skysight-inc/HackerNews huggingface dataset:
Saurik, I definitely see where you're coming from, but why do the rules and standards change for cell phone providers as for other Internet providers? They pay the same for data as any other Internet provider.(probably less, actually) If you're paying more than $30/mo at home for land based Internet, you feel like you're being ripped off. Compare it to Cable Internet. You are capable of receiving impressive speeds during low use time and your experience will suffer during high use time. Same with cell phone data. Cable Internet isn't capped at a fixed amount. So, then if you work within the guidelines of spending over $30 is insane (Which I'm not saying is necessarily true, just arguing...) And you take into account that an average home user will use much, MUCH more data than what cell phone companies are charging their $30 on. (This article says average home broadband user uses 17GB/mo. I have no idea if it's accurate, but let's just use a much smaller number and avoid argument. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/nov/01/home-broadb...) Let's assume 10GB. That comes out to 333.3 MB per $1, or 3.33 MB per $0.01. We're not talking about what the probability of what a customer would or COULD use, we're talking about actual amounts. Heck, if we went 1/10 of that, down to a mere 1GB per user per month, we still wouldn't be at what the cell phone providers are charging. At 1GB/mo, for $30/mo, it would be $0.03/MB. (For all of my calculations I used 1000MB = 1GB, not 1024 to keep it simple.) What the cell phone industry is charging for data is plain ridiculous. The going rate seems to be $15 for 250MB or $0.06/MB. That's maybe 20X what a conservative user spends at home. Why? Maybe you could compare it to satellite based Internet. Satellite has fixed bandwidths and astronomically expensive equipment and that's all it does it provide Internet service. But, why would you compare it to satellite based? All a cell carrier does is get it back to a tower a maximum of 5 miles away. There they pay for land based Internet pipes. They are considered CLECs also and pay stupidly cheap prices for bandwidth. Sure, it may be expensive to get local loop to the tower sites, but we're not talking launching satellites into space. Even satellite companies only charge $50/mo for 10GB/mo. (Wildblue's website).

So, I simply ask, if you support a pay as you go model for cell phone providers, what price per MB do you have in mind? Because right now, it highway-frickin'-robery and they're still whining about data usage.
While waiting this morning to get through security, I overheard a TSA agent saying they were undergoing a downsizing at that airport (BDL, which is a pretty small international airport in Connecticut) from 200 to 50 on staff. So there's one "anecdata" point that the footprint of the TSA may already be shrinking.

He also mentioned it was downsizing through attrition rather than layoffs, which is probably an easier strategy for elected and appointed officials to get behind.
According to Spitler's indictment, they did not; in a captured IRC chat, A.A. told another member of his group explicitly that he had not reported the breach to AT&T.
what do sam instructments do?
That's excellent advice to those who live elsewhere, but there are hundreds of millions of people who cannot possibly follow your advice.
Encryption has a couple of drawbacks. If you happen to be unable to decrypt something the authorities want to see, you go to jail for a long time in some countries.

And then of course I can't make everyone I communicate with use encryption. So all I can do is encrypt incoming mail, which is rather pointless because there's another unencrypted copy out there and the mail headers will give away where to look.
Citations? (to a credible source)
As long as they didn't find oil.
I would agree except this 'bubble' is more like 50 years old at this point.

That said, it would be great news if more innovation centers spring up and survive, I'd love to have reduced traffic burden and a chance for entrepreneurs to get the same benefits they get in the Bay Area in terms of energy, funding, and community.

I suspect however that the next "exodus" won't really happen until you really can work anywhere and get solid telepresence or something like it experience.
Tizen development under Oracle VirtualBox
> Aside from it being the most counter-productive form of communication ever

That's a ridiculous statement. Some people can better articulate their thoughts if they speak it out loud, and some people can better articulate their thoughts if they write them out. Calling it an "inability" and "unwillingness" is just inconsiderate and stupid.
Did you know that every major browser already supports storage and geolocation APIs?

http://caniuse.com/#search=localstorage

http://caniuse.com/#search=geo
You'll probably find this interesting then. It's about how violence rates have changed over time, and some guesses about causation.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Better-Angels-Nature-ebook/dp/B005...
Firefox 18 will come with a new panel to edit HTML.
We may not be able to know whether he's being intellectually dishonest until we know what he "really thinks," but he is absolutely using a spotlight fallacy.
Copyright Reform, Peer Progressives, and the New GOP
Indeed. The irony of reading that statement on this very web site is just staggering. How many companies are in the current YC round again?

This argument shouldn't even be at issue. Of course we're seeing very rapid innovation. The question is whether that's because of or in spite of the current patent regime, which is very hard to answer. People like us see the harm that bad patents can do and decide one way.

