skysight-inc/HackerNews huggingface dataset:
Just for fun I ran quite a few Martin Fowler's articles through the BlaBlaMeter. On some of them, the "Bullshit Index" is unexpectedly large:

http://martinfowler.com/bliki/SnowflakeServer.html

> Bullshit Index: 0.31 – Your text shows indications of 'bullshit'-English. It's still ok for PR or advertising purposes, but more critical audiences may be skeptical.

http://martinfowler.com/bliki/PhoenixServer.html

> Bullshit Index: 0.4 – Something's getting a bit fishy. You probably want to sell something, or you're trying to impress somebody. It still may be an acceptable result for a scientific text.
Very true words, and this irony is what should really be the matter here. It's "objectionable content" to receive reports on death penalties issued by the US government, carried out by unmanned planes at some part of the world no one in the US really cares about? Well, yeah. Thanks, Apple, for keeping your sweet and "entertaining" app store clean of this ugly and objectionable thing called reality.
Show HN: Helveticolor, an OS X screensaver
"I really despise the usage of a "Slippery Slope" claim, but I think that this really embodies the idea."

Huh? This does not parse.

Slippery Slope is a logical fallacy: http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/slippery-slope.html

This is one example everyone should know: http://www.quora.com/How-can-supporters-of-gay-marriage-refu...
Hmm, there has to be more to it than that. VoltDB throughput went down scaling from 1 node to 4 in every workload but RSW. This is not a sign of a system that would handle many more requests if only there were more client parallelism.
Here's a few things I've gleamed from experimenting with it:

- It uses a unigram language model. You can take the same text, randomly permute the words, and you get the same score. This means it also can't be using things like POS tagging, phrases, etc.

- It normalizes words by making all letters lowercase. The exact same text in all upper case has the same score.

- The score is eventually normalized by the length of the text. The same text copied multiple times gets the same score.

- It does not form a valid probability distribution, as someone's managed to get some 1.16's. This makes me believe it's not a Naive Bayes classifier giving you the P(Bullshit|Text). Though this is what I originally thought it would be.
Emacs is something that Vim aspires to become one day :)
The hardware menu button is dead starting with Android 3.0 released 1.5 years ago.
...and then passé.

We're a fadish, looking for the next thing, get bored of things quickly bunch of primates, aren't we?

We've come so far in terms of UX and usability that we forget that the icing on top of the cake is all about what's in vogue.

Apple skuemorphism (granddad) vs. Windows <srikeout>Metro</strikeout> is apparently the new black vs. white.

The icon for side scrolling (three stacked lines) is dire. It's a shitty, unintuitive adopted practice because Facebook and a few other players did it.

meh.
Statistics about gun deaths or shootings have to be looked at critically. Such statistics include all gun deaths, not just the 'unjustified' ones. Suicide, personal defense, and police shootings are all included in those statistics.

In my opinion, though, gun death statistics aren't the relevant statistics to look at anyway, it's violent crime statistics. Would the people who commit crimes with guns still commit them if they didn't have guns?
I'm writing a story; its a 0.12, acceptable.
Relevant: http://thereisnopagefold.com/
I spent a lot of time on IRC in #level8, but people were good enough to not just post the answer. Somebody let me bounce my ideas off of them, and they helped me just step back and think clearly, which was all I needed to get it.
Of course people scroll. If they didn't there would be no blogs or articles.

Jacob Nielsen was wrong.
I have only recently started casually studying cryptography. I just yesterday learned about GCM mode, which provides similar features to CTR with GMAC. Is there any specific reason you chose to use CTR with HMAC in spiped rather than GCM?

I ask because I have the impression that using GCM would further simplify/reduce the amount of code and because I'm interested in learning what goes into these decisions. BTW, I'm perfectly happy with an answer of "I can't even explain it because you don't know enough yet." if that's the case.

[EDIT]
Extra information for not-yet-crypto-nerds:

The "modes" i'm referring to are cipher block modes. Cipher block modes allow repeated application of a block cipher to long messages (because a block cipher's input must be a fixed length - that's what makes it a "block" cipher rather than a "stream" cipher).

