skysight-inc/HackerNews huggingface dataset:
I think a far more common problem is deciding which idea to pursue. It takes a lot of work, research, and magic to decide which one.

Being able to work out the viability of 5 or 10 ideas with the resources of YC would be very compelling.
Hmm, I have been on the fence about the agency vs wholesale model for a long while now. I especially thought it was odd the publishers could actually get away with their behaviour, even when they would have (initially and for a while) made much more money under the wholesale model and significantly benefitted society in the short and medium term.

However, after reading this article, Amazon's canny business approach certainly looks more than predatory when all the different pieces are put together.

I understand now that it is not about book prices at all, but about control of the book industry. There is a large risk that, in the future, by the time the justice system recognised the presence of a monopoly in several areas, it would be far too late and much damage could have been done. So, the publishers and authors chose to take control now.

Unfortunately, that control itself is implicitly predatory, depends on unrealised growth assumptions plus practices, and now subject to scrutiny by the authorities - though given the growth potential of Amazon and Apple, it may be the lesser of two "evils".
"There are a finite number of irreplaceable hours in a human life and it makes sense to fill those limited hours with as much remarkable experience as possible. "

Goes on to say how he played a computer game for more than 365 hours of his life. I wouldn't count some 360+ hours of the same game as "the most remarkable experiences possible" but that's just me.
This is just wrong. Making this kind of letter open make MailChimp look like they are doing something wrong by charging for their services.

Not to mention their (antispec's) supporters are web celebrities that charge $500+ per day for their work. They can show their true appreciation and donate to the cause.

Hypocracy.
Double Fine Kickstarter project ends with $3,335,130 funding
What's wrong with her comments? I think "download a different search engine" is a pretty good set of laymen's terms for what happens when you visit http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bing/id345323231?mt=8 on your iPhone and click "install".
Well, recipes are patentable, so I'm not sure this example proves your point as much as you would like...
Sounds like you've read Ries and Trout's classic marketing books (Marketing Warfare and Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind). They should be required reading for startup hackers.
Emacs DBI: DB-accessing API and the simple management UI
> I think the clamant would be crazy to take them up on it

Why? They may very well be offering him more money, just to get his signature on the NDA. I don't think AT&T is worried about <1K ... they'd much rather he shut up.
Interesting that he's going to auction off the copyrights that they have...

I've held the view for a long time that copyrights, patents, and other "intellectual property" should be treated like physical property, specifically real estate.

Imagine, in trade for having exclusive rights to something, you would pay tax commensurate with the amount of revenue you derive for it. You could even keep an idea protected in perpetuity, assuming the tax is progressively structured so that the general public benefits from you doing so.
G+'s problem at it's root is that it's a FB clone. They copied the core functionality and tacked on a few specs that make it, literally, FB+1. The problem is no one is going to move their whole social network for FB+1 or FB+2. Google needed to build a product an order of magnitude better to win social.

There are plenty of colas that are +1 better then Coke but to take away Coke's base you'd need to be Coke+100.

The obvious solution is to stop trying to make a FB clone and do something else to get your ad demographics. I think they should stick with their core advantages and innovate in the vein of their own Adsense product:

(1) Users sign up with Google and volunteer their demographics.

(2) While signed in, Google tailors searches to them.

(3) Google gives the user a tiny percentage of the increased ad revenue. It's peanuts for most people so make it Google Play credit.

(4) If you're not signed in everything is anonymous.

Test run the whole thing on a smaller scale with Android users that already have Google accounts and (for many) credit card info on file.

Nielson families give up a lot of personal data about their viewing habits. This is rewarded with free cable, internet and cell phone service, heck they may even be paid. Even people that just take an hourlong phone survey about tv or radio are rewarded with $50+ checks. The reason market research companies pay this is because the data is extremely valuable to them and their clients. Obviously every web company wants to get that data "for free" like they do now but the giant tracking databases and all the personnel behind that certainly aren't free and create an adversarial relationship that can dilute your brand.
A little off-topic. My comment is going to be anecdotal so it may very well be wrong and if yours has been a different experience I would love to hear about it.

A lot of people love a company X because it's "not Apple" or sometimes "not Facebook". I don't get that. It's doesn't make any sense to me. You like something; in this case a company, because it has/does/stands for/makes certain things. Why do people like X just because it's not, say, Apple. It only tells me you hate something and are picking their competitor because they are not Apple. Doesn't X has merits of it's own to be liked?

Personal case:

- I love Apple for OS X, iOS, iPhone (and somewhat the iPad)

- I love Google for search and Google Apps but not a big fan of Android (Maybe because I always had a Nexus One that didn't let me install more than a couple of apps because of internal storage, had a jittery UI, had to keep killing tasks to preserve battery, poor quality of apps and a not so awesome UX. If I had one of the newer Androids I may not be pissed at it.)

