Ask HN: How do you stay sharp? - <AUTHOR> I feel like I've stopped rapidly learning after university and plateaued in my career in the last 1-1.5 years. How do you stay sharp and continue to climb in your career?
I'm a product manager at a tech company. I read. I work on side projects. I learn new programs like Sketch, take classes on Udemy and Coursera, but do not feel like I'm learning as much as I'd like. I'm not learning that much on the job anymore, just adding value to the company.
Update: wow, thanks for all the advice. I'll definitely read through all of it. But beyond advice, I'm also curious what do smart people (like you) do to continue growing in terms of activities. <comment><USER2> I kept learning til 30. Now i'm still learning at 33 but it feels different. Once you learn enough is more about the ability of connecting dots.

I.e. I know a load of libraries and built a fair deal myself, including a orm and a crud framework from ground up, and I know many of the pitfalls (I fell for many of them but I was young and foolish) however I also learned the why stuff grlets built a certain way and now it's ten time easier to pick up new things (yeah ember does this and that because it solves the problem x in a way I already saw done here and there, which is better than this other way under these conditions)

Another example I've been around to see the latency/bandwidth problem arise so many times it's not even funny anymore. and each generation solve it's time solution (initially it was the terminal because bandwith was the problem, then the thick client because latency, then it was again dumb data screen within browser, then ajax become viable so code moved back to the browser, last framework are so bloated latency is an issue again and they are moving templates back server side once more)

Learn enough new thing about solving the problem yourself, and basically you'll know every class of library that tries to solve that specific domain. Then you are free to learn higher level stuff. If you start too much high then it's easy to be lost in a flurty as technology shift without understanding the whys.

<comment><USER3> Seconded...learning is not a linear-time experience...or, it shouldn't be at least.

I didn't learn much during and right after university. But after a few years on the job as a reporter, I started getting ideas about how to apply my programming experience. One of my first programming-on-the-job experiences was writing a scraper for the local sheriff's website, so I didn't have to manually click through the inmate list.

(this seems to be a common idea among programming journalists; someone wrote a tutorial about it: [https://first-web- scraper.readthedocs.org/en/latest/](https://first-web- scraper.readthedocs.org/en/latest/))

To reiterate LoSboccacc's point...with every new thing I wanted to explore, I had many excuses to try out new languages and tools...early on, many of my ideas were dumb (Drupal was my first concept of a website backed with a database)...but after enough misguided, but not crippling efforts, you get much better at being less misguided. And learning new technologies becomes less of a chore :)

<comment><USER2> To expand about university: it's my personal experience so ymmv

Almost nothing in my curricula mapped to anything I worked afterward, and I am very glad of that. They forced me to learn how to think, how to solve problem, and gave me a set of analytical tools to understand the software world.

True, I had to figure out java and javascript and aLl the other stuff on the gritty nitty details of programming myself, but I learned a lot faster than people attending work skill universities how to not work by coincidence and how to solve the real problem of software development of which coding is actually the very minor part.

I'm amazed when I see people lost in coding while that is actually the less relevant part of the job.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER4> Careers and jobs and employers and technologies all come and go.

Figure out what interests you yourself, whether you want to go somewhere or do something, and how you might get there. What's important to you.

If your current job can or does line up with that, great. If not, then start working toward your target and toward a different role at your employer, a different employer, or self-employment.

Have enough cash and/or short-term assets available to operate for at least six months without a job. Maybe longer, depending on what the job market looks like in your area.

As for yourself: diet, exercise, regular sleep and regular meals, and working sane hours. Work on your own mental, social, and physical health. Your finances and your cash flow and your sleep and your meal schedules are all part of this health, too.

Schedule time for yourself. Outside of your job. Both to learn and grow, and for socializing. Seek out folks that will challenge you — either at work, at university, at a Maker's event, or outside. Seek out and talk with folks of different backgrounds and interest areas and any of the different genders and of different personal histories and experiences. Learn a new language.

Once you have pondered on these and have your plans underway, then you can start working on the technologies and the tools and the online courses and classes and the rest. If they're applicable, and how you best learn.

While your employer will certainly like the focus on your career, life is more about yourself.

<comment><AUTHOR> How do you seek out folks that challenge you?

<comment><USER5> For me, moving to the bay area was a big deal. Was easy to be the "big fish in a small pond" in my old town. If moving is not an option, contributing to an open source community you respect may be a good analog.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER6> I try to work through hard technical material. Personally, I enjoy both technical books and MIT OCW lectures. There were a number of courses in school that I was interested in and didn't have time for, so I've been looking at the online equivalents.

"Working through" means doing exercises and projects. Reading or watching material without applying it doesn't help.

I aim to spend an hour a day on this. It doesn't always happen, but it's a reasonable enough goal that I can find time for it most days. Occasionally, I'll take a full day to study on the weekend.

Some specific recommendations:

      books:
        SICP (https://mitpress.mit.edu/sicp/)
        K&R
        The Art of Computer Programming (if you have lots of time)
        On Lisp (http://www.paulgraham.com/onlisp.html)
        Learn you a Haskell
        Types and Programming Languages
        CLRS
        The Dragon Book (Compilers, http://www.amazon.com/Compilers-Principles-Techniques-Tools-2nd/dp/0321486811)

      OCW Courses:
        6.172 (High performance engineering)
        6.046 (Algorithms)

This is just what I've been interested in and is by no means comprehensive. Outside of CS, math is great to learn if you haven't studied it formally.

I've found it's best to pick a topic you know enough about to be motivated to study it, but haven't done serious work in.

<comment><USER7> Just out of curiosity, how much of TAOCP have you worked through in terms of exercises? I'm currently working through Concrete Mathematics and while it's a very good book, I'm also finding it very challenging, so I'm a little hesitant to even think about working through TAOCP...

<comment><USER6> I've only used TAOCP for reference. Working through it is on my to-do list, but I'm not sure when I'll get there.

The problems are ranked by difficulty, so you might be able to work your way up to the harder ones.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER8> Learning new programs like Sketch, or taking classes on Udemy and Coursera makes no sense to me if you don't apply it.

You don't really know unless you apply it. I grew up disassembling and competing cracking programs, then I learned c because assembler was too slow for creating things like compilers that I wanted to create.

Then I had to learn c++ in order to create graphic interfaces for my programs.

Then I needed python in order to develop faster... java, objective c, c sharp, they provided me with things that I needed.

Then after years of programming I created a company and felt behind. We were so f*ching slow. We needed something else: we discovered metaprogramming in Lisp. Much better then, things improved.

We modified the CLang compiler in order to do much better than anybody else what we did. We were pretty successful.

But it is not enough. We want to change the world. We want people of the world understanding each other using their own languages. We want to understand DNA and end cancer and aging. We want robots that drive and cook. We want to understand nuclear fusion. We want to improve battery technologies, to remove the salt from sea water cheaply. We want to make inexpensive LED plant growing so we can travel to Mars or Venus.

And all the technology that we have is not enough for solving those problems. When you face those problems you became humble and you met the best people you could ever imagine.

Surrounding yourself with really smart people you will learn in a year what you will in your entire life if you only face trivial problems.

<comment><AUTHOR> Well Sketch I use, but I know what you mean.

I'd be happy to meet those people. I do from time to time but it's really random.

</comment></comment><comment><USER9> >I read. I work on side projects. I learn new programs like Sketch, take classes on Udemy and Coursera

Sounds like you are already doing more to improve than most!

>I'm not learning that much on the job anymore, just adding value to the company.

Do you feel like you are often the smartest person in the room where you currently work? If so, time to move some place where that isn't the case. I find working with people more skilled than myself is the fastest way to improve. Sure, your ego will take a hit, but it is worth it for the self- improvement benefits.

However, short of places like Google, I'm not sure how to go about finding a place with more skilled people. Can't know for sure until you are actually working there.

<comment><USER10> What if you're the smartest person in the room and also highly paid? It may be more strategic to stay put, save as much as possible, and spend your time getting intellectual stimulation outside of work.

<comment><USER9> I don't necessarily disagree. However, it sounded like OP was already doing a lot to get intellectual stimulation outside of work. He specifically mentioned not learning much on the job any more so that's why I recommended looking into a new job.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER11> Battlefield 4. Laugh if you will, but playing this game (or games like it) against other humans is an incredible mental exercise. There is little downtime and twitch does win the day. Interestingly, I usually only play when I'm too tired to code productively anymore - and playing brings me wide awake.

It's amazing to me when watching others play how they miss cues I can now see. Or how my mind has subconsciously optimized where to aim in a heated firefight depending on the gun I'm using (sometimes sternum, sometimes head - I more notice I'm doing it as opposed to actually doing it).

Plenty of good advice here, but high-speed mind activities should be included in any advice of "staying sharp" (i.e. Battlefield, RTS computer games, iphone brain games I suppose)

(relevant: Starcraft performance factored by age: [http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal....](http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0094215))

<comment><USER12> I agree there's a lot to be said about the mental benefits. Highly recommend anyone interested checking out Insurgency. I've played every competitive FPS game over past 16 years and latest Insurgency version is the most exciting realistic twitch FPS ever, especially 5v5 competitive mode.

