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Show HN: HN Notify.xyz – Subscribe to Your HN Replies - jermaustin1
https://hnnotify.xyz/
======
udkl
At this point it feels like notifications for reply activity should be a
default feature of HN.
Not having notifications causes abrupt ends of discussions because the author
didn't realize a reply was posted.
Reply notifications furthers the goal of HN as a discussion forum.
~~~
demarq
Nah, I think that it's important that people don't get to invested into their
comments. That's how flamewars keep going.
I care mostly about the general conversation here than that one comment I made
yesterday afternoon
~~~
helpPeople
I'm the other way. I don't trust the users here to be real or not vote manip.
Top comments are most dangerous.
The heart of discussion can be found in the details, not the surface.
------
jermaustin1
Just add your email (or a fake one, I don't care, just not one that bounces
please), and a username you want to follow the replies for (yours, mine, pg,
dang, it doesn't matter, and I don't care!).
This is a complete rewrite of the previous service I built for this. I had
started this rewrite over a year ago, but due to family troubles I had to put
it on hold.
I wrote the original HNNotify.xyz to once an hour crawl the API for your
replies and email you if it found any. This was a terrible approach and led to
a lot of issues. But that is how it has been running for well, ever.
This rewrite uses a database I feed with my API crawler. It's a lot more
stable, and the query to find replies takes milliseconds instead of minutes.
------
plibither8
A service like this already exists:
[https://hnreplies.com/](https://hnreplies.com/) and I've been using it for
quite some time now - no issues faced till now.
The only difference is that hnnotify.xyz notifies you on comments to your
_submissions_ too.
~~~
goblin89
I’ve been using HN Replies for years and have nothing to say against it.
Clean, only minimal functionality, delivery is prompt—kudos to maintainer.
~~~
Amorymeltzer
That's dangrossman[1] and indeed, it's perfect.
1:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=dangrossman](https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=dangrossman)
------
crisbal_
Beware, since your main div has the "newsletter-subscribe" class, it gets
gidden by uBlock Origin and the website is unusable.
~~~
jermaustin1
Well that's no good. I will have to fix that when I get home this afternoon.
------
azhenley
I’ve been using the old version since you first posted it on Show HN over a
year (two years?) ago.
Thanks! I especially like the new email formatting.
~~~
jermaustin1
Thanks buddy. Also thanks for being my beta tester!
------
pgt
In “Building Communities with Software” (2004), Spolsky writes:
“Q. Could you make a feature where I check a box that says “email me if
somebody replies to my post?”
A. This one feature, so easy to implement and thus so tempting to programmers,
is the best way to kill dead any young forum. Implement this feature and you
may never get to critical mass. Philip Greenspun’s LUSENET has this feature
and you can watch it sapping the life out of young discussion groups.”
[https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2003/03/03/building-
communiti...](https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2003/03/03/building-communities-
with-software/)
~~~
azhenley
His rationale as to _why_ :
“If you offer the “notify me” checkbox, these people will post their question,
check the box, and never come back. They’ll just read the replies in their
mailbox. The end. If you eliminate the checkbox, people are left with no
choice but to check back every once in a while. And while they’re checking
back, they might read another post which looks interesting. And they might
have something to contribute to that post.”
~~~
gremlinsinc
Have a browser push notification that truncates the message...so they still
get a notification but have to visit to see the full reply.
------
kbumsik
Since it's Show HN it will be nice if there is any technical details provided.
So how is it implemented, does it use APIs from HN?
~~~
jermaustin1
It's an ASP.net core website. I have a 3 droplets powering it $5 for web, $5
for utilities, and a $25 droplet for the HN Api crawler.
My API crawler is an C# console app that just increments the last crawled item
until it gets a 404 then sleeps for 60 seconds. I currently have just over 3GB
of data from the API.
~~~
rapfaria
Are you crawling firebase or algolia?
~~~
jermaustin1
Firebase
~~~
rapfaria
Than you could crawl up to the maxitem instead of relying on 404
[https://hacker-
news.firebaseio.com/v0/maxitem.json?print=pre...](https://hacker-
news.firebaseio.com/v0/maxitem.json?print=pretty)
------
franciscop
> We will only email you notifications about your HN profile and new features.
AFAIK I should need to have a checkbox for that (IANAL). Is there a working
"Unsubscribe" button in the emails? I'm very interested on this, but more
interested in keeping my inbox clean-ish
Edit: tone
~~~
jermaustin1
Every email has an unsubscribe, but you are literally signing up for
notifications. If you don't check it, you'd get no notification.
~~~
franciscop
Oh yeah, notifications about new comments are fine (the whole point). I'm
curious about new features emails. Once every 6-12 months would be totally
fine, weekly updates not really :)
~~~
jermaustin1
I can tell you. In 2 years of running the previous version of this, i emailed
the hundreds of users a total of 0 times.
I will email the old users for the first time later today once I migrate their
accounts to the new platform.
------
shubidubi
nice! i had this idea in mind for a while but didn't see how to monetize it :)
glad someone did it.
> We collect every new submission and comment from Hacker News, and once every
> 5 minutes or so (assuming I don't break something).
nit - you should decide if your tone is "we" or "I".
edit: another idea would be to add notifications for upvote/downvote you get.
it's harder to implement so maybe just when your score changes...
edit2: why downvote? ️
~~~
jermaustin1
We is my company. I is me, the developer. I realize it might be confusing,
I'll have my editor look at it.
------
thescribbblr
This is what I was thinking to build today. Awesome to see it has been built
by @jermaustin.nice concept!
------
vzaliva
It should be an RSS feed.
~~~
jermaustin1
That's an idea. And cheaper than sending emails.
------
HNLurker2
Testing, testing
~~~
udkl
Test.
~~~
azhenley
Test! Looks like notification emails have a ~10 minute delay and are done in
batches.
~~~
udkl
Hnreplies is faster.... within a minute or two ...
~~~
azhenley
I would prefer it be even slower. I was going to suggest making it
configurable per user. I don't want my email blowing up or for it to turn into
FB or Discord notifications (i.e., constant).
~~~
gremlinsinc
Would be nice if HNReplies did a daily digest or something.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
PyPy.js Update: A Proof-of-Concept JIT - philipn
http://www.rfk.id.au/blog/entry/pypy-js-poc-jit/
======
philipn
If an admin could update the URL to point to
[http://www.rfk.id.au/blog/entry/pypy-js-poc-
jit/](http://www.rfk.id.au/blog/entry/pypy-js-poc-jit/) (w/o the anchor) that
would be awesome!
------
Twirrim
The javascript engines (spidermonkey, v8 et. al.) have undergone a terrific
amount of work optimising the performance of the VM over the past several
years.
Unless I'm thinking about this all wrong, doesn't this just show that
spidermonkey currently does a bad job of optimising asm.js (or at least the
type of asm.js produced by non-JIT PyPy.js)
~~~
kevingadd
I suppose? Define 'bad job' \- asm.js is super new and it's a very low level
representation of an application. From what I know about it (and my experience
trying to produce optimal jitted JS without using asm.js at runtime), it's
very easy to produce valid, fast-looking JS that turns out to run really slow.
A lot of the problems here require global optimization - thinking about high
level dataflow, object shapes, types, etc. asm.js eliminates some of those
problems, but not all of them - if you bounce between integer and float a lot
that will cost you more in asm.js, if you miss cache and branch mispredict a
lot that will cost you more in asm.js, etc. A lot of the optimizations you get
'for free' in a normal JS environment aren't meaningful for asm.js, so you may
have to do a lot more work in your compiler (or in this case, JIT) to hand it
code that is already high quality.
For example, let's say you've got a variable that bounces between containing a
float, an integer, and null. In normal circumstances, Spidermonkey and v8 may
be able to do clever things like using type information to determine that it's
safe to always store that variable as a given type, and remove that
optimization the moment an int or null is written to it. There are also tricks
like nanboxing, where you pack smaller types into doubles by utilizing quirks
in the IEEE format - meaning that the runtime can just allocate 64-bit slots
for everything, instead of having to allocate room for a type tag + the
largest possible type.
In asm.js, you need to figure all that stuff out yourself, and do it up front
in your compiler (or JIT). It expects you to have all your types figured out
so if you hand it the naive solution for that problem (type tag, largest
possible type) you will end up using more memory and potentially paying higher
costs from always checking the tag and always copying the whole thing, where a
more dynamic runtime would be able to do on-the-fly optimizations based on
observations about your code. It's a trade-off.
One other area where this can come up is virtual calls. Virtual calls are
incredibly pervasive in languages like Java and C#, to the extent that HotSpot
and the CLR actually do very clever dynamic optimizations on virtual calls
(and interfaces, in the C# case) that can outperform equivalent patterns in
native code. This doesn't mean that overall Java or C# deliver better
performance - they don't - but this is one of the strengths you get from a
tightly integrated JIT and language definition. At present, at least, this
sort of optimization is also outside the domain of asm.js - it's an AOT
compiler, not a recompiling JIT, so it's not going to do any magic to make
your virtual calls and other pointer indirection any faster.
~~~
Twirrim
That makes a lot of sense, thank you :)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
It’s OK to Feel Ambivalent About Your Children - jkuria
https://www.wsj.com/articles/its-okay-to-feel-ambivalent-about-your-children-11561109407?mod=rsswn
======
oblib
Wow... I cannot imagine feeling like I didn't want my children around so I
could be having more fun, or "children that he feels he likes better".
It's not OK to feel ambivalent about your children. In truth it is about
selfish as one can be.
"Among fathers I see, I’ve noticed they’re more irritable, they’re down about
the fact that child rearing just feels so challenging..."
Wow! Pure selfishness. My 1st wife had to be committed to a psyche ward after
losing our 2nd child at birth just 14 months after our first was born. This
meant I had to fill her shoes and become a "Mom" too for our daughter. Now
that was challenging.
So, no apologies when I say that sounds like the wimpy whining of spoiled
children that've never grown up and still don't want to.
------
DiseasedBadger
Let me guess: another stimulating screed from a leftist author who thinks
normal are crazy for calling them inhuman?
