Leahy scuttles his warrantless e-mail surveillance bill - <AUTHOR> http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57552687-38/leahy-scuttles-his-warrantless-email-surveillance-bill/

<comment><USER2> He didn't "scuttle" it. CNet saw draft language being circulated among Senators and reported on it. Leahy issued a clarification, saying that he didn't support the draft language. Leahy's own language eliminates the 180-day rule for warrantless access to email, which is a _huge step forward_ for email privacy.

Unless Leahy is directly lying in his statement, what CNet's reporter did was to play "gotcha" with draft senate language. While this may make us feel better, like we all played a role in ensuring that a terrible bill wasn't passed, what it really does is ensure that senators and their staffs will work even harder to make sure we don't see draft bill language until it is more or less a fait accompli and the only two outcomes are "pass" or "discard".

Patrick Leahy has one of the better reputations in the whole senate on civil liberties issues (check out the ACLU scorecard). But yeah, let's definitely eat our own to ensure ideological purity. That worked super well for the Tea Party.

<comment><USER3> > _But yeah, let's definitely eat our own to ensure ideological purity._

"our"?

Leahy was the author of PIPA, so I'm not one to extend that umbrella. He has been a champion of civil liberties and other worthy causes, but that doesn't mean he gets a free pass on everything. If we blindly defend "our" side in two-party politics, we inevitably end up defending some pretty bad legislation. I'd rather assess each piece individually.

<comment><USER2> Who's talking about parties? I'm talking about ACLU voter scorecards.

<comment><USER3> I misread your use of "our own" followed by a reference to the Tea Party. I still stand by my opinion, though, that we shouldn't give legislators a free pass on bad legislation just because we support the positions they have taken on other issues.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER4> As the Internet we need to do two things, one start getting our sorry little asses in congress to stop this stuff where it starts.

Two, build better technology that is not such an easy target. If individual keys were required to decrypt messages, then it's hard to take the data without your permission because cryptography prevents that.

This might be a good enough reason to switch off of email, especially email like gmail.

<comment><USER2> As EFF reports, large email providers (one assumes this includes GMail) have a practice of demanding warrants for email, even though the FBI is in some circumstances technically entitled to email with just a subpoena. The FBI apparently (as far as we know) hasn't litigated any of these cases, and has simply obtained warrants.

It doesn't seem unlikely that we're converging in the short term on a legal terrain where all access by law enforcement to email is going to require a warrant.

</comment></comment><comment><USER5> Scary wasn't disclosed until today, it was scheduled for a vote this week.

<comment><USER6> Sadly this is the way non-partisan issues are legislated in the US system. But the system worked -- the vote was scheduled, the relevant interest groups noticed, the media reported it, the people contacted their representatives and the bill was pulled. We win. Note also that "the vote" was a committee vote. There were plenty of other chances to stop this.

This isn't the best system, obviously, but it does work. So don't despair, just be vigilant.

<comment><USER7> _This isn't the best system, obviously, but it does work. So don't despair, just be vigilant._

It's just that most of us can't afford to outsource our vigilance, and the system works better for those who can.

<comment><USER8> But you can afford to outsource your representation?

<comment><USER7> There the cost structure is reversed: most of us can't afford to _in_ source our representation -- that costs millions of dollars in campaign funds.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER9> Cockroaches scatter when you shine light on them.

</comment><comment><USER10> Well, that was fast.</comment>


Butteraugli – a tool for measuring differences between images - <AUTHOR> https://github.com/google/butteraugli <comment><AUTHOR> For reference, I found this tool mentioned in an interesting Medium post:

[https://medium.com/@duhroach/reducing-jpg-file- size-e5b27df3...](https://medium.com/@duhroach/reducing-jpg-file- size-e5b27df3257c#.58x5cckba)

<comment><USER2> Slightly off-topic, but it annoys me when Windows filename conventions (e.g. a ".jpg" suffix) are used in lieu of a format's name (e.g. JPEG). Especially when such names are short, well-known, etc.

If, for example, I saw an article titled "Parsing HTM with BeautifulSoup", I'd be a little wary of the content.

<comment><USER3> You might have a point in another context, but '.jpg' is so completely ubiquitous that you come off as pointlessly pedantic.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER4> Would be interesting how this compares to tools like pixelmatch [1] which basically compares each pixel within YIQ color space using euclidian color distance.

[1] [https://github.com/mapbox/pixelmatch- cpp](https://github.com/mapbox/pixelmatch-cpp)

</comment><comment><USER5> This couldn't have come at a better time (for me). I'm playing with a genetic programming library to recreate images from some basic rules and I've been really unhappy with the fitness equality functions I've been able to find. This looks like it may have been made for the job.

</comment><comment><USER6> There is definitely room for better and less gameable quality evaluation functions than PSNR and SSIM, but I would have liked to see at a minimum a description of how the algorithm was designed and a practical evaluation against other similarity metrics.

See e.g. the graphs in [https://ece.uwaterloo.ca/~z70wang/research/ssimplus/](https://ece.uwaterloo.ca/~z70wang/research/ssimplus/) comparing human assigned scores against different similarity metrics.

<comment><USER7> Thanks for the link. Very interesting.

I agree with you about PSNR and SSIM. There are plenty of times where they do a less than stellar job and a quick eye test makes it obvious. Unfortunately the VPxs and h.26xs of the world tune their internal comparison metrics for these to make their codecs score better on comparison tests. Consequently, this can sometimes lead to less than optimal video quality.

If this can be applied generally, work better than PSNR/SSIM and be made to run fast enough, it would be interesting to see if this could be used to improve block matching in video codecs.

*Edit grammar.

</comment></comment><comment><USER8> How is this better than phashes? I am new to this, would love for someone with expertise to explain what the best way to hash images are.

<comment><USER9> phashes compute a hash on one image which you can then compare with the hashes for other images; butteraugli computes the difference between two images. If you're trying to find duplicates among a set of images, phashes will work in O(n log n) time and this will run in O(n^2) time, but with more accurate results.

</comment></comment><comment><USER10> Sounds interesting, but some examples would be nice.</comment>


Ask HN: I would pay 100$/Mo if you can solve this problem - <AUTHOR> I've been struggling for a long time with discipline : started exercising, but didn't last long before canceling my gym subscription. Couldn't commit to a diet. A bunch of unfinished side projects and ideas waiting for me to work on them. And a lot more.
I read a ton of self help books, tried many Todo apps and planning strategies, nothing seems to work. I couldn't create the necessary habits to change my life and become more productive.
This is a real problem, and I'm sure is faced by many people. I realised I'm wasting time and it's costing me a lot. If you could offer a solution that works, I would be happy to pay for it, up to 100$ per month. <comment><USER2> You would need to figure out what the sticking point is. Without knowing that, we're just a bunch of blindfolded internet strangers randomly throwing darts and hoping they hit the bullseye.

Diets can work, but usually if they are intended to address a known specific health issue. Then specific diets, like keto, have a pretty good track record. But merely restricting calories because you want to be thin has a long and well established track record of being the diet version of that smoking joke: "Quitting smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I've done it hundreds of times."

Some general principles that sometimes help without fully understanding why:

1\. Less is more.

Get rid of extra stuff. Streamline your life. Go for a spartan lifestyle.

2\. Try fasting instead of dieting.

It's not well understood why it works, but it seems to often be helpful with a variety of issues.

3\. Cleanliness is next to Godliness.

Just getting rid of a lot of junk will move you in this direction, but also: clean your keyboard, try to reduce papers in the home, switch to nontoxic cleaners, etc.

4\. Keep a journal.

What gets measured, gets done. A journal is a personal record of your life. It can help you see what is or is not actually changing.

Best of luck.

</comment><comment><USER3> I've had good luck minimizing the amount of time spent on sites like Reddit, facebook, and HN. All of these provide a quick endorpine hit and become addictive. As a replacement I spend more time on long format project that require longer trains of thought. Read novels, start project that take longer than a few hours, try a hobby like painting or pick up a musical instrument.

Don't let your brain become dependant on the quick fix.

</comment><comment><USER4> 1\. Choose one thing a month to work on.

2\. Keep a journal to drill down into the specific hurdles and drains that prevent you from succeeding. They tend to be a mixture of diffused focus, fuzzy goals, premature goals, scope creep. The diary helps with all of that because it magnifies and clarifies your target.