Other people look at (1) the fact that there is rapid innovation in the market and (2) the patent system was designed to foster innovation as evidence to the contrary. You're not going to win these people over by claiming that patents are "killing" innovation. All they have to do is look in their pockets to see that you're wrong.
Yes, yes, and yes. Especially those last two things, that's the most distinctive thing about it.
Bath Salts, Orgies, Murder, And Anti-Virus Software
NatuLearn - Kinect based education
Our mission is to make lessons in schools more fun for teachers and students. We want to prove that learning and having fun at the same time is possible.
I could just as easily craft my bot to appear more like a user. "Reading" posts, checking PMs, etc. etc.
Global Twitter Heartbeat
As a Firefox dev and a Linux user, I also want a better user experience on Linux. Hopefully, the work we're doing on Australis (new firefox theme) will satisfy most of the Linux users.
Not a politician but still a courageous voice :

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405270230381540457733...
Double stealth mode then.
New Mac app to easily manage App Store promo codes
off topic - Why do I receive a redirect loop error when trying to view their site? This issue has been going on for months...
Well, you could imagine a politician taking up the cause if the Republican party returned to its small government ideals, rather than "Small government, except when it meets our special interests (which most definitely include defense and scaremongering)"

Obama won't do it, because he's shown himself to keep whatever things from Bush are convenient if unsavory, like Guantanamo (saying you're going to close it and actually closing it are two different things).
Was the original idea for you to take a picture at an event and see other people at the event taking the same pictures? What is is now? And is anyone implementing the original idea? I think it is pretty cool, not 30/40 million cool
Well it depends on how he's defining "the world," right? I doubt anybody in the black hole of Calcutta thinks about the US patent system much.
"A Trillion-Dollar Transfer Of Wealth Is About To Hit Silicon Valley"
If you find that staggering, then absolutely avoid looking at Japan homicide stats.

Japan is 0.4 per 100,000.

Japan has had the strictest gun control in the world for the longest time, and has a homicide rate to match.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentiona...
There is no easy way around the chance that some project dies. While José and I pointed that it is quite easy to convert the AST produced by Elixir back to Erlang source (erl_pp?), it might not be the best workaround for the unlikely death of the project. Death doesn't meant the compiler stops compiling :)
But as a user, I hate having to agree to EULAs and TOUs. When I install a new iPad, I have to click through several pages of this stuff.
That's why they've been charged with "Conspiracy", isn't it? The elements of federal Conspiracy:

(1) An agreement between two or more persons to commit at least one crime.

(2) A person joining the conspiracy knowing of at least one of its objects and intending to help accomplish it.

(3) One of the members of the conspiracy performed at least one overt act for the purpose of carrying out the conspiracy.

So, here:

1. Let's build a database of stolen AT&T email addresses associated with iPads and then sell them to spammers.

2. Here, run this script as I adjust to to increase the number of accounts it successfully finds.

3. Oh, look, I ran this script and got 100,000 email addresses.

Not good, right?

Look, if you read Spitler's indictment, it really doesn't seem like this particular conspiracy wanted to do anything but troll a huge company with thousands of people's personal information. I don't have a whole lot of sympathy for the defendants here, but it does seem like an injustice that could have been addressed in civil court.

It seems like a stretch to convince a jury that these people really wanted to sell the information they collected.

On the other hand, I think the idea that AT&T made this information available to the public in such a manner that you could have in good faith harvested hundreds of thousands of addresses is pretty much bunk. It's not going to help that A.A.'s first instinct was to run to the media because simply having the addresses was such a big story that they'd be on the front page of NEWS.GOOGLE.COM. He more or less immediately made clear to everyone that he knew he had no business handling that data.
You've been approved. enjoy!
So what happens when you use a different SIM card? Surely it won't work with AT&T APN settings?
> By developing a new positive habit, such as regular exercise, a meditation practice or making your bed in the morning, you will immediately reap the direct benefits of the new habit. On top of this you will also increase your willpower and naturally implement better behaviors across many aspects of your life, including health and social activities.

Having a brain-fart here...but this calls to mind the famous study in which it seemed that altering the color of the walls positively affected workers' mood...when it was the perception of change -- *that is, the subjects reacting positively to the idea that managers cared enough to repaint the walls to improve working conditions -- that was bringing about the positive mood change.

So by entering into a new habit, you will automatically feel better because you're implying, to yourself, that you care enough to try something new.
Not yet. Work in progress.
Helicopter Games
oh, wow. If someone wants you to write him an email and you call him instead beacuse you feel like it, it's just inconsiderate and stupid.
America has the highest murder rate of the developed world, higher even than a chunk of developing countries.

My quick glace showed America at 4.2, the next developed country is Finland at 2.2, so living in America you're 1.9 times more likely to be murdered than any other developed country.