</comment></comment><comment><USER13> Surround yourself with people far smarter than you are. Bring up interesting topics that you want to learn about but can also contribute to, let them fill in the gaps. Ask them what they are most interested in at this moment. Ideally do prior steps while buying them drinks.

<comment><AUTHOR> How do you find these people? I found lots in London but not so many where I am currently.

<comment><USER14> You might need to travel to find them: I've found conferences are a good way to find interesting people. And not necessarily programming conferences, it's good to know smart people in other fields.

Also, as patio11 once suggested, just contact people you think might be smart / interesting and invite them to chat over coffee or drinks. I did that while I was travelling through Berlin and invited folks I'd talked to here on Hacker News. I got some really useful advice from it personally, and they at least got free drinks & snacks from me (and hopefully interesting advice / ideas too).

Check out Patrick's standing invitation for ideas on how to connect with people: [http://www.kalzumeus.com/standing- invitation/](http://www.kalzumeus.com/standing-invitation/)

<comment><AUTHOR> Cool, thanks! I should start doing that.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER15> Since I left University, I have gone through a few periods where I felt that I had plateaued and stopped climbing, both in my career and in terms of learning. To snap out of this, I found the following helpful:

a) I changed my perspective. In University, learning was broken up into easy to digest semester long chunks. In four months, I would write papers, write exams and receive marks which sort of indicated what I had learned. Since University, I have had to change my expectations, both in terms of chunks of time and in terms of feedback. I try to remind myself that I am learning, but sometimes I just learn in chunks that are almost too small to notice.

b) I keep a journal about what I am learning and what I am working on. This journal tends to be long on opinion. Every few months, I go back and read how far I have come. For me, there is no better way of seeing how far I have come than to read how wrong I used to be. Hacker News helps with this, since there is no shortage of extremely smart people who are willing to tell me that I am wrong.

c) I added hobbies. When I was in University, learning was my job and all of my hobbies and social interactions were built around this. Since University, I have picked up some hobbies. For me, lifting weights and jogging started off as a way to solve a serious health/stress problem and evolved into a bonafide hobby. I may not be learning as much as I was in University, but I can bench press my weight now and run 10km at will. Progress (of any sort) is addictive for me and it forces me to keep finding ways to progress.

d) I got into public speaking. In University, I belonged to a Toastmasters chapter, but after University, I not only joined another chapter, but I started seeking out speaking opportunities. Not only did my public speaking improve, but I have learned an immense amount through speaking in public. The old adage that you never really know something until you can explain it to someone who knows nothing is 100% true.

Right now, my biggest challenge is to incorporate meditation into my day to day routine. I love meditating and I know that it makes me a better, more mindful person, but it is hard for me to incorporate it. My hope is that a little more mindfulness will keep me from obsessing about the big picture (where change is so slow) and keep me in the moment.

Good luck, my friend and if you need anyone to talk to, my email is in my profile.

<comment> qu4z-2 I like your journal idea.

It occurs to me that I just assumed you meant a physical journal, when that wasn't in the post. I feel like that would help me a fair bit compared to a digital one (I find physical books easier to focus on. Something to do with the spacial consistency, I think).

</comment></comment><comment><USER16> \- Write prose. I find my verbal fluency (and my inner monologue) become far more dull when I haven't written anything in a while

\- Keep alcohol consumption to a minimum, even a single glass of wine impacts memory formation and recall.

\- Get lots of sleep

<comment><USER17> On the booze: Alcohol's effects on memory are indeed severe, but mostly at high doses and with chronic consumption. Also, this is very individual and varys from person to person, as most things in bio do[0]. Additionally, OP mentioned that they want to stay sharp, and alcohol does have a positive effect on creativity in low doses, something we all know in coding[1]. In the end, OP should trust themself and drink as deemed appropriate (check with a Doc of course).

Sleep though, yeah, try to get more of that. Exercise too. Oh, also eat right. Hmm,... maybe should lawyer up and quit FB too, or so I am told... :P

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

[1][https://xkcd.com/323/](https://xkcd.com/323/)

</comment></comment><comment><USER18> Try teaching other people. It's amazing what you find you don't know by explaining things to others. If there aren't people who want to learn what you know then post on a blog or forum and get feedback from those who are interested.

<comment><USER19> I must second this. I worked as a TA for 2.5 years while pursuing my Master's degree, and I learned a whole lot more by teaching than by studying. The most amazing thing is to be able to tell students that you have absolutely no idea of the answer to their questions, but that you're going to find out together.

<comment><AUTHOR> Do you have any suggestions for starting to teach?

<comment><USER18> First, teach something you are interested in. This will keep you going when something is challenging. Even if you don't consider yourself a "pro" in the subject, you can always get to that level.

Find somewhere you can teach and receive feedback. I teach piano to students and several times I've been caught with a question I had to look up. The best thing you can do is say "I don't know but I'll figure it out for you". Plus, this way you also have to figure out a way to explain it in a simple method to those you are teaching.

Feedback is really important because it will be how you can affirm what you know and also give you opportunities to branch out. If you aren't getting feedback on a blog, forum, or wherever you may just need to find the right place to share your knowledge.

<comment><USER19> Great answer, I will add to this that you need a lot of patience. So yeah, if you are not interested in the subject, this gets a whole lot difficult.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER20> I don't particularly enjoy online courses. The density of technical information is very low. I prefer reading papers and then doing a nose dive on related papers to fill in the knowledge gaps. Papers are like nodes of knowledge with edges to relevant information (references). For things usually not covered in universities, papers are pretty much crucial. For example, I found it a lot more useful to read the original or early b-tree and octree papers as opposed to looking them up in text books. And these directly affected my code. The DynamoDB paper was another one that affected my work thinking, even though we don't do a lot of distributed systems.

There are many famous papers out there (search on HN, the topic gets posted frequently). I highly recommend you choose a topic, and just look up the important papers in that topic (google scholar is a great tool for checking citation numbers).

</comment><comment><USER21> Apprenticeship Patterns[1] was linked in a thread a while ago and its got some good ideas.

I think that learning a lot can hurt the overall effort, Focus on one or two things at a time and use them to do stuff. Try and get to the 'know what you don't know' stage for each thing, even if you cant do something at the moment knowing what steps you should take to get there is a good feeling.

[1]: [http://chimera.labs.oreilly.com/books/1234000001813/index.ht...](http://chimera.labs.oreilly.com/books/1234000001813/index.html)

</comment><comment><USER22> Workout, eat smart and get more than 7 hours of sleep a night most nights. It's absolutely amazing how much these three things affect everything in your life.

<comment><USER23> I think the workout one is great here. Whenever I feel like my mind is out of energy, I go and exercise for a while and usually my mind feels more energetic afterwards.

</comment></comment><comment><USER24> Work at a smaller company. Like 10 people. The smaller the company, the more roles each person does.

</comment><comment><USER25> Find a bigger pond. Big fish in small pond is a good way for short term benefits, but it limits the growth.

</comment><comment><USER26> I wasn't interested in studying at a university, so I have plenty of things to learn. I usually work from home and I learn a ton every day. That's primarily because I always have a book or two around and read about new stuff on HN. Luckily, the world of programming is huge, so there's always something to learn. In my opinion, at least reading a book on general programming is beneficial to everyone, especially managers.

</comment><comment><USER27> I think the reason for this is not only the obvious "young brains learn faster" but also different hormone levels, ego and so on. When you are younger, you overestimate your skills and take on things that are actually above your level. Once you get older you start thinking more realistic about your skill-set and realize that other people are smart, too. You become better at estimating how much time a given task might take and you realize that you have other things to do.

The problem is, you cannot grow if you do not push yourself to the next level.

Practising something you already kind of know how to do will mainly optimize speed and avoiding mistakes and will let you plateau slightly above your current level. To really advance at something you have to take on tasks that are out of your comfort zone. You can then reapply the learned skills and concepts back to other areas.

I think you have to actively massage your brain to prevent it from stagnating and freezing the algorithms it applies the most. It think we are blessed to work in a field that is conceptually challenging enough that we can actually observe this. In another area you would just wake up one day saying stuff old people say :D

</comment><comment><USER28> From the above description, it seems like you might be trapped at a local maxima. Try expanding your horizons in other areas. You will gain perspective including ways to get "unstuck". You will find other maximas, and realize that you have a long way to go. For example, try reading about medicine or art - that can give you a perspective on "how" to think and "why" and connect the dots, rather than the "what" of the latest framework. To give you a more concrete and prescriptive example you can apply, let's say you are learning Sketch and teaching yourself UI/UX. How about exploring color - the science and art behind it? Pick up a color palette program, and look at famous works of art and good UIs - what palettes do they use and why? Can you come up with your own palettes? Why did you choose what you chose? Can you use a palette from some apps like Slack or Monument Valley and build your own UI? Basically try to go in an adjacent or even orthogonal direction. You are on the right path... you seem intellectually curious and a lifelong learner. Just shake things up a bit and that can pay dividends. HTH.

</comment><comment><USER29> Have you considered the idea that you are still learning but just not things that you care about/appreciate?

When I left school and started working I also felt like I wasn't learning, but when I sat down to think about it, I actually was learning a great deal. I just didn't feel like I was learning because I didn't care for anything I was learning.

