Mexican Newspaper Shuts Down, Saying It Is Too Dangerous to Continue - <AUTHOR> https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/03/world/americas/el-norte-closes-mexican-newspaper.html <comment><USER3> I truly love the country of México - I have spent a large periods of time there for the climate, as a place to work and have a wonderful life, away from the chills of winter. I often thought about making a permanent relocation, but this terror is too real and I found myself living in constant anxiety of my friends and colleagues being in danger, and the fear of speaking your mind weighs on you after a while. I am saddened because the people, the food, the weather, the architecture (particularly D.F.) makes for a crazy, exciting mix where the wealth and treasure of history and (deserved) national pride contrasts with poverty and the political and social conservatism that goes alongside. México: may things improve for you, though I really have no idea how that will happen.

<comment><USER4> >may things improve for you, though I really have no idea how that will happen.

I think a good first step would be changing attitudes towards drug use. We should treat users as patients instead of criminals. And waging a 'war' against dealers and smugglers has only made them more violent and dangerous, while driving up prices and making those who survive even wealthier. There needs to be smarter policies.

<comment><USER5> I think America should stop buying drugs from Mexico, shipping them guns and promoting the violence.

Garry Webb and Michael Rupert were two amazing reporters that brought to light the reality of the CIA funded cocaine trade from South and Central America, and most people today have either never heard of them or dismiss them as crazy. The reality is the CIA still funds itself with cocaine and still causes violence south of our border for the industries that would benefit. United Fruit, Bay of Pigs, the 1973 Coupe of Chile, School of the Americas... the list is as long as you want to make it.

This comic sums it up: [http://imgur.com/a/Wtt6H](http://imgur.com/a/Wtt6H)

<comment><USER6> >shipping them guns

This is occasionally obfuscated, but it is utterly true. There are basically two kinds of guns (of the kind you can use to enforce this "war") in the world stage: AK-like (Russian, eastern European, and Chinese included) and AR-like (MXX(X) and modified civilian, from dealers and left over from military/agency operations). The AR-like guns are extremely common in Mexico, and they obviously are all American made. There are also a lot of AK-like weapons, which are... also all American. Bare minimum, they are legally bought in the US and smuggled into Mexico.

These facts are often overlooked by claims that you can't be sure where the guns come from- 87% of the 4000 guns we can track come from the US, but that only represents 12% of the 30,000 guns seized. The real fact is the Mexican military has seized over 300,000 guns[1], and very few of those AK-like guns come from Russia or China. The overwhelming majority of those weapons had to have been built or sold in America.

In the US there's a huge amount of disbelief that we can actually be the source of these guns. I honestly think that comes from a mistaken belief that guns actually exist everywhere... America is a giant gun store, the biggest on the block, saying they need to keep selling guns because of all these guns everybody keeps buying.

[1]: [https://web.archive.org/web/20090703011254/http://www.sfgate...](https://web.archive.org/web/20090703011254/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi- bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/05/06/international/i111117D34.DTL&hw=gun&sn=014&sc=1000)

<comment><USER7> Good argument for better border control between the two countries.

<comment><USER6> There are good arguments for border patrol but this is not one of them. These guns are legal in the US and all you have to do to get them into Mexico is load them on a catapult and drive out to the middle of nowhere, or load them in one of the hundreds of small boats that make the trip. It's trivial to find guns illegally coming into mexico from a boat that can cross oceans and nearly impossible for a boat you can make in your garage. Border patrol will not solve gun violence in Mexico any more than it will solve cocaine in America.

As an unrelated thing, I find it mind boggling that immigration is still an explicitly national issue in America. Refugees and immigrants would be much better handled if they were done on a per-state basis. If California wants to let in a ton of Mexicans and issue them state-only green cards, why should Texas be able to vote to stop them? Likewise if Texas wants to exclude immigrants, why should California force Texas to give them jobs?

State-only green card programs would allow immigrants to be carefully tracked (national green card holders face deportation if their residence is not on file), gives them incentive to go from states where they aren't wanted to those where they are, and allows national money and patrol efforts to be focused where they are wanted. Immigrants can't steal Texan jobs if they live in California.

<comment><USER8> Leaving immigration to the states would require internal border controls. This is not something most people want.

<comment><USER9> The EU manages to have immigration on a per-nation basis (for non-EU countries), without internal border controls.

<comment><USER6> True, but there are some partial exceptions (Britain and France) and reality hasn't stopped people from pointing to the EU as an example of the system gone horribly awry.

Despite the lack of conditionals placed on EU immigrants, the lack of tracking and free movement, there has been very little migration from border countries that accept migrants willingly.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER10> It's _us_ , the USA, that is causing this paper to shutdown. The cartels are financed by the insatiable drug appetite of its close neighbor. Our inability and/or unwillingness to legalize recreational drugs is the feeding tube for these vicious groups.

<comment><USER11> It's surprisingly simple to locate the plantations using LIDAR + spectrometry. Even easier in Afghanistan, where fields are cultivated in the open. It's so well documented that the UNDOC provides an anual report with the amount in acres. I could go on, but this is enough to make one wonder why they aren't being stopped.

<comment><USER12> > I could go on, but this is enough to make one wonder why they aren't being > stopped.

Except for that pesky sovereignty thing.

<comment><USER11> Is that the same sovereignty that stopped the US from from drilling their oil after overthrowing their government?

It's odd reason given that narcotics are/were supposedly one of the principal sources of the Taliban's financing.

<comment><USER13> What oil in afghanistan?

Even in iraq the oil reserves are managed by the iraqi ministry and went mostly to chinese companies.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China%E2%80%93Iraq_relations#R...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China%E2%80%93Iraq_relations#Recent_history) [http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/03/world/middleeast/china- rea...](http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/03/world/middleeast/china-reaps- biggest-benefits-of-iraq-oil-boom.html)

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER14> I have nothing but respect for the journalists of Mexico and the incredibly valuable and dangerous job that they do every single day so I hope it doesn't come off as to condescending or uninformed to suggest that journalists wanting to investigate drug cartels and the government should set up underground printing presses. During World War 2 many resistance members did so in countries occupied by the Axis Powers and they were able to print and distribute their newspapers out under the most dangerous conditions imaginable [1][2].

Of course, in 2017 it's easier to set up a clandestine press organization using the internet, but I'm certain that there are many valuable lessons to learn from WW2.

[1] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_press](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_press)

[2] [https://warpress.cegesoma.be/en/node/13](https://warpress.cegesoma.be/en/node/13)

<comment><USER15> Blog Del Narco[1] is one such underground source. Of course, some accuse it of falling short of journalistic standards because it filters almost nothing, and so has often been used as a de facto PR outlet for numerous cartels. Even so, one of its founders is believed to have been murdered in 2013, and the other was forced to leave Mexico permanently.

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

<comment><USER16> BDN is a use at your own risk site.

I far prefer www.borderlandbeat.com

Very committed group working with material to translate into English to spread knowledge about the goings on in the large scope of the country. Many different regions / players. Just a suggestion.

<comment><USER15> > BDN is a use at your own risk site.

I'm curious, what risk(s) do you mean? If you mean NSFW and disturbing violence, you're right, and I apologize to anyone who didn't get that - <USER2> assumed given the topic it would be self evident.

Also I second your endorsement of Borderland Beat, that's what I actually read as a non-Spanish speaker.

<comment><USER16> From what I'd seen posted on the Borderland Beat forums on a semi-regular basis BDN gets injection type viruses. They're a target in that regard because of their site having vulnerabilities.

That's the main concern of why I don't visit, but in a secondary category is I've seen several instances where the Borderland Beat crew fact-check and note that BDN has recycled old material / videos under the guise of new information. I don't see that as helpful so I keep that under advisement.

Might not be a surprise but Breitbart apparently is staffing a Cartel / Mexico Crime crew to a decent extent and I have given them a look here and there. Viable sources are viable, and that's a dangerous as all get out sector to be in, so if they can get facts reported, I'll check them out / cross-reference with Borderland Beat.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER17> This is why real journalist need to be protected regardless where you stand on the issues. It's a pillar of democracy for a very important reason.

<comment><USER18> Agreed, but let's make that even more general. No need to limit that to "real journalists", since then you're just asking for people to build an ivory tower and use it as a power base for control of "non-real" "journalists".

Everyone needs to be free to speak their minds. Freedom of speech is for everyone.

<comment><USER19> We're at a precarious time in history when journalism is being used particularly effectively as an intentional disinformation tool. "Real journalism" unfortunately does need to be distinguished. Free speech doesn't encompass fraud.

<comment><USER20> Does the constitution list fraud as an exception to the free speech provisions?

<comment><USER21> I am not a lawyer, this is not legal advice, etc.

Assuming you mean the Mexican constitution, it's kind of vague:

Article 6 . The expression of ideas shall not be subject to any judicial or administrative investigation, unless it offends good morals, infringes the rights of others, incites to crime, or disturbs the public order.

"Offends good morals" is not defined anywhere, so it's up to interpretation whether that includes fraud. "Infringes the rights of others" is defined in various places, but in similarly vague terms.

