skysight-inc/HackerNews huggingface dataset:
Carmack and Abrash are extremely smart, and certainly aware of the privacy implications of Facebook acquiring Oculus.

They know they'll be helping Facebook rape the world's privacy in currently unimaginable ways, but they've got a world-class team doing some serious fucking software engineering, so they don't really care.

Much like for a "quant" on Wall Street, ethical concerns take a back-seat to getting to grapple with lovely, sciency challenges.

Let's take a look:

> I think it is going to be positive, but clearly many disagree.

Positive for you, or positive for the world's sheeple?

> Much of the ranting has been emotional or tribal

Ah, those silly emotional people, group-thinking and being all irrational (unlike Carmack about his technical work). What's there to be emotional about? It's not like there's anything wrong with a police state (like the US or UK) knowing everything about you!

> but I am interested in reading coherent viewpoints about objective outcomes.

He wants us to make a compelling case for how the state knowing absolutely everything about you could possibly be a bad thing. But it has to be objective - you know, exactly like his own view on the matter.

> What are the hazards?

How could Carmack possibly have a clue about the hazards, what with Snowden's revelations and all? It's like, impossible.

> What should be done to guard against them?

How about making sure governments all around the world don't abuse the information they gather on everyone? -Oh wait, you can't.

> What are the tests for failure?

Oh I don't know. Find yourself in a gulag for thinking/saying/doing things the government finds vaguely uncomfortable? --> "Ohhhhhhhh, right. This is a bit of a problem."
What I don't get is what's with those hundreds of alt coins. Sometimes I get a feeling that people who missed the BTC growth are just trying to make up for it by creating their own coin. I understand that people are passionate about it and all, but it makes much more sense to have a few coins with plenty of people working on it rather than a new coin popping up every week, and being forgotten a few weeks later.

It's like everyone would fork Linux kernel, make some adjustment and try to promote it as something new rather than doing a pull request.

Or, like everyone was writing their own blogging engines after WP's success.
You comment hit on something that has been bothering me lately.

If in order to be informed I have to trawl through multiple news aggregators to find comments with primary sources and information closer to the source, weigh the potential bias of those commentors, analyze their citations, then what roles does journalism even serve? To me they seem to be nothing more than conversation starters, leaving individuals to spend hours a day doing the the legwork.

Being the gatekeeper of national dialogue is an incredibility powerful platform, and I guess to me part of the tradeoff for them wielding that power is that they (at bare minimum) do the legwork of giving accurate information and a complete picture.

I'm not saying I want journalists to do my thinking and analysis for me, but if they can't even accurately report basic information, what justifies their place in our society giving them that power?

With all the anti-science conspiracies floating around about the "rise" in Autism, not giving the context of the updated DSM leading to a broader scope of the disorder, this goes from being harmless negligence to actual harm.
ah, good stuff! :)
There's nothing stopping an exchange from offering LTC and LTC X11. Once the fork happens, there will be two clients on separate block chains.

I guess when this fork happens, I'll have a handful of LTC X11, and I guess I'll dump them for BTC at whatever bargain price they're selling for, as I can't imagine how this could end well.
a.k.a. they made mistakes and then remedied the problem quickly without much controversy. Sounds like the opposite of another trading firm that just collapsed.

These sound like mistakes that many beginner companies can easily make when trying to craft them. Why is there a demand for perfection out of the gate? And why are offers to remedy the situation not given the same kudos?
Yeah I think you have to go with the subjective meaning. I don't think you can talk about objective benefits, otherwise things go to hell very quickly. Where do drugs (legal or illegal), alcohol, tobacco, sugary foods, fatty foods, fast cars, hybrids, condoms, birth control pills, church donations, etc all fall?

It really depends on who you are. There's no way to have an objective arbiter who determines what is actually beneficial and what merely seems to be beneficial. At least that I know of. The problem seems intractable to me.
Me too. Maybe those who have doubts if they are in survival mode should also check if they are burnt out at the same time. To identify the problem is the first step solving it.
I've worked on a large typescript project for the past 6 months with 5 developers, and this type of superficial analysis doesn't track at all with our experience. Yes, TypeScript is a superset of Javascript - aimed at making large projects more maintainable. If, as this seems to saying, you're starting with the assumption that JavaScript is a terribly flawed language, TypeScript probably isn't going to make things magically better. But then, perhaps you should consider working in a different area of your application (or the industry), because JavaScript is what we've got to work with.
ASICS centralize the power in the network to people with five to six figures of capital. GPU mining is more accessible and keeps the hashing power distributed.