What is wrong with people? There is NOTHING more fundamentally human than
loving your children!
~~~
dang
Can you please not post ideological rants to HN? Those just lead to even
lower-quality comments, and we're trying to go the opposite way here.
[https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html](https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
HTML5 video needs DRM - jasonshah1233
http://www.jasonshah.com/html5-video-needs-drm/
======
lmm
Dumb argument. With SSL the bank has control of its own key, and can keep it
secret or publish it, and you have control of your own key. You both conform
to the open SSL standard, you both control your own software, and you can both
fix bugs in the software you use. (No, you can't fix bugs in the bank's
software, and they can't fix bugs in your software. That's perfectly
sensible).
With DRM someone is keeping your video and worse, the code running on your
computer, secret from you. If it has bugs, you can't fix them. So no, I'm
afraid all DRM really is bad.
~~~
jasonshah1233
"With DRM someone is keeping... the code running on your computer, secret from
you."
Yet, Netflix open sources the code[1].
[1][http://techblog.netflix.com/2013/07/nfwebcrypto-web-
cryptogr...](http://techblog.netflix.com/2013/07/nfwebcrypto-web-cryptography-
api-native.html)
------
jzs
Really dumb argument indeed.
DRM is evil. DRM is not made for the user but for companies that tries to
protect an outdated business model. DRM is certainly a technology that should
never make it to the HTML5 standard.
You write that not all DRM is bad. Can you come up with an example where DRM
is "not bad"? I can come up with plenty of bad examples that hurts legit users
more than the users that finds their way around the DRM.
------
wmf
_Content producers will have to continue to rely on expensive, private video
technology /DRM stacks such as Microsoft Silverlight and Adobe Media Server._
Whereas with EME you'll have to license PlayReady _and_ Widevine _and_ maybe
FairPlay.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Screedbot - make your own scrolling typewriter text (powered by Common Lisp) - tomh
http://wigflip.com/screedbot/
======
zachbeane
For the curious, this is Common Lisp from end to end.
Web serving by Hunchentoot.
TrueType font parsing/loading by ZPB-TTF.
Curve rasterization by Vecto (which uses CL-VECTORS).
GIF animation by Skippy.
Geometry and layout are application-specific, not part of any released library
yet.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
PolyBrowser, a new way to browse the web - X-combinator
https://polybrowser.com/
======
maxharris
This is interesting, but these guys need to hire a designer!
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Browser performance comparison (2009) - haxplorer
http://sixrevisions.com/infographs/browser-performance/
======
niyazpk
Keep in mind that this is from Oct 2009.
~~~
steadicat
Yeah. A lot has changed since then. Opera 10.5 has a new JavaScript engine
said to be as fast as V8, plus other performance improvements.
------
metamemetics
outdated benchmark. Opera javascript is _substantially_ faster now
------
_flag
How is it possible that Chrome is quicker than Firefox in every respect except
for page load time? Isn't page load time just a cumulative result of all the
other categories?
~~~
tgandrews
I guess the page load is tested by loading a blank page and therefore just
testing the networking stuff and not the rendering, javascript, etc.
~~~
ZeroGravitas
It's a test of loading yahoo.com, not a blank page.
------
cstuder
'comaprison' is a funny word. I think you meant to type 'comparison' in the
title though.
~~~
haxplorer
:) yeah. Thanks editors for changing it
------
c0d3c
note: all tests run on windows. should include a test on mac os x.
~~~
aw3c2
And Linux, the hacker's OS.
------
groaner
With the exception of narrowly beating out Safari on cache speed, IE is last
in every category. Heh.
------
cookiecaper
I just retested Firefox v. Chromium on Sunspider and Chromium is still more
than 2x faster. Really disappointing. Mozilla really needs to step it up on
the performance if they want to keep Firefox relevant.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Linux 5.2 Is Introducing the Fieldbus Subsystem - eaguyhn
https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Linux-5.2-Fieldbus-Subsystem
======
neals
Did a computer write this "article"?
~~~
unmole
Welcome to Phoronix!
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
The 11 (inch MacBook Air that is) - showngo
http://brooksreview.net/2010/10/the-11/
======
iuguy
I couldn't understand why the iPad would be so popular. It always seemed to be
ideal for some use cases but perhaps 70-80% of the way there for the majority.
The 11" Macbook Airs initially I thought, "Wait, you want me to pay $1000 for
a netbook?" - Then I tried one and found that although it had 2Gb of RAM it
didn't _feel_ underpowered. It should've done, but it didn't. I don't normally
like netbooks, particularly the keyboard and mouse but found the 11" to be
fine, not unlike the wireless mac keyboard I'm typing this on now.
I use a big chunky, awesome powerhorse of a Dell XPSM1530 for my day to day
work, so having a separate machine for personal use isn't an option. It is
with the new Macbook Air. I guess I'm a fairly fringe use case, but it strikes
a chord with me. I'm still sceptical about the 2Gb of RAM, if there was a 4Gb
model I'd seriously consider it. I'm also keen to see how Lion performs on it
before I consider it, especially when it's due round the corner.
If Lion runs well, there's a 4Gb RAM option later down the line and it stays
the same weight and thickness I'd consider it. I never travel with a laptop on
personal trips and I miss that (as I used to before I started Mandalorian).
The Macbook Air would let me do that again without penalising me for
travelling on work trips with it and my work laptop. For me, that's what $1000
is worth - helping me separate my work from personal life, but keep the tech
on my terms.
~~~
MaysonL
You can order it with 4 GB RAM, but it isn't user expandable.
~~~
iuguy
Oh boy do I feel daft. Not seeing it for offer I foolishly assumed otherwise.
Doh!
I guess it's a case of wait for Lion and see what optimisations there are
then.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Images to Text – Toronto Deep Learning Demos - benanne
http://deeplearning.cs.toronto.edu/i2t
======
JacobEdelman
Looks amazing. The fact that its just returns the "Cannot connect to server of
image2text models" makes me very sad.
------
YoukaiCountry
So far I keep getting the error "Cannot connect to server of image2text
models"
Anyone having any luck?
~~~
bootynuke
I think it must be getting slammed; I was able to get a couple of descriptions
out of it, but that was balanced by probably 2 times as many instances of the
above error.
------
finin
[http://www.skunkieacres.com/images/rabbit_box.jpg](http://www.skunkieacres.com/images/rabbit_box.jpg)
A picture of a rabbit in a wooden box => "a cat looking into a bin full of
apples"
Mistaking a rabbit for a cat is not too bad. A bin is like a box, I suppose.
I'm not sure where the apples came from.
~~~
thomasahle
Perhaps it's been trained with pictures of apples in boxes...
------
tly_alex
Rekognition API released similar image to text API and it's much more reliable
than this. At least the demo works smooth and response fast.
[https://rekognition.com/demo/concept](https://rekognition.com/demo/concept)
~~~
teraflop
Even leaving aside the reliability issue (which can be chalked up to the fact
that this one is a demo of a non-commercial project that got overloaded),
you're comparing two entirely different things.
Check out the "static demo" pages, e.g.
[http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~nitish/nips2014demo/results/79133...](http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~nitish/nips2014demo/results/791338571.html)
For this image, the University of Toronto software generates sentences like "a
cow is standing in the grass by a car", whereas Rekognition only produces a
ranked list of categories. ("sports_car", "car_wheel", etc.)
EDIT: this is an even better example:
[http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~nitish/nips2014demo/results/89407...](http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~nitish/nips2014demo/results/89407459.html)
I'm cherry-picking the cases where the algorithm does well, of course. But
even if it's unreliable, the fact that this works at all is impressive.
~~~
modeless
The errors are fascinating. "a cow and a car are looking at the camera." "a
band plays a group of music [...]". You could almost call them metaphors
instead of errors.
~~~
vonnik
what a lovely way of thinking about it.
------
tonydiv
We are using this research to help people learn languages in VR.
Take a look here: [http://learnimmersive.com](http://learnimmersive.com)
------
CardinalAgnelo
Doesn't look to be designed for a lot of traffic, be gentle.
------
misiti3780
Very cool:
Comment: If you click on source code right now it gives me to javascript
alerts that were trying to print out JSON objects.
------
vonnik
I'm curious to hear how much this is read as a sign of strong AI.
------
cmyr
My brief survey suggests that their training sample did not include very much
hardcore pornography.
"a man and a girl are learning to play with a small pool", while poetic, is a
stretch in this case.
~~~
JacobEdelman
Already after 1 hour of this being posted on hn... Reminders abound of how
evolution only made us good tool makers to help us to reproduce more.
~~~
dzordzduan
This is why I love hn.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Apollo Client 1.0: A flexible, community-focused JavaScript GraphQL client - djmashko2
https://dev-blog.apollodata.com/apollo-client-1-0-a-flexible-community-focused-javascript-graphql-client-2253b90e6c84
======
brentvatne
We use Apollo for the [http://expo.io/](http://expo.io/) client and have found
it to be extremely pleasant to use. I love how flexible it is too -- you can
use it for weird things like building an ORM layer for SQLite. For example:
[https://github.com/brentvatne/apollo-sqlite-
experiment/blob/...](https://github.com/brentvatne/apollo-sqlite-
experiment/blob/master/src/App.js) \-- the queries here go through a custom
NetworkInterface which use a pretty simple graphql resolver
([https://github.com/brentvatne/apollo-sqlite-
experiment/blob/...](https://github.com/brentvatne/apollo-sqlite-
experiment/blob/master/src/resolver.js)) built on graphql-anywhere to pull the
data out of the DB.
~~~
dullgiulio
What is the expo.io client? The site you linked has a broken certificate and
then just replies "default backend - 404".
~~~
koko775
Works fine for me. Check your computer for viruses.
~~~
vog
This comment is an interesting instance of Poe's law.
------
rattray
It's been a bit, but I found the ergonomics and flexibility of Apollo to be
miles ahead of Relay.
I also found it fairly straightforward to set up Server Side Rendering (SSR).