<comment><USER20> Thanks.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER22> I'm native from cd Juarez and I have a friend who is a journalist photographer and I'm sorry to tell you guys that even indeed free and critical journalism is on constant jeopardy because of the drug cartels and the corrupt government this journal didn't closed because it was to dangerous to do so. My friend told me that it closed because it was not profitable anymore.

The facebook rant about it: [https://www.facebook.com/sugeyry/posts/10154385439001931?pnr...](https://www.facebook.com/sugeyry/posts/10154385439001931?pnref=story)

Keep in mind that this is a journalist talking about a decision made the by owner of the paper a while ago, the original decision haves nothing to do with the death of Miroslava Breach or with some pressure of drug gangs. This paper was under the payroll of the late government now followed for corruption and money laundry (Cesar Duarte former governor is hidden at El Paso at this moment). And the "it is too dangerous to continue" is more a political cry out than any other thing.

Yes: times are still hard at Juarez, journalism is still a high risk job. But this is not a statement.

</comment><comment><USER23> > The committee reported that since 1992, 38 journalists have been killed with > the motives for the slayings confirmed as reprisals for their work. Based on > that figure, the group ranked Mexico as No. 11 of the 20 deadliest countries > for journalists.

I cannot imagine living in a country where posting something online, like a silly blog post, risks my life.

<comment><USER24> Are you sure? Any American that's written something controversial inevitably will tell the story of the death threats they received after.

JK Rowling got them for writing about child wizards. Planned Parenthood supporters get them. Trump electors have gotten them. Kim Kardashian (ugh) got them for a tweet supporting Israel.

It's easy to find lists of Americans that have received death threats, but much harder to find Americans actually killed because of their silly posts. Would love to read more about it.

<comment><USER25> > but much harder to find Americans actually killed because of their silly > posts

can you name one?

<comment><USER24> >Would love to read more about it.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER26> I am from Mexico and live in Mexico City.

To clarify a little bit, the newspaper is from a northern state. And yes, things in the northern states are rather violent and dangerous. But to be honest the really bad state is the one close to the capital, Estado de México which has many violent crime, crime against women, etc. We even joke that is like Mad Max fury road. Yes that bad.

Yet people go to work, to school and carry on.

As everything there are many sides and conflicting interests. Yet violence and crime are just one more bad thing to worry, being traffic and low income being other stuff you have to take into consideration.

As tourists you could always go to many other places instead of Ciudad Juárez or Tijuana since those two have become cities for degenerate people from other countries to abuse and commit atrocities and get away with it for the only reason that they have the dollars.

<comment><USER27> "But to be honest the really bad state is the one close to the capital".

Not even close.

A couple of years ago on a SINGLE year there were some 5 or 6 narco-blockades in Guadalajara for example (that's one every few months and we are talking 25 to 35 buses lit on fire in the middle of the day, across major streets that prevent people from entering or leaving the city for several hours, on _each_ blockade event, all around the city at the same time, which btw shows how coordinated these criminal groups are). Have you personally been there? It's really not a nice sight and it's frightening as shit. Especially when they happen so frequently that at some point you just _have_ to ignore it to be able to carry on with your life?

Have you been to Xalapa, the capital of Veracruz? where armed people dressed as Federal Forces kidnap people with impunity? Have you had to move around in the city in daylight and watch how military convoys armed to the teeth go around patrolling the streets instead of the Police (mind you this is a town that has a population of less than 1M, i.e. it's more of a town than a big city so people are not used to military presence)?

Have you been to Veracruz city where the Navy had to literally disarm the local police and take control of police duties for a few months? how about getting stopped by a military checkpoint in the middle of the city? especially after watching in the news how many times military personnel at those same checkpoints fired upon (and killed) entire families because they felt threatened?

Have you ever talked to someone that got arrested AND tortured by the police because they thought (incorrectly) that the guy was a member of the cartel? and then seeing this person suffer permanent hearing loss on one side because of how many times his captors slammed his ear against the wall repeatedly for hours at a time?

I've personally lived all these things and let me tell you, "the really bad state is the one close to the capital" is not true _at all_. Not sure if it's the news not reporting these things, or maybe there's so much shit going on in EdoMex (which I know it's not really a peaceful place) that there's simply no more room for bad news from other parts of the country, but you can definitely find much worse in other states.

Let's not even talk about Guerrero, where I have friends that witnessed headless bodies being dumped on the road... and then having some shady car follow them to their home because they were at the wrong place at the wrong time.

I'm sorry for being so crude... Mexico is a wonderful country full of great things and I love it. But crazy, _crazy_ shit does happen outside of the capital and EdoMex, and while it's definitely not something that happens everyday, it's always a constant fear in the back of your head... "what if they kidnap MY family because their business was successful enough to stand up?", "what if my girlfriend goes out tonight to some bar that happens to have fucking _military-grade grenades_ thrown at because some random cartel dude wanted to celebrate that same night at that same place?"

</comment></comment><comment><USER28> My wife is from a small town in Mexico where there has been a recent surge in violence and kidnappings. Her family is there and we go visit once a year or so as we can. Last time I was there there was a couple of moments that made realize I was just waiting for something terrible to happen. I worry I (as the American) am painting a target on my wife's family. Every time they call unexpectedly I fear for the worst. Right now, I'm not sure if we will go this year.

</comment><comment><USER29> Less than 1% of crimes are punished in Mexico:

[http://www.insightcrime.org/news-briefs/mexico-impunity- leve...](http://www.insightcrime.org/news-briefs/mexico-impunity-levels- reach-99-study)

<comment><USER25> interesting. I wonder how that ranks against other lawless countries / regions

<comment><USER30> In stark contrast with Russia, where only 1% of those prosecuted _don 't go_ to prison:

[http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/europe/russias-99-convi...](http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/europe/russias-99-conviction- rate-thrown-into-question)

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER31> Can someone explain to me, what would happen if Mexico tomorrow, all drugs were legal like Portugal? Could it get any worse. Portugal seems to doing just fine.

<comment><USER32> Just to clarify, drugs are not legal in Portugal. There is decriminalization on small amounts, but not full legalization. However, Portugal's experiment is a resounding success and I'd expect even greater benefits from legalization (e.g. tax money derived from the industry around recreational drugs).

<comment><USER33> Well yes but this is a nitpick in my opinion. Drug possession in personal amounts is not a criminal offense. So they are no longer "super illegal" you could say. It's in the same category as a driving offense or something like that. Same in Czech Republic.

<comment><USER32> It's not a nitpick at all. Without legalization there is no tax money from sales of recreational drugs, and the black market still exists to collect that profit instead. Decriminalization also does not fix problems like contamination of drugs, mislabeling, or inconsistent dosage, whereas legalization would.

Decriminalization is better than nothing but actually misses out on most of the benefits.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER34> well actually the "El Norte" news paper was about to close much before that the journalist was murdered, the thing is that specific newspaper was in a thigh relation with the ex chihuahua governor( now fugitive ) Cesar Duarte, the owners of the newspaper takes this tragic to get some political tax against the new governor from the oposition Javier corral

</comment><comment><USER35> I wish there was some mafia approach to rebuild a civil state. This is our house, our block, our town, we avoid interacting with people who support the corrupt government and we do not interact with Narcosi. Just shut out all strangers, isolate people who pose a long term thread to your community. Shun the restaurant, where the cops eat, walk your dog to where the drug dealers are. Create small economy's, which do not bribe, do not interact with drug money, do not sell to gang-members and "public" officials. Have a cell- structured civil service with a anonymously voted for or against major.

<comment><USER36> Walk our dogs to the dealer's house but not touch drug money? Could you clarify this seeming contradiction?

<comment><USER35> It was a lame example for civil dis-obedience. You let your dog shit where the drug-deals go down. Have a farmer spray the whole parking lot with merde. Primitive, not over the violence threshold, and yet, unpleasant. Sorry, its really tough to come up with something that would deter, but not escalate.

<comment><USER36> Why would you purposefully spread feces next to drug dealers? What has this demographic of society that is largely born of economic desperation done to be condemned by us so?

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER37> Stopping the flow of money to the cartels would require the U.S. and others to legalize drugs and make the prices plummet. Is the upkeep of hypocrisy and the DEA really worth _any_ amount of murder and corruption?

<comment><USER38> Legalizing wouldn't stop the flow. You think they'd just throw up their arms and walk away?

Cartels would just lower their prices and keep pushing to existing addicts and creating addicts. Once the price is driven down, how are 'legal' drug manufacturers expected to compete on price with taxes, licensing, overhead?

Legalizing won't stop blackmarket drugs, it will only increase it like in Colorado. [http://kdvr.com/2017/03/03/black-market-marijuana- business-b...](http://kdvr.com/2017/03/03/black-market-marijuana-business- booming/)

</comment></comment><comment><USER39> I'm curious if any of the reporters will continue their work for foreign news agencies under pseudonyms to protect their local identity.

<comment><USER29> Someone would rat them out, a source would be discovered and give them away, they'd out themselves for ego, make a fatal operational security error, etc.

</comment></comment><comment><USER40> I'm guessing there's more to it than the risk. Maybe it was in financial trouble, maybe the owner(s) wanted out anyway, maybe they were threatened directly or paid off, or maybe something else.