You will almost certainly learn new things on the job but those things are likely things aligned to your employer's interests and not your own. I think you might want to see what interests/excites you and try to dive into that material instead of learning things that other people think are useful or suggest.

Even in the comments here you can see people recommending learning new frameworks and others recommending classical texts like SICP or even learning functional languages. Clearly each of these groups of people thinks what they are learning is useful or important. On the other hand, they might not think what the other group is learning is very useful. I certainly don't feel very happy learning a new language or framework, but other people don't like learning theory unless they can use it to build something.

</comment><comment><USER30> I find that having a voracious appetite to explore as many associated fields and topics to your area of work or interest is not only interesting and enjoyable but gives your mind some pause on the close-at-hand stuff while you gain the very important pieces that inform a big picture view of what you are doing. Plus, you can often get new outside-the-box ideas this way.

<comment><USER31> Exactly. I had been wondering if my way of sticking to work related things while exploring stuff in my own time was the best way of learning, but due to the kind of free time I get it is the most optimal strategy. For example though I would love to complete SICP I just don't have the kind of time it needs, so instead I try to read as much as possible about OOPS explore languages that are exemplify OO design but aren't that mainstream like Pharo. This way I don't have to worry much if the knowledge acquired would be forgotten and wasted, whatever I learn I practice at least a part of it daily.

<comment><USER30> I'd offer a different take. SICP is pretty intense stuff in parts. Don't feel obligated to understand it all or to finish it as a full-read. Rather, when it gets tough, continue reading, but give yourself permission to not fully understand it. Skim it, whatever, the exposure will leave something. You can always come back for a second round. But, more importantly, also explore many different programming paradigms, don't just focus on OOP. Learn a lot about FP, FRP, Declarative. Whatever paradigm you use, it will make you think more openly about problems.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER32> Part if the plateau might be not knowing the new stuff cold. There are times when it's hard to progress if your base understanding is kind of shaky. as you actually use the new stuff it'll gel, and open up new avenues for inquiry.

I'd also suggest Haskell. compare this: [http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/LeakyAbstractions.htm...](http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/LeakyAbstractions.html) to abstractions from math. mathematicians ensure the abstractions never leak. they make the rules, there is no way out of the game. this kinda points in that direction: [http://conal.net/blog/posts/denotational-design-with-type- cl...](http://conal.net/blog/posts/denotational-design-with-type-class- morphisms)

I think the most important thing is just keep trying.

</comment><comment><USER33> Start your own company: you'll learn a ton, and be forced to stay sharp, since your survival depends on it.

<comment><USER34> Destroy your marriage and social life! Ruin your financial situation for decades to come!

No. Just no.

It takes a certain breed of individual to take on this kind of challenge, to throw caution to the wind and just do it, plus a whole lot of tenacity and sheer luck to make it work out.

If you want to learn new things, this is the worst possible advice. It's akin to saying "If you want to learn how to fly, throw yourself off a building."

Having been through the start-up cycle many times, I'll tell you one thing: You won't learn a whole lot about technology compared to learning _business_. As a founder you'll spend far less time coding than you do wrangling spreadsheets and worrying about payroll.

<comment><USER33> The OP asked how to stay sharp - not how to obtain ultimate happiness, or how to obtain the best balance of everything. Being a founder is probably the best way to learn and stay sharp. Of course it's not for everyone. Of course you're going to fail (at least a little, most likely a ton).

And why is it decades of ruin? I could argue that running and failing your own company for 2-3 years will work better for you financially than going to work for a big tech company straight out of school (or at any point in time really).

There's no need to "throw caution to the wind". Just be on top of what you're capable of, where your priorities are, and what your financial situation is (stay sharp on all these things).

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER35> Sounds like you're doing all of the right things. Try reading material from outside your primary interests: biology, pure maths, civil engineering, electronics, chemistry, etc. Ideas are not born in a vacuum and over- specialization can sometimes give you the illusion of progress. I find digging into a new subject exciting and it often gives me new connections or angles to programming and maths that I wouldn't have otherwise encountered before.

As for commercial applications... well software for business is usually dry and boring grunt work. Interesting, innovative, and challenging are, paradoxically, antithetical to commercial software. You want reliable, boring, and simple. Perhaps you need to look for a research position or take a risk and start a venture based on one of your ideas.

</comment><comment><USER36> Go outside your comfort zone, learn a functional language and give a talk on it. Learn higher-level maths. (IMO) There's satisfaction and clarity to be found there if your current path isn't challenging you. You might find that it takes you into new roles too.

<comment><USER37> For me, staying sharp was never an issue because I have an addiction to 'toys' and learning.

By Toys, I mean new concepts and tech-stacks.

Unfortantely, I don't control it. It could be the most useless thing, or something valuable. I haven't figured out what 'actuates' it.

Been everything from replacing FSM with Behaviour Trees, to learning game development, A*, Steering Forces[0] to just toying with Redis and Obj-C.

[0] I really, really, really recommend [http://natureofcode.com](http://natureofcode.com)

</comment></comment><comment><USER38> What are your side projects? IMO learning is only useful is it lets you build something.

<comment><AUTHOR> Currently, I'm working on this idea... Not sure if it's ready for attention yet, but I guess it doesn't hurt. www.littlequest.me/secret

My main concern is I don't feel as sharp as I did in high school, university, and first years after grad. And I want to continue to have that mental sharpness, not just be good at my job and do it day in and day out.

<comment><USER39> Love the testimonials section.

Are you working on this alone?

<comment><AUTHOR> Thanks! I thought that would be a fun way for people to tweet about the product :)

I'm working on this with a friend. I'm really curious where this goes. It should be ready in 2 weeks.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER40> > I work on side projects.

I'm intrigued this is here, because when I read the title this was my immediate suggestion.

In my experience there's no better way to learn than working on side projects that explore technologies that you don't already know. Is this what you do?

Writing an app on the same framework/languages as you use at work is also definitely valuable, it'll give you more depth of knowledge that's then directly applicable at work (in fact when starting a new job I recommend doing exactly this) but it won't stretch you much intellectually. To do that you kind of have to force yourself to use completely new stuff.

</comment><comment><USER41> Could it be that you've exhausted the easy things to learn? I feel that at some point it gets hard to keep the same learning velocity as the knowledge you are acquiring gets more complex and difficult to grasp. Also major breakthroughs are much rarer. While learning things similar to previous subjects seem trivial. Learning new programming languages for example. Once you've accumulated enough of then pattern start to repeat and learning the next one becomes more and more trivial to the point where it doesn't feel like learning the same amount of stuff as previously.

</comment><comment><USER42> Take on more responsibility at work, either do it on your own or ask for more from your boss, say you want to do more, you feel you can do more.

Or start contributing to meetups, be out there, and get another job that is a step up.

Or try and make a product on your own, even if it is a silly idea, until you launch it. Do it again.

1-1.5 years isn't a plateau don't stress too much, that you want to do more is nearly all you need to climb, there are countless people that don't want anything more

</comment><comment><USER43> > I learn new programs like Sketch, take classes on Udemy and Coursera, but do > not feel like I'm learning as much as I'd like

Maybe you're not challenging yourself sufficiently. Try to find something that will be very difficult for you and start to attack it.

</comment><comment><USER44> I want to say this to my Product Manager, and if aren't doing this already try investing 10-20% of your time on doing hands on work. Details matter.

</comment><comment><USER45> Are you enjoying your work? Is it challenging you? It might help if your "day job" was the primary driver of your learning, vs fringe efforts

</comment><comment><USER46> Concentrate on things that you suck at or avoid; technology or not, building a good stone wall is as enjoyable as an elegant RAILS deployment.

</comment><comment><USER46> Concentrate on things that you suck at or avoid; technology or not, building a good stone wall is as enjoyable as an elegant RAILs deployment.

</comment><comment><USER47> I find my time limited but I have a 35 minute commute to work and a 35 minute commute back home. So I download podcasts and listen to them.

</comment><comment><USER48> If you're challenged, you're learning more and staying sharp. Stay challenged.

</comment><comment><USER49> Open-source projects, specially the ones out of my comfort zone.

</comment><comment><USER50> I thought training doesn't increase intelligence. Does it?

<comment><USER18> It may not directly increase intelligence but it will solidify what you know. Explaining something to others requires a deeper level of understanding in my experience. It will also show you what areas you don't know and give you opportunity to learn those things as well.

<comment><USER5> The brain is plastic, why wouldnt intelligence also be so? [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroplasticity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroplasticity)

>Neuroplasticity involves the higher cognitive functions as well as memory and motor and sensory functions. No part of the brain is an exception. IQs of retarded individuals have been raised. Even thought and imagination, as brain scan technologies have clearly demonstrated, can change the structure of our brains.

[http://www.nas.org/articles/Education_and_Intelligence-- Part...](http://www.nas.org/articles/Education_and_Intelligence-- Part_3_Neuroplasticity)

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER51> Meth, mainly.

</comment><comment><USER52> No rebate ...

</comment><comment><USER53> Start a startup

</comment><comment><USER54> I think it's possible that people who tend to over-intellectualize, possibly are missing some tenderness in their lives.

</comment><comment><USER55> Open source projects are a free and self-reinforcing way to be on top of the latest tech, build a resume and give back.

