skysight-inc/HackerNews huggingface dataset:
> ...it's about how people choose to form their beliefs.

Right. Which raises the question of how _do_ people choose to form their beliefs?. Is one's basis for a belief a post rationalization of one's existing beliefs, carried out long after such beliefs are deeply ingrained? (e.g. Religion drilled in as a child, basis for belief only examined later in life). Or is it more innate? e.g. in our genes?

If it is a post rationalization, then is it really a basis for belief at all? If so, is that basis used consistently through-out one's life, and if not, is it anything other than a device used to feel good about some particular faiths? What would it mean to have multiple bases for belief?
I doubt anyone lied to you zubar. At one former startup employer the founder hired me in part because some years earlier I was a co-founder of an unsuccessful company and at other established places I've been rejected for reasons similar to the one given to you.

Anything you do in your career has the potential to open or close some doors.

My suggestion is to be prepared to tailor things like cover letters and resumes appropriately for the position and be more selective in how you apply so as to maximize your chances. Unless you're very very good or lucky you're bound to have some kind of failure in your past. The important thing in this sort of interview situation is to be able to convince people you've learned the right lessons from the experience and are more valuable as a result.
Really? The sort of parties I go to generally involve fairly sedate conversation and I have no trouble getting heard ;-)

I'm more visualising a scene such as the start of The Apprentice where you have eight wannabes all shouting over each other because Their Idea Is The Best.
Or perhaps because those other people who become social leaders had other skill sets not tapped by IQ tests. This idea is just about as old as IQ testing itself. Lewis Terman was the author of the IQ test that Marilyn of Ask Marilyn took when she was a kid, and that I took when I was a kid. Here's what he had to say about the limitations of IQ tests:

"There are, however, certain characteristics of age scores with which the reader should be familiar. For one thing, it is necessary to bear in mind that the true mental age as we have used it refers to the mental age on a particular intelligence test. A subject's mental age in this sense may not coincide with the age score he would make in tests of musical ability, mechanical ability, social adjustment, etc. A subject has, strictly speaking, a number of mental ages; we are here concerned only with that which depends on the abilities tested by the new Stanford-Binet scales." (Terman & Merrill 1937, p. 25)
This ones Better: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI2MFvOC94A&feature=relat...
Everyone faces rejection and failure. Persist onward and success will come soon enough. Don't give up. You can't win if you don't keep trying.

No one here lied to you but there is no absolute truth.
What is the overwhelming evidence? I don't know of any on either side - please enlighten me. I don't count theories or the volume of theories explaining something as evidence so don't bother if that is all there is.
The only people I've met who have either of those devices are "business people" for lack of a better word. A market very different from the iPhone crowd - the hype certainly isn't about bussiness applications. Maybe the demographic is different elsewhere.
When the network invades your dreams
Also note that you don't have to include that failed startup on your resume if you really feel it is hurting you.
IQ tests don't measure intelligence perfectly, especially at the higher ranges.

I would not use the word "measure" at all, but rather the word "estimate," for theoretical reasons mentioned by psychologist Joel Michell. It is well known that reliability of IQ tests is at its worst at the highest level of IQ scores. The author of the test that Marilyn vos Savant took was among the first to say so:

"The reader should not lose sight of the fact that a test with even a high reliability yields scores which have an appreciable probable error. The probable error in terms of mental age is of course larger with older than with young children because of the increasing spread of mental age as we go from younger to older groups. For this reason it has been customary to express the P.E. [probable error] of a Binet score in terms of I.Q., since the spread of Binet I.Q.'s is fairly constant from age to age. However, when our correlation arrays [between Form L and Form M] were plotted for separate age groups they were all discovered to be distinctly fan-shaped. Figure 3 [not shown here on HN, alas] is typical of the arrays at every age level.

