U.S. Population Growth Has Been Driven Exclusively by Minorities - <AUTHOR> https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-04/u-s-population-growth-has-been-driven-exclusively-by-minorities <comment><USER2> You could increase population growth by not screwing millennials at every step of their life. If housing, school, food, cars didn't cost substantially more in inflation adjusted dollars than it did for their parents, or if their incomes at least caught up to inflation.

<comment><USER3> In general, taking long-term views toward priorities of incentives would help a great deal, as opposed to the "gotta-meet-next-quarter's-numbers" priorities we have now.

I don't know how exactly to get there (I have a variety of ideas about things we should be doing differently as a society, but none that specifically address the level of short-term thinking we are plagued by), but we definitely need to do _something_ about it.

<comment><USER2> I'd love to hear your ideas. Side note: is there a subreddit or other forum for people to share and debate big picture ideas about what we should be doing differently as a society? Seems different ideas are debated in different places but I haven't found a single place where ideas can be debated, voted upon, ranked, etc.

<comment><USER3> I mean, honestly, they're nothing particularly new or noteworthy; they're a collection of progressive ideas you've probably heard a lot, starting with universal basic income and single-payer universal health care.

As far as fixing our corporate culture, I think making judicious but expressive use of the corporate death penalty, combined with aggressive enforcement of antitrust laws, using a much broader metric of harm than has been used in the past few decades, would be a good start.

I also think that a true universal basic income—one that would allow someone with no other source of income to live safely, if not luxuriously, in most parts of the country—would slowly but surely start having huge effects on nearly every aspect of work, as removing the constant fear of homelessness and death from poverty made the "labour market" much more like a genuine free market. I can only begin to imagine the shifts in our society that that would result in, and it's really hard to say just what other measures would be rendered unnecessary by them.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER4> Immigration is the ultimate get-out-of-jail-free card when it comes to deflation. Just ask the Europeans or even more so - the immigration hostile Japanese (yes, I know Abe is turning things around, this is an oversimplification).

It's amazing how it is basically impossible to influence birth rates, one way or the other, up or down. I am yet to find a convincing example of a concerted effort at increasing or suppressing birth rates by a centralised authority. Please share one if you know it, I find birth rates to be far more mysterious than any other commonly talked about "macro" rates, such as riskfree rates or various risk premiums.

<comment><USER5> > I am yet to find a convincing example of a concerted effort at increasing or > suppressing birth rates by a centralised authority.

China suppressed its birth rate with its one child policy.

<comment><USER6> The policy existed but, after talking with some Chinese friends about this very topic, they said the system was corrupt. Anyone who want to get around the system just had to bribe a local official, and there were zero consequences.

Take this as anecdotal, of course.

<comment><USER7> It wasn't even a bribe, It was worse than that. It was literally, "You can only have one child unless you pay for each extra child you want." I mean, getting around the policy, was actually written into the policy. Which is kind of insane if the purpose was to control birth rates.

<comment><USER8> But wouldn't even require paying for extra children discourage people from having children?

<comment><USER9> aren't you doing that by having children anywhere?

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER10> I dont have any reference to support this, I think Thomas Sowell or someone else on one of the Hoover Institutes youtube videos, said this, Israel is the only first world country that does not rely on immigration to support population growth, so i would assume all other first world countries population growth is due to minority immigration

<comment><USER11> ? I guess it depends on what you classify as immigration. Israel has depended on a far flung diaspora returning, but I don't know the numbers, so I'd prefer to see native born growth versus "returnees".

<comment><USER12> Israel's Jewish fertility rate and Arab fertility rate are in a dead heat at 3.05.

<comment><USER11> I had no idea -that's quite amazing in an advanced economy (as most are aware). I'm sure Singapore is jealous. They've been trying for ages to get their pop to grow internally but always fall short.

<comment><USER13> I was surprised to see that many of the eastern European/Russian immigrants moving to Israel over the last 40 years don't supply any evidence of Jewish heritage (i know USSR and other European countries discriminated against Jews so it would make sense that there are a lot of Jews who don't really have the papers to prove it for a few generations).

An article I read said many French jews immigrated to Israel (due to rather recent French anti-semitism sentiment) but immigrated back to Europe once economic advancement for them wasn't attained.

Looks like Israeli society has had kind of an open door policy to Europeans who are able to attain employment (i assume in the tech scene there).

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER14> The referenced report is much more informative [https://www.brookings.edu/research/new-census-data-shows- the...](https://www.brookings.edu/research/new-census-data-shows-the-nation- is-diversifying-even-faster-than-predicted/)

</comment><comment><USER5> One thing to keep in mind is that "white" many times absorbs the other populations. In the past, for example, Italians and other Southern Europes were not considered "white". Now they are. Add to that intermarriages, and likely the proportion of people who identify as "white" will be likely be constant or grow in the future.

<comment><USER15> This is an important point, especially with respect to the Hispanic population. It's often referred to as a race, when it's more like a cultural category - individual Hispanic people often identify as white, indigenous, or black though racial identity tends to be more fluid due to greater historic rates of intermarriage. I come from a Hispanic family, my grandparents more or less exclusively speak Spanish. My parents who were born a couple years after my grandparents immigrated would only be recognized as Hispanic if they made that part of their identity known. If I were asked to identify myself racially I'd say white, not Hispanic. I see myself as Cuban-Americans not as a racial identity buy as an ancestry - the same way people are Irish-American or German-American. 65% of Hispanics in the US identify as white: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispanic_and_Latino_Americans#...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispanic_and_Latino_Americans#Race)

<comment><USER16> I would not be surprised if by the 2060s (40 years, ~2 generations) that Asian Americans and Hispanic Americans get rolled up into being 'white'. Rates of intermarriage between groups seem to be on the rise [0] though Hispanic data is not well represented in my quick googling.

More hopefully, people will simply not care and diversity will be celebrated, not denigrated as we've awoken to since George Floyd.

[0] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interracial_marriage_in_the_Un...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interracial_marriage_in_the_United_States)

<comment><USER17> > I would not be surprised if by the 2060s (40 years, ~2 generations) that > Asian Americans and Hispanic Americans get rolled up into being 'white'.

Hispanics are predominantly White by the standards by which race has any meaning at all (though also several other races are represented), Hispanic is an ethnic rather than racial category.

> Hispanic data is not well represented in my quick googling.

It's not going to show up in data on race because it's not a race.

> More hopefully, people will simply not care and diversity will be > celebrated, not denigrated as we've awoken to since George Floyd.

The people marching in parades with Confederate flags haven't awoken to anything. And each of America's periodic awakening on this issue has been accompanied by exactly that kind of reaction and a hardening of White supremacist ideology. It may be a shrinking minority each time, but it's also increasingly committed, or at least renewing it's commitment each time.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER18> We need immigrants of working age so they can pay taxes to support SSA and Medicare recipients. That's the group who are most conservative and anti- immigration.

</comment><comment><USER19> Is minority a shorthand for not white or black? Why is that the dominant axis for parsing the population growth difference? Is the correlation with racial distribution more pronounced than with other axes, or is this article aimed at people too stupid to understand that people differ in more ways than race?

</comment><comment><USER20> One would think with automation on the horizon the government would aggressively curb immigration. The people already here responsibly having children are having a hard enough of a time with the cost of everything.

<comment><USER21> Another one would think with automation doing most of our jobs. Why can't we share the spoils more?

</comment></comment><comment><USER22> [https://archive.is/VOxD0](https://archive.is/VOxD0)

</comment><comment><USER23> > Census data indicate White population has shrunk since 2010

Why is this the first bullet point? Why a focus on White people? Why do you care HN?

The only other place I see stuff like this is when it's used as an alt-right talking point, or by white-supremacist mass-shooters who write about 'The Great Replacement' [1]

[1] [https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/white- supremacist-...](https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/white-supremacist- great-replacement/)

<comment><USER24> Back in high-school, I had a (white) history teacher that made it a whole unit in her class. Her thesis was that white people were the only thing in America holding back progress, and that when the US was majority minority we'd reach an inflection point where 'we' (progressives) would be able to implement policies that might absolve the country of its sins, and tied it all into the MLK arc of history quote.

Looking back now, I can't help but wonder if it didn't drive a few of my classmates to some of the more reactionary and racist politics on the right.

<comment><USER25> This is the progressive "demographic destiny" fever dream. Non-whites aren't that progressive. For example, non-whites are much more religious than whites. Just 35% of white people say that belief in God is "necessary to be moral" versus 55% of Hispanic people and 63% of black people. That's particularly remarkable because the median white person is 42 the median black person is 30, and the median Hispanic person is just 28. Religious belief increases with age, so black and Hispanic people in the age groups that vote heavily are likely even more religious compared to whites.

Hispanic people, meanwhile, are quite conservative on criminal justice issues. They are consistently more conservative than white people when it comes to ending things like mandatory minimums for drug crimes. Again, this is remarkable considering the age distributions. It's very interesting to look at polls of Hispanic people's' opinions with respect to policing and the George Floyd protests: [https://docs.cdn.yougov.com/7msyzunum9/tabs_HP_Police_Reform...](https://docs.cdn.yougov.com/7msyzunum9/tabs_HP_Police_Reform_20200608.pdf)

8% of both Hispanic and white people say the system needs "no improvements" compared to 3% of black people. Just 21 and 22% of Hispanic people and white people, respectively, say the police system is "not sound" and "needs significant changes" versus 45% of black people. On nearly every policing issue, Hispanic people are a bit more liberal than white people, but I'm not even sure that difference would remain if accounting for age differences.

On the economic front, asians and Hispanics are close to white people in capitalism versus socialism, with just about a third of each group supporting socialism: [https://www.cato.org/blog/59-americans-have-favorable- views-...](https://www.cato.org/blog/59-americans-have-favorable-views- capitalism-59-have-unfavorable-views-socialism). Again, an interesting result given that support for socialism goes down significantly with age, and both Hispanics and Asians are significantly younger than whites.