3\. If you want I can do 2 1/2 hour coaching phone calls a month, email my username at gmail. Six Ironmen have honed my know-how with exercise and nutrition while working. I advise family and friends on both. I've also got insights into side projects, since I'm 30 years into a career in tech+startup.

</comment><comment><USER5> Depending on a few factors, $100/m can get you a therapist or lifecoach for 1+h/m.

My therapist was government/donation susbsidized and ran $10/hr.

<comment><USER6> This might actually be the solution. I think the most effective thing for me was a motivational speaker, the Tony Robbins type. It runs for more than the budget of $100/month but it's up front.

</comment></comment><comment><USER7> I would check out r/GetMotivatedBuddies ([https://www.reddit.com/r/GetMotivatedBuddies/](https://www.reddit.com/r/GetMotivatedBuddies/)). Committing to something and being held accountable to someone other than yourself helps a lot. [https://www.stickk.com/](https://www.stickk.com/) might also be helpful for you.

</comment><comment><USER8> I wonder if your problem is entirely one of perspective or unrealistic standards. Let's try to break it down.

Why did you stop exercising/dieting/working on side projects? Did it not feel good? Or was it because you weren't meeting your goals? What were you trying to achieve?

It's good to take some time to think about whether you should be doing anything to begin with and pivot to stuff you actually feel like doing.

</comment><comment><USER9> Dude, it comes down to what you want in life.

Being a fit dude in your 60s in your big beach-side house partying with powerful friends? A shadowy person behind a powerful corporation? Having a big loving family? Getting rid of poverty in the world?

Take note of it, stick it near where you wake up most of the time: your phone wallpaper! Visualize! Strategize!

You'll realize that it doesn't happen overnight.

DO NOT DESPAIR! Take steps! Build strategy. Separate in milestones, make it accessible. Nothing great is instant (except if you have a great luck)

Use evernote, stackedit, notion, or whatever that doesn't make you lazy and is quick to access. Use Add to Home Screen feature to make a quick shortcut. This allows you to take things off your mind to rest. Make noises that will get you back on track, reminders!

Be calculative, but don't be cheap in pursuing your dream. Money is just another currency to trade toward your dream and there are many other currencies: relationships, mental health, physical accounts receivable, someone owing you something, other people's attention, fame, incognition.

You will need to trade them to achieve your dreams quicker, (e.g. getting rid of an invaluable relationship like toxic people that can't be helped anymore). Trade money for mental health to help with burnouts by treating yourself for every milestone. Trade money for human friends if you need them for your morale. A good thing about human friends are, most of them will give back if you help them.

Try achieving additional miles.

If a milestone doesn't work, DO NOT DESPAIR. It's just another obstacle to work around.

If you feel something is holding you, identify! Sometimes it's trauma in the past, your core values. Check if they're still valid, if not, trash them. In my experience, it is always fear of something in the past and sometimes if you get rid of your ego and see it from other perspectives, the fear is not valid anymore and you can be free of it.

If this comment turned out helping you, trade that 100$/Mo to help others having the same problem to do the same. If it doesn't, I wish you a better luck finding a better way to achieve things, and I would like to hear good news.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXsQAXx_ao0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXsQAXx_ao0)

</comment><comment><USER10> I struggle with discipline too and while I don't have much of a solution I just think the only way around it is to

1\. Have a goal in mind

2\. Make it easy for you to start but hard to stop

3\. Do a small bit every day

To help with this is the "Don't break the chain" model which is basically getting a calendar and putting a big red X on everyday that you have worked on your goal. They start building up and eventually you don't want to have a gap between the X's.

There is also Atomic Habits by James Clear that I am currently listening to by audio book. It's a different approach but you may have tried it already.

</comment><comment><USER11> I know the feeling.

Personally, I find it easier to commit if I know exactly what I'm committing to. So, for example, instead of "go to the gym regularly", try "go to the gym three times a week".

With dieting, small steps can be very helpful. For example, here's a commitment you could make: at least once a week, at the grocery store, buy something healthy that you don't usually eat, and then eat it at one meal.

And don't kick yourself when you find yourself off the wagon, just get back on it.

Good luck!

</comment><comment><USER12> Find something that you genuinely love. Procrastination is not something you have to fight against, it's a clue showing you that you are not doing something that interested you deeply. Do not chase success, learn to know yourself and how you can be helpful to the world. Motivation will then come "magically". Hope I am not to mystic, let me know if I not making sense.

</comment><comment><USER13> Hm, I'd also argue that accountability would help. Create it somehow find a partner with whom you work out. Document you workout in a blog, youtube, whatsapp conversation, conversation on Eightygram.

Or, ignoring technology. Find a personal trainer. Or a really small workout group that has some sort of trainer that really cares.

</comment><comment><USER14> Been there, done that.. Still overweight though, but not by much (~10Kg).

What has been working for me was a change of perspective, i.e., to accept that life is complicated and there's not enough time in one day to do everything I'd like to do. I now have a new "mantra" which is something in the lines of "any-thing is better than no-thing"..

I too used to read a lot of self-help books, but now they bore me.

I'm still playing catch-up with a lot of things that I should do, but I try to not overload my days. I have daily TODOs with no more than 2/3 things, and each Sunday/Monday morning I go to my weekly TODO lists and split those items through the week days. When I don't finish one thing on one day, I'll move it to the next one, etc. I use evernote for that, but could use a text file as well. I have some liberty in setting my schedule, so I try to do things in the morning and keep my afternoons free for house chores, taking walks, napping, or going somewhere to do something..

One cool thing that got me unstuck regarding things to do, was to sort them by "Easyness x Importancy x Urgency". If you tackle the most easy, important and urgent things first, you'll see things moving faster.. When you're down on motivation, don't listen to those who say that you should do the hard things first, as it requires motivation.

Also, every morning I do 20 abs on bed, then stretch my arms, legs, and do some 20 squats and some 10-15 pushups. It started by being only stretches, then abs, then 5 pushups, slowly moving along. Now it's a routine I have. I have way more energy, my partner agrees..

Also, I have dry eyes, so I started putting some drops, 2-3 times a day, and now I'm seeing way better, less headaches, more things being done.

In summary, it's the small things that add up. Don't try to do too much, too fast, too soon. Accept that life is hard and that our behaviors are hard to change (accepting != conforming).

</comment><comment><USER15> There are all sorts of answers here and I will throw one more at you. It will cost you 10 minutes a day and you can stop if it doesn't work.

Look up the Wim Hof breathing method. I don't know why it works but it does. Maybe it's all a placebo, but if it works, why does it matter?

</comment><comment><USER16> Try this for 2 weeks: [https://www.reddit.com/r/PSMF/](https://www.reddit.com/r/PSMF/)

The water weight you lose should help motivate. You can easily loose 10 pounds in a month if you count the calories (no exercise necessary). It's just a pain in the ass. You'll be hungry 24/7, but you will 100% get the results in a month. Then reduce calories again the second month. It's just math, it works.

I'll add that I think the reason people give up on fitness is because they don't see results. Go hard for 4 weeks on a serious calorie restriction and you will see the results. If that doesn't motivate you, you're shit out of luck.

<comment><USER16> Edit: I'll also add, read that subreddit or the subreddits where people are on a cutting-phase of their diet (bulking/cutting). You'll notice everyone is miserable doing it. That should help you get through it. It totally sucks, but it has to be done.

</comment></comment><comment><USER17> It helps if your goal was something else. Hard to solve this without knowing your hopes and passions in life. One can always have a list of common things people hope for and allow you to track progress.

For example,losing weight to be healthy is not a good motivator for most. Losing weight to attract a mate or a job, or perhaps out of fear for an early death is a good motivator.

It's a journey but when you make the journey your destination your experience would revolve around starting and stopping the journey or tracking some milestone as opposed to reaching some end. Of course people with discipline don't suffer from this curse.

</comment><comment><USER18> You might need something to scare the living hell out of you in a deep existential way. Something to help you realize how little time you have left in your life. Something real and deep and motivating. But nothing nice or happy. Deep and dark. You need a rock bottom to bounce up from.

Now, you can manufacture one yourself. Or you can wait for life to hand you one.

</comment><comment><USER19> Long time ago, my friend was building an accountability social network/forum. The basic idea was that you would pair up with someone who would call you/Skype with you. Having to answer to a real person may motivate you to work on your goals.

