skysight-inc/HackerNews huggingface dataset:
PHP is a simple language, but that doesn't make it easy. PHP does give you enough rope to hang yourself, and unlike most other languages with a similar property (like C, C++, and Perl) PHP gets too much blame for that.

I think Python is a far easier language. No $'s, much greater consistency, more available abstractions.

You can pretty much handle most of the common complaints of PHP and build very large complex code bases, however, you have to put in the work. Other languages have that work already included.
Dell,

We are going to be sending out the iPhone app shortly. This takes a bit of time unfortunately, but you will hear from us soon.
So, time for a Hacker News invite code then? :)
That seems like a dangerous and foolish proposition to me. Just because IBM doesn't seem like a patent troll today, doesn't mean they won't tomorrow.

Not to mention, just like a real arms race... It's not the government officials who are really in danger, it's all of the common people, or in this case, programmers.
This makes me extremely weary of flying, as you can deter birds on take off through sound deterrents on the ground, but not while in the sky. Birds may have even become conditioned to the sound of our noisy flight, thus not deterring them away from airplanes.

There is a entrepreneurial/engineer solution needed here!
They rule out adding grilles due to fuel inefficiency, but what about rigging airplanes with the sound deterrents used on the ground - bird radar triggers these sounds? Just a thought...they'd probably have to be crazy insane loud.

I hope someone creates a solution soon! I dont want to land my next flight in the Hudson (chances are slim but still)!
You can build projects that large and easy to maintain in PHP, but you won't find many examples of that in the community. You can organize your PHP5 code just like almost any project in Python, Java, or .NET. But you do have to write a lot of code that isn't necessary in those other languages because they already have it included (and it's the standard way to do it).

I find most PHP code in the wild totally appalling. It's easy to blame the tool.
Nonsense. The economic situation came about as a result of the wholesale destruction of the Zimbabwean economy, driven first by massive and unsustainable government spending coupled with the violent nationalisation of farms and leading to crippling price controls and the arrests of hundreds of business executives and company owners. The agricultural sector, once contributing over 20% to the country's GDP, contracted by over 47% virtually overnight and manufacturing, itself contributing another 20% or so collapsed under the weight of price, export and labour controls. All this was self-inflicted.

Zimbabwe was never formally isolated from the outside in the same way that, say, apartheid South Africa was. The only sanctions in place were restrictions on the sale of military goods and targeted sanctions against much of the ZANU-PF and ZDF hierarchy. It's a popular belief that Zimbabwe has been under full economic sanctions, but this could not be further from the truth. In fact, such is the eagerness of the international community to help the country recover that official and developmental foreign aid to the country more than doubled between 2000 and 2005, reaching $367 million at its peak. So there was no economic isolation; instead what we have seen is a country that has destroyed its ability to engage in any meaningful level of economic activity whatsoever. It's not isolated, it just can't do anything with the access it has.

Fact is, nearly one third of Zimbabwe's people have left the country, and they have done so in direct response to the actions of the ZANU-PF government, which have included severe political repression, arbitrary state-sanctioned violence and the kind of disastrous economic policies the rest of us all thought were confined to the 1920s.

Amongst the émigrés have been virtually all of Zimbabwe's best and brightest; the skilled and talented individuals who had once been such a major part what appeared to be the country's boundless potential. And even if Zimbabwe were to experience a change in government and some sanity were to be restored, it will take decades to rebuild the country's economy to its previous levels and very few of the skilled individuals will choose to return. Not after they've established successful lives for themselves in their new host countries. The place faces a bleak future.

I don't usually like to throw the word 'evil' around, since it usually oversimplifies complex situations and makes people fall into the trap of considering events along binary lines. But I don't think there's any doubt that history will quite rightfully regard Mugabe and his ZANU-PF confederates as thoroughly evil bastards. We can debate his supposed justifications all year long, from British support for land-reform (or lack thereof) to perceived Western interference, but none of those come even remotely close to justifying what they have done.