Right now, a lot of conservative people of color are forced into a coalition with increasingly radical white progressives due to real and perceived Republican racism. When that pressure disappears, I think you'll see a reshuffling of the coalitions. I can already see the seeds of this happening. My parents are Bangladeshi immigrants. They've voted Democrat in every selection since they became naturalized citizens. They voted for Hilary Clinton not because she was the lesser of two evils, but because they liked her. They're the people who overturned the Sanders/Warren applecart when they got around to tuning into the Democratic primary. My mom explained to me today what _she thinks_ makes America great. "You can drive to an intersection at 1 am and if there is a red light, people will stop. Even if the streets are totally empty, people will stop and wait for the green light." She is worried about the protests and said "if we aren't going to have law and order in America why shouldn't I go back to Bangladesh?"

My dad is the more progressive of the two. He's a Clinton Democrat who likes that Bill cherry picked the best parts of the Republican agenda. He is alarmed at the Warren/Sanders wing and was very nervous when everyone thought Biden was done. His take on the idea that billionaires shouldn't exist: "that's stupid." He's upset that people are lobbying to change the name of the high school I went to (Thomas Jefferson in Virginia). But he is convinced that the Clinton/Biden/Obama camp will hold, and says "America is an established country, you won't see radical change."

<comment><USER26> Where by "forced into a coalition with increasingly radical white progressives", you probably mean "are running the table in a a party with a noisy but politically ineffective faction of radical white progressives". Did we not just watch the same 2020 Democratic primary? In the primary I watched, two small, white, disorganized primaries created a brief and embarrassing media blip of Sanders inevitability, followed by an unholy whupping in every subsequent primary state. Sanders lost Washtenaw County Michigan to Biden. Washtenaw is Ann Arbor. He lost the Berkeley of the Rust Belt. To Joe Biden.

A lot of what you have to say about politics is well-taken. From everything I understand, you're right: people of color are indeed more conservative than Very Online White People. But then it seems like you go a little off the rails: the (relative) conservatism of Hispanic and black voters is reflected in the Democratic party. If there's a shuffling of the party, it's going to be angry DSA people to a long trip to the political wilderness of the Green Party.

<comment><USER25> I agree with you, and at least I meant to say the same thing. I read OP's teacher as saying that when the US became majority-minority, that would eliminate the remaining roadblocks to a progressive remaking of America. And I think that's premised on the misunderstanding that because people of color vote Democrat, they agree with progressive white Democrats that such a remaking would be desirable.

As you observe, the 2020 Primary is an example of this phenomenon. Progressives try to explain it away by saying suggesting "people of color really agree with Warren, they're just more concerned about electability." But my guess is that for the most part they, like my parents, actually _like_ Biden. And that should give anyone who believes in "demographic destiny" pause.</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment>


Knex.js - A SQL Query Builder for Javascript - <AUTHOR> http://knexjs.org

<comment><USER2> just want to add a blog post I wrote a time ago: [http://thinkingonthinking.com/Bookshelf-an-ORM-for- Node/](http://thinkingonthinking.com/Bookshelf-an-ORM-for-Node/)</comment>


How to speed up massive data analysis by eliminating disk seeks - <AUTHOR> http://petewarden.typepad.com/searchbrowser/2010/01/how-to-speed-up-massive-data-set-analysis-by-eliminating-disk-seeks.html

<comment><AUTHOR> I'm _certain_ I'm re-inventing the wheel with this approach, but I obviously haven't been researching in the right places, since I hadn't run across this approach before I cobbled it together.

I'm expecting an education on what I'm missing from the HN community!

<comment><USER2> The "external sorting" chapter of TAoCP might also be interresting in this context (5.4 in Vol. 3), even though Knuth thought that "the once-crucial topic of patterns for tape merging has become of limited relevance to currnt needs" (p. 251) due to the rapid development of disks in the 80s and 90s, so that his exposition might "be their last grabd appearance before they acept a final curtain call." Little did he know that disk would soon become the new tape... To his credit, he ended the introduction to the chapter with the citation "for all we know now, these techniques may well become crucial again."

</comment></comment><comment><USER3> Yes, you are reinventing the wheel. This kind of approach has been used for decades in disk drive controllers. You sort track accesses in ascending or descending order to prevent longer seeks. It's called the "elevator algorithm".

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevator_algorithm>

This is combined with tag queuing, where multiple requests can be accepted from the host at once. The greater your tag depth, the more insight the controller gets into future seeks.

<comment><AUTHOR> Interesting - so in those terms I'm creating a massively deep queue of access requests, and then sorting them into an optimal order.

</comment></comment><comment><USER4> Random access is _always_ slower than linear reading. Even if you aren't going to disk, you can avoid blowing out the processor cache and having to get from main system memory. Ram is a cache, and L2 is a cache, &c. What you are doing is pretty normal "old-school" unix programming.

</comment><comment><USER5> it is a good point that classical dbms's aren't always good, however the method that a dbms uses to perform queries are always good to know. the author here implemented a sort-merge-join which is one of the classic implementations of join algorithm. for a good overview of the trade offs between various the various join and sort algorithms see "Principles of Database & Knowledge-Base Systems Vol. 2" by Jeff Ullman. The first chapter in the book is the one you want. It is dated but therefore cheap if you get it used.

here is the worldcat link <http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/439156325>

<comment><AUTHOR> Cheers! That's exactly the sort of reference I was hoping for.

</comment></comment><comment><USER6> Take this post with a grain of salt, since I have the zeal of a recently saved sinner, but you should try using Hive and Hadoop for this sort of thing.

We recently switched from a workflow that is very similar to the one you describe to using Hive with Amazon's elastic map reduce. Hive presents a SQL- like layer of abstraction over exactly this sort of thing. Instead of doing the sorting and merging by hand, you simply write it as a series of joins. It's like writing SQL, except the actual implementation works almost exactly like what you're doing.

Integrating simple Ruby scripts for JSON processing was also trivial.

Elastic MapReduce also had near-zero infrastructure and management overhead for us (besides the 10% Amazon charges for the machine instances). We use S3 for all data input and output, which is perfect for us.

Even when running on a single machine, using Hive was a big win in terms of development time, and performance of the jobs seemed only slightly slower that using Unix utilities on big text files. It's almost a bonus that we can also scale it out to dozens of machines, for a huge speedup. Running a job that took several hours on a single machine took less than five minutes, and only a few hours of EC2 machine time. Cheap and easy!

</comment><comment><USER7> This is basically a map reduce. You should look at hadoop as you start doing more complicated stuff.

<comment><USER8> The sort mode is map-reduce style, but the overall idea was to put data sequentially on disk before you process it.

</comment></comment><comment><USER9> You should check out this paper: Disk is the new ram <http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/gene/papers/acm-viewpoint08.pdf> It's really neat.

</comment><comment><USER10> You can even combine this approach with split and parallel make to do a cheap single-machine parallel sort. I use a little script that generates a Makefile that can be called with make -j n that splits an input file, sorts the parts, and then merges them with sort -m. It's proved to be quite handy.

</comment><comment><USER11> Where do you store the processed data for recall? It seems you have data per fan page as well as a google style suggest index of those page names.

<comment><AUTHOR> I'm actually storing out the data as text files containing json in the file system, one per fan page. I normally use Mongo, Redis, Tokyo or MySQL for this sort of thing, but since I'd already done all of the processing that they normally help me with as operations on disk files, I thought I'd try sticking with the low-tech theme.

</comment></comment><comment><USER12> This is precisely how data is stored in ranges within HBase/Hypertable. Your data is also sorted between mapping and reducing.

</comment><comment><USER13> is it really faster to write to a bunch of text files, sort them to a new bigger text file, and then do the insert? seems like a lot of extra steps, all involving a lot of reading and writing..

<comment><USER14> It depends. For example, what's the balance between reading and writing, how stream-oriented your processing is, how important is random access between different records, etc.

This approach can be easily augmented too. For example, doing a binary search for a particular line in a text file when you don't have all the lines in RAM is somewhat tedious; it can be made much easier by creating a simple index for the file, consisting of a flat array of the file offset of every line start. That flat array can be stored in a file also; then, both the total number of lines and the contents of a line at any given index are trivial to retrieve.

If you have to handle a small number of updates while still handling lots of reads, then you can use a two-layer approach. Keep a cache of all pending updates in memory in an efficient manner (e.g. hash table), and look up the cache before falling back to the disk; and when writing, both update the cache and write out to an update log, which can be sorted and included in the main store later, when it makes sense.

</comment></comment><comment><USER15> how about not using a mechanical disk.

solid state seeks are like 10 or 50 times faster.

<comment><USER16> because (as it says in the article) he's running on EC2 and it isn't an option.</comment></comment>


Is chess the best game to prepare you for a life in business? I think so. - <AUTHOR> http://www.fuzedmarketing.com/home/the-case-for-chess/

<comment><USER2> Compare and contrast with Go. I would claim that Go is better preparation for life. Everyone is equal, but by cooperating you can carve out and control territory, and create influence. Sometimes sacrifices are necessary, part and parcel of the larger strategy.

I could go on, but I'm not a good writer, and hence not as convincing. Suffice it to say that all the points made in the article apply equally well, if not more so, to Go.

Perhaps the author is just ignorant of the alternatives.

</comment><comment><USER3> the only problem is that chess says you have equal and opposite resources, additionally all potential moves can be anticipated.