Using a block cipher only gives you confidentiality; it does not verify the inegrity or the source of the message. For those, a message authentication code (MAC) is needed. There are several MAC algorithms.

There are some block cipher modes (including GCM) that provide both authentication and encryption because they include a MAC algorithm.

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

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Message_authentication_code
If there was a real exposé here, I might agree. There would be more specifics, statements from victims and prosecutors, etc.. This article lacked any purpose aside from pure humiliation. Maybe this lady is so awful that she deserves that, but the case wasn't made. What if she's mentally ill?
Your Pricing is Hurting Your Proposal, but Not How You Think
I respect the efforts the author put in to teach kids how to program. That being said, I really don't think HTML/Javascript is the right choice for kids. The web stack is even considered messy from professional web programers' perspective.

My son will turn seven soon. I did some research on programming languages/kits for kids around that age. I finally settled down on Robomind, which is more or less of a modern variant of LOGO. Instead of the well-known turtle, you have a Robot that hovers around. We tried it the first time last night, the boy seemed intrigued. I hope Robomind can warm him up and make him ready for the more advanced kit like Lego MindStorm, which I promised him as the birthday gift.

We'll see how it goes.
Unless you're CPU bound on the client, it's irrelevant whether you're using multiple threads or multiple processes to generate the load. Assuming of course that you're not using a GIL-bound client, which the Java-based YCSB does not.
In my experience there isn't an issue. It all comes down to how well you design your application. Here's the interface to a service in a fun side project I'm currently working on (comments removed):

public interface IAnalysisService
{
Guid CreateAnalysis(Guid ownerId, string name);
void LoadingAnalysisInputs(Guid analysisId);
void RequestAnalysis(Guid analysisId, string number, IEnumerable<Records> inputs);

Guid CreateAndRequestAnalysis(Guid ownerId, string name, string number, params Records[] inputs);
Guid CreateAndRequestAnalysis(Guid ownerId, string name, string number, IEnumerable<Records> inputs);

Analysis FindAnalysis(Guid analysisId);
Analysis FindAnalysisForProcessing(Guid analysisId);

void CompletedAnalysis(Guid analysisId, AnalysisResults results);
void FailedAnalysis(Guid analysisId, string reason, params object[] args);
}

These methods implement some business rules, do some database work and throw a few messages onto a service bus. Why is it so hard to believe that the database implementation for any of these methods affects the consumers? Here's a sample implementation:

public void FailedAnalysis(Guid analysisId, string reason, params object[] args)
{
AnalysisRepository.Failed(analysisId, string.Format(reason, args));

Bus.Send(new AnalysisCompleted {AnalysisId = analysisId});
}

I don't see any obvious bugs, complexity or leaky abstractions.
This is more of a fasting-type routine. I think there are some interesting studies being done on religious communities where this type of fasting is relatively common. I'd love to know what it feels like that first day after your diet days. Are you hungry? Can you eat much without feeling overfull? Do you feel sluggish or have trouble concentrating?
The PS3 XMB interface is still one of my favorite simple interfaces to use on a TV screen, especially since it works with only a directional gamepad and a few buttons.
I actually have a friend who claims to not like music; that's it... end of the argument.

He doesn't dislike certain types of music, or the modern perversion of music. He just can't stand music.

He's been known to watch movies with little-to-no music in the soundtrack... and with his almighty DM powers he has been known to ruthlessly obliterate Bard's from his D&D campaigns.

Never quite wrapped my head around it.
I'm curious just how far down the rabiit hole you can take this philosiphy.

Just how many APIs and programming interfaces and other interaction points of a computer can be eliminated or automated away or even made to adapt to user preferences?

What would this mean for the divide between the Operating System and its Applications?
Thanks for the trivia, I had no idea. Anyway doesn't change my point : Hacker News née Startup News is great because of these two cultures.
It's possible to rationalize anything.

He isn't a leader, he's a facilitator. The job of President of the United States of America requires a leader. Is there something else I don't like? Nope. He's a likable, smart, very charismatic guy with little business experience.