Honestly, I think that the absurd claim you made earlier in this thread, effectively stating that Zimbabwe's economic problems are due to externally-imposed factors, is utterly delusional and illogical. I think you should re-examine your assumptions on this subject.
Just stop alienating yourself.

Stop coming up with reasons to dislike your friends. Stop waiting for something to magically change in your life (college won't be that different.

And definitely stop framing the problem as _other people_ alienating _you_. Even if it were true, that's not a problem you can do much about.

Spend time with people you like, and try to let people surprise you.
Thanks, I've filed a bug for the java check. There isn't much we can do about the Java UI though :)
Google searches nab hit-and-run driver
Im not that good with words. That outburst of delight I wrote above is probably one of the better posts I wrote. Who knows, maybe Im getting better at this. Then I might start a blog one day.
You could train crows to mob the geese.
Cal Newport and Ben Casnocha recently did a video blog together that touched on how to become an interesting person.
http://www.thinkdifferenttv.com/2009/01/test-embed-cal-ben.h... Cal's idea is that we attribute a person as interesting/impressive when we can't figure out how they did some activity, so we just naturally assume that those results are from some kind of magical innate ability that the person has. For example, right now, I don't feel like I really know a lot about what separates a failed startup from a successful startup. So when I hear about a successful entrepreneur, I usually assume they must be an interesting or impressive person, which may or may not be true.

Cal Newport also wrote a pretty decent blog about finding interesting/impressive/innovative activities. http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/10/01/a-simple-method-for-de.... Both links have more to do with college admission/life and entrepeneurship than personal relationships, but I think the idea can be applied to becoming an interesting person.
This is a path that starts with you calling telnet from php, and ends with you reinventing sendmail.

Trust me: just send the damn mail.

The world of SMTP is a dynamic, volatile place and you should let your transport agent take care of these things. Otherwise you're going to be bumping up against MX relays (which will answer "yes" to any user at that domain), spam filters that will take any email, sender verification failures, SPF, and a whole lot of other things that will distract you from running your site.
Snowball: http://namm.harmony-central.com/WNAMM05/Content/Blue/PR/Snow...

and Snowflake: http://www.bluemic.com/products/snowflake

I own the former. Kinda wished I owned the latter.
"why would I use PHP for anything more than toy projects?"

Clearly PHP can, and is, being used for projects that go well beyond being toy projects. I doubt, for example, that anyone would call Flickr, Facebook, etc. 'toy projects.'

"But at my current job, I’m in charge of adding features and debugging a massive functionally-written PHP codebase. It is horrifying."

Ah...there it is. His real complaint is about maintaining bad code and not about a bad programming language. I would argue (and even wager) that equally difficult-to-maintain code could be written in Java, Prolog, C++, Lisp, Forth, and Logo (well, maybe not Logo).

I've written commercial applications in perhaps a dozen programming languages (including Prolog) and I've had love affairs with them all and yet I'm using PHP for my current project. But then again, I'm writing some great code and I love maintaining it! :-)
Best Dressed for Inauguration 2009 - a look at Barack Obama's style
You are correct of course. I remember reading about some pill right after WW2 that caused many birth defects but was approved for the public. It is a big business which is precisely why there needs to be an overseeing body.

Alternative medicines isn't a red herring, it relates directly to witch doctors. None of these alternative medicines are tested properly in an objective matter to prove that they do in fact work. These people still haven't gotten to step 1 on the stairs of science, while pharma companies are at step 123901823091283 though still need to climb a few more.
I guess it's hard to convey flippancy via comments. I completely agree with this comment. Grown-ups use the T9 on their phone.
From what I've seen of Jason Kilar he seems like a damn good CEO. Totally excellent candidate for a Founders at Work II interview.
You are a tech person.

I see facebook as ridiculously simple. But people use it to store their photos online. Really.

If my Mom can't store her data online - it is a problem. Asking for linux support misses the point.
I think because of the way import works, that a reload wouldn't update anything that the module you're reloading imports.