- I'm neutral on Facebook because I never share anything personal on it. I'm using it wrong. But that doesn't mean I love G+ or Orkut or MySpace.

- I like Microsoft for Office and their Exchange server.

Summary:

To me I seem to have a liking for companies because of their qualities. My question is if anyone knows studies or psychological explanation why people like companies because they are NOT some other company (aka competition of a company they dislike).
There is a ring of truth to this blog post. Especially in Google's seemingly blind, dogged attempts to beat Facebook at their own game, in the social space. It reminds me of how MS went after AOL with MSN - and we all know how that ended up.
A huge judgement against a company makes big news and makes a loud statement that the company did something bad. That is how you get them to change. Not by winning $850.

However perhaps if publikdemand is successful in driving media exposure though means such as this, it could have the same impact (or greater?).

Chipping away at them silently in small claims court isn't going to change their practices though.
In theory, yes. In practice? Never.

If you stream a 720p YouTube video inside a VM and access it from Chrome or Firefox on a modern PC, you should see near-native quality and framerates. It’s not as fast streaming to an iPad just yet, but you’ll see some impressive changes there before long.

VNC isn't capable of providing a near-native experience for anything because it works from the top-down instead of from the bottom-up. Have you ever tried streaming 720p videos via VNC? The bandwidth it takes is ridiculous, and even on a gigabit LAN it doesn't provide the desired experience, let alone over the internet.

Also, I don't think there's a browser-based VNC implementation that will work on iOS or even Android (I don't mean Java plugins!) so there's that, too.
Lazy coding practice takes down Microsoft's Azure cloud platform.
> trading in their old fans for the hope of new fans that probably aren't interested anyway.

100% agree. Two small decisions that enrage me for some reason:

1. Stealing the "+" operator away from searches

2. Making Google+ a (semi) closed platform - when I see a link on HN and I click through and it wants me to login to my google+ account just to view the article, I rage inside.

I always want better search, and I've always been happy with google. But now (for many little things like the two above examples) I really want someone else to come along and bring me better search. I don't like google anymore.
Awesome, thanks for that answer!

The testing certificate makes sense, I was really wondering about that, there's only so much you can test in a simulator (touch screen behaviour, for instance. I'd assume you could emulate it with a mouse, but you can't test the full UX that way).

Good call on the JS/webapps too. I hadn't really considered what language one develops iOS apps in when I started investigating, but from what I've seen about Objective-C, I agree it would be a bit too much.

Personally I was aiming to get them interested in writing simple Python programs, perhaps with PyGame so they can quickly get some graphics on the screen (text console output doesn't have a lot of appeal I'm afraid..). Most important reason is that Python lacks boilerplate--I don't want to make the kids do all sorts of boring set up coding before they get to see some results. (second most important reason is that it's the language I'm currently using most)

Boilerplate might be a bit of an issue with JS web apps too. But "can I put my (GameMaker) game on my website?" is a question asked even more often than how to make apps :) [it is possible btw, but not with the free version of GameMaker]. So maybe I could set up some simple framework with a JS Canvas and see if they'll bite. Maybe even better would be just to code some simple game for myself, for fun, show it off, and I already know of at least two kids that will try real hard to figure out how I pulled that off, and they'll be happy to find out it was written inside the same HTML tags they wrote their website with :) (another good reason is, before I caught the Python-bug, I was coding JS all day :) )

Anyway, thanks again for your explanation!
Sad, but inevitable. I owned a copy growing up and it was an invaluable source of information. I remember flipping through the volumes and marveling at how much information I had at my fingertips. For whatever reason my computer has never given me that same feeling of awe and wonder. There's just something about staring at a bookshelf filled with those tomes of knowledge that triggers my thirst for information.
I don't think giving users a percentage of ad revenue is a feasible business model. How/why would that work?
When they cancel his service, he should take them back to court for unjust discrimination on customer equipment, citing the Carterphone precedent. Sorry Ma Bell, the demarc is in the air, and anything past the baseband can't possibly harm the network.
Yeah, for example I was looking at NSF funding for grad school research and while your application is based on a research proposal, your research doesn't actually have to be what you proposed.
We totally would, but a class-action isn't possible under US law. The Supreme Court ruled for AT&T in AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion:

"Under the Federal Arbitration Act, California must enforce arbitration agreements even if the agreement requires that consumer complaints be arbitrated individually (instead of on a class-action basis)." - http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/att-mobility-v-co...
How to fight AT&T in small claims court
It will take a lot more than that, especially when it comes to educating other people. There are millions of new engineers entering the workforce every year, and that number is only going to grow. Most haven't yet learned about the problems software patents can cause.
Low barrier to entry: NBA player Tracy McGrady launches his own daily deal site
Interestingly enough, a lot of the quality Apple has comes from the absence of choice. My parents don't want to choose which search engine to use -- they just want to get their questions answered.