"From Figure 3 it becomes clear that the probable error of an I.Q. score is not a constant amount, but a variable which increases as I.Q. increases. It has frequently been noted in the literature that gifted subjects show greater I.Q. fluctuation than do clinical cases with low I.Q.'s . . . . we now see that this trend is inherent in the I.Q. technique itself, and might have been predicted on logical grounds." (Terman & Merrill, 1937, p. 44)
I prefer gumtree.com
It pisses you off that someone does something that makes them happy rather than doing something that you think they should?

Really?
So I should lie about what I've been doing for the past 2 years?
I use "genius" to describe a person who has studied a particular area with a level of dedication, creativity and success such that they are orders of magnitude above even others in their field.

That is actually the standard definition of "genius" in current psychological literature, other than that most of those authors would say, "several standard deviations above" rather than "orders of magnitude above." One of the leading authors on "genius" as psychologists define that term is Dean Keith Simonton, whose articles are sometimes submitted here to HN.

See

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=488231

for a previous submission.

Simonton and many other authors (e.g., Arthur Jensen) note that the IQ threshold to be a "genius" in currently accepted professional sense of that term is not particularly high, perhaps only an IQ of 120 on a currently normed, properly validated test. Lots of creativity and lots of hard work, besides IQ, go into making a genius.
When you calculate the price of RAM, consider the slots as well. Putting a TB of RAM in a server requires more than just DIMMs.
"Lie" is such a strong term.

Relentlessly resourceful: doing whatever is necessary to get where/what you want. (But be a good person about it and don't step on other people.)
Given how many startups fail, you don't think "life without parole" is a bit harsh? It certainly will prevent them from trying again...

I also think that if you average over a long enough time span, it seems that those that hit the moon, money-wise, at one particular time barely break even over the long run. (Except they've already taken home their own salaraies, of course.) That's what I meant by it being a bad idea; at any given time the highest earners will, by selection effect, be those with the riskiest, most highly leveraged strategies. I can do without those, I think we need people that create wealth, not concentrate it into their own hands.
People like a good target... ;-)
Address them by name every so often during the intrnoductory conversation. Look at them while repeating their name in your head.
Steve Jobs is back — he’ll lead Apple’s netbook efforts, says WSJ
As an insecure geek, I reject any intelligence test for which I am not the top scorer. :)
I'm sure I consumed my share of junk from the internet, but it was not all without value. I am glad that I have learned about so many technologies, old and new, from places like Hacker News. I may not be able to use them expertly, but when I run into a problem I know what tools are out there. I know about Lisp, Python, Perl, Haskell, EC2, Ruby on Rails, Django, Cocoa, Couch DB, scalability, functional programming, object oriented programming, design principles, VCS and DVCS, and a hundred other things. Sure, there's a lot of noise in there, but also a signal.

When I recently had a chance to work with some programmers not so steeped in internet lore, all they knew was Java, and not well. They also knew of PHP's existence, and considered it the wave of the future for web apps.

Now, if both of us were to start a web company, which do you think would win?
Your argument implies that all knowledge is simply a system of beliefs cemented in by faith in those beliefs which leaves us on an equal playing field in regards to the validity of each side of the argument. By doing so, you're undermining all that we know to be true by equating logical facts with faith based beliefs and that is truly selling human intelligence and reason short.

I don't have a belief in atheism because there is nothing to believe in atheism. Like I said before, atheism is a lack of belief in the assertions of theists. This lack of belief is supported by a logical appraisal of the assertions of the theists, not the non-evidence based blind faith of theistic thinkers.
"CEO and Founder of startup.com" -> "Senior Django Developer for startup.com"
Would like to see this in relation to time. A timeline with markers like "Rails release", or Google App engine/Python.

Normalized results are good though. At first I just read Google - Visual Basic, D and Delphi all being just a tad more popular than Ruby.

Also thought Haskell would be higher - even if only because of one day at HN.
All I keep thinking is "Blag it, surely?"