My example is at [https://github.com/rattrayalex/isomorphic-react-relay-
router...](https://github.com/rattrayalex/isomorphic-react-relay-router-
koa/blob/master/frontend/server.js) if it helps anyone, though it's a year out
of date.
EDIT: A more up-to-date example at [https://github.com/rattrayalex/django-
graphql-react-ssr/blob...](https://github.com/rattrayalex/django-graphql-
react-ssr/blob/master/frontend/koa-apollo-redux-react-ssr/index.js) – meant to
open-source it as a simple SSR lib.
~~~
underwater
Interesting. I haven't used Apollo in production. Are there specific things
(apart from mutations!) that it makes easier?
~~~
crucialfelix
Mutations are much simpler. Cache updating is flexible and easily customised.
They have subscriptions and polling. Fetch More for pagination. Generally
clear and flexible to work with
------
jfaucett
I've just started working on a graphql project now and from the frontend
perspective its phenomenally better than a rest api. The backend side of
things is also pretty simple so I'm really enjoying it.
With Rest APIs there's always the problem (with numerous solutions) of how you
select the particular fields and how you nest and or do not nest the resources
in the api. With GraphQL this is more or less a non-issue - the client just
requests want he wants and gets it back if he's allowed access to it.
I know GraphQL has been around for a while but this has been my first full go
with it and I could easily forsee it doing to REST what REST did to SOAP - at
least for the use case of building frontend clients that consume some api.
~~~
treve
I'm kind of hoping that nesting resources becomes a non-issue in the future
once HTTP/2 is widespread. Ideally you don't ever nest resources. With HTTP/2
the overhead of additional requests can be significantly lower, and you get
the benefit of using client cache.
This becomes pretty powerful once cache digests land, so a HTTP/2 REST service
can just proactively push only the resources to the client that it has an (up-
to-date) copy of.
Nesting resources is a bit of an anti-pattern imho, and the solution looks bad
because it's a poor fit in the protocol.
Of course, all of this is a bit of a moot point if you don't believe in
addressable/linkable resources as a good solution. If you're not
doing/believing in hypermedia in REST, you're much better off with something
like GraphQL because it provides a very complete solution. You just need a ton
of domain knowledge to be successful at proper REST.
~~~
strken
HTTP/2 doesn't fix the problem of loading data dependencies over a connection
with a noticeable round trip latency. Even with server push, you need some way
of defining what is to be pushed.
As a very contrived example, one page might show users who have access to
servers in availability zones in aws regions. With an unnested rest api doing
nothing intelligent with server push over a 250ms round trip, you're looking
at a second of overhead just for sending ids back and forth.
Of course, there are ways of defining inclusion that are closer to restful
than graphql is.
~~~
tiglionabbit
Falcor sort of solves this by allowing you to communicate "references" in the
graph. For example, it might inform you that users.52.friends.1 is actually
users.45, so the client will cache it at that location instead.
This is less complicated than GraphQL's solution of using the Relay Node
interface.
~~~
strken
Relay and GraphQL aren't the same beast. One of the reasons to choose Apollo
is to avoid the extra complications which Relay adds.
------
daliwali
This is not a knock on Apollo in particular, but I am wholly underwhelmed by
what gets hyped up in this industry. There isn't anything novel here. A new
generation of programmers rediscovers Remote Procedure Call (they call them
mutations), schemas (NoSQL was so last year), and various older concepts and
rehashes it while putting down a strawman they claim is Representational State
Transfer (which if they read the thesis, they would realize that their
concerns are nitty gritty details which are only tangentially related to the
architecture described).
Also the community-focused angle is disingenuous. It's backed by venture
capital of the Meteor Development Group and based upon a single vendor
specification, GraphQL by Facebook.
~~~
ultimatejs
Many great open source products have huge commercial backers--the important
thing is that there is a community, which is in fact very true with Apollo.
I get what you're saying and I'm sure there is lots of truth to it--that
doesn't make what's going on now the best to ever do it (i.e. the fastest way
to produce the most meaningful user experiences). If it wasn't the case, we'd
be doing remote procedure calls in C or whatever.
Bottom line: ur point is one that should be heard, but there's a way more
value could be added in how you present it.
------
eclypse
GraphQL and Apollo literally saved our app. Before we made the switch, we were
plagued with issues from other providers such as technology stack
compatibility issues, queries making issues and more.
We actually made the decision to switch to GraphQL 1.5 weeks prior to deadline
and was able to get configuration and queries going in almost no time at all.
I know I sound like a commercial right now but it seriously was very easy to
setup and the querying learning curve was minimal.
The console is easy to use and the combination of the Playground with Mutation
Callbacks helped me to setup and test my first AWS Lambda function of which I
was able to do within 2 days and the AWS learning curve is not so easy to
absorb.
Aside from all of this, the Graphcool team was very helpful and right there
when we needed them whether on chat in the console or on Slack.
------
schickling
Huge congrats to the amazing team at Apollo! :)
We at Graphcool ([https://www.graph.cool](https://www.graph.cool)) are super
excited about this release as the majority of our customers are building their
apps with Apollo Client.
A few months back we launched Learn Apollo
([https://www.learnapollo.com/](https://www.learnapollo.com/)) here on
Hackernews which so far has helped thousands of developers to get started with
Apollo. (HN Link:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13187431](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13187431))
For people just starting out with Apollo: With tools like graphql-up
([https://www.graph.cool/graphql-up/](https://www.graph.cool/graphql-up/))
it's super easy to get a GraphQL API for your Apollo apps. We're looking
forward to contribute more to Apollo and its ecosystem going forward!
------
djmashko2
Hey, Sashko from the Apollo team here - we're excited to keep improving Apollo
Client and build more awesome tools for GraphQL development! If you're excited
about this space and want to work on open source and also commercial products
for GraphQL, we're actively hiring for a variety of positions:
[http://jobs.meteor.com/](http://jobs.meteor.com/)
~~~
lolive
Hi Sashko. I have been working a few years ago on a visual query builder for
SPARQL. (Cf datao.net) May be you can find some inspiration for visual tools
on top of graph query languages.
Cheers...
------
tcsf
Sashko and Jonas from the Apollo team were guests on JAMstack Radio this week,
it's a great primer if you're just getting into Apollo+GraphQL
[https://www.heavybit.com/library/podcasts/jamstack-
radio/ep-...](https://www.heavybit.com/library/podcasts/jamstack-
radio/ep-11-exploring-graphql-through-apollo/)
------
mparis
Congrats to the Apollo Team and contributors for all the awesome work that
went into this release. The majority of our customers at Scaphold
([https://scaphold.io](https://scaphold.io)) are using Apollo to power their
applications with amazing results.
We're excited to keep working to push the limits of GraphQL by supporting
awesome features like subscriptions, persisted queries, and much more!
If you're in SF come to meteor tonight for the GraphQL meetup and let's talk
about what's coming next.
------
pcorey
I just started diving into using Apollo client the an Elixir backend (using
Absinthe). It's an amazing combo! I look forward to more releases from the
Apollo team.
~~~
bostonvaulter2
Absinthe is pretty nice, I wish their docs were a tad bit more full-featured
(more examples, perhaps?)
------
scanr
Have really enjoyed using Apollo Client with React, Redux and Redux Saga. It
plays very well with TypeScript too.
~~~
bostonvaulter2
Interesting I'll need to look into how well the Apollo Client plays with Redux
and Redux Saga since I'm using them in my stack. I had assumed that it was
more "apollo-focused" and thus wouldn't play nice.
------
skylinezum
Using apollo with react native has been a great experience. works well with
react navigation and graph.cool as well. Only thing I would improve is the
subscription features. Feels kind like theres a lot missing in subscription to
customize depending on application. Like applyMiddleware and other hooks .
------
weeksie
I've been using GraphQL with Apollo and Absinthe/Phoenix for a civic data
gerrymandering project. Fantastic combo and everything plays well together.
Certainly looking forward to using this stack on something big and bad in the
near future.
~~~
irrigator
Interesting. I'm considering building a graphql service using Absinthe. Could
you give more information on your experience? Any difficulties?
~~~
karmajunkie
Not GP, but I've been using it for the last several months and overall its
been incredibly pleasant to work with. Bruce Williams and Ben Wilson have done
a fantastic job with the API, and they are incredibly helpful on the slack
channel. Its basically replaced Phoenix for most of my needs, which isn't a
design goal of theirs—it just works out that way.
There's a few areas the guides are a little sparse, but the API docs are
pretty solid. That will improve over a little more time. There are some areas
like returning errors to the client that are sort of roll-your-own in the
graphql community at large, but those kinds of things for me have come down to
just finding a practice that works for me and going with it. I haven't had a
chance yet to upgrade to the latest version, which supports middleware and
subscriptions, along with stuff I _think_ was already supported like
transport-level batching.
My advice if you're thinking about using it is to build out a basic set of
features with it and expand your usage—you'll find out pretty quick if you
like that modality, and apollo makes a great combo with it if you do.
------
forTheName
After much time wrestling with Apollo, I found it was much easier to use Fetch
API than use Apollo client. It took me an afternoon to roll my own client with
Fetch after several days trying to figure out why Apollo wasn't doing what I
wanted. Note we were using a .Net implementation of GraphQL on backend.
Now working with GraphQL in production, I would NOT recommend using it,
especially if security is a concern. We're now implementing persisted queries,
which means we call a query ID and return a predefined query/mutation. This
essentially turns GraphQL into something like a Rest endpoint.
GraphQL was fun to use in the building stage and did make things easier to me
as a front end developer. But as we made iterations on our schema and
application, I think GraphQL added more work because there were so many more
details to manage in the queries.
------
pedalpete
I'm about to start re-writing an api as GraphQL, I'm looking at the comments
of support for Apollo, and looking at their webpage, but I'm failing to see
what the real benefit is.
What is the problem with GraphQL that they are addressing?
~~~
jives
Apollo Client doesn't solve problems _with_ GraphQL, it provides a client
_for_ GraphQL.
~~~
pedalpete
Thanks Jives, but that still doesn't really help, does it? GraphQL from a
client side are just json requests/responses, right? Am I missing something
else?
