Linkseed/hacker_news_with_comments · Datasets at Hugging Face

id int64 2.3k 8.36M	parent int64 2.29k 8.36M	comment_author stringlengths 2 15	title stringlengths 1 173 ⌀	author stringlengths 2 15	comment_text stringlengths 1 99.1k ⌀	text stringlengths 1 23.4k ⌀	comment_ranking int64 0 524	score int64 0 4.34k	time_ts stringlengths 23 23
45,933	45,666	gojomo	What system do you use for bug tracking?	ACSparks	Personal projects: a 'TODO' text file, 1 line per issue, open in the editor (emacs or Eclipse) for the project. Group/open-source projects: JIRA, which was a nice step up from Sourceforge's built-in tracking.	I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.	22	7	2007-08-24 00:39:22 UTC
45,934	45,769	samson	Craig Newmark quits Craigslist?	nickb	I'm personally not a fan of Craig Newmark.He'll wake up one day and kick himself in the ass for not doing more with craiglists.He worries that effort to monetize the site more will be the equvilant of selling out, but the reality is that it will happen with or without his consent (my guess is without). A big player like ebay holding 25% will not lie still forever and will jump at any opportunity to acquire more interest in the company from any shareholder willing to sell out.	null	1	25	2007-08-24 00:45:29 UTC
45,935	45,815	bootload	Remember that Lifehacker post about Seinfeld's productivity secret? I made a small site based on it.	brett	".. 500 - Error Opps broke the chain Whoops. Looks like something actually did get broken. ..."Damn... I broke it. Nice error message though ~ http://flickr.com/photos/bootload/1218317738/ - created user account - logged in - clicked on 2 successive days after today - they went red - clicked 'last 4 weeks' - barfed - now 500 on every login	null	2	43	2007-08-24 00:45:56 UTC
45,936	45,901	iamwil	Transformation	baha_man	I can admit that Ruby completely sidesteps a lot of the problems you might see in Java--but that doesn't mean you can't write bad code in Ruby. The meta-programming tricks, continuations, and dynamic calls to private methods are rife for abuse by mediocre programmers. While Ruby has a great syntax and libraries, it seems easy to use and read largely because the current leading-edge crop of Rubists that write the libraries we use are great programmers with discipline and taste.	null	0	2	2007-08-24 00:46:22 UTC
45,937	45,581	steve	No, I'm not giving you my Google password	nailer	> Most people don't even share their passwords with their spouses - why would they give it to an third party website on the internet?websites on the net won't withhold sex for three days because I said emailed an ex.More seriously, it's obvious why no one follows his recomendation. Not only is google's page and extra step, but it's intimidating as hell!http://www.venturecake.com/images/google_authentication.pngI don't see an easy way to fix this problem while letting these sites keep the high percentage of people releasing their contact lists.	A year after Google released their account authentication system, why are sites still asking for passwords that most users don't even give their loved ones?	1	18	2007-08-24 00:46:38 UTC
45,938	45,884	nanijoe	Interview With Facebook's Joe Hewitt, iPhone God	transburgh	The iphone version of facebook is not exactly complete. Most annoying is the fact that it regularly opens up the full facebook.com in a new window and asks you to log in again!! To easily replicate this behaviour, click on a group while in iphone.facebook.com.	null	0	3	2007-08-24 00:46:40 UTC
45,940	45,906	Hexstream	Comic Sans designer: "Comic Sans was not designed as a typeface"	jcwentz	Sounds like Microsoft's sum of its parts is less than its individual constituents...	null	2	25	2007-08-24 00:51:27 UTC
45,941	45,616	iamwil	How do you brainstorm for ideas for products?	dawie	It's the same way that cartoonists come up with ideas for their strips. Sit there, and let your mind wander. Too often, we rely on outside stimulus to entertain ourselves. If you can cultivate your sense of imagination and freedom to let your mind wander, you'll think of some stuff.By another token, read a lot and read widely. Avoid reading junk...like how to get funded by VCs--you're not there yet. The more you read, the more you see how everything's related to one another, and you start to see where the gaps are that you can fill.	I recently found a co-founder and we are going to build a product. We are going to start brainstorming product ideas soon and I was wondering how the YC readers came up with their ideas.	7	10	2007-08-24 00:51:35 UTC
45,944	45,698	jason1234	Holding a program in one's head	eposts	I completely agree with this. However, I have disdain for the word "programmer" to describe what I do. I am a "software developer" which describes it much better and indicates much of what you've said here. A "programmer" is a monkey that writes x+2=y a developer has domain knowledge over the problem he is solving. Let's change the terminology to fit the job.	null	53	142	2007-08-24 00:57:00 UTC
45,950	45,698	portLAN	Holding a program in one's head	eposts	This is a collection of points PG has made before in other essays and comments. If the ideas are new to you, you may want to check out the others: http://www.paulgraham.com/articles.html> Perhaps the optimal solution is for big companies not even to try to develop ideas in house, but simply to buy them.What's good for YC is good for the country!	null	51	142	2007-08-24 01:05:46 UTC
45,951	45,644	daniel-cussen	How To: Make a Laser Espionage Microphone	kkim	Such a clever hack.	null	3	12	2007-08-24 01:08:33 UTC
45,953	45,906	portLAN	Comic Sans designer: "Comic Sans was not designed as a typeface"	jcwentz	It was designed as a floor wax.	null	4	25	2007-08-24 01:15:21 UTC
45,955	45,855	portLAN	Youtube's adoption of the video overlay will be good for its competitors	jeremyliew	My YC idea is going to be YouTube, without ads. Ever. Or revenue.	Youtube/Google has the volume of video streams and the relationships with advertisers to help push for an ad unit standard for online video advertising that will benefit all players	0	3	2007-08-24 01:19:42 UTC
45,956	45,638	chaostheory	Uberfact: the ultimate social verifier	byrneseyeview	interesting: "Factions are self-constituting - they are responsible for their own reputation algorithms. Anyone can start a new faction for any reason, but generally they form by the usual process of human group formation - one group gets too large and quarrelsome, and splits into parts."From what I remember of social psychology, the perfect faction size is about 8 members. Once you go over that number new factions will form inside the original one... then again i think this only applies to people that meet face to face	null	1	9	2007-08-24 01:24:54 UTC
45,959	45,666	chaostheory	What system do you use for bug tracking?	ACSparks	I like keeping things simple while we're still small, so right now we just use 37signals' basecamp's (http://www.basecamphq.com/) to do list. this will probably change in the future	I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.	10	7	2007-08-24 01:29:12 UTC
45,961	45,616	bokonist	How do you brainstorm for ideas for products?	dawie	I'm not a huge fan of brainstorming, that has never seemed to work for me.Almost all of my ideas come from encountering problems. Sometimes it me who encounters the problem, sometimes some one I've talked to, and sometimes I read about it. For example, I was looking at doing some programming contracting, but noticed all of the outsourcing sites like ODesk have a race to the bottom where all that matters is price. Maybe there is an opportunity for a high end odesk that rewards firms have good communication skills and do more than work for a spec. For another example, I read about the horrible CPM's that Facebook gets. Maybe there is an opportunity to build an Adsense-like product for social networks that allows targeting based on user profile rather than page content.The other thing I do is every time I see a brand new technology that has the potential to create a category, I think of all the things that I could build off of it. For instance, e-ink has this electronic paper that is easier on the eyes than paper. Who has high print costs that might benefit from this? School systems? Universities? If you can think of how a technology applies to a unique area, you can be the first to a lucrative market. One of the hardest things about being a young company founder is that you do not spend time around people with a lot of money. You would be amazed at how many bigger companies just throw away money on crappy software or throw away time on things that could easily be automated. One source of ideas would be to spend time around people who have money.	I recently found a co-founder and we are going to build a product. We are going to start brainstorming product ideas soon and I was wondering how the YC readers came up with their ideas.	4	10	2007-08-24 01:33:27 UTC
45,963	45,700	chaostheory	EventKnower - Know the uknowable the instant it happens (feedback on my idea)	tocomment	I take it you already got the domain name?	I came up this idea a few nights ago. I'm hoping you guys would be kind enough to offer me any kind of feedback you can think of. I'm still not sure how viable it is.Here goes:Problem: There are some things I'd like to know when they happen but can't easily get notified right now.Examples: new Homestarrunner cartoon last season of 24 released on DVD Simpsons movie released on DVD Windows Vista released (old) Nintendo Wii launched (old) updates to small software projects Maybe lots of people have things like this they would like to be notified about. Thus the idea is a website where you can request to be notified of something via a myriad of options e.g, RSS, email, sms, etc.It could work like this. You get say 5 points when you sign up. Each event you sign up to be notified of costs you a point. If you correctly report when one of the other events on the site happened in a timely matter, you earn points.	4	12	2007-08-24 01:36:37 UTC
45,977	45,906	BrandonM	Comic Sans designer: "Comic Sans was not designed as a typeface"	jcwentz	I found it kind of weird that he showed anger at the end at OS/X copying his font, when he had just admitted that much of his inspiration came from comic books. Is this not the pot calling the kettle black?That aside, it was an interesting story.	null	1	25	2007-08-24 02:05:41 UTC
45,979	45,815	eusman	Remember that Lifehacker post about Seinfeld's productivity secret? I made a small site based on it.	brett	interesting! but one detail: the advice talks about a chain created by X. So, it should look like XXXXX but in the app it's red boxes not connected...	null	14	43	2007-08-24 02:12:40 UTC
45,985	45,906	paulgb	Comic Sans designer: "Comic Sans was not designed as a typeface"	jcwentz	"The inspiration came at the shock of seeing Times New Roman used in an inappropriate way."I love the irony that Comic Sans was born because the designer was shocked at seeing another font used inappropriately.	null	0	25	2007-08-24 02:27:16 UTC
45,988	45,833	Neoryder	The "Oh Crap" Moment: How do you know how much you know?	joshwa	I think you are dealing with analysis paralysis. I think you should develop an internal weighting system on extra information. remember nothing beats the information gleaned from your own experience. I cant remember where but I read somewhere that the plan is unimportant but the planning is invaluable. Dont keep a plan just keep on planning and implementing. Each new Oh Crap moment is just another input to the ever changing and improving planning implementing process. IMHO.	with apologies to Kathy Sierra...http://joshwand.com/files/ohcrap2.pngI've had this experience with several of my startup ideas now... I learn more and more about a given problem space/market, and eventually I start feeling like I have a decent grasp of the situation. The new learning tapers off, until one day, I discover a whole new dimension I've never thought of, and I realize just how little I know about the problem. I've come to expect a few of these "oh crap" moments early on, but I wonder what conclusions I should draw from these moments later on in the process? They tend to be rather discouraging, as plans need to be modified/rethought, and sometimes the viability of the entire project comes into question, as when you discover that there are a whole slew of other startups trying to solve the same problem as you, all of them further along than you are!I wonder if sometimes it's worth ignoring the extra information entirely, and solving a simpler version of the problem instead? The extra information might not even be relevant if the project doesn't expand in that particular direction. EDIT: this doesn't apply as easily to the situation where you discover your competition...Does anyone else experience these moments, and what have you learned from them?UPDATE: added axes/legend to graph	6	19	2007-08-24 02:30:46 UTC