While chess will allow you to learn about strategy, real world application may require additional skills or ability to create additional moves</comment>


Show HN: The First Few Users of Your App - <AUTHOR> https://medium.com/@saadsahawneh/the-first-few-users-of-your-app-ae8abb9542e9 <comment><USER2> How did you actually get those first few users? What was your biggest source of traffic?</comment>


Show HN: Get featured on a famous billboard in Times Square with 1 click - <AUTHOR> Hey HN!
BroadBoard is the simplest & most affordable way to get your product featured on one of the most famous billboards in Times Square. We just launched on Product Hunt: https://www.producthunt.com/posts/broadboard-times-square!
Normally advertising in Times Square requires 7-figure budgets and months-long commitments.
We've organized a partnership with the management behind the famous Thomson Reuters sign in the heart of Times Square to let startups share exciting news about their companies & products on their billboard for a fraction of the cost: just $500 per feature.
This is one of the largest digital signs in the world (22 stories tall), adjacent from the Hard Rock Cafe and the site of the New Years Eve Ball on 43rd Street & 7th Avenue. See it on Google Street View here: https://goo.gl/jgp1W8)!
Every BroadBoard feature comes with a feature on the Thomson Reuters billboard, a full press release, a photo of your feature on the sign, and distribution to our network of 1,400 content websites.
Really excited to share this––would love to hear your thoughts!
https://broadboard.club
–– Matt, Aaron, & Frances
PS: This is our 11th product in our 24 in 12 months challenge, 3rd product in 2 weeks (Read about the challenge here: https://westvesey.com/why-were-building-24-businesses-in-12-...) <comment><USER2> [https://broadboard.club](https://broadboard.club) is a broken link... :(

<comment><AUTHOR> Are you sure? It's working for us!</comment></comment>


Ask HN: SaaSers, how do you backup your customer's data? (details please) - <AUTHOR>

Everybody that runs a SaaS app, or some online web business, where the safety and security of your customer's data is paramount, how do you secure it and back it up?
I would love to know your main host (e.g. Heroku, Engine Yard, Rackspace, MediaTemple, etc.) and who you use for your backup.
Be as detailed as possible - e.g. a quick overview of your service and the data you store (images for instance), what happens with the images when the user uploads them (e.g. they go to your Linode VPS, and posted to the site for them to see - then they are automatically sent to AWS or wherever, then once a week they are backed up to tape by the managed hosting provider, and you also back them up to your house/office).
If you could also give some idea as to what the unit cost (per GB/per user/per month) of storage is - on average, I would really appreciate that.
Getting ready to launch my app, and I would love to get some more perspective on the nitty gritty details involved.
Thanks! <comment><USER2> I handle operations for a relatively large online collaboration service. We have nearly 200GB of relational data in MySQL databases, and about 20TB of user-generated content.

We own our own server hardware, so we have a few file storage servers for the user-generated content. These servers run MogileFS, which is configured to replicate 3 copies of every file across the cluster. Since we have copies on 3 different servers, we don't use RAID on the file servers. Storing 3 copies means that we can handle a drive failure, or take a server down for maintenance, and still have 2 copies of every file.

Every hour, we perform offsite backups with a homegrown script. The script looks for new files and makes a backup on an offsite server. This script keeps its own database of exactly which files have already been backed up. (We could just use the timestamp to determine which files to copy, but that wouldn't allow us to "backfill" backups when needed. We could also just check the remote server for the presence of each file, but with 150 million files in MogileFS, that would take forever!)

Our remote backups are encrypted using a symmetric key. This is actually quite elegant. We have a single master backup key. The private key is stored in a safe deposit box, and the public key is available on all of our file servers. Backups are encrypted using the master public key. This means they can all be decrypted with the master private key, but even if our servers are all compromised, the attacker would not be able to gain access to the encrypted backups.

We use Backup Manager to handle our MySQL database backups and other miscellaneous server backups. Backup Manager is awesome -- it handles everything automatically, like encrypting the backups and sending them off- site. Backup Manager performs incremental backups of specified directories on the servers, and runs mysqldump for our databases.

You can even pipe other tools through Backup Manager -- for example, I'm testing Percona XtraBackup with Backup Manager for faster MySQL backups. (Technically, XtraBackup doesn't speed up the backups -- it speeds up restores. Without XtraBackup, it was taking almost a week to restore our 40GB MogileFS database. It helped to tune MySQL, but even then the restore performance was not adequate. I've just started testing XtraBackup, which may allow us to restore the database in hours, not days.)

I strongly recommend using Backup Manager -- it's ridiculously quick to set up, and handles all the mechanics of establishing remote backup. I've even started using it on two of my own personal servers, storing encrypted backups on Amazon S3. Until your data set is very large, Backup Manager should be able to handle everything for you, including server config, source code, and user data. It's automatic, encrypted, and very simple to use.

<comment><USER3> typo: "a symmetric" (an asymmetric?)

Would you consider using duplicity instead? Unfortunately the site seems to be down (which might be one answer...) <http://duplicity.nongnu.org/>

<comment><USER2> Errr... we use public-key encryption. :)

I haven't used Duplicity myself so I can't really compare it to Backup Manager. I've been super pleased with Backup Manager.

<comment><USER3> public key encryption is called "aysmmetric". that's because you have two keys (one public and one private).

symmetric key is when you have a single key (and have to keep it secret).

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER4> A small shop, with a few custom web apps:

\- We have several virtual servers for hosting. Most of them from the same hosting provider (close geographically), but also a small Slicehost server used mostly for backup and DNS.

\- A cron script does mysqldump for each server, and targzips the applications themselves, including uploaded content (daily, at about 4 in the morning)

\- An hour later another script makes copies of the backups to at least another server. In one instance, it encrypts the mysql dump before copying it.

\- There's backup history for the sql dumps, but not for the application archives (too big). Backups older then 7 days are deleted.

\- A script on my desktop computer (run on restart) downloads the last backups, and also synchronizes locally stuff to big to be copied (WinSCP)

\- There's also at least one form of more "immediate" backup. In the application logic, most updates are stored in the database. More than once this has been useful, usually for finding and repairing user mistakes.

</comment><comment><USER5> Main site is Linode.

MongoDB slaved to offsite location (my basement right now!), and rsync other misc filesystem-based data daily.

Weekly dump to S3 in case of crazy double failure.

I might just drop that and switch to the Linode backups thingy, but I was a bit nervous about what a restore would actually look like in that case.

(edit, obviously I'm still rinky-dinky so don't put too much stock in my answer :)</comment>


Lawmakers Issued License Plates 'Invisible' To Traffic Cams - <AUTHOR> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130805/08323124067/lawmakers-issued-license-plates-that-make-them-invisible-to-traffic-cams-parking-tickets.shtml

<comment><USER2> Well this comes as a surprise to no one.

Though I am slightly taken aback that a police officer would even give a ticket to an FBI car, I guess this is for unmarked cars... which lends the question, why does the FBI have so many unmarked cars in DC (as compared to any other large metro area)?

</comment><comment><USER3> Why would you travel in a car that essentially had a big "something dodgy" flag on it? What is the advantage of a number plate that is not in the DMV database (apart from avoiding tickets?)

Or is the implication that traffic cams routinely track and report the location of every number plate - and access is so widespread that its bound to be leaked to the criminals?</comment>


Jobric.com - Taking the search out of job search - <AUTHOR> http://jobric.com/

<comment><AUTHOR> My side project. Currently listing and parsing Australian job listings.</comment>


What to Do When a Loved One Is Severely Depressed - <AUTHOR> https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/07/health/depression-suicide-helping.html <comment><USER2> I feel like this should be left here:

Everybody you meet has a secret smile, and a secret pain.

If your secret pain feels like a weight you can no longer carry, please talk to someone. Anyone. Lay down your burdens, and give your shoulders a rest.

If you're in the US, there's the National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255

LGBT folks in the US might also consider The Trevor Project Lifeline: 1-866-488-7386

I don't know about international numbers or other region- or culture-specific services; perhaps others can reply with the ones they're aware of.

<comment><USER3> If you're in the US, you may also wish to think twice before calling the cops on a loved one, particularly if they're only a danger to themselves (and not you or others). Police in the US rarely receive training[0] in dealing with suicidal individuals, and are instead trained to escalate the situation and or use violence for a resolution[1].

There are numerous examples of the police turning up on a suicide call and killing the individual, even when unarmed[2][3]. They simply aren't qualified to deal with suicidal individuals and should only be used when other's safety is at stake.

[0] [http://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/375040-police-need- mor...](http://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/375040-police-need-more-mental- health-training)

[1] [https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/12/police-...](https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/12/police- gun-shooting-training-ferguson/383681/)

[2] [https://www.thedailybeast.com/unarmed-teen-killed-by- police-...](https://www.thedailybeast.com/unarmed-teen-killed-by-police-was- simply-backing-his-moms-minivan-out-of-garage-lawsuit-claims)

[3] [https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/11/02/santa-clara-da- clears...](https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/11/02/santa-clara-da-clears- officer-who-fatally-shot-mentally-ill-suicidal-man/)

<comment><USER4> I suspect this is a driver of the increased suicide rate. People are afraid to tell others because they don't want to deal with the police/authorities, so they don't get the help they need.

My sister attempted suicide as a teenager and the police that responded spent hours ransacking our home and further tormenting my family for no good reason. Then to think of her being locked up in the hospital (I wasn't able to see her for at least a week).

If I were having such thoughts, I certainly wouldn't tell anyone for this precise reason.

<comment><USER5> There also seems to be this weird stigma about admitting that you have ever contemplated suicide. People seem to take that as some sort of signal that you are completely unhinged.

Maybe I'm a nutcase, but I've taken the time to prepare a set of scenarios under which I would no longer want to live, and think about what would need to be taken care of to exit the world without undue burden on those that depend on me. That seems like an eminently rational thing to do.

<comment><USER6> >> ...but I've taken the time to prepare a set of scenarios under which I would no longer want to live, and think about what would need to be taken care of...