</comment><comment><USER41> Mexico can be super dangerous. But it is a beautiful country with so much to offer. If you go to the right places though it is very safe.

</comment><comment><USER42> Why not give guns to journalists [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_gun_owner...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_gun_ownership)

<comment><USER43> Not sure how that's supposed to help. If some sniper shoots you it doesn't make much difference if you were carrying a gun or not.

</comment></comment><comment><USER44> The entire Spanish new world has been a failed state for the past 300 years.

Peruvian and Mexican metals kept them viable for a while, but that ran out long ago. Coke has barely filled the void, thanks to US prohibition.

<comment><USER45> Chile, Panama, Argentina are pretty good in comparison to many other countries. Also if you take into account the last 300 years, well... not only Argentina was richer than the USA 100 years ago but Venezuela (yes, Venezuela) was in better economic shape than, for example Spain, for decades during the XX century.

<comment><USER44> There's no way that Argentina was richer than the US in 1917, when American manufacturers and bankers were busily sucking up the wealth of the Entente powers by supplying war materiel and loans.

Not even ten years ago, Venezuela was the darling of the NY Times, among others, under Chavez. Of course, gasoline was close to $4 a gallon then.</comment></comment></comment>


Ask YC: Widget for allowing visitors to import Gmail Address Book? - <AUTHOR>

I bet someone out there could answer this:
This is to increase the viral marketing of a few sites. A great feature would allow users to enter their Gmail username & password and then email their address books a message to visit our site. It would also work for Yahoo accounts, AOL, etc. Very common to see on sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc. I only want it to allow bulk sending of emails though--there is no membership to the current site in question.
Ideally I'd just like to plop a free javascript widget onto the sites. We did that with AddThis, and not only was it completely painless, but it has been effective too.
I have tried two PHP classes from SF--grabber and contact grabber--and neither of them worked(it appears they are out of date with the email providers). I've found some paid products but hope there's a free service a la AddThis that can provide this type of functionality.
Any ideas?
Thanks. <comment><USER2> If you're willing to use a hosted solution: <http://www.plaxo.com/api/widget>

<comment><AUTHOR> Thanks! This is just the type of solution I was looking for.

</comment></comment><comment><USER3> What about security? Why should we as users trust a non-Gmail service with our Google Accounts username and password? We, as hackers, should not foster such bad security behaviours.

<comment><USER2> Until recently, google didn't provide an api to access contact information, so collecting the username and password information was required to make it work. I haven't seen any sites make use of google's new contact access api though.

<comment><USER4> Soocial has a working service (still private beta though) that uses Google Contact API.

They use OAuth authentication too, which means that you can grant access via GMail, so you never have to give out your password to a third party (Soocial in this case).

<http://www.soocial.com>

This widget is a terrible idea (you don't give the PIN code of your ATM card to your waitress do you?), but might be a great idea when implemented using OAuth.

<comment><AUTHOR> Thanks! Look forward to the launch.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> rapleaf have a free API, but they will create an account for each email address that passes through it.

</comment><comment><USER6> Octazen.com</comment>


Sign in with Apple: Token Verification - <AUTHOR> https://sarunw.com/posts/sign-in-with-apple-3/ <comment><USER2> Thanks, I've been waiting for something like this.

<comment><AUTHOR> I hope it saves you some time.

I'm not an expert on security/math. If you find any mistake, please let me know.</comment></comment>


Computing furthest point from vertex in a polygon - <AUTHOR> https://nickp.svbtle.com/socially-distant-polygons <comment><AUTHOR> I'd be really interested to know if this can be computed directly any other way?</comment>


The Art of Verbal Intimidation - <AUTHOR> http://www.jaymorrissey.com/2008/01/09/the-art-of-verbal-intimidation-learn-it-and-fight-back/?source=rss

<comment><USER2> "I understand the concern. Though I do think you're being very emotional right now. Let's talk about this once you've had a chance to calm down."

I wouldn't recommend trying a passive-aggressive trick like that on someone unless you were comfortable with having them as an enemy for life. That is a declaration of war, especially said in front of other people.

<comment><USER3> that's an odd choice of metaphor. war and verbal disputes are very different things.

</comment></comment><comment><USER4> A must read for anyone.

Even if you knew all the tricks already, the article will put words into each one. And as the saying goes: if you can't name it, you are not fully aware of it and you can't control it.</comment>


How many people to send to Proxima Centauri to be sure someone actually arrives - <AUTHOR> https://www.technologyreview.com/s/611485/this-is-how-many-people-wed-have-to-send-to-proxima-centauri-to-make-sure-someone-actually/ <comment><AUTHOR> Why not assume stasis for the journey? ([http://philome.la/johnayliff/seedship/play](http://philome.la/johnayliff/seedship/play)) Advances are being made. ([https://www.nasa.gov/content/torpor-inducing- transfer-habita...](https://www.nasa.gov/content/torpor-inducing-transfer- habitat-for-human-stasis-to-mars)) The number of people needed for genetic diversity remains just as important once you land.

6300 years? Why not wait a while for propulsion tech that enables constant acceleration/deceleration at 1g? Transit time drops to 3.6 years. ([http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/SR/Rocket/r...](http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/SR/Rocket/rocket.html)) OK, there are serious engine efficiency, fuel load and radiation issues. Not sure what the current thinking suggests is possible. Links?</comment>


Ask HN: How many HN posts or articles you read daily? - <AUTHOR> <comment><USER2> I don't "read" nearly enough (maybe one-two full articles a day), most of what I do on HN is just read through comments to get an understanding of what is being talked about as there are usually interesting discussions.

</comment><comment><USER3> I read a lot. Could be around 30. I spend around 1h on them all</comment>


Best Practices for Scraping/Data Mining and interpreting? - <AUTHOR>

Would be interested in hearing various ways people scrape content from sites, mainly in real time ie: social media sites, etc.
Of equal interest would be data mining methods and ways to sort and interpret mined or scraped data from real-time sources.
Any examples, articles, and instructionals are welcomed! <comment><USER2> Sure those instructions are not for realtime sources but I believe it worth to take a look.

We built domain-specific scraper for <http://otomobul.com> . We have used python-scrapy and had to write custom crawler spider to deal with high memory usage for big sites. Also we added resuming capability so we don't need to scrape from scratch and it just travels only non-visited pages when somehow crawler crashes (I think they resolved those issues in never versions.) I found scrapy very well designed (borrowed losts of ideas from django and also it uses twisted as backend) and it is flexible enough for our requirements. For text processing, python is also my favorite language but I can not say whether it suits 100% to your needs though.

I cannot say we did real data mining in this side project but we are using processing middleware which process raw data from spider and dumps this data to Apache Solr for indexing. Solr is really good when it comes to full-text facet search. Web api is easy enough for fast prototyping. We were able to connect PHP backend to Solr and never worry about searching and indexing again. As an alternative you may use elastic search which has great features also.

</comment><comment><USER3> Is anyone familiar with the legal implications of scraping sites? Just for things that are easily viewable to anyone with a computer, such as Tweets, a stores prices, descriptions of things etc?

<comment><AUTHOR> Twitter has an API that allows you to more or less scrape tweets.

</comment></comment><comment><AUTHOR> I'm seeing a fair bit about node.js and bobik, has anyone ever worked with either framework?

</comment><comment><USER4> Use APIs when possible...the methods would be dependent on what the goal is.

<comment><AUTHOR> Would you suggest any specific scraping API's or API's for each source I'd like to scrape (granted they offer it)?</comment></comment>


Tribe.net finally appears to be dead - <AUTHOR> http://www.tribe.net <comment><AUTHOR> As of maybe a month or so ago, tribe.net was still struggling along. Maybe a little new content, but interesting to go back and look at things.

I knew a sys admin type that was helping keep it going (years ago). I recall an investor group was trying to reboot the site (I talked with them about it). But, now, it appears to be finally be gone.</comment>


Ask HN: iOS plain-text note taking with Git - <AUTHOR> I want to have my notes plain-text, and git-versioned. I can easily do that on desktop via vscode/emacs/etc, but I am having difficulty finding good solutions on iOS. I am currently thinking of testing Joplin and https://boostnote.io/ . <comment><USER2> Take a look at [https://github.com/glushchenko/fsnotes](https://github.com/glushchenko/fsnotes)</comment>


The future of SaaS hosted Git repository pricing - <AUTHOR> https://about.gitlab.com/2016/05/11/git-repository-pricing/? <comment><AUTHOR> I hope we struck the right tone in this article. Please let me know what you think or if there are any questions.</comment>


Weekend startups prove challenging - <AUTHOR> http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/venture/archives/134989.asp <comment><USER2> The problem was in the solicitation of people to participate in a share issuing entity that wasn't registered with the government after they paid money to participate. (basically selling shares).

The law is setup to prevent people from buying/selling shares of hypothetical inc. without talking to the government first.

Also with the raw number of people who had shares(120+) that more quickly draws the governments ire than two people trying to found a company together and it fails. Advertising for a company co-founder doesn't fall into this problem space.

</comment><comment><USER3> Atlanta's startup weekend company is apparently in the clear. Not sure what the difference is between the two.