------
crucialfelix
The Apollo extension for Chrome is also awesome. It needs to display errors
better but it is already very essential.
~~~
crucialfelix
[https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/apollo-client-
deve...](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/apollo-client-
developer-t/jdkknkkbebbapilgoeccciglkfbmbnfm)
------
rahilsondhi
I tried integrating Apollo with my Redux app a few weeks ago but found it very
confusing, so I just made my Redux app work with my GraphQL Rails backend
without Apollo.
------
yoyo44
I've used Apollo with [http://graph.cool](http://graph.cool) and it's been
pretty good so far. The folks at graph.cool are very responsive and have good
documentation - filling in holes where Apollo has been lacking. Often times if
you run into a gap or a mystery with Apollo - the graph.cool guys will answer
the question while the stackoverflow question will languish a bit.
------
zth_
I'm using Apollo with [https://www.graph.cool](https://www.graph.cool), and
for me as mainly a frontend developer, it has been absolutely great so far.
I've used both Relay and Apollo quite extensively in the past, and while both
have their pros and cons, I do enjoy working with Apollo right now. Apollo had
the added benefit of existing for several platforms in roughly the same way,
so I've had the pleasure of using Apollo with both React and Angular 2. Great
work!
I just got to plug graph.cool too for people interested in GraphQL and Apollo.
I've been using it for quite a while, and the platform has been working great.
I've been chatting quite a lot with their support (hey Nilan if you see this
;)) and they've been very helpful both in matters concerning the platform, but
also for my app and GraphQL in general. I really recommend trying it out!
------
emilrmoeller
I'm in total love with Apollo Client! I'm using it at work with a custom
graphql backend and on personal projects using
[http://graph.cool](http://graph.cool) which just rocks! I hope the community
will grow with people who use angular with apollo-angular as well.
------
Siyfion
I've been using Apollo now for the last month or so, in production and I have
to say that it's been a fantastic tool to work with. The community and the
team behind it are also second to none out there; hugely friendly and
incredibly helpful. Check out their Slack channel if you run into any issues!
------
cstrat
How awesome is the expo example on
[http://dev.apollodata.com/](http://dev.apollodata.com/) ... I just tried it
on my iPhone. Freaking amazing how well it works. Mobile app development has
come leaps and bounds from where it was a year ago.
------
Rodeoclash
Can anyone compare use of Relay + Apollo? I've used Relay extensively but
never tried Apollo.
~~~
linkmotif
+1. If anyone has tried both, please share your experience!
~~~
andrewingram
Relay has some nicer ergonomics when it comes to composing queries from
fragments for different components, and the mutation behaviour is a bit more
"magic", but both of these benefits come with some serious restrictions on
what you can do. The next version of Relay looks like it'll do away with this
approach, bringing it closer in line with how Apollo does things right now.
I'm a heavy user of Relay (been using it since it was first open-sourced
around 18 months ago), but given that it's going to be changing quite a bit in
the near future, I think newcomers to GraphQL are going to be better off with
Apollo for now.
~~~
linkmotif
Thanks. Yes I too am using soon-to-be classic Relay. I've enjoyed
transitioning to Relay.GraphQLMutation and can't say I miss the fat query. So
Relay "modern" will be like Apollo... interesting.
------
buduguru
I tried Apollo on my new personal project (in combo with Next.js as backend
framework and Graph.cool as a graphql server(because I'm lazy to set up my own
and of some additional featues)) - so far it is the best stack for me. you can
check the repo here
[https://github.com/alexedev/scz](https://github.com/alexedev/scz)
------
sergiotapia
Can we use Apollo with Meteor seamlessly now. Meaning is it production-ready
to use? I like Meteor's reactivity so so much.
~~~
generalledger
I am wondering the same thing. I believe they wanted to appeal to the broader
JS community first, then build in reactivity to Meteor. That is the only
reason why I haven't picked it up yet.
------
charters
I recently started making an app with the combination of Apollo Client and
Scaphold ([http://scaphold.io](http://scaphold.io)), and I can't get over how
easy it is to rapidly built an app.
The combo has taken all the pain of backend development out of the picture.
Awesome to see GraphQL take off.
------
sorenbs
I'll second Jonas in being amazed and humbled by the GraphQL community. There
is just so much great stuff going on right now. Apollo is doing great work and
we use the Apollo Client for most of our examples at Graphcool.
I'm happy to answer any questions about the GraphQL ecosystem as well as how
it might fit for your specific use case.
~~~
jangerhofer
First, a huge congratulations to the Apollo team! You have more than delivered
on the original promise of the Meteor group.
I am really excited about the proliferation of GraphQL APIs as they replace
standard REST endpoints! When I heard that GitHub released a beta of their API
with a GQL endpoint, I immediately wanted to try it out.
I learned, however, that it is extraordinarily difficult to connect to
multiple GQL endpoints with a single Apollo client. I cannot even imagine how
that would work. Should a single GraphQL endpoint have "clients" of its own,
through which it could proxy requests to other endpoints? Should the front-end
application have multiple clients, each with its own endpoint? There are a lot
of easy, inelegant solutions which come to mind.
Several GitHub issues reference similar ideas, but there is no clear solution.
Do you have any thoughts about how an application can conceptually replicate
the simplicity of REST requests to multiple & diverse endpoints, when the
endpoints are GraphQL-structured?
------
Raphael
Hopefully a GraphQL server can't be far behind.
Edit: I guess you do something like this:
[https://github.com/RisingStack/graphql-
server/blob/master/sr...](https://github.com/RisingStack/graphql-
server/blob/master/src/server/schema.js)
~~~
pbgodwin
The Apollo team also provides some superb GraphQL server tooling:
[http://dev.apollodata.com/tools/](http://dev.apollodata.com/tools/)
The ability to express your schema in GraphQL instead of JS is especially
nice. The server+client Apollo experience is really nice if you give it a try,
and judging by the roadmap laid out in the blog post there are a lot of
benefits to come.
------
dfischer
Love the momentum of graphql.
Anyone use graphql with fire base? I'm curious on the use cases.
I did a test project in react native with fire base and it felt like early
days of Meteor. Apollo's architecture may or may not conflict with firebase in
an app. Anyone have some insights?
------
bpicolo
The amount comments from 1 day old accounts in this thread advertising
graph.cool is silly.
------
rileyt
I have been working on a project using Apollo and React for both web and
native and it has been a real pleasure. Apollo + graphql has made so many
things that would have been a huge mess with redux and a rest api so much
easier and cleaner.
------
jbradleybarnes
I love graphQL and Apollo's React work flow that mimics Redux's HOCs. The
addition of it probably increased the maintanablity of my apps 5x. Added
bonus, I found a backend as a service that that works perfectly with Apollo.
Graphcool has increased the maintainability of my app ten fold. I no longer
mess with writing my own reducers for the backend. The Graphcool community is
also great; they are very helpful on slack and put out a ton of content on top
of there great docs.
Watch this video; if you already use graphQL you'll be hooked on Graphcool:
[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5uxq8Om-
AZQ](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5uxq8Om-AZQ)
Here's the code:
[https://github.com/graphcool-examples/react-apollo-
auth0-exa...](https://github.com/graphcool-examples/react-apollo-
auth0-example)
~~~
bostonvaulter2
This almost sounds like an advertisement.
~~~
Y7ZCQtNo39
I'd like to see more of the comments in here actually discussing an honest
assessment of the trade-offs when compared to other approaches.
------
robertlagrant
It's sad that we have to start asking this again of open source software, and
I'm glad to see a normal MIT licence on the Apollo code itself, but is this in
any way encumbered by Facebook's unpleasant PATENTS file?
------
joaombsantos
I've started on programming early this year as a new year resolution, the
tutorials on apollo and the help from Graph.Cool comunity alowes me to learn
so much... really excited for whats to come...
------
cyberferret
Off topic, but I noted the coincidence of releasing Apollo Client 1.0 a few
weeks after the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 1 accident... I'll read that as
a tribute...
------
nickeblewis
We've been working a lot with Graph.cool recently in conjunction with Apollo.
It's a powerful combination and each day we are learning of powerful ways of
working with our data. Our data is going to be heavily dependent on the
relationships we build between each model. All very exciting. Easier now to
build apps on both web and native that share their data.
------
mulyoved
using graph.cool ([https://www.graph.cool/](https://www.graph.cool/)) it save
me the need to write backend, this is not just code writing but also API
design which is hard and changing, so I can iterate on the client code and
redesign and I don't need to iterate on the server the server is just there
and I know it is ready to whatever I need on the client, graph.cool
integration with Algolia and Auth0 also work fine for me and allow me to
complete my MVP along a development happy path, all high-quality component I
grab into my stack with minimal integration effort
------
jvbianchi
Using Angular 4 + Apollo + Graphcool has been the easiest alternative so far
to use Graphql with Angular.
------
pmalynin
Awesome,
Shameless plug we just released our app today that would not be possible if it
weren't for Apollo.
If you're interested in exploring fashion, check out Nelo on the app store:
[https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/nelo-shop-tv-fashion-and-
dre...](https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/nelo-shop-tv-fashion-and-dress-like-a-
star/id1139675415?mt=8)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Drip Acquired by Leadpages - charlieirish
https://www.getdrip.com/blog/tips-and-tactics/drip-joining-forces-leadpages/
======
robodale
Is this Rob Walling's venture?
~~~
frankacter
Yes
[https://www.getdrip.com/about](https://www.getdrip.com/about)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Thieves reportedly used car-sharing app to steal 100 cars in Chicago - lnguyen
https://mashable.com/article/thieves-use-car2go-to-steal-100-cars/
======
theaccordance
I'm curious what the hack ends up being
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Ask HN: Writing an 80App - zeynel1
Hello,<p>I've been trying to use 80legs to crawl about 120,000 pages to extract lawyer bios from the websites of 200 top US law firms. I created a simple app in Django with about 400 lawyers in the database (SQLite). The app pretends to be a who-knows-who database by matching schools, memberships to professional associations etc. Now I want to add those 100,000+ lawyers to make the app a bit more interesting.<p>I love working with Django and Python but I don't know Java, and 80legs requires the app to be written in Java (see this page http://80legs.pbworks.com/80Apps) Shion Derserkar of 80legs mentions that they offer custom coding and he is willing to give me an estimate. Before doing that I wanted to ask HN if anyone here used 80legs and wrote an 80app to analyze the crawled pages and if they could give me instructions and advice about the process.<p>In fact, I would appreciate general advice about realizing this project the best way.<p>Thank you.
