Artificial chatting utility matching algorithmic nodes - <AUTHOR> http://acuman.us/? Thanks for all the feedback! Unfortunately, I cannot respond to all of you because Hacker News has some kind of spam system set up that stops me from it. <comment><USER2> For me, something would appear, then quickly disappear. Couldn't really tell if it was a response or a "loading" screen.

Nonetheless, I'm rather impressed coming from someone your age.

Edit: had some mild success asking about the weather. "You're asking what's the weather? I can't put my finger on it, but I'm pretty sure it's ' face and withstand with courage'."

<comment><AUTHOR> I just checked, and you're right, there was a modification in the code that I made that broke the bot just now. The bug is fixed now, so feel free to try it again. Thank you for testing and checking it out.

<comment><USER2> Just asked it where Allen Field House is... got this:

"I don't have a good sense of navigation, so I don't know exactly where is allen field house, but it seems to be interesting."

I was expecting it to spit out "Lawrence, Kansas", but I liked the response nonetheless.

On an unrelated note, have you considered adding like a little spinner or loading icon or something? Although you clearly state it'll take 30ish sections for a response, I can't help but think that I'm staring at a blank page when I'm sure there's a lot going on in the background. Even if it's purely cosmetic, a "loading" icon might serve to show that 1) something is happening, and 2) make 30 seconds seem shorter since we're looking at something dynamic versus static.

<comment><AUTHOR> Thanks! Good advice, and I'll work on implementing a spinner right now.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER3> I asked "What is the answer to the Universe, Life, and everything?" and it replied "The answer to the universe, life, and everything is 42 (according to Douglas Adams' humorous science-fiction novel The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)". It seems pretty smart :)

<comment><AUTHOR> Thank you! I spent a lot of time on it so I love to hear things like that. :)

</comment></comment><comment><USER4> Nice job man, this is some great work for somebody your age. I know 'senior engineers' twice your age who couldn't write these notes, nevermind code it up.

[http://acuman.us/about.txt](http://acuman.us/about.txt)

Are you sharing source?

<comment><AUTHOR> For now it's closed source, but I'm considering making it open. :) For now, I don't want to, because I'm entering competitions in this field.

Thank you for your kind words.

</comment></comment><comment><USER5> Eh, I'm not sure that I am using it right, but it hasn't given me a correct answer yet...

I have asked it complicated things like "What is largest unmanned artificial satellite", and "What is the combined population of Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska".

I have also asked it simple questions like "Who was the fifth vice-president of the USA". It answered this one "interesting person".

It answers everything as "interesting". The only question it actually answered so far was "What is the population of the USA", which it incorrectly calculated as 32 Million.

Good work though, keep working the bugs out of it.

<comment><AUTHOR> Thank you for the encouragement, and for pointing out the errors in it. :)

As you probably know, it's still a project in development and it took me a lot of time to even get it where it is.

It's still based more on conversational aspects; talking about the computer itself, but usually when it says "interesting", it knows the answer, it's just some bug that is preventing it.

</comment></comment><comment><USER6> It doesn't seem to respond to anything I ask...

"What's your name?"

"What color is the sky?"

"Who am I?"

"Why should I ask you questions?"

"Where is New York?

All I get is "gathering response" then nothing.

<comment><AUTHOR> It can answer every single of those questions, but there was a glitch that broke it.

I just checked, and you're right, there was a modification in the code that I made that broke the bot just now.

The bug is fixed now, so feel free to try it again.

Thank you for testing and checking it out.

<comment><USER6> Alright, I tested it and it works well! Good job :)

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER7> "I'm glad that you like the counting crows, especially the old stuff, but some new stuff too how about me, though personally I don't like the counting crows, especially the old stuff, but some new stuff too how about me that much. I'm just not a fan of interesting."

I don't have any real constructive feedback, but the bot definitely does seem to have trouble parsing multi-thought sentences.

<comment><AUTHOR> Thank you for the feedback, I haven't implemented any algorithm for parsing (splitting sentences between queries), but it's definitely on my to-do list. :)

</comment></comment><comment><AUTHOR> Thank you, everybody!

In part from your testing and conversations with my bot, its reached over 3,500 questions asked. A mild milestone, I know, but I'm still happy about it.

</comment><comment><USER8> the two special unicode characters (F040, F070) arn't rendering (OSX 10.9, FF 36), and the chatbox doesn't seem active for me

<comment><AUTHOR> What do you mean by doesn't seem active, are you referring to its cosmetic?

<comment><USER8> I switched to the "java script heavy" alt page, and it seemed to work except your "insanely intelligent conversational" chatbot asked what my favorite musical genre was and after thinking, did not recognize breakcore and tried to brush it off by asking another question. quiet rude and pompous imho.

impressive project none the less. i would suggest leaving the last response from the chatbot visible maybe.

<comment><AUTHOR> Thank you for your suggestion.

It was pretty time-consuming to get the bot where he currently is, even! And I'm certainly still working on it.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER9> Do you gather information of the topics from the Internet or have a database storing somewhere?

<comment><AUTHOR> A combination of both. :)

</comment></comment><comment><USER10> Very impressive! I like the styling of the page. What languages are you using?

<comment><AUTHOR> Thank you! I programmed the actual bot using PHP, using various algorithms as shown in its about page.

Regarding the styling, thank you! My favorite aspect of anything is web design.

</comment></comment><comment><USER11> Nice one! I really enjoyed it. Works pretty good on Opera.

<comment><AUTHOR> Thanks! Glad to hear it. I tried for cross-compatibility as much as possible.

</comment></comment><comment><USER12> The wait is a bit annoying. But I like the answers.

Ha ha. Acuman knows Chappie.

<comment><AUTHOR> Yes, I am aware of that, but it's hard to find a really good answer and research it and compare it with other answers using the internet without taking a while to load! Also, I'm dependent on free APIs.

He also knows simsimi and cleverbot.

</comment></comment><comment><USER13> Able to submit questions in Chrome but not in Firefox.

<comment><AUTHOR> That's odd, I don't happen to have Firefox with me, do you know what in the source code could cause that?

</comment></comment><comment><USER14> Nothing seems to happen when I hit enter.

<comment><AUTHOR> That's odd, I don't happen to have Firefox with me, do you know what in the source code could cause that?</comment></comment>


JavaScript closures and recursion - <AUTHOR> http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4273617/is-there-a-way-to-make-this-slideshow-move-automatically/4273831#4273831 <comment><USER2> I'm sorry, what's so special about this bit of code?

It doesn't seem very interesting unless you weren't aware of JavaScript's functional nature, and it's actually more complicated than it needs to be, unless I'm missing something. Here's how I'd do it:

        function startSlideshow(ms) {
            var index = -1;
            var count = $(".change_link").length - 1;
            return setInterval(function() {
                index = (index + 1) % count;
                $('.slideshow').blinds_change(index);
            }, ms);
        }

<comment><USER3> I was also rather confused as to what I was supposed to be looking at and why it wasn't using setInterval.

Your script is nicer, the modulo and increment in the same line is very tidy. It's not hacker news though, is it, or am I missing something?

</comment></comment><comment><AUTHOR> I suppose there's nothing too special abot the code. I have never seen a very good explanation of closures in javascript, so I thought I'd share it for anyone else who might benefit from it. You are more than welcome to not be impressed. In which case you are not likely the intended audience.

<comment><USER4> Closures did indeed blow my mind when I first decided to properly look into them, having originally assumed that JavaScript was "just like a very limited Java with a couple of weird syntax quirks" ;) Ah, the perils of teaching yourself a language using really, really old web tutorials. I do wish something like PromoteJS.com had been around when I was learning...</comment></comment>


Why compiled Go programs give a warm fuzzy feeling - <AUTHOR> http://karankurani.tumblr.com/post/60113423622/why-compiled-go-programs-give-a-warm-fuzzy-feeling

<comment><USER2> Nice succinct description of why Golang rocks. When your app compiles, it usually just works. That's not always the case, naturally, but more often than not it's true. It's very refreshing coming from a dynamic language where you often times don't find issues until run time.

</comment><comment><USER3> This sounds very familiar. In the Haskell community this is one of the reasons we enjoy Haskell.</comment>


WeWork will no longer serve meat at events or expense meals with it - <AUTHOR> https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jul/13/wework-meat-events-expense-ban <comment><USER2> Also here:

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17526695](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17526695)

<comment><USER3> Thanks, we've moved the comments there.</comment></comment>


Computer Programming (First Time Programming) - <AUTHOR>

Hi Computer Software Developers
I have been getting into programming for the past few months however school has got in the way. I was wondering if anyone has any links or pdf files that I could use to help me with computer programming. It helps me if the words are color coordinated.Which language would be the best to learn if I am going to college and wanting to be a Software developer?
IN COLOR PLEASE!!!!!!
Thanks! <comment><USER2> Scribd has a number of books (not downloadable, but just as useful). If you're visual, check out the "Head First" titles.

[http://www.scribd.com/search?cat=redesign&q=programming+...](http://www.scribd.com/search?cat=redesign&q=programming+OR+%22head+first%22&x=0&y=0)

Or use google.

[http://www.google.com/search?q=inurl%3Apdf+inurl%3Aprogrammi...](http://www.google.com/search?q=inurl%3Apdf+inurl%3Aprogramming#q=ext:pdf+\(inurl:programming+OR+inurl:java+OR+inurl:c%2B%2B+OR+inurl:php+OR+inurl:python+OR+inurl:ruby+OR+inurl:perl\)+AND+\(inurl:learn\))

And there are torrents, etc.

Or, just buy it from Amazon, BookPool (well that _used_ to be a better deal years ago), etc.

(Don't do anything illegal. Pay for what you read, otherwise good authors won't write anymore.)

<comment><AUTHOR> I totally agree with you, I always pay what the authors want for the books that they write. I am a visual learner so thanks!

</comment></comment><comment><AUTHOR> Which language would be the best to learn if I am going to college and wanting to be a Software Developer?