I believe professionals would categorize what you wrote there as "planning suicide". So long as you have not started "taking care of" those things you have not begun executing your plan. Planning is a rather big step beyond contemplating - I hope you're doing better now. You may also want to consider that actually getting your affairs in order could be an enabler.

<comment><USER5> See, this is exactly what I am talking about.

It's evaluating a set of contingencies. Like, the general staffs of armies make war plans that they will never execute, unless the particular parameters fall in place, all the time. To do otherwise would be irresponsible.

<comment><USER7> I think what is missing is what set of circumstances would trigger you to execute your plans. If it's "world wide epidemic which causes extreme pain and suffering with less than 5% chance of survival" that is one thing. However if you are planning your suicide in case you lose your job or your significant other cheats on you then that would be concerning and reason to seek help.

<comment><USER8> There's no need to imagine such an epidemic. We're all going to die. And sometimes that involves extended periods of pain and suffering, with no chance of survival. In civilized places, voluntary euthanasia is available. Elsewhere, one needs to plan ahead.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER9> One thing that helped me was seeing depressed thoughts as transient entities, not belonging to me, but just passing through my mind once and a while.

It's like a weird dream. If you have a weird dream, you don't think, "oh I'm weird", you think, "that was a weird dream". It's the same with depressed thoughts: if you see them as "oh that's a depressing thought", rather than, "I'm depressing", then it's easier for those thoughts to go away. (usually when your blood sugar goes up or something like that)

<comment><USER10> This is very important. One of the first steps of recovery is refusing to identify with depressive thoughts.

<comment><USER11> also the first steps to enlightenment. Applies to all thoughts and emotions.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER12> "Remember, people do recover from depression"

That IMHO seems to be as much of a taboo as having depression itself for a lot of people... it's hard to convince someone that depression is seriously real, and equally hard to convince people [affected by their loving one's] depression is not like terminal cancer.

<comment><USER13> Recovery is just another step in the process.

You don't forget what it's like to start to suffocate in the abyss.

You don't forget what it's like to know that dying is easier than any other option available to you and that it's a blink of an eye away.

It scars you

<comment><USER14> Occasionally Fugazi's "I'm So Tired" will come on and I am instantly reminded of the worst parts of my depression. It's been years and years since I was that severely depressed, but that feeling can overwhelm me in an instant when I listen to that song. Just remembering the terrible place I was in brings tears to my eyes because I know how close I got to never experiencing all the joy in my life that came afterward.

<comment><USER15> I had a similar experience when driving by the house I lived in when I was at my worst. It was a dark subtle dread unique to that experience. It made me come to realize just how badly I was and how far I have come

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER16> As much as I know all of these things, the attitude my loved one has has killed the love out of me. Constant negativity, agitation, it's just tiring. I just can't seem to not take it personal, and to have a mindset that it is the disease and not the person.

I can't figure out how to start loving the person again.

<comment><USER11> Four years ago I was at this point. I talked with a number of psychologists and therapists about this. One of them said: "Have you wondered if your anxiety is really because of your relationship". And so began the steps to disengage and end the relationship.

I don't regret it now. I could not and still cannot keep my empathy separate from the suffering of others. The alternative would have been to harden my emotions and become like a rock. My opinion is that depression does transfer and it is contagious. Just as laughter and joy is contagious. I choose my company wisely now and cannot bear to be around negativity anymore, it just catches and makes me numb to everything.

I choose being sad and ecstatic even while they alternate to extreme highs and lows. I refuse to heal anyone anymore.

<comment><USER6> Whatever anyone says about this, don't feel bad about it. We are not all the same - some can deal with it and some can not. Therapists actually have a high burn-out rate because listening to other peoples issues can get to them. It's great that you've established this boundary for yourself.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER15> This is the quintessential video for understanding clinical depression. A Stanford lecture given by Dr Sapolsky:

[https://youtu.be/NOAgplgTxfc](https://youtu.be/NOAgplgTxfc)

I highly recommend watching it to better understand the disease.

<comment><USER17> Someone else (maybe it was you) shared this recently on hn and I watched it and don't regret a single minute. Insanely informative and the style of presentation where one covers the history of our understanding of a topic is possibly my favorite.

</comment></comment><comment><USER18> I started reading with a lot of interest, but this line caused me to close the window:

> In some cases, calling 911 may be the best option.

It seems so tone-deaf. More accurate is:

> In cases where life is at stake, consider calling 911, but if you do, know > that police will likely respond first and may not be trained to deal with a > mental health crisis. In some cases, people have been brutalized or even > killed after seeking help from poorly trained law enforcement.

<comment><USER19> If only you had continued reading one more sentence!

> But remember that interactions with law enforcement can vary wildly, > depending on race and socio-economic background. In cases where you're > concerned that calling police could put a person in danger, try to come up > with an alternate plan in advance.

<comment><USER18> Indeed you're right. I can't believe I missed that sentence, and I agree that it does a lot to address my concerns.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER20> I am an Australian. You must NOT take your loved one to an ED if they mention they have had suicidal thoughts. You simply cannot trust that they will be treated with respect and dignity.

Two and a bit years ago I was having suicidal thoughts. I had an episode and left the house in distress, but eventually arrived back home where my wife comforted me and my suicidal thoughts went away, and yet I was ripped from my bed and taken to hospital where I was thrown into a seclusion room for five and a half hours. There is no clinical documentation, I'm not in the seclusion register, there was no explanation given, I wasn't assessed until hours later someone turned up, said I was fine and not only did I leave the room - I left the hospital!

The authorities do not care, they leave you powerless, stripped of your dignity and autonomy and in some cases your life can be at risk. The following review was done last year by the NSW Chief Psychiatrist and it is absolutely damning:

[http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/patients/mentalhealth/Documents...](http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/patients/mentalhealth/Documents/report- seclusion-restraint-observation.pdf)

I have been trying to get justice and answers for two and a half years. I went to the body who is meant to investigate these matters after the health service denied I was even in seclusion, they did nothing.

The Hospital has now acknowledged I was in seclusion. They have literally just now started to find out about my lack of clinical records it's, but they don't think they'll ever find out who threw me in that room.

I now have severe PTSD, completely distrust the medical profession and will never speak of suicide to any medical professional ever again, and I strongly believe that anyone who does so takes a grave risk of being abused or mistreated by uncaring "professionals" who act more like jailers than carers. Certainly an ED is the very last place you want to go to - they simply do not care about depressed or suicidal people and you will almost certainly be thrown into a psych ward. Your rights will be servely curtailed, your decision making ignored and removed and it can be very hard to get out of such places.

</comment><comment><USER21> Someone close to me once shared this as the best representation of how depression feels to them.

It was really helpful in helping me understand in a way that I hadn't been able to before.

* [http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2011/10/adventures-in-...](http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2011/10/adventures-in-depression.html)

* [http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2013/05/depression-par...](http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2013/05/depression-part-two.html)

</comment><comment><USER22> A friend of mine died last year in his 20s from related issues.

It's unfortunate to see the events bringing it to light, but I'm glad to see the issue receiving greater public attention.

In the US at least, suicides have been and continue to be much more prevalent than homicides.

<comment><USER23> Its not just the US. Its widespread in India and spans different age groups as well: from destitute farmers to students from pretty wealthy families. And I'm sure in other countries as well... so yes I too am glad this is getting more attention.

</comment></comment><comment><USER24> Great article, but what is this about? Is this really true?

> But remember that interactions with law enforcement can vary wildly, > depending on race and socio-economic background.

<comment><USER25> Sadly yes.

I honestly don't have any numbers to backup my feelings, but I know that a lot of people truly fear the police, and possibly for good reasons.

A while ago we had to call the police on a loved one that we were fearing was suicidal. By the end of the whole night the only thing that happened was the loved one was stuck with a rather large hospital bill as they were admitted (then discharged the next day), and they were cited for having the registration of their car be several months past due BY the cops that were sent to their house.

There are also countless stories online of people (often minorities) calling police or having the police called _for_ them, but they end up getting injured or even killed in the process. There are also reports of cops entering the house of someone that was reported as suicidal with their guns drawn...

Not to mention that with drug laws in the US, someone with contraband or illegal drugs in their house or on their person might be risking everything just interacting with police.

I don't really want to get into the debate about how police should act, or a debate about guns or laws or racism or what is warranted or not or drug laws or whatever else right now, but I do want to point out that for some people, the police might be more of a "threat" than help. And even if statistically the police aren't that likely to hurt someone, the frequency that it's happening and the growing resentment on both "sides" can make it so that many people will want to attempt other solutions before involving police.

<comment><USER24> Honestly I wasn't trying to start any sort of debate either, I just didn't know that was really something people have to be aware of.

That's very sad. I feel bad not knowing that's the way things are now.

<comment><USER25> It's absolutely not like that everywhere, or for everyone, but for many it's a real problem, and it's not one that has an easy solution.

And I'm kind of upset that your comment is getting downvoted so much, as it's a very valid question.

Growing up I was taught to trust the police, that if something was wrong to go to them and they will help, that they were safe and would protect me. But at this point in my life I'm honestly not sure if I would teach the same to my children. And that thought terrifies me because I honestly can't think of a scenario where these kinds of feelings end well for society in general.

<comment><USER26> Statistics show that such a danger is very tiny compared to the benefit of seeking the aid of law enforcement for every race, even if you don't filter out cases where the officer was purposefully antagonized. Social media and 24/7 news is incentivized to publicize negative outliers. Similar to fear around radical terrorism - there is a pattern, but statistically it's not an issue worth altering your lifestyle around.