$echo -e "def foo():\n\tprint 'bar'" > a.py
$echo -e "import a\ndef bar():\n\ta.foo()" > b.py
$python
Python 2.5.2 (r252:60911, Jul 31 2008, 17:28:52)
>>>import b
>>>b.bar()
bar
>>>f = open('a.py', 'w')
>>>f.write("def foo():\n\tprint 'changed'")
>>>f.close()
>>>reload(b)
<module 'b' from 'b.pyc'>
>>> # Notice that it imported from 'b.pyc' not 'b.py'
... b.bar()
bar
>>>reload(a)
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
NameError: name 'a' is not defined
>>>#But I need to update a
...reload(b.a)
<module 'a' from 'a.py'>
>>>#That loaded from 'a.py'
...b.bar()
changed
>>>exit()

edit

#You could have done it like this too
>>>import a
>>>import b
>>>b.bar()
bar
>>>###Something changes a.py
>>>reload(a)
>>>b.bar()
changed
Yes please, I didn't get in on the TC invite soon enough :(
I think his point was that meta does not have its own section, and that because of this some meta comments are voted down (despite validity, good points, etc).
I'm a huge fan of Sphinx search-- we use a custom version of that to power http://bug.gd and it's quite robust.

One of the greatest things going for it is the performance of reindexing-- it's really solid.
> It enabled me to write multiple hugely successful websites that make me enough money for me, so I can do whatever I want. For the rest of my life.

Very interesting. Please elaborate!
Mistakes happen. It’s how you handle them that really matters

You know that analogy about the king not wearing any clothes, and the little kid is the only person to notice it?

Yeah.
Ah, well this is where we differ, I'd say PHP is easy, not simple, and that Python is simple not easy.

My reason for feeling that way hinges upon Python having more available abstractions.

Scheme is an exagerated example of this. Continuations are a very simple idea, you can describe call/cc to someone without much hassle. But the implications of call/cc can be very difficult to grasp.

The closure is a lesser example of a simple, pure abstraction which allows complex code through this devious form of simplicity.

So that is (pretty much) why it is very easy to reach expert level in PHP but very very hard in Scheme.

At the end of the day, what's easier to learn:
closures, or
the fact that a callback (in PHP) is supplied by giving its name as a string?

Its easier to not learn something than it is to learn it :)
I don't know. They might just keep flying. What does a flock do when a predator comes and snags one?

Also, if they're in a flock you can probably avoid them more easily than if they scatter.

Keeping raptors around permanently would be problematic. For one, they're probably just as rough on an engine. And for another, how do you feed them for the other 11 months of the year? And do they even eat birds that big?
Do we need to list all the contingencies when an engine must not explode? Can't that be just a general requirement of engines?

Edit: On second thought, I suppose jet engines are generally in a constant state of exploding. Maybe the rule should be "Upon ingestion of a large bird, keep exploding".
Cluttered?????
Beautiful visualisations of everyday statistics
compelling in a way that's hard to describe
Study: 95 Percent of Music Downloads Are Pirated
The difference is that somebody here was at work and asked a question, and I answered it. I'm sure if you'd emailed Marco of David, they'd answer as well. But if you want to see if the bugbears are fixed, go to the site and look.

I didn't answer for karma. I answered because somebody was curious.
Interesting stuff. But saying one of isn't saying anything specific. As the CTO of Motorola immediately prior to and during the launch and success of the RAZR, you don't think she helped to make the product a success? Seems like she left before the fallout but I guess it's possible to spin that as either cowardice or wisdom.

Do you have anything specific to criticize her for? Lumping someone in with a negative peer group, especially one who voluntary left for greener pastures, isn't a strong knock against them.
Nice, I've been pretty interested in git recently but since I use Windows primarily (flame me all you want, but I actually like Windows) it seemed like it wasn't worth the hassle. I will definitely have to try it now. I had thought earlier msys-git was kind of unsupported so my only option was cygwin but I guess that isn't so much of a problem if github seems to be endorsing it.
There is a problem, in that a medical doctor will often prescribe you expensive irritable bowel syndrome drugs when eating live culture yogurt or swallowing some culture pills (from those "natural" "organic" pharmacies) will solve the problem faster and cheaper.