Also, don't fool yourself on power efficiency. The network adjusts the difficulty, so if ASICS are 100x as power efficient the difficulty will tend towards 100x harder.
could this be just a shift in how we measure and disagnose behaviors which lie outside the norm?

not long ago this behavior was not tolerated at all, and an autism diagnosis was undesirable. now we have more resources to identify and tolerate a broad range of behaviors

probably autism has not grown - it is as high (or low) as it has ever been. maybe we can identify autistic behaviors in figure of the past; maybe our own relatives.
The “with enough data, the numbers speak for themselves” statement has several meanings.

In one sense, if you can observe real phenomena, you don't have to guess at what is happening. For businesses that collect troves of it, they may need statistics 'less' because the sample size may approach the population size.

But calculating basic (mean, standard deviation, etc.) statistics is hardly the most interesting part. Inferential statistics is often more useful: how does one variable affect another?

As the article points out, the "... the numbers speak for themselves” statement may also be interpreted as "traditional statistical methods (which you might call theory-driven) are less important as you get more data". I don't want to wade in the theory-driven vs. exploratory argument, because I think they both have their places. Both are important, and anyone who says that only one is important is half blind.

Here is my main point: data -- in the senses that many people care about; e.g. prediction, intuition, or causation -- does not speak for itself. The difficult task of thinking and reasoning about data is, by definition, driven by both the data and the reasoning. So I'm a big proponent of (1) making your model clear and (2) sharing your model along with your interpretations. (This is analogous to sharing your logic when you make a conclusion; hardly a controversial claim.)
Chad, it seems your thoughts on this match our own. Have you come across Unikernels [0], MirageOS [1] or Nymote [2]?

[0] http://queue.acm.org/detail.cfm?id=2566628

[1] http://openmirage.org/

[2] http://nymote.org/
Right. Care to share the scientific details of how ASD/ADHD/ADD is classified, since you're such an expert?

Abnormalities in a kid do not instantly indicate a disorder. Yet doctors are quick to prescribe adderall to the first person that comes in their office and claims they have "trouble concentrating".
Agreed. In fact, all of the myriad secondary costs and benefits from commerce are already accounted for when you have a market that trades the currencies themselves.
[AngularJS, tutorial] How to Make iPhone-Style Web Page Transitions
Autism isn't my field. But the Autism epidemiologists I've spoken to all think that in addition to those two trends ((1) better coverage, and (2) Shifting diagnostic baseline) there is still a underlying increase in symptom frequency and severity.
> Sometimes I get a feeling that people who missed the BTC growth are just trying to make up for it by creating their own coin.

Which is true in 95% of cases.
The possibility of saving life tends to override squeamishness.
So it's our duty as IT professionals to prevent people from using IT?

The services that large-scale IT provides could not exist without gathering the volume of data they do. Google couldn't provide relevant search results with just an index of the web, it also relies on vast amounts of data about user behaviour. The same is true of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc.

It's non-sensical to talk about risk without talking about the actual scenarios you're worried about. How bad are they? How probable are they? What can we do to reduce the harm and/or likelihood of harm? How much, if at all, will those measures reduce the benefits of the services based on big data? That's the discussion we should be having. Most of the "concern" about big data boils down to an appeal to emotion: "Just think what they could do with all that information!"
Best smartphone for Wi-Fi connection
The Samsung Galaxy S5 has been the subject of several reports that illustrate the many information about the top of the line smartphone from the South Korean brand in months. It’s news all orders, and many rumors.
I wish the major players (Facebook, Google, etc.) would join together to create an independent identity service that we all could use and trust w/o having to be a member of some particular corporate service.
Ever seen those web adverts that list a few generic health problems and ask you to 'click here', or read a horoscope that makes claims almost anyone can relate to?

So how is this different? Why so many upvotes...really, this is just more spam - is it not?
Not a psychiatrist, just a researcher, but you can't get a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder without a second cluster of symptoms related to repetitive behaviors and restricted interests. Shyness and speech/language problems not enough. (It is understood that many children with specific language impairment, a separate condition, have problems with socialization early on.)
For me this regularly fails at:

2) Make a time plan for the week and try to stick to it

It sounds so simple but is near impossible for me to do.
how would you avoid having the entire volume file being uploaded/downloaded when you are just browsing it (access time changing) or changing just a small file ?

let's say you have a TC volume of 5GB that contains your personal notes in txt files. You edit one txt file and Dropbox will have to synchronize 5GB of data.

I prefer encrypting files one by one, e.g. using Cloudfogger.
Ask HN: Open accelerator program without the VC?
As a new bootstrapped business with an experienced team (read, older with families, mortgages and our own money), we are in a weird place when it comes to traditional accelerator programs. We can self-fund, have solid track record and experience and know our target market well. It's always going to be a 7 digit/yr thing. We're not on a track interesting to VC at all. We want to build a good business that grows.