The discussion is largely rooted in anecdata and can be interpreted multiple ways due to the relatively low number of lethal events: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/07/13/why-a...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/07/13/why- a-massive-new-study-on-police-shootings-of-whites-and-blacks-is-so- controversial/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.0d154ec29d91)

<comment><USER25> Which is only one part of my comment, and it's the one that (in my experience) people worry about the least (but it's always the one that people like to talk about the most).

What about the problem of police causing massive medical bills? What about the issue of fearing police involvement because they may charge you with a petty crime that can cause you significant issues? Or the worry that you could be arrested and jailed for having small amounts of marijuana which is legal just a few states over during an interaction with police? What about the worry of putting an office with their gun drawn in front of a suicidal person?

And even if none of that actually happens ever in "real life", the fear of it happening can be just as bad. It causes resentment, it causes kids to grow up fearing the police, it causes police to fear those who hate them, and instinctively act less friendly and helpful to them.

It's a problem that from where I'm standing looks like it can only get worse and worse. The police are no longer thought of as on "your side", and telling people that "statistically they aren't that likely to kill you" isn't going to solve anything.

<comment><USER27> I know a few cops, and they tell me that they don't worry about small amounts of weed (even though it's not legal here) because the local prosecutor doesn't want to bother with those cases. He has bigger fish to fry.

It's not that way everywhere, but many cops are going to look at the big picture and try to do what's "right" rather than be anal about arresting people for minor transgressions.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER28> A couple things that helped me when I was severely depressed and suicidal:

1) I _can_ kill myself, at any time, if I want to. I'm in control and nobody can take that away. Paradoxically, understanding that made me feel better, because if I know I can do it at any time, why do it now? May as well wait a little while.

2) Make a checklist of essential tasks and get into a habit of doing those things _no matter what_. Some examples: shower, brush teeth, floss, use mouthwash, clip nails, walk 10k steps, do dishes, make bed etc. Check them off. It doesn't matter what's on the list, but it is important to check off 100% of the items each day. Put every small task you can think of on this list and you'll feel good when you check each of them off.

3) Take a good multivitamin + vitamin D

4) Eat healthier. Fresh steamed spinach and wild salmon always made me feel a little better for whatever reason.

5) Get out of the house! Walk! This is really important.

6) Go to the gym. Aim for at least a couple minutes of sprints per day (I like the rowing machine for this). Sprints are holy time in that suicidal thoughts will completely disappear, if only for those few minutes.

7) Walk through a dangerous part of town. Nothing gets rid of depressive thoughts faster than rising blood pressure and a fast heartbeat.

8) Get rid of as much decision-making as possible in your life. Turn decisions into mechanical rules. e.g. don't think "do i want to brush my teeth today?" You need to brush your teeth in order to cross it off your list.

9) Sleep will naturally improve on its own, over time, if you exercise, move around, and eat healthier, so don't worry if you currently have trouble sleeping.

10) This book is pretty good, but only read after you've eaten healthy, gone outside, and exercised: [https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Good-Life-Ancient- Stoic/dp/0195...](https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Good-Life-Ancient- Stoic/dp/0195374614)

What _didn 't_ work for me was: thinking about all the people i'd hurt, calling a hotline, any decision-making that wasn't mechanical and required reasoning, insight, or motivation.

If you're suicidal right now, start by putting some shoes on, going outside, and sprinting until you can't breathe anymore. Do this 3 times.

</comment><comment><USER29> Good stuff, but I've learned the hard way that most therapists have no idea what they're doing. If someone is not feeling better after 6-8 sessions, they need to get a new therapist. It's all too easy to get into a codependent relationship with a therapist that only enables the depression or anxiety to persist.

<comment><USER30> I had a therapist that once suggested taking herbs for an non-treatable medical issue and another time antibiotics for a cold.

I can't believe I actually paid money to see her.

<comment><USER31> I had a therapist once who suggested that my anxiety was the product of excessively high expectations, and I would feel better if I stopped expecting colleagues to do things like tell the truth. I quit therapy, and also quit that job. I felt much better after doing both!

<comment><USER20> So you essentially stopped having high expectations of your therapist and consequently stopped paying her :-)

<comment><USER31> Yes, and I suppose if I'd had the option of stopping the company from paying my colleagues I would have been fine with stopping my expectations of them as well :)

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER32> Not sure if this is substantiated or refuted by any clinical research, but through experience I believe depression to be a side effect of the mind being absent any existential threats that would, as an animal, threaten your survival on a daily basis: searching for food, maintaining shelter, guarding yourself or each other from predators. As we become farther and farther away our primal origins, the mind needs to invent challenges, obstacles and worry.

<comment><USER15> That's one theory. Another is that our society has so many more intangible responsibilities, obligations, serious decisions, and opportunities for failure (oh and consequences, every single action through out the day brings consequences that our minds are overloaded and constantly anxious.

And research has found that anxiety and depression are tightly linked.

</comment></comment><comment><USER33> I have struggled with depression for over half of my life. This sentence really struck me: "If you want to say something positive, focus on highlighting what he means to you".

I teared up because it is so true.

Give it a try if someone you love has depression.

</comment><comment><USER34> > A severely depressed friend needs professional assistance from a > psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker or another medical professional.

This is an example of a troubling pattern often seen when talking about "depression". Depressed mood can be a symptom of numerous medical conditions. That means you need to write down _all_ observed symptoms and see a doctor to diagnose or rule out those conditions. It's a bad idea to jump straight to psychology or psychiatry just because your most distressing symptoms are psychological. It's an especially bad idea to get committed to a psychiatric hospital with an undiagnosed chronic condition that psychiatrists don't specialize in treating.

</comment><comment><USER35> I'm uncomfortable with the idea that someone who is in agony must be kept alive at all costs.

<comment><USER36> I used to think like this, but not any more.

The agony is temporary. The not being alive is permanent. It's an irrational suboptimal decision that they would regret 2 years later. It makes sense to help them.

It's like helping your friend quit smoking. They will be agonized for a few months, but eventually will get out of the addiction and be thankful.

<comment><USER35> I agree that in general that is the right approach.

However, some people suffer with chronic depression for their entire lives. What makes me uncomfortable is that no exceptions are ever allowed. Every sufferer must continue to stay alive indefinitely no matter how much pain they are in.

I understand why this idea will forever be taboo, but it still bothers me.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER37> What I did is watch the 8 hour docuseries at www.brokenbrain.com and learn from 50 doctors what the various causes are and how to treat these caused. It did help me a lot to understand depression but my depressed son does not want to watch the docuseries. Sigh.

<comment><USER38> Why should he want to? When I was very depressed I would have hated nothing more than being made to watch 8 hours of something meaningless to me.

What helps (I would think) with depression would be things like "fitting in", "feeling valid", "feeling purpose", "not feeling shame", ""not having social anxiety", "sleeping well", "being fit", "having a healthy community", "having fulfilling hobbies", "having a healthy friend group", "having healthy family relationships".

not "knowing more about how depression works".

<comment><USER39> You listed a pile of goals, not tools. Understanding how depression works can be a tool.

<comment><USER38> I'm not saying that a depressed person wouldn't want to understand how depression works, just that they don't _necessarily_ want to, and it's wrong to be annoyed that they don't.

<comment><USER38> Addendum:

I also don't believe that doctors _really_ talk what the 'various causes are'.

I've been depressed, very much so, and I've read books that summarize scientific reading about depression like The Upward Spiral[0], and I feel like they _miss the point_ , somehow. Like: we're great at finding treatments and things that work for individual people, but I sort-of think that the problem with depression is fundamentally _everyone else_ , ie, 'society is sick', and we treat it as a personal problem because well of course doctors can't prescribe fixes to society, but they can for a person, so it's all stopgaps that don't address the "real problem".

I think that often depressed people have an idea of this -- that it is the existence around them that is sick, somehow -- and so no amount of suggestions (which indeed _might actually help_ ) quite gets to the bottom of that because it is the world that is fundamentally wrong. (Or specifically it is the nature of how they currently fit into the world.) From a treatment standpoint yes of course they should do the things that will probably help them, and people around them should be empowered to get them to do the things that will help them. But for the person that is struggling that really doesn't _feel_ like the answer, and I think that they're not wrong.

(By 'society is sick' I mean that the person does not, for whatever reason, exist in the mentally healthy setting that their brain was 'designed' to exist in -- a healthy community, the right kinds of relationships, the emotional mentors and sources of wisdom that provide the right kinds of useful guidance, a body that works the way that it's supposed to, physically and mentally, etc; and a world around them that makes sense, that they can feasibly _cope_ with, which is exactly the opposite of the nihilism induced by news of politics and global tragedies.)

[0]: ([https://smile.amazon.com/Upward-Spiral-Neuroscience- Reverse-...](https://smile.amazon.com/Upward-Spiral-Neuroscience-Reverse- Depression/dp/1626251207))

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER40> Ensure they are getting adequate folate, noting that normal blood levels may not indicate functional sufficiency [1][2]:

"Folate deficiencies may lead to an increased risk of depression and poorer antidepressant treatment outcomes..."

"...deficiencies may be caused by improper absorption and utilization, often due to genetic polymorphisms."

"Supplementation with the active form of folate, (methylfolate), which is more readily absorbed, may be effective in the prevention and treatment of both depression and dementia."

"...(methylfolate) indicated efficacy as adjunctive therapy or monotherapy in reducing depressive symptoms in patients with normal and low folate levels..."

[1] [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19909688](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19909688)

[2] [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17900207](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17900207)

<comment><USER41> Yes. There is a subset of patients with depression who have either of two different genetic polymorphisms for methyeneltetrahydrofolate reductase. This may be causally linked to their depression. [1]

Supplementing diet with a modified form of folate appears to diminish depression in patients with these particular polymorphisms.

My understanding is that this is still a matter of controversy.