The "natural" stuff is about half real and half hokum.

Unfortunately, it seems like regular medicine is, too.
How about air-to-bird missiles?
if IBM has to resort to being a patent troll we ALL will have other things to worry about
Did PHP really win? I haven't used it in about 4 years.
Not at all. There are experts who decide what the posted speed limit should be on all roads.
The best "doctor" I ever saw was a physical therapist.

I sprained both my ankles at one point. One of them was really, really bad, just this side of needing surgery.

I told my orthopedist, "My toe looks wrong. And I feel shorter when I stand on one foot." He said "Your toe is fine. You are a hypochondriac. I'm going to offload you to a physical therapist." (essentially).

My physical therapist said, "Oh, your toe is too far off to the side because of swelling in this cross-ligament here. And you ARE shorter on one foot! Your pelvis has tilted from limping."

And he made me better.

It was so good I could have cried.

Also, turns out I had $40k of invasive and destructiev sinus surgery when a $15 immune system treatment called Broncho Vaxom could have made me better.

But it's not available in the US, just Europe and third world nations.
There's a code for all news.yc readers (good for 200)

newsyc or http://www.zumodrive.com/invite/newsyc
Barack Obama Leans Towards Candidates with a Strong Innovation Background for CTO
Great, tnx! Let's try this baby out.
I'm sorry, but I think everyone is missing the point. Why is Hulu removing content from their site at all? We live in the age of practical infinite storage and effectual infinite bandwidth. I wonder if any of these people have read about the long tail. Even though the economics of the LT are still being debated, there is absolutely no valid argument to be made about removing content from your service that has already been made available. For instance, I have been listening to tech podcasts at ITconversations for years and have even been an occasional editor. They have a system that rebuilds their entire collection of shows multiple times per month with new audio ads/sponsors. They are a much smaller business than something like Hulu and have built a dynamic infrastructure that works very well. Hulu can slap updated ads onto their shows much easier than that because it's all flash based. So why are they removing content at all? That is the question AND the point, not whether or not they have a proactive and apologetic CEO.
You just reminded me that, during her tenure, she was one of the people responsible for cutting back on American engineering talent (or whatever there was left after the 90s) and moving nearly everything to Chindia.

Yeah, AWESOME choice for the US CTO, Obama! That's change I can believe in!
You could do what dropbox did and make a real native UI for each platform. Honestly, I gave up on Zumodrive in part because I couldn't get your menu icon to not look selected. It always was highlighted, even before I clicked on it the first time. Also, the menu behaved in a weird, nonstandard way.
You could hack at Stuff To Do. It's not searchable, but you could add that yourself. It's not going to be super easy to set up, either, and the code is kind of crufty. But hey, it's free: http://stufftodo.dedasys.com/
Report: Jobs weighing liver transplant
The Official Bro Code – Part 3 (Articles 81-120)
They're removing it because the people that created the TV show want it removed. Those people are the ones with rights to the content.

They also remove The Daily Show after two weeks, because Comedy Central wants to archive it on their own show. They have that right as content owners.

So I get that you don't like that, but it's their right, and the fact is that Hulu's so good because they work well with others.
Dresden Codak is Back With a Vengeance
You're right. By "current job," I meant the job I was supposed to be doing as I wrote that post. I was pissed off when I connected finger to key.

And there are more than a few discrepancies in what I wrote. The "community" I bill as PHP's greatest asset also ironically produced the fellow whose code I'm maintaining. And, me. So it goes.

The underlying reason for my frustration, and the reason I wrote what I did, go far beyond the scope of PHP.
original bloomberg report: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601204&sid=aDmh...
Not to be a pedant, but this post really doesn't read right when you keep using the word 'compliment' when you mean 'complement.' It makes you sound self-obsessed.