You can do so pretty easily via GitHub. Sign up to a few mailing lists, not every important project is on GH.

Consider a daemon you use really often. Familiarize yourself with the code until you master it.

</comment><comment><USER56> I work as a consultant so I am always getting exposed to new industries and technologies. Sometimes I am learning because I absolutely have to in order to be successful on the project I have signed up for, or otherwise I find my self learning new things because I have either heard of a topic through a friend/colleague or I have a general interest. I usually have 2 or 3 topics i.e. Ruby, Systems Thinking, Presenting, that I want to focus on.

For each of those focus topics I then: \- Read a lot! I try and get a book done each week, maybe a second on the weekend. I have worked hard at improving my reading speed and if I really focus when I read (sit down at a desk, remove any distractions, get a nice coffee) I find I can get through material very quickly. While I am reading I take notes, I use these notes later on for writing (see later point) \- Listen to podcasts/audiobooks, I like to put on an audio book and do a repetitive form of exercise or just walk around, I live in a city with lots of great places to walk so heading out for a 4 hour walk in the evening is easy and I can easily get through an audiobook, I take notes while I walk too. \- Write about it, if I am learning about something I like to write about it too, this helps me cement the topic I am learning. \- Do a course or workbook on the topic

Apart from the focus topic areas, I am subscribed to the Economist, Bloomberg Business week and various mailing lists, I like to scan through these articles and read any that catch my attention, I feel that having these taps on broader interest areas keeps me from getting too bored or narrow in my field of specialty (which is software).

I think the thing that helps me the most though is that I work as a consultant. I move industries (banking, retail, government, biochemical) and technology (c#, java, ruby, javascript) every few months so I am constantly finding myself in the deep end in new fields - this drives me to be on top things and is a good motivator to rapidly learn.

I have learned more in my 4 years as a consultant then I did in the 4 years at uni and 3 years working for other software shops.</comment>


Reeder for iPhone gets a major update - <AUTHOR> http://blog.bufferapp.com/how-to-use-reeder-and-buffer-for-smarter-reading-and-sharing <comment><USER2> using both apps it's a grear collab imo</comment>


The Pyramid Method: A Simple Strategy for Becoming Exceptionally Good - <AUTHOR> http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/06/03/the-pyramid-method-a-simple-strategy-for-becoming-exceptionally-good/

<comment><USER2> The trick about this concept, and this strategy, is that you have to consider just what exactly you are practicing. I took a peek at his MySpace (<http://www.myspace.com/sickabodsane>) and honestly, he is not the most technically adept rapper. His rhymes and rhyme schemes are usually fairly simple and his topics aren't particularly striking. He has good cadence and breath control, he is easy to follow, and his stuff is catchy though.

I would argue that in this process his key outcome was not improving his rapping ability. He learnt about stage presence, handling a microphone, interacting with a crowd, picking suitable topics to entertain that crowd, and probably more. As a result of consistently performing and being in this place he has likely built a network of people doing similar things and of fans. For someone who wants to succeed in a rap career these are all important things, but my question is did his rapping actually improve?

It's all a question of metrics and of knowing exactly what you want to get out of your project.

<comment><USER3> It sounds to me like you are just debating the semantics of "good rapper" in a way independent of the article.

</comment></comment><comment><USER4> Unfortunate name – it reminds me of the pyramid scheme, under which the vast majority of people lose more than they gain. Perhaps a clearer name would be the Single-Benchmark Method, though that doesn't sound as interesting.

<comment><USER5> I think of it as getting in a feedback loop, which people often call iterating. Practicing is also close. The idea of iterating is simple and can be seen in anything from education to genetics to investing.

The challenge often is getting over the personal hangups which prevent one from facing honest feedback. There is a general narrative where a person's will to achieve a particular goal finally overcomes the fears related to identity and the outcome, and progress accelerates.

</comment></comment><comment><USER6> I like the focus on having a solid, measurable, _objective_ benchmark. Everyone knows that it takes hundreds of hours to get very good at something, but this essay is a great reminder that simply putting hundreds of hours of practice is still no guarantee of progress if you do not have a way to measure it.

</comment><comment><USER7> I have set a professional goal for myself to become more active in the Rails community and to begin contributing patches to Rails and other open source projects I use. With the eventual goal of getting the super awesome Rails job that I one day want as opposed to the okay-to-good Rails job I currently have. This article gave me a lot to think about in relation to my goal.

<comment><USER8> Similarly, I have set myself the goal of becoming an awesome mobile app developer. My goal is to first become one of the most valued developers at my current workplace, and then to move on to a better job.

I would appreciate any suggestions for how one can apply this 'Pyramid method' to the field of programming. What should be the pyramid here - Github? StackOverflow?

Or is there another way to approach this quest?

<comment><AUTHOR> The best mobile app developers I know are equivalent or even better graphic designers than they are programmers. If you truly want to become a better mobile developer, focus on improving your ability to design the visual side. When a user sees your mobile application, they are interacting with and see only the tip of the iceberg, your UI. They don't see the underlying iceberg of code.

As far as a specific tip for the Pyramid method, get involved in your local mobile development SIG. For iOS, it is Cocoaheads (weird name, I know but Cocoa programmers are an interesting bunch). Once you get involved (or better yet, start one up), start presenting topics. By presenting, you will be pushed out of your comfort zone. Don't know AVFoundation? Volunteer to present on this topic and then build your first AVFoundation based app. As another comment in this thread pointed out, hackathons are a great way to meet other developers and improve your coding production. Seek out the good developers in your local area, nothing beats buying someone a beer or coffee and listening to their experience and advice. Do a pro-bono project, ideally one with a deadline (and one that would be difficult to back out of - e.g.one with personal commitment)

StackOverflow is a good practice area. If you have free time, go find some questions you don't know how to answer and answer them.

One last thing, buy a lot of apps. Use them, try to reverse engineer them (not from object code but from the app itself). Money well spent.

<comment><USER8> Awesome suggestions; thanks!

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER9> This relates to an issue that I personally struggle with. The issue is that I am interested in a number of different fields, mainly business, software, and writing (and politics, somewhat). I find the most inspiring achievement is that of the polymath and I aspire to someday be worthy of that label.

The issue is that in a world of six billion people and innumerable domains of knowledge, it is difficult to achieve true expertise in even a single field. Laser-like focus on a single skill, as described in the Pyramid Method, offers the potential of becoming amazing at that skill to the likely exclusion of any others.

My dilemma is therefore whether or not I ought to try to become an exceptional software developer or businessperson or writer, or whether it's okay to just be pretty good at all of those things and never achieve major recognition for any of them.

How possible is it to actually become a Renaissance Man these days?

<comment><USER10> Stop caring about labels, titles and recognition; then your struggle will end.

We all want to lead a life of significance, but don't fool yourself into thinking that the only way to find significance is to "achieve major recognition" in the eyes of others. In fact, you'd probably agree that chasing the esteem of others is probably the least significant thing anyone can do with their life.

<comment><USER9> Just wanted to thank you for writing this comment. Since reading it I've really, genuinely re-evaluated a lot of things in my life, and I'm continuing to do so. Thank you - I needed it.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER11> This reminds me of what Steve Martin did in his early career. He played the same comedy clubs over and over again, keeping the routines that worked and ruthlessly dropping the ones that didn't, until he became the most famous comedian in the world. As he put it: "I did stand-up comedy for eighteen years. Ten of those years were spent learning, four years were spent refining, and four were spent in wild success."

P.S. Born Standing Up, his memoir, is deservedly praised.

</comment><comment><USER12> I liked the story, and I think the points are solid, but I must ask the question: Did Chris eventually have a good career as a rapper? Is he a name we would recognize?

<comment><USER13> One of the headings is "The Ballad of Sickabod Sane", and a quick Google search turns up his MySpace page: <http://www.myspace.com/sickabodsane>

An article in Flak Magazine[1] describes him as "a popular MC from the Manhattan club scene."

You don't specify what you mean by "a good career," but it would appear that he's not reached the Cristal-filled-hot tub stage in life yet.

I did enjoy his songs, though.

[1] <http://www.flakmag.com/features/makingrap.html>

<comment><USER14> That article is by the author of the linked post. He discusses it in the "My Pyramid" section.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER15> This post is good in all, but I have one question: There are _other_ ways for becoming exceptionally good except the OP's "pyramid" way?

<comment><USER16> I think the OP is onto something. Focused attention is good if you don't get tunnel vision. In addition to finding a relevant venue you would want relevant mentors and colleagues too. Hopefully some of them are in that same venue.

</comment></comment><comment><USER17> This is great advice for participants in the budding northeast hackathon scene. I've never done a startup, but from what I can gather, doing a hackathon isn't that far off. You code furiously and you try to win. You pivot if it's not working out. You make awesome shit, and fast. Hackathons are just a bit a shorter. I figure if I can win a hackathon, I'd a) be better prepared to win in startupland, and b) get noticed by the people who pull the strings. So far, it's working out well, and I'd recommend any budding programmer (read: student) to go to as many hackathons as possible.

</comment><comment><USER18> So essentially this is a niche to win strategy? Become the dominant player in your microcosm then continue to expand once dominance is achieved. I won't argue with this, it's not applicable to every pursuit, but solid advice on the whole.

