to small talk, what to talk about when meeting new people, etc. I know the basics of what you're supposed to do and what you're supposed to talk about generally, but that doesn't help me because I tend to tense up and shut down in those situations. I need specific suggestions, like an instruction manual or a script, that I could memorize and follow over and over until I get to be more comfortable. Like the hacker's guide to being social.

I know that I won't become outgoing just by reading a book. But I do need some sort of help (and I think therapy is a little overkill). I'm already looking for hacker events I could attend in the area to get out of the house. For example, I'll be at the Hackers & Founders meetup in San Jose next Thursday. It would be nice to figure out how to talk to strangers by then, because the thought of it gives me sweaty palms already.

Thanks for your help!

EDIT: I've read Dale Carnegie's "How to win friends and influence people" and most of it I already knew or heard about. I also felt it was a bit outdated. Is there maybe something like that specifically for hackers?
Acquired was the term used in the original Fast Company story that broke the news and the term used by Jumo General Manager Kristen Titus.
For Hacker News, the far more important thing to point out is that no matter what block cipher you use, you are never going to get burnt by research like this, but you are almost certain to be completely boned by implementation errors.

Wish I could up vote you twice for this.
I would consider key management to be a greater problem than implementation, at this point. There are many verified, open-source, freely-licensed cryptography libraries out there. You shouldn't be rolling your own implementation.

Unfortunately, key management is still a difficult problem. Without secure keys, even the most secure encryption becomes nothing more than an inconvenience.
More Bitcoin malware: this one uses your GPU for mining
I also posted the author's video explanation here the other day: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2867429
google has been proving otherwise for the last few years.
Here you go: http://thisismynext.com/2011/08/16/htc-sues-apple-patents/
Kabbage Raises $17 Million in Second Round of Funding
The original complaint & the actual patents if anyone is interested: http://thisismynext.com/2011/08/16/htc-sues-apple-patents/
[Edited to be less confrontational, I don't want the tone to obscure the message]

> ... also helps them see through the seemingly-meaningless boilerplate and social grease that we call people skills.

'Seemingly-meaningless' being the key word. Such boilerplate exists for a reason. It would be nice if all communication were perfectly efficient and noone ever had to be anything but perfectly honest but the nature of the world is such that social skills are necessary. They can be learned, as plenty of people here have already attested. It is difficult and frightening but utterly worthwhile. Learn the rituals, play the game, fake it till you make it. Otherwise you are signalling to everyone around you that you don't value their presence enough to even bother with basic social niceties, whether or not that is actually the case.
Well that's the point, right? If I make a computer called "Apple", that's confusing for people buying computers. If I release records under "Apple", that's confusing for people buying records (although you could make the case that people don't care). Otherwise, I'm free to use it.

Trademarks don't mean "word monopoly".
Apple, It’s Time To Block iOS 5 Beta Users From Reviewing Apps
How did they burn through $3.5MM in less than a year? Curious.
The animations are done with JQuery's .animate method, and since the stats are all across different ranges we're using D3's .scale and .quantize methods to normalize our positions.

If you have more specific JS questions than that I can point you at @golike who wrote all the code for this :)
The poor like taxing the rich less than you would think
No programmer in any company of any reasonable size deals primarily with computers.
I think that analysis ignores tax effects. To have a stable excess return you need some collection of people accept a stable lower return. This is possible if you have different tax regimes. Tax advantaged entities can accept coupons/dividends, and highly taxed entities want capital gains.
This site is in Portuguese. Would you like to translate it?
Kabbage Patent: Liquid Funding for Online Merchants
The Series A Squeeze
what I like about your approach vs. media queries, as I understand it, is that you can toggle between the two views. Sometimes I want to see the screen view on my phone, and vice versa. I don't think you could do that with media queries alone.
Everyone says this, because Applied Cryptography (not a good book) says it. But no, the problem of coming up with a good 128 bit or 256 bit key is not the hardest part of getting a cryptosystem working. Plenty of static-keyed systems, in which keys are more or less guaranteed to come from /dev/random, end up totally busted.

You seem to be thinking that when I say "implement", I mean, "building an AES core library from scratch". No. I mean properly using a well tested, totally sound AES library in a way that doesn't leave your application totally boned.
Why Malthus/Ehrlich Are Always Wrong: Growing Crops On Thin Film
This is incorrect. You can acquire and merge nonprofits just like a real corporation. The difference is that you don't have equity, therefore, if you do want to compensate people (e.g. employees or investors or whoever), you need to do so with cash (e.g. bonuses).
The Past, Present and Future of OpenID
The New York times has a great site that lets you crunch the numbers yourself: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/business/buy-rent-calcula...
Nice video, but what value does wrapping it in an empty blog post provide?
Review my startup -- Twitter of jokes
最新电影排行榜
Tiling windows do not cause more mental overhead--for me. I've used awesome on my Linux machines and decided to tube it because it gave me nothing. A laptop, for example, does not have sufficient screen space to allow me to effectively tile most applications.