45,992	45,666	dfranke	What system do you use for bug tracking?	ACSparks	A whiteboard.	I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.	21	7	2007-08-24 02:35:05 UTC
45,996	45,912	daniel-cussen	What a comment stream would look like in a real meeting	petenixey	First!That was the funniest thing I've seen in weeks.	So, so true- lol	0	12	2007-08-24 02:47:16 UTC
45,997	45,698	dd	Holding a program in one's head	eposts	I usually lurk but I just can't with this one. Great article. What apt timing... This has made me rethink taking a recent position with a large company. Multitasking is a myth. Editing code on demand is possible but to design a program is a process that requires all cylinders of the analytic and creative mind. To be in the zone is almost like a trance where I could start speaking tongues at any moment.	null	12	142	2007-08-24 02:47:34 UTC
45,999	45,666	staunch	What system do you use for bug tracking?	ACSparks	A simple shared spreadsheet in Google Docs for small projects. Trac for some others.	I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.	15	7	2007-08-24 02:47:52 UTC
46,001	45,969	daniel-cussen	When I worked at Microsoft...	hhm	It's so weird how this is at the top of the list.	Also interesting to see with NASA, Google, Wolfram (despite giving only an interesting result)... can you tell any other interesting "when I worked at..."?	0	13	2007-08-24 02:52:54 UTC
46,006	45,698	Zak	Holding a program in one's head	eposts	This thought is only half-formed, but perhaps holding entire programs in one's head is the defining characteristic of a hacker (as opposed to a programmer, developer, software engineer or anything else people call someone who writes code).	null	58	142	2007-08-24 03:04:50 UTC
46,013	46,007	pg	Is anyone making something women want?	aswanson	In grad school I consulted for a company making CAD software for clothing designers. They said that 60% of the clothing business is women's clothing, and the other 40% shared between men and children.	Not being sexist, but they seem to -want- more than us, and walking into any shopping area seems to confirm that vendors know this. My problem is that from a tech standpoint, it's hard to gauge what a viable need for them is.	1	17	2007-08-24 03:24:07 UTC
46,014	45,581	uuilly	No, I'm not giving you my Google password	nailer	That was as far as I got on the facebook signup.	A year after Google released their account authentication system, why are sites still asking for passwords that most users don't even give their loved ones?	3	18	2007-08-24 03:26:13 UTC
46,015	45,883	motoko	Facebook Integrates Book Swap Feature into Marketplace	transburgh	"Ah! My business idea!"(thousands of frat boys mourn the only way they know how: natti light)	null	0	2	2007-08-24 03:27:01 UTC
46,017	45,478	daniel-cussen	Content-Aware Image Sizing	toffer	Profoundly awesome.	null	5	21	2007-08-24 03:35:47 UTC
46,019	45,815	Alex3917	Remember that Lifehacker post about Seinfeld's productivity secret? I made a small site based on it.	brett	I like it. I added it as a link in my Firefox bookmarks bar. Definitely needs to support multiple chains though. Instead of multiple tabs, I think it would be best just to have a column of color blocks with the name of the chain on the right hand side of the page. Then when you clicked on a color that chain would be displayed.	null	7	43	2007-08-24 03:41:42 UTC
46,020	45,478	rms	Content-Aware Image Sizing	toffer	some different links at the original discussion: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45073	null	2	21	2007-08-24 03:42:19 UTC
46,022	45,666	tristian	What system do you use for bug tracking?	ACSparks	If I'm just working alone: ToDoList by AbstractSpoon Software http://www.abstractspoon.com/For small projects it's enough to manage all my tasks, including bugs.	I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.	11	7	2007-08-24 03:48:04 UTC
46,037	45,769	msbii	Craig Newmark quits Craigslist?	nickb	does it matter anymore???	null	3	25	2007-08-24 04:26:55 UTC
46,038	46,031	rms	Web based UI tool (layout dissector) for web designers	chaostheory	Interesting little tool. Joe Hewitt's firebug is better but requires a plug in install to use.https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1843	"XRAY is a free cross browser tool that lets you see the box model in action for any element, letting you see beneath the skin of any web page."	0	6	2007-08-24 04:27:24 UTC
46,049	46,046	nickb	Pax romana redux	aswanson	What a load of crap. One of the guys I know has TWO jobs that he needs to barely make ends meet and he works hard. Articles like this just make me mad since they were written by people who never produce anything in their life.	null	0	2	2007-08-24 04:46:00 UTC
46,050	45,769	henning	Craig Newmark quits Craigslist?	nickb	How to write tech blog linkbait:1. Get a rumor with even the slightest shred of evidence that would be outrageous if true.2. After the links start pouring in, "update" with a "correction" that your unsubstantiated bullshit rumor is false, surprise surprise.3. Profit? Fuck yeah, profit.	null	2	25	2007-08-24 04:47:53 UTC
46,052	46,046	gibsonf1	Pax romana redux	aswanson	The point should not be to work harder, but smarter with higher productivity.	null	1	2	2007-08-24 04:51:55 UTC
46,055	46,007	jsjenkins168	Is anyone making something women want?	aswanson	Statistically, they also use the internet more than males. If you can find something that they want, It could be a good idea for a startup.	Not being sexist, but they seem to -want- more than us, and walking into any shopping area seems to confirm that vendors know this. My problem is that from a tech standpoint, it's hard to gauge what a viable need for them is.	6	17	2007-08-24 04:59:44 UTC
46,056	45,969	gibsonf1	When I worked at Microsoft...	hhm	This reminds me of a Twilight Zone episode.	Also interesting to see with NASA, Google, Wolfram (despite giving only an interesting result)... can you tell any other interesting "when I worked at..."?	1	13	2007-08-24 05:00:43 UTC
46,058	45,815	henning	Remember that Lifehacker post about Seinfeld's productivity secret? I made a small site based on it.	brett	after you've read the lifehacker post for this, the app is completely self-explanatory just by looking at the interface and clicking a few days.i'm impressed, and i'm a jaded snob who is totally cynical about web 2.0 crap.	null	9	43	2007-08-24 05:06:42 UTC
46,059	46,024	jsjenkins168	What should a striving non-programmer do?	xzibitendo	Why not just learn to hack? If you start out small and work with bite-sized pieces and good tools, you'll see its not as difficult as you might think. I'm a firm believer any smart person can be good at coding if they are determined.My advice is to pick up an intro book on Python and start with basic examples. With a little work, you'll be building cool stuff in no time.	I have all of these ideas for a startup burning inside me, but with no real programming skills and no partner (yet) I feel trapped. Is it worth my time to teach myself programming? Any advice would be great.	2	23	2007-08-24 05:08:14 UTC
46,061	45,698	kujoy	Holding a program in one's head	eposts	Great essay. I've been working like this on my own for about 7 years and i think the end results speak for themselves. Its a shame that management types can't accept this method of working and just want code monkeys.Kujoy	null	43	142	2007-08-24 05:12:43 UTC
46,063	46,047	portLAN	Steve Jobs and the Xerox Star demo	nickb	Why would Steve Jobs be freaking in 1981 when he already saw it back in 1979?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerox_StarAlso Folklore.Org says the same thing: http://folklore.org/StoryView.py?project=Macintosh&story..."This is obviously the biggest single jump in the entire set of photographs, and the place where I most wish that Bill had dated them. It's tempting to say that the change was caused by the famous Xerox PARC visit, which took place in mid-December 1979, but Bill thinks that the windows predated that, although he can't say for sure."	null	0	4	2007-08-24 05:20:48 UTC
46,065	46,024	zaydana	What should a striving non-programmer do?	xzibitendo	I agree that you should at least learn a bit of coding. That said, there are many code monkeys out there (like me) who need business partners who can are arty and/or can run a business. Coding isn't the only thing required to run a start-up (I think :P).	I have all of these ideas for a startup burning inside me, but with no real programming skills and no partner (yet) I feel trapped. Is it worth my time to teach myself programming? Any advice would be great.	7	23	2007-08-24 05:44:37 UTC
46,068	45,666	nmeyer	What system do you use for bug tracking?	ACSparks	Unfuddle!	I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.	23	7	2007-08-24 05:54:16 UTC
46,069	46,048	zaydana	This is a really good idea for disrupting the RIAA. Think it'll work?	rms	I wasn't quite certain, then I looked at the "leaders". Theres already quite a few artists who have raised over $25,000, and are over half way there! The top 10 artists alone have raised over $200,000 so far.Its a great concept. It sucks for me though, because I had planned on doing something similar, and now I find out my idea isn't that original :-(	null	1	1	2007-08-24 05:54:59 UTC
46,070	46,024	s_baar	What should a striving non-programmer do?	xzibitendo	You should learn as much programming as you need to but if you find that it's not your strong suit then there are other options. Besides being the "business guy" in a startup, you can probably work on finding people who are passionate and fill in their holes. Chances are that someone is working on something similar enough to be useful to you. What you can do now is approach these people with one of your ideas, show them how you can reach mutual benefit and coordinate efforts so that you can get together all the people you need to make something great.	I have all of these ideas for a startup burning inside me, but with no real programming skills and no partner (yet) I feel trapped. Is it worth my time to teach myself programming? Any advice would be great.	9	23	2007-08-24 05:55:14 UTC
46,071	46,024	fzkl	What should a striving non-programmer do?	xzibitendo	Ok. I have been wanting to post this question myself. I can solve problems in C and am good with logic. I can also do some HTML. But when it comes to interfacing with the web and real world applications I just don't know where to get started. Things like databases, libraries and API puzzle me.	I have all of these ideas for a startup burning inside me, but with no real programming skills and no partner (yet) I feel trapped. Is it worth my time to teach myself programming? Any advice would be great.	12	23	2007-08-24 06:14:26 UTC
46,072	46,024	SwellJoe	What should a striving non-programmer do?	xzibitendo	Code is the most valuable component in a tech startup during the early stages. If you can't produce it, you're value to an early stage startup is low. It's that simple.Ideas have little to no value. Execution is what separates the winners from the crap, and the Facebooks and MySpaces from the thousands of other social networks built by no name coders on eLance (at any given time there are dozens of listings for wannabe development).That said, MySpace was made by non-hackers. So was Digg. Bloglines was partly created via eLance contracts (though Mark Fletcher is nerdy enough to pull things together in ways that a non-nerd might not be able to...the same is probably true of Kevin Rose and Digg). Maybe you need to hire your development work.Or, you could learn to code enough to make yourself valuable. Great web designers are every bit as important to the equation (and a weakness in most developers...so if you bring good design, you may be able to find partners far more readily).	I have all of these ideas for a startup burning inside me, but with no real programming skills and no partner (yet) I feel trapped. Is it worth my time to teach myself programming? Any advice would be great.	1	23	2007-08-24 06:14:50 UTC
46,073	46,024	staunch	What should a striving non-programmer do?	xzibitendo	If you had a burning desire to create a new building of some kind but weren't an architect/engineer what would you do?	I have all of these ideas for a startup burning inside me, but with no real programming skills and no partner (yet) I feel trapped. Is it worth my time to teach myself programming? Any advice would be great.	6	23	2007-08-24 06:23:58 UTC
46,075	45,698	mathu	Holding a program in one's head	eposts	it's always true that if we keep the thing in our mind, we can do anything efficiently...all it is needed is our full concentration and understanding ability...	null	71	142	2007-08-24 06:29:27 UTC