Of course, the vast majority of Developed countries have a murder rate less than 1.0 per 100,000 people.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentiona...
Why is an about-face over the course of at least 10 years amusing (I presume in a sarcastic way)?

In 10 years, even crowds of people learn about the medium-term implications of legal doctrines. 10 years ago the implications of software or business method patents weren't all that obvious. Only a few radicals were warning against them - someone sold everybody else on an emotional basis.

"Intellectual Property" in haste, repent at leisure, as Ben Franklin might have written, if he had understood the implications 200+ years ago.
If not exactly fascist, it is certainly corporatist.
http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive/phd051809s.gif
Chrome profiles are perfect for managing multiple accounts. I have one profile for each email account, and it works beautifully. The multiple sign in stuff never worked quite right for me.
BDL just keeps getting worse. It's already hundreds of dollars less expensive (during the holidays) and takes less time to fly into say Newark and take an Amtrak to Connecticut.
I also opt-out every time, but I would estimate the average additional time to be in the order of 10 minutes.

It's highly variable. Sometimes you get the pat-down right away and then it only takes about 3 minutes, but most of the time you have to wait for the agent to come get you, and that can take up to 10 minutes in my experience.

But in any case, it's worth it (for the reasons you mentioned). I wish there were more of us that always opted-out.
HN Bookmarklet: Show PG's essay footnotes in-line on hover
> The Democrats do not have a majority in the House, the Republicans do. And the Democrats do not control enough of the Senate to be immune to the threat of filibuster.

Trying reading my post again:

> The Democrats got a supermajority in the state House and Senate

And this:

> You are arguing that higher taxes will kill those seeking to bootstrap companies

You really need to work on your reading comprehension. Read this again:

> The cost of living is high and the taxes are high, with the former being an obstacle for bootstrapping a startup, and the latter being an obstacle when your company grows in size.

It's the high cost of living that will kill bootstrapping companies, not the high taxes.

> Cost of living really doesn't matter that much to tech startups. If it did, everyone would be rushing to rural Nebraska to bootstrap their startup.

You've made a common logical fallacy. People aren't "rushing to rural Nebraska to bootstrap their startup" because the high cost of living is a pill worth swallowing considering the networking benefits in SV. That is, there's a net benefit to being in SV vs. being in rural Nebraska. However, like I said in my first post, this is not something inherent to SV - it's just a matter of where the people and companies happen to be at the moment.

Moreover, you've resorted to reductio ad absurdum here. I clearly stated in my first post that a good option in the Midwest for founding a startup would be a medium-sized city like Kansas City, not "rural Nebraska".

> In reality, you can find cheap rent anywhere, even SV, you just have to compromise on space and housing/location quality.

Which means that if you "compromise on space and housing/location quality" in a place with a lower cost of living, you'd get even cheaper housing. Another common logical fallacy.
Ribbon To Take On PayPal By Launching Its Frictionless Payment System
#FirstWorldProblem: Reading footnotes on PG's essays makes you lose your place, so if you're like me you never read them until you get to the bottom. Solution: Bookmarklet.
Required reading: The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande.
Major props for diplomacy. "We can't seem to use them effectively" is an extremely tactful way to avoid saying the obvious: Facebook appears to be scamming you.
Thank you for your comments, I'll edit the post accordingly!

I thought the RIR could be assigned a /32 subnet at most (by the IANA), and that the RIR would hand /48 out to ISPs. The book I read on IPv6 is from before RFC6177, perhaps that's where the confusion came from.
Work in progress (as we speak, a volunteer is working hard on a patch).
The best solution right now is probably to use a desktop app that encrypts e-mails locally with OpenPGP before sending them.

Can't someone make a Chrome extension that does the same for Gmail, though? There seem to be a few solutions for Firefox.
I don't know exactly what these small carriers are like in the US, but shouldn't APN data be configured by the SIM/network automatically?
This is depressing to read, and I think he is wrong, but the more I think about this, the more I think reforming patent issuance is not going to be as helpful as we think.

Think about it - if the PTO stopped issuing software patents today, we'd still have over a decade of software patent litigation.

The real problem is our legal system - it is too expensive for a someone accused of patent violations to defend themselves. Even if you win, you are still going to be bankrupt or severely weakened by legal fees, and all you've "won" is the right to continue doing what you were doing in the first place. This is the only reason patent trolling is so successful - nobody can fight back.