<comment><USER3> Honestly, it doesn't matter. Pick something and stick with it for a little while when you first get started. Everything you learn will transfer to other languages in some way. In college you will generally have to use a number of languages. My recommendation would be Python:

<http://learnpythonthehardway.org/></comment></comment>


Solar energy that doesn't block the view - <AUTHOR> http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140819200219.htm

<comment><USER2> Although they still can give skin cancer, there aren't enough UV photons in sunlight to produce a worthwhile amount of power. Highly doubtful anyone serious would try to make this work with UV.

Infrared, on the other hand, has some power production capability (though visible contains a much better resource). Even though we may only be looking at 0.3V (high wavelengths have low voltages), we might be getting a few amps with a square foot of this material.

Makes a lot more sense than other PV-related window technologies. They're going to have to figure out how to cool the concentrator cells lest they cause adjacent construction materials to catch fire with how hot they run. (I^2R losses mean that these high current cells will be dumping a lot of heat per watt generated).

<comment><USER3> Care to elaborate on the other pv-related window technologies? I'm curious.

Last decade I followed news of XsunX and their Power Glass ... and it was like following news of flying cars, or returning to the moon: a continuous parade of stories, every single one saying "we're almost there, next year we'll really have it ready!"

The concept of "Power Glass" was similar to the article here; the glass had tiny PV technology buried inside, with the idea that skyscrapers with their glass facades could generate their own power, along with any other building using lots of glass in its skin.

I see XsunX no longer mentions Power Glass on their website [1]. Now it looks like any PV manufacturer. You have to go back 8 years in the Internet Archive to see it [2]. They were sure proud of this revolutionary technology ... 8 years ago.

Oh well. At least flying cars are showing [3] progress [4].

[1] [http://www.xsunx.com/](http://www.xsunx.com/)

[2] [https://web.archive.org/web/20060705005757/http://www.xsunx....](https://web.archive.org/web/20060705005757/http://www.xsunx.com/)

[3] [http://www.terrafugia.com/](http://www.terrafugia.com/)

[4] [http://mavericklsa.com/](http://mavericklsa.com/)

<comment><USER2> Even though to the uninitiated it sounds like a no-brainer to cover windows with solar panels, it turns out that what makes a solar panel effective is that it converts the light to electricity and only lets through what it can't convert (which, sadly, tends to be what you can't see).

Windows are useful because they let light through. Solar panels are useful because they don't.

If you ended up with some sort of hybrid that let 50% of the visible through and absorbed 50% of the balance, it would not be a very good window (too dim or obstructed), and it would cost at least double what a comparable solar panel would cost (per watt). You'd also take some hits to aesthetics and efficiency (humans want reflective coatings on smooth window glass, solar cells want antireflective coatings on textured low-iron glass).

Wiring up the windows would likewise add to the installation cost. Solar panels produce their rated power facing somewhere between up and south (in the northern hemisphere), and building windows almost never face in that direction, making for an ever bigger hit to performance.

Installing panels on buildings can be a good idea, but not where the windows go. Rooftops and south-facing walls are about it.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER4> >Lunt said more work is needed in order to improve its energy-producing efficiency. Currently it is able to produce a solar conversion efficiency close to 1 percent, but noted they aim to reach efficiencies beyond 5 percent when fully optimized. The best colored LSC has an efficiency of around 7 percent.

By contrast, conventional rooftop solar is about 18-23% efficient and you need a whole roof of those (often more) to power your house.

I don't think this would provide more than a tiny trickle of electricity, and probably at quite high cost.

<comment><USER5> That percentage will probably be even worse than that, since windows aren't at the best angle or position for solar panels.

<comment><USER6> You guys are missing the fact that current windows are losing all of the energy incident on them. 5% is infinitely better than 0%.

<comment><USER4> It's only infinitely better if the cost of installing these systems is zero. It isn't zero.

Just about the only situation it would make economic sense to do this would be if it were almost the same cost of regular glass, and you already had a PV system set up with virtually all the wiring & inverters necessary already in place (these are a significant cost - roughly 50% of a regular PV installation).

Otherwise the cost simply wouldn't make it worthwhile.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER7> Would be very cool to use on a skylight. It would generate electricity and heat your home! Put some blinds on the inside and block the light in the summer time.

<comment> guard-of-terra When there's a lot of sun your home needs cooling, when it's cold there is not much sun.

</comment></comment><comment><USER8> If you filter out infrared light before it comes through the window, would that help your air conditioning a significant amount?

<comment><USER9> It would help, no doubt, even if I cannot estimate how much.

OTOH, it would help as well if windows did _not_ filter IR radiation. You know, a greenhouse works because glass is transparent to visible and near IR radiation, but is quite opaque to far IR. Visible light is the peak of the spectrum of solar e.m. radiation and its frequency is proportional to the temperature of the sun photosphere (~6000 K). Visible and near IR radiations traverse the glass, gets absorbed by objects and heat them. Part of this heat will be re-emitted as far IR radiation, with a frequency proportional to room temperature (~300 K), which is 20 times smaller than visible light. This factor 20 is enough for the glass to turn from transparent to opaque. That's why you can have a greenhouse, or simply a car with its windows closed, get hotter than the surrounding atmosphere.

<comment><USER10> Actually, greenhouses work because they let the sun in but prevent convection from cooling the heated surfaces. The stuff inside would need to get pretty hot to put out enough IR to make much of a difference.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_effect#Real_greenho...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_effect#Real_greenhouses)

<comment><USER9> This doesn't negate what I said. Preventing convection means that hot air stays inside instead of being dispersed. But hot air does emit IR radiation, and if that radiation could escape the air would get fresher.

<comment><USER10> In the wiki link that I posted an experiment is mentioned where they used rock salt instead of glass to build a greenhouse. Rock salt is IR transparent, yet the greenhouse got to nearly the same temperature. Hence IR transparency is mostly irrelevant.

<comment><USER9> Thanks for the link, that's interesting. But, please, have a look on this site as well: [http://www.drroyspencer.com](http://www.drroyspencer.com).</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment>


My Friends and I Bought an Island - <AUTHOR> http://tynan.com/island <comment><USER2> Congratulations! This is something I've always thought would be cool too. 5 acres is a good size, large enough that you can feel "away" when you are in the middle of it, but not so big that you can actually get lost.

Some suggested next steps. Get a good aerial survey done, with pictures. This will help in planning, in disputes, and later in figuring out what it looked like before that thing that just happened, happened. Also hire a geologist to do a survey (if they haven't already) and identify all the water flow. You may want to build a cistern to collect fresh water when it rains/snows.

An acquaintance of mine who has a place in the seattle/vancouver area also build a small gauge rail line from the dock to the center of the island where accomodations were. Mostly he's a train nut and that scratched that itch but its great for bringing stuff in before storm season sets in.

+1 on the local visitation. People will drive over there and walk around. In the US you need to put signs posting it as private property if you want to have a hope of charging people with trespass. If you set up a fire pit and a place for your friends to sit around an chat, that it exists will get out and you'll have other people "borrow" it when you aren't there.

Definitely a lot of fun though. I am very jealous :-)

<comment><USER3> Random tips from my own private island experience…

People may visit when you are not there. In the US, the shoreline up to some strangely defined highwater mark (which is higher than you expect) is public. Canada has a similar deal related to crown lands (you may own the island, but the bit under the water, not so much). These visitors have every legal right to hang out, have a picnic, play jarts, whatever.

When you aren't around you will get more visitors. (I have pretty good camera surveillance, mainly to enjoy from afar, but I also get to see the visitors.) These will be bolder and walk around and look at the place.

If you aren't around and the local environment is right, you may get hunters. We get duck hunters and goose hunters. We generally give a few people we know permission and kind of rely on them to discourage anyone else. Hunters are territorial. One year it was posted with "No Hunting" signs nailed to the dock, but not by us or anyone we know, a good attempt by a hunting hacker to secure himself a private hunting area.

Have a medical evac plan. I've used mine in weather that I would probably not have used an Amazon boat.

Have a "pinned down by weather" plan with respect to food and water. I know a couple that was reduced to surviving on popcorn and bloody mary mix for a couple days. Also, know when you are pinned down by weather.

A food digesting composter keeps your trash bags from getting disgusting.

If there is cell coverage, but only for odd carriers, consider an "island phone" that just stays there. If there is no cell coverage, get a VHF that can reach some emergency agency.

<comment><USER4> Maybe you could install a remotely/motion activated speaker system that plays the smoke monster noise from Lost to scare away visitors ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-M8P14u_G8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-M8P14u_G8))

<comment><USER5> I have a lot of second hand experience that shows this will work fine up until the meddling kids.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER6> Just for people new to who Tynan is, he's a pretty far out guy. Some things I recall (sorry haven't kept up over the years)

1) Ran a successful professional online poker playing business, actually hired employees and trained them to predictably win.

2) Was one of the main characters in the book The Game (yes, that PUA one).

3) Did polyphasic sleep experiments in earnest (was it a couple months or so?).

4) Had a giant inflatable outdoor pool inside his house, taking up his entire livingroom.

5) Sold all his belongings, including said house, and travelled the world for a year with almost nothing... probably in 2k8 or so before such an idea became more commonplace.

There's probably some much cooler stuff I'm forgetting, but hey it makes perfect sense he'd be part of an island buying crew.

<comment><USER7> Off-topic, I know, but are we calling 2008 "2k8" now? Is last decade the 2k's?

<comment><USER8> I believe the practice starts with resistors, and because of differences in use of . and , and the fact they are hard to tell apart, the units are placed in stead of the . ie 1,500 ohm -> 1k5 ohm

<comment><USER9> Exactly, which means 2k8 is actually 2800, and not 2008.

<comment><USER10> Knowing nothing about resistors, though, 2k8 intuitively means 2008. So I like this way of doing it.

<comment><USER11> Really? Because I would prefer "2008" to "2k8"... It's literally one more character...