Forcing Apple's products to give users choice can very possibly degrade the user experience.
Something like that..but then the question is: how do you get the instance in there? Normally through DI (ideally at the constructor level)...but the static method screws that up.

I agree that worrying about this is silly, but such is the life of someone who uses static languages.
Google is at trouble. They are following Facebook on the web/search front, and following Apple on the mobile/media front. What are they leading?
And yet...Reddit, Facebook, and Dropbox ALL had highly technical founders.

I'm not sure about Twitter, but I think so too in that case.

So maybe it IS important.
You know I've never heard of HVDC until I read this. So was Edison right all along?
The main downside I see is that it will be harder to evaluate teams if they don't have an idea to talk about in the app and interview -- even the idea is totally throwaway.

It doesn't seem like a bad idea, but I think the RFS already fills this need (as long as people know they can apply with an RFS but then do something different)
'One random guy wins $850 in small claims court from AT&T' - you think that is newsworthy? I disagree. We wouldn't have been hearing about this had AT&T not tried to shut him up.

They will learn from this mistake. They just ran into http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect

The way to handle this if you are AT&T is to pay the $850 and then ignore anything else he does and wait for it to go away.
Traffic engineers and planners have been wrestling with this problem for decades, but there are no easy solutions. Take for example:

For one thing, planners might simply plant trees throughout parking lots

I've seen trees planted and traffic islands erected to break up the lot, but then a drunk driver takes out the tree, or a snow plow takes out the island and it's just cheaper to pave over the hole rather than planting another tree.

Not to sound like the tone-deaf transit advocate that I am, but "rethink parking lots" really means "rethinking the automobile" (either through expanded transit, or something like self-driving cars that can drop you off and then leave, although that's a solution that's 20-years away minimum).
I didn't mean to imply that you would force an idea upon them, but helping someone come up with an idea can easily turn into that if you're literally accepting people with no ideas (which you state you are and yes I read the announcement).

In the end, the person is going to have to become passionate about the idea. That's hard. When you're talking about a group that comes in together and wants to start a company together, it is much harder.

Honestly, if someone comes in just wanting to start a company without an idea, it sounds to me like they are more in love with the idea of being a founder than solving a problem close to their heart. I don't think that I would be interested in people like that.
The article says they have 4000 out of the 12000 that they printed of the 2010 edition still sitting in a warehouse. Maybe they'll give you a discount.
I recommend the 1968 or so, EB editions if you are looking for an older one. The 1972 or 1973 was the last of the classic style ones, after that they went with Micropedia/Macropedia etc. which is not what you want.

The articles are well written, and if covering pre-20th century history, literature, or other topics, should still be excellent introductions.
What would the in-person interview focus on, if not an idea?
Right after I read this article, I read the wikipedia article on Encyclopedias. I didn't actually know a lot about them.

Edit: Typo.
Except someone else is likely to patent the same thing.

Until software patents are killed off what we probably need is an organization something like the EFF or the Creative Commons (sorta) which could pool those patents to be used as defences against future attempts to patent software.

Not sure at all if there is a legal framework under which such an organization could exist.
Why Apple's New Campus Is Bad for Urban America
PDFCreator 1.3. released, removes bundled toolbar
Great video linked in the article (the author's PyCon keynote about PyPy).
Aren't there journals where you pay a small (in comparison) fee to publish your prior art in a place specifically where the patent office won't overlook it?
Programming competitions are awesome
I think this could be a very good thing. I would like to come in as an "old guy" single founder, and hook up with a Bus-Dev guy(or gal). I have quite a few ideas, but most would need a few people to get off the ground. A few things that I am interested in are: Solar, bio-fuel, an Arduino competitor, small PMSM motors for the medical industry.
I was thinking that if several "single" founders were selected, there could be a few arranged marriages. I am guessing that after seeing quite a few groups the Y Combinator crew would have a good feel for what might make a good group
I don't think the crux of the article is about intelligent design per se. The controversy is whether the guy was fired for expressing religious beliefs at the office. What makes it potentially interesting to HN is that 'the office' in this case was JPL, an ostensibly scientific organization. Whether or not it's the case here, should a scientific organization be able to fire an employee who subscribes to bad science? Does it matter if the belief is religiously motivated? I can see where HN readers might be interested in these questions.
No, You Don’t Get to Have a Private Stock Market, Sorry
AOL Slashes Staff at AIM Unit; Wider Cuts Expected
Considering all signs point to "we fund people not ideas", I'm surprised by the reaction as well.
I think the negativity is a result of hn being a community where what you are is meaningless, it's about what you do. Walking into YC with a nice haircut, suit and the ability to sell yourself doesn't fit the idea most people here have about entrepreneurship.