<comment><USER19> If I understand you, I don't think that's the advice at all. I believe Newport's key point is NOT "win in a niche, use that as your base, leverage that to a wider context".

I believe the essence is this:

You're gonna hafta practice a ton anyway. So one way to decide how to focus your practice is to pick a microcosm with clear feedback, and go hard on that one type of practice. It's not about the (microcosmic) prize, it's about the focus that having a prize gives you in your preparation for the real fight, which you can get to in a few years. Thrashing during practice is as much a problem as thrashing during the fight for the thing itself.

While I think it's interesting advice, my thought is that for every opinion piece advocating laser focus, there's another opinion piece advocating dilettantism and adaptability and opportunism. It's hard to know how to add that up.

</comment></comment><comment><USER20> Good post, but I think the best insight into why Chris (the rapper) succeeded was in the comments - it's an iterative process.

Competitions, particularly recurring ones, are great because they force you to finish something, get it judged, and start something else.

(Speaking as someone who's in the middle of a huge project with no end in sight - sounds good!)

<comment><USER21> Try to tease out parts of the project that you can actually complete and get some feedback on. Feedback is one of the most important requirements for getting better, and the feedback on a completed sub-project is always going to be better than that on a project that is still being worked on. Not to mention that clearly finishing even parts of the project is helpful to morale.

</comment></comment><comment><USER22> as for applying this method, does anyone have suggestions for finding a forum that could provide clear feedback specifically for web design?

<comment><USER23> A/B testing with measurable, objective conversion metrics? Other than that, sites like dribbble.com display the number of likes an image gets. Your metrics there are how many follow you and what the average rating per image is.</comment></comment>


Telegram releases it's own blockchain capable of millions of transactions / sec - <AUTHOR> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoEonnmdXDI&feature=youtu.be <comment><USER2> source? this is no official channel

edit: "likely a scam": [https://twitter.com/durov/status/944360557318205440](https://twitter.com/durov/status/944360557318205440)

edit2: or a leak: [https://www.facebook.com/id77777/posts/10154846872521076?pnr...](https://www.facebook.com/id77777/posts/10154846872521076?pnref=story)

<comment> aaron-lebo I hope it's fake. Hilariously goofy and a poor man's John Oliver narrating. Did someone pay money for that?

The parodies on Silicon Valley are better.

<comment><USER3> That sounds a lot like the narrator from Kurzgesagt. Not sure what to make of that

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER4> I fail to understand the actual value-add of this crypto currency. Ok, so we will have "Grams" that will be integrated into Telegram and their users can use. Now what? What will I be able to do with it? How will "grams" gain value over time ? Who will be mining ?

</comment><comment><USER5> Even if it's fake and they are not going to release a blockchain they won't directly tell that. Why? Why stop all this free PR? But it seems to me that it's unlikely, given that in some countries with a lot of users they are on shaky grounds due to encryption. Releasing a currency will only lead to more active blocking

</comment><comment><USER6> Some huge claims. This is just a marketing video. Is there a link with some real details?

<comment><USER7> This link can be helpful a bit but it's not exactly what you need

[https://cointelegraph.com/news/exclusive-telegram-to- release...](https://cointelegraph.com/news/exclusive-telegram-to-release- blockchain-platform-native-cryptocurrency)

</comment></comment><comment><USER8> Consider fixing the glaring typo in the title.

</comment><comment><USER9> oh my god let me convert all my ETH into TELE</comment>


Ask HN: Why are some topics automatically down ranked? - <AUTHOR>

As it seems to me, some topics are automatically down ranked by the system or by moderators.
Today some very important person won a rather important prize (I don't tell the names to prevent automatic down ranking of the system). I and (as I saw later) at least one other person posted the news that was in the press.
But just one or two minutes later, both posts where vanished. I also looked 100 or so posts deeper, gone!
I also posted a similar message again, since I thought that it was a system error. The same effect -- after less than one minute, the post vanished from the list. It is very unlikely, that the post aged so fast by the normal ranking mechanism. The other post also got one up vote from me, so it is even more unlikely that it vanished from aging.
I don't know, why such posts are suppressed and what is going on. It is at the border of censorship in my opinion. Of course it could be some mistake, because similar news where around for some time ago -- but this news, I am talking about was definitively new and relevant! <comment><USER2> I found both of your posts alive in the new list with no votes. They were at about 230 and 270 when I looked, so perhaps you just didn't look deeply enough. My guess would be that your posts "vanished" simply because they got no upvotes. I also found a slightly earlier post that (at this point) has 6 up-votes: [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8361341](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8361341)

It is true that some topics are penalized by the system, and some are automatically killed. Browsing with "showdead: yes" will give you a feel for which these are. Most of them are straight up spam, although some are good posts from 'hellbanned' users. The moderators kill or penalize things as well, but more commonly it's flagging by regular users that pushes hot topics off the front page. Yes, this can be viewed as a form of censorship, although "active moderation" might be more exact.

I'm less certain about the silent hellbanning, but I think overall the degree of moderation is a positive. While there are costs, it's done an admirable job keeping HN usable and readable as it's grown. Not all news needs to be on the same site. If a post is divisive and unlikely to create useful discussion, perhaps it's better to keep the flames down by keeping it off the front page. While I'm sure there is some moderator prejudice toward specific topics (both conscious and unconscious), I think this standard gets applied fairly evenhandedly.

Email sent to "firstname.lastname@example.com" will usually get a quick response to questions about specific situations.

</comment><comment><USER3> What prize? Was it the Fields Medal or the Nobel Prize for Physics, or the Turing Award or something? If so, then that would be weird. But there are quite a few other prizes that would not be particularly relevant here, given the guidelines and the cultural norms.

Anyway, as far as I know, the HN mods manipulate the story list and rankings to try to keep the site focused on the things that the site is meant to focus on. Whether or not it is correct to call that "censorship" and whether it's a Good Thing or a Bad Thing is up for debate I guess.

<comment><AUTHOR> When Snowden gets the "Alternative Nobel Prize", I think it is really relevant for the IT sector. I find it sad, that three posts just vanished undiscovered by anybody.

I find such a thing much more relevant, as when some president gets the peace nobel prize for things, he intended to do (and never did).</comment></comment>


Avoid Distractions and Remain Focused - <AUTHOR> http://bretthard.in/2012/03/avoid-distractions-and-remain-focused/

<comment><USER2> _"Working out doesn't matter. Dating doesn't matter. Eating nice meals doesn't matter. Sleeping doesn't matter."_

Here's my advice, as someone who's been self-employed for 5 years and recently sold a startup:

Eat well, sleep right, exercise daily, go on dates. You'll be happier and more productive.

<comment><AUTHOR> I agree that you will be happier and more productive if you do these things. But, these things don't help you deliver value to your customers.

<comment><USER3> How much value can a miserable and unproductive person deliver?

I don't want to buy a beta product from a company, only to find out that it went out of business five minutes after the founder hung himself with his belt.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER4> my personal piece of advice is exactly the opposite of "Working out doesn't matter. Dating doesn't matter. Eating nice meals doesn't matter. Sleeping doesn't matter. Being 'seen' doesn't matter."

if you follow this advice, you'll probably be outpaced by someone that is seen more than you (and thus grabs the spotlight), that has more energy due to a healthier lifestyle (and thus outlasts you in the long run) and the most important of all - keeps his sanity and morale by, you know, dating and having friends (thus avoiding burn-out).

success is much more frequently achieved by ones who are simply more visible, have a bigger network of supporters and/or can work steady in the long run. As they say it's a bloody marathon, not a sprint...

</comment><comment><USER5> Is writing a blOg post a distraction? :)

<comment><AUTHOR> I guess it is a little ironic. Writing is a my personal burnout avoider. :)

<comment><USER6> That goes against your advice of getting away from technology to avoid burnout.</comment></comment></comment>


Police raid Gizmodo editor's house - <AUTHOR> http://techcrunch.com/2010/04/26/the-iphone-leak-gets-ugly-police-raid-gizmodo-editors-house-confiscate-computers/ <comment><USER3> An important New Jersey appellate court decision, interpreting New Jersey law, just came down ruling that bloggers are _not_ journalists and are not entitled to the protection afforded by the shield laws. (See the write-up here: [http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202451742674&No_R...](http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202451742674&No_Reporter_Shield_for_Mere_Blogger_NJ_Appeals_Court_Says)).

Regardless of the legality of this particular search, this confirms that the authorities are likely looking at this as a felony investigation, with all that this signifies for Gizmodo. Should Gizmodo be worried? Without question. With the REACT unit on the case (which specializes in these types of tech- related crimes), and with a potential violation of the Espionage Act of 1996 being provable and punishable by as much as a $5 million fine and up to 10 years in prison (see my comment here: <http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1289741>), they are no doubt taking this very seriously at this point.

Of course, I cannot help sympathizing with Mr. Chen - what a horrible trauma to go through. A very ugly scene for him and his family.

<comment><USER4> Does the NJ decision have any bearing on the CA shield law? My understanding is that they don't have much in common.

<comment><USER3> You are correct that a decision such as that in New Jersey involves completely different statutes and otherwise has no binding effect on California courts. Its effect, if any, would be strictly that its reasoning might be persuasive for a court in California interpreting an analogous statute.