======
codepoet
<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=840244>
Crawling "only" 120k pages can be done easily with a pure Python solution over
a normal home / office internet connection. The packages urllib, urllib2,
robotexclusionrulesparser and lxml are a good start.
Important: Don't forget to implement a crawl rate limit.
~~~
jdrock
80legs automatically handles the crawl rate limits for you.
~~~
codepoet
That's probably not the primary reason to use 80legs - but avoiding to
implement a whole crawler.
------
zeynel1
<http://www.80legs.com/>
<http://80legs.pbworks.com/80Apps>
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Goby – Inherits from Ruby, Extended with Golang - st0012
https://github.com/goby-lang/goby
======
st0012
Hello, I'm Stan, the project's creator. A few months ago Goby(Rooby) was
posted on Hacker News. I got many feedbacks and said that this language is aim
at help developing microservices. To achieve the goal I also said that it'll
have built in multi-threaded server and better thread system.
Now me and my team did all these features, and released version 0.1.0. We
built a sample website in 100% Goby and it works. Currently Goby's new goal is
to let developers access Go object and packages without writing any Go code.
~~~
brudgers
If it meets the guidelines, this might make a good 'Show HN'. Show HN
guidelines:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/showhn.html](https://news.ycombinator.com/showhn.html)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Reddit Advertising: Results of a 1-Week Campaign - tyler-b
http://blogwriterswanted.com/reddit-advertising-1-week-campaign/
======
grimtrigger
Not sure if this problem is fixed, but Reddit requires each day of the
campaign to have the same numbner of impressions.
So if monday has 100 impressions available, tuesday has 100 impressions
available, but wednesday has only 1 impression available... then a Monday-
Tuesday-Wednesday campaign can only be for 3 impressions. A shorter campaign
(Monday-Tuesday) will give you access to 200 impressions.
The "0 impression" number in your post might be because one day out of that
huge timeframe is completely bought out.
~~~
boredinballard
Yup, I had this same issue before. Changing my campaign dates around would
allow me to do a campaign. Sometimes I would have to start the campaign a
couple weeks out.
------
quaffapint
At least he was doing the smart thing and not trying to directly sell to
reddit users. Not that reddit users don't buy stuff, but they're no on reddit
looking to do so. It takes much less effort (and no going to find your wallet)
to sign up for an email list. I always find it amazing that people are shocked
and annoyed at the advertising platform when they didn't direct sell 1,000
copies of their software on their twitter advertising campaign.
With sites like this and twitter, etc, don't direct sell - sign them up for
lists and do the occasional sales pitch in your emails.
~~~
shiftpgdn
That CTR is still ridiculously small. I feel like ads on Reddit are beyond
useless due to the cynicism of the user base + the high prevalence of adblock.
~~~
VLM
"the high prevalence of adblock"
I didn't know reddit had ads until this HN story. Interesting.
~~~
freehunter
The only ads I see on reddit (outside of AMA and some fairly suspiciously-
timed posts about a certain brand that happens to be releasing a new product)
are either at the top of the page as a sponsored post, or ones at the side
about some ridiculous Lambeosaurus or "instead of an ad, here's a penguin".
Seriously, what's the deal with how much advertising they do for /r/dinosaurs?
Am I the only one seeing this?
------
tehwebguy
I've been advertising my League of Legends convention on reddit for a few
weeks using the League related subreddits (leagueoflegends, leagueofmemes,
loleventvods, leagueoflegendsmeta)
The result? The CPM is low and the CPC has hovered between $0.09 and $0.20,
but so far reddit ads have accounted for 0 of our sales (out of a few hundred
tickets so far). Location targeting would be amazing, but you can't target a
subreddit and a location at the same time.
Our ads will steadily change to increase the sense of urgency as the date
approaches (X days left, Y tickets left), it will be interesting to see how it
plays out.
~~~
Nowyouknow
Target a location subreddit? For example /r/chicago. Or are you looking to
target redditors that are subscribed to overlapping subreddits? So
/r/technology + /r/chicago?
~~~
tehwebguy
Yeah, targeting the cross-section would be ideal. I will try Los Angeles and
surrounding subreddits as well (the event is in Burbank).
Organic search has made up about 50% of our sales, direct and social 40%, with
Facebook ads making up the remaining 10% and all of our paid conversions.
Most of our campaigns have been short and cheap ($10), check out some screens
in one of my other replies.
------
cm2012
I find that any useful subreddit always its inventory bought out - and its a
pretty small amount of inventory available in the first place.
~~~
tyler-b
Someone on Twitter made a similar comment and asked the reddit ads team if
they would ever consider implementing any type of bidding system (I don't
think they've responded).
~~~
cm2012
Yeah, I asked personally and they told me the same thing. I also subscribe to
the subreddits I would advertise on, and see any ads related to the category
maybe 1/500th of the time (I don't use adblock). I've never seen it on the
subreddit itself, which has over 20,000 subscribers.
------
kevando
Does anyone have insight whether creating Reddit ads can hurt your chances of
trending as an organic post?
~~~
jedberg
They have no relation to each other.
------
taylorbuley
The "insufficient inventory" issue is one I see a lot in Google's DFP as well.
Not a large enough `n` for inventory prediction, I suppose.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Tell HN: Calling UK Hackers. We're looking for an intern this summer - pclark
I'm the co-founder, spec below. Drop me an email if any questions. peter [at] broadersheet.com<p>Broadersheet is looking for an enthusiastic developer who likes the idea of mixing up the news industry.<p>You'll have a background in computer science [or relevant experience].<p>We're building the next generation of the online news experience, so you should have a clue about at least one of these: text processing, news, semantics, mash-ups, AI and jQuery-fuelled web 2.0.<p>Ideally you'll know rails and have your fingers in plenty of github pies. We also want to talk to you if you've been focusing your time on another language/framework but are keen to learn rails. Much to teach we have.<p>Broadersheet is a young angel-funded Cambridge-based startup with a strong background in computer science and business. The perfect candidate will make a material contribution that will get us to our big public launch faster, better, stronger.
======
alexkearns
I am really sick of companies calling these positions interns. If you really
are a start-up that still has not launched your product, as your company seems
to be, then you should be expending all your efforts on finishing your
product, and simply won't have time to teach an inexperienced intern the
ropes. What you're really asking for however is not an inexperienced intern
but a competent developer who you want to work for you for free or below
market rate. Why is it that people value development so lowly that they think
they can get it for free while you never see a company asking for accountancy
or lawyer interns.
~~~
pclark
oh, this is a paid position. I assumed that was a given.
and you're being rather dramatic. We're not requesting a monster coder:
"junior" developers are bloody useful to startups.
We thought it was a pretty great position to a summer student who wanted to
work on an interesting project.
~~~
alexkearns
Maybe you're one of the rare good guys who doesn't take on interns simply as
cheap labor to do crummy work but instead puts the effort and time in to
mentor them and enthuse them about the industry. If so, good luck.
~~~
pclark
we like to think so ... because it was only a few years ago when we were
looking for a valuable internship. :)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts V and VI Released - BooneJS
https://www.nin.com/
======
sleibrock
Came here to mention that these are two follow-up albums to Nine Inch Nail's
original release of Ghosts I-IV, almost 12 years ago.
The Ghosts album marks the first time Nine Inch Nails released an album under
Creative Commons, as they decided to go fully independent with publishing
their music at this point (after a fight with Interscope).
Since then they still manage to produce and publish their own music to much
success and go on tours. After listening to Ghosts V-VI, I definitely prefer
VI myself as it's much more dark and chaotic while at times being peaceful and
melodic. Glad to see Trent and his friends create another great addition to
the Ghosts collection.
------
bschne
NIN / Trent Reznor has done some incredibly cool stuff around their releases
before, for anyone interested I recommend checking out this talk from MIDEM a
while back
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Njuo1puB1lg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Njuo1puB1lg)
------
Havoc
Didn't notice this before but their branding is actually pretty slick.
Sweet domain name and the logo is great too
The fact that they release music for free is cool too
~~~
toomuchtodo
Trent Reznor is a treasure and all around great guy.
~~~
sosuke
I remember he could be a real butt head before getting clean. But he is
undoubtedly awesome.
~~~
toomuchtodo
Getting clean and finding happiness always helps.
------
blakesterz
I love this one:
"Back in 2007, Trent Reznor did something a little different with the release
of "Year Zero". He essentially created a game...a mystery...a unique marketing
campaign. This was an incredibly complex campaign with clues buried all over
the world. "
[https://omny.fm/shows/ongoing-history-of-new-music/nine-
inch...](https://omny.fm/shows/ongoing-history-of-new-music/nine-inch-nails-
and-year-zero)
------
nailer
This is excellent ambient noise for hacking BTW.
~~~
dpeck
100%, The Social Network soundtrack that was Reznor and Atticus Ross project
is my go to for deep focus work.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Pixelbox: Make 2D retro games with JavaScript - polm23
https://pixwlk.itch.io/pixelbox
======
polm23
I first heard of this a few years ago, when it was something the author had
whipped up for a weekend game jam or something. I played around with it a bit
and it never seemed to be updated so I was afraid it had died, but it looks
like it's back in style.
Github:
[https://github.com/cstoquer/pixelbox](https://github.com/cstoquer/pixelbox)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Microsoft launches VM Depot to ease Linux deployment on Azure - whelps
http://www.zdnet.com/microsoft-launches-vm-depot-to-ease-linux-deployment-on-azure-7000009666/
======
pgambling
It cracks me up every time I see a Microsoft+Linux headline.