46,076	46,048	aaroneous	This is a really good idea for disrupting the RIAA. Think it'll work?	rms	This won't have any impact on the RIAA. Sellaband looks like another site trying to make a buck on the hard work and naivety of struggling musicians. Their "expert" producers are c-list producers at best, their A&R people aren't any of the industry's big names and are a completely unnecessary part of the transaction. The company takes a publishing % into perpetuity, owns masters, and it looks like they're over inflating costs - that's probably where they're making their profit. This is a really bad idea for any band, and a waste of money from the fan perspective.Amie St. is a company that I think has some really good disruptive potential in the music indsutry. I love the idea and am glad to see they're getting some weight thrown behind them.Zaydana: I think there's potential for someone to come in and do this properly, Sellaband has exploitive industry slime all over it.	null	0	1	2007-08-24 06:34:46 UTC
46,082	45,912	blored	What a comment stream would look like in a real meeting	petenixey	First!	So, so true- lol	1	12	2007-08-24 06:42:33 UTC
46,086	45,638	iamwil	Uberfact: the ultimate social verifier	byrneseyeview	It took a while to get there, but here's the relevance, I guess: "Paul Graham's design for Hacker News tries to avoid the degringolade by actually using an oligarchy of human editors, including Paul himself, who will tweak hidden reputation scores. While this will certainly be an improvement on Reddit, I find it excessively algorithmic and antisocial. It has gotten past democracy, but it's not yet unapologetically medieval.What I'd like to read at Hacker News is simply the set of links that Paul himself finds cool, or would if he had 80 hours a day to surf the net for links. Paul does not, in fact, have 80 hours a day to surf the net for links. But perhaps he has fifteen minutes to rate would-be toadies and henchmen, of whom he has I'm sure a large supply, who could then rate submitted contributions, and so on, producing a kind of ersatz impression of a massively overclocked Paul."It's an interesting premise. What are my opinions if I had all the time in the world to figure out my opinion?	null	0	9	2007-08-24 06:48:25 UTC
46,087	46,007	henning	Is anyone making something women want?	aswanson	Dunno. Too hard to emphasize with the weird estrogen-laced ones with axe wounds between their legs. Women like The Sims and MySpace, I know that.	Not being sexist, but they seem to -want- more than us, and walking into any shopping area seems to confirm that vendors know this. My problem is that from a tech standpoint, it's hard to gauge what a viable need for them is.	11	17	2007-08-24 06:58:22 UTC
46,089	46,088	rms	Gaping hole found in universe	rms	This really creeps me out.	null	1	2	2007-08-24 07:03:38 UTC
46,091	45,666	arc_of_descent	What system do you use for bug tracking?	ACSparks	Mantis. But I tend to think the pages are too long.	I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.	18	7	2007-08-24 07:06:29 UTC
46,097	46,095	soundsop	When I Worked at Google...	soundsop	I guess it's true that nobody wants to leave Google (http://www.paulgraham.com/mit.html).	null	0	8	2007-08-24 07:17:01 UTC
46,099	46,046	johnrob	Pax romana redux	aswanson	Not a shred of evidence in that article.	null	2	2	2007-08-24 07:29:17 UTC
46,101	46,024	trekker7	What should a striving non-programmer do?	xzibitendo	I'm going to offer an alternate point of view from some of the other comments (I'm a programmer and am studying CS in college).Do you think if you gave programming an honest shot, you'd sincerely like it? If the answer is "no", then forget it... don't learn how to program. Instead, find a programmer who likes your ideas and is willing to implement them for you, as an equal partner. This may be tough to find, but that's what you have to do. Ideas have tons of value. In my opinion, ideas are insanely important. The best-engineered, slickest, cutting-edge application isn't going to make a flipping cent unless the user-facing features add value. And these features can be formed from ideas that ANYONE has - not just programmers. Don't think that you have to be a programmer to have great ideas; that's utter bullshit. That being said, I think you do need to know your way around technology, because as a lot of people say you need to know the options; what is feasible, what is not feasible; what powers and raw functionalities you have at your disposal. Read Wikipedia articles about things like AJAX, server-side computing, search algorithms, social computing, etc. Watch Google Tech Talks about whatever sounds cool to you. Try to figure out what the current state of technology is - in terms of functionality and capabilities - across the CS/software board. You don't need to be a programmer to do this. But don't struggle through concepts that you find boring; read about stuff that seems cool and interesting. The bottom line is, do what you love, period. Yeah it's cliche. But if you take up an activity because you care about the end result, and not about the journey, you're going to end up frustrated and will probably just give up. Whatever you're passionate about, do just that, and find someone else who's passionate about the rest to work with you.But you should give programming an honest shot anyway, to find out if you like it. It's cool stuff.	I have all of these ideas for a startup burning inside me, but with no real programming skills and no partner (yet) I feel trapped. Is it worth my time to teach myself programming? Any advice would be great.	0	23	2007-08-24 07:41:48 UTC
46,105	46,039	zem	PG's Rarely Asked Questions (never seen this one before)	vlad	Surprised to see Bronowski's "The Ascent of Man" missing from his list - it's usually the first book I recommend for an overview that puts the others into perspective.	null	2	18	2007-08-24 08:09:15 UTC
46,106	45,666	elad	What system do you use for bug tracking?	ACSparks	TRAC's my current favorite.Too all the people using comments in the code and the like, that's very good when you're a 1-2 person team, but when you (hopefully) have more coders, possibly QA people and (god forbid) customers who complain about stuff that doesn't work well, you'd better switch to something that's more manageable.	I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.	7	7	2007-08-24 08:12:39 UTC
46,108	46,107	rms	Startup Wiki, sponsored by Y Combinator, powered by Infogami	rms	Perhaps this could be resurrected using some off the shelf wiki software? Or an amazing minimalist equivalent written in Arc, if you'd prefer.	null	1	5	2007-08-24 08:17:01 UTC
46,110	46,064	rms	Intelligent resizing of images	azgolfer	http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45073Welcome to news.ycombinator, you'll like it much more here after you start drinking the Kool Aid.	Check out this new algorithm for resizing images.	0	1	2007-08-24 08:19:20 UTC
46,111	45,833	elad	The "Oh Crap" Moment: How do you know how much you know?	joshwa	You've just stumbled onto the reason that big companies take some many more people and so much more time than startups to solve a given problem - they don't (and can't) allow themselves to ignore the extra information and its complicated byproducts. Nevertheless these cos invariably started out small by solving one significant problem in a great way while overlooking all those other dimensions. In short, try to evaluate whether the extra information is truly a significant part of the core problem you set out to solve. If it isn't, postpone the solution. If you succeed based on your core solution you can worry about it later, when you'll have plenty of time and money to do so.	with apologies to Kathy Sierra...http://joshwand.com/files/ohcrap2.pngI've had this experience with several of my startup ideas now... I learn more and more about a given problem space/market, and eventually I start feeling like I have a decent grasp of the situation. The new learning tapers off, until one day, I discover a whole new dimension I've never thought of, and I realize just how little I know about the problem. I've come to expect a few of these "oh crap" moments early on, but I wonder what conclusions I should draw from these moments later on in the process? They tend to be rather discouraging, as plans need to be modified/rethought, and sometimes the viability of the entire project comes into question, as when you discover that there are a whole slew of other startups trying to solve the same problem as you, all of them further along than you are!I wonder if sometimes it's worth ignoring the extra information entirely, and solving a simpler version of the problem instead? The extra information might not even be relevant if the project doesn't expand in that particular direction. EDIT: this doesn't apply as easily to the situation where you discover your competition...Does anyone else experience these moments, and what have you learned from them?UPDATE: added axes/legend to graph	4	19	2007-08-24 08:25:26 UTC
46,115	46,113	bosshog	Old school Facebook interview.	bosshog	just to give encouragement to all budding hackers out there...Take a simple idea, execute well, and have belief	null	0	2	2007-08-24 08:35:27 UTC
46,116	45,698	IgorCarron	Holding a program in one's head	eposts	Paul, There is also another issue that seems to be overlooked, people create their own disruption. When I wrote about Gloria Mark's finding on working spheres ( http://nuit-blanche.blogspot.com/2006/07/designing-collabora... ) I was surprised of that finding as it would seem counterproductive to the need to having to load up the "code" in the brain's RAM. Another explanation is that what she described is a typical cubicle/large organization workflow that would be counterproduictive to the Hacker's brain (replace hacker by researcher and you have the same symptoms).Igor.	null	23	142	2007-08-24 08:58:19 UTC
46,117	45,698	rms	Holding a program in one's head	eposts	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_memory	null	55	142	2007-08-24 09:08:25 UTC
46,118	46,113	rms	Old school Facebook interview.	bosshog	This is great, thanks.	null	1	2	2007-08-24 09:09:37 UTC
46,120	46,007	palish	Is anyone making something women want?	aswanson	Well, I was going to mention http://www.shoutfit.com .. but they appear down.	Not being sexist, but they seem to -want- more than us, and walking into any shopping area seems to confirm that vendors know this. My problem is that from a tech standpoint, it's hard to gauge what a viable need for them is.	4	17	2007-08-24 09:17:12 UTC
46,129	46,007	jward	Is anyone making something women want?	aswanson	I was on a first date the other week and was explaining some of my ideas and the lady I was with nearly wet herself with excitement telling me about a webapp she'd love to have. After thinking about it and asking a few other women I know, I'm going to start working on it and apply to YC with it.Most every idea I came up with seems like someone else has already done. This one... I spent two days searching and found nothing comparable.	Not being sexist, but they seem to -want- more than us, and walking into any shopping area seems to confirm that vendors know this. My problem is that from a tech standpoint, it's hard to gauge what a viable need for them is.	0	17	2007-08-24 10:13:36 UTC
46,134	45,698	peterwiseman	Holding a program in one's head	eposts	I must say I recognice all the elements here and I have been working almost exact this way since I started in 1982. I will say the key element is thinking in visual terms, or to visualize the problem and solution. However, just a tip - I discovered two useful tools that helps me now that my memory is getting weaker (from the age? :) ). A dictaphone and a white-board, The dictaphone allows me to record ideas, snippets, reminders and such, even pratice presentations. This is very useful as I don't have to write it down anywhere. I also use a white-board to draw either bigger lines to confirm my idea, or write down details to have them displayed in front of me at all time so that I don't forget important, but perhaps subtle parts. Just my 2 cents. Thanks to mr. Graham for an excellent essay!	null	11	142	2007-08-24 11:14:43 UTC
46,137	46,127	jsjenkins168	https is not supported at news.yc	terpua	Why would this site need to use SSL? Everything you post is public anyway.	null	0	1	2007-08-24 11:50:22 UTC
46,141	46,088	pg	Gaping hole found in universe	rms	http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46023	null	0	2	2007-08-24 12:00:35 UTC
46,146	45,644	staunch	How To: Make a Laser Espionage Microphone	kkim	Foggy memory, but either the CIA or KGB embedded tiny prisms in embassy window(s) so it was easy to capture the reflection. Without the prism it seems like this would be a real pain.Here's another awesome way to pick up sound covertly: http://www.nsa.gov/museum/museu00029.cfmI'd love to see some instructions how to do that easily. I'd love to try it.	null	0	12	2007-08-24 12:30:34 UTC
