skysight-inc/HackerNews huggingface dataset:
or... another way to look at it. Wordpress releases security updates at astounding frequency without waiting to lump all those security updates in to one large update like most other large software tends to do.

It's an artifact of their development practices and code quality that requires such frequent updates, not a desire to provide regular small patch sets.

See tptacek's comment on their implementation quality: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=806910

You can also compare the quantity and severity of vulnerabilities against MediaWiki:

http://www.securityfocus.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi?o=0&l=30&...
re item 1: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=661984
Scheme can indeed be learned in a day, if you understand the programming model.

And my standards for a programming language's learning curve applies to experienced programmers. It's just a happy coincidence that python offers a gentle learning curve for new programmers as well.
It's also "random" (more like unpredictable) which kids receive what types of environments. Sometimes, Dad's favorite is the eldest son, sometimes Daddy's favorite is the youngest daughter.
More to the point (for the peanut gallery): I'll use anamax's verbiage throughout, despite the general silliness of his rhetorical framing.

Firstly: the notion that there's something absurd in my being able to profit from work some pharma research did in an earlier era is itself absurd; if you really believe that under no circumstance is that warranted, you wind either being against patent expiry at all (b/c why would it suddenly become ok just b/c some years have passed) -- which is a tenable but very minority position -- or you have to concede that there's no general principle against such situations, at which point we can get to arguing details.

That's why it's LOL-worthy; it's already the case that it's totally fine to "profit" from work done earlier without compensating the person who did it, provided that the work was done sufficiently long ago (so as to have fallen out of whatever ip bracket it fell into)...which means the argument-from-principles is just ignorant, and the real argument is "do you consider exigent circumstances to also justify such "profiting" from previously-performed labor in the same way that "the passage of time" justifies the same, or not.

Reasonable people can disagree on the latter topic; arguing that my argument somehow fails because it violates a principle that is also violated by all the world's systems of intellectual property is a position you can take, at the expense of revealing yourself to be holding a position contrary to pretty much all the serious thought on IP in general.

But let's move along. The notion of "withholding his labor" is manifestly silly: he created knowledge, knowledge is not excludable once distributed, so there's no intrinsic ability to "deny" future-time use of already-produced-and-distributed-knowledge...whatever ability Joe has to "deny his labor" in this specific case is a gift from those he would deny it to.

This makes the programmers-versus-ditch-diggers a red herring: programmers get paid what they do because they can deny their labor if they're not paid a satisfactory wage (they stop working, it's that easy); a knowledge-producer can't deny use of already-distributed knowledge in anything like the same way, and depends on the state's willingness to enforce certain rules for what capacity to "deny labor" that way.

Which of course means that yes it is imprudent not to mollify righteous thugs in other nations; those righteous thugs are the means by which a pharma company would be "denying its labor" in that nation, and failing to strike a mutually-agreeable bargain leaves you unlikely to be able to do any denying, at all.

That's reality and that's the scope of options within pharmas operate (and indeed they know this probably better than you and have made their choices, etc.); you are free to dislike it and find it unpleasing -- perhaps curse fate for not evolving a cerebral cortex with a functioning drm system -- but making choices based on the actual nature of reality is probably the only way to make good choices short of luck.
without waiting to lump all those security updates in to one large update

Why do there have to be frequent security updates in first place?

If they didn't manage to tighten up their very limited attack surface in 6 years then I'd say it's a lost cause.
Erm, it's not easier. The level of difficult is roughly the same. You're dealing with the same issues: user interface, network latency, etc.
"But I'm afraid it won't happen for awhile"

There is a well-known tendency to overestimate change in the short term, and underestimate it in the long term.

Even as I was predicting that this could have huge effects in posts yesterday, I say this fully aware that it won't happen next year, or the year after, or the year after. And even then, the inflection point I would look for is not "when nearly everybody goes online for college" but "when nearly every employer will accept online degrees as sufficient for employment verification", which is almost certain to happen many many years before a shift.

On that note, I completely disagree with your claim that all four groups need to move in sync. Only one group needs to move: employers. Once that happens, all the incentives will be put in place for the rest to follow in turn.

And, ultimately, that's my argument. Undercut the current universities by a full order of magnitude or more on price, and you completely realign the incentive structure. It will take time for society to adjust to the incentive structure, but it will be as inevitable as the move to cities when it happens. (And moaning about it about as productive as moaning about the loss of "small town values" as humanity keeps moving into cities.)