This might be a good startup idea if you can manage payments and phone calls where people don't have to share their numbers.

</comment><comment><USER20> What is something you hate? For example... if you had to donate $100 to the campaign of INSERT_POLITICIAN_HERE if you fail to do something over some reasonable period of time. Get an accountability partner and then donate the money if you break the agreement.

If politics isn't a deterrent pick something that is.

Sometimes negative motivation can be a powerful tool.

</comment><comment><USER21> I believe that throwing money at the problem is counter-productive.

You struggle to commit yourself to so many things, but waving a 100 dollar bill in the air will serve only to attract opportunists who will happily take that money to offer you ever more distractions and diversions.

A product, service, idea, or mindset that is easily acquired is just as easily discarded.

</comment><comment><USER22> You could try cognitive behavioral therapy (cbt). This could fix the root issue behind all of the issues you described.

</comment><comment><USER23> Here's a solution to the gym issue. Hire someone to pick you up from work and take you to the gym. Once you're at the gym you work out and go home. Don't socialize until you are done.

This works because you will not have a chance to think about it and back out. Eventually, you will get in the habit of working out.

</comment><comment><USER24> Maybe save the $100 for a few months, and then try this: [https://www.amazon.com/Living-SEAL-Training-Toughest- Planet-...](https://www.amazon.com/Living-SEAL-Training-Toughest-Planet- ebook/dp/B00U6DNZB2)

</comment><comment><USER25> Love yourself first, alltogether with your "bad" habits and body.

Can you?

Nothing is wrong with you.

You're perfect. Done.

Now, how can you help someone else too? You surely have creative skills, ideas, inspirations. Now, as fighting against yourself is over - unleash your super creative and fun powers!

</comment><comment><USER26> Maybe you really don't want to change, lose weight, exercise, side projects.

Does this show up in your professional life?

First step would be therapy and go from there. It could be something showing up in all areas of your life and you just don't realize it.

</comment><comment><USER27> That's a psychological problem. Got talk to a positive psychologist.

Some info out of Google: [https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/](https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/)

</comment><comment><USER28> I would suggest something basic. Take a print out of monthly habit tracker from here: [https://tealnotes.com/free-printable-bullet-journal-habit- tr...](https://tealnotes.com/free-printable-bullet-journal-habit-tracker- template/) and add the goals/ habits you want to achieve. Put the goals in the order in which you want to do every day. Stick it on your wall such a way that it is very visible to you (this matters as this act a reminder for you). Every day check this list off. I have tried a lot of things in the past, and found this approach the most effective.

</comment><comment><USER29> You can give [https://bossasaservice.life/](https://bossasaservice.life/) a shot

</comment><comment><USER30> Not sure if HN allows one to post their professional offering. If not, would be happy to delete this comment.

OP, I have such an individual based program since I struggled with these as well and could not find help. The program has been going reasonably well. There is no upfront payment and it is value based. Which means if there is no progress, there is no payment to be made and we do not continue the program.

But it requires the participant to be serious about their goals.

If you want to know more, please share your email and we can see if this is relevant for you or not.

</comment><comment><USER31> The solution is discipline. And you will never, ever find it outside you or get it from another person.

Keep the $100, and invest it in a kettlebell.

</comment><comment><USER32> I don't have a solution for you. I don't think there is a software solution for you but you are not alone. This is exactly me too.

</comment><comment><USER33> Ultraworking.com, sign up for their activities and use goal setting and habit tracking tools. Works for me.

</comment><comment><USER34> Remove every noise/distraction from yourself. So you either do nothing (completely nothing) or your habbit

</comment><comment><USER35> Maybe you are like me and simply require other people around/participating to stay motivated.

</comment><comment><USER36> Break up your tasks into mini-pieces. Spend no more than 5 - 10 minutes on each micro-habit then move to the next. DON'T SPEND MORE TIME THAN 10 minutes. Do this for 1-2 months. Don't work toward any type of task completion; just work for 10 minutes. Actual work, moving at an easy pace, but still getting a few lines of usable code out(refactoring counts); doing a few pushups, situps, squats for your fitness. Immediately follow that 5-10 minutes of work with a reward (like playing video games, small candy, surfing the web, whatever YOU REALLY ENJOY. No judgement. It has to be something you look forward to; just timebox the reward to 25 minutes at most). Don't worry about diet; just try to go as long as you can in the morning/afternoon/evening without eating (if you can make it to 3 - 5 pm you can worry less about what you actually eat). After 1 - 2 months; add 5 minutes. Add 5 minutes every 30 days. It should be a year or more before you attempt to spend 45 minutes or more on a habit.

Don't write any of this down. Don't try to "quantify your self". Do your best to remember where you are at. If you forget, drop it down 5 - 10 minutes/ 1-3 reps/ etc. below what you think you can do currently (almost like take a few steps backward). We don't want to make a big deal about any of this. We want to be in the habit of examining how you are feeling and adjusting the process based on that; while staying in alignment with our long term goals. Real long terms goals are very hard to pin down to specifics and milestones. You are better of moving consistently toward that goal; while managing your emotional state on a day to day basis. The goal is never more important than how you are feeling right now in this moment.

Have no definitive fitness goals for 1 - 2 years (as this is about how long it takes to get the body to respond permanently to any fitness goals). Don't even think about it; just work out in short spans throughout the day. Progressively add 1 - 2 reps to each exercise every 30 days. After a year, attempt to just go to the gym for 10 minutes once a week. NO MORE THAN 10 MINUTES (even if you really want to stay). After 1 months, add another day to the gym (only 10 minutes each session). After another month, add another day (3 days total at 10 minutes only each day). From 4 months onward, add 5 minutes for every session every 30 days.

For code project, do very small projects you can complete within 30 days easily. Having a habit of completing smaller projects will pay dividends in the long run. Make the projects modular so you can easily reuse things in the future. Only build things YOU are interested. Don't worry about what language, framework, topic is popular or lucrative. Only focus on what you care about in the most selfish way possible.

To sum it all up, don't think about it anymore; just do it. And only do it for 5-10 minutes at the beginning. Follow with a reward. Progressively add more time and effort over the course of months. For the first 3 months, don't stress and move easily. Don't strive for any goal; DON'T MOVE QUICKLY. Just do it with ease. Do it as if you could forget about it in 15 minutes it was so easy. Make sure the process is getting done; and not worry about tangible results. Just make sure you are really getting stuff done in the time you are working; but moving easily, without haste or stress.

</comment><comment><USER37> Have you considered... a dominant life partner?

<comment><USER38> Maybe he could find out if a less extreme version of your idea works for him. People are motivated by different things. I like Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendencies as a key to unlock what motivates you. Some people are motivated by being told what to do; Some are highly _demotivated_ by that. If you frame your goal in a way that works with your Tendency, you'll have better success.

For example, if you are a Rebel, you might say to yourself "Normal people are fat conformists. I'll boldly defy the odds and be fit, instead."

See: How Four Personality Types Find Motivation [https://www.fastcompany.com/40560193/how- these-4-different-p...](https://www.fastcompany.com/40560193/how- these-4-different-personality-types-find-motivation)</comment></comment>


Show HN: My craigslist erotic section replacement - <AUTHOR> http://www.localstrange.com

<comment><USER2> The reason that Craigslist is popular is because there is no BS involved. It's plaintext. You click on something—it loads. It does not ask you where you are or try to sneak info from your browser. It doesn't stop loading while it's doing goofy Microsoft stuff. It doesn't stop loading while it harvests your personal info. It's dead simple.

I'd suggest you emulate this, above all else.

<comment><USER3> nah, this is more for fun than anything. And Geo loc is not sneaky microsoft stuff. All im doing is detecting your location.

I made this in a weekend by myself so I think its pretty cool even if everyone on HN thinks its lame. Thanks for the suggestion though.

<comment><USER2> I don't mean to be all negative or rain on your parade; it's just that you presented this as a replacement for a certain pat of Craigslist. But what you appear to be designing is something very different. It won't really attract that audience. And in particular, I agree with other commenters that people browsing such a service explicitly do NOT want the site harvesting their location info. That's an example of something they'd want to avoid.