In Atlanta's, the actual startup was an C-corp owned in part by Startup Weekend, LLC, in part by Atlanta Startup Weekend LLC, and the rest by the "core team" that existed after the weekend. People who participated in the weekend were given shares in Atlanta Startup Weekend, LLC, and not the C-corp. I think this was done to avoid any complications with the SEC, since LLCs are governed far less strictly.

<comment><USER4> agreed, <http://Skribit.com> is in the clear, which is great news.

<http://twitter.com/lance/statuses/776956955>

</comment></comment><comment><USER5> What on earth is the point of such a thing? Seems more like a world record stunt, like a group of people making a mile long burrito, than a serious endeavor.

<comment><USER6> It's an opportunity for Burrito lovers to connect and indulge their passion whilst creating a remarkable (and delicious) Burrito. Some of them may even go on to create other even tastier Burritos.

</comment></comment><comment><USER7> That is interesting. Does that mean that advertising for a co-founder runs into the same problems? Or advertising for 2, or for 99 co-founders?

<comment><USER8> You may be breaking the same law, but you're probably breaking half a dozen other laws at the same time (zoning, etc) and this one seems no more likely to affect you.

I suspect that corporate lawyers are mistakenly worried about irrelevant laws being broken, but I don't know if that's the case here: 100-person startups formed over a weekend face unique legal challenges.

<comment><USER9> IANAL, but IIRC, once you have over a certain number of shareholders (and it's somewhere in that neighborhood), you are effectively a public company. Which means you get screwed by SarbOx.

(And you've already had your "IPO", so there goes even more money).

</comment></comment></comment><comment> ten-seven Challenging? The problem is getting the entire entity legally registered. It takes more than a weekend, apparently.

That said, the barriers to starting a business in the US are not unreasonable. Having read "The World is Flat (2.0)" and recalling the hurdles encountered in other parts of the world, The US is pretty good, but not the best, and far from the worst. No place in the world, though, allows it to be done in a weekend.

<comment><USER10> > It takes more than a weekend, apparently.

It sounds from this writeup that the structure they wanted to have, which is frustatingly vague, is actually illegal. Not just difficult.

</comment></comment><comment><USER11> A healthier and more legal approach is to auction the resulting IP to an individual or a small group out of the participating people and divide the proceeds among the rest of the participants.

You can't afford to maintain 100 employees in a startup, and it is foolish to have 100 equal stock holders in a startup, every decision will take months. But if you auction the IP, the person or group with the most faith and ability to further the startup will buy it from the rest of the participants and the rest will have had fun and gotten some financial restitution for their work.

</comment><comment><USER12> Wow I went to one of these , if this is true its a good thing nothing ever came from it. It was a fun experience though</comment>


Ask HN: Is this a bad situation? - <AUTHOR>

I am employee #1 at a well-known web company. I started some months ago, but have yet to receive a contract. Furthermore, the equity (1%) I was offered verbally and in the offer letter vanished from the contract and was replaced with a sale bonus. Something about tax liability... Anyhow, am I mad, or is this a bad situation? I am a technical employee with a very solid background and experience, but am also receiving below market rate for my level/role. What should I do? <comment><USER2> I was employee #4,256 (sequential badge numbers!) at a major Japanese megacorp and didn't get a contract until well after I had passed the point of no return on the job offer. Not having a contract yet is bad only to the extent that you believe it to bad. (Americans are taught that paper is magic, but it is merely one dispute resolution tool among many, including exercising persuasion, social ties, and reputational capital.)

Run the math on whether the difference between the bonus and the equity matters to you. If it does, time to negotiate. Simply say "I took this job in consideration of the fact that you offered me a package with X, Y, Z, and 1% equity. Your letter indicates that 1% equity may be infeasible for legal reasons. I think we can come to a mutually beneficial resolution which compensates me adequately and addresses your concerns. The sale bonus you have proposed doesn't quite get us there. What else can you offer me?" (Feel free to give suggestions, but talk topics, not numbers. First rule of negotiation: the first guy to give a number loses. Which is good news for you, because you have already heard one number. I can guarantee you, you won't get any worse than that!)

<comment><USER3> "First rule of negotiation: the first guy to give a number loses"

It is not possible to stress this enough. People should print this out in 72pt font size and hang it over their bed.

<comment><USER4> As a matter of fact this is incorrect. There is a ton of research to suggest that whoever makes the first step and proposes and initial scenario, comes out with a better outcome. That is because the first number thrown out frames the discussion. Of course, it doesn't have to be a number, it could be a negotiation for something else, but the rule and research apply just as well.

<comment><USER2> There is some research by behavioral economists about price anchoring. Like most research in behavioral economics, it is very useful at predicting the behavior of college students in novel circumstances. Many of the rest of us will have considered our likely market value prior to arriving at the salary negotiation, perhaps via extensive research or receiving competing offers, and thus not be unduly influenced by the first number we hear.

("$20,000? Holy cow! That's more money than I've ever had in my whole life! I'll take it!" -- not what I said in response to what my professor thought I would consider a very tempting offer.)

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> Potentially bad indicators.

The tax issue may be real but workarounds include giving you a grant of options exercisable at current fair market value, which gives you the opportunity to get the 1% equity without taking any immediate tax hit (you would have to pay more for the equity at the time of exercise than founders did at the beginning, and your ultimate tax consequences would be more complicated than you would have gotten through a simple early-stage grant of, e.g., restricted stock with an 83(b) filing, but you could still profit significantly in a success case).

Can't comment on your specific situation but, over the years, I have frequently seen "string out" situations where companies used people while never intending to follow through on their promises. Legal remedies in this situation are limited in a practical sense, with fraud being very hard to prove (especially where proving intent to defraud is a requirement and where the written offer letter does not contain the item you claim they represented they would give you) and with such cases often taking a six-figure sum, and a year or more of miserable fighting, to process through to verdict.

On the other hand, many startups are notoriously slow to document things when the founders think of the legal stuff as simply being a process of "papering" things they know they all agree upon.

The important thing here is to push to get the equity grant documented in some form as quickly as possible. This will flush out the company's intentions now, when your risks are less, as opposed to later, when you might be so committed as to be trapped. Tax issues do come up in this context but have never stopped any early-stage deal (in my considerable experience with this issue) where the parties truly desire to implement it.

</comment><comment><USER6> I say run for the hills. A lot of the posts here parse tax law or try other ways to understand why the equity would be switched to a bonus.

My opinion is much simpler. If verbal promises are being broken this early in your relationship you shouldn't take a job that specifically asks you to make sacrifices based on being invested in the company's success.

To me it's as simple as that. The very fact that you're asking yourself these questions is the best warning sign.

</comment><comment><USER7> If you've been working there for months and they verbally offered you equity, that should be set up by now.

There are ways to grant equity without causing tax troubles for the recipient. If there weren't, how could the employees of any startup get equity?

</comment><comment><USER8> Leave unless they pay you market rates.

They are not treating you as employee #1 of a startup. Therefore, you should treat them the same way you would treat Big Employer.

<comment><USER9> I think this is the wrong advice. If the company is losing money or is a cash- strapped startup it isn't going to want to pay lawyers and accountants extra cash to restructure the business just to hire a developer. And the developer #1 position is critical enough no-one is going to want to screw them over lightly.

If he's a new employee he should give his company the benefit of the doubt for a short time. And use the time to demonstrate his value. The thing to avoid is a drawn out process where it isn't clear what constitutes a reasonable timeframe for getting this problem solved and so it always gets pushed back.

So get the milestones figured out. If now is not a convenient time, when is a convenient time? When you've been employed for three or six months? When the company hits major development or business milestones? If you can't get an oral commitment on this front I'd be concerned enough to look elsewhere.

<comment><USER8> They won't screw him over lightly _while they are still starting up_. Once they get larger, and the equity he should have gotten becomes worth something, it becomes considerably easier to replace him.

Further, I'm concerned that they are not being honest with him (1% equity, oops maybe not). That doesn't mean he can't do business with them, but he should heavily discount the value of future promises.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER10> Irregardless of whether or not you're happy with the current or future offer, I would be very concerned about the management.

Not being able to openly and honestly communicate the parameters of your deal, which is their responsibility if they're doing the hiring, is a very bad sign and doesn't bode well for the future of the company.

Especially when they realise they've given you an incorrect deal, or a deal they can't do, or whatever - the solution is not to quietly update the contract and push it across the table and hope you don't notice. The solution is of course to sit down and openly discuss the situation to make sure everyone you understand exactly what is going on, and why, then allow you to make your decision based on this new information.

If none of the founders are able to do this, or want to do this, this is a major red flag.

</comment><comment><USER11> The tax liability thing could be real. Has the company received a valuation in the time since you started working? Let's say that you took a series A with a 5M post-money valuation. Then, your 1% would show up on your tax returns as $50,000 of income. What I would do is ask the company to take the tax hit on my behalf. IANAA, so YMMV.

<comment><USER12> This might be true. However, getting a 409a valuation done costs only a few hundred these days. Just Google for it and you'll see a bunch of ads.