I referred to the New Jersey just to illustrate how courts that are carefully considering such issues might rule on them (this takes the discussion at least a step deeper from that of "don't bloggers and reporters do the same thing" by showing the factors a court will look at in making such a determination).

If, on the other hand, what we have here is a true online media organization (as noted by nailer), then point well taken and the issue must be analyzed on that basis as opposed to standards that might apply if only a blogger were involved.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> Section 1070 California Evidence Code protects sources of information from discovery by the state. It does not protect evidence related to the commission of a crime.

[http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=evid&#...</a>

<comment><USER6> What crime? The gent who found the phone called Apple repeatedly to give it back and was ignored.

<comment><USER7> Why didn't he do something reasonable, like turn it into the bartender or the police?

<comment><USER8> His legal obligation was to return it to the bartender, but calling Apple to return it is hardly "unreasonable."

<comment><USER9> Given that the people he spoke to wouldn't even be aware of the existence of the lost prototype, I don't think you could call that an honest attempt to return the phone at all.

Even sending an email to firstname.lastname@example.com would've been more likely to get the phone back to Apple.

<comment><USER6> You're right, sjobs@ would have been better, but whoever received the call at Apple and didn't route it to the right people (or whoever ignored it for a week) seriously let the company down.

<comment><USER10> Do we know what the guy that called Apple actually said? Just imagine if I called Google and told them I had a lost Nexus One.

<comment><USER11> Exactly. Apple tech support isn't a lost and found. They have no training or directive to reunite lost phones with their owners.

<comment><USER6> Sure, but staff in any part of the company should have initiative and do the right thing whether in their job description or not.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER12> Seems a bit overkill? JUST for a moment, forget about the your bias on Gizmodo or Apple...

When's the last time you or someone you know reported something stolen, knew who took it and possibly had just as much evidence of who has possession, and there was no search warrant and raid done on your behalf?

I experienced several examples where there was video evidence of the theft, the value of the goods were anywhere between $1000 to $5000, there was identification of the person and there was nothing remotely as swift or stern taken here to recover.

<comment><USER13> My house got broken into a few years ago, they took everything I owned except furniture and one tv. I later found my anime collection for sale at a local used dvd store (complete with my name written inside the cases of all the DVDs). I talked with the owner, he had photocopied the guy's drivers license who came in with them. Despite this, and my continually pinging the police, nothing ever happened. He got away with it scott free. I guess you need to be a multi billion dollar corporation to get justice in this country.

EDIT: And just want to add, lesson learned. I didn't have renter's insurance at the time, dumb mistake. I'm now always fully insured, and so should you be :)

<comment><USER14> What happened to the DVDs?

<comment><USER13> The police confiscated them as evidence. I'm sure they ultimately just threw them away. Towards the end when I started to accept they were never going to pursue the case, I started to ask if I could at least get the DVDs back. No dice.

<comment><USER15> I think you should have sought remedy in the civil courts. For $20 (or whatever), you probably could have at least gotten a default judgment against the guy and sold the case to a collection agency.

<comment><USER13> I never got the information on the guy. The store owner refused to give it to me. Basically once I and the store owner realized what happened, the owner called the cops and worked with them directly. They took the DVDs (and presumably a copy of the driver's license). I asked the store owner several times if I could get the driver's license as well, and he refused. And I can't blame him. Given the situation, I'd have done the same thing.

It does feel like in cases like this the cops rely on people having insurance and thus generally don't bother unless the break ins become an epidemic.

It's possible I could have approached the cops differently and received better success. Be more persistent? Be less persistent? Have a lawyer speak with them? I have no idea. When the cops refuse to do their job for whatever reason, there's no fool proof way of reversing that.

EDIT: And also, I probably should have been there when the cops came to the store. That might have also helped. Live and learn. At the time I thought "photocopy of the driver's license! score! I'm saved!" and was pretty naive about the whole thing.

<comment><USER15> I probably would have spoken to a lawyer about this. If it was going to cost me thousands of dollars, then I would have forgotten about it. If it was a couple hundred bucks, I would pursue the issue out of principle, even if the DVDs were not worth that much.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER16> Why do people automatically assume this has anything to do with journalism?

What if it's about one company illegally obtaining the trade secrets of another and then releasing that trade secret to a global media?

The whole thing smelled fishy to begin with. I honestly can't say what I believe. However, if this was some kind of setup and they find evidence that Gizmodo intended to steal that prototype then that would definitely explain the police raid.

<comment><USER6> Because there's:

\- a news organization

\- matters of public interest

involved?

<comment><USER17> Are the specs of the 4th iPhone truly a matter of public interest? Interest != curiosity in this context. If a journalist has a source that says a state governor is selling senate appointments, that is in the public interest because the public has an interest (is a stakeholder) in clean government. If a journalist gets a stolen toddler toy that turns out to be covered in lead paint, the public has an interest in (is entitled to) knowing not to buy the toy.

The iPhone will come out in July (or whenever) irrespective of you knowing two months in advance its specs. Nothing changes. Nothing will be hidden. There is no "public interest". It's just idle curiosity, and it's not journalism to pander to it to the extent of participating in a very dodgy transaction.

<comment><USER6> Courts around the world have ruled that the sex lives of celebrities is in the public interest.

I personally don't agree with this, and you may not either, but that doesn't matter.

<comment><USER17> _Courts around the world have ruled that the sex lives of celebrities is in the public interest._

Reference? The ones I have been aware of have been very narrow, and there have been many public cases of the opposite (such as the recent Max Mosley case in the UK).

Generally the law seems to take a line similar to that of Wikipedia - <USER2> "public interest" means "general welfare". Note that this does not mean you can't publish details about the sex lives of celebrities, but you can't use public interest as a defense if you have participated in a crime to do so.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER18> While I've argued in several places that Gizmodo should face the penalty for what they've done (buying stolen property, then taunting Apple with it), this doesn't seem like the right way to go. As Derbyshire points out, it's illegal to seize computers used for journalism, and I would argue that, regardless of the quality of Gawker's work, Jason Chen counts as a journalist. I can only hope the court agrees.

I want to see Gizmodo get penalized for this, but if the choice is between that and ignoring the rights of journalists, it's not worth it.

<comment><USER19> I've got extraordinary mixed feelings on this one. On the one hand, people shouldn't feel like it's okay to buy stolen property for their own gain at the expense of the people it was stolen from. But then there's reasonable search and seizure...

Hmm, I don't know, I think I'm going to lean slightly towards stolen-property- bad side of the equation. If the editor wasn't a journalist, we wouldn't be having this discussion at all - if the head of engineering at another company bought a stolen trade-secreted device we'd be calling for his head. Buying obviously stolen property to profit from it is a bad thing and ought to be criminal - should there be exemptions made for doing it for journalism?

<comment><USER20> > should there be exemptions made for doing it for journalism?

No. That would mean that journalists could steal anything, write a story about it, and not face justice.

Suppose that you became famous for fifteen minutes (this happens to people from time to time: see Susan Boyle, etc.) The exemption you propose would allow the press to enter your home, steal things, and plaster images of you and those things everywhere, without any regard for your rights.

<comment><USER21> My mum was accused of a climbing up drain pipes to break in to government offices to get documents that led to some important news stories being written.

Apparently the government department in question didn't like the more likely explanation that whistleblowers were handing her brown envelopes full of photocopied papers (which, as it happens, was what was going on).

Thre was talk of her being taken to court to try to compel her to reveal her sources, but the whole scandal resolved itself before then.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER22> Everyone is debating the whole "Good Faith" thing again. Here's a suggestion: Ask how it is "Good Faith" to "find" something in a bar? This isn't your house, your place of work, or a public space, it's somebody else's property (a phone) inside somebody else's property (a bar). Since when do you leave a bar with something that doesn't belong to you unless it's somebody else's spouse?

Long before we get to the question of how hard the so-called finder tried to return the phone to Apple, I think that wrongdoing occurred the moment he left the bar with the phone in his pocket.

<comment><USER23> What if he'd dropped it on the street instead? Should you leave it on the street, to get rained on, run over, stolen, etc., or take the phone and attempt to return it to the original owner? Finding the phone disabled, what do you do next? Throw it out? Return it to the street? Turn it in to the police? Presumably you've figured out it's some sort of prototype that is property of a corporation, so you contact them about it. No reply? I could see myself doing the same thing as the original finder, if all pieces of his story are to be believed.

<comment><USER22> We agree that the street is a very different situation than a bar. I agree that if you find it in a public place you should pick it up and try to return it. That's why I specifically said this isn't your home, your place of business, or a public place.

But if you find something on somebody else's property, you can find the owner while still on the property or give it to the person in charge of the property. Taking it off the property puts a very big responsibility on your shoulders to do the right thing in a tearing hurry or be judged a thief.

To me it is very simple. You can find lost property in a public place. You cannot find lost property on somebody else's property. The owner may have lost it, but you can't take it away. Going onto somebody else's property and taking something home that doesn't belong to you is pretty clear-cut.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER24> I got a kick out of this:

"These are Jason Chen's computers" <http://topherchris.com/post/551530253>

</comment><comment><USER25> Let this possibly be a lesson. Use encryption.

