skysight-inc/HackerNews huggingface dataset:
> And please look outside America before talking about human history, and indeed computer.

You're too harsh on the OP. As Doug Engelbart discovered himself at some point: "One of the basic things you soon learn is that after a certain degree of quantitative change, you almost invariably go into qualitative change." (http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/hasrg/histsci/ssvoral/enge...).

Before Apple put everything together for the initial version of the iPhone nobody else other than technology enthusiasts (or masochists) were using their mobile phones as windows into the world. Not 10 years have passed and now I can see 12-year kids chatting with their friends on their iPhone5s while I'm taking the tramway home, or 20-something lady-drivers checking their Facebook while they're waiting for the green light.

If it matters I live half a globe-away from the States, and while I do own an iPhone 4 I still fondly remember how I used to write Python scripts for a Nokia N73 that would somehow try to pair the images I was taking with said phone with the geo-coordinates recorded by an external GPS device, both of them (the GPS device and the phone) connected through bluetooth.
Ubernostrum is referring to "scholarships available based on grades" as a bad idea, not the OP's link.
I was just listening to one of Douglas Crockford's talks which discussed the contributions Engelbart made to computer science. What really stuck with me was the sheer number of new concepts he showed in his demo, which, though made in 1968, would showcase features not seen for decades, and some of which are still not effectively in use. If you haven't seen it, it's well worth the hour and forty minutes.

I think this is also a good moment to reflect on how incredible it is to be involved in a science which is still so much in its infancy that seminal figures in its development are still alive and well. Let us not forget their contributions, and most importantly, not overlook the concepts that, if employed today, can advance us far beyond where we are now.

Douglas Engelbart's Mother of All Demos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJDv-zdhzMY
What about NACL?
http://nacl.cr.yp.to/index.html

Seems to provide most of the building blocks you would need and has bindings for various languages.
Like I said, the developers seem to be earnestly trying to improve their product based on the feedback they are getting.

What more can you ask of them?

"You there. Stop. You shouldn't be building this because we the superior internet community think you're a terrible person who will never learn anything, so we're putting our foot down."

Screw that. What right do you have to tell these individuals to stop building something they might be actually enjoying building (and learning about crypto)?

You have absolutely no right to complain in much the same way I don't have any right to look at your Github repo, tell you you're a terrible developer and you should never touch a computer again.
Thanks a lot for the detailed explanation.
Ban Ki-moon criticises Snowden at a meeting with the Icelandic foreign-affairs committee.

Pieces of the story:

"He said that his opinion is that Snowden is guilty of abuse and that that more access to information couldn't be abused like Snowden did."

Birgitta Jonsdottir asked for an explanation for those words to which Ban Ki-moon replied:

"More access can be good for the public, but sometimes bigger problems arise because of abuse by individuals."

It seems that Ban Ki-moon doesn't understand the case and/or is under orders from someone else.
Claiming that VPNs have more people signing up with stolen credit cards than their own credit cards rather unlikely to me. The penalty fees on the resulting chargeback would make it difficult to make a profit, particularly on a service that competes on price in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
Ask HN: CS Student - Need Help.
I'm a CS Student in Italy, I have a good GPA Score (something like 3.4/3.6); but I feel useless. Everyday I woke up, and I start my usual routine, studying and studying and programming.

Now, from few days apart, I'm feeling really useless to myself and the world in general. I'm studying less and I'm trying to connect with more people around me, but it's a no-go. I see here people that just don't care about the courses. I really LOVE what I do; I see my programming as an art, the art of a problem solver.

Have you ever feel that emotion inside that take you down and down and let you do anything? Well, I'm there, I'm stuck there... in a bubble full of nothing.
Ask HN: Valuing a Social Technology startup using EBITDA makes sense?
originally asked here: http://answers.onstartups.com/questions/49770/valuing-a-social-technology-startup-using-ebitda-makes-sense

We're finalizing the details of a new shareholders agreement but we're stuck at setting the EBITDA multiple that will get used for future valuation of the company.

The agreement was written by one of the new investors (VC). but the other investors commented that EBITDA is the wrong way to calculate the valuation of a social technology startup that has assets like its users, and that should be looking for revenue and market share.

The startup could be not generating high revenues, but the numbers of its users for example could be another thing that should be part of the equation as it represents an opportunity and a market share.

We're confused and don't know what is the right method to use. I hope that there's a standard for something like that.
A better title would be: "Nginx is the most used web server in front of other servers"
Nice to see this. However, does it look like they solved the distribution part? None of this movies got to me through ads, social networks, friends advice, etc. While take "World War Z", I probably knew about it few days after it's launch.
I can see solid arguments for either viewpoint. The iPhone was certainly a substantial leap, but a lot of innovation was happening at the time in smartphones elsewhere and it was really just a matter of time before the advances and improvements made by Apple were duplicated by others. However, there is something which I think tips the balance toward the iPhone being a major breakthrough: the expansion of the smartphone market.