<comment><USER5> A credible 409A valuation these days (i.e., one that will withstand auditor scrutiny) will still likely cost $7K to $10K. Companies can get them more cheaply but, unless done right, these can be potential landmines waiting to go off precisely at the times when the company is most succeeding and it needs to bring in outside auditors (e.g., at the time of acquisition). Be cautious about cutting corners here.

<comment><USER12> Agreed on a better 409A post-funding. But for a pre-funding valuation number for employees 1-5, $7K is difficult, especially when the valuation of the company is likely to be south of $250K.

<comment><USER5> Agreed that an expensive 409A valuation is not needed prefunding but would add that, in most cases, companies simply skip it altogether in the prefunding stage. While 409A applies to companies at all stages, it is difficult for the IRS to second-guess prefunding valuations. More importantly, 409A applies to "deferred" compensation and, in practical terms for startups, this means options - options are not used nearly as much in the prefunding stage as is restricted stock or outright grants (neither of which vehicles are subject to the 409A requirements).

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER13> If you have a problem with what you are getting paid or otherwise compensated, they are the people you need to talk to, not us.

You already have a value that you consider to be fair, and clearly you aren't receiving that. They need to know that you feel this way, exactly.

They may agree and choose to improve your situation, or they may disagree.

If they disagree then the choice is yours: accept their view unconditionally, or end the relationship and move on. Unfortunately, not everyone can always come to an agreement, but most employees use the fear of losing a job to accept things that they should never consider.</comment>


Show HN: Curated list of the best places to promote any business online - <AUTHOR> https://www.mypresences.com/services/ <comment><AUTHOR> We have create a database of over 2000 online services and apps indexed by the business types they are relevant to and the location (country) where businesses can list.

Each service has a profile page with more detailed information and over 20 KPI's updated every few days.

Let me know if there are other websites or apps we should add or you have any suggestions.

Cheers</comment>


Comp.lang.lisp on Clojure - <AUTHOR> http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.lisp/browse_thread/thread/0d05837df1efe075

<comment><USER2> Yeah ... comp.lang.lisp ... that group has turned into a huge flame fest where actual discussions about the language are rare. Very sad.

The group is dominated by a small group of agressive and rude hardcore lisp programmers who turn most (innocent) questions and discussions from newbies into language flamewars and personal insults.

It is very unfortunate. When I was playing with common lisp about a year go I got more info from the group's archives from the late 80 and early 90s than from those folks who are there now.

<comment><USER3> cll has been this way for as long as I can remember. Erik Naggum was around a lot more back then, and he was just as bad as these guys.

[Edit: by "bad" I mean he clearly knew what he was talking about, and was irate that people didn't always see it his way. He never did give someone some code to delete all the files on their hard drive though.]

<comment><USER4> An old Lisper told me his opinion that Naggum almost singlehandedly destroyed the CL community, by being both so smart and so noxious that his behavior became a sort of local standard.

On another note, Dan Weinreb has been actively working to create a renewed, less dysfunctional CL community. Which reminds me that I really ought to find a way to contribute to that.

<comment><USER5> <http://www.lispforum.com/> should be friendlier.

All the active lispers who are producing useful software not actually writing in cll; you're much better off finding them in the gmane mailinglists.

<comment><USER4> Which mailinglists?

<comment><USER5> the MLs for any of the software/projects that you need help with. For the language itself, #lisp is both immediate and mild.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> Clojure _is_ a Lisp, no question about it. And an excellent one at that.

But one has to remember that Common Lisp was created under a forced consensus. Several Lisp vendors and communities were brought under one roof and told to amalgamate their Lisps and standardize NOW, or they couldn't do business with the U.S. government. Many many people had to fight over what to keep and what to leave, vendors had to give up their competitive edge, systems were broken, and after 10 years of polishing and improvements the modern Common Lisp was born.

Take the cover of CLtL2 and look at the list of authors. The who's who of Lisp. If you go out there and invent a new dialect, negligently ignoring what came before, refusing to consider an standard core + your own vendor extensions, breaking what makes Lisp Lisp, like syntax, and even side stepping other Free Lisps that existed the day you started and were solving the same problem .. then don't be troubled if you're not met with a cheering crowd and greeted as a liberator.

</comment><comment><USER3> This is still going on?

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=490216>

<comment><USER6> Someone there claimed it becomes resolved at about message 255. I found it tediously slow to get to that screen (BTW: is there a way to jump ahead in google groups, or do you really have to click "next" 10 times (jumps 25 each time)? The URL is a hashkey that doesn't have explicit parameters.)

So here's the URL for messages 251- 275: [http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.lisp/browse_thread/...](http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.lisp/browse_thread/thread/d05837df1efe075/4e0ed2ccea20c45a)</comment></comment>


Coinpunk's Response to Apple for Removal of Blockchain App - <AUTHOR> http://blog.coinpunk.com/?id=blockchain#appleblockchainresponse <comment><USER2> > _Blockchain being pulled from the app store proves what we 've been saying > all along: Apple isn't banning Bitcoin apps because of "legal grounds" > (nobody is talking about making Bitcoin illegal), they're banning Bitcoin > apps to anti-competitively prop up their own payments service._

What payment service? Apple runs no payment service, nor has announced that they intend to in the future. There can't be "anti-competitor" action if they don't even have a competing product to begin with.

<comment><USER3> iTunes is a type of payment network, and Apple's demand for a 30% share of revenue generated via apps is key to protecting that competitive advantage.

Bitcoin apps are a challenge to this. Say if Amazon made a wallet app that happened to let you buy EBooks?

<comment><USER4> I guess that's why the PayPal app doesn't exist?

[https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/paypal/id283646709?mt=8](https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/paypal/id283646709?mt=8)

<comment><USER3> Can you embed code that allows you to buy books, music or movies via PayPal in the App Store? No.

The difference between bit coin and the paypal app is that bit coin is cash. If I embed bit coin code in say, the Kindle App, I can make purchases that Apple wants a 30% cut of.

<comment><USER4> You're not making any sense. I don't think you understand how Bitcoin, IAP, or iOS works. One app can't just "embed" code in another, Bitcoin is not cash as we know it, and Apple's app review process would target the app attempting to use a forbidden IAP mechanism, not another app for moving money around.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> I don't understand how the challenge to Apple is supposed to work.

Isn't this equivalent to, say, Wal-Mart deciding not to stock your widgets anymore because they're going to manufacture a competing widget? It sucks, sure, but it also seems like it's within their rights to do so.

Is Apple in the clear or are they running afoul of the law somewhere?

<comment><USER6> Its ok for you that they decide, what apps you can or cant have in a device you bought with your own money?

First they use morality.. and kick out some tech, just because they dont like them.. than they use all sorts of games to tell who are in and who are out.. but hey! the phone is in your pocket.. you should decide, not them

Its a company or its your priest? They are deciding your life for you... wake up.

Really, i dont want to have anything to do with apple, im a free spirit and i know better whats good for me, they just need to get out of our way.. but the state are also corrupted by the big companies.. they do nothing to stop that..because you know, politics and power is a expensive game to play.. and here comes the Big Brother.. and people just love them..

<comment><USER5> I didn't say I was okay with any of it -- in fact, I said the opposite ("[this] sucks"). However, it's also perfectly legal, as far as I can tell.

I guess I don't really get what consumer pressure is going to do, realistically speaking. The number of Bitcoin users (the users most likely to participate in this) is very small relative to the number of Apple users.

If you're interested, I'd be willing to make a $100 bet to the charity of the winner's choice that Apple will not reinstate Coinpunk anytime in the next three months.

<comment><USER7> You've made the point that they are making--Apple doesn't care about their customer's demands. They won't reinstate it, not because of some possible wishy-washy legal issue, but because they just don't care enough that some of their users want it.

<comment><USER8> When you get to Apple scale, worrying about sets of customers with cardinality less than about 5M is a pointless waste of time.

<comment><USER7> Fair enough, but this issue comes up consistently in many different areas and it has resulted in the the current app store stereotype of fickle, unfair and even schizophrenic.

<comment><USER8> Yeah, I agree with that but I think that's an opinion that only really holds amongst technical types. I suspect the vast majority of Apple's hundreds of millions of customers don't even know this kind of thing is happening. Or really care.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER9> Other wallet apps have been much more measured in their response to being removed from the store. Take the Coinjar folks response to Apple removing their app:

"Before you start DDOSing and trolling, Apple have done nothing wrong in this situation, they are just managing their own legal liability. We have had amicable discussions with them and hope they will support us in the future, when they have a more clear view of Bitcoin's place in their regulatory landscape." [https://blog.coinjar.com/2014/01/09/coinjar-wallet-to-be- rem...](https://blog.coinjar.com/2014/01/09/coinjar-wallet-to-be-removed-from- app-store/)

A petition will be ineffective, especially against Apple. The best way to show Apple it's a problem is by no longer being a customer & switching to another device. (I'm a long time Apple fan/user, but I now use a Nexus 5 partly to have more control over the apps I can install / use.)

<comment><AUTHOR> Apple is the -first operating system in the world- that can control what you can and cannot install on the physical hardware device you own. You literally have no choice but to jailbreak your own phone, which in itself has questionable legal grounds. People doing the jailbreaking are being hunted down like criminals. Being measured is how we got here, now it's time to speak out.