<comment><USER3> I dont think its very diffrent; the goal here is for girls to check in and then you can find them via search and video chat / txt or call them. Thats the same value prop that CL Erotic section had. If you are saying you dont like how I am going about that then that is possibly a valid good point. Are you saying bad product or product / market fit? This is my first node project and it kind of took a few twist and turns but whatever... I might just make it something else if that does not work out.

<comment><USER4> I would like to at least know what I'm getting in trade for allowing the app to know my location. As it is, I load the site, it displays a blank page with a weird icon on the left, and it immediately asks for the location ... and I have not done anything yet.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> I got this error:

IP-0AF2C18B HTTP www.localstrange.com C:/psc/htdocs/default/index.php

Not very erotic...

<comment><USER6> To be fair, not much would make me feel dirtier than PHP on Windows.

<comment><USER3> Leave off the www and just go to localstrange.com

Sorry about that I had the dns setup wrong and www. was going to the wrong aws instance. Its fixed now. I had to update from this account because i'm using noprocrast and cant login as p01nd3xt3r for a few more hours.

The whole thing is writen in Node w/ Mongo. I hate windows & probably could not get php running on windows either.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER7> The minute I type in "blonde" or whatever, the first thing Chrome does is say "The browser would like to know your physical location" before it even begins loading the map. I feel like if I was trying to be discrete about my erotic actions, I'd be inclined to click "no".

More concerningly, the entire page stops loading before you make up your mind (since the whole page is a google map, I'm guessing?) - this makes it look like you have to say "yes" in order to use the website at all. You may want to look into trying to get parts of the site to load first that make it clearer that getting your location is an optional part of the experience.

<comment><USER3> it should not ask for loc on the search page. Ill fix that.

<comment><USER8> well, it's not on the _search_ ('home') page, but as soon as you type anything it takes you to the map and that's when the browser asks for location.

I think another reason CL does so well - in all services - is that it allows me to browse wherever I want - not tied to my current location.

<comment><USER9> One of my favorite things about CL writ large is that they don't try to be smart, they just organize things reasonably so that people can more easily find what they're looking for.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER10> The geoloc thing is _very creepy_. If I'm on this site, I don't really like the idea that it knows exactly where I am (even if not _exactly_ ).

It might be better to have a button/link to enable it.

</comment><comment><USER11> "You must share your location in order to use this application. Refresh the page and share your location with the application if you wish to use it."

CL was a no shit, simpleish text layout website, yours can't even be advertised as a CL replacement, It's something else entirely .

</comment><comment><AUTHOR> You need 2 people. You are red dots they are green. My to do list.

1\. limit the zoom level so you can see users block but not exact location

2\. Integrate twilio for anon phone / txt capability

3\. Fix search and check-ins... hacking on this now. I am entering this in the twilio Holiday Hack contest.

</comment><comment><USER12> Clickable: <http://localstrange.com/>

I question using a search box for this - wouldn't categories be much much easier for everyone?

<comment><USER3> I am not sure; possibly but I wanted to do something different so i did it this way.

<comment><USER9> Which is it then, something new, or a Craigslist section replacement?

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER13> Some sort of text chat capability would be useful. It is also a bit slow; that may be the user's fault though. All in all, I really like it!

Linux users remember to add localstrange.com to your local settings if not prompted:

[http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplay...](http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager02.html#118539)

<comment><USER14> I agree, I dont have a mic and webcam on the current computer

</comment></comment><comment><USER14> this is so amusing watching the green things pop up all over the map! I am so lost on what I am doing though...

<comment><USER3> click the green dot to chat w/ that person.

<comment><USER14> what does the green marker signify? What does the box at the top right do? the textbox spotted @ textbox ?

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER3> OK i need to make it so that there are chat statuses and you can see when people are available.

<comment><USER2> No. This is an example of what you do NOT need to do. If you try to make it some giant glorified chat app, it will fail utterly.

<comment><USER3> I just mean make it so u can see when people are available so u dont click and just wait. What else do you suggest.</comment></comment></comment>


A Black Market Finds a Home in the Web's Back Alleys - <AUTHOR> http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/world/americas/04havana.html?hp

<comment><USER2> Submitted this also. Simple and effective execution. Should continue to do well assuming there isn't any government intervention.</comment>


Flighty as a Bootstrap alternative - <AUTHOR> http://blog.shopful.me/flighty-as-a-bootstrap-alternative <comment><USER2> This page renders horribly in chrome, to the point I'm not sure if it's supposed to be a parody..</comment>


Parsing logs 230x faster with Rust - <AUTHOR> https://andre.arko.net/2018/10/25/parsing-logs-230x-faster-with-rust/ <comment><USER2> It's a pretty sad state we've got ourselves into as an industry when people think that parsing a 1GB log file in three minutes is "exciting". That's five megabytes per second. Jeez, anyone would think it's 1988, not 2018.

And that was an _improvement_ from the original, note - 36 minutes is 470KB per second.

That is literally 1000 times slower than a modern SSD should be capable of shovelling your data. And remember, I/O is s-l-o-w.

I just despair, I really do.

Note that this article sweeps the cost of gzip under the carpet, which I would expect to dominate here. Try compressing with something like LZ4-HC, you'll then be able to decompress at GBs/sec of raw data.

<comment><USER3> I share the sentiment. While the tech is getting faster and faster, our typical ways of handling data are getting worse and worse, eliminating all the gains. Devs are just tolerating slower languages, tools, architectures, methodologies etc. until a wall of some kind is being hit.

"With Rust in Lambda, each 1GB file takes about 23 seconds to download and parse. That's about a 78x speedup compared to each Python Glue worker."

There should be no separate "download" and "processing". The whole thing should take exactly as much time as it takes to download the file via stream processing.

Also: [https://github.com/facebook/zstd](https://github.com/facebook/zstd) ; better ratios, better speed.

<comment><USER4> When our industry hits the ceiling of scaling, then we'll start thinking about optimisation. Otherwise there are other low-hanging fruit lying around.

On that matter - does anyone want to start a group that would lobby for making the computation more efficient exactly the same way the greens are lobbying to get rid of single-use plastics?

<comment><USER3> Exactly. And because of that basic business incentives no matter how fast the hardware gets, we will always have software that is just fast enough to be barely bearable, but not a notch faster. That's why I'm depressed ;).

<comment><USER4> You could also argue that computation has the same tendency as building new/better roads in the cities: the more efficient and more available it is - the more of it we will be using.

E.G. as they say about the CGI - computers became more powerful, but the minutes per frame have not generally changed year on year - they've just become more detailed.

<comment><USER2> The difference is that the roads are pushing way more traffic and the frames of CGI are getting more and more detailed / realistic / whatever.

A more accurate analogy would be building a 400mph maglev train line and discovering people are riding bicycles down the tracks.

Or that you've built a 400 lane highway but everyone's still stuck in traffic because they each made their cars one hundred times wider.

<comment><USER5> Artists also don't have to optimize their renders as much, leading to less time spent worry about technical details and decreased complexity, so there is some overlap with CGI.

In general though, your analogy is much more true than not, since renderers are mostly optimized as much as possible.

<comment><USER4> You could argue that the only reason renderers are optimised is because what they're rendering is the sole selling point of the movie. If they are not optimised, they'll not be able to deliver the novel picture that is expected to be loved by the audience.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER6> This is a good post (and the regex crate in rust is _fantastic_), but I'm always a bit surprised when I find these tools were not built for general log searching and analytics, but:

> What we want out of those files is incredibly tiny—a few thousand integers, > labelled with names and version numbers. For example, "2018-10-25 Bundler > 1.16.2 123456", or "2018-10-25 platform x86_64-darwin17 9876".

I'm almost positive that something like Prometheus could do this just as cheaply (run a single Prometheus node on free tier EC2 with a grafana container alongside) - there would be no massive log files to parse, just integers for the desired download counts, collected regularly and viewable in near-real-time (instead of waiting for the day's log-and-parse job to be completed).

I recently replaced a massively expensive "view count" system which was built using bloom filters and hadoop map-reduce with a very small piece of code that called `INCR` and `GET` against a Redis Cluster - this allowed real-time view counts, for far less money, with exponentially less log storage, massively fewer in-house lines-of-code, and an API that could not possibly be made simpler (no Java or Hadoop or AWS knowledge required)

Why is it developers so badly want to parse lots and lots of access log data, rather than just increment a metric somewhere as an event happens?