This faux-authoritative bullshit that infests any comments about Unix really should stop. Again: for me, tiling window managers are not pleasant or comfortable and they don't work in two of the three environments in which I work anyway. Maybe not for you, but for me. I said for me in my original post, and you come along and tell me that I'm wrong about my own experiences? Believe me, you're free to show yourself out instead of trying to correct me about personal preferences--don't let the door hit you on the way out.
Sepaton management team
I think he means that he feels like any person that is "reasonably intelligent" person should be able to do it, and because he can't, he feels incompetent. He's not talking about the accomplishments in particular.
Show HN: Automatically add beards, mustaches, monocles, and more to any face
The rental market in the inner suburbs of Sydney is pretty expensive. It certainly helps to have employment and real estate agents will often ask for some kind of employment reference.

I don't know of any impediments for non-citizens in terms of renting. I've employed people on working holiday visas, short-stay business visa, permanent residency and citizens, and they all seem to be able to find rental accommodation in the inner suburbs of Sydney without too much problem. I've usually provided an employment reference either verbally or on paper.

Hope that helps.
Stanford prison experiment continues to shock
If you want to make it even more readable, use CoffeeScript instead of JavaScript where possible
"How far" implies length, something which implicitly requires another dimension, at least "another" when considered from the perspective of a "viewer" in 1D space.
Wasn't there that article about people not being able to focus? The result of this patent war is that you will now be able to focus on whatever you're doing. See, problem solved! Lawyers to the rescue !
I was quite inspired by Mustachio.me (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2878140), and decided to take it one step further :)

There's a Greasemonkey script linked off the site that replaces images in webpages automatically, much like their Chrome extension.
I assume you haven't read the book?

It makes some pretty crazy claims that "COULD" happen, but aren't likely. Like loosing 100lbs in like 3 months (it "could" happen, but it isn't typical) or gaining like 50lbs of muscle in 3 months, etc. The book outlines how he did it - what it doesn't go into too much is the fact that he had that muscle, then lost it, then gained it back. So the argument is that his muscle was just rebuilding itself and that is easier.

The point is not to take everything literally - if you follow his slow-carb diets & exercise even slightly you SHOULD loose weight - you probably wont lose 100 lbs, but you could. Most people healthily lose 1-2 lbs per week and with this you could certainly do that. I'm 6"5 & 300 and I lost about 20 lbs in the first two weeks doing it, although that is fairly consistent on any real extreme change I do for eating healthy.

You'd understand when you read it that it isn't a step by step to get from point a to point b, but rather information to help motivate/guide you from your own point a to your own point b... in a sensationalized manner.

(don't get me wrong, I liked both books)
Restaurant ordered to pay BMI $30K for "playing four unlicensed songs"
Uh, I mean http://mustachify.me/
Also, utilities. I only pay for electricity at my apartment, and thanks to some 12" stone walls it's quite low. I talk to people my age who have bought homes and their utility bills can be as much as 40% of my rent.
> They kept interest rates abnormally low for much of the last decade which meant that borrowing was incredibly cheap causing many consumers to overextend themselves

The federal reserve manages the cash rate. The don't directly specify the risk premium spread associated with risky loans.

If someone offers a no-recourse billion dollar loan with no obligation for collateral, the rational financial decision is to take the loan, and invest the money. If the investment appreciates pocket the money. If it goes south return the investment and say "your problem" to the lender.

The federal reserve said they thought self interest would ensure the banks would not invest stupidly.

I don't see how this argument changes if overnight rate is 10% or 1%.
Earlier phone patents
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invention_of_the_telephone#Pate...

and previous disputes http://www.sparknotes.com/biography/edison/section4.rhtml
The article doesn't say that rekeying occurs over the air. It could very well be the case that police departments are rekeying their radios at the end of every shift, when, for all practical purposes, they'd be as safe rekeying once a week.
Rental situation is quite decent - from memory Australia has one of the lowest rent to equity ratios in the developed world.

There is a huge rental market for temporary residents largely driven by international students. I've heard of international students living in poor rental conditions, but that is often the result of a willingness to live in cramped squalor. I've also heard of landlords demanding high bonds for temporary resident renters, however note that in most states bonds higher than 4 weeks' rent are illegal.