46,147	46,136	eposts	Sun's ticker symbol: SUNW -> JAVA	davidw	First it was the "we are the dot in dotcom", now this :(.	null	4	19	2007-08-24 12:37:06 UTC
46,150	45,698	mojuba	Holding a program in one's head	eposts	I think some high-class programmers don't really need to rewrite code to understand the system or to make changes in it. High-class programmers usually put minimal effort to achieve maximum result.	null	63	142	2007-08-24 12:44:51 UTC
46,153	46,095	Goladus	When I Worked at Google...	soundsop	Results 1 - 10 of about 1,280 for "when i worked at denny's"	null	1	8	2007-08-24 12:53:15 UTC
46,155	46,136	mattculbreth	Sun's ticker symbol: SUNW -> JAVA	davidw	How bizarre. Java is (however widely deployed or well engineered) passe at this point. Why try to completely associate with something that was hot 10 years ago?	null	0	19	2007-08-24 13:18:31 UTC
46,158	46,007	german	Is anyone making something women want?	aswanson	Well, I think that a webapp should be suited for anyone unless it was created for a specific group of people. About women... I'm a man, and as any man should know, It's almost impossible to understand a woman, so asking a lot of women about your new project sounds like a good Idea to me.	Not being sexist, but they seem to -want- more than us, and walking into any shopping area seems to confirm that vendors know this. My problem is that from a tech standpoint, it's hard to gauge what a viable need for them is.	3	17	2007-08-24 13:38:09 UTC
46,163	45,698	sammyo	Holding a program in one's head	eposts	One missing point: preparationI've been trying to get into a small program I need to write and am a bit stuck. After glancing at the (great) list in the article and realizing I can roughly control most of those elements, I think 'now why am I still stuck'? Oh I need to get this data structure from X, how to call that sub element from Y. Grunt work, yet details that easily fit into gaps between all the other various day to day distractions. So get all the junk together before that 12-36 hour marathon.	null	26	142	2007-08-24 13:50:08 UTC
46,167	46,024	steveplace	What should a striving non-programmer do?	xzibitendo	Great resource for some skillset learning:http://ocw.mit.edu	I have all of these ideas for a startup burning inside me, but with no real programming skills and no partner (yet) I feel trapped. Is it worth my time to teach myself programming? Any advice would be great.	16	23	2007-08-24 13:59:44 UTC
46,171	46,007	skippybosco	Is anyone making something women want?	aswanson	So what you are saying is that you are having a hard time understanding women's needs? ;-)Since you asked, our company is in stealth mode on a product geared specifically for women (not a shopping, dating/rating, community or gossip site).. each demographic has their special needs, we're attempting to address those needs.. I do agree that a web app should be built for anyone. We are building in flexibility, for example, for the significant other of a female to gain value from the app as well..	Not being sexist, but they seem to -want- more than us, and walking into any shopping area seems to confirm that vendors know this. My problem is that from a tech standpoint, it's hard to gauge what a viable need for them is.	5	17	2007-08-24 14:17:34 UTC
46,173	46,039	greendestiny	PG's Rarely Asked Questions (never seen this one before)	vlad	Teaching's a subject close to my heart so I appreciated the points on good teaching. I think an underlying characteristic of high standards and passion is an actual insight into the subject. One of the most valuable things a teacher can provide other than an a quality assessment is a critical understanding of the student's work.Teachers of the younger grades are actually quite good at this, and can gain quite a lot of insight into the childs mental model and development from their work. I guess it's easier because the work is less original at that age.	null	0	18	2007-08-24 14:22:17 UTC
46,174	45,698	sdk	Holding a program in one's head	eposts	Most of this appears to be old coder wisdom and I fully agree with it. However, there is one point I am at odds with. I dislike code ownership and I think a small team of good people should be encouraged to review and rewrite any portion of the system they deem needs it. As Paul suggests, rewriting is core to understanding. Allowing and encouraging team members to rewrite improves both understanding and code. I realize this isn't old coder wisdom but I believe it is critical to making a small team behave more closely to the ideal of a single programmer.-sdk	null	44	142	2007-08-24 14:25:47 UTC
46,177	45,616	wavell2003	How do you brainstorm for ideas for products?	dawie	The Medici Effect by Frans Johansson has some good studies on brainstorming in groups. He cites studies that say that the #1 barrier to innovation in brainstorming is 'blocking'. Blocking occurs when one person interrupts others, mid-idea. So in order to get the combination of good ideas without blocking, all one needs to do is have a piece of paper per participant, and then one extra piece in the center of a table. Then each participant just writes down one idea (the idea should be on a focused cause ie ideas on fighting spam) and then exchanges his paper with the one in the middle. Then as a participant reads his new sheet, he tries to improve on the idea(s) that are already on the paper before adding a brand new idea. I've tried this and it works for us.	I recently found a co-founder and we are going to build a product. We are going to start brainstorming product ideas soon and I was wondering how the YC readers came up with their ideas.	3	10	2007-08-24 14:41:08 UTC
46,178	46,007	falsestprophet	Is anyone making something women want?	aswanson	a computer in every kitchen!	Not being sexist, but they seem to -want- more than us, and walking into any shopping area seems to confirm that vendors know this. My problem is that from a tech standpoint, it's hard to gauge what a viable need for them is.	10	17	2007-08-24 14:43:26 UTC
46,182	46,165	mynameishere	"I'll eat my hat if that isn't Einstein" (Einstein as seen by another scientist, Norbert Wiener)	hhm	Personally he is simple, direct, unaffected and rather winning. His enormous intellectual energy, his clear vision and sense of physical reality, and his enthusiasm strike the most casual observer. He is aware of his great position, but not in the least conceited. He does not expect relativity in its present form to last many decades, and hopes that further work will soon go beyond it.A good example of how received opinions can effect our assessments of people. Had Einstein been an important but un-famous scientist, no one would ever write shmaltz like that about him on a casual meeting.	null	1	16	2007-08-24 14:45:51 UTC
46,185	46,024	ph0rque	What should a striving non-programmer do?	xzibitendo	I was in the same position as you literally two months ago. Since then, I've brushed up on HTML, learned CSS and Javascript (somewhat), and am learning Ruby on/for Rails. In retrospect, I would learn RoR concurrently with the others.I would definitely advise you to learn some programming, since even if you find a partner, he/she may not have the same drive or take on problems that you do. Knowing a little bit about hacking, even as an amateur, will enable you to go further than you would otherwise.	I have all of these ideas for a startup burning inside me, but with no real programming skills and no partner (yet) I feel trapped. Is it worth my time to teach myself programming? Any advice would be great.	3	23	2007-08-24 14:54:08 UTC
46,187	46,024	rokhayakebe	What should a striving non-programmer do?	xzibitendo	Coding is a lifestyle. You can learn how to code. Anyone can. But by the time you have learned enough to build your idea, it will have become obsolete. get a co-founder maybe or hire a firm to do the work for you and take it from there. You are less likely to succeed, but at least you will not sit down some day and say "I should have tried". Take it from a suit.	I have all of these ideas for a startup burning inside me, but with no real programming skills and no partner (yet) I feel trapped. Is it worth my time to teach myself programming? Any advice would be great.	18	23	2007-08-24 15:10:49 UTC
46,188	46,156	german	Hilarious Geeky song - Finite Simple Group of Order Two	Keios	hahaha, nice one. I can recommend you another hilarious song video, tell me if you liked it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM	Hilarious.	0	4	2007-08-24 15:11:08 UTC
46,189	46,133	ctkrohn	Subprime Fallout Could Help Venture Capitalists	dpapathanasiou	I'm not sure this is a great comparison. Many of the holders of subprime mortgage securities were mutual, hedge, and pension funds that focused on these securities by choice or by law. Even if they wanted to switch their investments to tech, it's a totally unrelated area in which many of these firms have zero expertise. Finally, many pension funds and mutual funds are required to hold securities with a certain credit rating... I imagine it's fairly rare to find new tech companies with investment-grade credit.To be sure, there are going to be some investors pulling their money out of subprime and looking in other places. But tech is just one of those places. You could just as easily say that the subprime collapse will help Japanese equities or European corporate bonds.	null	0	12	2007-08-24 15:12:05 UTC
46,198	46,039	miannini	PG's Rarely Asked Questions (never seen this one before)	vlad	A great teacher makes the complex simple. A great teacher inspires students first, provokes them to think second, and lastly imparts information!	null	1	18	2007-08-24 15:30:58 UTC
46,199	46,195	bmaier	Mark Cuban: The internet is 'dead and boring'	nickb	I don't think Mark knows how to make a point without making a polarizing comment. Of course, it is one of the reasons he is famous, so whether his off-the-cuff remarks help him or hurt him is open to interpretation.	null	0	5	2007-08-24 15:33:20 UTC
46,202	46,024	snorkel	What should a striving non-programmer do?	xzibitendo	Start by drawing your ideas on paper in detail. You don't have to be an artist because it's not going in a museum. If you are thinking of making a web site then draw it on paper, page by page. Describe exactly what happens when user clicks each part of the page. Every page, including the login page and about page. Every single page, every single clickable thing, draw it and label it. The more detail the better. You should have enough detail on those pages to be able to hand to someone without saying a word and they will be able to read it and understand it. That level of detail.Then pay a web designer a few hundred dollars to turn your pages into a static mockup. Static meaning it doesn't actually work yet, you can't login and do stuff, you just look at it. It's just HTML and graphics. It's a facade.Next you can either pay programmer anywhere from a few hundred to few thousand dollars and wait 3 months for them to build the functionality behind the facade or you go learn HTML, javascript, ajax, and PHP (the easiest programming language for novice web devs) and build it yourself.	I have all of these ideas for a startup burning inside me, but with no real programming skills and no partner (yet) I feel trapped. Is it worth my time to teach myself programming? Any advice would be great.	4	23	2007-08-24 15:33:44 UTC
46,204	46,135	gojomo	Rise of the wikicrats	davidw	So many startups gunning for Google; perhaps some should be gunning for Wikipedia -- which I love but seems at risk of retreating into paranoid orthodoxy in response to scaling and spamming threats.	null	2	18	2007-08-24 15:35:26 UTC
46,207	46,136	sethg	Sun's ticker symbol: SUNW -> JAVA	davidw	I am strangely reminded of an academic paper that came out, shortly before the (first) dot-com bubble popped, reporting that even after controlling for all sorts of other factors, companies saw their stock value go up after appending ".com" to their names.Also, of VA Linux, which went public with the ticker symbol LNUX, decided they didn't want to be distributing Linux hardware after all, and changed their ticker symbol to, umm, something I don't remember. (Disclaimer: I used to own stock in LNUX.)	null	1	19	2007-08-24 15:39:10 UTC
46,208	46,107	tocomment	Startup Wiki, sponsored by Y Combinator, powered by Infogami	rms	I thought infogami was dead. I say this because I had a wiki there for a year and some of the features weren't working. I tried to contact their support emails about 5 times and never heard anything.	null	0	5	2007-08-24 15:43:13 UTC