Is there something else that you're suggesting you think or want to think that I don't like about him?
I don't get it. Why is this on HN?
Reddit doesn't track or verify geographical location, so in reality someone from Iran could be asking the President a question just the same as someone from Virginia. That's awesome.
It's not really brute force, but an educated analysis of the results coming back. I think my script was pretty elegant.
Yeah, but you seem to be assuming that the experience would be completely alien, a language needing to be learned so to speak. I'm not so sure about that, perhaps music being the most visceral of the arts, does not require interpretation or explanation, so that even the unschooled ear can apprehend beauty.
The text of the site itself scores a surprisingly low 0.14: "Your text shows only a few indications of 'bullshit'-English."

This is not a useful tool because it does not define or point to the problems in the text.
My grandfather died of colon cancer and I know my Dad gets a colonoscopy every single year, and I suspect I will too once I'm a bit older.
Yes, here they come ... and they are all going to be heavy and pricey and noisy and have poor battery life.
I didn't notice it either, so I requested the root URL and the response from there as the attempt.
In short, we can't complain, because if things went the way we want them to, other people would be unhappy?

That makes no fricking sense.
It would be nice if they gave even the smallest hint of what they're measuring.
Or maybe we're expecting too much of the school system when it should be the responsibility of parents to teach their skills valuable skills. School isn't the solution to all our problems.
And sex? Under Leisure? Other? Talking to people on the telephone?
If I were to make the software, the corpus of PR, licenses, etc. would be the way I go. But "they did it statistically" doesn't answer the question "what is the model?" There are many different statistical models one could use. My other post has a few things we've figured out.

But I'm starting to think a rule-based lexicon isn't out of the question, given these >1 scores on some texts.
I tried that too, along with Paul Ryan's speech (which got 0.14 - Your text shows only a few indications of 'bullshit'). Then, I tried the copy on my landing page and got a 0.25. It's shameful to realize that I'm a bigger bullshitter than two politicians.
Chart of the day, Apple vs Microsoft edition (Market Cap v P/E Ratio)
The big upside with starting with web pages is it is SUPER easy for the kids to show off their work. All kids are motivated differently, but for my son at least being able to get encouragement from friends at school and family members was a big motivation.

But good luck with Robomind and if that doesn't click, try something else (took my son like four different languages until he started to find some that really worked for him)
Oh my gosh buddy if you're going to say something that interesting, please explain it for the rest of us with a few extra sentences what you're asking. I'm sure the author will know instantly, but bring the rest of us up with an extra nugget because the tone of your question sounds fascinating and if you double it out, I bet it will be.
I've used a computrainer before to capture this data, weak spots in pedaling. Not sure how this technology works though.

Yes, Strava phone app. I don't have the fancy smancy garmins/power meters/etc. Does it show though on a Garmin when you enter a segment if you are running Strava?
You're just bitter that that era of philosopher in general used an artificially complicated writing style, complete with invented terminology, that borders bullshit :)
White iPhone 5 in hand
I voted up your comment, but can you give me an example of a country that is a democracy by your definition? What is your definition?

[Jeez louis... why did this comment get downvoted? Shees!]
Globalized document management
Amazon Kindle Fire has "Sold Out"
Just so you don't randomly decide to kill yourself? If you want to kill yourself you will lack of a gun is not an issue.
Fantastic Programming Advice - What You Really Do For A Living
This was the first time I seriously tried to do a CtF and it was surprisingly fun. I spend almost the entire weekend working on it and was surprised by my eventual success despite needing some help. I'm pretty sure I would have given up on level 7 if I hadn't seen the paper on the Flickr API. This insight will actually make my code better.

Thanks to the Stripe Team for the challenge and the T-shirt :)
I honestly think the differences between any starting tech is negligible. The only thing that matters is the child learns that she has the power to create (or figure out how to create) things that she wants that did not exist before she created them.
> That said, I can't help but wonder if public healthcare would unshackle a lot of employees from their employers.

Living in NYC, I know quite a few people who will not leave a job they hate (to be an entrepreneur or to be an employee unless healthcare is provided for and the prospects of remaining employed are just as good) because of the healthcare uncertainty factor.