The iPhone brought a lot of new smartphone users into the market, and it brought an even larger injection of cash into the market. That, in turn, facilitated a massive acceleration of R&D into mobile device technology and software. And that acceleration will have a direct impact on something that is still in progress and hasn't happened yet: the majority of the population of the developing world gaining access to computing technology and the internet, which I believe will be one of the defining events of the 21st century.
The apple keys were on Apple /// and Apple //e keyboards, before the gs or ADB. It's 'open apple' because there was also a filled-in 'closed apple'

http://www.rhod.fr/images/apple3/apple3-01.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Apple_IIe...
Which was subsequently modified to make it less secure before being added to the project. That tends to dampen one's enthusiasm to contribute.
>that still misses the fact that the world failed to develop those possibilities in any meaningful way

I don't know about that. I'm frequently engaged in realtime collaborative editing of rich, interactive datasets with people on the other side of the planet. The specific mechanisms Engelbart pioneered underlie most of that infrastructure.

In under 50 years, we've progressed from the relatively abstract methods he developed, to actually seeing systems developed on those principles in the wild, in frequent use by literally billions of people.

I think you do a disservice to all of those who have helped to bring this about by discarding their work as "myopic".
The Problem with Startups: Fear
A bunch of "single post" accounts all designed to attack one company? Add in someone impersonating brian d foy, a well known Perl dev (and you use almost exactly the same wording) and it really looks like you're a disgruntled ex-employee who's out to hurt this company.
As https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5988869 said, anonymizing data through aggregation is surprisingly hard.

I vaguely remember a mathematical result that shows how hard it (maybe showing it to be for all practical purposes impossible), but cannot find it.
French domestic security agency also has its own PRISM
Google Glass app design contest
> The bug that lasted 347 days was the confusion between a string and an array of integers.

Maybe they are Erlang programmers :-)
It's cool to see atomic operations.
Any plans to implement multi-document ACID transactions? Just like all_or_nothing in pre 0.9 couchdb when in case of conflict update was being rejected.
Ivan Sutherlands Sketchpad
The interesting thing is how much this was straining technology at the time, and how it predated the innovations (such as microprocessors) which would make this sort of thing not just feasible but inexpensive enough for many folks to make use of it in the home.
Just-released Fedora 19 adds native support for 3D printers
"cjambassador" means, presumably, "circle jerk ambassador".

Some sort of idiotic form of hyperbolic satire from reddit which does nothing but cause strife and shut down discussion. I thought this guy was hellbanned yesterday.
I felt like that. Didn't get help from anyone. It just went away after I graduated.

I think the main reason you feel like that is because you don't express yourself enough. Your programming is your art. Express yourself.

Make something for the HN community or for reddit or for whoever. Make something people love. You'll fail. And then you'll fail. And then you'll fail but you won't feel like this and you'll be a completely changed person.
Italian stem-cell trial based on flawed data
Although I agree with that fact the the article was a bit harsh, I have to say that it's not really about "thinking big" or "small", it's about the result of such mistakes. If a pizza delivery order got messed because of a bug in the web service, the result would be that you won't have any pizza today for example (which is acceptable). But when it comes to software that affects lives, and when it's being advertised in the media (of course with the patronage of the author) as a secure solution, then it's a big problem that could really affect many people. You can't think long or short term in these issues, you have to take the immediate consequences into consideration, you have to shock the users into knowing how bad the problems are. I'm sure the intention for such harshness is not directed towards the author, but in fact towards the community of users relying on this piece of software. Imagine learning that TOR is insecure or compromised for example, that would mean a very hideous end for many activists around the world. I really mean hideous as being persecuted, captured, tortured, and eventually killed. That is something that should be stopped in any way without giving any second thoughts to feelings, or "strong developer environment".

From a technical point of view, nothing could be said about the author, because this is how software is, weather it's proprietary or open source. As many have said before me, the smallest bug could render an amazing software pointless.

Just chiming in with something that I feel strongly about.
That's true, but I don't see how that relates to the point.
What sales volume were you receiving after the launch when your site was getting traffic from your press coverage?

If you were doing a lot of sales when you were getting good press you clearly have an application that people want and are willing to pay for. In that case you might be able to substantially increase sales by spending more time on marketing.