My thoughts:

- I wouldn't sell it as a failed start-up, you can put an honest story around anything

- "I didn't like start-up life, I thought the grass was greener, and it sure as hell isn't"

- "Yea, I agree, the product didn't work out, but I learned a lot of operational skills. Planning, hiring, firing etc."

- "One thing it definitely taught me was it all comes down to numbers and ROI."

etc etc etc

Disclaimer: My first job was with a start-up that I'm pretty sure is on its why down the pan. But I sure as hell don't share the same concerns. I'd argue that what I learned in a start-up has prepared me for my life more than any degree could.
But as the paper linked by the article[1] points out, a single server can hold much more data in SSD storage then in onboard RAM.

For ordinary databases, one sweet spot for SSDs is for index tablespaces.

[1] - http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/people/antr/ms/ssd.pd...
I'm missing Objective-C. Fairly sure it should be top 20 considering the overall good quality -- and quantity -- of Mac apps.
Yea, you're nothing but a row on a spreadsheet to these guys...
First: I can't really tell from an immediate glance, design-wise, what the subject matter is. The design, pictures, etc, don't scream 'virtual world technologies' to me at all, and it takes a fair while of staring at the palm tree pic to figure out what's going on.

Second: A few things stand out after I get over that hurdle. The text on "Adventures on the New Frontier" is tiny, I can't read it. "Technology feature"/"Business feature" etc; do they really need the word "feature"? Looks repetitive when it's laid out like that.

Now in no particular order:

Why is 'The Sandbox' black and why am I told to register before I find out what it even is?

I really like the idea of 'get started' being immediately clickable from the intro text and I assume it'll be a detailed HOWTO when finished. Personally that's the first thing I'd read. I'd probably also link first occurrences of terms like OpenSim to the HOWTO - well maybe that's too basic for your expected readers, but to engage new ones who might not understand what any of the articles on the front page are about.

Generally, though, I think I'd like to see more pictures and possibly better use of the pictures you do have (http://www.maxping.org/virtual-life/avatars/projecting-the-v... - the images are so untidy). Images are one of the best ways to lead people into content. Excerpts are also good, and I don't really think you're making the most of them. For example the excerpt on your 'business feature' assumes I've read the headline thoroughly. I haven't, I've skim-read it, so interrupting my reading to go back and re-read it to figure out what "the answer" refers to is painful.

(Disclaimer: I'm a MMO blogger & techie, but have no experience with open source virtual worlds, only commercial ones. So I might not be your perfect audience in terms of wanting pretty pictures and the like.)
You could always try to apply to a younger, smaller firm. You would probably enjoy your job more too.
First, I (we?) would be really interested in hearing what company. Please spill.

Second, I don't know what type of job you're looking for but the two startups that I've worked at both think very highly of startup experience on your resume, failed or not. If you pursued a startup idea it tends to indicate all sorts of good things -- self directed, can run with ideas, aren't averse to a certain amount of boring but necessary work, etc. Of course, you should expect to be grilled on why it failed and what you would do differently.

Third, Scribd always needs good rails people, so send your resume if you want. Email is in the profile.
Possibly because that's all they have to offer.
You're sounding like an ass. Get off your high horse! The advice here is free my friend.

Have a serious think about what you're doing at the moment, bitching at a group of entrepreneurs/tech heads about a bad job application. Think you're the only one here that's either A) Been in this position or B) Currently in this position?
I love this irony: Sun ILOM is based on Linux
Sample size error.
Because someone who wants more is, as the poster said, a free spirit who won't be tied down by a boring 9-to-5 job?

In fact, it seems like the company in question only wants to hire people that "just want a paycheck".
If they have other finances (mortgage, loans, kids to raise, etc), just getting a paycheck is all you can do.
Is GZIP compression compatible with XmlHttpRequest?
Well, invite me to your next party in Southern California. It sounds delightful.
Sure, there is probably a little bit of luck involved but when is that not the case? They have done a much better job of getting their world in order the last few years.