It won't happen in this recession, but it very well could happen in the next one. And if this one drags on for long enough... this recession has certainly had the effect of precipitating a lot of things that we've all known were coming for a while but expected to happen in the "indefinite future", with the definite future happening somewhat unexpectedly definitely in a nearer term than we thought. (Newspaper industry crashing, numerous industries facing rather more immediate results of bad decisions on pensions, the automotive and local governments most visibly, etc. All things that many people could see coming, but expected to be able to put off longer.) If this recession drags on for long enough the higher ed bubble could pop far sooner than anybody today would be willing to predict. Including me. I'm not predicting it, merely leaving the possibility open.

(I do think the next ten years are likely to end up more socially chaotic than the past ten or twenty would lead us to predict, and I don't mean 1960s-style social chaos, but chaos as fundamental institutions are broadly rewritten. A higher education bubble pop would be merely one part of that.)
If you don't have the tenacity to self-teach, maybe you shouldn't go to college. Tenacity is a much better selector than whatever we have going on in higher education now.
> What drives the education industry is producing degrees

A 4-year college degree is almost a standard requirement for a white-collar-type job.

As for computer-based training, Neal Stephenson offered a tantalizing look at where the potential lies with his the Young Lady's Illustrated Primer in "The Diamond Age"
A Successful Bride Diet Creates a Great Wedding Day and an Enjoyable Honeymoon
I switched an app I'm working on from a desktop app to a web app after doing a similar analysis.

You also scratched at something that played a huge part in my decision: monthly subscription fees are a lot better (in terms of both recurring revenue and feature bloat) than an upgrade treadmill.

It's great to see empirical evidence (from the same app, no less!) that it makes sense to do so.
Who thought we'd ever see this sentence:

The advent of Windows 7 in October may drive Linux's desktop market share down even futher[sic].

And someone please buy these poor journalists a spell checker.

Edit: to remove my own spelling error.
Is there any other CMS that do that? That would be a nice way to update. I remember reading somewhere a guy had a script that checks for new version everyday and upgrades automatically.

For me, I am subscribed to their blog so get notified by e-mail when there is an upgrade, from there it takes less than a minutes to login to my admin and upgrade. As a matter of fact, I did my last update from my iphone when I was on the road.
Shouldn't have gone to college... and proud of it... even though you went. You, sir, are a fucking idiot. You would have made it either way. But at least you were exposed to arts and letters and knowledge beyond just what's needed to make money; any criminal could teach you that. No, our youth shouldn't be exposed to anythink but raw, unfettered capitalism. That's what it's all about, right? Well, I've done very well in the tech industry despite having dropped out of school in the 9th grade. How I wish to this day that I had a formal education. Once again: you, sir, are an idiot. Lack of education is NOT A GOOD THING!
Looks incomplete. I used to work for Amie Street, a startup whose series A was financed by Amazon... and it doesn't show up on the map.
Do we really want to eliminate the physical university?

One thing that a campus does, that would not exist with an online education, is create a community. Good universities get smart people together, which is invaluable in creating wealth.

For a better explanation of what I mean, see the "Universities" section of http://www.paulgraham.com/siliconvalley.html

[edited for grammar]
Maybe a course like "Computer Architecture" would be what you're looking for. At U of Illinois, they start with logic gates and go from there.
Presumably the aggregation sites would have instructions in big red letters at the top of every page.
Yes, I think this is the right way to do it. Users usually aren't opposed to sending developers data to improve the product, so long as they explicitly okay it.

I'd go a little further and have the application collect data and store it locally. When it has enough data, it pops up a dialog asking if the user would consent to sending anonymous data to help improve the software. If they choose to participate, it sends the data it has collected locally at that time and that time only (until the next major upgrade). If they choose not to, it deletes the collected data and never bothers them again.
You think Eric Schmidt has done a bad job leading Google? You really think two guys with zero experience even working for, much less leading, a company wouldn't have slipped up by now? I think it very wise Larry and Serge enabled Schmidt to take the helm.

Andressen got a bum deal with Netscape. Their VC appointed leadership, IMHO, was, uh, lacking. But hey, them's was the early days.
Sony Ericsson T715 Slips Through the FCC; AT&T and 3G branded.
I agree with you about PG's claim. Memorization might appear to depend on natural ability as much as success depending on intelligence. To me, PG's one statement there contradicts the rest of the essay.

As for creativity, reasoning, abstract mathematics, I don't think those have innate factors. If anything, the only thing stopping people from becoming exceptional in those fields is the belief that they cannot improve (== lack of determination).
Methinks that if this becomes reality, we'll see many more seniors die of mysterious causes...

That seems a bit paranoid to me: what is being securitized are bundles of lots and lots of policies, so investors aren't speculating about whether a single person lives or dies. If you've purchased a package of 1000 policies, it seems pretty irrational to commit a felony just to do away with 1 of those policy holders...
Felix Dennis has this to say on the subject:

Whatever qualities the rich may have, they can be acquired by anyone with the tenacity to become rich. The key, I think, is confidence. Confidence and an unshakable belief it can be done and that you are the one to do it.