Start requiring entities who file patent infringement (and other) lawsuits pay the defendants legal fees if they lose, and require an upfront bond (because otherwise they'd just sue with shell companies and declare bankruptcy if they lost). Everyone is going to be concerned about how this hurts the proverbial "little guy" and his ability to sue a big company that has taken his idea, but the little guy is already getting screwed by patent trolls - a big company like Google or Apple has the resources to fight patent litigation, but even one lawsuit is likely to be lethal for a small company. If the "little guy" is going to get hurt either way, I'd rather we tilt things to be in favor of the defendants.
Hmm, I understand what you mean, but does it practically change anything? Should I write something differently in the article?
Watchfulness
Maybe I'm just slow, but what is the advantage of this over Amazon Universal Wishlist?
"Forgetting" the password to files comprising the entirety of evidence pertaining to the investigation of a crime is hardly the same as being jailed for forgetting an arbitrary password.
The actions of these companies were done at behest of the U.S. government. How would this problem be reduced if the companies were eliminated and a nationalized system implemented?

And if you think nationalization will increase efficiency, please compare the U.S. post office to European post offices, which were nearly all privatized decades ago. (They're operating with significant profits b/c they've combined with convenience stores, allow you to opt out of spam, offer scanning services, etc)
Yes, that does look interesting. Have Kindled it, thanks!
A more apropos playground analogy might be skinned knees.

With the penalty that both the nurse and the injured person receives $1 from the person who caused the skinned knee. You can make the playground safer and tell kids to be more careful, but you'll still see Bruno falling on purpose and blaming Mary to the nurse.
Another commenter also pointed this out (which I happened to read first), and it has been corrected. Thanks for commenting!
The Power of Abstraction in Ruby
This is an excellent point... sloppy, careless companies can operate more cheaply (until they go down in flames); insulating the consumer from these security risks would introduce the same kind of moral hazard as insulating investors from the downside on risky investments.
"The Trouble with Gerrold: Using all the petaflops," by David Gerrold
Great post. I wasn't aware some people had such an aversion to phone conversations. As for the argument email is more efficient, I don't buy it. Both email and phone are tools that can become highly efficient or huge time wasters dependent on how you use them. Really liked your advice on not making buying decisions over the phone. Thanks!
How to Learn by Osmosis (The Traits of a Successful Affiliate)
Hint: You are not the first person to notice that crypto can be done client-side in Javascript. There are very good and not-obvious reasons why this is not done.
And why would lawmakers be intimidated by encryption? They could just force you to decrypt whenever one of those agencies asks for it and punish you with lengthy jail terms if you refuse.
See this is something I've never understood. What is this obsession with type safety/everything compiled ?

Any possible benefits to the developer disappear in the face of a huge increase in complexity.
Yup. I managed a hostel in Ecuador for 5 months, and the vast majority of European travelers swore they would never again transit through America due to the nightmares they had experienced with security and immigration, all for a 1 hour layover in the airport.
Why didn't Color read PG's essay on startup ideas?
Liquidity Hacking - how to build a 2-sided marketplace
UIDatePicker must have had a good laugh at this.
Odds of dying from fireworks: 1 in 652,046

Odds of dying from lightning strike: 1 in 134,906

Odds of being legally executed: 1 in 111,179

Odds of dying from contact with bees/wasps: 1 in 79,842

Odds of being shot: 1 in 6,609

Odds of dying from a fall 1 in 163

Odds of dying in a terrorist attack: 1 in 3,500,000

Maybe we should switch the TSA to bee patrol.

(Source: http://www.nsc.org/NSC%20Picture%20Library/News/web_graphics...)
I sort of knew the murder rate in the US was high, but I didn't realise it was quite so out of step with "peer" countries (eg Canada, UK, Japan, etc).

And furthermore, having a tangible number like 150,000 people murdered drives home the stark reality of the situation.
However, back when the constitution was being written corporations did not have the legal status of a person. Lobbying was never intended as a tool for corporations to gain a much bigger voice than the general public, yet this is what we have now.
How Treehouse Built a Company Dashboard from Scratch in Two Months
> The radiation from the body scanner is less than you experience just from flying, or sitting next to another human being.

You missed the point.

He doesn't recommend opting out because of radiation, he recommends opting out as a form of protest against the existence of the scanners.
Do you mean "more" expensive?
Do you really buy this line of argument? How many banking applications configure themselves so that they rely on the intended meanings of HTTP verbs and authorization headers as their primary overt security mechanism? And of those, how many do so correctly?

I get why Bratus would testify. The defendant here needs all the help he can get and is morally entitled to the best case he can possibly present. I respect and admire everyone who is trying to help him out. But presuming he's not guilty of a real conspiracy to defraud anyone, I have a hard time believing it's because AT&T's web application vulnerability entitled the public to their database.
You're right.

It probably doesn't help that the main "watering hole" for industry professionals is run by an investment firm. People tend to think of HN as simply "the place entrepreneurs go," but that too is a (facilely) monolithic thing! Like attracts like.