If you're on a mac, go, right now, and tick the FileVault checkbox. Windows users go download TrueCrypt and turn on whole-disc encryption.

The law in this country is so complicated that, increasingly, it doesn't matter if you've broken the law or not. I don't side with Gawker. But I do know that if you have years of browsing history lying around, surely there's something somebody can pin on you if they want to.

Seriously. Go tick the checkbox.

<comment><USER26> What is your plan for when the judge tells you to supply the decryption key?

<comment><USER27> Does the 5th amendment not apply in this situation?

<comment><USER28> Still undetermined at the federal level. Are the contents of your computer evidence (like papers in a safe) or testimony. Most precedent points to the former, and if the Boucher case actually gets appealed to the circuit level (or even the supremes) then the odds are strongly against it being protected by the 5th.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER29> So much for the 'clever marketing ploy' theory.

<comment><USER30> No such thing as bad publicity. Imagine gizmodo's ad revenues for today!

<comment><USER31> They pre-sell their ad space.

<comment><USER30> Ah, didn't know that. But they can factor this traffic into their average and get more money in the next set of contracts.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER32> This will be very interesting to watch unfold. According to Gizmodo's letter to the Detective, they seem to feel that there is a legal precedence set for treating bloggers as journalists under the law in CA state. Both companies are based out of CA. But then again, so is the EFF; I wonder if we will see them step in.

Gizmodo definitely saw this coming. If the pre-written legal defense doesn't give it away, they very publicly bought stolen property and (very likely) profited by doing so.

<comment><USER21> That law seems to be written to say "journalists are allowed to protect their sources". Which is not the same as saying "journalists are allowed to commit crimes in order the get a story".

<comment><USER4> Five bucks says there's a post on Gizmodo referencing the Pentagon Papers in the next 12 hours.

I don't agree with what Gizmodo did, but I definitely support strong shield laws for online journalists. I really hope they don't end becoming poster children for a free online press.

<comment><USER21> Pentagon Papers was in the public interest.

Tech specs of a new gadget probably isn't.

<comment><USER4> Oh, I completely, totally agree. But don't think that will stop the grandstanding and martyrdom.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER33> I wish the best of luck to Jason for getting his stuff back. Forensics/law enforcement is notorious for not returning your stuff in a timely manner (think years) without a lawsuit.

Hope he has an offsite backup.

<comment><USER34> I am impressed that he said that they did very little damage during the search. The last time I saw a search and seizure, it made a tornado look like a minor incident.

<comment><USER35> Which is crazy, because doing things neatly and methodically would find potential evidence that haphazard whirlwind searching would never find. (Compare NYPD Blue serving warrants to CSI Las Vegas serving warrants)

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER36> This series of events is why "real" news outlets have legal council. You can, thankfully for society, get away with a lot of stuff as a journalist, but some things are illegal. Particularly, when we are talking about commerce and not politics / public safety.

<comment><USER7> One fact I find interesting: Engadget was offered the device as well, but was advised by their counsel (in no uncertain terms) to not acquire the prototype.

</comment></comment><comment><USER37> _Apple serves on the steering committee of REACT, a special task force involved with the investigation._

This explains mostly how if we left a cellphone in a bar, why we could not get the police to even take a report, let alone raid the house of the person who bought it from someone who found it, but Apple can.

</comment><comment><USER38> I am particularly fascinated by the gleefully accepting rationalizations that some people are offering in support of gizmodo, in support of the theft of physical goods, and the buying of such stolen goods. This is the first physical object I can think of where people seem to be applying the same hand wavy feel-good-ism that people use to justify their own software piracy. This is not just copying bits people.

</comment><comment><USER39> Shield laws protect journalists/sources. In an ideal world, we'd be cheering for a good guy. In this case, the TMZ of tech is in the crosshairs. Not going to do any armchair lawyering, but I sure can't wait for the other side (not the whitewashed Gizmodo story) of the story to come out. Sadly, the conditions for Godwin's law are rapidly being met on this situation. _sigh_

</comment><comment><USER40> IF you tweet, can you use the same legal argument as being protected under "Free Speach and Journalisim?"

Therfore giving you legal immunity regardless of the content that you are tweeting?

Illegal drug use, felony activities etc? Or blind ignorance of common ethics and civil code?

Would be an interesting outcome and an explosion of online journalisim if this proves to be the case... Don't you think?

</comment><comment><USER41> "Gawker founder Nick Denton has tweeted about the situation, saying it will show whether or not bloggers are considered journalists."

I see grellas has also posted a reply on this point, with a legal citation. Most definitions of "journalist" boil down to a definition something like "a reporter who writes for an editor," (a definition, as noted by the journalist who proposed it, that excludes Matt Drudge and most other bloggers). I wouldn't expect the typical blogger to be regarded as a journalist, legally, because the typical blogger doesn't maintain the standards of professional journalism.

(Note: I was a minor-league journalist, a reporter for a trade magazine, years ago. Big-league journalism is MUCH harder than blogging, by at least two orders of magnitude, and much more constitutionally important.)

<comment><USER6> Interesting. What about if Gawker has a house style guide, pays a comprable word rate, requests particular markup in copy for boxouts or artwork, docks pay for late copy, and asks you kindly not to be too aggressive about the big advertisers?

<comment><USER41> If the Gawker reporters write for editors (I don't know whether or not that is how Gawker is organized), then they are journalists by the definition I have read. I like your list of questions about other activities that might distinguish a journalistic organization from other organizations.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER42> Let's all be honest. If this was anyone other than Apple you would all be up in arms about this.

<comment><USER43> I think if Gizmodo hadn't decided to publish the engineer's information more people would be up in arms about this.

<comment><USER42> I agree. If they just would have blocked the guy's name out they would look better in the public's eye.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER44> Perhaps this is related to an industrial espionage issue:

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Espionage_Act_of_199...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Espionage_Act_of_1996)

</comment><comment><USER39> Shield laws protect journalists/sources. In an ideal world, we'd be cheering for a good guy. In this case, the TMZ of tech is in the crosshairs. Not going to do any armchair lawyering, but I sure can't wait for the other side (not the whitewashed Gizmodo story) of the story to come out. Sadly, the conditions for Godwin's law are rapidly being met on this situation. _sigh_

</comment><comment><USER45> They received the best traffic in Gizmodo's history, but at what cost?

[http://www.sitemeter.com/?a=stats&s=sm7gizmodous&r=3...](http://www.sitemeter.com/?a=stats&s=sm7gizmodous&r=33)

They will probably milk more traffic from this new iteration to this drama.

Whats the worst possible scenario for Gawker? Will they get fined or will the editor go to jail?

</comment><comment><USER46> Seems kind of... excessive.

Granted, I guess if you want to see someone's email correspondence, this is the only way to do it.

<comment><USER29> They could subpoena the hosting company if it's web/hosted email (ala Gmail).

</comment></comment><comment><USER37> This can only happen to protect corporate rights (just try getting that kind of police response for your own problems).

I bet the police waited until they saw him leave the house.

Good luck if you think that hardware is coming back to you this decade, even if charges are dropped, or if you think you'll get the door paid for.

</comment><comment><USER47> Legal issues aside, I would have been cool with it if they'd taken their scoop then made an attempt to return the phone. Instead they kept it and screwed over the poor guy who lost it.

Funny how I have no sympathy for them whatsoever now.

</comment><comment><USER48> Well I'm a bit surprised. I thought the police would casually investigate just for form and then move on (and let Apple pursue it in the civil courts if they wanted).

</comment><comment><USER49> Does anyone know to which email he is referring in his account? Is it perhaps an email about the section in the penal code?

</comment><comment><USER50> What Gizmodo did might have been illegal but I have no real problem with it. I feel like Gizmodo made a calculated risk breaking the letter of the law. I can't say I haven't done the same thing involving copyright law, drug law, speeding, etc. Ultimately I read the story and looked at the photographs so it would be a bit silly to get upset at Gizmodo over it.

</comment><comment><USER51> The police should now post the contents of Chen's hard drive online. After all, they did find it.

<comment><USER52> No, they should sell the contents of his hard drive to the highest bidder. After all, I hear police departments tend to be underfunded.

</comment></comment><comment><USER53> I wonder if the police would search a house if it was an iphone of a normal citizen.

</comment><comment><USER54> A surprisingly easy way to get a phone back is to text-message that phone and say, "If you find this phone, please call this Number: XXXXXXX Thanks!". It's worked for me twice, I don't know how many people do this simple step after loosing a phone.

<comment><USER55> How many unreleased iPhones have you lost and gotten returned using this method? I think the person who found the lost phone knew exactly who it belonged to, but decided to resell it for $5000 instead of returning it.

<comment><USER54> I thought the finder contacted a random apple support employee. The finder should be commended for even taking the effort to look up an apple support phone number if he actually did. The person who lost it should have plastered a lot of nice text messages to the phone with a number to call to return it from a friends phone immediately after noticing it gone. Say how you really need the phone numbers on it. A very low-tech solution that almost always works, you'd be surprised at the good-will of phone finders if they are presented with a super-easy way to return it that takes little effort on their part.