I will say this, though, if I was to buy a new car today I would seriously consider a Ford. I bought my last new car almost 5 years ago and I did not even get past their web site when I was looking at cars. Right now I'd consider a couple of their smaller cars if I were in the market for something smaller or maybe a smallish cross-over type vehicle. That is not luck. They have really improved their cars over the last few years. I rented an Edge last time I was in Denver and was pretty impressed by how well it handled and the fuel mileage it got. Again, that is not luck, either. I have been in recent Chryslers and GMs and can't stand them one bit. They just make bad cars and deserve to go away.

I have a feeling them not taking/asking for money has more to do with the loan covenants/restrictions than anything else, however.
Facebook Implements Suggested Fan Page
If I had written the article, the title would be "Why do we tax the wealthy as if they were well-off?".
I find it interesting that nowhere in that article does the author even admit that the G1/Android Market exists, considering that the Android SDK is quite excellent IMO, allowing super-easy (basically plug-and-play) development and debug testing on your own phone (no cert bullshit to deal with for testing) and from what I've seen, the Market is a pretty good place to get into now that paid apps are available...
I'm talking about high intelligence rather than high IQ. So, I guess I'm technically answering the question, "Is high intelligence a blessing or a curse", rather than that question about IQ specifically. In truth, I don't care much about IQ per se; the discussion of intelligence is a more interesting debate.
So you're saying importing more people like those that worked in Bear Sterns would have been in the national interest?

Absolutely. The recent turmoil notwithstanding, people "like those that worked in Bear Sterns" are enormously valuable to the economy.
The first attempt to measure the value of the Gravitational Constant (as well as the Earth's mass; each would lead to the other given what was known at the time) was done by measuring the gravitational pull of a mountain. A site somewhere in Scotland was chosen, if I recall correctly from the book "A short history of nearly everything." It took years to map out the geometry of the mountain, and the answer was still way off because no one knew how to measure the density of the mountain, and basically had to just guess it.

Cavendish's torsion idea was the key, and it made it possible to dramatically reduce the masses required. The value derived from his experiments is within 1% of the modern value (rather amazingly.)

Cavendish was a very interesting character. Actually, most people who did science in the 18th century seem to have been eccentrics, come to think of it.
+1 and to elaborate:

Seriously? With a sample size of 1, you are blaming hacker news for bad advice rather than blaming the hiring manager for having a rare/bizarre attitude?
This is so bogus. All the WSJ article said was that he remains involved. Back implies some kind of change.
I don't actually think that's an invalid comment, or particularly Mary Poppins for that matter - that's the premise behind 'crowdsourcing'.

The idea that truth will prevail in the end seems to be likely overall but, in the same way that markets can remain irrational longer than an investor remains solvent, we may not live to see the day a particular truth is accepted for what it is.
http://www.rightmove.co.uk
they are probably done almost solely by bots, institute sbl-xbl.spamhaus.org on your service and rate limit.
I was fail all round :)
We did this experiment for a college freshman physics lab. Indeed exciting to see gravity in action! It was a lab based course, and we did similar experiments for most of the other physical constants. I thought it was a great way to learn.
If a car has unlocked doors and the keys are in ignition is it legal to take that car?

I'm not talking about stealing a car. That would be hijacking or shutting down the entire website.

If you want to go the "car analogy" route, then put a whiteboard on your car, and claim it's illegal when somebody comes along and writes on the whiteboard. This is still a pretty crappy analogy.

The best analogy would be making something intended for one purpose, but somebody uses it for another purpose. Then, since it's bad for business, you sue the person who used the item as not intended. It just seems ridiculously unfair.

I'm talking about things like Web 2.0 profiles. The TOS on these things are that the entire use of the website is without warranty... yet if somebody comes along and makes a worm on these sites, a worm which harms nothing other than these warrantless profile pages, that's illegal?