<comment><USER10> For written communication, yes. For verbal communication, the 2000s can be a bit burdensome to pronounce.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER12> Lots of widowmakers there judging by the pictures, better be careful. One thing you learn quickly when you live remote is that the nearest hospital is _very_ far away both in space and in time and stuff that is routine in a city can get serious (or even kill you) when you're living remote.

Still, congratulations, I can really relate to how you guys feel.

In case there are more island enthousiasts here:

[http://www.privateislandsonline.com/regions/canada](http://www.privateislandsonline.com/regions/canada)

<comment><USER13> We're actually pretty close to a hospital. Five minutes to shore by boat and maybe 20 minutes to a hospital. Didn't see any scary spiders, but will keep an eye out next time I'm up there!

<comment><USER12> Widowmaker, not widow spider. See, what you don't know could kill you ;) Spend some time in an unmaintained bit of forest and you'll get to know plenty of these things.

Five minutes to shore when the weather is good and your engine starts. Really, please heed my advice and make sure each and every one of you knows how to do basic first aid, I hope you're never going to be in a position to use it but when you do you'll be happy you took the time and trouble. First purchase: a very good first aid kit.

This is all not to piss on your parade but because I lived in a pretty remote area for 2 years and have a little bit of experience that might be relevant to your situation.

<comment><AUTHOR> Thanks for the heads up! We'll def be sure to get on that and get some basic first aid training across the board + med kit on site. Any other advice/tips we should be aware of?

<comment><USER12> You're welcome.

Basic engine repair skills, something to patch up your boat in case you spring a leak, a basic comms kit+genny so you can call up the coast guard or a passing boat if you should need them (assuming your island is out of cell phone reach), cache of freshwater, fuel, waterproofed matches and a couple of days worth of tin cans in case you ever get cut off. Halifax coast in winter can be, how to phrase this, impressive, to say the least.

Mind you, the real kick is when you _are_ isolated but there is an additional degree of risk there. No need to get your appendix out as a precaution just yet ;)

All of this is assuming you're on the salty side of things, if you're in a lake it's a lot more relaxed but you will still need to take basic precautions and you'll need to be extremely careful with what you do with your wastes (you'd need to be just as careful in the ocean with that for ethical reasons but there will be fewer watching eyes so you can drop the 'extremely').

<comment><USER14> As a SAR guy, I can say the big big thing is the first aid (plus CPR). It sounds like you're relatively close to civilization, but realize that if someone has to come to help you, they're likely not going to be there within the Golden Hour ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_hour_%28medicine%29](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_hour_%28medicine%29)). That, and just being prepared in general (ten essentials: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Essentials](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Essentials) and knowing how to use them), having skills, and being wary. I've seen even well-seasoned people end up in bad situations; the best way to survive seems to be to avoid the bad situations. Also, never go alone.

<comment><USER15> Reading all the advice that is being given in comments around this thread, it would seem the best advice would be: get someone who knows what they're talking about in the local area and get their advice; like the parent poster SAR but that also knows about dangers closer to home.

Maybe you could make a weekend of it for your families or something.

<comment><USER14> My SAR group actually teaches a class where one of our stated upfront goals is to prevent people from having to be rescued. Depending on the area, the local SAR group might be too busy putting out fires to do similar (it takes a lot of planning and prep).

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER16> Congratulations! That's a fantastic project and a very cool retreat. I'm curious about:

\- Ownership structure. With 10 of you, how have you prepared for people falling out or wanting out?

\- What are you allowed to build on it?

\- How do you access it? Do you have to pay a boatman to take you out there?

<comment><USER13> It's an LLC. We have bylaws to deal with people wanting out, but we intentionally make it very difficult (island llc gets 1st right of refusal, every member gets a right of refusal after that, and we must approve of any buyer). The idea is that it's an investment in utility, not in dollars. One bad person on the island could ruin everyone's experience, so we guard against that.

We're going to be building next year, so we still have lots of research to do. It appears that anything permanent like a cabin would require a permit, but that yurts / heavy duty tents / sheds / etc wouldn't.

A neighbor on the mainland has offered us dock space and gave us a couple rides this trip. We also bought an Intex Excursion 5 off Amazon which was serviceable but really difficult to navigate in wind. We'll buy a real boat next year.

HN is throttling my posts, so it may take a while to answer everything. I appreciate all the comments and questions.

<comment><USER17> Can you vote someone off the island?

<comment><USER13> Yes, but only one person per week. Should have it all to myself in 9 weeks if everything goes according to plan...

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER18> Quote: "Over the years we'll build up the island, doing most of the work ourselves. We'll build a communal building with a shower, kitchen, lounge, and bathrooms. Each owner of the island gets to pick a spot on which to build their own little structure to sleep in. Together we'll build infrastructure, gardens, a fire pit, and whatever else we can come up with."

So, not counting significant others, ten people sharing a five-acre island. That's 1/2 acre per person except that not all five acres will be flat, buildable land, and you will have to sort out who lives where, without friction.

This works when you're young, before you start thinking about issues like privacy and personal space. By the time you and your friends are 30 years old, the island will likely be a distant and probably bitter memory.

I speak as someone who lived through the 1960s American back-to-the land, communal-living, private-property-is-a-crime phase.

<comment><USER13> I'm already over 30, as are many members of the group. I was extremely selective on who I invited, and they're all people I trust completely. There will be issues in the future, but we've come up with rules to deal with them.

Also, as noted below, none of us are planning on living there full time-- just visiting over the summer, hopefully all at the same time.

<comment><USER18> > I'm already over 30 ...

Then I envy your youthful outlook. :)

By the time I was 30 I had had enough of communal living for several lifetimes.

<comment><USER13> Haha, thanks. I had a great time communal living in school. Everyone involved in the island is trustworthy, fair, reasonable, etc., so I think it will be good. We also outlined ways to deal with disputes in advance.

<comment><USER19> Hey! I've got the Stick! It's MY turn to speak!

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER20> What is it about islands that gives them their mystique? I don't think a post entitled, "My friends and I bought a five-acre plot of land near Halifax" would have garnered as much attention.

<comment><USER13> I would have never guessed that it would, either. I was pretty shocked to see it here when I loaded up HN on my phone.

When I was inviting friends to be a part of this, there was a big divide... half of them LOVED the idea and felt like an island was something special (as I do), and others just saw it as some difficult-to-access land. I've had a tough time articulating exactly why an island seems special to me.

<comment><USER21> Are you going to run internet access to it (or put in satellite)?

<comment><USER13> Yes, there is strong LTE and HSPA+ service there, and Canada has some decent PAYG plans.

<comment><USER22> That's news to me (I live in Canada, although in Ontario).

<comment><USER13> I think the plan my friend was using was Rogers iPad plan... data only, but it was really reasonable.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER23> I am curious about how and whether building or environment impact codes come into play with this kind of remote private island in Canada. Things like septic systems, building a dock or anything near the shoreline, and even putting in a mooring buoy can be significant challenges to get approved in many US jurisdictions.

<comment><USER13> I'm curious about this, too. We've done a little research, and it seems like building non-permanent things like sheds and yurts will be fine, but docks, septic, permanent buildings that cost over $5k will need permits.

Then again, there are some pretty janky home-made docks in the bay that seem to have been there for a while.

<comment><USER23> If it is anything like in the US, old stuff is grandfathered when things tighten up. This is why it is often advisable to look for property that already has a dock or other permanent structures on or near the shoreline. It is quite likely that none of that janky stuff could be built today.

<comment><USER24> This is exactly how it works in most of Canada. The new laws are strict to an extreme measure, in some cases you are not even allowed to add a window to a wall that is facing water (reflection and glare issues) or cut down any fauna within 60 feet of the waters edge. Docks usually have a permit but are limited to a specific size, and you cannot alter the general structure of grandfathered objects.

<comment><USER25> I think you mean flora... and even then I'm guessing it only applies to trees and large shrubs. I'm Canadian and all the anti-cutting laws I've heard about only restrict you from removing plants over a certain size. So you can remove saplings and small shrubs, but if you wait for them to get big it'll be too late.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><AUTHOR> Hey all - co-owner here with Tynan. He tried to reply to all your comments but you guys left so many he got throttled by HN and now can't post. Shame on you all.

Just kidding - but really, he's throttled atm. He'll be back to reply to posts when he can!

<comment><USER26> Why would you guys buy the island without seeing it first? Were you guys just really excited?

<comment><USER13> We didn't transfer the money until seeing it. As the commenter below said, it hit our metrics, so we figured that barring an infestation of wild tigers or something, it was worth buying. So we went up, camped for a night to check it out, and wired the money the next morning.

<comment><USER27> Wouldn't an infestation of wild tigers make it _more_ worth buying? =)

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER28> How do you intend to prevent locals from "visiting" your island when you are away? Once someone realizes there's an awesome free island with lots of cool stuff to play with you might find it prone to vandalizing.

I've had similar romantic notions about owning an island (we kayak a lot). But the reality is that every vacant island IS your island. There's plenty of islands < 1 hour away that are beautiful and completely uninhabited. Hopefully someday I will come upon yours... sounds nice.

<pessimism>I hope it works out for you but taxes go up, structures get vandalized, local permits are annoying and 10 hours is a long friggen drive. And the fastest way to end a friendship is to joint own something.</pessimism>

<comment><USER29> Why do you assume he'd want to prevent locals from visiting?

<comment><USER28> You never met a bored teenager... have you? Of course it is Canada... maybe they aren't as awful.

<comment><USER29> Every bored teenager I've met was absolutely respectful of signs and, authority in general...

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER30> _Over the years we 'll build up the island, doing most of the work ourselves. We'll build a communal building with a shower, kitchen, lounge, and bathrooms. Each owner of the island gets to pick a spot on which to build their own little structure to sleep in. Together we'll build infrastructure, gardens, a fire pit, and whatever else we can come up with._

A couple years ago I bought some rural land with the idea that something like this. . . something I think of as "ecosteading" is going to become a trend of sorts. The idea that I'm working on (and have already applied to YC and a bunch of other incubators with) is actually right along this line: a platform for people to buy and sell land, exchange ideas for ecological homesteading, even build out a platform for more intelligent urban planning. When it's done from the "ground up" (literally), there are all kind of future headaches that can be avoided.