It makes perfect business sense for you, the reasons you outline are sound and I'm sure it will bring YC a lot of success, but it doesn't fit with what the (average) community member here thinks about entrepreneurship.

That's my understanding of the negativity, could be off the mark but it seems the most logical conclusion.
I think Apple's repeated pronouncement that we are in the "Post PC Era" means they are looking to take iOS/OSX in this general direction. I would love to have an iPad with the capability of running desktop versions of an app when you are docked and mobile versions when you are away from a desk. This would be the best of both worlds IMO. As it stands now, the iPad is not a viable replacement for my MacBook Air.
Someone should implement a "Random Article" link that would select only from a Encyclopedia Britannica-esque subset of Wikipedia.
I think Wikipedia is what trounced Britannica (and, earlier, Encarta, which is no longer being sold even online), and that Wikipedia is much more a descendant of Britannica than it is of Encarta.
What Men and Women Really Want, According to Social Media
AIM Is (Unofficially) Dead
The problem is that you're selecting the topics. The value of a physical encyclopedia is that they've selected the topics and you're browsing them at random.
I have seen a great parking lot lately:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3NZ6J8Fg6c
Hmm, I think of what you are as being based on what you've done.
Ask HN: Review my startup, Wehgee
www.wehgee.com

More about the site -
Wehgee is a weekly topic based content sharing site where users post in content categories (like Audio) related to weekly topics (like #OneHitWonders). Users of the site are challenged to complete the "Weekly Wehgee" - filling their wedge circle for the week by sharing their opinions, thoughts, or spin on each of the six topics. We think connecting people by putting out topics for discussion is an untapped arena - "trending" topics/tags don't necessarily unite or entice involvement.

Premise -
We wanted to make something fun, that becomes interesting by connecting people across common conversations. We also believe there is a good base of the public that won't post often on social networking sites because they "don't know what to post about"
A lot of universities got in on the internet early and ended up with huge blocks of IP addresses. Stanford University had the entire 36.0.0.0/8. They gave it back, but others have not been so charitable.
Chris Pirillo’s father tries Windows 8
And who would pay for those authors, reviewers, content, and experience? Those Britannica contributors interested in contributing to Wikipedia can certainly do so--and I assume there are some who are. But I'm also sure that many contributed to Britannica because they were paid and, for better or worse, there's no model to monetizing Wikipedia contributions.
I think this is a neat experiment and should help to answer the question as to whether or not entrepreneurs are "made" or "born".

Personally I think most things in life can be learned, entrepreneurship included.
Yahoo Sues Facebook Over 10 Patents
When I'm working in a coffee shop or library or whatever, I do the same thing, but in an empty email.

Just writing out what I'm trying to do in a hypothetical email to someone who has no knowledge of the problem usually unties the knots in my brain.
Ouch.

Not enough people think about year 10. You know, that's when you're 10 years old as a company and you've got a lot of huge successes behind you. Kind of like teenagers when they realize that finding a job is suddenly not an 'optional' thing in their lives.

James' rant here reminded me of a similar rant I read (internally) at Sun on its 10 year anniversary. They had published a book all about Sun's first decade, and somehow excised the fact that Sun had built a workstation called the 386i. It emphasized the successes, and papered over the mistakes. The rant was about how Sun, who had kicked DEC in the nuts and had them retreating to the data center, was walking right into that same data center because Microsoft was starting to make PC's as useful as workstations. (there used to be a real distinction there.)

I remember thinking that somehow Sun had gone from bringing technology to the folks who could use it, to being all about being a more impressive Sun Microsystems. Sun's "Google+" moment was the day they announced they were going to merge System V and SunOS.

In my brief time at Google I was exposed to the folks who had become more about 'The Google' and less about doing cool stuff. I saw many of the same things James did, and I hear Marissa's 'call to arms' about Social and said to myself "If she can't say what it is, how can she expect the troops to achieve it?"

If you read the stuff about Mark and Facebook (and I have to believe that at least some of it is true.) the man is on a mission. And his mission was to make a new place in the universe that didn't exist before, he left it to others to figure out how to monetize it. Google did the same with search, make it real, then monetize.

But I think at some point the operating committee at Google looked at monetization of all the things Google has done and if you included search advertising the in the bar graph everything else looked like zero. And you ask yourself "We've got all these smart people doing all these projects and not a single one even comes CLOSE to the income that search advertising does? Give me one good reason I shouldn't just fire all of them?"

The sad thing is that I saw multimillion dollar a year businesses get tossed under the bus because they just didn't move the needle.

Ten years on, ask yourself, "What value do you bring to the table?" if you don't know, that is a big problem.
Surprises me too as I had read Boyd and immediately knew that dpritchett was making a salient point.

I'd love to understand why the downvotes.
on page two: 'peak' should be 'peek'