Another example: Let's say Myspace said: "Feel free to use Javascript in your profile." Would it be OK to make the worm? It's just javascript, after all.
That is an interesting option but after looking at convotrack I think I will just wait for MovableType to be supported.

I really don't like the hovering javascript buttons and I think the side panel is is kind of a distracting option. It doesn't feel well integrated allowing the comments to flow naturally as if they are just a part of the blog comment system.

Thanks for the link though.
What makes your account, on some website like "myspace" at all sacred and secured by laws? What defines an "account"? Does the person in charge of the account, in this case Myspace, have any obligation to ensure the security of your account?

For example, what if Myspace only allowed a 1 digit password on your account. Is it still illegal to "hack" your account, or is it Myspace's fault?
Please, god, no.

>"I have just discovered that without her father's consent this sweet, trusting, gullible six-year-old is being sent, for weekly instruction, to a Roman Catholic nun. What chance has she?"

"What chance has she?". God forbid she grow up to be a Catholic. The way Dawkins phrases it, she might as well be dead.

I loved "The Ancestor's Tale", though, Richard! One of the four best books I've ever read.
Now, if both of us were to start a web company, which do you think would win?

I'm of the opinion that while you'd have a head start, if the other programmers have the drive and skill (for studying) that they would need to succeed in any case, they would be able to pick up on the technology and principles as they go.

It's not your previous exposure to various tech principles and "internet lore" that will make you succeed, those will only give you a small head start (and some interesting material to discuss with other hackers at meetups). It will come down to skill, determination, timing, and a fair bit of luck.
This is the sort of stuff that makes writing webapps and doing data plumbing for a living seem completely banal and amateurish.
Hey, thanks for the plug. If anyone has any questions or suggestions, please feel free to email me at padmapper@gmail.com (or use the feedback link on the site). It's still pretty new, and there's definitely room for improvement.
I know a large number of people here are against using vulnerabilities to do anything but in all honesty we need more of these kind of deviants (the ones who do little to no harm while exposing bugs and glitches). Sure we could all wish for a world where everyone followed rules and respected everyone else so much they could leave their doors unlocked but I think everyone would settle for more people like this.

That is if he was honest in the interview and what he did.
What is your definition of "high intelligence"? This is an interesting issue discussed in Keith Stanovich's new book,

http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?isbn=97803001238...

which you probably would enjoy reading, as I did.
"How would you know? You only hear about the success stories and the spectacular failures, not the full spectrum in between."

By truly great I was meaning something that was a spectacular success. Every company I have ever had the pleasure of knowing personally with a great model had plenty of capital, whatever location they were in. Others who thought there model was great, but clearly was too risky didn't.

"Just because you'd prefer to do a B2B startup you want to deny others from trying to go straight to the top?"

I am not denying anyone from starting anything, just pointing at the facts. It's much easier to get a B2B making money than a twitter widget that isn't charging.

In my opinion, those types of businesses are never going to be the next youtube, so why bother. You either go for the home run or the easy money. But that's just my opinion.
I agree with the prospective employer. Any place that could think that way will make you miserable, and you would be a terrible hire for them.
As in a six-year-old's soccer game, there is some structure to the conversation. There are two sides, and both teams try to kick the ball as hard as they can in the right general direction. Trying to introduce a third opinion to the fray is like a confused child dribbling the ball out of bounds; the ball will be taken away from him and put back into play. The only way for a third possibility to achieve consideration is for the original game to end in defeat for one side, at which point a third opinion may be able to call "next" before the crowd's attention wanders.

If you... get into debate mode, you'll lose

Not to sound like a dick, because I'm not any good at this myself, but a skillful debater always takes the audience into account, whether the audience is the Supreme Court or a crowd of rowdy partygoers.
Does this guy have anything to do with the Cavendish Banana?
I agree. If it's at all possible to do this, it would be interesting to see when a language generates buzz and why.

We could end up with something like finance.google.com for programming languages :)