What we lack, though, is the explosive boost in everything related to launching a new business that comes from being an accelerator program. We have thought of simulating it, but it's clear it's not the same.

Is there an open option that provides a similar framework for "the rest of us". If there isn't, why not?
I wonder how long it will take before people start using Proof-of-Stake coins, which don't have the ASIC mining issues at all. (Naturally, because "mining" with Proof-of-Stake is not a competition of processing power)
Artful illusion
Tesla Motors plans to debut cheaper car in early 2015 (2013)
If we're going to do that, why not get rid of GPUs, too. ASICs are merely an efficiency increase, just like GPUs were.

I somehow suspect, however, the proponents of this change are not "regular joes", who might have an intel HD2000 in their laptop. And if we're going to play the "democratising" card, with GPU mining it's a lottery of where you happen to live - electricity prices vary wildly around the globe. ASICs help to take that out of the equation, so if anything they're more "democratic"!
This particular study focused only on a handful of states. The data is here. http://www.cdc.gov/features/dsautismdata/
The S in ASD stands for spectrum, as there is a diverse range of symptoms that may lead to an autism diagnosis. Many of these are not at odds with analytical or creative capacity. There's a gap between where aspergers tends to stopped being diagnosed and being unemployable, and it's not unidimensional.
As someone who comes from the "gifted side" of the Autism Spectrum, its not that great. Having a brilliant mind is a great gift - but to be honest I would rather be of normal intelligence and be able to better understand how to be social than anything. Whats a brilliant mind going to do for you if your alone? Humans, even autistic ones are social creatures and require social interaction.

I do also agree with other posters that Autism diagnosis are on the rise due to a higher push for screenings of children, and awareness of autism. However I do think it still is possibly on the rise.

Aspergers is now Autism. I'm mixed on this, as even Aspergers has a spectrum. I've seen people with Aspergers that are near normal functioning, and those that are completley fixated on Star Trek to the point thats all they care about. I've also seen non verbal classic autistics hold down employment in a competitive employment atmosphere. The aspergers vs classic autistic has nothing to do with functioning level, it has to do with verbal delay (or it used to - its now the same).
Yes I missed that linked too the first time, he really should make it more obvious that there's a part 2 and part 3.
@dropbox_support claims content removed under DMCA only affects share-links.

@darrellwhitelaw replies that's what he meant, only sharing is disabled.

Good find, that clarifies a lot.
"Small Data is when is fit in RAM. Big Data is when is crash because is not fit in RAM."

https://twitter.com/DEVOPS_BORAT/status/299176203691098112
It's still disputed, but there's a lot of evidence the problem is fructose, not glucose. Meaning that bread and potatoes aren't particularly bad on their own.

Here's "Sugar: The Bitter Truth" that lays out the theory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM
But... it wasn't ('a tiny spot') at the time. And good developers didn't 'deal with it' so much as people simply upgraded their hardware - computer stores routinely upgraded people's modems, graphics cards, sound cards, monitors, etc. Of course, some software would run with lower quality hardware, or try to run without certain features, but people mostly upgraded components (or entire systems) to be able to run newer software. We do that today somewhat - buying new systems - but no one reasonably tries to upgrade the CPU in their android smartphone - they just get a new one.

We're either talking past each other or have a vastly different sense of the issue we're talking about (or both).
Sure. I don't disagree on being more careful with high glycemic foods. However, the other extreme which I am seeing more and more these days (especially with the popularity of things like atkins/keto) is to switch to the other extreme and claim that carbohydrates in general are evil. There is a place for them. How much and in what percentage depends on you, your genetics and your requirements (do you weightlift?, are you genetically insulin resistant? etc )
It is not rare. I'm not putting the poster you are replying to down in any way when I say his sentiment is widely shared, and widely commented on.

I have no idea, really, what is 'acceptable' to post here. There is no informative FAQ, there are no examples, there is no guidance coming from the owners, and so on. Every time I post I then watch my karma to see if I am being voted up or down. But I don't even know if that is measuring what I think it measures. Would I see it go down prior to a hell ban? (btw: we all call it 'hell ban' - does that not convey the frustration and dislike of this feature) I don't know. It is all just a fog of assumptions. As you post and read here you start to pick up some of the acquired wisdom.

I have mixed feelings about posting here. Fault my personality if you want, but I care somewhat if I get banned or not. Certainly, if my posting style is likely to get me banned then I don't want to waste my time posting here. So, I watch, and wonder, and fumble about.