45,933

45,666

gojomo

What system do you use for bug tracking?

ACSparks

Personal projects: a 'TODO' text file, 1 line per issue, open in the editor (emacs or Eclipse) for the project. Group/open-source projects: JIRA, which was a nice step up from Sourceforge's built-in tracking.

I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.

22

7

2007-08-24 00:39:22 UTC

45,934

45,769

samson

Craig Newmark quits Craigslist?

nickb

I'm personally not a fan of Craig Newmark.He'll wake up one day and kick himself in the ass for not doing more with craiglists.He worries that effort to monetize the site more will be the equvilant of selling out, but the reality is that it will happen with or without his consent (my guess is without). A big player like ebay holding 25% will not lie still forever and will jump at any opportunity to acquire more interest in the company from any shareholder willing to sell out.

null

1

25

2007-08-24 00:45:29 UTC

45,935

45,815

bootload

Remember that Lifehacker post about Seinfeld's productivity secret? I made a small site based on it.

brett

".. 500 - Error Opps broke the chain Whoops. Looks like something actually did get broken. ..."Damn... I broke it. Nice error message though ~ http://flickr.com/photos/bootload/1218317738/ - created user account - logged in - clicked on 2 successive days after today - they went red - clicked 'last 4 weeks' - barfed - now 500 on every login

null

2

43

2007-08-24 00:45:56 UTC

45,936

45,901

iamwil

Transformation

baha_man

I can admit that Ruby completely sidesteps a lot of the problems you might see in Java--but that doesn't mean you can't write bad code in Ruby. The meta-programming tricks, continuations, and dynamic calls to private methods are rife for abuse by mediocre programmers. While Ruby has a great syntax and libraries, it seems easy to use and read largely because the current leading-edge crop of Rubists that write the libraries we use are great programmers with discipline and taste.

null

0

2

2007-08-24 00:46:22 UTC

45,937

45,581

steve

No, I'm not giving you my Google password

nailer

> Most people don't even share their passwords with their spouses - why would they give it to an third party website on the internet?websites on the net won't withhold sex for three days because I said emailed an ex.More seriously, it's obvious why no one follows his recomendation. Not only is google's page and extra step, but it's intimidating as hell!http://www.venturecake.com/images/google_authentication.pngI don't see an easy way to fix this problem while letting these sites keep the high percentage of people releasing their contact lists.

A year after Google released their account authentication system, why are sites still asking for passwords that most users don't even give their loved ones?

1

18

2007-08-24 00:46:38 UTC

45,938

45,884

nanijoe

Interview With Facebook's Joe Hewitt, iPhone God

transburgh

The iphone version of facebook is not exactly complete. Most annoying is the fact that it regularly opens up the full facebook.com in a new window and asks you to log in again!! To easily replicate this behaviour, click on a group while in iphone.facebook.com.

null

0

3

2007-08-24 00:46:40 UTC

45,940

45,906

Hexstream

Comic Sans designer: "Comic Sans was not designed as a typeface"

jcwentz

Sounds like Microsoft's sum of its parts is less than its individual constituents...

null

2

25

2007-08-24 00:51:27 UTC

45,941

45,616

iamwil

How do you brainstorm for ideas for products?

dawie

It's the same way that cartoonists come up with ideas for their strips. Sit there, and let your mind wander. Too often, we rely on outside stimulus to entertain ourselves. If you can cultivate your sense of imagination and freedom to let your mind wander, you'll think of some stuff.By another token, read a lot and read widely. Avoid reading junk...like how to get funded by VCs--you're not there yet. The more you read, the more you see how everything's related to one another, and you start to see where the gaps are that you can fill.

I recently found a co-founder and we are going to build a product. We are going to start brainstorming product ideas soon and I was wondering how the YC readers came up with their ideas.

7

10

2007-08-24 00:51:35 UTC

45,944

45,698

jason1234

Holding a program in one's head

eposts

I completely agree with this. However, I have disdain for the word "programmer" to describe what I do. I am a "software developer" which describes it much better and indicates much of what you've said here. A "programmer" is a monkey that writes x+2=y a developer has domain knowledge over the problem he is solving. Let's change the terminology to fit the job.

null

53

142

2007-08-24 00:57:00 UTC

45,950

45,698

portLAN

Holding a program in one's head

eposts

This is a collection of points PG has made before in other essays and comments. If the ideas are new to you, you may want to check out the others: http://www.paulgraham.com/articles.html> Perhaps the optimal solution is for big companies not even to try to develop ideas in house, but simply to buy them.What's good for YC is good for the country!

null

51

142

2007-08-24 01:05:46 UTC

45,951

45,644

daniel-cussen

How To: Make a Laser Espionage Microphone

kkim

Such a clever hack.

null

3

12

2007-08-24 01:08:33 UTC

45,953

45,906

portLAN

Comic Sans designer: "Comic Sans was not designed as a typeface"

jcwentz

It was designed as a floor wax.

null

4

25

2007-08-24 01:15:21 UTC

45,955

45,855

portLAN

Youtube's adoption of the video overlay will be good for its competitors

jeremyliew

My YC idea is going to be YouTube, without ads. Ever. Or revenue.

Youtube/Google has the volume of video streams and the relationships with advertisers to help push for an ad unit standard for online video advertising that will benefit all players

0

3

2007-08-24 01:19:42 UTC

45,956

45,638

chaostheory

Uberfact: the ultimate social verifier

byrneseyeview

interesting: "Factions are self-constituting - they are responsible for their own reputation algorithms. Anyone can start a new faction for any reason, but generally they form by the usual process of human group formation - one group gets too large and quarrelsome, and splits into parts."From what I remember of social psychology, the perfect faction size is about 8 members. Once you go over that number new factions will form inside the original one... then again i think this only applies to people that meet face to face

null

1

9

2007-08-24 01:24:54 UTC

45,959

45,666

chaostheory

What system do you use for bug tracking?

ACSparks

I like keeping things simple while we're still small, so right now we just use 37signals' basecamp's (http://www.basecamphq.com/) to do list. this will probably change in the future

I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.

10

7

2007-08-24 01:29:12 UTC

45,961

45,616

bokonist

How do you brainstorm for ideas for products?

dawie

I'm not a huge fan of brainstorming, that has never seemed to work for me.Almost all of my ideas come from encountering problems. Sometimes it me who encounters the problem, sometimes some one I've talked to, and sometimes I read about it. For example, I was looking at doing some programming contracting, but noticed all of the outsourcing sites like ODesk have a race to the bottom where all that matters is price. Maybe there is an opportunity for a high end odesk that rewards firms have good communication skills and do more than work for a spec. For another example, I read about the horrible CPM's that Facebook gets. Maybe there is an opportunity to build an Adsense-like product for social networks that allows targeting based on user profile rather than page content.The other thing I do is every time I see a brand new technology that has the potential to create a category, I think of all the things that I could build off of it. For instance, e-ink has this electronic paper that is easier on the eyes than paper. Who has high print costs that might benefit from this? School systems? Universities? If you can think of how a technology applies to a unique area, you can be the first to a lucrative market. One of the hardest things about being a young company founder is that you do not spend time around people with a lot of money. You would be amazed at how many bigger companies just throw away money on crappy software or throw away time on things that could easily be automated. One source of ideas would be to spend time around people who have money.

I recently found a co-founder and we are going to build a product. We are going to start brainstorming product ideas soon and I was wondering how the YC readers came up with their ideas.

4

10

2007-08-24 01:33:27 UTC

45,963

45,700

chaostheory

EventKnower - Know the uknowable the instant it happens (feedback on my idea)

tocomment

I take it you already got the domain name?

I came up this idea a few nights ago. I'm hoping you guys would be kind enough to offer me any kind of feedback you can think of. I'm still not sure how viable it is.Here goes:Problem: There are some things I'd like to know when they happen but can't easily get notified right now.Examples: *new Homestarrunner cartoon *last season of 24 released on DVD *Simpsons movie released on DVD *Windows Vista released (old) *Nintendo Wii launched (old) *updates to small software projects Maybe lots of people have things like this they would like to be notified about. Thus the idea is a website where you can request to be notified of something via a myriad of options e.g, RSS, email, sms, etc.It could work like this. You get say 5 points when you sign up. Each event you sign up to be notified of costs you a point. If you correctly report when one of the other events on the site happened in a timely matter, you earn points.

4

12

2007-08-24 01:36:37 UTC

45,977

45,906

BrandonM

Comic Sans designer: "Comic Sans was not designed as a typeface"

jcwentz

I found it kind of weird that he showed anger at the end at OS/X copying his font, when he had just admitted that much of his inspiration came from comic books. Is this not the pot calling the kettle black?That aside, it was an interesting story.

null

1

25

2007-08-24 02:05:41 UTC

45,979

45,815

eusman

Remember that Lifehacker post about Seinfeld's productivity secret? I made a small site based on it.

brett

interesting! but one detail: the advice talks about a chain created by X. So, it should look like XXXXX but in the app it's red boxes not connected...

null

14

43

2007-08-24 02:12:40 UTC

45,985

45,906

paulgb

Comic Sans designer: "Comic Sans was not designed as a typeface"

jcwentz

"The inspiration came at the shock of seeing Times New Roman used in an inappropriate way."I love the irony that Comic Sans was born because the designer was shocked at seeing another font used inappropriately.

null

0

25

2007-08-24 02:27:16 UTC

45,988

45,833

Neoryder

The "Oh Crap" Moment: How do you know how much you know?

joshwa

I think you are dealing with analysis paralysis. I think you should develop an internal weighting system on extra information. remember nothing beats the information gleaned from your own experience. I cant remember where but I read somewhere that the plan is unimportant but the planning is invaluable. Dont keep a plan just keep on planning and implementing. Each new Oh Crap moment is just another input to the ever changing and improving planning implementing process. IMHO.

with apologies to Kathy Sierra...http://joshwand.com/files/ohcrap2.pngI've had this experience with several of my startup ideas now... I learn more and more about a given problem space/market, and eventually I start feeling like I have a decent grasp of the situation. The new learning tapers off, until one day, I discover a whole new dimension I've never thought of, and I realize just how little I know about the problem. I've come to expect a few of these "oh crap" moments early on, but I wonder what conclusions I should draw from these moments later on in the process? They tend to be rather discouraging, as plans need to be modified/rethought, and sometimes the viability of the entire project comes into question, as when you discover that there are a whole slew of other startups trying to solve the same problem as you, all of them further along than you are!I wonder if sometimes it's worth ignoring the extra information entirely, and solving a simpler version of the problem instead? The extra information might not even be relevant if the project doesn't expand in that particular direction. EDIT: this doesn't apply as easily to the situation where you discover your competition...Does anyone else experience these moments, and what have you learned from them?UPDATE: added axes/legend to graph

6

19

2007-08-24 02:30:46 UTC

45,992

45,666

dfranke

What system do you use for bug tracking?

ACSparks

A whiteboard.

I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.