AWS Glue feels like a product meant for people who refuse to take a step back and think about what they're building. We also evaluated that and found it would be hilariously expensive, had poor documentation, was a brand new product, had OOM issues, and _still_ people on my team wanted to use it rather than a system actually designed for metrics in the first place.

<comment><USER7> The usecase in the article was to parse logs from a CDN serving cached content not an app server which serves every request.

<comment><USER6> Rubygems.org uses Fastly which supports streaming logs (as should any CDN worth their salt - there is no reason whatsoever to wait a whole day to download data that is by definition event-based). FWIW, Fastly CDN log streaming is exactly how I built the view-count system I mentioned above.

At the end of the day a computer does a thing and counts the thing it did. Why write down what it did in a bloated format that only needs to be picked apart later?

<comment><USER8> From the post it looks like that's what he does now. Fastly uploads files to S3 (you can specify how often), and then a Lambda function is run per file to aggregate the files into view-counts. How is this different from yours?

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER9> Why take such a roundabout way of solving the problem? Why dump data into a log and then parse it back? Why don't they just have a separate structured log file/database with only the information they need?

"It turns out serde, the Rust JSON library, is super fast. It tries very hard to not allocate, and it can deserialize the (uncompressed) 1GB of JSON into Rust structs in 2 seconds flat."

1GB/2 seconds = 500MB/s which happens to be the sequential performance of a SATA SSD.

Beyond decompressing gzipped data to then skip most of it there doesn't appear to be any performance problem at all as far as I can see.

</comment><comment><USER10> What's the grep speed?

</comment><comment><USER11> Great ending!</comment>


Brooklyn Man Robbed at Gunpoint for $1,100 in Bitcoin, Police Say - <AUTHOR> http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150605/crown-heights/brooklyn-man-robbed-at-gunpoint-for-1100-bitcoin-police-say

<comment><AUTHOR> It seems the rubber-hose-attack works for all forms of currency. Perhaps a dual pass-phrase system is needed, one with a time-delay boomerang functionality?</comment>


Never Buy Logitech Mice - <AUTHOR> I bought a Logitech M170 and found it impossible to use. It turns out the problem is that the sensor is on the side rather than the center where it should be.<p>Upon checking Logitech mice, I saw that all of their mice have their sensors on the side except a few like MX Master, M310, M525, M557, M100. <comment><AUTHOR> I've looked up some references to the problem I mentioned: 1\. [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pj84_N9dZVY](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pj84_N9dZVY) 2\. [https://amp.reddit.com/r/MouseReview/comments/5ugb26/mice_wi...](https://amp.reddit.com/r/MouseReview/comments/5ugb26/mice_with_off_center_sensors/) 3\. [https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=96589.0](https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=96589.0) 4\. [https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/916373-pc/70826953](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/916373-pc/70826953) 5\. [https://hardforum.com/threads/sensor-off- center.1501967/](https://hardforum.com/threads/sensor-off-center.1501967/) 6\. [https://ask.metafilter.com/88166/Why-are-mouse-sensors-in- th...](https://ask.metafilter.com/88166/Why-are-mouse-sensors-in-the-middle- of-the-mouse/amp) 7\. [https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/433406-gaming- mouse-wit...](https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/433406-gaming-mouse-with- front-sensor/) 8\. [https://techreport.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=38424](https://techreport.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=38424)

</comment><comment><USER3> You should start with a problem description.

I have never even thought about where the sensor might be located. Why would I care? What are the negative effects of an off-center sensor?

<comment><AUTHOR> In an off-center mouse, the cursor will move not move the same distance in different directions for the same distance moved by the mouse.

Unless there is some special software/hardware to overcome this problem.

<comment><USER3> That's obviously wrong, the sensor moves exactly the same distance in all cases, as it does with a centered sensor.

Let it go.

<comment><AUTHOR> I can draw a few diagrams to show the clockwise and anticlockwise tilt would give you different amounts of movement with the cursor.

<comment><USER3> Keep your mouse straight, like any normal person.

When I said tilt I meant another tilt: partially lifting from the desk. And the same recipe works here: don't do it.

<comment><AUTHOR> Found this video that explains the problem: [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pj84_N9dZVY](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pj84_N9dZVY)

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER4> I don't know about you, but I move the mouse according to where the cursor is and needs to go, not the other way around.

I never need to think about where my hand is or how I should move my hand and mouse, I just move the screen cursor to where it needs to be.

FWIW, if I don't get a mouse with my new computer or I need a quick'n'dirty mouse from the local supermarket, I always buy a logitech one. And I admit that's just as irrational as worrying about the position of the sensor. (the position of the sensor is always a fixed distance and direction from the centre of the mouse, that's why it automatically corrects itself. - <USER2> you would always have to drive your car from the centreline of your car instead of the driver's seat)

</comment><comment><AUTHOR> I know the mice are good and durable. But the position of the sensor is not even fixed. No doubt, once you get used to the mouse you wont feel like there is a problem. But I think it is like looking through a cracked mobile phone screen; while you may not notice it interfering in your usage, it does interfere.

<comment><USER3> That does not make sense.

Please explain how the position of the sensor could affect the mouse movement, unless you're tilting the mouse.

<comment><AUTHOR> I agree that it would not make a difference if the mouse is only moved in straight lines and never tilted.

But when you use the mouse, there usually is some tilt. And because of it, the mouse does not give the same cursor movement in all directions.

Will make a video to show the difference clearly.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> I don't see the problem. I use a G9 Laser and it works just like any other mouse - side or centre sensor.

<comment><AUTHOR> Imagine a car that did not turn the same amount of angle when you turned the steering wheel the same amount in both directions.

Now, you may get used to the difference after you have used it for a while, but that does not mean the problem is not there.

Will share a video comparing the mice and then you can also get a cheap centered-sensor mice to verify the difference.

</comment></comment><comment><USER6> Have used Logitch mice, and still have one, with no problem. I don't understand how an off-centre sensor makes any difference. If someone could explain, I'd be interested - or perhaps the post was intended as humour.

<comment><AUTHOR> [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pj84_N9dZVY](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pj84_N9dZVY)

</comment></comment><comment><USER7> I love logitech products. Although I typically use trackballs. Wish they would make a trackball for left hand that used the thumb. They have a ball on top, not bad, but prefer thumb.

</comment><comment><AUTHOR> Also note that high end mice almost never have their sensor on the side.

</comment><comment><USER8> That doesn't seem like a good enough reason, the mice are great.

<comment><AUTHOR> I agree that the mice are good. But you will have problems whenever you wanted to switch to a different model. Because the different models from logitech dont have the sensors at the same distance from the center.

You productivity will take a hit when you switch, on account of muscle memory.

<comment><USER9> This does not make sense. How would that affect ones productivity? I've used a ton of different mice over the years and the sensor position did not matter

<comment><AUTHOR> When you switch to a different model, there would be learning curve because the change in distance from the center would change the movement of the cursor slightly.

<comment><USER8> I still dont understand why this matters, the delta is the same when you move the mouse. So there is no way to tell the sensor is off axis other than turning your mouse upside down and looking at it.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER10> Logitech Mx Master 3 has the sensor in the center.</comment>


Ask HN: What business can I create around avid readers and book lovers? - <AUTHOR> I've been working on my side-project Booknshelf (https://booknshelf.com) for couple months now (recently open-sourced) but I'm having a hard time to think about the ideas that I can use to monetize it.
Any ideas, advice and suggestions will be appreciated.
Thanks. <comment><USER2> This is going to sound nuts, but I think people are missing bookstores, something tangible, and the thrill of exploration. For avid readers and such there are places like GoodReads, but I've never found anything that helps me discover new books. I generally will surf Amazon looking at covers and titles, then sometimes look at a few to see if they would be interesting. If you could find a way to help people explore and find books easier would be really fantastic.

<comment><USER3> I'm one that misses book stores. I had 7 near me ten years ago. Now I have to travel about 1/2 an hour to get to my nearest book store and that one is on deathwatch. Discovering new books is not as fun now. I miss going out on a whim to a bookstore to find a book and grabbing coffee or a snack. Match that feeling and I'm in.