I had lunch with a friend who is going to freeze (probably close soon after) his startup because his COBRA runs out soon, and he hasn't been able to figure out a reasonable cost healthcare plan.

So, I expect it to unshackle a lot of employees, yes.

However, whether that will cause a surge in entrepreneurship depends more on culture: Austria (and to a lesser extent) Germany have single payer systems with excellent universal care, but little in the way of startup entrepreneurship. Israel has comparable single payer care, and depending on the metric you choose, the entire country either tops the startup/population density list, or is immediately after Silicon Valley (the part of the US where most startups are concentrated), with everything else far behind.
"I am a beautiful flower. I sway in the breeze of my meadow, drinking in the sunshine. I love the little bees who come to visit me."

---

Your text: 130 characters, 28 words
Bullshit Index :0.05
Your text shows no or marginal indications of 'bullshit'-English.
Yes, I'm aware focusing on power data limits my potential audience, but I don't yet regret doing it. 1) There are enough power meter using cyclists around to make this viable. 2) I'm not sure how to make this amazing for non-power meter using cyclists. 3) Strava is fantastic for more casual cyclists (not that that describes you). 4) I'm sure power meters will become cheaper and more popular over time.
Data: When Ureddit was Featured on the Universal Front Page of Reddit
1. Reddit doesn't show the real numbers, like mentioned. If a post is getting a lot of upvotes, it will register a handful of downvotes as well. If you look through the highest ranking posts of all time, you'll notice most of them are quite old. Some time ago, they implemented an algorithm to keep votes from getting out of control; as the number of upvotes gets higher, the number of downvotes does as well. This is to normalize it at a certain level of votes. There's a ceiling that the votes practically cannot get above.

2. HN doesn't allow downvotes but it does allow you to flag a post. I don't know the algorithm for this, but it's possible people were flagging this post.
if you want the conspiracy side of this, wrong guy is in office.
If they have a parental control feature, recognize that it's not usually turned on, so set app store policy assuming parental control isn't on, but that style of protection is desirable ... why don't they just default parental control to "on"? Or at least make it a device-setup-time prompt?

Of the "iOS' walled garden is anticonsumer" concerns - the one that's in regular demonstration is Apple's refusal to allow adults to indicate that they really are grown up enough to be exposed to content regarding politics, religion, war and, yeah, even sex.
It's actually really simple. There's actually two different modes, but they're accomplished the same way. One is that menu is off screen and slides in to overlap the normal view. The second is the the view is in the background, and the normal view slides off to reveal the menu.

In both cases, you simply have a front view and a rear view. All you need to do is adjust the frame (positioning) of one of the views and animate that transition. Animating view transitions is really easy in iOS. So the pseudo code for this basically becomes:

Menu.position.x = Menu.position.x + (.7*screensize);

Animate();
Rats leaving a sinking ship comes to mind...
Unless my math is off, or I'm misreading the article... that's about 1% of his total shareholding he's sold. How is this a scramble to offload shares? It seems more like a pretty minor (and sensible) liquidity transaction.
yup, something like spamd for ssh could be cool..

But evolving to crack other usernames and other ports is not so easy, and there's not even any incentive to do that yet.

"If your goal is to prevent your logs from being filled with crap, then changing ports won't solve the problem"

..Looking at my logs..

Yes, it did actually :)

(edit: typo)
With current technology a completely (or near completely) plastic or composite firearm isn't feasible. Even if you were able to get it to fire without blowing up in your hand it would only be good for a single shot.
Why Buying Twitter Followers Isn’t a Good Plan
He sold 1.3m shares out of the 113mil he has? "Scrambles to offload his shares" = 1.1%?
I had this problem with a proposal I did. I managed to use a higher price than I was really comfortable with based on the value. As I waited for the prospect to respond, all I could think of was that I messed it up with the price.

When I talked with the prospect later (they chose another path) their feedback was: price was not an issue. They hadn't blinked. Why am I hung up on pricing too high?