Imagine if the Hyperloop or the California high speed rail had been able to be laid down _before_ most of the development around this insanely populated state took place. Population growth is exponential; it's inevitable that we're going to need smarter ways of transporting people and consumables. The key is figuring out where these new hubs of population are going. Like-minded people congregate; and this idea gives them a way to do it with others.

If this sounds like something interesting/exciting, I am kinda sorta looking for people to work with. Research it, tell me what you can offer (it's Rails!) and what you think of what's done so far: [https://angel.co/ecosteader](https://angel.co/ecosteader) (email only please)

</comment><comment><USER13> Hey guys-- this is my post. I'm flattered this made it to HN! Will be answering questions in comments for a couple hours if any come up.

<comment><USER31> No question... just want to say that this is really cool. I recently took a Seaplane from Vancouver BC to Victoria BC and shocked by how many beautiful tiny islands there were out there and wondered what it would be like to try to get one. Now I know.

<comment><USER32> Those islands cost in the millions... but there are some sweet ones up north that are cheaper than a downtown Victoria condo.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER33> > caught wild crabs...

You may want to check with the DFO (Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans) on that. Licenses are sold for many types of shellfish and you want have fishers with licenses for crab, clam, oysters etc. near the island. [http://www.pac.dfo- mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/species-especes/shell...](http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm- gp/rec/species-especes/shelltable-tableaucoquille-eng.htm)

Recently one lobster fisherman (farther off shore) was caught cutting trap lines and the owner of the lines shot him a few times and then ran him over in his boat. Fishing is taken very seriously in this region, it's all some people have done for many generations.

Other than that you should be fine.

<comment><USER13> VERY useful site-- thank you!

<comment><USER34> Those are Pacific water regulations. This site, [http://novascotia.ca/fish/](http://novascotia.ca/fish/) is what you'd want.

Just in general in Nova Scotia you don't need any license for non-commercial fishing in tidal areas (still need to observe bag limits though.) You do need a license for any fishing in fresh waters.

If you're hand picking crabs you're fine. Just don't set any traps or snares, but you might want to check to see if they are safe to eat. Sometimes the close areas for shellfish harvesting due to food safety concerns.

The murder that dhughes is referencing had more to do with it then them just catching someone cutting their lines, there was a long history between the victim and the boat crew.

<comment><USER33> Whoops! Didn't see that, good catch ;)

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER35> This is awesome.

I always wanted to do something like this as long as I can remember, build something (more or less) self-sustaining in the middle of nowhere to feel fully independent. I am really curious to what extent the author plans on living there? Will there be houses next to the communal building? Solar Panels? A Generator? An on-site well?

It is this Idea of your own small ecosystem which makes Minecraft so attractive. This is real life Minecraft and I hope to do something like this one day.

Edit: Just to add some interesting Project: There is open source hardware for everything you need to build your own village in the "Global Village Construction Set"[1]

\---

[1] [http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/Global_Village_Constructio...](http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/Global_Village_Construction_Set)

<comment><USER13> Thanks!

At first it will be a summer-only thing, but we hope over 5-10 years to make it sustainable all year round. We want to use it mainly as a place to work together and get away from cities.

Next summer we will be putting up a 30' yurt, a huge battery bank, and a generator. Water is the hardest, so we'll probably have to catch rain and use a desalinator.

Oh-- we have awesome LTE and 4G coverage there, too!

<comment><USER36> Congrats on your purchase! Having 4G internet is a very nice addition to your infrastructure, and critical in this day and age. Even if you want to disconnect for extended periods of time, you still have to pay your bills and taxes.

Speaking from experience, solar panels and car batteries work very well to supply a minimal amount of power for daily use (LED lights, charging cell phones and laptops, etc), but a generator will likely be needed for the occasional heavy equipment use. I'm less of a fan of windmills, but they have their place.

Water is indeed the most important infrastructure element to get right, but the solution you go with often depends heavily with your power choices. It's one thing to leave a desalinization system running 24x7 and maintain it, but it's a whole different story if you need something that can be shut down and restarted several months later. Maintenance and long-term reliability become important factors. Maybe you'll get lucky and find you can drill a well for fresh water, but the size of your island makes me think that is unlikely.

Other fun things to think about: plumbing, septic systems, waste disposal, hot water systems, lights, cooking, and refrigeration.

Then there is always the debate of redundancy vs. simplicity. and the real cost of maintaining an often fragile infrastructure.

I am very curious to hear more about your progresses in building out your island infrastructure and have subscribed to your blog.

<comment><USER13> Thanks! I actually have an RV with solar and LED, so I'm very familiar with the awesomeness of running off the grid. I'm not sure we'll get enough solar to make it cost efficient, but we're still looking into it.

I haven't done enough research into desalination-- I had no idea that shutting it down for a while is a problem. Why is that?

We may also do rainwater recovery + filtration for drinking/cooking, and salt for showering. Worst case we have to bring water over every time and shower in salt.

Planning on doing propane or wood to heat water, propane for refrigeration and cooking.

Thanks for subscribing! We'll be going out in the spring to do some more work and will definitely keep people updated on progress.

<comment><USER37> My extended family owns a cabin on a tiny island on a lake in Wisconsin.

* You're right - having a house on an island is cooler than having a house on the shore. :)

* Probably not applicable to you, but when they need to move heavy things (Backhoe to dredge the dock, materials, etc.) to the island, they drive them in over the frozen lake in midwinter.

* The power comes in over an underwater cable. Something you might want to look into.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER38> _Sometimes it 's just a matter of thinking outside the box and doing a little research, rather than assuming it's impossible or impractical._

Good advice in general too, not just when buying an island.

</comment><comment><USER39> You could probably let a lot of kids (college students) have a lot of fun surveying it. I would seriously consider approaching a local college or university if you'd want.

Bonus is that you'll get some good maps out of it:)

<comment><USER13> Awesome idea, thanks!

</comment></comment><comment><USER40> "I bought an Island" ... on a blog about minimalism...

<comment><USER13> Yeah, but it's my ONLY island.

<comment><AUTHOR> For now*. Don't forget the artillery for imperializing neighboring islands.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER41> I wonder if indeed it's completely out of any state's control or it's technically still in a state's jurisdiction. I wonder what would happen if someone bought an island and started hiring people and making money there and not paying any taxes. My guess is that government agents would suddenly become very interested in that piece of land and would pay a visit.

<comment><USER42> I'm not sure I understand why being an island is different from any other land.

It's still under the tax jurisdiction of the Province and Country.

How is this different when I replace the word island with acreage or farm?

<comment><USER43> Your neighbor won't knock on your door and complain your dog is barking too much.

<comment><USER44> It's also much easier to defend in a "without rule of law" (WROL) situation. You've raised the bar for just getting to your place. Short of scuba gear, there's no way to approach a prepared island undetected. This even goes for the dark of night if the defenders are well prepared. Would be invaders would probably also be approaching without cover against rifle fire, unless they are hiding behind the engine block of a fairly large sized boat.

There are some disadvantages that come with that. A determined group could keep you trapped on your island more easily as well.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER45> A few years ago I was looking into this as well, but in the Philippines -- there were a ton of amazingly beautiful and affordable islands in the Palawan region... the problem was getting stuff/services onto the island.

Getting power, water, sewer made the cost extremely high. Even with Solar/Septic - getting equipment and suplpies was just far too much for me to undertake and afford.

So CONGRATS on succeeding. How much for an 11th person share in the Island?

Have you setup an "infrastructure" fund where all ten of you contribute a monthly amount - and then spend it annually on one big buy for the Island?

I'd recommend you see about purchasing used shipping containers and having them barged over to the island: this will let you store stuff - and if you're crafty enough, there are tons of examples of building housing from them online.

Start planting seeds of edible plants all over the island.

Digging a well might prove to be a bit costly...

<comment><USER46> Do you have more precise details on the costs involved with that Philippine island idea? What kind of numbers?

<comment><USER45> This was in ~2003...

There were islands in Palawan fro sale at the time that were uttery perfect for ~$35,000 USD - large enough for a house, had a really nice beach etc...

The problem was that in the northern part of Palawan, you either need to ship from Manilla, or fly stuff in.

The islands were too small/rocky to be able to have a well, so water was an issue - as was power - you'd need to basically have solar/wind/generator (which meant boating in fuel regularly).

So - I don't have exact numbers - but it made buying an Island for ~35K really mean that you'd need ~$250K+ to really accomplish something.

<comment><USER47> Also, buying an island in a 3rd world country is an entirely different proposition from doing it in a place like Canada. For example, keeping your stuff safe becomes a major concern, especially if you're planning to only visit every now and then; you pretty much need to hire a permanent caretaker.

Also, in the Phils (and most all Asian countries) foreigners can't buy land directly, so you need to use various workarounds of dubious legality like setting up a corporation with a local citizen as director and an undated, presigned letter of resignation, etc.

And you're still screwed if somebody in power doesn't like what you're doing. There was a bizarre case a while back with some Finnish guys setting up camp on a remote Indonesian island (with go-ahead from the locals, mind you) that eventually ended up with the army showing up to kick them out with lots of chest-thumping about Indonesian sovereignty, but my Google-fu is failing me right now...

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER48> What about visa? Do I get some kind of resident visa if I buy an island in Canada?

<comment><USER49> No, not any more than you get a residence visa if you buy a house or a farm. It's just a piece of property, and property ownership in a country doesn't typically confer immigration status. If you're American, you can visit Canada (but not work there) for up to 6 months a year visa-free. Otherwise you need to apply for a visa through the usual process.

</comment></comment><comment><USER24> As a Canadian I would not have bought an island unless it was near a major urban center and thus has the appeal of being urban and country at the same time, or somewhere warm ..aka not in Canada.