<comment><USER2> I miss roaming the stacks looking for things to read. I try to buy from bookstores whenever possible, even magazines and other things. There's a bookstore in DC, Kramers Books, that has merged a restaurant with a bookstore. It seems to be doing well.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER4> Seems like you're competing directly with GoodReads, yet without the social network element, and as such I'd expect you'll have a hard time. I don't know how Goodreads makes money, but I'd guess some combination of 1) amazon/other affiliate links (maybe?) 2) sponsorships.

But I can't imagine you'd ever get the kind of growth GR has gotten without the social element, because it keeps people coming back to the site.

So my question for you is: what value are you offering? If it's just "organizing my library," then you'd need to 1) find pain points surrounding library organization that are so difficult that people will pay to make them easier, and/or 2) come up with some other novel features that also do 1).

So, in other words: What problem are you solving? Who has this problem so bad they'll be willing to pay for it? How does your app solve the problem better than anyone else?

<comment><USER5> GoodReads is owned by Amazon at this point, so if nothing else, they serve to drive purchases to Amazon.com.

<comment><USER6> If that's the case, then marketing one's self as an independent book site may work out for the OP.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER7> _Accurate_ book recommendations - not what's popular, not something in the same genre as I've read, not by the same author I've read but something I'd actually want to read.

I think the reason this hasn't been done is that (like movies and music) books are so complex that it's hard to tell what someone liked about one book or disliked about another book, so it's hard to know what other books would have that same feature.

Which is why I think ML would be perfect for this - it's good at things like extracting common features, you just has to create one that can read and comprehend novels :)

<comment><USER8> Totally agree. Would love to see something like this.

</comment></comment><comment><USER3> You can monetize your site by adding advertising, affiliate links, finding a sponsor, subscriptions or selling stuff directly. But as you know high traffic is the key to success with all of them. So, you have to work to increase traffic. That should be your goal. Monetizing comes after that.

Another possibility is to make it your show piece. You can use it to showcase your talent and therefore increase your potential salary. This is your best bet for now. Ask yourself, "How does this site highlight my talens?" That will get you some immediate benefits.

</comment><comment><USER9> I hate to say this, but the startup graveyard has a really huge section filled with every company who has tried to do this kind of thing. you feel like there should be a way to improve on something that people are already passionate about, and that would naturally lead to high adoption. But, a lot of great attempts have just never gotten peoples' attention.

What's more, all the things that obviously _would_ make money are probably already saturated by something that Amazon does.

It's a real shame.

<comment><AUTHOR> By "... this kind of thing" do you mean creating businesses around books and readers or something else?

</comment></comment><comment><USER8> This is the criticism I've heard made against Apple's reliance on analog to inform its design of digital responses to notepads, etc. I think you'll stand a better chance of competing against Goodreads and thus finding it easier to monetize by thinking about a unique value that only a digital solution can provide. One idea for a premium offering would be a curated list/book club with a particular figurehead people like/vote for.

</comment><comment><USER10> A woot or massdrop like site which allows huge discounts on popular books.

</comment><comment><USER11> Netflix or Pandora for books?

<comment><USER12> A library?

<comment><USER13> A little less dusty and more convenient alternative to a library.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER14> Netflix for physical books.</comment>


Ask HN: App Store SEO - Keywords in long App Name. Best practice? Not allowed? - <AUTHOR>

So I've been reading that using long, human readable app names that include keywords will really help in App Store search rankings (at least outside the USA). For example, recently: http://www.slideshare.net/searchmanseo/how-to-improve-app-store-search-rankings-with-mobile-seofor-beginners-13822379
I've since followed this advice, changing my name from:
Version 0.1: "ChillWith.me"
to:
Version 0.2: "ChillWith.me - organise hangouts with your friends easily by suggesting & voting on the details of your hangout. Chill with me!"
This has proven to work, in the Aussie App Store at least. My app ranks 1st or on the first page for words like 'organise', 'hangout', 'hangouts'.
However with Version 0.3, without changing the name, the app got rejected for:
3.4: App names in iTunes Connect and as displayed on a device should be similar, so as not to cause confusion
It would be appropriate to change one or both names so they are more similar. And remember, it is not appropriate to use keywords in your app name; please use these words as search terms for your app by entering them in the Keywords field in iTunes Connect, Manage Your Applications.
For your information, the following words are considered keywords:
organise, hangouts, friends, easily, suggesting, voting, details
So is this practice outdated? Is Apple clamping down on this? I still see many other apps with long, keyword driven names? Any other tips? I guess I'll be changing the name back to "ChillWith.me" for now.
Thanks, Jimmy http://chillwith.me <comment><USER2> From what I understand Apple has been cracking down on this kind of use of the title field. They made a change a month or so ago that removed title names from keyword searches. It was a horrible failure and they reverted a week later, but don't be surprised if they do it again. More concretely, I have heard they are rejecting apps for this although I haven't experienced it myself.

<comment><AUTHOR> Interesting, so I guess if this is consistent, we'll start seeing less "long title app names" in the App Store as apps get updated and rejected.

</comment></comment><comment><USER3> It looks like the main keyword is "Hangouts" Why won't you just change it to: Chill with me hangouts?

<comment><AUTHOR> Could try that, but Apple also said no keywords in your app name, and that they considered hangouts as a keyword.</comment></comment>


Ask HN: Why Study _____? - <AUTHOR> I have had this interesting idea for a while. A Q&A site for passionate educators, enthusiastic teachers, and students in dire need of motivation.
The pain point which I'm trying to alleviate is students' inability to recognize a real world use case for some theoretical topic in various fields of study. By creating a forum and getting teachers or experts to explain what is so cool and awesome about knowing what the student is about to learn, I'd like to motivate interest in learning the topic at hand. How does knowing it affect the decisionmaking process? With what other challenges does it help? What would they not be able to accomplish if not for the given material?
People learn well when they are interested in a given topic. They are interested because they found a way to relate to it in some way. Sometimes the material is far removed from the actual use-case, or the significance of it is not explained very well by the text or the instructor. Creating a place specifically for this discussion would be pretty interesting, I think.
StackExchange's Q&A format seemed perfect for validating this idea, but it doesn't seem to be an option, unfortunately. The new topic proposal is closed: http://area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/104796/why-study
I'd love to see what you think of the idea. Whether it makes sense, whether it will be useful, and if there are other places for hosting this (aside from making it yourself, for now).
Here are my examples of questions - possibly the reason why it was rejected. I tried to pick different fields and ask something thought provoking. - Why study zeta functions in mathematics? - Why study Utopian literature? - Why study Imperialism and Nation-State Formation? - Why study molecular forces in physics? - Why study type theory in computer science? <comment><USER3> Much of the time, "to get your degree" is the best answer you can hope for. I suspect the schools use general education requirements to push low-cost classes. You just have to put up with it.

Heck, I've been doing hard-core OS/embedded/real-time/driver/assembly stuff for almost two decades and I still haven't even found a use for: calculus (3 classes), physics (2 classes), statistics, databases (2 classes), theory of computation, or GUI development. If I can't find a use for those, what chance is there that I'll ever use the "history of western music" and similar? No boss will ever seriously ask for Marxist criticism.

I have my degree though. That is reason enough.

<comment><USER4> > If I can't find a use for those, what chance is there that I'll ever use the > "history of western music" and similar? No boss will ever seriously ask for > Marxist criticism.

Not to sound overly humanist here, but considering who the US just elected president, I think there should be more not less classes like that. Or at least more people taking them. I see education not only as a way to maximize returns for the individual, but also as a drivers license for society.

</comment></comment><comment><USER5> This is a good idea, IMO, for the same reason why I often read book reviews on Amazon. I'm trying to answer, Why read (thing that everyone keeps talking about)?

Here's some for me personally:

Why should I study

Nietzsche?

Zen Buddhism?

Austrian economics?

The R programming language?

RxJS?

Of course I could go to wikipedia for these, but if you've got a better way of dispensing this information, I'd love to know what others are curious about too.

<comment><AUTHOR> I know! Ironically, I can see myself procrastinating, getting lost in the site just exploring different topics and answers. A site which was supposed to motivate me to study in the first place!

</comment></comment><comment><USER6> Good idea, but not sure the Q&A format is the best. A compendium/wiki-like site linking theoretical concepts to applications is more fitting.

<comment><AUTHOR> Yes, a wiki would be ideal, if there was enough of the most interesting and relevant content already available. Actually, StackOverflow questions sometimes turn into a community wiki's when the question gains enough support.