"The ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do." -Apple [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rwsuXHA7RA](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rwsuXHA7RA)

<comment><USER10> Apple isn't an OS, so I assume you're talking about iOS. iOS is pretty far from the first OS to control what you can install on it. In fact it was one of the first phone OS's that let you install anything at all.

<comment><USER11> ...unless you count a decade of Palm and Windows Mobile letting you install apps.

<comment><USER10> I know, which is why I said one of the first rather than the first. Prior to iOS though, the vast majority of phones did not allow you to install apps. Palm and Windows Mobile had a very thin slice of the market.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER12> > they're banning Bitcoin apps to anti-competitively prop up their own > payments service

I found it very hard to continue reading after this, because Apple _doesn 't have a payments service_. Not that they really had anything other to say beyond this laughable claim.

<comment><USER13> Not yet:

[http://business.time.com/2014/01/30/apples-next-big-thing- co...](http://business.time.com/2014/01/30/apples-next-big-thing-could-be- allowing-you-to-easily-pay-for-stuff/)

<comment><USER12> _If_ , and I stress that quite heavily, _if_ Apple introduces a payment service, then we can revisit this topic. But Apple has never been known to pull apps from their store that compete with a potential future app of theirs. If Apple wants to take over a market, they'll do it _when they enter that market_. It runs counter to everything Apple to broadcast moves like this ahead of time.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER14> Wouldn't a better way to make a point be to simply stop buying Apple products?

<comment><USER15> They know that no one really cares about Bitcoin enough to materially affect them via a boycott, so it's easier to write a blog post about it.

</comment></comment><comment><USER16> I'm a big Apple fan and I am disappointed in them. That they would be afraid of the legal consequences of Bitcoin apps is hogwash since they've fought tougher legal battles in the past (They even once pledged to protect developers against a patent troll too.). They are stifling a segment of innovation in the app marketplace. For shame Apple.

</comment><comment> miw-on-mobile It was my understanding that the App Store version of blochchain.app was missing all wallet functionality and was just a read only transaction tracker. I've run the blockchain.info wallet app from Cydia for over a year and still using it today. Jailbreak while you still can.

</comment><comment><USER17> Until they post their actual emails from Apple, I'm taking this with a massive grain of salt.</comment>


Tools for Exploring .NET Internals - <AUTHOR> http://mattwarren.org/2018/06/15/Tools-for-Exploring-.NET-Internals/ <comment><USER2> It's very frustrating having all of these tools only support Windows.

Despite all the wonderful work Microsoft has done with CoreCLR, the "IDE" debugger is still only available under a license that only permits use with Visual Studio and VSCode [1] and mdbg is still nowhere to be found for CoreCLR [2].

1: [https://github.com/dotnet/core/issues/505](https://github.com/dotnet/core/issues/505) 2: [https://github.com/dotnet/coreclr/issues/1145](https://github.com/dotnet/coreclr/issues/1145)

From what I've gathered, the best you have right now for doing command line debugging is the "SOS" plugin for lldb, which seems to require building the lldb plugin and sometimes even lldb (!!) yourself [3][4].

3: [https://github.com/dotnet/coreclr/blob/master/Documentation/...](https://github.com/dotnet/coreclr/blob/master/Documentation/building/debugging- instructions.md)

4: [http://blogs.microsoft.co.il/sasha/2017/02/26/analyzing-a- ne...](http://blogs.microsoft.co.il/sasha/2017/02/26/analyzing-a-net-core- core-dump-on-linux/)

Not very fun if you're not using Windows.

<comment><USER3> how does jetbrains rider ide provide debugging then

<comment><USER4> Jetbrains was using a package provided by Microsoft and blogged that they would soon have to disable debugging of CoreCLR

Read "The Bad News" [https://blog.jetbrains.com/dotnet/2017/02/15/rider- eap-17-nu...](https://blog.jetbrains.com/dotnet/2017/02/15/rider-eap-17-nuget- unit-testing-build-debugging/)

Also the licensing issue [https://github.com/dotnet/core/issues/505](https://github.com/dotnet/core/issues/505)

Then a week later with the licensing issue still in place Jetbrains implemented their own debugger, on the comments it reads "This is our own debugger implementation." [https://blog.jetbrains.com/dotnet/2017/02/23/rider- eap-18-co...](https://blog.jetbrains.com/dotnet/2017/02/23/rider- eap-18-coreclr-debugging-back-windows/)

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> Not as all-encompassing as all those tools, but all I've ever needed is, dotPeek + de4dot.

<comment><USER6> dw4dot on combination with dnSpy is unbeatable to "understand" licensed software :)

</comment></comment><comment><USER7> No mention of the excellent LINQPad[1] or ilspy[2]? Both do decompilation, I use LINQPad a lot for quick sanity checks, although it's intended for database work I rarely actually use it for that. It'll also spit out IL code and expression trees.

ILSpy is a lightweight decompiler that you can just drop DLL files into to see their code. It has some nice analysis tools that allow you to find references and implementations. I associated .dll files with it so they open in ILSpy by default.

[1] [https://www.linqpad.net/](https://www.linqpad.net/) [2] [https://github.com/icsharpcode/ILSpy](https://github.com/icsharpcode/ILSpy)

<comment><USER8> You can plug Reflexil [0] into ILSpy for on-the-fly code patching. Then once you've got something going, you can (manually) port your changes over to a Mono.Cecil-based [1] patching program. This is how I hack up Unity games written with C#.

[0] [http://reflexil.net/](http://reflexil.net/)

[1] [https://github.com/jbevain/cecil](https://github.com/jbevain/cecil)

</comment></comment><comment><USER9> Wow, these are awesome!</comment>


Casual Contracting - our contract work website - <AUTHOR> http://casualcontracting.com/ Hey guys, we just hacked together this little site for casual contracting.  The premise is there's no long-term commitment / equity payment nonsense.  This is for small, quick cash jobs that take less than 40 hours (maybe a website proof of concept, for example).  We think RentACoder, Elance and the like are too centered on heavyweight, long-term projects with extended commitments.  We'd hope this would be something a Hacker News user might use to earn some extra money on the side.  There are invite codes on Twitter http://twitter.com/casualcontract. <comment><AUTHOR> Hey guys, we just hacked together this little site for casual contracting. The premise is there's no long-term commitment / equity payment nonsense. This is for small, quick cash jobs that take less than 40 hours (maybe a website proof of concept, for example). We think RentACoder, Elance and the like are too centered on heavyweight, long-term projects with extended commitments. We'd hope this would be something a Hacker News user might use to earn some extra money on the side. There are invite codes on Twitter <http://twitter.com/casualcontract>.

<comment><USER3> Are you planning on handling the money aspect (i.e. escrow) of consulting, like elance/odesk do? Or is this more of an introduction service?

<comment><USER4> We'd like to focus on introductions. Handling payments can be somewhat arduous. Would you be more/less comfortable with the service if it handled the financial aspects as well?

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> I like the idea and am trying to join in but it is really annoying to try to get the invite code that is working.

Entering one that is already used requires me to cut and past another one and fill in my password again.

On another note, isn't $99 a bit steep for people to list their projects? I believe Rent a coder charges less for this, though the charges are borne by the developer

<comment><USER6> wtf, whats the point of having the invite code if you are just giving them away on twitter. Its more of an annoyance.

<comment><AUTHOR> @angryasian Well, we are starting with the invite codes on Hacker News because we feel like developer quality is probably pretty good here and we need to get the site going. We are working right now on a more long term way to scale up the number of developers and still maintain high quality.

<comment><USER7> I think you should have patience with this and be very careful to not let someone in just because (s)he's a HN reader. I, for one, am a crappy coder after five years in the CEO seat of my startup.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER8> Would have signed up also, but Im not going to hunt around and try a bunch of invite codes that may or may not work.

<comment><USER4> Could you @omarish on twitter?

</comment></comment><comment><USER9> Good grief, talk about manufactured scarcity.

I am a senior developer who takes on side work, but I'm too busy working on client projects to be watching your Twitter feed all evening and pasting in codes hoping that one works.

Why not just post an invite code in the thread that's good for 24 hours?

<comment><USER4> Thanks for your feedback.

We spent a lot of time thinking through a rational strategy that would a) spur a developer list while b) managing growth and ensuring top-quality developers. It could look like manufactured scarcity right now, as we have people coming in from only one channel (HN).

We wanted to test our larger invitation strategy on a smaller cohort of people first, which is why we opted to do invite codes with the HN crowd.

Either way, I couldn't find a twitter or email address in your info. Could you please contact me: firstname.lastname@example.com / @omarish? I'll pass you an invite code.

Again, thanks for the great feedback.

<comment><USER9> Thanks for the response Omar! Glad to see that you're having trouble keeping up - means that your idea is being well validated!

Here's a few items I noticed after logging in that I e-mailed to you, thought I'd post here to see if anyone else on HNN had feedback.

After signing in:

1\. Would be good to see a list of projects that have already been submitted that can be searched, or if you're e-mail focused, an archive of past projects.

2\. Would also be interesting to see a list of other users (if they opt in to the public list?) and/or information on what other skills people are listing.