21

7

2007-08-24 02:35:05 UTC

45,996

45,912

daniel-cussen

What a comment stream would look like in a real meeting

petenixey

First!That was the funniest thing I've seen in weeks.

So, so true- lol

0

12

2007-08-24 02:47:16 UTC

45,997

45,698

dd

Holding a program in one's head

eposts

I usually lurk but I just can't with this one. Great article. What apt timing... This has made me rethink taking a recent position with a large company. Multitasking is a myth. Editing code on demand is possible but to design a program is a process that requires all cylinders of the analytic and creative mind. To be in the zone is almost like a trance where I could start speaking tongues at any moment.

null

12

142

2007-08-24 02:47:34 UTC

45,999

45,666

staunch

What system do you use for bug tracking?

ACSparks

A simple shared spreadsheet in Google Docs for small projects. Trac for some others.

I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.

15

7

2007-08-24 02:47:52 UTC

46,001

45,969

daniel-cussen

When I worked at Microsoft...

hhm

It's so weird how this is at the top of the list.

Also interesting to see with NASA, Google, Wolfram (despite giving only an interesting result)... can you tell any other interesting "when I worked at..."?

0

13

2007-08-24 02:52:54 UTC

46,006

45,698

Zak

Holding a program in one's head

eposts

This thought is only half-formed, but perhaps holding entire programs in one's head is the defining characteristic of a hacker (as opposed to a programmer, developer, software engineer or anything else people call someone who writes code).

null

58

142

2007-08-24 03:04:50 UTC

46,013

46,007

pg

Is anyone making something women want?

aswanson

In grad school I consulted for a company making CAD software for clothing designers. They said that 60% of the clothing business is women's clothing, and the other 40% shared between men and children.

Not being sexist, but they seem to -want- more than us, and walking into any shopping area seems to confirm that vendors know this. My problem is that from a tech standpoint, it's hard to gauge what a viable need for them is.

1

17

2007-08-24 03:24:07 UTC

46,014

45,581

uuilly

No, I'm not giving you my Google password

nailer

That was as far as I got on the facebook signup.

A year after Google released their account authentication system, why are sites still asking for passwords that most users don't even give their loved ones?

3

18

2007-08-24 03:26:13 UTC

46,015

45,883

motoko

Facebook Integrates Book Swap Feature into Marketplace

transburgh

"Ah! My business idea!"(thousands of frat boys mourn the only way they know how: natti light)

null

0

2

2007-08-24 03:27:01 UTC

46,017

45,478

daniel-cussen

Content-Aware Image Sizing

toffer

Profoundly awesome.

null

5

21

2007-08-24 03:35:47 UTC

46,019

45,815

Alex3917

Remember that Lifehacker post about Seinfeld's productivity secret? I made a small site based on it.

brett

I like it. I added it as a link in my Firefox bookmarks bar. Definitely needs to support multiple chains though. Instead of multiple tabs, I think it would be best just to have a column of color blocks with the name of the chain on the right hand side of the page. Then when you clicked on a color that chain would be displayed.

null

7

43

2007-08-24 03:41:42 UTC

46,020

45,478

rms

Content-Aware Image Sizing

toffer

some different links at the original discussion: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45073

null

2

21

2007-08-24 03:42:19 UTC

46,022

45,666

tristian

What system do you use for bug tracking?

ACSparks

If I'm just working alone: ToDoList by AbstractSpoon Software http://www.abstractspoon.com/For small projects it's enough to manage all my tasks, including bugs.

I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.

11

7

2007-08-24 03:48:04 UTC

46,037

45,769

msbii

Craig Newmark quits Craigslist?

nickb

does it matter anymore???

null

3

25

2007-08-24 04:26:55 UTC

46,038

46,031

rms

Web based UI tool (layout dissector) for web designers

chaostheory

Interesting little tool. Joe Hewitt's firebug is better but requires a plug in install to use.https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1843

"XRAY is a free cross browser tool that lets you see the box model in action for any element, letting you see beneath the skin of any web page."

0

6

2007-08-24 04:27:24 UTC

46,049

46,046

nickb

Pax romana redux

aswanson

What a load of crap. One of the guys I know has TWO jobs that he needs to barely make ends meet and he works hard. Articles like this just make me mad since they were written by people who never produce anything in their life.

null

0

2

2007-08-24 04:46:00 UTC

46,050

45,769

henning

Craig Newmark quits Craigslist?

nickb

How to write tech blog linkbait:1. Get a rumor with even the slightest shred of evidence that would be outrageous if true.2. After the links start pouring in, "update" with a "correction" that your unsubstantiated bullshit rumor is false, surprise surprise.3. Profit? Fuck yeah, profit.

null

2

25

2007-08-24 04:47:53 UTC

46,052

46,046

gibsonf1

Pax romana redux

aswanson

The point should not be to work harder, but smarter with higher productivity.

null

1

2

2007-08-24 04:51:55 UTC

46,055

46,007

jsjenkins168

Is anyone making something women want?

aswanson

Statistically, they also use the internet more than males. If you can find something that they want, It could be a good idea for a startup.

Not being sexist, but they seem to -want- more than us, and walking into any shopping area seems to confirm that vendors know this. My problem is that from a tech standpoint, it's hard to gauge what a viable need for them is.

6

17

2007-08-24 04:59:44 UTC

46,056

45,969

gibsonf1

When I worked at Microsoft...

hhm

This reminds me of a Twilight Zone episode.

Also interesting to see with NASA, Google, Wolfram (despite giving only an interesting result)... can you tell any other interesting "when I worked at..."?

1

13

2007-08-24 05:00:43 UTC

46,058

45,815

henning

Remember that Lifehacker post about Seinfeld's productivity secret? I made a small site based on it.

brett

after you've read the lifehacker post for this, the app is completely self-explanatory just by looking at the interface and clicking a few days.i'm impressed, and i'm a jaded snob who is totally cynical about web 2.0 crap.

null

9

43

2007-08-24 05:06:42 UTC

46,059

46,024

jsjenkins168

What should a striving non-programmer do?

xzibitendo

Why not just learn to hack? If you start out small and work with bite-sized pieces and good tools, you'll see its not as difficult as you might think. I'm a firm believer any smart person can be good at coding if they are determined.My advice is to pick up an intro book on Python and start with basic examples. With a little work, you'll be building cool stuff in no time.

I have all of these ideas for a startup burning inside me, but with no real programming skills and no partner (yet) I feel trapped. Is it worth my time to teach myself programming? Any advice would be great.

2

23

2007-08-24 05:08:14 UTC

46,061

45,698

kujoy

Holding a program in one's head

eposts

Great essay. I've been working like this on my own for about 7 years and i think the end results speak for themselves. Its a shame that management types can't accept this method of working and just want code monkeys.Kujoy

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43

142

2007-08-24 05:12:43 UTC

46,063

46,047

portLAN

Steve Jobs and the Xerox Star demo

nickb

Why would Steve Jobs be freaking in 1981 when he already saw it back in 1979?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerox_StarAlso Folklore.Org says the same thing: http://folklore.org/StoryView.py?project=Macintosh&story..."This is obviously the biggest single jump in the entire set of photographs, and the place where I most wish that Bill had dated them. It's tempting to say that the change was caused by the famous Xerox PARC visit, which took place in mid-December 1979, but Bill thinks that the windows predated that, although he can't say for sure."

null

0

4

2007-08-24 05:20:48 UTC

46,065

46,024

zaydana

What should a striving non-programmer do?

xzibitendo

I agree that you should at least learn a bit of coding. That said, there are many code monkeys out there (like me) who need business partners who can are arty and/or can run a business. Coding isn't the only thing required to run a start-up (I think :P).

I have all of these ideas for a startup burning inside me, but with no real programming skills and no partner (yet) I feel trapped. Is it worth my time to teach myself programming? Any advice would be great.

7

23

2007-08-24 05:44:37 UTC

46,068

45,666

nmeyer

What system do you use for bug tracking?

ACSparks

Unfuddle!

I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.

23

7

2007-08-24 05:54:16 UTC

46,069

46,048

zaydana

This is a really good idea for disrupting the RIAA. Think it'll work?

rms

I wasn't quite certain, then I looked at the "leaders". Theres already quite a few artists who have raised over $25,000, and are over half way there! The top 10 artists alone have raised over $200,000 so far.Its a great concept. It sucks for me though, because I had planned on doing something similar, and now I find out my idea isn't that original :-(

null

1

2007-08-24 05:54:59 UTC

46,070

46,024

s_baar

What should a striving non-programmer do?

xzibitendo

You should learn as much programming as you need to but if you find that it's not your strong suit then there are other options. Besides being the "business guy" in a startup, you can probably work on finding people who are passionate and fill in their holes. Chances are that someone is working on something similar enough to be useful to you. What you can do now is approach these people with one of your ideas, show them how you can reach mutual benefit and coordinate efforts so that you can get together all the people you need to make something great.

I have all of these ideas for a startup burning inside me, but with no real programming skills and no partner (yet) I feel trapped. Is it worth my time to teach myself programming? Any advice would be great.

9

23

2007-08-24 05:55:14 UTC

46,071

46,024

fzkl

What should a striving non-programmer do?

xzibitendo

Ok. I have been wanting to post this question myself. I can solve problems in C and am good with logic. I can also do some HTML. But when it comes to interfacing with the web and real world applications I just don't know where to get started. Things like databases, libraries and API puzzle me.

I have all of these ideas for a startup burning inside me, but with no real programming skills and no partner (yet) I feel trapped. Is it worth my time to teach myself programming? Any advice would be great.

12

23

2007-08-24 06:14:26 UTC

46,072

46,024

SwellJoe

What should a striving non-programmer do?

xzibitendo

Code is the most valuable component in a tech startup during the early stages. If you can't produce it, you're value to an early stage startup is low. It's that simple.Ideas have little to no value. Execution is what separates the winners from the crap, and the Facebooks and MySpaces from the thousands of other social networks built by no name coders on eLance (at any given time there are dozens of listings for wannabe development).That said, MySpace was made by non-hackers. So was Digg. Bloglines was partly created via eLance contracts (though Mark Fletcher is nerdy enough to pull things together in ways that a non-nerd might not be able to...the same is probably true of Kevin Rose and Digg). Maybe you need to hire your development work.Or, you could learn to code enough to make yourself valuable. Great web designers are every bit as important to the equation (and a weakness in most developers...so if you bring good design, you may be able to find partners far more readily).

I have all of these ideas for a startup burning inside me, but with no real programming skills and no partner (yet) I feel trapped. Is it worth my time to teach myself programming? Any advice would be great.

1

23

2007-08-24 06:14:50 UTC

46,073

46,024

staunch

What should a striving non-programmer do?

xzibitendo

If you had a burning desire to create a new building of some kind but weren't an architect/engineer what would you do?

I have all of these ideas for a startup burning inside me, but with no real programming skills and no partner (yet) I feel trapped. Is it worth my time to teach myself programming? Any advice would be great.