Anyone else?
Is Your Keyword Conversion Rate Important?
Quite. If one has all (or most) of their personal wealth tied up in one venture, it's only prudent to release a proportion. Of course, where he stops selling will be the interesting part...
I'm not affiliated with this product but it looks like the remote you're talking about: https://www.flipperremote.com/

We need more of this kind of conversation at HN - identify a problem or pain point and talk about how to meet that need.
I was simply demonstrating, as everyone else in this thread is, that the tool doesn't match one's intution of what is bullshit.
I can't check it right now but I do wonder whether /dev/null as a filename would have worked.

Does somebody know?
How the Nasdaq got hacked by a Hungarian immigrant
Everything you know about China is wrong
Amit’s Thoughts on Grids
Jacoco4sbt - Scala Code Coverage via JaCoCo from within SBT
No, but it could have been without them knowing it. Just because an exploit hasn't been found and publicized by a security firm, doesn't mean black hats couldn't have found the bug and been using it without it being widely known.
Haters gonna Hate - calling BS on dismissal of automated dev testing
Which country was that calf raising done in?
Braintree are doing an Australian beta right now. Contact them, they will probably be able to hook you up.
My longest FAQ for HN

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4270768

got

"Your text: 8044 characters, 1160 words
Bullshit Index :0.17
Your text shows only a few indications of 'bullshit'-English."

I too would like to know what the model is for the online ratings. Has there been a validation study of the model?

AFTER EDIT: Paul Graham's essay "Why Nerds Are Unpopular"

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

(which is the first writing of his that I ever read) appears to reach the maximum length (by character count) that the program will evaluate, and comes out like this:

"Your text: 15000 characters, 2698 words
Bullshit Index :0.09
Your text shows no or marginal indications of 'bullshit'-English."

Maybe Paul's procedure of having friends look over his essays and give suggestions helps cut out the bullshit.
I pasted in the Time Cube website and only got a 0.12.
it is really good. thank you so much
The web stack is only messy once you get beyond the basics and want to make it cross browser. As a teaching tool it doesn't need to have a modern design, look the same to everyone and work in IE6.

I had similar thoughts to jbattle. Giving kids the ability to do something, put it online, and make it instantly accesible to their friends and the world is huge. It also helps open their mind to how accesible their creations can be.

That said, Robomind does look pretty cool. I'm sure I would have enjoyed it when I was a kid.
It is that simple. Looks like they assign a BS level to words, and then take some sort of average bullshit level amongst all words. Word order doesn't matter as slashcom says.

For example, if you take the score from the Oracle Pricing blurb posted by BitMistro, and change 'strategies' to 'goals', you drop down to 0.8 or so. If you add an extra random 'strategy' somewhere, it bumps up to 1.4 or something.

I actually suspect a bug on their pair for strategies... probably a decimal error when building to BS level tables.

But similar things happen with other 'bullshity' words, just to a lesser degree.
we'd love to!

The only thing is that we've been open sourcing all of our projects recently (because people ask, and we love open source ourselves), but then no one seems to truly care for it.

We're beginning to wonder if not open sourcing a project actually makes it _more_ accessible since there is greater incentive to maintain it and potentially offer it as a platform. thoughts?

all-in-all the code's not that complex. more a matter of planning, principle, and investment. It took 2 professional dev/designers working on it for about a week (came together in a day, then spent a few days tweaking it to run faster and work on lots of screen sizes and devices). How do we recoup that cost? Or is it just good vibes and press? :)
Kindle Fire is sold out forever, Kindle Fire 2 expected next week
I ran a few Wikipedia articles through it. They unsurprisingly shows little signs of 'bullshit'. I am surprised by the rating for Arch though. It doesn't read like PR/Marketing to me.

Wikipedia Page - Article, Talk:

IBM Watson - 23,20

Ron Paul - 22,11

Slackware - 35,28

SOPA - 34, 18

Arch Linux - 53,18

Witcher 2 - 15,12
I'd like to use it as a plugin for email, Reddit Enhancement Suite, and other such things of that nature .. ;)
I think this correlates closely with the observed decline in civility and quality discourse on HN :)
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