[1] [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1810582/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1810582/)

<comment><USER40> A few interesting things to note on this topic:

1) Prevalence of MTHFR gene variants you refer to is very high, e.g. 10%/50% for homo/heterozygous C677T SNP [1] (with frequencies varying substantially between ethnic groups).

2) Effects tend to be stronger with two copies of a variant (homozygous), but a single copy (heterozygous) may still be a concern, e.g. for C677T: "Individuals with the 677TT genotype, have approximately 30% the MTHFR enzyme activity of those with the 677CC genotype, whereas heterozygotes 677CT have around 65% of enzymatic activity" [2]

3) It seems odd to me that pharmacological dosages of folate are getting prescribed (I mean, it's a nutrient so why take it in doses that exceed the nutritional range?):

"The most active form of folate has recently been approved in the United States as a prescription medical food for depressed patients with folate deficiency. Doses are usually 7.5 to 15 mg/d". [3]

"Another concern is that folate doses > 800 μg/d can result in high levels of unmetabolized serum folic acid, reducing the amount of brain l-methylfolate and leading to decreased monoamines, an outcome that potentially increases the risk of or exacerbates depression." [3]

Folate RDA is 400-800 μg/d depending on pregnancy status [4]

[1] [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28847029](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28847029)

[2] [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3078648/#R6](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3078648/#R6)

[3] [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19909688](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19909688)

[4] [https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements- folate/art-2036...](https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements- folate/art-20364625)

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER42> It is unfortunate that stigma around mental illness causes most people to view psychiatric hospitals as places to avoid at all cost, as they have a stigma so terrible going to one is like dying multiple deaths. After that you're 'legally' crazy (whatever the fuck that means)!

In fact, if you need one, if you are severely depressed or hallucinating, a hospital is exactly the place for you. You will most likely love it there. They can help. They can really help. Everyone gets better in the hospital. Everyone. Not "1/3 get better, 1/3 stay the same, 1/3 get worse." Everyone in that sheltered environment rapidly improves. It is a vacation for the mind.

The question then becomes staying out of the hospital. Many people come back every few years, get to know the staff quite well, etc. Others develop a plan to address mounting depression early through ongoing treatment, partial hospitalization, etc.

<comment><USER43> Personally I'd avoid them at all costs due to the loss of control. You can't just decide "I'm done" or "I don't like it here", you getting released is at the discretion of people that you don't even know.

<comment><USER44> You are part of the problem - you're making it seem like some evil doctors tie you down. The reality is if you bring yourself to a hospital you just request to leave and . Doctors have the ability to petition the courts to keep you there. It goes to a US Court, not some evil medical doctor's back office.

[http://www.disabilityrightsohio.org/when-person-wants- releas...](http://www.disabilityrightsohio.org/when-person-wants-released- psych-hospital)

Even if you're forced to go a mental facility by family/friends/other, it must be legally addressed within 72 hours, and a physician must see you within 48.

[http://www.lcnewschronicle.com/opinion/columns/4390185-judge...](http://www.lcnewschronicle.com/opinion/columns/4390185-judges- view-how-civil-commitment-process-works)

<comment><USER43> Did you read this at all?

> If you have admitted yourself into a psychiatric hospital, you can not > simply sign yourself out and leave when you decide to do so. There is a > process which must be followed in order to leave.

<comment><USER44> That aligns with my previous comment. There is a fast legal process, not some arcane movie-like entrapment like your comment implied.

<comment><USER43> My comment implied no such thing. I was simply stating that you can't just up and leave should you so wish, you getting released is not in your control.

<comment><USER44> Except that its /rarely/ not in your control. I'm unable to find numbers, but I find it hard to believe that any significant amount of people's requests to leave are taken to court.

<comment><USER45> I've never seen it be in someone's control, in the sense that they were able to say "this isn't working for me, I'd like to leave now" and then were allowed to leave.

I've also never seen it go all the way to court; rather, there's a statutory period of time after a voluntary admission where you have to either be released or taken to court, and that period is something on the order of an entire business week.

The pattern I've seen is (even at the nicer facilities) one of facilities staffed by nurses and counselors but with very overbooked psychiatrists, and all decisions about care are ultimately delegated to those psychiatrists. It can take days to make a decision happen just because of round-trip and scheduling delays.

The (call it) 5-day clock only starts ticking when you're formally acknowledged to have made a request to leave, too, so those same round-trip delays can keep you confined for longer than the statutory window.

When things go wrong, it's a frightening experience. Psychiatric hospitals carefully control your access to the outside world. Visitors are allowed only during limited visiting hours. Phone calls are allowed only during specific phone hours. You reside in a room with one or more strangers also suffering from psychiatric conditions, often significantly worse than your own. You're required to take medication, and the medications issued are rarely the same as a careful psychiatrist you had a preexisting relationship would issue. There's not just a loss of personal freedom but also of body integrity.

Like I said: however suboptimal it is, this can all be for the greater good, if a crisis situation has spun out of control and what's really needed is some kind of circuit breaker to arrest the crisis and ensure that someone ends up with access to professional psychiatric care. I'm not saying people shouldn't go to the hospital! I'm saying that people encouraging others to go to the hospital should be aware of what they're saying.

I also think you could stand to be a little bit less strident and a little more specific. I think it's likely that you have a set of experiences with acute psych care that differ from other people in this community. I've seen _good_ acute psych care too --- in a university system --- but it was acute outpatient, not inpatient.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER46> I was thinking about this this morning and couldn't help but notice the apparent correlation between high profile people who have committed suicide recently and their profiles.

All from arts/creative fields (Avicii, Kate Spade, Bourdain, Robin Williams, Heath Ledger, I'm sure there are more). Is there any scientific research that has explored the possibility that the wiring in the brain that makes people creative has a propensity for depression?

Of course the sample size is small and could be selection bias, but would like to hear from people who are knowledgeable on the topic.

<comment><USER47> Doesn't really answer your questions, but I'd point out that it's possible that we only hear about these suicides precisely _because_ they are from professions that tend to produce high-profile celebrities. I'd counter your apparent correlation with the fact that apparently suicide among doctors is extremely high:

[https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health- science/what-...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/what- ive-learned-from-my-tally-of-757-doctor- suicides/2018/01/12/b0ea9126-eb50-11e7-9f92-10a2203f6c8d_story.html)

<comment><USER48> Is's a common convention in newspaper obituaries and articles to not mention cause of death as suicide, except in newsworthy situations.

Covering suicides in general were somewhat taboo unless they involved someone noteworthy:

[https://www.poynter.org/news/reporting- suicide](https://www.poynter.org/news/reporting-suicide)

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER49> One great man's account of dealing with depression (the term hadn't been invented yet at the time of writing, but you will recognize the symptoms) [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26244.A_Confession](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26244.A_Confession) Download: [http://manybooks.net/titles/tolstoylother08a_confession.html](http://manybooks.net/titles/tolstoylother08a_confession.html)

</comment><comment><USER50> As a person who has experience with severe depression, studying evidence-based psychiatry, and conducting psychiatric services research, I wholeheartedly endorse the advice in this piece.

</comment><comment><USER51> this is a very sensible article. kudos to nytimes and the writer. we also need this kind of advice on tv, schools, etc. a better general understanding of depression by society as a whole is not only one of the best tools we have to deal with it, but also a great way to start building a better society

</comment><comment><USER52> I really don't want to be asked if I'm having suicidal thoughts. Ever. By anyone. If I say yes, someone might try to "help" me by having me confined to a psychiatric hospital. Or worse. Having to lie about it is unpleasant.

I have suicidal thoughts regularly, but I am not going to act on them. From most objective standards, my life is generally good. I've never had problems getting dates - at least once I got the courage to try, though long term relationships are hard. I have a job I like and find fulfilling. I'm well on my way to having "fuck you money". Still depressed.

Since childhood (25+ years) I've been taking antidepressants. Have changed them a few times, though not for many years. They allow me to be mostly functional most of the time. Switching now might put me in a hole I can't get myself out of.

Talk therapy has never really helped me. I don't really have any hope left of ever not being depressed. I've thought about trying psychedelics or ketimine therapy, but can't really find the motivation to do anything.

Fuck depression.</comment>


Learning to Love JavaScript - <AUTHOR> http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CEwQtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DseX7jYI96GE&ei=WSsFUJSHDcbOqAGShonVCA&usg=AFQjCNFEv2heu5Xc1j3WljcwwCAMhjY6xA&sig2=-kzlGZxignNHMgxwWFDYQw

<comment> andrewl-hn Oh, it was a God sent when it came out! I use it inside the company I'm working at as a part of video series that all developers new to JavaScript are required to watch (during office hours, actually). I also give some overview talks in person that address some particular details of the language and the ecosystem. Thanks to this video and some others my job became a lot easier in recent years.

So far I got only positive feedback regarding this particular talk. It goes in some peculiarities and gets quite deep at some points but in general it gives a warm welcoming feeling to people new to the language. And as such it's really great to show it to newbies as quickly as possible. Some of the developers have doubts about whether JavaScript is really a language worth learning. Especially those server-side people who heard quite a lot of great things about GWT. But after this talk many of them change their minds and at least decide to give JS a try. Alex is telling them: \- Look, here's JavaScript. It certainly can't do lots of things yet but it's really a nice language that is desperately willing to become your friend. Just don't be hostile to it and it won't fail you!

The part where Alex talks about inheritance with traits is particularly eye- opening for people coming from Java, .NET or PHP background.

At the moment Alex is more focused on Shadow DOM - a bit lesser known part of new web APIs - and he's overly a great guy and one of the most unbiased Google representative in standards bodies. I have a lot of respect for his work and wish him all the best.

Thanks, Alex!

<comment><USER2> > I use it inside the company I'm working at as a part of video series that > all developers new to JavaScript are required to watch (during office hours, > actually).

What are the other videos? Thanks.