6

23

2007-08-24 06:23:58 UTC

46,075

45,698

mathu

Holding a program in one's head

eposts

it's always true that if we keep the thing in our mind, we can do anything efficiently...all it is needed is our full concentration and understanding ability...

null

71

142

2007-08-24 06:29:27 UTC

46,076

46,048

aaroneous

This is a really good idea for disrupting the RIAA. Think it'll work?

rms

This won't have any impact on the RIAA. Sellaband looks like another site trying to make a buck on the hard work and naivety of struggling musicians. Their "expert" producers are c-list producers at best, their A&R people aren't any of the industry's big names and are a completely unnecessary part of the transaction. The company takes a publishing % into perpetuity, owns masters, and it looks like they're over inflating costs - that's probably where they're making their profit. This is a really bad idea for any band, and a waste of money from the fan perspective.Amie St. is a company that I think has some really good disruptive potential in the music indsutry. I love the idea and am glad to see they're getting some weight thrown behind them.Zaydana: I think there's potential for someone to come in and do this properly, Sellaband has exploitive industry slime all over it.

null

0

1

2007-08-24 06:34:46 UTC

46,082

45,912

blored

What a comment stream would look like in a real meeting

petenixey

First!

So, so true- lol

1

12

2007-08-24 06:42:33 UTC

46,086

45,638

iamwil

Uberfact: the ultimate social verifier

byrneseyeview

It took a while to get there, but here's the relevance, I guess: "Paul Graham's design for Hacker News tries to avoid the degringolade by actually using an oligarchy of human editors, including Paul himself, who will tweak hidden reputation scores. While this will certainly be an improvement on Reddit, I find it excessively algorithmic and antisocial. It has gotten past democracy, but it's not yet unapologetically medieval.What I'd like to read at Hacker News is simply the set of links that Paul himself finds cool, or would if he had 80 hours a day to surf the net for links. Paul does not, in fact, have 80 hours a day to surf the net for links. But perhaps he has fifteen minutes to rate would-be toadies and henchmen, of whom he has I'm sure a large supply, who could then rate submitted contributions, and so on, producing a kind of ersatz impression of a massively overclocked Paul."It's an interesting premise. What are my opinions if I had all the time in the world to figure out my opinion?

null

0

9

2007-08-24 06:48:25 UTC

46,087

46,007

henning

Is anyone making something women want?

aswanson

Dunno. Too hard to emphasize with the weird estrogen-laced ones with axe wounds between their legs. Women like The Sims and MySpace, I know that.

Not being sexist, but they seem to -want- more than us, and walking into any shopping area seems to confirm that vendors know this. My problem is that from a tech standpoint, it's hard to gauge what a viable need for them is.

11

17

2007-08-24 06:58:22 UTC

46,089

46,088

rms

Gaping hole found in universe

rms

This really creeps me out.

null

1

2

2007-08-24 07:03:38 UTC

46,091

45,666

arc_of_descent

What system do you use for bug tracking?

ACSparks

Mantis. But I tend to think the pages are too long.

I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.

18

7

2007-08-24 07:06:29 UTC

46,097

46,095

soundsop

When I Worked at Google...

soundsop

I guess it's true that nobody wants to leave Google (http://www.paulgraham.com/mit.html).

null

0

8

2007-08-24 07:17:01 UTC

46,099

46,046

johnrob

Pax romana redux

aswanson

Not a shred of evidence in that article.

null

2

2007-08-24 07:29:17 UTC

46,101

46,024

trekker7

What should a striving non-programmer do?

xzibitendo

I'm going to offer an alternate point of view from some of the other comments (I'm a programmer and am studying CS in college).Do you think if you gave programming an honest shot, you'd sincerely like it? If the answer is "no", then forget it... don't learn how to program. Instead, find a programmer who likes your ideas and is willing to implement them for you, as an equal partner. This may be tough to find, but that's what you have to do. Ideas have tons of value. In my opinion, ideas are insanely important. The best-engineered, slickest, cutting-edge application isn't going to make a flipping cent unless the user-facing features add value. And these features can be formed from ideas that ANYONE has - not just programmers. Don't think that you have to be a programmer to have great ideas; that's utter bullshit. That being said, I think you do need to know your way around technology, because as a lot of people say you need to know the options; what is feasible, what is not feasible; what powers and raw functionalities you have at your disposal. Read Wikipedia articles about things like AJAX, server-side computing, search algorithms, social computing, etc. Watch Google Tech Talks about whatever sounds cool to you. Try to figure out what the current state of technology is - in terms of functionality and capabilities - across the CS/software board. You don't need to be a programmer to do this. But don't struggle through concepts that you find boring; read about stuff that seems cool and interesting. The bottom line is, do what you love, period. Yeah it's cliche. But if you take up an activity because you care about the end result, and not about the journey, you're going to end up frustrated and will probably just give up. Whatever you're passionate about, do just that, and find someone else who's passionate about the rest to work with you.But you should give programming an honest shot anyway, to find out if you like it. It's cool stuff.

I have all of these ideas for a startup burning inside me, but with no real programming skills and no partner (yet) I feel trapped. Is it worth my time to teach myself programming? Any advice would be great.

0

23

2007-08-24 07:41:48 UTC

46,105

46,039

zem

PG's Rarely Asked Questions (never seen this one before)

vlad

Surprised to see Bronowski's "The Ascent of Man" missing from his list - it's usually the first book I recommend for an overview that puts the others into perspective.

null

2

18

2007-08-24 08:09:15 UTC

46,106

45,666

elad

What system do you use for bug tracking?

ACSparks

TRAC's my current favorite.Too all the people using comments in the code and the like, that's very good when you're a 1-2 person team, but when you (hopefully) have more coders, possibly QA people and (god forbid) customers who complain about stuff that doesn't work well, you'd better switch to something that's more manageable.

I am interested in seeing how you track bugs during development and acceptance testing.We use bugzilla, but it leaves a little to be desired.

7

2007-08-24 08:12:39 UTC

46,108

46,107

rms

Startup Wiki, sponsored by Y Combinator, powered by Infogami

rms

Perhaps this could be resurrected using some off the shelf wiki software? Or an amazing minimalist equivalent written in Arc, if you'd prefer.

null

1

5

2007-08-24 08:17:01 UTC

46,110

46,064

rms

Intelligent resizing of images

azgolfer

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45073Welcome to news.ycombinator, you'll like it much more here after you start drinking the Kool Aid.

Check out this new algorithm for resizing images.

0

1

2007-08-24 08:19:20 UTC

46,111

45,833

elad

The "Oh Crap" Moment: How do you know how much you know?

joshwa

You've just stumbled onto the reason that big companies take some many more people and so much more time than startups to solve a given problem - they don't (and can't) allow themselves to ignore the extra information and its complicated byproducts. Nevertheless these cos invariably started out small by solving one significant problem in a great way while overlooking all those other dimensions. In short, try to evaluate whether the extra information is truly a significant part of the core problem you set out to solve. If it isn't, postpone the solution. If you succeed based on your core solution you can worry about it later, when you'll have plenty of time and money to do so.

with apologies to Kathy Sierra...http://joshwand.com/files/ohcrap2.pngI've had this experience with several of my startup ideas now... I learn more and more about a given problem space/market, and eventually I start feeling like I have a decent grasp of the situation. The new learning tapers off, until one day, I discover a whole new dimension I've never thought of, and I realize just how little I know about the problem. I've come to expect a few of these "oh crap" moments early on, but I wonder what conclusions I should draw from these moments later on in the process? They tend to be rather discouraging, as plans need to be modified/rethought, and sometimes the viability of the entire project comes into question, as when you discover that there are a whole slew of other startups trying to solve the same problem as you, all of them further along than you are!I wonder if sometimes it's worth ignoring the extra information entirely, and solving a simpler version of the problem instead? The extra information might not even be relevant if the project doesn't expand in that particular direction. EDIT: this doesn't apply as easily to the situation where you discover your competition...Does anyone else experience these moments, and what have you learned from them?UPDATE: added axes/legend to graph

4

19

2007-08-24 08:25:26 UTC

46,115

46,113

bosshog

Old school Facebook interview.

bosshog

just to give encouragement to all budding hackers out there...Take a simple idea, execute well, and have belief

null

0

2

2007-08-24 08:35:27 UTC

46,116

45,698

IgorCarron

Holding a program in one's head

eposts

Paul, There is also another issue that seems to be overlooked, people create their own disruption. When I wrote about Gloria Mark's finding on working spheres ( http://nuit-blanche.blogspot.com/2006/07/designing-collabora... ) I was surprised of that finding as it would seem counterproductive to the need to having to load up the "code" in the brain's RAM. Another explanation is that what she described is a typical cubicle/large organization workflow that would be counterproduictive to the Hacker's brain (replace hacker by researcher and you have the same symptoms).Igor.

null

23

142

2007-08-24 08:58:19 UTC

46,117

45,698

rms

Holding a program in one's head

eposts

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_memory

null

55

142

2007-08-24 09:08:25 UTC

46,118

46,113

rms

Old school Facebook interview.

bosshog

This is great, thanks.

null

1

2

2007-08-24 09:09:37 UTC

46,120

46,007

palish

Is anyone making something women want?

aswanson

Well, I was going to mention http://www.shoutfit.com .. but they appear down.

Not being sexist, but they seem to -want- more than us, and walking into any shopping area seems to confirm that vendors know this. My problem is that from a tech standpoint, it's hard to gauge what a viable need for them is.

4

17

2007-08-24 09:17:12 UTC

46,129

46,007

jward

Is anyone making something women want?

aswanson

I was on a first date the other week and was explaining some of my ideas and the lady I was with nearly wet herself with excitement telling me about a webapp she'd love to have. After thinking about it and asking a few other women I know, I'm going to start working on it and apply to YC with it.Most every idea I came up with seems like someone else has already done. This one... I spent two days searching and found nothing comparable.

Not being sexist, but they seem to -want- more than us, and walking into any shopping area seems to confirm that vendors know this. My problem is that from a tech standpoint, it's hard to gauge what a viable need for them is.

0

17

2007-08-24 10:13:36 UTC

46,134

45,698

peterwiseman

Holding a program in one's head

eposts

I must say I recognice all the elements here and I have been working almost exact this way since I started in 1982. I will say the key element is thinking in visual terms, or to visualize the problem and solution. However, just a tip - I discovered two useful tools that helps me now that my memory is getting weaker (from the age? :) ). A dictaphone and a white-board, The dictaphone allows me to record ideas, snippets, reminders and such, even pratice presentations. This is very useful as I don't have to write it down anywhere. I also use a white-board to draw either bigger lines to confirm my idea, or write down details to have them displayed in front of me at all time so that I don't forget important, but perhaps subtle parts. Just my 2 cents. Thanks to mr. Graham for an excellent essay!