If you do decide to move on to something else, maybe you could offer the app for free and encourage social sharing both in the app and on the website. You could then move back to the project if downloads pick up as a result.
> "windows onto the world"

People were emailing each other and secure IM'ing in 1999 on BlackBerries, I think you forget there was "internet phones" before the iPhone in 2007. This wasn't some "geek machine" it was something every wallstreet, government employee and exec had.
Hi man
I am a student in Italy too! We are lucky to have such a cool passion, every day I feel really graced and lucky. One of the best things is that our profession does not have a location and the culture is so vast! Uni has tought me really little! especially italian uni is really retro. Do you want a school? GitHub is your teacher. Learn to understand source code and contribute to it.
With regards to connecting people: many think that a programmer has to live in his lab and, to be more focused, isolate himself. That is complete nonesense! I find myself so more creative and driven when I do completely unrelated things. When I come back from a trip I feel that drive of innovating because I have seen so many things! You solve problems if you don't have the problems.
I hope this helps, as an italian too I understand you. Do not get dissapointed.

TL;DR
Dan :)
Android : 99% des appareils sont vulnérables
The topics at Slashdot attract smart, well-spoken people.

Lately, I've been hanging out on /. for that very reason. The topics and discussions are higher quality than HN IMO and the site is more configurable for the user.
Do you really think these developers of this are actively trying to sell snake oil?

You know what it looks more like to me? A couple of people are earnestly trying to build a secure communication product. They're not perfect, so they've made mistakes. And for every mistake they've made, there is a legion of toxic people from the crypto community who would rather demonstrate how much smarter they are by pointing out those mistakes in a condescending and unhelpful manner rather than simply being friendly, constructive, and helpful.

Shit, think of the chilling effect this even has on anyone out there who wants to try to build some security/crypto stuff. Myself I wouldn't even dare try - the hysteria of some of the people in this community is just without equal. It's toxic. Pure toxic.
Final Fantasy VII is available on Steam
I'm sorry, but no. There's no equivalence in spirit between a crying mother deciding that it's in the best interests of her family to terminate a pregnancy and a bunch of scary-eyed fanatics trying to make humanity "better".

I'm assuming you've never known anyone go through that. It's a personal tragedy, not an intellectual issue.
Yes. See http://mobandmultitude.com/2013/07/02/the-nsa-comes-recruiti...
SEEKING WORK - Remote / travel

I specialize in node.js and front-end development, MVPs and prototypes for web and mobile applications. Experience with large client-side apps, MV* and evented architectures, backbone, websockets, d3.js, svg, canvas, modern browser APIs/html5; Mongo/Riak/Redis/LevelDB.

Have worked for startups in Europe and the US. Based in Porto Alegre, Brazil, GMT -3.

https://github.com/ricardobeat

Contact: ricardo at nodeprototypes.com
The developers do not know what they are doing. They are not qualified for the task they have taken on. In other words, they are not competent.

They have been told this, both politely and less so. It is no longer about them, it is about helping the public by warning that Cryptocat is dangerous snake oil being actively peddled as secure by incompetent developers who are not to be trusted with people's lives.

This will not be accomplished by merely providing the developers technical critiques. It will only be accomplished by informing the public in terms the public will understand. "Incompetent" is a suitable English word for that purpose.

> Shit, think of the chilling effect this even has on anyone out there who wants to try to build some security/crypto stuff.

Good!

> Myself I wouldn't even dare try

Very good!
ReCode - Rebol / Red conference | Montréal, Canada July 12-14
To me that disclaimer sounds rather like those disclaimers on dietary supplements. They have to write that the supplement isn't medicine and might not work but the whole product packaging and marketing implies that it will work just like medicine.

"Yeah, yeah, crypto cat is software and no software is perfect. But ... that's just a stupid disclaimer. Use cryptocat anyways, guys."
Well I hope you shall never make a mistake.

Search for "Patriot missile bug" and think about it. Just a suggestion.
Millions of flights a year are conducted safely with this apparently lax security. Perhaps the pilots simply weight up the minuscule risk and rate urinating in their trousers as the greater inconvenience.

Back in the 90s I still remember the day when a kind flight attendant came to my seat and took me to the cockpit of the 767 we were flying to Florida in.

Back then aircraft were occasionally hijacked, they'd be forced to divert or land somewhere and some ridiculous demands made before, more often than not, everyone was allowed to go home unhurt.
Releasing an untested crypto product to the general public, and calling it "secure", is incompetent, period.
I guess that means they work, which is one good thing to come out of this (assuming some are still left).
>I still believe we can fix this within the legal and political framework already in place.
If we don't stand in the streets with our children, in front of cameras, in front of neighbors, peacefully assembled and prepared to explain our rationale... then we won't accomplish anything. The existing political framework is only sufficient if it is supported by action from the populace.
Never forget to include in that list "pedophiles".