Are most Azure users running Linux rather than Windows servers?
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Can hundreds of unrelated satellites create a GPS backup? - throw0101a
https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/c2-comms/2019/11/29/can-hundreds-of-unrelated-satellites-create-a-gps-backup/
======
toomuchtodo
Will be cool to prototype out a version for StarLink considering the number of
satellites that will be visible above the horizon at once.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Show HN: Transform insecure passwords to secure passwords - cpb2948
http://unlimited-labs.com/tools/
======
krapp
No one is going to touch this unless you provide some source code.
~~~
cpb2948
I guess that makes sense. Is there anything else i can do because i wouldn't
like to disclose the source for the reason of it not getting copied or
something similar.
~~~
krapp
You're offering a Windows installer for an application that appears to add
complexity to simple passwords - probably hashing it with a seed - but without
source code, there's no way for anyone to validate the effectiveness of that
process, that it doesn't make passwords easier to guess, or even that the app
isn't sending everyone's passwords directly to you. You're not even offering a
signed binary.
Some people will probably use it and it might work perfectly well but I think
most, especially here, are going to be suspicious.
~~~
cpb2948
I understand what you are saying and thank you for offering your thoughts.
The app doesn't do any type of hashing. The app just intercepts your
keystrokes as you type and replaces what you type with a random character. I
would of thought the validation would be through giving it a try and using it.
In regards to signing the binary, i didn't want to buy a code signing cert
until I had some positive feedback and it was worth getting.
Again i understand your concerns and thank you for the feedback.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Pebble Time – Times Up - mirceasoaica
http://www.soft32.com/blog/platforms/pebble-time-times-up/
======
phlyingpenguin
Sounds like somebody expected a watch to cook him waffles in the morning? I
don't get this review at all. It argues that there are no massive changes to
the Pebble, but as far as I can tell, it details massive changes to the
Pebble.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Ask HN: Is it ever okay for a physically healthy person to self terminate? - hsienmaneja
Strictly on the merit of having final say over one’s existence (presuming no appeal to religious authority), if someone can be selfish enough to consider their own needs above hurting others, shouldn’t anyone be allowed to self terminate?<p>Seems we allow this now; if someone is truly intent they will find a way.
======
oldcynic
Selfish and unfair of them? Is that not just as selfish, if not more so
wanting to save you some pain whilst they must keep theirs - for your or
society's convenience? Would you restrict loved ones from risky activities for
the same reasoning?
A friend's grandfather killed himself a week or two after his lifelong wife
died. The family view seemed to be it was rather touching. I got no impression
anyone felt it was unfair. My friend certainly didn't.
After my dad died my mother lost interest in life. For the whole of the rest
of her life she wasn't enjoying it, deeply missed my father, and was really
just going through the motions. Not that she'd ever admit that though most saw
it clearly. She wasn't likely to be remarrying in her 70s.
She died of natural causes. Had she taken her life, I'd have been upset, just
as I was when she died. I think all her friends and family would have
understood, and I certainly wouldn't have thought less of her. It wouldn't
have hurt more. Actually almost certainly less, as it was so clear she was
hugely unhappy those last years, even though she "coped" very well.
I sure as hell wouldn't have called it unfair or selfish. I'd have probably
thought it fitting, touching or perhaps a relief for her. At the end of the
day it is their life to do with as they choose, not mine.
So yes, of course it can be OK, not exclusively for the elderly either.
------
hazz99
> a physically healthy person
I'm no psychologist, but would anyone who -wants- to self-terminate be
considered a "healthy person"? Legitimate question -- I can't imagine someone
who is in good health, has good relationships, and has a good possible "life
trajectory" to want to self-terminate.
> Seems we allow this now; if someone is truly intent they will find a way.
I disagree that we "allow this", because it's almost impossible to stop it
completely (by force & legislation, ignoring the effects of education &
awareness).
It is illegal to do it to yourself (for insurance reasons, I believe), and
it's illegal to assist someone else.
Again, I have no background knowledge here. Would be interesting to see some
different perspectives.
~~~
bausshf
You don't have to be depressed or anything to be suicidal.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/76qp85...](https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/76qp85/why_do_you_think_brandenn_bremmer_killed_himself/)
~~~
jidsaofjaeojf
Seems to be an open question, because it's presumed that the survival instinct
is linked with sound mental health.
------
drakonka
Yes, I think that people shouldn't have to have their reasoning judged by
external parties to decide what to do with their lives. A person's reasons for
wanting to end their lives are their own, and it is totally fine for them to
do so. If a loved one expressed the desire to kill themselves I would
absolutely do everything I can to talk them out of it, but one thing I will
not do is try to _guilt_ them out of it. Who are we to decide another person's
life or death?
------
Regardsyjc
I don't think so because suicide is or may be contagious. "...numerous social
science studies indicate that one of the best predictors of committing suicide
is knowing suicide."
When I was suicidal, I wondered if my suicide could influence someone else I
love to bite the bullet when they had a moment of weakness, and whether if I
could live with that. I considered metaphorically putting a gun to my head was
the same as putting a gun to another's psychologically. Honestly because I
have had two suicide attempts... Even though I didn't succeed, I know I hurt
the people I love very much.
I feel that every loss and death is like a tiny bomb in a social network, it
stresses families and communities, and can even severely damage people.
[https://www.brainpickings.org/2013/11/18/stay-suicide-
hecht/](https://www.brainpickings.org/2013/11/18/stay-suicide-hecht/)
------
naikrovek
I sort of always believed, sort of, that if you can prove that you aren't
mentally ill beyond a certain degree, that you're reasonably intelligent,
informed, and can show that you make good choices, you should be allowed to do
pretty much whatever you want, including suicide.
Note that this freedom I am describing does not include anything that impedes
another's freedom in any way. No murder, robbery, all the normal stuff.
If you can't prove that you are sane, and emotionally healthy, then you don't
get to buy guns, get married, earn more than $x per year and so on.
If a person is in this unhealthy or ignorant state they should be taken care
of by the state and reintegrated in the way that suits them best.
I don't _ever_ want this implemented for many, many reasons.
------
paulcole
Absolutely. I believe it’s possible to have had enough life.
I have Type 1 diabetes and do well managing it. I run long distances and if
you saw me you’d think I was a normal athletic and fairly fit person. So
technically I’m currently healthy but longterm who knows.
But even before I was diagnosed (early 30s) I was sick of being alive. I was
never drawn to having children, hate working, and don’t make that much money.
If I had the option of never waking up again, I’d take it. Probably take a
little time to blow my savings first, but I don’t have much to look forward
to.
~~~
jklein11
That seems pretty unfair to the people that care about you. They might not
even be family or close friends, but might be acquaintances, distant co-
workers, or people you see on the street. They get happiness out of
interacting with you and having you with them. It doesn't seem right to take
that away from them.
It sounds like you might be in a bad place mentally. I'm sure that it wouldn't
hurt to talk to a professional. Worst case, you spend an hour or two and maybe
a co-pay and still feel the same way you do now. Best case they may make every
day a little bit more bearable.
~~~
paulcole
Honestly, lots of things are unfair. That’s not a great argument.
But I would never do anything while my cat, dad, and grandma are still alive.
My partner would understand my decision. Other than that there’s not really
anybody else I care enough about to change my life for.
I already spend enough on medicine and doctors. I’m not interested in any
more.
~~~
jklein11
Sorry, I wasn't trying to convince you of anything, just share my opinion. Out
of curiosity, what makes you think that your partner would understand?
In regards to spending enough on medicine and doctors, I guess I don't fully
understand that. You mention blowing through your money at some point. Any
reason why this wouldn't be something worth blowing money on?
~~~
paulcole
I just think that logically it makes sense that someone can not want to live
any longer and I think my partner would understand that.
With my health there’s always a non-zero chance that I’ll just collapse on a
long run from low blood sugar and that’ll be that. I figure if it happens it
happens. My savings is mostly intended for my partner and my cat in that
situation. Not interested in giving it to anyone else. And it’s not like it’s
a ton either. Would get eaten up in a hurry by doctors and prescriptions.
One day when I’m older and the future is a little clearer, maybe I’ll be more
interested in spending more of it or giving some away to other people.
------
gaspoweredcat
in my opinion yes, there are multiple situations where id say its ok, there
are plenty of ways you can have essentially ruined your life either by fault
of your own or through happenstance but its also possible just to have had
enough, i think this can be especially true for people who are not what you
would call sociable creatures
i dont personally have the desire to interact with others much, ill never be
having children or entering a relationship and i have not got a career, just a
job that is a means to an end. while ive never been particularly well off ive
managed to tick off most everything on my bucket list.
in short i lack purpose and have many times considered that maybe ive had
enough, to what end should i continue to struggle on, things will only get
harder as the years go on, i have no reason to struggle on so i dont need to
be a drain on the resources of the country/world
------
patatino
Suicide is not selfish, it is a desperate act to stop the pain (physically or
mentally).
It's sad that we even consider it to be selfish. It shows how little empathy
we have sometimes.
If someone jumps from the 40th floor of a burning building we can understand
it. It's an extreme reaction to an extreme situation.
Like suicide.
~~~
hsienmaneja
The burning jumper scenario isn’t quite the same. In the case of 9/11 twin
towers, the jumpers were murdered, they didn’t commit suicide. Death was
certain for them whether they had jumped or not.
~~~
patatino
It's an example which people can understand. It's an impossible situation to
escape from. They chose the slightly better scenario. People who commit
suicide also chose the slightly better scenario (in their mind) for them.
~~~
jidsaofjaeojf
They're not the same. In the jumper scenario, imminent death was certain
whether they jumped or not. This is only true in a small fraction of suicides.
------
egberts1
Wut? I’ve read countless of spy novels.
I’m going to say that spies off themselves at their prime ... as needed.
------
jmarchello
Hey, I think you should talk to someone. Please call this number.
1-800-273-8255.
------
arthev
“On providence” by Seneca provides an interesting view on this.
------
resource0x
how about divorcing your wife/husband, thus hurting her/him, your children and
others? Should anyone be allowed to do that?