Provided you have a valid visa you should be able to find decent rental accomodation, I would also recommend having a reference from a landlord (and/or employer).
Yeah, that's what makes writing well so goddam hard. The best writers can do a great job of communicating without resorting to graphical representations of the intent of the text. I just wish I were better at it.
Personal Development Courses By The Noble Touch
You can find personal development courses antwhere, but nothing compares to this.
Probably.

But if that's the case, why does no other company seem to use this approach?
Zynga Hit With Patent Suit Over In-Game Rewards
tour wisata Bangka Belitung
Kami adalah photo guide, tours dan travel yang menyajikan paket perjalanan mengunjungi objek wisata pantai di Bangka Belitung
Paket wisata yang kami sediakan yaitu :
"How to Win Friends & Influence People"

http://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/06...

I don't know if it's as "step-by-step" as you're looking for, but it's a classic and still quite popular -- I think it'll at least be a good starting point for you.
If the police can't keep informants protected, nobody will inform on violent criminals. There are obviously plenty of reasons why law enforcement secure comms need to be actually secure, not just "Motorola says it honored the secure comms standard" secure.

The stuff that police organizations want to be obscurantist about are almost invariably not encrypted; dash cam videos, disciplinary reports, things like that. Yes, once upon a time some geeky reporters were able to get interesting stories out of radio scanners. That's because we were living in the dark ages, not because police tactical radio traffic should be open to anyone.
It's a diet, not cold-turkey. Maybe he'll develop some healthy habits, rather than ping-ponging between internet binge and internet fast.

....or maybe he'll extend his Internet Hour to his Internet Twenty-Three Hours, but it's still worth a shot.
Simplifying the Developer App - Facebook Developers
Books are nothing compared to interfacing with people and mixing with the public to become comfortable in the setting of strangers.

You know what worked for me? Working at the front of a fast and busy cafe. Previously shy and introverted, now confident and outgoing with anyone I meet.
1) Cranberry juice is an acceptable drink at a bar.

2) You must have some activity that people do in groups. Do you bike? Do you write code? Do you like to discuss books you've read?

3) If you can teach yourself to write tail-recursive code, an unnatural activity that gives you an end-result you want, you can teach yourself to be gregarious, an unnatural activity that gives you an end-result you want. Just practice! Start with events you don't care about, and keep practicing on more and more important events.
Given that patents in non-US countries tend to be weaker and harder to get, (3) is unlikely to change.

On the other hand, if America's growth stays anemic while Asia (and to a lesser extent South America) keep growing (which seems likely), (4) will take care of itself.
No amount of grinding away with pencil and paper is equivalent to a clever divide and conquer algorithm.

Unless that grinding is to reproduce the algorithm's steps. Which is a rather important issue in this case (that and people object to the idea of having patent law restrict use of an organized thought process).
The article talks about using Campfire (http://campfirenow.com/), which is a lot nicer than a huge email thread. From the campfire page:

Team collaboration with real time chat.

Campfire is like instant messaging, but designed exclusively for groups.

Share text, files, and code in real time.

I don't think anyone is advocating huge email threads here!
The point though is that whoever has the most computational power has the most power to exploit arbitrage.
Renting is quite expensive. The rental markets in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane is very competitive. It is not uncommon for 50 people to show up to inspect an apartment before renting. However, it is still possible to find some real gems (for example, massive old houses and really quirky places). Price is often relative to access and services, if you can drive you can usually find somewhere cheaper that doesn't have access to public transport.

As for restrictions on foreigners, there is nothing like Japan's rules. Bond is usually 4 weeks rent and rent must be paid in advance in most states. Tenancy laws strongly favour tenants.
Biggest crimes covered up by the SEC:

1) 9/11 Shorting of Airline Stocks

2) S&P Downgrade of US

3) Bernie Madoff

How much more proof do people need? The game is rigged folks.
How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

When I read this book, the timing was perfect and I credit it with refocusing my mind when it comes to relationships. Critics usually say that it's all just common sense, and I would agree -- however, these critics miss the fact that common sense is rarely common practice.

I recall my first few interactions after reading the first half of the book, and the stuff works, plain and simple. I wanted to kick myself for being so oblivious.