I think that last part is key. Determined people feel an obligation to succeed. Most feel like the opportunity is theirs to lose and not gain. Here are some behaviours I've noticed when speaking to technical people that I think are determined:

1. They speak calmly -- almost without emotion -- about their plans, even while responding to criticism. I think this is because they've worked out all possible scenarios in their head so many times before that spouting off about them one more time is just rote exercise. It's almost like they're an objective third person describing the plan.

2. They confide in others about their vulnerabilities and weaknesses. I think determined people are just confident enough that they aren't over-confident. Over-confidence is what differentiates a determined winner from a stubborn loser.

3. They never settle when it matters. We all went to school with the guy or girl that scored an A on a test and threw a fit because they wanted an A+. You never get the sense that they're satisfied until the goal is reached. Most people think this is all a show, and that these determined types are rubbing their noses in the average folks faces. That is not the case at all. The average folks don't matter to these people. They never enter the equation.

Other than these 3 things, I'm hard pressed to think of other characteristics. I've seen quiet determined people, loud mouth cocky ones, and everything in between.
I agree with many of your points, but...

1. The technology just isn't there yet. MIT's entire lecture series is not online, far from it. Many of the OCW courses have only notes, no video, and the ones that have video often lack resolution to be able to read the notes on the board. Also, has anyone ever used Blackboard? It's horrible.

That has absolutely nothing to do with the technology, which is just fine thank you. What's missing is a few man-years of recording and post-production work - which colleges probably don't want to spend money on in order to give away free. A 2-hour lecture isn't too complex to film, but to get good results you need to spend maybe $2000+.

Multiply that out by the number of courses and you're looking at quite a chunk of money...although it would seem a highly appropriate task for a government grant (if you wanted to put the material into the public domain) or could be self-financing with a little planning.

Th BBC's open university offers a model for this, though a rather pricey one - http://www.open2.net/ ...inexplicably, though, it's still built around TV broadcasts which is kinda stupid nowadays.
Also good if you like these:
http://www.somafm.com
http://www.digitallyimported.com
This is purely anecdotal but, most of the people I've met perceive a ceiling to their own potential. But, I know of less than a handful who refuse to accept the existence of a ceiling and as such nothing will stop them. I'm not claiming it is a cause of determination but it is at least a factor and I argue it is a feature found in most founders in your set of successful startups (accounting for dumb luck and randomness by not saying all founders).
Also, understanding of machine language is key to understanding the underpinnings of operating systems and implementation of programming languages.

If you're missing those three, then you've got an important hole in your knowledge as a programmer: Machine language, Operating Systems, Implementation of Programming Languages.

Much of why computers and their software is put together in this was all clicks into place if you have an integrated view of those three.
That's exactly what I feel hacker spaces do. http://hackerspaces.org
Fantastic Pg, one of the best essay ever ....

Loved it when you said "Ambitious people are rare, ... When you take people like this and put them together with other ambitious people, they bloom like dying plants given water. Probably most ambitious people are starved for the sort of encouragement they'd get from ambitious peers, whatever their age."

IMO, Ambitious people are like power engine or say running water - its a old saying that running water never stops at any hurdles, no mater what - they pass thru huge mountains and forests - if a ambitious person loves what he/she is doing then nothing can stop him/her - you can see the fire in their eyes to succeed, the ambition and love for their work itself becomes determination ...
1 is a real issue right now. But, this will change. Once there are enough users, students/philantropists/governments might pool up money to pay good universites/professors to put up videos & other material for free online. There is scope for a website which would keep track of requests & payments for a particular course.
I wonder how many people find this sort of thing more useful than a text article with a few well-placed screenshots. I can easily see how a video can be handy when explaining some highly visual and interactive environment but in this case, you're mostly staring at a dude's editor or browser while he types things and clicks things. A dude with the accent and cadence of a cartoon hypnotist, no less. The effort expended in producing a screencast must easily exceed that of writing up the same information. Not to mention ease of addressability, indexing, updatability, etc, etc, etc.
Two words: Ninja Gaiden

http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3120166&p=26&se...
I don't, but I would like to eliminate the enrollment. I personally feel that universities should offer more ad-hoc participation and function like giant libraries rather than toytowns for those who can afford to make a 4 year commitment.
In my judgment, Eric joined long after Google was in startup mode.
For a widely popular software like wordpress, security will be a cat and mouse game - until it reaches a level of maturity like other open source projects (ie, linux).

For me the problem is not that they release frequent updates - I would have a problem if they didn't release frequent updates to known severe vulnerabilities. If you look at their release logs you will see that most of their security updates has 24-48 hours of turnaround from the time of the vulnerability detection.