That said, online friends are definitely not a substitute for real life ones, but it's not a bad way to build a group of people you can use as an always available sounding board for the random crap that pops into your head.

For the OP, the thing about people is that talking about the one thing you have in common is _easy_. No one really only has a single interest, but you have to actually spend quite a bit of time with people to get them to open up and start sharing more about themselves. You'd be surprised by the kinds of people you'll find yourself having things in common with if you have the chance to get to know them.
A comment on the first letter in that article:

Many people seem to think that we could create a better currency by banning banks from 'creating money'. They don't want to ban banks, they just want to ban the idea of money 'based on debt'. Instead they propose that the government create all the money.

What they don't understand is that you can't ban 'debt money' without banning banks, and you can't ban banks without banning short-term lending altogether.

Money is usually defined as that which a community uses as a means of payment. It could equally be defined as any asset that is extremely liquid. If something can be converted into money extremely quickly at little cost then it can be used in place of money. If it is used in place of money, then it is money, as it is being used as a means of payment.

Bank accounts are by their nature extremely liquid. The purpose of a bank is to take on liquidity risk. That's to say, its job is to invest people's money in long-term (and hence high interest) investments, while at the same time allowing them access to it, should they need it. To put it another way: a bank insures investors against a sudden need for liquidity.

Therefore, any institution that offers either demand deposits or extremely short-term loans, and pays interest on them (which implies that they must be investing the money in less liquid assets) is performing the same function as a bank.

Because a bank deposit, like any very short term loan, can be quickly converted into cash, it is a highly liquid asset. It therefore is money. The banks aren't performing any kind of sinister trick. By providing liquidity insurance, they are by definition supplying the markets with highly liquid assets, and the market will always choose to use such assets as currency.

So you can't ban banks without banning short term loans, because short term borrowing with interest is banking. And you can't ban debt-based money without banning the creation of highly liquid assets, which is exactly what short term loans are.

Oh, and I suspect the writer of the letter doesn't know what "capital reserves" are either. He's probably just confusing capital with reserves.
I agree, the PHP documentation is pretty great. And the user notes, while sometimes hit and miss, are usually fairly useful too. Often you'll find someone who's trying to do exactly what you are, and they'll have a way to do it, and then other people will post better ways. It's a pretty cool system.
Elevator pitch Friday: sqworl
I prefer to stay anonymous. But its probably a very typical Nerd 2.0 story like the ones you hear at this website often. Only that I always stayed in my room and didnt connect to any other web2.0 people. No Blog, no press releases, no ycombinator, no investors. I just wrote some stuff that people want and got some good return from it.
Really enjoyed it, but when I created my first score it took me forever to figure out how to put in notes (press C for a c, etc)
It's completely fine to have fun if you're not getting in people's ways.
So you have to go on a scavenger hunt to see if bugbears are fixed, or bother Marco or David? That sounds like getting in the way. And wondering what's going on in the video is valid if you're at work? Seems like that line or two of accompanying text wouldn't have been redundant in the slightest.
Palestinian Astrophysicist on the Death of His Son in Gaza
Heh, not my site. I just came across it and thought it was neat.

It says it's from Cambridge, though, so maybe other people know more about it than I do?
this is an awesome presentation - I really recommend anyone that has a product and wants customers read it.

Before I wrote my first line of code for my startup I went and interviewed about 50 regular people. I'd go sit at a train station and grab a guy reading a newspaper, and ask him why he wasn't reading it on his phone.

I'd grab people on the bus or in a queue for groceries on their phone (eg, using it, not talking) and spark up a conversation as to what they're upto.

Most of the time they'd happily give me their phone number after a brief chat, I kept in contact with them all, and rang them once I'd developed my product - quizzed them what I thought and so on.

I have another 100 or so users from Mechanical Turk about my product market that I've been too busy to analyze properly.
the guy needs to explain better on the site, I didn't really get what the site was for until I saw the actual pitch