</comment></comment><comment><USER3> Along the same lines, check out Douglas Crockford's extensive JavaScript lecture series: <http://yuiblog.com/crockford/> Also a must watch. It details the history, good parts, and reasons to like JavaScript.

</comment><comment><USER4> Actual link: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seX7jYI96GE>

</comment><comment><USER5> The slides: <http://infrequently.org/11/io/js></comment>


Show HN: GitHub v3 API implemented in VimL - <AUTHOR> https://github.com/wsdjeg/GitHub-api.vim <comment><USER2> I mis-read this was "implemented in VRML".

That would be impressive. :P

</comment><comment><USER3> Please mention the "curl" dependency in the readme.

<comment><USER4> What platform are you on that doesn't ship with curl?

<comment><USER5> Windows comes to mind.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER6> So.. what is this and how/when would I use it?

<comment><USER7> It's an implementation of the github api in vimL, the native vim language. So you would use it to build a vim extension that interacts with github.

<comment><USER8> Implementation of an ... SDK, maybe? Implementation of an API would be another Github, right?

<comment><USER9> You're just making life difficult for people by arguing stupidly obvious specifics

<comment><USER10> Well it confused me for a couple seconds. Just seems lazy and careless to call it something it clearly is not

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER11> Couple of notes on the title:

\- it should probably start with "Show HN: " (which is kind of a convention when you're posting your own code)

\- the indefinite article in English has two forms, the choice of which depends on whether the word following starts with a consonant or a vowel sound. In the former case, use "a"; in the latter, use "an". Since "GitHub" starts with a consonant sound, the correct usage here would be "A GitHub..."

HTH! HAND.

<comment><USER12> We added "Show HN" above.</comment></comment>


Ask HN: When did fflush got defined for stdin as well? - <AUTHOR>

Today I checked the man for fflush and this surprised me:

       For output streams, fflush() forces a write of all user-space buffered data for the given output or update stream via the stream's underly
       ing write function.  For input streams, fflush() discards any buffered data that has been fetched from the underlying  file,  but  has  not
       been by the application.  The open status of the stream is unaffected.

 I remember it very clearly fflush was defined only for output streams.
I looked at my copy of K&R and K&R defines it as such:
int fflush(FILE *stream) On an output stream, fflush causes any buffered but unwritten data to be written; on an input stream, the effect is undefined. It returns EOF for a write error, and zero otherwise. fflush(NULL) flushes all output streams.
When did the change happen? <comment><USER2> Read further down in your manpage:

      CONFORMING TO
           C89, C99, POSIX.1-2001, POSIX.1-2008.

           The standards do not specify the behavior for input streams.  Most other implementations behave the same as Linux.

<comment><AUTHOR> Oh, thanks. The earlier version of the man page had output stream in the description(if my memory isn't failing me).

I searched for fflush C99 and based on absence of any credible link, I assumed nothing has changed in C99(and nothing really has changed as far as standards go).</comment></comment>


Intendix, The Brain Computer Interface, Goes Commercial - <AUTHOR> http://singularityhub.com/2010/03/07/intendix-the-brain-computer-interface-goes-commercial-video/?utm_source=feedburner <comment><AUTHOR> This quip is hysterical: "How commercially available is Intendix? Well they've entered the marketing phase where their advertisements don't actually explain what the product does. I think it took Nike decades to reach that point."</comment>


Ask HN: Do you write comments, and then not submit them? - <AUTHOR>

I find myself writing comments, looking them over, and then not submitting them pretty often.  A friend of mine is the same way.<p>I'm just curious how common this is. <comment><USER2> Plenty of times. Sometimes I even submit them and delete them a minute later.

I felt like I had something interesting to say, but when I actually articulated it, it didn't add much to the conversation. If you noticed PG's essay that he wrote with Etherpad, he had entire paragraphs in his draft that didn't make it to the final version.

<comment><USER3> Even more than that, sometimes while writing a comment I'll realize my position is flawed. I generally try and make sure my argument is sound before I submit, because I know you can't get by on hand-waving here. Often in my search for data to support my case, or even when I just try to articulate it properly, I find that I'm actually arguing the wrong side of something.

Being forced to re-examine my own positions is one of the things I enjoy most about a discussion, whether it's caused by something someone else says or something I almost said, then thought better of.

(Also, most things I've submitted within the last 10 minutes are being furiously edited. Not sure why, but I don't notice a lot of things until I read my own post in the context of the others.)

<comment><USER4> Something related...

I will write an email with a question or concern and in writing the email I will argue the point and discover I already know the answer.

<comment><USER5> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_Duck_Debugging>

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER6> The number of people answering "yes" to this post might be underrepresented by selection bias :)

<comment><USER7> Made a poll of this question for that reason:

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=629642>

</comment></comment><comment><USER8> Definitely. I don't usually submit comments unless something gets my goat or I feel like there is an important angle that isn't being articulated. Basically, the question I ask myself is "Am I adding value to this conversation?" If the answer is no for any reason I either modify the comment or skip it altogether.

Sorry to use the parlance of our times, but people who submit everything they type are IMO "that guy".

</comment><comment><USER9> Yeah, I do it fairly often.

If I find myself putting too much work into a comment I think to myself, "How many people are actually going to read this? What effect is it really going to have on anything? Do I really want to do all this work for something that will disappear into the internet ether?"

I really only leave comments if I can fire them off quickly and I'm in the right mood.

<comment><USER10> I've done this before, but the usual pattern for me is to delete the first two paragraphs after realizing that the third paragraph is really all I wanted to say :)

</comment></comment><comment><USER11> All the time. This is the only place I do that. Mostly the quick joke I'd submit to /. or reddit.

</comment><comment><USER12> Ironically, I'm virtually certain that I wrote this exact question and then decided not to submit it :)

</comment><comment><USER13> Sure, I've only posted perhaps 1/2 to 2/3 of the comments I've written. They weren't necessarily inflammatory comments, but just didn't add anything useful to the conversation.

</comment><comment><USER14> At least once before submitting this: <http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=629784>

<comment><USER15> jrockway is a bright person who happens to be a smarmy jerk every time he gets into arguing one of his pet peeves. I've learned to ignore his jackassery and respect him for when he talks about the things he's really bright about.

Operating system debates are like sports team arguments: yes, one sports team is better than all the others, but nobody will ever agree on just which that is, the arguments get far too fierce, and it's the greatest waste of time imaginable.

</comment></comment><comment><USER16> Relatively rarely. I usually try to develop an intuitive sense of where my argument wants to go before I start typing, and I'm sure many a potential comment has been culled this way. When I'm typing along and find that I hit a contradiction, or something indicating something in my intuition has gone afoul, my first thought is usually: huh, I wonder how many other people think this. I've found that seeing someone's train of thought is at least as interesting as seeing where it concluded.

On the other hand, there have been many times where I'd thought about commenting, but could not get an intuitive grasp of what I wanted to say, and would keep deleting the first sentence as soon as I wrote it. On those occasions, I would just press 'Back' and keep reading.

</comment><comment><USER17> Yes, but more often I'll spend some time writing a comment then fret about word order a bit before submitting it. Immediately after submitting it I'll realize my fretting has mangled my intended message and I'll have to edit the comment.

After I'm content I'll realize that my comment doesn't really add anything to the conversation and I should delete it before it wastes anybodies time.

...see, this comment is articulated well enough, but it's long-winded in comparison to aneesh's post which says the essential thing.

Edit: After a shower, at 22 minutes with nothing. I feel like deleting this comment, but with that being the subject of this post that would be out of place.

</comment><comment><USER18> I do this on other sites more often, but occasionally on HN as well. It's usually when I'm not satisfied with the way I worded the comment.

More often what I do is write a several paragraph reply, and then cut it down to a few sentences.

</comment><comment><USER19> Yes. I was heavily downvoted for a couple posts defending an unpopular opinion in a busy discussion. I didn't flame but got flamed. I sincerely posted my views and I guess everyone decided I was an idiot or a troll. Because my account is trivially linked to my real name I've been posting fluff to push the discussion off of casual viewing on the front page of my comments so I can abandon my account.

I'll keep reading because the comments and selection are still good, but I don't see any reason to stick my neck out again. One easily-Googled example of a generally high-quality community decide I suck is plenty.

</comment><comment><USER20> i would say it is more common than not. i find that writing out the thought often helps crystallize your thoughts and at that point what you thought may not be worth submitting after you actually see it in front of you.

</comment><comment><USER21> I probably write and delete (or abandon) two posts for every one that I actually public. Blogs I post on are thick with unpublished drafts. Usually I abandon posts because I'm not pleased with the writing. I also abandon posts because I feel I can't make my point clearly or rigorously enough to justify asking other people to read it.

I don't like writing. For me, writing is always 'homework', even when I like what I'm writing about. That might be why I find it so easy to walk away from things that I've written.

In contrast, I love arguing or explaining things in person.

</comment><comment><USER22> Rarely.

I gave up long ago trying to judge my own comments and submissions.

I often submit what I think is a great article and it dies on the "new" page without any votes. Or I'll make what I think is a good comment and no one cares.

OTOH, sometimes I'll just throw something off the top of my head and it gets something started.

I just try to not be a jerk (most of the time) and submit what I'm thinking. Let the community be the judge.

<comment><USER23> > I often submit what I think is a great article and it dies on the "new" page > without any votes.

I made a few self submissions of things I thought were great, interesting concepts and which garnered no interest at all.

Those interest me more than a strong debate TBH, there was plenty of click through but no real interest in my thoughts. It's a non-starter. These things are good to know!

HN taught me a lot about how hard you have to work to have a respected opinion. Which is good :)

</comment></comment><comment><USER24> Yeah, fairly often.