It sounds like you are already aware of the importance of relationships, so I would say, give it a shot and don't get discouraged. With practice, it will become easier (almost second nature when you see how positive the results are). You can also find some great summaries of this book online. Due to an overwhelmingly positive experience with this book, I later searched for further reading on the topic and ended up with "Ethics for the New Millennium" by the Dalai Lama -- this book helped to bring into focus the underlying "truth" of "How to Win Friends & Influence People" and is a nice follow up... good luck!

http://www.westegg.com/unmaintained/carnegie/win-friends.htm... (Summary)

http://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/06...

http://www.amazon.com/Ethics-New-Millennium-Dalai-Lama/dp/15...
Using blogs for advertising? Think again
What you're saying here is not 'conventional wisdom.' Conventional wisdom (at least, fundamental analysis) is that the price on the market incorporates all information and that the market is by and large full of rational actors. So, timing the market is a fool's errand, since you can't get ahead of the present.

I'm not saying I agree with this, I'm just saying that that's what you're taught in school. If there were a way to prove this indisputably incorrect then it would probably be an interesting result.
Looking to sell my startupweekend LA ticket
email me at phillipyang04@gmail.com
I just went through this in January, and while I wouldn't say there are substantial obstacles for non-citizens, you need to make sure that you have enough documentation. The rental vacancy rate is pretty low in Sydney, so there's a fair amount of competition for the better places (as mentioned above). Not having the right paperwork can definitely lower your chances of getting a place. I wrote about our experience here and would be happy to share more: http://www.lifewithkandr.com/2011/05/first-hand-guide-rentin...
Using SMS Text Messaging to Monitor and Track Weight Loss
Even fairly simple tools must be able to game humans. We must be so bad at making rational decisions that prices typically are set just below a psychologically significant level for example $2.99. This of course assumes the market is correct in its assessment of us.
That's what property management companies are for.
the worst that can happen is that it will turn to be "This is the year of the Linux tablet- or smartphone-top".

Personally i was satisfied with Linux desktop on 386 sx33 back in 1995 (Slackware/XFree86/olvwm) and no desktop/etc... since then has beaten the experience yet (my at work quad core Xeon 3.2 GHz with windows 7 seems to be agile enough to provide rich experience of still painting the animated wait cursor (which cursor has much visually improved since windows 3 - no questions here) when i click to close the empty (!) Excel instead of just immediately closing the damn thing)
webOS is built on Linux, "a core OS that's had over 20 years of work put into it."

That touch UI still can't get notifications and multitasking right.
Beaver Falls Season 1 Episode 4
Beaver Falls Season 1 Episode 4 Throw in the arrival of Beaver Falls' most glamorous and infamous camper, Lily Meadows (just don't mention the sex tape!), and it's got 'diplomatic incident' written...
This is just obvious. Isn't pointing out a bug thats due to an unreleased OS breaking your NDA anyway?
This appeals to me immensely because I absorb information way faster by reading than when someone talks at me. I wonder what percentage of the population is like me as opposed to those who absorb better by listening?
Look into Albert Ellis' ideas and derivative CBT treatments.
Here is the story about Ellis' efforts to overcome his own social anxiety http://approachanxiety.com/2008/05/i-gave-myself-a-brilliant...
Why sell ad space privately?
This might sound odd, but try reading The Game by Neil Strauss: http://www.amazon.com/Game-Penetrating-Secret-Society-Artist... . It's superficially about how to pick up women, but a lot of it is actually about how to understand social life, what incentives operate on people, and what kinds of things most "normal" (for lack of a better word) people like. Don't use "negs," don't get too wrapped up in his questionable tales of sexual bravado, but do consider what he writes about how to understand the world.
Please disclose your commercial interest if you're going to post such "friendly reminders" in HN discussions. Thanks.
I'm a bit confused. Playing a song in a restaurant should be considered a public performance. While you can pay the yearly licensing fee instead of paying the statutory rate, you should also be able to pay the statutory rate for a public performance which shouldn't be more than a couple dollars for four playing songs in an average sized restaurant.
Rails bug reports can be submitted via https://github.com/rails/rails/issues/new
Walk into the city desk of any major newspaper and a police scanner is on in the background. It isn't a "geeky" thing at all.

Informants have nothing to do with secure comms... the examples of reasons why secure comms are needed usually center around surveillance of organized crime for since 2001, the terrorists.

Is there a need for secure transmission of limited types of communication? Sure. But 95% of the radio traffic is not secret at all.
The books suggested here have been pretty good, but books will only help you so much. Consider this suggestion: Talk to 5 new people every day. They can be anyone, on an elevator, a person walking by, a person in a queue just start a conversation about anything. You will be surprised by how easy it is to start a conversation. If you are petrified to start a conversation, rehearse the conversation beforehand. Let us know, how it goes.
A bit offtopic -- what O(n^4) naive algorithm have you in mind? I cannot really think of any -- just implementing the definition gives you O(n^3).