3\. Also, as it's an invite-only site it does have some level of exclusivity, so a public profile with a dofollow link to my website would be another incentive to sign up and maintain my profile. Actually, the exclusivity angle might be an interesting way of attracting high-end/well paying clients (see: A Small World).

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER10> Yeah, sorry. I just tried 3 of the invite codes on your twitter account and none of them worked. Wtf? This is an unnecessarily high barrier, and will probably alienate many, many potential users.

EDIT: I am a total hypocrite and found an invite that works. Looking forward to it.

</comment><comment><USER11> Looks great, and I'd like to sign up, but having single-use invite codes and putting them on Twitter is kind of a pain. I tried 3 or 4 that didn't work, so I guess I'll sign up if I ever see it around again.

<comment><USER4> Got it. I just sent a working invite to your email. Enjoy.

<comment><USER11> Thanks! I'll try to send along some clients too, I get requests here and there that I can't take on for whatever reason.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER12> Nice idea. I especially like the <40 hour jobs only - makes estimating much easier. Also, the $100 fee for projects to enter weeds out the low-ball projects that want 12 hours of work for $50.

<comment><AUTHOR> @rpwilcox Yes, that requirement is taken from our personal experience / preferences. We like contract work because it's varied and interesting, but we don't want a long term commitment that turns into a full-time job.

</comment></comment><comment><USER13> <40hrs is a perfect time commitment for me when it comes to side work. Thanks for putting this together, and hopefully it works out for everyone!

<comment><AUTHOR> @dbalatero Yeah, that's taken from our personal experience and preference for no long term commitments in contract work. I'm glad you like the idea!

</comment></comment><comment><USER14> I seem to have broken the signup (or, more likely, you may have) - <USER2> trying new tokens w/o success for a while, I was presented with a login strip across the top of the page with Chrome's guess at my password. But the login doesn't actually work - and yet I can't get to the signup page again either.

I allowed Chrome to save the password on this final step, so that might be the problem.

<comment><USER4> Just followed up with an email. Sorry for the trouble!

</comment></comment><comment><USER15> Love the idea. The concept of short, self-contained projects is really appealing, particularly if they're for high quality clients.

<comment><AUTHOR> @scottyallen Thanks! Short and self-contained is kind of the ideal for us, too. We think lots of good developers like that kind of work so they have the free mindshare for their other big ideas.

</comment></comment><comment><USER16> I'm getting this error when I try to log in:

Ensure this value has at most 30 characters (it has 36).

There was an error during the sign up as well, but on the next attempt it told me that e-mail was already in the system.

<comment><AUTHOR> @jlvarner Sorry, we'll look into this.

</comment></comment><comment><USER17> The "Your Skills" field on the "My Settings" page is showing my password.

Site looks great otherwise. Looking forward to seeing what pops up.

<comment><USER18> I am getting the same issue. Also cannot seem to modify any fields on the 'My Settings' page.

<comment><USER19> Yeap, edit doesn't work here either.

<comment><AUTHOR> We're working on fixing it right now! Thanks for the feedback.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER19> After the reported bugs are ironed out, can you also add a 'weekly' option to email frequency? Thanks for the invites!

<comment><USER4> Added. Great idea.

</comment></comment><comment><USER20> I'm hoping I can use this site both as a contractor and as a client with the same login. Will that be possible?

<comment><USER4> Great point. This is in the works right now; we'll get it working shortly.

<comment><USER21> Also, how to change password?

<comment><AUTHOR> Yeah, we need to put that on there today. This was really going for the minimum viable product. We wanted to see if there was interest, and apparently there is!

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER22> I'd like to be able search/browse the available projects before signing up.

</comment><comment><USER23> how do i know it's high quality developers or high quality clients? do you screen somehow?

</comment><comment><USER24> i'm interested. can i get an invite code?

<comment><USER4> Yup - just sent one to the address on your google plus.</comment></comment>


Can anyone stop this man?  - <AUTHOR> http://scobleizer.com/2008/02/14/can-anyone-stop-this-man/ <comment><USER2> Well, Google is competing a bit differently - they are offering to replace not just the servers, but also the software (mail, document sharing, calendar, etc.) that runs on the servers with their cloud/web services.

</comment><comment><USER3> Still Java-Developer here, with all the bad habits: wouldn't you properly encapsule the use of something like S3? I haven't used it yet, but I imagine I would create some kind of EncodeResourceLink class, that creates a link to a resource an can be configured for a variety of storage solutions. Then some kind of open source clone of S3 could run on my own server. If the amount of data got overwhelming, I could easily shift everything over to S3, or whatever competitors emerge.

Or do I have the completely wrong idea here?

<comment><USER4> If you want to build your own S3 clone before you get started on your project, that makes perfect sense.

Although, in that case, it makes little sense to use S3 at all. The whole point is that you don't have to write your own clone.

<comment><USER3> I wouldn't clone S3, only implement the interface.

<comment><USER5> There is this already:

littles3 - Server implementation of Amazon S3 API

<http://code.google.com/p/littles3>

<comment><USER3> Thanks, exactly the kind of thing I was thinking about.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER6> [http://developer.amazonwebservices.com/connect/thread.jspa?t...](http://developer.amazonwebservices.com/connect/thread.jspa?threadID=19714&tstart=0)</comment>


Clay Shirky: Not an Upgrade — an Upheaval - <AUTHOR> http://www.cato-unbound.org/2009/07/13/clay-shirky/not-an-upgrade-an-upheaval/

<comment><USER2> He makes a good point about sport fans and coupon clippers having subsidized "real" news. HN is a prime example of why that can't work online.

Is there any reason that can't capitalise on that reversal by creating niche news sites that excel at reporting on those kinds of topics ("city council or the coup in Madagascar" were the examples he gave)? The self-selecting that is killing them now could theoretically keep then help them simplify their content and advertising targeting.

Maybe someone is doing that already and it isn't working?

<comment><USER3> In my area there are several highly-local blogs (e.g. West Seattle Blog, White Center Now) that cover the city council and other local events/news/politics. I mean, they actually send people to council meetings to report on them.</comment></comment>


Doctor Turns Up Possible Treatment for Deadly Sepsis - happy-go-lucky http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/03/23/521096488/doctor-turns-up-possible-treatment-for-deadly-sepsis <comment><AUTHOR> Linus Pauling's probably throwing a party in his grave.[0]

I've recently been working with a team at Duke building sepsis prediction models. If this proves to be effective, it'll be really interesting to see if it becomes a routine preventative treatment as well.

Does anyone here know whether Dr. Marik is using this treatment in isolation or in tandem with the existing sepsis care bundles? While I'd imagine so, I haven't managed to find anything conclusive even on the East Virgina site.[1]

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

[1]: [http://www.evms.edu/about_evms/administrative_offices/market...](http://www.evms.edu/about_evms/administrative_offices/marketing_communications/publications/issue_9_4/has- sepsis-met-its-match.php)</comment>


Entrepreneurship Flourishes for 54 Hours in Iran - <AUTHOR> http://www.inc.com/eric-markowitz/entrepreneurship-flourishes-for-54-hours-in-Iran.html

<comment><USER2> The title will mislead you into thinking that Iran is a communist (economically) country. I doubt that's the case because, though I am not Iranian and have never been to Iran, I have hundreds of Iranian friends whose families in Iran own big and small businesses. Some examples that come to mind immediately are a friend whose dad runs a medical diagnostic lab in Tehran, another whose family (brothers) runs an advertising agency, and one whose family manufactures household cleaning agents. Web entrepreneurship might not be thriving like in the US, but that is not the only kind of entrepreneurship and this title can lead one into believing that there are no successful entrepreneurs in Iran.

PS Mad props to Startup Weekend.

<comment><AUTHOR> The problem with tech entrepreneurship in Iran is that US sanctions disable iranians to have business with the rest of the world. Most of online payment methods are blocked in Iran, and I think most companies are not allowed to have business with Iranians.

<comment><USER2> You're absolutely right. On a global scale Iran is isolated. My issue was how using the word "entrepreneurship" instead of "web entrepreneurship of global scale" mis-positions Iran as having no civilian economy.

A friend's friend has made a fortune by cloning eBay for Iran seven years ago.</comment></comment></comment>


Payments is not a consumer product - <AUTHOR> https://medium.com/@ankurrsharma/payments-is-not-a-consumer-product-53436400ffef <comment><USER2> > In 2018, you can quickly tap Zomato and use its tremendous compendium of > information to browse through what the top 500 restaurants are, filter it > down to 20 by how much time you're willing to travel, the money you're > willing to spend, and what other people like you say about a place ...

> In 1990, you wouldn't have heard about it unless you stumbled by during a > drive, or someone went out of his or her way to tell you

On the other hand, in 1990, people actually frequently hung out physically with other people who were like them. If the restaurant was good, they would eventually hear about it from one of those people--but not by anyone going out of their way to mention it, but rather simply in the casual conversations people had with friends back then.

I think it is the shift many have made to interacting more online and less in person that makes things like Zomato almost necessary.