I think the most common reason for me to cancel a comment is just knowing how internet people are. People on the internet, especially software people, are really really critical. I think there's a certain group of people that browse forums with the sole intention of pointing out how other people are wrong.

So sometimes if I have a slightly controversial opinion, I will just not bother commenting, because I don't feel like dealing with the nitpickers.

</comment><comment><USER25> I tend to read Hacker News in bulk, that is, I ctrl-right click on links and then read them. By the time I get around to some entries and write a comment, it has expired and won't take.

If I think what I wrote is good I might go back and find the entry again and resubmit. Other times I just shrug and skip it.

Would be _Real Nice_ if comments didn't time out / expire.

</comment><comment><USER23> I just wrote a reply to a comment in this thread - then decided not to post.

I'd say I write as many non-comments as ones I post. :)

(someone else talks about flawed arguments: I have the same thing, often what Gut spews out in response to a comment sounds like total BS to head when you read it back properly :))

And yes, like others, I do the furious edit thing too :D

</comment><comment><USER26> <http://news.ycombinator.com/newpoll>

<comment><USER7> Good idea, I created a poll with a similar question (it asks for how often instead of a boolean response).

</comment></comment><comment><USER27> I remember seeing this on digg, and reddit.

This thread is a call to arms for idiots everywhere. Hell, I never would have post if it were not for this thread. I never post, but I enjoy reading the good posts here that people put thought into making. Beware, HN!

</comment><comment><USER28> Yeah I do. I've deleted one comment RIGHT after posting too.

Never deleted comments which are being judged (Upvoted(obviosly) or down voted). I am man enough to bear the judgments.

One thing this community do for good is they only let quality comments in.

</comment><comment><USER29> Sure, all the time.

Sometimes it just doesn't add anything interesting. Sometimes it's just too big of an idea to explain in a couple paragraphs. Sometimes I'm just not not sure my opinion is well informed enough to commit to the Internet forever.

</comment><comment><USER30> Certainly do. What I do lately is I tend to stay logged out when I read YC.

I find the activation energy to log in is high enough to be useful -- so I generally only log in and comment / post when I really have something to say.

</comment><comment><USER31> Frequently. I know for a fact that I'm not as articulate or as clever as half the guys on HN so I figure sometimes it's better to say nothing at all than to say something stupid. If I want to post dumb comments, I go to Reddit ;)

</comment><comment><USER32> No, I go to internet forums so I can suffer run of the mouth disease with impunity. I do proofread and edit my posts carefully to avoid making an undue ass out of myself, insofar as 1 minute of proofreading can do.

</comment><comment><USER33> Sure. Sometimes I have something I'd like to say, but I can't say it well enough to be satisfied with submitting. Other times I decide my comment, or the whole conversation, just really isn't that interesting.

</comment><comment><USER34> I'm the reverse. I stopped commenting online a long time ago, but Hacker News is the only place that I bother. Conversations here tend to go places.

</comment><comment><USER35> On Hacker News, definite yes. Other sites, not so often. But I am not moved to comment on other sites as often as I am here.

</comment><comment><USER36> Yes, but then I do this for every site I participate in, because Goddess forbid I am wrong on the internet.

</comment><comment><USER37> I usually DO submit my comments, and regret it. This a tough crowd, and the system works very effectively.

</comment><comment><USER38> Yes. Sometimes I don't want my ramblings on public record, or I may think it's way off topic.

</comment><comment><USER39> No. I resist the temptation to not submit them. Even on this one.

</comment><comment><USER40> Did it three times on this thread alone. Here's hoping for 15!

</comment><comment><USER41> Most of the time, yes.

</comment><comment><USER42> Yes.

</comment><comment><USER43> yes

</comment><comment><USER44>
      # withholding long-winded reply

</comment><comment><USER45> I've often wondered which websites might track all your keypresses and send them with the submission so they keep a record of your typing, and display only the final edit. Wouldn't be too hard to turn keypresses into _ed_ commands.</comment>


Is there much difference between a web startup and a new web company today? - <AUTHOR>

I've been following countless articles and discussions on the Hacker News where the term "startup" is being portraited mainly as a new company developed around on web and not as the one which promotes and sells the latest high-tech products using the web.
These days I plan to form a company which will sell the latest technology products such as the IP cameras from the web. I plan to build its web infrastructure by myself, which will be based on MAPP stack (Mac OS X, Apache, PHP, PostgreSQL) on a Macmini.
So I bet on the idea that IP cameras will sell a lot and it will be the core activity of my company. But, I also think that such an infrastructure (MAPP on a Macmini) is what allows me to launch this idea without having too many financial risks.
And now comes the conceptual uncertainity: Is this kind of a company a web startup, a traditional (web) company or an hybrid of both? <comment><USER2> IMHO, the key differentiator of "a startup" vs "a traditional company" is the exit strategy, not the technology involved.

<comment><AUTHOR> Thank you for the comment.

By the "exit strategy", you mean creating the startup with a short list of acquirers in mind, I guess.

I can re-phrase my view on the difference so:

"A startup is designed to multiply its appeal to acquirers and be then sold whereas traditional company is formed solely to reap the opportunities in the market using an efficient system"</comment></comment>


Show HN: Interface with Heroku Scheduler Through API and CLI - <AUTHOR> https://schedulerctl.com <comment><USER2> No effort in introducing the product and why you should hand over your email address. It's just collecting emails imo.

<comment><AUTHOR> Thanks for the feedback. I will work on this and make sure I get it right next time.

Just to be clear, do you expect the introduction as a comment here or on the website?</comment></comment>


Ask HN: Website live chat- worth it, and who to use? - <AUTHOR>

I'm looking at adding live chat/support to the Pwinty website, as a way of engaging customers and answering their questions quickly.
So firstly- has anyone got data on how this has impacted conversion rates for them? Our target market is developers, so do you find live chat annoying or helpful?
Secondly- there seem to be hundreds of companies offering this service- can anyone recommend a supplier (preferably free, but I will pay for the right service). <comment><USER2> I don't have any numbers regarding conversions but based on a lot of the providers I've seen, SnapEngage seems like one of the easiest to implement and operate (and is priced pretty reasonably depending on your needs). They do have a free plan, but it's kind of 'hidden' on the pricing page. Www.SnapEngage.com.</comment>


Inside LAN Sync - <AUTHOR> https://blogs.dropbox.com/tech/2015/10/inside-lan-sync/ <comment><USER2> I'm disappointed that they used the stone-age method of UDP-broadcasts-on-a- reserved-port to find other servers when there are modern standards like ZeroConf which work quite well.

<comment><USER3> UDP broadcast is probably much simpler to implement and the code to implement it is likely to be cross platform, whereas using ZeroConf would require interfacing either with the native platform's specific implementation, or including it's own implementation when the platform lacked one, and then dealing with interoperability issues between all the platforms.

<comment><USER2> Interoperability shouldn't be an issue – that's what a standardized protocol is _for_. MacOS X has Bonjour already built-in. On Linux you can simply require Avahi. For Windows there seems to be a large selection of available ZeroConf libraries, depending on your implementation language (unless you want to simply require Apple's "Bonjour Print Services for Windows" bundle).

<comment><USER4> You just mentioned three different things necessary for three different platforms. I could imagine it being easier to write a simple platform- independent piece to handle the subset of functionality Dropbox needs.

<comment><USER5> Apple's C DNS-SD API[1] is available on OS X and Windows and Avahi offers a shim that implements a decent subset of it.

1: [https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Networ...](https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Networking/Conceptual/dns_discovery_api/Introduction.html)

<comment><USER5> Down votes for pointing out the same API is available on three platforms? (And iOS and recent Androids for that matter.)

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER6> Does anyone know why LAN Sync is normally turned off by default?

<comment><USER7> Security reasons. It can be used to confirm whether or not a certain file exists on another PC on the network by observing where it's synced to/from.

That said, there's nothing novel here. People have been doing this for decades, and extensions to the bittorrent protocol use it all the time to prioritize LAN seeds over internet seeds. In fact, I believe there was talk a while back about optimizing BT to prioritize peers and seeds on the same subnet/ISP as a way of mitigating ISP bandwidth concerns and whatnot.

<comment><USER8> Facebook use bittorrent as part of their deployment process, they exploit rack and cluster affinity to improve performance [1].

[1] [https://facebook.com//download/1411324735760067/devops.pdf](https://facebook.com//download/1411324735760067/devops.pdf)

<comment><USER9> Twitter has been doing this for a while: [https://blog.twitter.com/2010/murder-fast-datacenter-code- de...](https://blog.twitter.com/2010/murder-fast-datacenter-code-deploys- using-bittorrent)

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER10> This explains the high cpu usage on lan sync. Using http to send large files. So, it has to constantly encode/decode to send over http. For reasons like this I'm saddened that we never standardized on a secure file transfer protocol.

<comment><USER11> What do you mean by encode/decode? I would expect TLS is the bottleneck here.

</comment></comment><comment><USER12> Druva already something similar called Cloud Cache. Excerpt: Metadata is managed directly on the cloud for snapshot consistency and global deduplication across all enterprise endpoints.

[http://www.druva.com/documents/Druva-CloudCache- Datasheet.pd...](http://www.druva.com/documents/Druva-CloudCache- Datasheet.pdf)</comment>


Dinosaur-Like Tails Make Terrestrial Mobile Robots More Agile - w-ll http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/diy/dinosaurlike-tails-make-terrestrial-mobile-robots-more-agile

<comment><AUTHOR> I once drew up some sketches of a two-legged robot with a head and a tail like a velociraptor. I theorize you could weight the head and tail to balance and make the walking a little more mechanical, so if you start to tip, there's a lot more leeway to regain balance. I guess I can afford more technology than I could back then, hmm, perhaps I might dust those off.

I bet this thing can pull of some wicked Dukes of Hazzard style jumping, though.</comment>