My reasons for a Q&A are: (1) remove barriers from being able to contribute using any format at your disposal (maybe even a tweet?). (2) The site should allow the community to rank the most relevant and interesting answers - <USER2> can easily get lost in a long wiki page, (3) Not all answers are relevant nor interesting to everyone, given your education level, background, etc. The experience could be tailored to the visitor ..somehow. (4) Getting a bite- sized motivation while reading through a few short answers can be good enough for some people.</comment></comment>


Next Silicon Valley (list) - <AUTHOR> http://brighton.io/Next_Silicon_Valley <comment><USER2> [http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://...](http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://brighton.io/Next_Silicon_Valley)

Cache timeout seems to take a while, so posting the brief synopsis here. The article lists a number of cities (actually locations) with a corresponding news article claiming that particular city/location "The Next Silicon Valley". Locations listed were:

US: Mississippi, Michigan, Minnesota, Colorado, Jacksonville, San Diego, Detroit, New York, Asheville, Austin, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Chicago, Sacramento, Arkansas, Denver

Europe: Ireland, Russia, Ukraine, France, Berlin, Prague, Lisbon

Apac: Beijing, Vietnam, Sydney, Philippines, India, China, Singapore

Middle East: Israel

Americas: Mexico, Cuba

Others: Small Town America

<comment><USER3> Thanks for the cache link, basically its a collection of links to any news article that said "<x> can be the next Silicon Valley".

I really liked Brad Feld's take on this which was that trying to be the "next" Silicon Valley was a losing proposition, instead just focus on removing barriers for people who want to innovate and you'll get the economic growth you desire. It is amazing how unsettling that is for local governments.

I talked with a state representative from New Mexico on a flight to Denver who wondered what it would take to make New Mexico the next "Silicon Valley". I asked if they had enforceable non-compete agreements there (which they do), and then asked what it would take to change that. He said it would be really really hard given the commercial interests. And I said, "Well that answers your question, New Mexico will never be the next Silicon Valley." It kind of stunned him when he understood it.

<comment><USER4> It's a combination of that, and making the place someplace that's welcoming for all. Things like anti-discrimination policies for LGBT persons are a must, as well as having a welcoming community. Having great weather doesn't hurt, either.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> Ugg, this is simply a list of cities cited in News Articles as being "The Next Silicon Valley". This isn't actually an article itself.

<comment><USER6> I think the motivation behind the list is to point out how this subject seems to be in heavy rotation in the media. EVERY city and EVERY country in the world wants thriving and powerful economic development, and now they all have the means to disrupt with their own tech sector. This is going to be rinsed and repeated all over the world for the next 50 years, nanotech here, space travel there, machine learning, robotics, medicine, you name it.

Now it's not like we all weren't competing before, but now it seems the playing field is getting more and more level. Which can mean nothing but good for the average person. Right?

</comment></comment><comment><USER7> "Please allow 5 seconds to check your browser for Cloudflare DDOS protection"

 _45 seconds later_

 _closes tab_

</comment><comment><USER8> Still waiting for that Silicon-Valley-As-A-Service startup.

<comment><USER9> They're already here.

[https://angel.co/](https://angel.co/)

[https://www.ycombinator.com/](https://www.ycombinator.com/)

<comment><USER4> At least YCombinator still requires location in Silicon Valley, don't they? Until they start going "on tour", I don't think that'd be what the poster was looking for.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER10> This kind of inventory is not a new idea. In fact, the "definitive collection of Siliconia on the Web" [1] is nearly twenty years old, though sadly it hasn't been updated in fifteen years.

1\. [http://www.tbtf.com/siliconia.html](http://www.tbtf.com/siliconia.html) "Siliconia are appropriations of names beginning with 'Silicon' by areas outside Silicon Valley."

</comment><comment> josh-wrale Raleigh-Durham-RTP, NC were missing. Edit: Someone added it.

<comment><USER11> As are Toronto and Pittsburgh, which I've seen articles about in the last week.

</comment></comment><comment><USER12> Will Cityfieldlandburgvilletondalepolis, USA, be the next Silicon Valley?

No. No, it will not.

It almost seems like the site is intended to shame the attention-economy publications and sites into ceasing the continual recycling of the same old article over and over. But I don't think it will work. Those guys have no shame, and the article format for "Is Y the next X?" has been around forever.

</comment><comment><USER13> What exactly does it mean to become the "next Silicon Valley"?

It seems to me a boring cliché used to make article headlines from nothing.

<comment><USER14> It means that marketing agents from the city in question want some Silicon Valley money and they're trying to get some by imitating it.

</comment></comment><comment><USER15> Probably not the city that site is hosted in.

</comment><comment><USER16> > Apple co-founder Woz says Ireland could be next Silicon Valley

Seems they're fluffing the Irish government so they keep their hands off Apple's cash..

</comment><comment><USER6> Funny. Phoenix is on that list from 2012 and I was reading yet another article about it just yesterday...

[http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/19/us/phoenix-focuses-on- rebu...](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/19/us/phoenix-focuses-on-rebuilding- downtown-wooing-silicon-valley.html?_r=0)

</comment><comment><USER17> The thing that makes Silicon Valley a hotspot for tech is just a boatload of money controlled by people willing to put it into tech.

Literally any city could be "like silicon valley" if a bunch of rich people start a fund and hand out cash to people creating technology companies. Anything else is just window dressing.

<comment><USER18> Its always been my opinion that not only are "entries" (funding) a necessary precondition, but also EXITS. Thats the magic momentum of SV; \- Hordes of post-exit entrepreneurs funding the next generation of businesses and providing mentorship to the next generation of entrepreneurs. \- A good number of capital sources who have had enough successes to keep rolling the dice.

<comment><USER19> Niklas Zennström of Skype founded Atomico, they're not bound to northern europe where they started, but they've been at it for ten years.

The king.com founders started Sweet Capital, which might be headquartered in Stockholm, but they obviously have an office in SV as well.

So even exit money from non-SV companies end up being reinvested in SV, instead of growing more non-SV companies, and that's just hard for other tech hubs to compete with.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER20> Based on trends I see in funding, jobs, talent, buzz, etc., here's my list. It would be much smaller:

Portland: obvious, though many locals hate it.

San Angeles: it's kind of one city overall, but tech activity is concentrated in: San Diego (downtown area), Irvine/Costa Mesa, Santa Monica, Pasadena, and maybe downtown LA. I live near Irvine now and everyone I talk to says the tech scene has grown a lot and is still growing, and I see evidence of that myself. One of the strengths of this region (other than sheer size and being a few hours by cheap plane ride from SV) is something people like to bash it about: it's one big giant mass of sprawl with either many city centers or none depending on how you look at it. While that's not hot and trendy these days, it also means that this region can grow _a lot_ without catching acute real estate hyperinflation disease. There's just so damn much of it and there are so many town/city governments that nobody can establish a NIMBY monopoly. It's not exactly cheap but it's not "$2M for a starter home" crazy and probably never will be unless you insist on the absolute hippest neighborhood or living within walking distance of a surfing mecca beach. Self-driving cars are going to absolutely revolutionize transit down here and fix the region's commuting problems in the next 5-10 years.

New York: already #2 or #3 depending on how you count it. Could grow a lot because it's just so huge and has tons of money available. Also has great transit to offset the real estate costs-- you don't _have_ to live in Manhattan or the trendiest parts of Brooklyn and you don't have to have one car per person. Commuting from as far away as Connecticut and New Jersey south of the crummy areas is entirely possible.

Boston: Boston really _should have been_ Silicon Valley in the first place-- the reasons why it's not are beyond the scope of this post. (I lived there for a while and could almost write a book.) If these things can be fixed they have more than enough talent and the city itself is very nice.

Some longer-shot wildcards:

Denver: it's cool and has appeal and seems to be drawing a crowd.

Pittsburgh: it's like Boston lite with numerous great schools but less expensive and less stuffy. It lacks many of the cultural problems that keep Boston from being Silicon Valley in spite of Boston's incredible talent pool. Uber and Google have added gravity.

Detroit: being kind of re-settled by an interesting mix of people. Things have happened there before and could happen there again. It's got a "cool factor" to it that other rust belt cities that have fallen on hard times just don't have. If I were 20 years old and in a different life-phase I would _definitely_ consider going there, since escaping the real estate death spiral treadmill would offer a great opportunity to work on longer term "high risk / high payoff" projects. Think of $20k homes as a very light personal version of the DARPA fund for big ideas. (Assuming you have little fear of ghetto, which in my case is true.)