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11

142

2007-08-24 11:14:43 UTC

46,137

46,127

jsjenkins168

https is not supported at news.yc

terpua

Why would this site need to use SSL? Everything you post is public anyway.

null

0

1

2007-08-24 11:50:22 UTC

46,141

46,088

pg

Gaping hole found in universe

rms

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46023

null

0

2

2007-08-24 12:00:35 UTC

46,146

45,644

staunch

How To: Make a Laser Espionage Microphone

kkim

Foggy memory, but either the CIA or KGB embedded tiny prisms in embassy window(s) so it was easy to capture the reflection. Without the prism it seems like this would be a real pain.Here's another awesome way to pick up sound covertly: http://www.nsa.gov/museum/museu00029.cfmI'd love to see some instructions how to do that easily. I'd love to try it.

null

0

12

2007-08-24 12:30:34 UTC

46,147

46,136

eposts

Sun's ticker symbol: SUNW -> JAVA

davidw

First it was the "we are the dot in dotcom", now this :(.

null

4

19

2007-08-24 12:37:06 UTC

46,150

45,698

mojuba

Holding a program in one's head

eposts

I think some high-class programmers don't really need to rewrite code to understand the system or to make changes in it. High-class programmers usually put minimal effort to achieve maximum result.

null

63

142

2007-08-24 12:44:51 UTC

46,153

46,095

Goladus

When I Worked at Google...

soundsop

Results 1 - 10 of about 1,280 for "when i worked at denny's"

null

1

8

2007-08-24 12:53:15 UTC

46,155

46,136

mattculbreth

Sun's ticker symbol: SUNW -> JAVA

davidw

How bizarre. Java is (however widely deployed or well engineered) passe at this point. Why try to completely associate with something that was hot 10 years ago?

null

0

19

2007-08-24 13:18:31 UTC

46,158

46,007

german

Is anyone making something women want?

aswanson

Well, I think that a webapp should be suited for anyone unless it was created for a specific group of people. About women... I'm a man, and as any man should know, It's almost impossible to understand a woman, so asking a lot of women about your new project sounds like a good Idea to me.

Not being sexist, but they seem to -want- more than us, and walking into any shopping area seems to confirm that vendors know this. My problem is that from a tech standpoint, it's hard to gauge what a viable need for them is.

3

17

2007-08-24 13:38:09 UTC

46,163

45,698

sammyo

Holding a program in one's head

eposts

One missing point: preparationI've been trying to get into a small program I need to write and am a bit stuck. After glancing at the (great) list in the article and realizing I can roughly control most of those elements, I think 'now why am I still stuck'? Oh I need to get this data structure from X, how to call that sub element from Y. Grunt work, yet details that easily fit into gaps between all the other various day to day distractions. So get all the junk together before that 12-36 hour marathon.

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26

142

2007-08-24 13:50:08 UTC

46,167

46,024

steveplace

What should a striving non-programmer do?

xzibitendo

Great resource for some skillset learning:http://ocw.mit.edu

I have all of these ideas for a startup burning inside me, but with no real programming skills and no partner (yet) I feel trapped. Is it worth my time to teach myself programming? Any advice would be great.

16

23

2007-08-24 13:59:44 UTC

46,171

46,007

skippybosco

Is anyone making something women want?

aswanson

So what you are saying is that you are having a hard time understanding women's needs? ;-)Since you asked, our company is in stealth mode on a product geared specifically for women (not a shopping, dating/rating, community or gossip site).. each demographic has their special needs, we're attempting to address those needs.. I do agree that a web app should be built for anyone. We are building in flexibility, for example, for the significant other of a female to gain value from the app as well..

Not being sexist, but they seem to -want- more than us, and walking into any shopping area seems to confirm that vendors know this. My problem is that from a tech standpoint, it's hard to gauge what a viable need for them is.

5

17

2007-08-24 14:17:34 UTC

46,173

46,039

greendestiny

PG's Rarely Asked Questions (never seen this one before)

vlad

Teaching's a subject close to my heart so I appreciated the points on good teaching. I think an underlying characteristic of high standards and passion is an actual insight into the subject. One of the most valuable things a teacher can provide other than an a quality assessment is a critical understanding of the student's work.Teachers of the younger grades are actually quite good at this, and can gain quite a lot of insight into the childs mental model and development from their work. I guess it's easier because the work is less original at that age.

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0

18

2007-08-24 14:22:17 UTC

46,174

45,698

sdk

Holding a program in one's head

eposts

Most of this appears to be old coder wisdom and I fully agree with it. However, there is one point I am at odds with. I dislike code ownership and I think a small team of good people should be encouraged to review and rewrite any portion of the system they deem needs it. As Paul suggests, rewriting is core to understanding. Allowing and encouraging team members to rewrite improves both understanding and code. I realize this isn't old coder wisdom but I believe it is critical to making a small team behave more closely to the ideal of a single programmer.-sdk

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142

2007-08-24 14:25:47 UTC

46,177

45,616

wavell2003

How do you brainstorm for ideas for products?

dawie

The Medici Effect by Frans Johansson has some good studies on brainstorming in groups. He cites studies that say that the #1 barrier to innovation in brainstorming is 'blocking'. Blocking occurs when one person interrupts others, mid-idea. So in order to get the combination of good ideas without blocking, all one needs to do is have a piece of paper per participant, and then one extra piece in the center of a table. Then each participant just writes down one idea (the idea should be on a focused cause ie ideas on fighting spam) and then exchanges his paper with the one in the middle. Then as a participant reads his new sheet, he tries to improve on the idea(s) that are already on the paper before adding a brand new idea. I've tried this and it works for us.

I recently found a co-founder and we are going to build a product. We are going to start brainstorming product ideas soon and I was wondering how the YC readers came up with their ideas.

3

10

2007-08-24 14:41:08 UTC

46,178

46,007

falsestprophet

Is anyone making something women want?

aswanson

a computer in every kitchen!

Not being sexist, but they seem to -want- more than us, and walking into any shopping area seems to confirm that vendors know this. My problem is that from a tech standpoint, it's hard to gauge what a viable need for them is.

10

17

2007-08-24 14:43:26 UTC

46,182

46,165

mynameishere

"I'll eat my hat if that isn't Einstein" (Einstein as seen by another scientist, Norbert Wiener)

hhm

Personally he is simple, direct, unaffected and rather winning. His enormous intellectual energy, his clear vision and sense of physical reality, and his enthusiasm strike the most casual observer. He is aware of his great position, but not in the least conceited. He does not expect relativity in its present form to last many decades, and hopes that further work will soon go beyond it.A good example of how received opinions can effect our assessments of people. Had Einstein been an important but un-famous scientist, no one would ever write shmaltz like that about him on a casual meeting.

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16

2007-08-24 14:45:51 UTC

46,185

46,024

ph0rque

What should a striving non-programmer do?

xzibitendo

I was in the same position as you literally two months ago. Since then, I've brushed up on HTML, learned CSS and Javascript (somewhat), and am learning Ruby on/for Rails. In retrospect, I would learn RoR concurrently with the others.I would definitely advise you to learn some programming, since even if you find a partner, he/she may not have the same drive or take on problems that you do. Knowing a little bit about hacking, even as an amateur, will enable you to go further than you would otherwise.

I have all of these ideas for a startup burning inside me, but with no real programming skills and no partner (yet) I feel trapped. Is it worth my time to teach myself programming? Any advice would be great.

3

23

2007-08-24 14:54:08 UTC

46,187

46,024

rokhayakebe

What should a striving non-programmer do?

xzibitendo

Coding is a lifestyle. You can learn how to code. Anyone can. But by the time you have learned enough to build your idea, it will have become obsolete. get a co-founder maybe or hire a firm to do the work for you and take it from there. You are less likely to succeed, but at least you will not sit down some day and say "I should have tried". Take it from a suit.

I have all of these ideas for a startup burning inside me, but with no real programming skills and no partner (yet) I feel trapped. Is it worth my time to teach myself programming? Any advice would be great.

18

23

2007-08-24 15:10:49 UTC

46,188

46,156

german

Hilarious Geeky song - Finite Simple Group of Order Two

Keios

hahaha, nice one. I can recommend you another hilarious song video, tell me if you liked it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM

Hilarious.

0

4

2007-08-24 15:11:08 UTC

46,189

46,133

ctkrohn

Subprime Fallout Could Help Venture Capitalists

dpapathanasiou

I'm not sure this is a great comparison. Many of the holders of subprime mortgage securities were mutual, hedge, and pension funds that focused on these securities by choice or by law. Even if they wanted to switch their investments to tech, it's a totally unrelated area in which many of these firms have zero expertise. Finally, many pension funds and mutual funds are required to hold securities with a certain credit rating... I imagine it's fairly rare to find new tech companies with investment-grade credit.To be sure, there are going to be some investors pulling their money out of subprime and looking in other places. But tech is just one of those places. You could just as easily say that the subprime collapse will help Japanese equities or European corporate bonds.

null

0

12

2007-08-24 15:12:05 UTC

46,198

46,039

miannini

PG's Rarely Asked Questions (never seen this one before)

vlad

A great teacher makes the complex simple. A great teacher inspires students first, provokes them to think second, and lastly imparts information!

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18

2007-08-24 15:30:58 UTC

46,199

46,195

bmaier

Mark Cuban: The internet is 'dead and boring'

nickb

I don't think Mark knows how to make a point without making a polarizing comment. Of course, it is one of the reasons he is famous, so whether his off-the-cuff remarks help him or hurt him is open to interpretation.

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0

5

2007-08-24 15:33:20 UTC

46,202

46,024

snorkel

What should a striving non-programmer do?

xzibitendo

Start by drawing your ideas on paper in detail. You don't have to be an artist because it's not going in a museum. If you are thinking of making a web site then draw it on paper, page by page. Describe exactly what happens when user clicks each part of the page. Every page, including the login page and about page. Every single page, every single clickable thing, draw it and label it. The more detail the better. You should have enough detail on those pages to be able to hand to someone without saying a word and they will be able to read it and understand it. That level of detail.Then pay a web designer a few hundred dollars to turn your pages into a static mockup. Static meaning it doesn't actually work yet, you can't login and do stuff, you just look at it. It's just HTML and graphics. It's a facade.Next you can either pay programmer anywhere from a few hundred to few thousand dollars and wait 3 months for them to build the functionality behind the facade or you go learn HTML, javascript, ajax, and PHP (the easiest programming language for novice web devs) and build it yourself.

I have all of these ideas for a startup burning inside me, but with no real programming skills and no partner (yet) I feel trapped. Is it worth my time to teach myself programming? Any advice would be great.

4

23

2007-08-24 15:33:44 UTC

46,204

46,135

gojomo

Rise of the wikicrats

davidw

So many startups gunning for Google; perhaps some should be gunning for Wikipedia -- which I love but seems at risk of retreating into paranoid orthodoxy in response to scaling and spamming threats.

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18

2007-08-24 15:35:26 UTC

46,207

46,136

sethg

Sun's ticker symbol: SUNW -> JAVA

davidw

I am strangely reminded of an academic paper that came out, shortly before the (first) dot-com bubble popped, reporting that even after controlling for all sorts of other factors, companies saw their stock value go up after appending ".com" to their names.Also, of VA Linux, which went public with the ticker symbol LNUX, decided they didn't want to be distributing Linux hardware after all, and changed their ticker symbol to, umm, something I don't remember. (Disclaimer: I used to own stock in LNUX.)

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19

2007-08-24 15:39:10 UTC

46,208

46,107

tocomment

Startup Wiki, sponsored by Y Combinator, powered by Infogami

rms

I thought infogami was dead. I say this because I had a wiki there for a year and some of the features weren't working. I tried to contact their support emails about 5 times and never heard anything.

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0

5

2007-08-24 15:43:13 UTC