If you just want to rough it, you can lease Crown Land, fees are basically nothing if you're willing to do the paperwork, most leases last from 10-99 years, some of these leases might be open to foreigners (not sure, might need a legitimate business).

Even better start of an amatuer prospecting company, you could probably lease an island the size of manhattan, again for a very low fee. You won't own the land but 99 years is usually enough.

Or you could just drive really far into the bush, no one will notice.

<comment><USER50> source for that?

<comment><USER24> [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_land#Canada](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_land#Canada) [http://nslegislature.ca/legc/statutes/crownlan.htm](http://nslegislature.ca/legc/statutes/crownlan.htm)

Each province regulates it's own Crown land: BC: [http://archive.ilmb.gov.bc.ca/link_land.html](http://archive.ilmb.gov.bc.ca/link_land.html) NB: [http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/services/services_renderer...](http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/services/services_renderer.200832.Crown_Lands_- _Camp_Lot_Lease_.html)

The rest are a short Google away, some more sparse territories like the Yukon and Northwest Territories are more lax than say Ontario.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER51> In sweden you dont have to buy an island. All the island are free to camp at. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_to_roam](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_to_roam)

<comment><USER52> My family has a summer house out in the Stockholm Archipelago, it's on one of the tens of thousands of islands, it takes an hour to get there from home, and on our island there are about 60 houses, and there's ok infrastructure including public transportation to get there.

If you want more solitude, you just take the boat and go out to the more remote ones, there's nothing special or magical or mystical about "owning an island" to me, since that's how I spent my childhood summers.

Then I realized that archipelagos are pretty rare, which keeps the concept out of reach for most people.

</comment></comment><comment><USER53> Does anyone have tips for buying cheap land in general for camping and maybe building a cabin? I've always been curious to do that but I've no idea where to start.

</comment><comment><USER54> I was (much like the author) always interested in getting an island (still am.)

I also gravitate toward Canada when looking for an island, because you can get fairly large islands for much less money than lets say in the Caribbean. Of course, the climate is a lot less appealing.

I always wonder though, how expensive would it be to get something built on an island? I imagine getting building materials and construction equipment onto a forested island can be tricky and expensive.

</comment><comment><USER55> I was struck by the "climate does not matter" part - I have always assumed Canada will be one of the 22nd century's big winners in climate change terms (lots of nice melted permafrost agricultural land and an extra 6 degrees would be balmy)

the upshot of this is I assumed land north of Toronto is always going to be a good buy for grand children. am I thinking too small?

<comment><USER12> I still have 100 acres for sale there if you're interested ;)

<comment><USER53> Why are you selling?

<comment><USER12> Because we no longer live there.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER56> Shame on me for thinking this but, any chance of internet connectivity there?

<comment><USER13> I should have mentioned this in the original post-- we actually have HSPA+ and LTE coverage! Super lucky, as this is the only utility that we couldn't easily do ourselves.

</comment></comment><comment><USER57> Investors and builders, please remember that your property's value is sinking. Sinking, sinking under the waves of the rising sea.

</comment><comment><USER58> I wonder if a small heard of goats/sheep could be self sustaining out there and help with clearing some of the vegetation? Out here in fire country, people with large acreage will rent sheep from farmers to come and eat the brush over a month or so. I saw some at Sears Point once and I have to say the critters did a better job than a large mowing machine.

<comment><USER59> _small heard of goats..._

Nice. You could produce organic goat cheese - island chevre - _chèvre de l 'île_.

</comment></comment><comment><USER60> My family has a cottage in the backwaters of Ontario (although ~one hour from Ottawa). It's on a lake, but very off the grid, without electricity or running water. We have propane stoves, refrigerators, lights, etc.

It's a bit less remote than an island, seeing as you can take a car into town, and the stray hunter still comes through once in a while.

</comment><comment><USER61> Tynan and friends, congrats. First thought: build cool treehouses.

[PS Tynan: Hope this HN juice finally gets you accepted into YCombinator.]

<comment><USER13> Thank you! I was hoping to build a treehouse, but a hurricane wiped out most of the big trees in 2003. Now it's all 6-20' tall Balsam Firs, which are too small to make treehouses in. Maybe in 20 years...

</comment></comment><comment><USER62> Tynan you may not be aware of this but there is actually a word for this. You are an "islomaniac". Highly recommend this book which is a true story about what Id consider to be the ultimate islomaniac:-

An Island To Oneself by Tom Neale [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Neale](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Neale) [http://www.amazon.com/An-Island-Oneself-Tom- Neale/dp/0918024...](http://www.amazon.com/An-Island-Oneself-Tom- Neale/dp/0918024765/)

Probably one of my favourite books actually.

</comment><comment><USER63> Is there any site or organisations that are around for the purpose of buying these kind of things? Kind of kickstarter but more larger payments for a percentage of a large purchase? I suppose kind of like a timeshare, but not a rip off?

I've come across 1 thing like this myself, which is a car club, you pay £10k and you get X days per year to drive the cars in their selection but you also own something like 5% of the company that owns the cars. I'd be very interested in other kind of group buying things like this.

</comment><comment><USER64> [http://www.privateislandsonline.com/islands/mavuva-island- lo...](http://www.privateislandsonline.com/islands/mavuva-island-lots)

Yeah that looks like a tool :)

<comment><USER65> I was looking through some of the listings and saw an ad for a tax haven. I guess that's the target audience?

</comment></comment><comment><USER66> Step 1. Buy Island Step 2. Build treehouse Step 3. Swiss Family Robinson Step 4. Thwart Pirates Step 5. Become a host on AirBnB. "Lovely Family Getaway"

</comment><comment><USER67> Cool. For how much? :)

<comment><USER13> 5 figures, not 6....

<comment><USER68> Total or per?

<comment><USER69> I would wager a guess that's it's total. He mentions island prices similar to land prices.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER70> Correct me but you buy an island but you're not able to make you're own country in there. You're still under Canada's rule I guess.

<comment><USER71> It depends entirely on the size and power of your military.

<comment><USER70> How so? Then I can buy any kind of land and claim it as my own :)

<comment><USER72> Yes you can, you still have to have a powerful enough military to defend your claim. In fact, given a large and powerful enough military you don't have to buy the land before claiming it.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER73> I'd thought you appreciate this: "two brothers inherited one of the Hawaiian islands, Niihau, and have turned down all offers to sell including $1 billion from the U.S. government" [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Robinson_(environmentalis...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Robinson_\(environmentalist\))

</comment><comment><USER74> That's awesome! I have a feeling that you are going to get some neighbors pretty quickly as we all start looking now.

For the love of Mother Nature, please hook up with a landscape architect so that you make sustainable decisions about where to site buildings, where to cut trails, etc. It doesn't take much vegetation loss to start some nasty erosion.

<comment><USER13> I hope so. If anyone buys an island in Nova Scotia, get in touch!

We're leaving all trees around the edge to prevent erosion, and are clearing very minimally. Will definitely be getting some expert advice before making big decisions, though.

<comment><USER75> Do you know if there are any other islands in the area that are for sale? Any resources aside from privateislandsonline?

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER76> What process are you using for finances? A budget meeting to agree on what to chip in for future years and for what those monies go to?

Did you all sign something already that talks about distribution plans if and when one of the group passes away?

Any plans to enforce "no trespassing" when none of the group is there?

Congrats, by the way!

<comment><USER13> Thanks! We have a bunch of rules to cover things like this.

Everyone is expecting to pitch in another $1000-2000 next year to build a communal yurt, battery bank, get a boat, etc.

We're told by locals that trespassing isn't a problem. We could put motion detectors / cameras if necessary, but I doubt it will be.

Thanks!

</comment></comment><comment><USER77> Not all Canadian Islands are so cheap. Here's a single family island for 14.4 Million in Muskoka - [http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetails.aspx?propertyId=133556...](http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetails.aspx?propertyId=13355666&PidKey=-351405494)

<comment><USER78> Muskoka is right in cottage country in Ontario. huge, huge difference from an island near Edmundston.

</comment></comment><comment><USER79> Perfect scenario for the "tiny house" (Google it) concept. Decent sized land, but rocky & woody makes it hard to build anything of substantial size, and multiple owners/occupants suggests multiple smaller dwellings to fit without getting in each others' way.

</comment><comment><USER53> What kind of legal structure would you use for Something like this? Did you use a lawyer? What kind?

<comment><USER13> It's an LLC. We have a lawyer as a member of the group, so he drafted our purchase and sale agreement and our operating agreement. We had to hire a local lawyer, too, to draft an affidavit and to register the deed.

<comment><USER80> If you're willing to share, I (and I'm sure others here as well) would be curious to get some kind of sense of how you wrote out the agreements.

<comment><USER81> I'm the lawyer that Tynan mentioned, and the proud part-owner of the island. There are excellent standard form agreements available for free online. Essentially you just search for the relevant jurisdiction (i.e. the State where you're incorporating)and "standard form multiple member LLC operating agreement". Then you edit the agreement to fit your circumstances, deleting and adding as required. Standard form purchase and sale agreements are also easy to find and don't require much amendment. Pay a local title search company to check the title (ensures that there are no outstanding mortgages/covenants on it, that the seller actually owns it etc. You'll need to get a local lawyer to execute the deed, but that doesn't cost much. It helps to have a legal background, but an agreement is just a shared understanding of the meaning of words, so not too difficult.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER82> You are living out a dream/fantasy held by many of us and obtained by few. Please do keep us informed on the awesomeness that is to come on Tynan's Island.

Also, definitely look into the permaculture thing. The Zombies Are Coming! and you gotta be prepared. =)

</comment><comment><USER83> This is amazing ! It crossed my mind but didn't put thoughts on how to actually buy an island.

Apparently this one cost less than 100k (which can't even buy an apartment in a crappy place). I shared the link with a couple of friends.

</comment><comment><USER84> Have you checked rising sea levels and how that could affect your land holding?