I personally realized how much of my socializing is online when my car dealer called to urge me to get an airbag recall handled. I got the driver side airbag recall dealt with promptly when it was announced, but this one is just for the passenger airbag. I told them I was waiting until the next scheduled maintenance, because it has been 10 years since I've had a passenger in my car, so it is not really urgent.

<comment><USER3> > or someone went out of his or her way to tell you

The language of the copy is pretty telling... "out of their way"? People talk about what they did _all the time_, it's what people do when they get together.

<comment><USER4> You can't search and filter through "dude you have to check out this Lao place".

The internet has way more, better, dynamic information than any group of humans can manage independently. Humans are terrible at recommendations.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> At some point I was waiting for something along the line of the optimal solution is no payement, the optimal solution is an upgraded concept of communism...

But it ended up being yet another solution that does the same thing better than existing product and promise to reduce friction... while actually adding a lot because friction to switch to a brand new system is enormous.

<comment><USER6> It started as a critique piece and ended as an ad. I feel somewhat cheated, bait and switch.

</comment></comment><comment><USER7> Didn't you miss two steps - Go to cart, Pick 'Simpl' payment method.

Also - it's basically reinventing the wheel to be similar to how credit cards in the US work, linked to your email/phone instead of a card. (Not dissing the product, though. I do use, and prefer Simpl when it's available).

But honestly, I'm still waiting for a proper payment system which behaves in a responsible manner while giving me a great deal of control and security.

Using credit cards for online payments is kind of ridiculous. I literally have to take pics of both sides to skim you off. Moving liability to the banks is not an ideal solution. The Indian way of OTPs on every transaction, I agree, has too much friction.

Why isn't there a oauth-like permission based system yet? Where I can authorize recurring payments of fixed/variable amounts, authorize one-time payments, etc, and manage all these merchant at one place? Today, if I have to block a company from charging me, either I go to their website, or get in a long and unfruitful call with my bank.

<comment><USER8> > Moving liability to the banks is not an ideal solution.

Why not? It works pretty well in many countries.

Chip-and-pin credit cards work fine in practice, which is why they haven't been replaced. The only thing better is credit cards with contactless payment, which happens to be at that sweet spot where the tech benefits banks (less liability) and consumers (quicker).

I'll use a credit card over some shitty app any day.

> Why isn't there a oauth-like permission based system yet? Where I can > authorize recurring payments of fixed/variable amounts, authorize one-time > payments, etc, and manage all these merchant at one place?

Erm, in many countries you can, see direct debit. Again, solved problem. If your economy or banking system is fucked, that's a different problem, and tech may not be the answer.

<comment><USER9> Actually, tech may be a fine solution in such failed government situations. But, it might take actual decentralized networks to make it really usable.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER10> This is just a thinly veiled advertisement for another payment platform.

</comment><comment><USER11> > The correct answer is zero. > Payments should be invisible.

And should be without user consent. It would be the best mobile-first UX. This technology should be called _algorithmic payments_!

<comment><USER12> We should use machine learning to detect if the user want to pay something or not!

<comment><USER13>
      userWantsToPay : function(user) {
        //doDeepLearningMagic(user);
        return true;
      }

<comment><USER14> Looks like a fantastic improvement over the current internet

      void website() {
        if (userWantsToPay()) {
          charge_more();
        }
        show_obnoxious_ad_that_calls_the_same_website_function();
      }

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER15> So, this is somewhat misleading (or I didnt read the full thing)

* Uber already allows you to pay by cash or use a credit card and put in the OTP after your trip

* The PayTM concept is largely due to a discrepancy in regulations, money can be debited from my PayTM account w/o an OTP, but my credit card cannot be charged without an OTP due to regulations

</comment><comment><USER16> The example is a bit convoluted. Uber allows you to pay after the ride. I do it most of the time.

There is also an option of paying via cash. I will be surprised if Mumbai airport dint have any options to withdraw cash from an ATM.

Additionally, Paytm has seen people's money disappear from their wallets left and right. And now requires OTP if it detects that the login is from an unknown location. This secures people from getting hacked. Indian banks also do the same. I agree it can be a pain but sometimes security and comfort don't really align well.

</comment><comment><USER17> Well, Paypal and Wechat proof the opposite. Easy, small transactions are very well a high demand product. And even if you can't make money with it directly, you can still use to drive demand and track users in whatever other service you have. E.g. as insurance company I'd be really interested in that kind of data. E.g. as Amazon I'd be very interested in that ease-of-use sale platform.

</comment><comment><USER18> Uber in India doesn't require you to key in otp or authorize the payment before the trip. The whole post is based on this false premise.

Or just link your Uber to paytm and preload $100. You won't have to worry about cab payments all through your whole trip.

</comment><comment><USER19> Off topic but what on earth is with the incorrect comma placement in the numbers?

> 3,64,000 potential transactions could have taken place; only 2,18,400 > actually did.

<comment><USER20> That's how they do in India.

<comment><USER19> Well TIL, thanks!

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER21> > This is how you end up with American payment networks like Visa and > Mastercard companies charging upto 3%; customers have no chance of > negotiating a better deal because they have nowhere else to go

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RuPay](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RuPay)

<comment> vertex-four The thing is - and I don't know how this is in India - cards often have rewards programs funded off that 3%, and you don't usually get a discount for paying in cash. So if you pay in cash or "cheaper" payment options, you're actually just paying more money to the supermarket than if you used a card and got some of that 3% back.

<comment><USER22> I'm okay with the market keeping the money than MC/VISA getting it. Here's the thing: I want the market to make money and stay open so I can keep shopping there. I don't care if MC goes up in flames.

<comment> vertex-four The point is that the market has already raised prices 3% on the assumption that their customers will be able to afford it because they're getting some portion of that cut back in rewards - the only situation where this doesn't work is where many of their customers don't use rewards cards.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER23> If PayTM allows a user to go into negative balance upto a certain limit, the premise for the post no longer exists.

No product is perfect, as basing your product on a missing feature of another is a massive risk.

</comment><comment><USER24> So, this is PayPal?

<comment><USER25> PayPal is the worst, always use other options before PayPal. Just Google people's experiences with them.

<comment><USER26> So, this is PayPal, but without the other stuff PayPal is notorious for, which has nothing to do with "press button, buy thing" and everything to do with "their customer support when things go wrong, on either side of the exchange, is garbage"?</comment></comment></comment>


Location Aware Group Messaging meets Ustream meets mobility and anonymity - <AUTHOR> http://www.swarmlocal.com

<comment><USER2> We had launched a similar product couple of years back. Unfortunately, it failed miserably as we were unable to crack the chicken and egg problem. We were even featured on national TV.</comment>


Ask HN: Fastest concurrent HTTP server library for Python? - <AUTHOR>

For my project, I am running a high-performance web service with really long response times (~30 seconds) and high concurrency (able to do multiple requests at once without significant slowdown in response time). I am using the built-in BaseHTTPService with ThreadingMixIn right now for the web service, but it is choking with a load of even 3-4 requests per second. Apparently, the high response time is a difficult requirement, since it rules out libraries like Tornado who do a serial FIFO "one at a time" processing of requests despite being asynchronous. I looked at several libraries, and I am leaning towards syncless right now. There are many of these libraries though, and really, it comes down to the "tyranny of choice." The important thing is actually owning the server code in Python rather than having say nginx call my code for each job since I am interfacing with a device driver that needs to have an open context the entire time the server is running. This is another requirement that is pretty unique to my project. What do you suggest I use? <comment><USER2> I vote Gevent because of its speed, small resource footprint, and its simple synchronous-looking API, but be aware of its limitations. The greenlets (threads) spawned by gevent run in a single OS thread, so you won't be able to take full advantage of all the cores on your server with Gevent alone. Also, Greenlets run cooperatively meaning each one gains control of the CPU until it's done with its computation or hits an IO call. This is great for IO bound computation, not so much for CPU bound work. Even with these limitations, I still think it'll work well with in your application.

Check out this comparison of Python servers: <http://nichol.as/benchmark-of- python-web-servers>

</comment><comment><USER3> BaseHTTPServer.serve_forever() polls every 0.5s by default, so you might want to use BaseHTTPServer.handle_request() instead in a "while True:" loop. This might get you out of your immediate pickle.

</comment><comment><USER4> This question is more suitable for SO than HN.

Given a four core CPU, if each request is lasting 30 seconds without I/O, then each request is going to use 1 core. On a 4-core CPU, you would only be able to serve 4 requests within a 30 second span. What is the request doing for 30 seconds? How much of it is actual CPU-bound work and what amount is I/O.

<comment><USER5> The request is harvesting data from Facebook. For users with a tremendous amount of data, batch requests must be made, so it can take a while sometimes.

<comment><USER6> I can't say authoritatively for Python, but Twisted is probably what you need here (I have used both Node and EventMachine to do things like this, and I'm pretty sure Twisted is similar). The event reactor model will let you defer the request while it's doing things like performing external IO, so your application is freed up to handle other requests in the meantime.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER7> Gevent will handle requests with high response times.

<comment><USER8> Seconded. I also recommend using gunicorn in conjunction with gevent (if you are doing http servers) to easily get multiple service "child/worker" processes in order to make use of multi-cores/cpus.</comment></comment>