Some sarcasm there, but, on reflection, not really. Which is sad.
I'm not terribly familiar with this, so I don't what know the average toxicity of the feedback they have received is. Maybe it's unhelpful. But there is a reason that their critics are like that. If they are just learning and want nice and supportive criticism, then they need to present their project in that way, not as serious software. If it were a paint program then no one would care. With something like this, the stakes are too high to just give them a pass.
Dina, by far the best programming font ever, highly lisible even at 8pt, ever char is different, vertical alignement is taken using prog languages into mind, it has it all
But it's not your browser. Some kind people have created one for you. Should they not explore potential avenues of revenue?

They should only explore avenues of revenue that don't depend on spying on users. Offering a browser for free doesn't excuse such actions.
I have a bank card that can be attached to a device, and transactions (internet banking) can be signed with it.

The device is not connected to the computer, rather, you have to type some info (like value of the transaction) and it generates a code you type back in the website

For this device to work you need to type the card pin

Of course this wouldn't work in the US since they're still stuck with the magstripe
Because, well, while a bug in your task-planer rails app is not cool it most likely won't endanger people's lives. While with crypto many people around the world depend on it with their lives.

Sometimes you just have to hit the thing with a bat to get attention.
Think about the massive hysteria whipped up by people such as yourself prior to knowing the facts. Hysterical claims which, as the day progresses, are being shown as absolute BS. The claim that these countries denied airspace: false. The claim that these airspace denials caused the plane to run out of fuel: false (it apparently had a malfunction that made the pilots unsure of the fuel levels, but planned refueling was the canary islands.) So, what is the next lie up on your plate for today?
Cool they measure using a modified android phone's sensor!Wish Faraday lived to see these field lines for real just once!How about devices that measure and use this field data to identify objects in real time to build a map around one?I don't think ill be the first one to think of this but has someone else done this before?
I did not mean to offend you. I have an start-up idea and I have asked your opinion. You have proved my idea.

Thank you and wish you successes.
I do hope people who support freedom, openness, and the rule of law now apply for Mastercard services to show them approval and support. It would be a very good way to demonstrate to MC that they have done the right thing, as well as a clear signal to those who stifle freedom and the rule of law.
My favourite is "toothbrush head".
Yes, that's exactly the problem. It's not even relevant that it's crypto software vs paint software, what matters is that it's crypto software being presented as something that should be used by the public.

Nobody cares if you tinker with crypto in your bedroom. You can even toss it on github and ask for feedback on it if you want. Hell, if you want to put the security of your own data at the mercy of the software you write, go right ahead. What you can't get away with is claiming to build a useful crypto product when you don't even have the first clue what that entails.
Ask HN: Does anyone else see a black band on top of the HN page ?
The Art of Asking Questions.
Actually, I'd entirely support your right to do that.

And his to tell you to fuck off and ignore you from then on if you did.
Shameless plug: working on a book that goes into how to reach out to potential customers when you have none.

http://howtofindsaasideas.com/

(Yes, I know the landing page sucks and is buggy. Working on a new one.)
I track my ideas using Trello too. If that list in the screenshot is all you got so far, I have a bit more, and I have ordered them differently. In my case, 99% of the ideas I will probably never take action on, so it's a bit weird to track their phase. Instead I have separate lists for how big the idea is, how much time/energy it would take to implement.

Then the order in the list defines how attracted I am to actually doing the idea at the moment. So for example, making a Facebook competitor would be in my 'big ideas' list, but all the way at the bottom, because I think it's not very likely to end well.

I browse over my ideas every now and then, and update the ideas with information about how I would go about implementing them if I chose to. I usually move ideas up the lists when they come back in dreams or I find myself thinking about them during the day.

I have a few ideas I am actually doing work on (architecting, exploring, programming) and I move them to a separate 'doing' list. They also have their own Trello boards of course.
Stuff They Don't Want You to Know - Probability
Scientists at the PEAR laboratories noticed something odd during their work with coincidence: Some humans seemed to influence random numbers with nothing but their thoughts.
I suppose it's because of Doug Engelbart's death.
Can I interview you for my book?

info@howtofindsaasideas.com
Cryptography is different than regular software. It requires even more than full transparency or even "full" competency. It requires radical humility. Both from the creators and the critics. Once the dialog stops, sides are chosen and people dig in, the project fails regardless of how well or poorly it had been doing.
Discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5986307
yes, I do.. and the hacker news UI extension on the chrome is also different..
Ask HN:  What are useful things to know/do when launching your first mobile app?
I've read some Steve Blank and Eric Ries material and have understood that it's very important to use the first version of the mobile app to test user behavior.

I'm building a ride sharing app, that finds you a ride with acquaintances or someone you have at least a mutual friend with.

That said, I would love to know more about mistakes and successes you had when you launched your first app
Ambient occlusion for Minecraft-like worlds
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