</comment><comment><USER85> I'm curious now what it takes to become a sovereign nation, and issue your own passports, which will be recognized by other countries. Does anyone have any experience/knowledge with that? :)

</comment><comment><USER86> I'm reminded of the Reddit Fantasy: [http://www.reddit.com/r/redditisland](http://www.reddit.com/r/redditisland)

</comment><comment><USER87> Welcome to Nova Scotia

<comment><USER13> Thank you! Some of my ancestry is from there, but it's the first time I've visited. I was really struck by how friendly everyone is, and how beautiful the area is. Halifax was a cool city, too.

</comment></comment><comment><USER88> The gulf islands in BC are beautiful and much nicer in terms of climate. The San Juan islands are the southern tip of the gulf islands. Similar prices.

</comment><comment><USER89> Looks like the forest was recently cut and there's just a lot of saplings. But within some decades, it's going to look much better!

</comment><comment><USER90> I'd like to echo others and say that this is indeed awesome.

At 5 acres, are you concerned at all about deforesting it too much over time?

<comment><USER18> I have some experience in this area. If ten people rely on firewood for heat, and if they live there in the winter, and if the island is heavily forested, the trees will last maybe five years before any further cutting will start eating into property value and privacy.

</comment></comment><comment><USER44> Back in the early 90's I ran across an island in a lake in British Columbia that was supposedly priced at $35k.

</comment><comment><USER91> To create a vantage point I hope you will not chop down the forest. Anyway it is your island. Congratulations :)

</comment><comment><USER92> Can't wait for the airbnb listing.

</comment><comment><USER93> Twenty years later you will be able to show the exact spot to your kids. In the middle of the ocean.

</comment><comment><USER94> One question: weren't you afraid not to have visited the island before you made an offer?

<comment><USER13> Not really. Did as much research as I could, and most of the value of the island to me is having a group of friends with an island to build up by our own designs.

Also, we did check it out before wiring the money. If it was burnt down or something really bad, we wouldn't have bought it.

</comment></comment><comment><USER95> What's the going rate for an island these days?

</comment><comment><USER96> Here's an interesting link. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micronation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micronation)

</comment><comment><USER97> How are you going to get electricity?

<comment><USER98> Oh, you cannot be serious. Generator. Wind power. Solar. This is increasingly easy to provide on a small scale in the middle of nowhere.

<comment><USER97> It doesn't look like there is much sun in that area. And generators are extremely expensive to run, how are you getting fuel to that island?

Not sure about wind on that island either.

<comment><USER98> Then hydro, which is very do-able on a small scale. Do I seriously need to list all possible options here?

<comment><USER97> If money is no object...

<comment><USER98> A quick google suggests micro hydro can be done for as little as $1k. And once yiu have your own power plant, you won't have monthly electric bills. Here is some info: [http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/micro-hydro-power- pr...](http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/micro-hydro-power-pros-and- cons/)

Poverty is often very expensive and often involves the cheapest upfront cost but frequently leads to high lifetime costs. So I think your argument is ridiculous. Energy independence is often more about mindset and lifestyle choices than budget. I hsbe never been in a position to pursue it, but I never viewed that as being about dollar cost per se.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER99> Do you plan on staying the winter?

<comment><USER13> I hope to some day have it visitable in the winter, but not expecting it to be ready for that any time soon. The idea is to start with a cool private camp site, and eventually build it into a year-round sustainable retreat.

</comment></comment><comment><USER100> i am interesting of how to develop this island would they got a solar power grid?

</comment><comment><USER101> Definitely a dream of mine.

</comment><comment><USER102> Needs tree houses asap!!!

</comment><comment><USER103> It sounds like you guys really thought this through (with the LLC, etc), however I can't shake the feeling that you're going to find this a bit like owning a boat: it sounds like much more fun before you actually do it.

Five acres is slightly more land than I have (in the exurbs of Toronto), and is almost certainly much more awkward, with less usable space. I mention that because I can't imagine trying to facilitate the desires of 10 different owners on such a plot, and the practical limitations of such a space will become quickly apparent. Notions of being sovereign and all of that seem really strange -- you fall under just as many regulations (if not, in some ways, more) than a plot on the mainland. Assuming that you will fly under the radar is a dangerous gambit.

To visit this place you rely upon the graces of what is to you a foreign country. A simple DUI or possession charge in the US == barred from Canada. And so on.

Totally get the thought (I have bid on various large parcels of land throughout Ontario), though, just think 5 acres is just much too small.

<comment><USER104> I can't see the appeal of this at all. Random list of why:

Inevitable fights/headaches when one person wants out -- yes, you planned for it, but it's still a hassle.

All the pains of homeownership (leaky roofs, pipes, HVAC problems, etc.) x 1000 due to difficulty of getting a construction crew to the island.

Lack of a police force to enforce basic property rights against squatters/hunters/other "intruders" with different ideas about the meaning of "private propety" than you

Water: is this all being brought to the island, or do you have a plan for on- island desalination? Are you prepared to regularly service the desalination plant and/or haul giant jugs of water to the island constantly?

Medical care: when someone breaks a leg, steps on a sharp stick, etc., where is the nearest hospital?

This article reminds me why we live in a market economy, because tastes and preferences differ, and there's no way I'd buy this, but great if you guys want to.

<comment><USER105> I'm not saying you're "wrong," but that attitude will certainly cut out much of the fun in life.

<comment><USER106> Doesn't sound like he or she considers it "fun". Different tastes I guess. To me, all the "problems" mentioned are the whole reason I'd love to undertake something like this.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER107> just blog about this - a lot! Congrats on building your dream! I hope it works out great. 10 different people with ten visions have to come together... wow. Could be real fun or...

</comment><comment><USER108> Why not just disclose the price?

<comment><USER109> Probably because it's none of your business. Seriously, what could you get from a firm figure that you couldn't get from the generalisation of between 10 - 100k?

<comment><USER108> Why not just answer the question? Why all the secrecy surrounding cost when one could easily find out how much something costs? If somebody asks, it's because they are curious of the value. 10-100k is a huge range that most islands would fit into.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER110> I hate to be the Debbie Downer but this seems like something that feels really cool and fun at first but then loses it's novelty after a while and then gets forgotten about.

<comment><USER111> If they cleaned it up and improved it a bit, they might be able to sell it at a profit.

<comment><USER108> So everything is about money, not doing something adventurous and exciting. zzzzz.

<comment><USER111> No, it means there's a backup plan.

The complaint was that it might only turn out to be adventurous and exciting for a little while. My point is merely that you can always get out again and spend the same money on something new and adventurous and exciting.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER112> With the Global Warming upon the Human Race, it will be stupid to buy the Islands which might not last forever... All the Islands that are available look like they might submerge within another 5 years.. paying those exuberant rates for islands is stupidity..

Look for Islands with a Hillview, that might work out..

<comment><USER18> > With the Global Warming upon the Human Race, it will be stupid to buy the > Islands which might not last forever. All the Islands that are available > look like they might submerge within another 5 years.

Not five years. Sea level rise at present is about 3 millimeters per year. Over five years that becomes 15 millimeters, or 1.5 centimeters, or about 1/2 inch.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current_sea_level_rise](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current_sea_level_rise)

"From 1950 to 2009, measurements show an average annual rise in sea level of 1.7 ± 0.3 mm per year, with satellite data showing a rise of 3.3 ± 0.4 mm per year from 1993 to 2009 ..."

This is not to diminish the seriousness of global warming, only to put it in perspective.</comment></comment>


My 2020 desk setup - <AUTHOR> https://michael.stapelberg.ch/posts/2020-05-23-desk-setup/ <comment><USER2> "I found that using only one monitor allows me to focus more on what I'm doing, and I don't miss anything about a multi-monitor setup."

This.

I had the same realization maybe 7 or 8 years ago and it is true for me. With multiple monitors it's like moving your hands away from the keyboard all the time and looking for the mouse. Same happens for me while looking for anything across the 2 or 3 monitor setup. It just weakens your focus... If I'm on a laptop (and I usually am), I just use the laptop's screen. Getting used to a different screen size while working with my laptop setup would also slightly slow me down when I'm bound to use only the laptop.

<comment><USER3> Except you have huge monitor and you lay stuff in multiple side by side windows which makes the whole argument very moot. And when you use laptop you are kind of forced to use single screen because multiple screens is inconvenient at best.

When I started development 15" monitors were standard and 17" were a luxury. Setting multiple monitors was a must or you would have to constantly switch between editor, terminal and documentation.

If you look at the setup that's exactly what is happening. On a single screen there is browser with documentation (presumably), and there is four (!) IDE/editor/terminal windows.

It's not about how many monitors you have but rather what you are doing with them. You can put Netflix as one of the windows and still get distracted on a single monitor setup or you can have bad sight like me and require two 27" monitors side by side so that I can magnify fonts and have documentation, IDE and terminal at the same time with no strain.

<comment><USER4> I have three monitors, but I only use one (a 24" one, the second is for when I want to watch some show or movie while doing stuff on the main one, and the third I basically never use). I have my apps always maximized/fullscreen in the main monitor and I alt-tab between them. I never could get into having multiple apps on-screen at the same time, since I can only focus on one.

Writing this comment, though, I realize that a better alt-tab switcher would be a godsend. I keep getting confused with window order sometimes and I'm not sure why, maybe I should write a better switcher.

<comment><USER5> A better alt+tab switcher would be great! Why isn't that a thing? I'm imagining something where you could use alt+f1, alt+f2, alt+f3, etc. to switch to specific windows rather than just rotating between everything.

<comment><USER6> On Windows, you can effectively use Win+1-9 for that by pinning the applications to the taskbar. I use that all the time.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER7> The WH-1000XM3 are just about the only recommended bluetooth headphone anymore that makes switching devices that much of a pain. Most will either automatically switch between a few active devices or allow you to switch by just initiating the connection from the target device.