Toronto: close to a very good tech school (Waterloo) and UToronto is not bad either, a very big cool city, and doesn't have the real estate madness of Vancouver. Otherwise the latter might also make the list. (SF/SV can at least _survive_ its real estate madness because it's so prosperous otherwise, but Vancouver doesn't have the muscle to overcome this handicap.)

I do think tech is geographically re-diversifying, so I wouldn't totally count out other places. But those are the ones I'd say have a good shot of developing into true "centers" as opposed to just places with some tech stuff going on.

<comment><USER21> I was surprised Portland didn't show up on the list. First thing I did after viewing the page was come back here and ctrl-f for it.

Strongly considering moving there within a year from now.

</comment></comment><comment><USER22> Could probably add a whole lot more records by searching for 'Silicon Valley of ______'.

</comment><comment><USER23> What was the criteria to make this list?

I wish Connecticut could do something to get off the opposite list.

</comment><comment><USER24> "List of cities"....3 states right off the bat. Wat?

In all seriousness, there won't be just one. Technology centers will continue to grow. Our economy is becoming even more centered around information and technology. If your city isn't positioning itself to attract business and talent, it's gonna be a rough future for you.

<comment><USER25> And 10ish countries

</comment></comment><comment><USER26> Well the error page is interesting at least...</comment>


Recruiting the Top 1 Percent - Joel Spolsky - <AUTHOR> http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070501/column-guest.html <comment><USER2> I don't know much about Mr. Spolsky or Fog Creek, so perhaps I am entirely incorrect. I understand he has a lot of respect in the software community, but every time he writes about business it reeks of charlatanism. He seems to do well enough; but, he hasn't quite built an empire.

Being kind to your employees and your customers is a laudable idea, but it is not a business plan.

You also don't need world class intellect to build the software he is selling. This is fortunate, because I doubt his $75,000 could buy the soul of someone great who wanted to work on something important.

<comment><AUTHOR> That 'world class intellect' gets stuff done so much more efficiently that it works out cheaper than several weaker coders.

<comment><USER3> How do you get "world class intellect" to work on a proprietary bug tracking software, though? I think it is written in ASP, too? (Could be mistaken, though).

<comment><USER4> "FogBugz is written in Wasabi, a very advanced, functional-programming dialect of Basic with closures and lambdas and Rails-like active records that can be compiled down to VBScript, JavaScript, PHP4 or PHP5. Wasabi is a private, in- house language written by one of our best developers that is optimized specifically for developing FogBugz; the Wasabi compiler itself is written in C#." <http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2006/09/01.html>

<comment><USER5> Writing your main cash cow in a private, in-house language seems like one of the riskier decisions you can make.

If they would have at least open sourced it and tried to get some sort of community around it it would have at least start to become less dangerous as the community grows.

But programming your main (only?) product in a language nobody except your current employees knows? Employee turnover must be even more of a bitch over there then it is in most companies.

I wouldn't want to work there when this "one of our best developers" quits/dies/retires

<comment><USER6> It depends.

I've got an impression that Wasabi is highly-specialized domain-specific language (just a wild guess from his article). If it is a general-purpose language it's worth to build a community and get feedback, but if it's a niche DSL, it's less likely that you get a growable community and it's more likely that feedback tends to be feature requests that aren't necessary for the original purpose of DSL.

And if it is designed well, the risk of the original developper's quitting is just about the same as having in-house libraries or workflow, I think.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER7> This is a rehash of one of his earlier articles. He got rid of one of the points of criticism -- complaining about no good resumes, while hiring people who wouldn't have passed his resume criteria being that he goes after them while they're still in school. Catch-22.

Resumes are a horrible way to screen people.

Also, these days the top 1% are probably doing start-ups, or if they're employees, it's for Google or someplace exciting -- not hacking VB code in New York.

</comment><comment><USER8> _"Then I pose a software development challenge. For example, how would you implement a Web-based clone of PowerPoint? This gives me a feel for how smart they are, and if they know the basics of software development."_

A trick question, of course. The correct answer is "you don't, since Google will simply release their own which will make yours irrelevant."

</comment><comment><USER9> If you need a job to motivate you and be told what to do and how to do it, you're not in the top 1%. I think this is a way to pander to his future employees. :)

Isn't the top one percent kind of a large number? Maybe you want the top quarter of one percent? I mean, the majority of software developers probably work in IT doing zero innovation, not in a company that creates software that pushes boundaries.

I definitely think the number of developers who are creative, passionate, smart, fast, adaptive, and good is less than 1% of all software developers. Maybe that's accounted for because he's ignoring those who start their own startups, as they are too good for his 1% formula?

<comment><USER10> "Isn't the top one percent kind of a large number?"

It is. They want less than the bottom tenth of that. This is what would happen if JS were to interview anyone further to the right on the Bell curve.

JS: How would you fit in here?

Candidate: I would simulate the internalization of the values of the corporate workplace.

JS: When can you start?

</comment></comment><comment><USER3> "A limousine meets them at the airport..." etc etc - I don't know, isn't that cheating a bit? It's not like people will have the same grand life after being employed by Fog Creek?

Then again, that's probably just life (any kind of deals, including dating). But I would almost be a suspicious - if he is trying to sell the job this hard, there might be something fishy about it? Of course Joel is not just somebody, I am sure it would be very interesting to work with him, but I mean, if it wasn't him...

<comment><USER11> Sure, it's cheating, if you think that life is basically fair. But it's not. Making a good first impression is the smart thing to do, even if you stretch a bit beyond "everyday life." Just so long as you don't actually lie.

<comment><USER3> Maybe it just boils down to the benefits of advertising: we see the advertiser can afford the advertising, so he can't be a total loser.

<comment><USER11> That's a good way of putting it!

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER12> "think about what happens to the 99 people you turn away. They don't give up and go into plumbing. They apply for another job."

I want to know if that applies to YC. Specifically, how many applicants keep reapplying at every round?

People keep saying that there are "hundreds of great teams" and that your chances of being chosen are correspondingly low, but it might not be really true.</comment>


The Last Letter From a Dying Veteran - <AUTHOR> http://www.truthdig.com/dig/item/the_last_letter_20130318/

<comment><USER2> This sent shivers down my spine...

... sad, it is every time so sad to see, that the old saying stays true:

In times of war people, that don't know each other, kill each other on order from people, that do know each other, but don't kill each other.

Not being an American, I hardly can understand so much, that is your culture. I can only view from afar and hold my breath in wonder.

But most important, I can only shake my head in wonder, how people like the Ex-POTUS can sleep at night and are not kept awake by their conscience.</comment>


Hacking real world: 200 people "frozen" in NY Grand Central NY - <AUTHOR> http://www.improveverywhere.com/2008/01/31/frozen-grand-central/

<comment><USER2> I wonder how many had their wallets lifted. It would be fun to see them wakeup to defend their possessions. Hacking hacking the real world.

</comment><comment><AUTHOR> The same group dressed with blue polo shirts and khaki and entered in a Best Buy. Security guards and managers thought it was some kind of elaborate Thomas-Crown-like heist.

<comment><USER3> That's hilarious. I wonder what they ended up doing. Have a link to more info?

<comment><AUTHOR> Sure. <http://www.improveverywhere.com/2006/04/23/best-buy/>

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER4> I think this sort of thing is awesome---but I have a hard time explaining why. There's just something magical about it, and, judging from the applause at the end, lots of other people feel the same way.

</comment><comment><USER5> What a great place to do it. Grand Central is one of the nicest interior spaces in NYC, and it can be very crowded.

<comment><USER6> To think that Grand Central was under pressure to be demolished, until Jackie Kennedy lead a movement to save it...</comment></comment>


"All my HTTPS traffic was sniffed and I got pwned" - <AUTHOR> https://twitter.com/spazef0rze/status/1067583791596781570 <comment><USER2> Direct Link:

[https://www.secorvo.de/publikationen/headsetup- vulnerability...](https://www.secorvo.de/publikationen/headsetup- vulnerability-report-secorvo-2018.pdf)

Seinhouser Headphone SDK installs a certificate on the trusted root certificate store but also gives anyone with the SDK the private key.</comment>