The recent vulnerability that this blog and most others (ie, smashing magazine) got affected has been fixed 2 releases before the current release. People who are affected didn't update for the last 3 release and someone developed a script out there that automatically scans for that vuln. and takes advantage of it.
The 'telepathy' chip that lets you control computers using power of thought
apologies for the source...
It should randomize the placement of "you" and "partner".
Ask PG: Quick tips on creating a successful online forum?
I'm sure this is great material for an essay, but I'm wondering whether you could say a couple sentences about why you think HN's been quite above the mean for courteous, rational debate online?

I suspect the biggest factor is karma being relevant for applying to YC.
No, it isn't. The well-tempered clavier is good coding music. Chopin is good coding music.
Investing in these bonds would represent a huge bet against medical breakthroughs. The worst case would be if people like Ray Kurzweil were right in saying that continuing breakthroughs could keep people indefinitely.
The answer should not stop with "I don't know" for someone with experience and expertise. He should be able to suggest the important trends at work, key events that if they occurred would be significant, and developments that have already occurred but whose full effects have not been felt.

It's not as important to predict exactly as to identify key drivers, trends, and dynamics. As to the unlearning aspect, I think it's a question of letting go of internal mental constraints imposed by prior limits that have been obsoleted by new developments.

Jeff Bezos has suggested Amazon focuses on "invariants" or things that are going to continue to be true for a broad range of potential futures.
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I don't find it as useful when learning something completely new, but it's been great watching railscasts once a week to pick up new skills. It fills in the gaps between screenshots.
You're not the only one. This isn't bad, not everyone is cut out to be gregarious...then again being a hermit isn't necessarily a winning business trait.
I suspect the biggest factor is karma being relevant for applying to YC.

That has a lot to do with it I bet. HN members know that they might be applying to YC someday, and they don't want the YC founders to see a year's worth of 4chan-worthy drivel. In effect, your HN body of submissions and comments make up an additional application component.
Why wasn't he asking this question when textbooks started to be published? Just give all the physics students Feynmann's Lectures on Physics and a few other textbooks and they can educate themselves. Hire a professor to handle the occasional question.

Does the existence of online video make this so much more compelling?
Stay under the radar. Kill the kind of fluff stories that attract stupid people. Ban trolls and spam. Have explicit policies and tell new users about them when they sign up.
I did felt like in a Kraftwerk concert sometimes. The idea of creating a screencast for showing how Capuccino works is great and I hope the author keeps doing this effort.
Voight-Kampff, presumably. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voight-Kampff_machine
I was being facetious...
The Pareto Principle and Google Code Jam
What if you're a hedge fund that owns these and is also deciding whether to invest in a company that has a promising cancer cure? Maybe you are willing to pay somewhat less for the company...
The change won't start with students who are well served by the current served but those who aren't. Your are focused on why college may continue to work well for students 18-22 in America. But adults seeking a second career (or third or fourth) may find distance learning an attractive option. As well as those already working looking to upgrade their skills.
Sure, but lobbying to make health care more expensive and of lower quality seems like a natural consequence.
NSFW:

http://www.realdoll.com/
Very good point! What has really changed with videos, ebooks and the web? Maybe the web has made interacting with other students cheaper and more richer than before. I don't know.

I do know that I enjoyed hanging around in the CmptSci common room and I learned a lot just shooting the breeze with students, TAs and the occasional prof. I would never have learned as much in a chatroom nor would I want to hang around in a chatroom. There are so many modes of communication that are not possible with the chatroom and you don't have the opportunity to bump into random, interesting people.
yes, that was my point. He wasn't a founder and has done a great job. My point was simply that I disagree with Andressen in that your job as a founder and to investors is to keep an open mind. If you have what it takes to be CEO, do it. If not, acknowledge it and find someone who can.
A smarter AI would have published this site and implemented a weak random seed.
There is so much contradicting evidence that it's not even funny. read Gary Taubes, Michel Cabanac, Seth Roberts.

Do you know how the magical "1g protein = 4kcal, 1g carbohydrate = 4kcal, 1g fat = 9kcal" numbers were reached? Hint: They were never measured in vivo, or in vitro cells -- the follow from a very fragile theory, which breaks in every way you look at it -- and yet, it's considered "science.
Ivan, I am looking for a couple people:

http://ycombinator-w10-cofounder-search.tumblr.com/

Are you looking to relocate to the US?
Yep, it makes no sense, and you shouldn't need OCR to get code samples on your clipboard.
Everyone has a different taste in music. Let's not argue about "great coding music".
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I'm reminded of the Clifford Stoll TED talk. To paraphrase - If you want to know the future, ask kindergarten teachers - http://www.ted.com/talks/clifford_stoll_on_everything.html