Have you looked at installing the patched pulseaudio-bluetooth modules to gain LDAC support? :)

<comment><AUTHOR> Have not looked at any fancy pulseaudio setups. I don't want to maintain them on my machines over time, as I use these headphones with 4 different devices :)

<comment><USER7> Fair enough! For other people coming across the thread, the repo for the modules is here (sorry for not posting this in the original post: [https://github.com/EHfive/pulseaudio-modules- bt](https://github.com/EHfive/pulseaudio-modules-bt))

Good news is that there's some more activity towards upstreaming them; at least in my experience, they Just Worked(TM) as far as the system automatically selecting LDAP or AAC as needed.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER8> "Probably another macbook setup" "Oh, nope, lots of terminals." "Hey, is that i3?" Then I realized who the author was.

Honestly: I tried i3 and it wasn't for me. The psychology of slightly overlapping windows (i.e. "just put this over here, out of the way but still visible" as a way of making a physical reminder for myself) is just too much part of my mental model to give up.

<comment><AUTHOR> Have you tried stacking mode? The title bar will still be visible, while the window is out of the way. See it in action if you zoom into my monitor on [https://michael.stapelberg.ch/Bilder/2020-05-22-desk- setup.j...](https://michael.stapelberg.ch/Bilder/2020-05-22-desk-setup.jpg)

That works for me, but I understand it's not for everyone :)

<comment><USER9> Thanks for creating i3, have been using it for years -- stacked tabs are indeed great, as is basically everything else in this wondrous WM.

i3 is solidly in the "pry it from cold, dead hands" category.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER10> His monitor resolution is unnecessary AFAICS.

I have one, also 31.5" which is 3840 x 2160, without any scaling, and the text is sharp as fuck. Given my experience the only thing I'd do if I bought another monitor given what I know now is to buy one same res but larger because 3840 x 2160 is _a lot_ of pixels in a small space. A single black pixel on a white background from 60cm away is very, very close to invisible (just tried it).

<comment><USER11> I guess it's one of those things that you need to use for a while to 'get it'.

Just like switching from FHD to 4K (on a laptop). You won't be blown away immediately when you first use it, until you go back to FHD and suddenly you realize how much nicer the 4K screen was.

I run a 43" 4K display for work an I wish it was 8K, because when switching from my 15" 4K laptop to the 43" 4K desktop setup suddenly the desktop monitor doesn't look that crisp anymore.

</comment></comment><comment><USER12> 8K monitor sounded ridiculous until I realized that's basically Retina @ 32-34"

<comment><USER13> It is so sad that for us not in the Apple Ecosystem it is impossible to find a desktop HiDPI display. We are stuck in 4k for the past 5 years. This Dell is the only "option", but I don't know how many of us can afford spending $5k on a monitor with a lifetime of ~ 3 years that has not shown great reliability.

Meanwhile, Linux has made the lives of 4k display owners unlivable due to the lack of non-integer scaling. A 5k display with 200% scaling at 27" would help the situation, but we don't have that option.

Many times I have considered jumping on to the MacOS boat, just for the high dpi display availability & scaling support advantage.

<comment><USER12> Is there no way to use an LG 5K?

The bad thing about the 8K is needing a $500 video card which also means it's not an option for laptop users (I guess you could with an eGPU

<comment><USER14> The blog author is using a GTX 1060, that's a $400 video card that came out nearly 4 years ago.

Today a <$200 GTX 1650 can output 7680x4320@120Hz, or 60Hz over a single DP link.

And I don't see why a laptop with a proper GPU and TB3 dock couldn't drive it either.

<comment><USER15> He states he uses a 2070 now.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER16> Is he me? Same CPU, CPU fan, SSD, monitor, RAM, case, WM, linux distro.. Except I never made the switch to vim from emacs.

In all seriousness, I have great respect for Stapelberg and I thank him for posting this. I love seeing other dev's setups and learned a few things in his post.

</comment><comment><USER17> That's a lot of money between screen and GPU just to get crisper fonts (as the rest of the GUI is scaled x3 and thus you don't get that much more screen real estate). Is this really worth it for you? I regularly switch between a 5k iMac and regular 1920x1200 display, and sure, I can see pixels, but I don't find myself caring that much.

<comment><USER18> Considering how many hours a day he likely uses his machine, it may work out to something like the difference between a few cents and 10 cents an hour.

<comment><USER15> That's only going to be true if the $4000 extra they spent is used for 40,000+ hours. It's likely closer to be a dollar an hour more for slightly crisper text. (Assuming they use it full time for 2 years)

<comment><USER19> The monitor/GPU have a lot more than 2 year lifespan. Depreciation is likely less than 50% in 2 years.

And he didn't pay for slightly crisper text, he paid for higher productivity. At $100/hour that 25 to 50 cents is trivial to make up. Which is why devs should never, ever skimp on hardware.

<comment><USER17> Okay, first of all let me say that I don't want to poo-poo anyone's choice of environment. If it "sparks joy" for hours every day, it's probably a good personal investment.

On the other hand, it does require additional resources being wasted, both for producing the items -- monitors/GPUs indeed do have a long lifespan, which means that the previous ones would still work -- and increased energy used per hour. So saying that any $ spent on hardware can't be wasted for devs...

And whether it will actually result in increased productivity is a good question. Readability, eye strain, enjoyment all factor in. Plenty of studies that only focus on one aspect, so easy to cherry pick a conclusion...

Again, I don't believe this is more wasteful than a few spa days or a vacation, so good for the OP. My initial post was about how that works out for them (or others chiming in). I find myself not too affected by this, i.e. my last big jump was from a 21 CRT to a 24 inch Dell, especially when it comes to the simple shapes of monochrome fonts.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER20> " For redundancy, I am backing up my computers to 2 separate network storage devices."

Hopefully he understands that this is not a true backup....he's basically created a more complex RAID 1 running two NAS...

For example a flood, a House fire, theft, or a power surge is probably going to lose/fry both then everything is gone. This is a perfect example of thinking you have something backed up but if you store it in the same place you just created a more complex RAID 1...

If you want a backup you need to store a copy in a different location preferably a different region because if you put it at your friends house down the road they are also likely to be hit by the same disaster (i.e flood, tornado, hurricane, war, etc.) as you are.

<comment><AUTHOR> Yes, I understand. I have an off-site backup for that reason, in a different part of the city: [https://michael.stapelberg.ch/posts/2018-01-13-offsite- backu...](https://michael.stapelberg.ch/posts/2018-01-13-offsite-backup- apu2c4/)

The redundancy is just for home, because I don't want to wait for replacement hardware for my setup to work.

<comment><USER20> That's definitely an improvement and a cheap solution. I always have to remind people of offsite backups... I had to learn the hard way and I've now migrated to Backblaze for one of my backup copies for my cold data .

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER21> I'm a couple of weeks into using a single giant (32") monitor at macOS's 3k resolution, and I'm finding it works pretty well with a 3x2 set of windows for code, terminal and docs. The center third is usually a single emacs window with two frames, web browser on the left, and inspect window or terminals on the right.

I'm also really liking the usb-c power delivery, so it's one cable to the work laptop, and from there, it's got a usb hub for the kB/mouse.

The killer feature is the built in KVM switch, so by switching the input to hdmi, I can switch the keyboard/moose to my mini and use it when I'm not at $day_job.

<comment><USER22> What monitor do you have?

<comment><USER21> Dell U3219q.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER23> Love these threads, it is always nice to see the setups of productive persons.

<comment><USER24> Absolutely! Every now and then you pick up some methods or tools you hadn't thought of, that make yourself better.

You just have to remind yourself to bring the critical eye so that you don't start wearing black turtlenecks believing it'll make you a business genius :)

</comment></comment><comment><USER25> Why Kinesis doesn't produce higher quality build variant of its keyboard? One that doesn't feel like a flimsy/cheap plastic. It seems they are charging premium just for the layout and PCB.

<comment><USER26> I got one of their 'freestyle' keyboards years ago.. complete crap - I swear its rubber dome switches :-P

I got an ErgoDox EZ last year, put some nice heavy kaihl box switches in it...now I just gotta find time to learn it (and dvorak/colemak).

Currently using a Vortex Cypher with the split spacebar, I tore down and rebuild - new switches, added leds (south facing mounts so they're useless but I figured I'd try).

and new keycaps.

<comment><USER27> There's a HUGE difference between the Kinesis Advantage and the Freestyle line. The Advantage2 uses MX Browns.

I tried to love my Ergodox, but I've spent way too many years with the scooped keybed of the Kinesis.

<comment><USER26> btw - have you seen/tried anything like the 'tractyl' [0] or ultimate hacking keyboard[1] ? I used to use a trackball full-time, and I'm wondering how well a lil 'thumball' works...

[0][https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/dk9b34...](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/dk9b34/tractyl_split_keyboard_with_trackball/)

[1] [https://ultimatehackingkeyboard.com/](https://ultimatehackingkeyboard.com/)

<comment><USER27> Tractyl looks pretty neat, but I think I'd miss my thumb keys too much.

I looked pretty closely at the UHH, but I think it would be the same issue as the Ergodox -- I'm too used to the scooped keybed of the Kinesis, which makes the reach between e.g. K and 8 short enough that I notice when it's not there on a flat keybed.

<comment><USER26> You could have the trackball on one thumb and the thumb cluster on the other... I have a couple of crooked fingers from breaks that didn't heal completely straight, and I think I'm getting arthritis. So I'm trying to maximize usage of my 'strong' fingers.

I should really try a kinesis sometime. Everyone that has one seems to love them...

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER28> What's the Raspberry Pi for? You put a Raspberry Pi in the picture and you don't tell us what it's for. That's like total cruelty. ;-)

<comment><AUTHOR> I use that for porting [https://gokrazy.org/](https://gokrazy.org/) to the Raspberry Pi 4 (right now) and doing other Raspberry Pi development in general :)

</comment></comment><comment><USER29> I second the Logitech MX Ergo "thumb ball mouse". Once you're transferred your mouse motor skills to this (takes about two hours) you'll never go back to a moving mouse. Especially, if you've got a sore shoulder, or elbow or wrist do yourself a favor and try one of these. (Full Disclosure I own no stock in Logitech, just a very happy customer of this product.)