~~~
smt88
Divorce may hurt people, but it's not a great analogy because a divorced
person can still be a good parent, financial supporter, repayer of debts, etc.
There's a huge difference between the damage of divorce vs. the damage of
death.
~~~
ionised
> good parent, financial supporter, repayer of debts
It doesn't sound like you're interested in what this person wants or needs at
all. You're just interested in what they can offer you while they're alive.
~~~
smt88
I'm not trying to argue about the merit of suicide, the definition of mental
health, or any other philosophical issue. I don't have a specific person or
situation in mind.
I'm only suggesting that the right to divorce is nothing like the right to
death and isn't a useful analogy. The circumstances and considerations are
radically different.
------
phaus
I don't have a good answer. I have a personal and surely biased feeling that
it is wrong and frequently harmful in a profound way to families and friends.
My older brother killed himself in a failed attempt to convincingly pretend to
be suicidal in order to be transferred to a lower security part of a prison.
He forgot that prison guards aren't paid enough to give a shit about anything
so they didn't follow their policy of roaming around and checking on people
and he bled to death. He was going to be there until he was almost 50.
Trying to be objective as possible. I think if it was allowed and there wasn't
a massive social stigma against it, there would still be huge issues. Even
old, experienced people are woefully bad at accurately estimating when a
situation is irretrievably hopeless. So I think we would see a lot of young
people (not just young as in kids but also 30-40 year olds) killing themselves
for really stupid reasons (like we already do).
We might see someone lose a job and kill themselves when there's a good chance
they could have recovered. A business might fail. A relationship might end. A
loved one might die suddenly. A lonely person might be tired of trying. The
temporary release of severe anguish in exchange for a life you currently
aren't very fond of doesn't seem a high cost to pay soon after traumatic
events occur.
I'm generally considered a pessimist. However, when it comes to life, I can
step back and acknowledge that there are lots of really bad situations that
are redeemable. It might take years of work. It might involve being depressed
or broke for a very long time. But persistent effort is the greatest indicator
of success.
I've been depressed my whole life so I understand the struggle. I know that in
addition to the regular life things many of us suffer from, there are also
various types of trauma that make the ordinary things unbearable.
I could see situations where I agree someone may have never had any chance for
their lives to improve.
I knew a young woman in her 20s with a 14-year old daughter with autism. The
child had so many issues she had to be monitored 24/7 to keep her from hurting
herself. The mother had a dead end, shitty job (coincidentally she was a
prison guard) that barely allowed her to survive. Between the job and the kid
it was laughable to suggest that she had any realistic chance at all of going
to school or finding a better job. When her girlfriend left her, she killed
herself. She wasn't a friend of mine, only an acquaintance that I didn't know
well. I wish she were still here, mostly from the pain that most any of us
would feel from simply knowing a person that died young. However, when I step
back and analyze her situation and try to think of any possibility of her
finding some kind of relief or comfort, I don't think she had a chance. As a
high school dropout, I should be a failure too, but I was fortunate and my
interests as a youth happened to become very marketable.
Some of us are forever trapped by the decisions we make when we are younger.
For those of us like this girl, where not just one or two things are stacked
against you, but seemingly everything. How can we judge? I want to be angry at
any person that leaves a child alone in this world when it could have been
prevented, but would I have the strength to live an impoverished life of
waking hell for 60 years? I'm not very confident I could.
------
ionised
I think its selfish and unfair to judge other people selfish and unfair just
because you want to save yourself the pain of loss.
That said, I do think people have the right to voluntarily end their own
existence, but clearly many suicides are a result of temporary mental problems
like severe depression, or temporary life problems like crippling debt, job
loss or loss of a relationship. These things could have potentially been
resolved.
I also think it's totally possible to have just had enough of life as well.
It's an unpopular opinion because survival instinct is such a strong force,
but I really don't think life is for everybody, and if that person wants to
check out they are going to do it whether you like it or not.
A comedian once said;
__ _“Life is like a movie, if you 've sat through more than half of it and
it’s sucked every second so far, it probably isn't going to get great right at
the end and make it all worthwhile. None should blame you for walking out
early.”_ __
I tend to agree with that. Not all suicides are the result of mental illness.
Some people just want to check out early because they never enjoyed being
here, despite not having what outside observers may identify as mental or
personal problems.
Some societies glorified suicide, or held it as a way out of dishonour (think
the ship's captain locking himself in a room with a bottle of whiskey and a
revolver, or the Samurai that accepted their own deaths long before they
walked on the battlefield).
I think our attitudes towards suicide are partly social (it alarms us to see
members of our own species ending their lives, as it doesn't jive well with
our world view) and partly cultural/religious (Abrahamic religions treated
suicide as a mortal sin) and other cultures may see the act of self-
termination differently.
I also don't think its helpful to throw accusations of 'mental illness' around
as easily as we seem to. Whether it is a suicide or a mass murder, instantly
jumping to mental illness absolves us of the need to understand this
uncomfortable aspect of humanity.
It is easier than accepting the cultural and philisophical factors at play,
and the realisation that we are all capable of these acts given the right set
of circumstances.
Philosophers have long pondered this question. You can find arguments for and
against here;
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy_of_suicide](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy_of_suicide)
[https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/suicide/](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/suicide/)
------
mabynogy
No, it's immoral and a person with such feelings is not healthy.
~~~
ionised
Immoral according to who?
~~~
mabynogy
To mankind.
~~~
ionised
You spoken to all of mankind have you?
Interesting.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Generating Music (with an algorithm) - bozho
http://techblog.bozho.net/?p=1021
======
b1daly
There are at least two major areas of music composition which the algorythmic
attempts fall vastly short of humans.
One is that real music composition is never done where the timbres are
separated from the composition. Classically notated music looks kind of like
this, but it's really just a shorthand. A composer knows intimately the sounds
she is working with.
For pop music, the timbre itself is a mode of creative expression. Innovation
in musical timbres and sounds is an expected part of pop music. (I'm using
"pop" in the most general sense, covering a large amount of contemporary
genres). The meaning of the music is not captured by simplistic reference to
musical notation concepts.
The other major limitation of generated music, to my ears, is that of overall
compositional structure. The units of composition usually are short, and only
locally referenced. So the compositions lack interesting shape over the course
of time.
If you think of a composition as a story, it's as if a bunch of plausible
paragraph that are coherent within them selves are strung together with only
loose reference to each other. So a longer "plot" doesn't emerge.
~~~
Joeboy
> One is that real music composition is never done where the timbres are
> separated from the composition.
It's true that composers almost always have a sound in mind when they write
the notes, but it's very common to perform compositions using entirely
different instrumentation to that originally envisaged.
------
mixedbit
In 1995 Douglas Hofstadter wrote a short essay that describes his amazement
with a piece of music composed by a program. Interesting reading:
[http://www.cs.washington.edu/education/courses/cse403/03su/m...](http://www.cs.washington.edu/education/courses/cse403/03su/materials/Essay-
Douglas-Hofstadter.htm)
~~~
bozho
Great. The composer doesn't need to have gone through emotional breakdown,
drugs, or whatever, to create beautiful music. He just needs talant. And I
think talant may be at some point expressed in zeroes and ones.
------
stagas
The best one I've ever heard was AlgoMusic[0] on the Amiga by Thomas Schürger.
I used to spend hours listening to it. And it was a pleasant surprise while
searching for it now, to find out that the author has a brand new project
called SoundHelix[1] that has all the awesomeness of AlgoMusic, and sounds
even more incredible. You should listen to the examples[2].
[0]: <http://aminet.net/package/mus/misc/AlgoMusic2_4>
[1]: <http://www.soundhelix.com/>
[2]: <http://www.soundhelix.com/audio-examples>
------
Strilanc
I've been wondering how long it would be until web sites like this started
showing up, where you can listen to automatically generated music on demand.
Hopefully they keep improving until they make the best human composers look
mediocre, despite being millions of times faster. Unbounded amounts of new
high quality low cost music? Yes please.
~~~
DanBC
Have you seen DarwinTunes?
(<http://darwintunes.org/>)
~~~
b1daly
Just checked it out, very interesting concept. But from what I heard the music
doesn't seem to be evolving much!
------
jmmcd
I have generated quite a bit of music using evolutionary algorithms. My
research is mostly about figuring out representations that are not at too low
a level (eg 1 "gene" per note). I like representations that in some way
represent the patterns, oscillations, and processes that seem to drive music
forward over time.
A paper: <http://ncra.ucd.ie/papers/gecco2011_jmcdermott.pdf>
Some short mp3s:
[http://www.skynet.ie/~jmmcd/software/GraphMusicDemoPieces.tg...](http://www.skynet.ie/~jmmcd/software/GraphMusicDemoPieces.tgz)
Longer, slow-developing stuff on soundcloud (using slightly different
software): <http://soundcloud.com/jmmcd/tomorrow-is-a-new-day>
~~~
bozho
they sound pretty nice :) will read the paper immediately
~~~
jmmcd
Thanks -- I think they're kind of nice at a "local" level, but they don't have
the more "global" coherent movement that yours have.
------
mrcharles
This is probably one of the best algorithmic music generators I've heard. It
has a lot more feel of composition to it than most I've heard.
------
hayksaakian
The music at any given point sounds great, like classic video game bgm, but
theres one thing that irks me. I don't feel a clear start and end to the
music, it just seems abrupt both ways.
~~~
bozho
true that, I'll try to improve the general structure, so that it sounds
complete
------
teeja
The program might benefit a lot from better timbres. It's hard to appreciate
(or not) other features when the tones are so pallid, so impoverished.
------
MichailP
Nice work. Is anybody aware of automatic music performing software? I think
that this is similar to automatic generation of music but more structured and
therefore easier to implement. I remember reading some studies about software
performing classical compositions, but never found working prototype to play
with.
~~~
bozho
I've read some papers about software used to help live performers, some sort
of co-performer, or accompanying robot. But I can't find the paper right now..
~~~
MichailP
Yap, there is a bunch of papers, but no publicly available prototype to try.