It's not nice.
the great irony of cancer cells is that they themselves are immortal.. bit of poetry and sarcasm on the Creator's part.
That is incorrect. While many who are significantly impaired will be unemployable beyond the most menial jobs, many with autism can be employed even in high level positions that may not require skills the person may lack due to autism. QA testing may be a good example.

Autism is a spectrum. It's not just Asperger's and wholly unemployable. There is lots of room in the middle.
Mind if I ask from what perspective? Are you in charge of / do you influence product / project landing pages?
At least Carmack should really to be able to do better than dismissing it as "emotional and tribalistic", and asking for proof for the concerns being valid; that's not now how it works, and this is not a flaw. We can't really prove that having VR is better than not having it either, or that people being clothed and fed is better than naked people starving... doesn't stop us from feeling strongly about such things, nor should it. Communication can help, it is necessary, but proof? Not gonna happen. Let's say someone fears that data silos like Facebook might be really bad in the case of political tyranny -- let them be able to prove that it will be as they fear, then what? We can't prove that fascism is bad, so it gains us nothing.

FWIW, personally I don't find it creepy, I find it lame. My reasons have to do with human dignity, my stance on advertising (described in two words: Bill Hicks), and a certain little quote going something like "they 'trust me'. dumb fucks". I don't like the other big players either, who all want to be everything to everybody -- that is not a business model, that is creepyness made manifest.

Also, I think everybody should have their own homepage and that RSS is fine kthx, but that is neither here nor there.. though anyone who works on things that do not promote that, but offer people virtual "homes" they never fully own, cannot expect me to get excited about their work. Surely you can see how Facebook fits in there for me, when it comes to the web how I love it, they're with the lamers.

And in general I despise this age of coders and businesspeople considered as philosopher kings, and being against things as the default stance has proven to be useful time and time again, sadly. It's not like I have to convince Carmack or anyone that I have valid reasons to dislike VR, especially VR with which Facebook is in any shape associated -- it's the other way around, if they want to sell to me. But I don't see the point anyway, outside of remote surgery; I generally think alienation is the problem, and this is just another way to experience it more deeply, to get even more lost in the confusion of symbols and things.

Sorry for rambling, I would sum my feelings up with this Bill Hicks quote "it's a piece of shit, walk away". Which is not very helpful as an explanation, but for me it hits the nail on the head: I think the problem is not that some of us don't have all the facts; we are looking at the same thing, just coming to vastly different conclusions. Everybody knows what Facebook, advertising and computer games are, and VR is new in practice but very old coffee in terms of science fiction, so even that is not really new. And you know what, to the degree that those things are benign, their makers gladly would accept if some, even large, segments of the population would not ever accept them, right? Carmack asked for testable claims about Facebook being bad, well, here's at least a testable way to see if things are good, from which we can deduce badness to a degree. And Facebook for one fails it hard, failing it is kind of their mission statement.
Correct, that was the initial assumption.
> people aren't going to be able to understand the reasoning that this is the cost of decentralization

As compared to entire blocks of office high-rises in every major city required for our current financial system?
Why You Should Learn to Code (Even if you aren't a Computer Science Major)
First Nigerian Archive launches on the Google Cultural Institute
Regarding the issue of library type definitions, the issue here is that Typescript insists on doing all the type checking at compile time and not adding any extra checking code at runtime. If they added those assertions to the libraries it should be able to detect many cases where the declared types for the library got out of date.
This is very inaccurate/misleading IMHO. Big Data is something which does not fit in a regular machine for a given operation. You can sort billions of records on an iPhone, for example. You can grep a string within a terabyte-file data on a single personal computer, and I am not convinced you'd go faster with a distributed system (reading the file on cold storage will be the limiting factor). People claiming to do "big data" in these situations do not generally understand the underlying concepts.
Why CoffeeScript Isn't the Answer
ASICS are actually good

False. Mining difficulty automatically adjusts to compensate for faster hardware. Nothing is gained.

Increased efficiency is generally beneficial in non-zero-sum games, but cryptocurrency mining is actually a zero-sum game where increased efficiency does not add value anywhere.
I've seen some mining rooms which disprove your notion that GPU-only mining will stop the capitalised players having an advantage. They always will.

And yes, it's always a balancing act. The network adjusts the difficulty based on total hashrate, not on power efficiency, which is just an overhead. More and more people will pile in until the difficulty is high enough to render mining unviable. However, ASICs at least will shift the balance more towards hardware costs vs the raw power cost that it is now, and reduce the number of useless components that need to be manufactured, etc.
They have to be build though, which is expensive. If the hashing algorithm is parameterized by the block number in some smart way it will be harder to deploy them. For example, one could use 10 different algorithms and choose a new one every block. The ASIC will only work 10% of the time but this can be implemented on the GPU.

I agree that FPGA resistance is much harder to achieve.