<comment><USER30> Thirded :). I've switched (to its predecessor) over 10 years ago and never looked back. I even works perfectly well with hectic games after a bit of practice. Additionally I'm using keyboards without numpad to further reduce the distance reaching the "mouse".

</comment></comment><comment><USER31> Given that this is the closest thing to a monitor discussion thread I've seen on HN, I'd like to ask if anyone has a recommendation for what I should upgrade to next.

My progression has been the 2560x1440 Thunderbolt display to the Dell P2715Q, which has been my main monitor at work and home for the past 5 years.

I've tried to upgrade from the P2715Q three times now, and always end up going back to it because I'm dissatisfied by the quality of the other panels in comparison.

I want a larger screen that can support 4K, or even 5K, with comparable panel quality. I avoided the LG 5K display sold by Apple because I heard bad things about it, but never actually tried one. It's 27" as well, so I think it would still be too small, even if the panel quality and resolution are better.

I'm starting to think I should just get a TV and use that as my display, but I don't know which would best suit my needs for writing software. One nice thing about a TV is that it would be much easier to do returns/swaps if I need to play the panel lottery for something that will make me happy. I have never done this with a previous display, since I always bought second-hand from people who had already done that for me. The original owner of my P2715Q apparently returned theirs three times before they were satisfied.

I've toyed with the idea of getting an Apple Pro display, but I really don't want to spend more than $2000 on a monitor.

The UP3218K described in the article seems like it would be a good upgrade, but it definitely exceeds my price range. I would be open to spending that much on a monitor if I knew I wouldn't be replacing it for at least five years, but I can't know that for sure. Although funnily enough, that's what has happened with my P2715Q. It's the only piece of computing equipment I haven't replaced since I first started using it.

<comment><USER32> Rtings has comprehensive reviews for TV as monitors: [https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/best/by-usage/pc- monitor](https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/best/by-usage/pc-monitor)

</comment></comment><comment><USER33> I prefer the multi monitor setup and use at least one in portrait/vertical mode. Fits with my ide and jupyter notebooks

<comment><USER34> Similar setup - I just throw my terminal full screen on a vertical monitor (w/ GNU Screen) and don't find it distracting in any way.

</comment></comment><comment><USER35> I am also of the opinion of needing only one monitor because I can only focus on one thing at once. Whatever is not the work I am doing when I focus, goes into another desktop space. I am also a power user of an OSX window manager called Spectacle. The tools and practices that help me focus are key.

</comment><comment><USER36> I've always been curious about higher-end USB microphones (the Rode is ~$230) compared with a potentially more upgradable XLR setup like:

\- Behringer UM2 USB Audio Interface

\- Behringer Ultravoice XM8500 Dynamic Cardioid mic

This would give the upgradability of an XLR audio interface and a seemingly decent mic for about $125. I imagine once everything is plugged together, it similarly comes down to just plugging in a USB, and I'd be surprised if it wasn't plug-n-play on Linux. I don't know how well the audio quality would compare, though. I'd be interested to hear more about the challenges of getting a working setup with XLR audio gear that are alluded to in the post.

</comment><comment><USER37> On switching peripherals between both work and home computers, I've been using for a few years now a UGREEN USB Switch. It's around £21 for the USB 2 version at the moment in the UK. So it's basically what the author uses but you connect both machines there and click a button to toggle between machines. On mine there's 4 ports only but maybe that's enough for most people - I'm only using half.

</comment><comment><USER38> One minor benefit of TFA to me this morning is I had a 120mm case fan that has been vibrating / buzzing, but I've been delaying buying a replacement just due to not wanting to choose the wrong SKU (again).

Scrolling through the size I see the recommendation of the Noctua NF-A12x25. Probably 3x what I paid for the fan that is being replaced, but it could be the only component in the case that stays during the next rebuild!

<comment><USER39> I just built a system, but the included case fans are too loud.

Just ordered a Be Quiet! 140 mm Shadow Wings 2 for the front and a 120 mm for the back.

From everything I've read, they're the quietest. And are cheaper. But might move less air, due to being limited to 900 rpm.

[https://www.bequiet.com/en/casefans/1625](https://www.bequiet.com/en/casefans/1625) [https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07MCHLGC5](https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07MCHLGC5)

</comment></comment><comment><USER40> How much performance are you able to get out of your router7 setup? If it's unable to saturate the gigabit, do you know where the bottleneck is?

<comment><AUTHOR> It effortlessly satisfies a full gigabit, otherwise I wouldn't stick with it :)

<comment><USER41> Do you have any experience with using it on "Crossover7" which I think is somehow the slightly less preferred offer from fiber7 that I have?

<comment><AUTHOR> I do not have any experience with it. My expectation would be that the IP network quality itself is good (provided by init7), and hopefully the underlying platform is stable and well-provisioned enough.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER42> My 2020 desk setup: a cushion, an empty book block and a board both in wood as support for my laptop. Haven't used a chair or a desk since ages

</comment><comment><USER43> I often get asked about my equipment too and wrote up my bill of materials. Surprised you're not using LED lights. Try them, you'll enjoy the upgrade. [https://medium.com/p/bill-of-materials-for-my-home- office-f7...](https://medium.com/p/bill-of-materials-for-my-home- office-f7f417dfbf0)

</comment><comment><USER44> The hardware section makes it sound like he's rebuilding his computer multiple times a year. Do people really find upgrading that often is worth the cost and the bother? What sorts of workloads do people deal with that having top of the line hardware even matters?

<comment><AUTHOR> I rebuild once a year on average, but not every year (planning to skip this year, for example).

In general, yes, I find it worthwhile to invest money and effort into a faster experience, but I'm very sensitive to latency, so YMMV :)

<comment><USER38> There's a sweet spot somewhere in there.

I recently re-built my i7-3770 w/ SATA3 SSD into an Ryzen 3700x with NVMe and build times are just remarkably faster. I waited far too long.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER45> Interesting about switching from the 3900x back to Intel.

I recently built a desktop around the 3900x. I'm happy with the performance but coming from a decade on MacBooks. Feeling the FOMO about my choice now :)

</comment><comment><USER46> Cool thanks for sharing. My work from home setup has a legal marijuano vaporizer within reaching distance to help deal with the bullshit from managers & other bumbos in our digital corp.

</comment><comment><USER47> Huge fan of i3. It also allowed me to reduce down to one monitor. I use a MSI Optix 34" curved monitor.

I like your idea with the USB hub to switch between computers — I will probably adopt that.

</comment><comment><USER48> That keyboard looks weird - maybe its because I haven't used it myself. Anyone used it? Can you share your experience?

<comment><USER49> I've used a Kinesis Advantage at work for 7 years now. Started after I began to get wrist discomfort once I started programming full-time. It's been wonderful, and removal of the discomfort and pain is worth the $300 several times over. I bought one for home shortly after. It does take a bit to get used to typing on. It took a few days to get from 6 wpm to ~35 wpm, and about two weeks total to get to ~80 wpm. I can usually type a bit faster on a "standard" laptop keyboard, but 80 wpm is still plenty fast. I'm a Vim user, so I mapped the End key to Esc (keyboard has hardware mapping built-in).

I do experience the stuck-key issue referenced (annoying, but easily worked- around and infrequent), going to look into swapping the PCB as linked.

<comment><USER34> I wish there was a way to try this keyboard without committing to buying it for a month or so. It seems like there will be a learning curve and you might not even like it at the end of it.

<comment><USER50> There is a way! Kinesis has a 60 day return policy if you buy directly from them.

[0]: [https://kinesis-ergo.com/support/returns/](https://kinesis- ergo.com/support/returns/)

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER51> About the slow package managers complaint, you should try out Void Linux! Xbps is god speed compared to apt or pacman

<comment><AUTHOR> Thanks, I'm aware. Unfortunately, Void Linux runs runit as init system, and I want systemd.

</comment></comment><comment><USER52> yay, a neo user.

If you have a keyboard programmable with QMK you can make the upper layers work in hardware too though (you still need to decide to which OS layout you want to map it)

<comment><AUTHOR> Yeah, I wanted to look into QMK for a while now, it's on my list :)

Will add this detail as one thing to check out, thanks!

</comment></comment><comment><USER53> I read this as "Steven Spielberg uses this: my 2020 desk setup" before I clicked through. I was so amazed that Spielberg used a tiling window manager before I went back and figured out my mistake!</comment>


Whither the Renaissance Man? - <AUTHOR> http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/14421/?a=f

<comment><USER2> On "kept a scorecard on which he graded himself on how well he realized [self- improvement exercises]", I'm reminded of Personal Unit Tests: <http://hober.backpackit.com/pub/1233865></comment>


Road trip to the end of the world - <AUTHOR> http://www.cnn.com/primary/_t8gik7-iBjjil57hE <comment><USER2> Do you mean this article?

[http://edition.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/03/06/judgment.day.carava...](http://edition.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/03/06/judgment.day.caravan/)

<comment><AUTHOR> Thanks - I forgot that CNN doesn't submit nicely from my iphone.</comment></comment>


MtGox LTC ticker still online - <AUTHOR> https://data.mtgox.com/api/2/LTCUSD/money/ticker

<comment><USER2> Here's a more interesting chart [http://bitcoin.clarkmoody.com/](http://bitcoin.clarkmoody.com/)

</comment><comment><USER3> True, unfortunately it's reporting false data. ( everything is 0 )

</comment><comment><USER4> Did MtGox ever roll out LTC support?

</comment><comment><USER5> Ummm... but the values are all 0!</comment>


Tell HN: useful archives - <AUTHOR>

http://venturehacks.com/archives
http://www.gabrielweinberg.com/startupswiki/Ask_YC_Archive
I am looking for some answers to my own questions and stumble into these two great archives. Hope it's useful. <comment><AUTHOR> Clickable links:

<http://venturehacks.com/archives>

<http://www.gabrielweinberg.com/startupswiki/Ask_YC_Archive></comment>