<comment><USER55> I understand that you're trying to push your point, but I feel it's a bit pointless trying to defend someone who knowingly sold stolen goods for $5k. The finder did not contact Apple, the bar where it was found, or the original owner. I can't see how someone can justify themselves by attempting to "contact" Apple, then turning around and selling it to the highest media outlet buyer.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER56> I'm glad.

Around this whole thing, there seemed to be this aura of "teehee, it's ok, we're on the internet!"

It seems like they don't believe they could have possibly done anything wrong.

It's not that I can't imagine the glee they'd feel when they were offered the opportunity to buy the prototype. But since that glee was not followed up by any second thoughts -- for exmaple, about receiving stolen property, or trade secrets, or hey, ethics -- then they deserve what they get, legally speaking.

Anybody who thinks about it for a minute would realize that buying a prototype device that "got found at a bar" ("fell off the back of a truck"), made by a company with notoriously tight seals, and a huge legal team, and then explaining to the world that you bought it off some dude… well, that's gonna have consequences.

If bloggers aspire to be journalists, they're going to have to learn to have those second thoughts.

And learn that "checkbook journalism" just flat-out doesn't count. Even when they're paying people for interviews, instead of buying hot goods.

<comment><USER57> So what about photos of a new car prototypes? There are a bunch of magazines devoted to those.

Or reviews of to-be-released movies?

Or photos of celebs in public?

Not terribly happy about companies using the Police to break down doors to manage their PR.

<comment><USER58> If Car & Driver bought a Ferrari prototype from someone who clearly wasn't its legal owner, then ran a big front-page teardown story on the car with a snarky sidebar about how stupid it was for Ferrari to "lose" it, do you _really_ think the resulting police raid would just be "Ferrari managing their PR"?

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER59> confiscation of server is still beyond me

<comment><USER60> Why's that?

You don't think that they would be interested in having records of email correspondence? It's not unreasonable that people running a site like gizmodo would run their own mail servers to increase privacy. Even if it wasn't a mail server (probably wasn't I'd think), there could easily be evidence on it.

</comment></comment><comment><USER61> Wow, what's really excessive and shocking is that a Gawker employee has the stones to claim he's a journalist.

</comment><comment><USER62> Did Microsoft ever sink so low as to legally attack a publication out of petty vindictiveness?

</comment><comment><USER6> ...illegally (worth putting in the headline methinks).

Surely Apple's counsel knows US law. I don't think they're that dumb, but it surprises me they're that unethical. Then again, Gizmodo are creeps too - maybe they're suited for each other.

<comment><USER22> > Surely Apple's counsel knows US law

Was this a typo? The search was conducted by police, not Apple. This is a criminal matter, not a civil one.

<comment><USER6> It clearly wasn't a typo. I'm well aware the search was conducted by police. I did not suggest otherwise.

I am saying that Apple asked the police to raid the property.

<comment><USER63> So the police are working for Apple now?

Clear evidence that their quest for world domination has gone too far.

<comment><USER6> No, like all humans, they're self interested. They just want to be seen to do a good job protecting one of the states biggest earning and most well known companies in a high profile case.

I personally also pay more attention and go beyond the call for higher profile projects. That doesn't mean I'm involved in some kind of conspiracy.

<comment><USER63> It's one thing to suggest that the police will pay greater attention to high profile cases (with which I'd agree), and quite another thing to imply that the raid happened because Apple requested it.

Beyond that, could you point out the source of your assertion that Apple requested this? I missed it in the article, and that's the conspiracy you've raised.

<comment><USER6> If I were Apple, I'd ask the police to get the phone back from Jason Chen, hire my own people to get his address, and let the police do what they will, knowing that likely means a raid.

I'm not sure what the alternative would be.

<comment><USER64> 1\. Apple already had the phone; Gizmodo sent it back to them.

2\. "If I were Apple, I would have done X" does not in any way imply "Apple did X".

<comment><USER6> 1\. Interesting. So what was the purpose of the raid?

2\. Agreed. There may be a remote chance the police just read the internet and really, really care about apple. But I doubt it.

<comment><USER65> The purpose of the raid was to determine who sold the phone to Gizmodo. Hence their defense using the journalist shield law.</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment>


Ask HN: What do you think of prepopulation to seed a service? - <AUTHOR>

This idea of pre-populating a web service with information from people and companies seems to be growing. One company that has done a nice job of this is teachstreet.com. They allow people to recommend teachers. That recommendation then results in a stub of a page for that educator with their name and the review the recommending person submitted for the teacher's class. The teacher gets an email indicating that they've been recommended. They then visit this site and can claim the page or delete it if they do not want it posted. Once they claim it they then have a number of nice tools to use to help them gain more students etc. Zillow.com also does a nice job of this. They gather all the publicly available information for your house, tie it to bing's bird's eye view, and even include an estimate on what your house is worth. Like with teachstreet, you can then "claim" your house and modify the listing if you are trying to sell your home. One more example: Seth Godin recently prepopulated/gathered information from the Web on a number of brands. Many felt that he went too far and accused him of brandjacking (http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=139261).
One clear value in pre-population is that you can provide users/institutions with free tools that they don't currently have. They might feel awkward about going to a site that has their information posted (w/out their acknowledgement), but then feel pleased to discover the tools you are offering. On the other hand, they might feel wronged and just want to delete the account.
The question is: Do we do more harm than good with prepopulating user and institution information?
To put this in a bit more context, we are considering prepopulating school information at www.nixty.com. Basically, we'd provide a nice home page, file-sharing area, announcement area etc. In addition, we'd give people the option of launching a LMS (think Blackboard). The LMS would be free to start, but cost more as the institution added more users. <comment><USER2> You should absolutely prepopulate your site with data, IF:

1\. The seed data is already public anyway.. e.g. It is public information who teaches at which schools.

2\. The seed data adds value to your users.. e.g. Seeding with school and teacher data is useful, but adding school district demographics (even though publicly available) might be a waste of your time.

3\. The seed information isn't _too_ personal. By that I mean, can the information be used to harass the user. e.g. In your case, an teacher's work address is probably ok, emails and phone numbers are probably not. It's a judgment call - and the situation is obviously different for a site that lets people share information with teachers than for a site that lets people rate restaurants.

4\. The seed data isn't _too_ transient. In your case, probably not an issue, since school information doesn't change often.

So, my recommendation is to definitely seed. Don't expect new users to your site to be entering in all of this for you. And you can't launch a site with nothing to look at -- people won't return for a second look.

<comment><AUTHOR> Thanks for those guidelines. This makes perfect sense. Do you have any data as to how seeding/prepopulating results in uptake? I've looked at compete.com and compared sites similar to teachstreet, but there really isn't a way to control for the other variables.

</comment></comment><comment><USER3> You also need to evaluate how good your data is. Do you have confidence that people "recommending" teachers will input their names correctly, and not put in "John McPeebrain Doe".

If you scrape data, be careful of that as well. You can easily turn vistors off if your data isn't accurate (and you're only going to get one shot at convincing your user that your data is good).

<comment><AUTHOR> Travis. Really good point on the recommendation side. It probably makes sense to hold off on publishing the information until the educator affirms that it is accurate.

We will likely use MTurk to enter additional educator and school information. I haven't yet used the new service, crowdflower.com, yet, but this might be a good opportunity to try it out.</comment></comment>


Tackling the Unsolvable Problem: The Bottomless Email Inbox - <AUTHOR> https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/17/technology/personaltech/hey-email-service-screening.html <comment><AUTHOR> I hope it's not written in Ruby on Rails -- it will never scale.</comment>


Ask NH: What are the "perks" of higher points on HN, besides Karma - <AUTHOR>

I think I might have missed this in the FAW but I did look 3 times already.  Does it help  in anyway to have a lot of points overall for things like, getting HN front page or  anything else?  Thanks <comment><USER2> Once you reach a certain level (around 300 points I think) you will be able to downvote comments and the comments are arranged so that those with higher points overall (not just for specific responses) rank higher than others. I believe this is so that a long term contributor to HN can have their opinion heard ahead of some fresher faces.

<comment><AUTHOR> awe I was wondering where that down vote button was that I read about in FAQ. Thanks for the info. It was becoming clear that some with higher overall pts were making it to Hacker news page while others with higher comments or points on a thread were not on the main page. now I understand why. Thanks.

</comment></comment><comment><USER3> I always kind of wondered if your points on HN were taken into consideration if you apply to YC. If nothing else I think it reveals a lot about you, like what interests you (links you post), how knowledgable you are (providing help), and if you know how to communicate to better achieve your goals (asking for help).

...but I might be wrong :)

</comment><comment><USER4> PG has said on several occasions that when someone applies to YC, he does look through their comments on HN, but I haven't heard anything about total points having any weight.

</comment><comment><USER5> I think the point unlocks go in this order: flag comments/articles, downvote comments, change topcolor (the orange bar at the top).

The points required to downvote (and maybe for the others) goes up over time.

</comment><comment><USER6> Once you hit a thousand points, you get a new car.

<comment><USER7> I really enjoyed the gift basket you get at 700</comment></comment>


Death by a thousand small features: how coupon codes decrease conversion rates - <AUTHOR> http://tomtunguz.com/death-by-a-thousand-small-features <comment><USER2> Interesting observation, any data behind this to get the magnitude of the effect?</comment>