Imagine having a python module:
from imaginary_music_module import piano_performer as p
p.play("chopin.ly", style="Pogorelich")
That would be nice :)
------
diminish
Terrific, I guess the first virtual minds will love these first algorithmic
songs; from an historical point of view.
------
songgao
Have you ever thought of using some more complicated algorithm for randomness,
e.g., genetic algorithm?
[http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=genetic+algorithm+music+...](http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=genetic+algorithm+music+generation&btnG=&hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C1)
~~~
bozho
I have indeed looked at some genetic algorithms and a lot of papers on the
topic (in fact, my former university has a course about that, so I read the
coursebook). Most of what I have read is either included, attempted, or in
TODO. And obviously, I need to read some more.
~~~
songgao
That interactive thing looks useful. It might be possible to build a music
composer (website) using collective intelligence, i.e., producing music by
taking people's response into consideration?
~~~
bozho
The idea of "liking" and "disliking" is to: 1\. Get a collection of 'best'
tracks that sort-of advertises the successful parts of the algorithm 2\. To
let me analyze which intermediate decisions in the generation process are good
and which not, so that I can make the good ones happen more often.
------
simonbohs
I took part in a "create a game in a day" event recently. Some of the
compositions sounded like they would have been perfect for the game, which
leads to the strange question: what is the copyright on music composed by the
algorithm?
~~~
bozho
Creative Commons is the one I picked
------
jasonebaugh
There is Wolfram Tones: <http://tones.wolfram.com/>
It makes the mistake of trying to generate in established genres. None of the
genres I care for were anywhere near the mark.
------
hakaaak
Man, that is some pretty crappy music. Good effort though. Algorithm needs
more theory. Good music isn't that random. You are missing phrasing,
repetition, rhythm.
~~~
bozho
I'm not missing it - all three things are encoded there. They might not be
that "visible", which is a point of improvement, but the theory is there. As I
wrote in the blog "random" generates noise. That's why composition rules are
needed.
------
gtani
Hmm, no mention of Prof. Cope at UCSC
<http://artsites.ucsc.edu/faculty/cope/experiments.htm>
~~~
mhax
My thoughts exactly. Virtual Music gives a great insight into Cope's ideas:
<http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/virtual-music>
Sadly his code (lisp if I remember correctly) isn't on github either...
------
gnosis
Also see:
<http://musicalgorithms.ewu.edu/algorithms/import.html>
~~~
bozho
I deliberately made it generate/play tracks with 0 user input. This thing
might be good, but I couldn't make it play anything meaningful
------
gordaco
Another one, with a pretty bizarre UI: <http://www.melomics.com>.
------
virtualritz
Does not work for me in Chrome. Works in Safari. I'm on a Macbook Pro.
~~~
bozho
strange. It works on chrome on windows.
------
markyc
it sounds like i expected it would :)
~~~
bozho
bad, or artificial? If "artificial" - that's the performance side, and it
depends on the soundbank. If a real performer plays the same score, it would
sound better. The point is to have nice compositions first :)
~~~
markyc
sounds are ok (to my untrained ear), and great effort building this!
still, a little too random
since it's algoritmic, maybe you can go for a little "coherence" throughout a
piece, if it makes sense?
~~~
bozho
sure, any feedback is welcome. The thing is still in an experimental phase,
and I'm trying to improve it bit by bit
------
rorrr
You need better instruments sounds, they sound worse than S3M instruments that
I messed with in the 90's.
~~~
bozho
Will look for a better soundbank, indeed
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Ask HN: Idea HN? - username3
I get ideas reading comments on HN. More like, I see features applications should have, but they don’t. I’m never going to make the app, so take the idea and do it before they do. Maybe my idea is just bad. Maybe you can make it better. Criticize it before I spend months to Show HN for criticism.<p>Example, I read about Twitter feeds. You want to follow people, but want to filter politics from those people. I posted a reply with an idea, but no one will see it. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19140659<p>Idea HN: Add feed filter to block posts from people you follow unless posts are tagged with a subject. Show users that your post may not be visible unless tagged. Show how many of your followers follow your tags, how many block your tags, or how many filter you unless you tag.<p>Idea HN: Filter comments unless comments are tagged. Put tagless comments on the bottom or to the side to let others tag.
======
username3
Clickable link:
[1]:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19140659](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19140659)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
GitHub: Minor Service Outage - forlorn
Drops error code 500 (Server Error) here and there. Hope it gets resolved soon.
======
forlorn
[https://status.github.com/](https://status.github.com/)
------
neuronexmachina
"""
12:00 PDT: Minor service outage.
12:10 PDT: Major service outage.
"""
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
USPTO Shutting Down Bulk Data Services - big_chungus
https://bulkdata.uspto.gov/
======
floatingatoll
Certain services are marked for termination. Others don’t seem to be.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Ask HN: Why Programmer Is One of the Jobs That Are Disappearing? - jslakro
Some days ago Inc magazine published an article showing jobs that will disappear from today to 10 years. Apparently it's based in projections made by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Any idea why this will happen?
======
tiredwired
[https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-
technology/...](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-
technology/computer-programmers.htm#tab-6)
They seem to think US programming jobs will be outsourced to other countries.
------
itronitron
maybe the projection that programming jobs will disappear in 10 years is due
to a programming 'error' ... it would be a genius move to discourage people
from becoming programmers in order to decrease supply and drive programmer
salaries up
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Show HN : Review my startup : Risely – Filtering your social news - c_schmitt
Link: www.rise.ly<p>Hey guys,<p>We just finished building our site, and would be very grateful if some of you guys could test it out.<p>Basically, Risely is curation platform that filters the noise from your social stream and only shows you stories on topics you care about. You just need to connect your social networks and select your topics. Trending stories get bigger as they get more popular.<p>We are in private beta right now, but I have made arrangements and you will receive an invite 5 or 10 minutes after you signup.<p>Thanks
======
adidash
Nice design! Clicked on create an account button thinking I will be able to
create an account and customize my feed. But it just added me to your
waitlist. Found it a bit deceptive - maybe you should change the text to
request an invite.
Its a crowded space with many options. Best of luck!
~~~
c_schmitt
Thanks, you should have received an invite. Check your spam folder.
~~~
adidash
Thanks for the invite! But thats not my point - a create an account button
should exactly do that - start me with account creation process. I am not
questioning the approach but merely the wording on the button and messaging
after entering my email account.
------
nashequilibrium
"only shows you stories on topics you care about." "Trending stories get
bigger as they get more popular."
These two statements are in conflict, stories that are bigger and trendy are
not necessarily stories that I care about. You have to analyze me, my actions,
my social graph interaction to find stories in my social feed that I would
care about.
~~~
c_schmitt
Sorry my statement is confusing. You only see stories from "topics you care
about". We don't really need to analyze you because when you signup you select
your own topics (We got around 170 atm) which you can change at anytime.
Then when people you follow on social networks (or Risely) have shared a story
that has generated a lot of interactions, we make it bigger.
~~~
nashequilibrium
Okay cool, I really like the layout so far. The question now is, since this is
a solved problem, you already have competitors, how are u going to get me to
move from Zite, flipboard and pulse? I do use all especially pulse and Zite.
You need a hook, a story that will get me to use you. I am not motivated to
add you to my iOS home screen or use you on my desktop.Therefore if u can
differentiate your product enough to get me(someone like me) then u onto
something. Test some crazy stuff since u have nothing to loose and the status
quo will kill u. Maybe become the zappos of curated content or priority inbox
for your social links.
Another thing is copy Zite and let me explore the site without signup. Create
a session Id in browser, let the user select their interest tags, then refresh
the page with the curated view. If they sign up just us their session Id to
match them. Also allow them to push the articles to Evernote, Dropbox and
drive. This is how Zite got me to try and test them out and I was hooked
afterwards.
~~~
c_schmitt
Thanks for the advice, Marketing has been quite a struggle for us and I
started working on a landing page that integrates some of your points.
However, we got high differentiation points with Pulse, Zite & Co.
3 points: \- Contrary to our competitors our users mainly get their news by
filtering curated stuff from their existing social networks. Let's say you
have selected 'Baseball' as a topic filter, and your FB friend shares an
article on 'Soccer', well you won't see it. Basically, you can filter all the
stuff your friends shares on your social networks (or Risely) and only see the
stuff from topics you have selected. The effect is really good with Twitter,
where I follow people that are known experts in their field but often curates
stuff I don’t care about. That’s a very different approach than Zite where
they suggest you stories, or Pulse where you directly follow certain blogs.
\- Second, Risely is curation platform but also a social network with built-in
popularity mechanism. The more your curations generates interactions, the more
you become popular and recognized: you get to be featured in “Topic boards”
but one of the most radical effect is that it directly influences the layout
of the stories you share to your followers. They get bigger, and thus you get
more chance of being read.
\- Third, you will be able to make money based on a revenue sharing program.
How it works is that we provide some information on terms of the article you
are reading. For e.g. if we detect a link to a product from one of our
partners, we show you some information about it (small image, price, title,
brand). If you click on it you are of course redirected to the merchant. How
it comes to play is that if you share this article to your followers, and you
make a lead, you will get a cut out of it. And if one of your followers shares
it, and makes a lead, you still get a cut. We are extending that to
“Personalities”, Places etc… This feature is limited for the moment, because
we don’t have many partnerships.
~~~
nashequilibrium
U really need to interview your target market, use an empathy map. This will
save u a lot of time in getting your MSG across and will get u to focus on a
few hardcore problems "Solutions over Ideas". You should have drawn up an
empathy Map before building your product but on the bright side u have a
prototype so go an interview people, try Starbucks, lots of people will let u
interview them there.
------
brackin
I'm not sure how you can compete with the competition, which is focusing on
tablets & mobile at this point. I don't use any social news 'apps' (I won't
consider HN or Reddit an app but a destination) on the web, I either go
directly to a blog or use Twitter.
On mobile I use Prismatic which fixes this problem aptly and Flipboard (for
visuals).
~~~
c_schmitt
We have more a news filtering approach. If you select for e.g. "Ruby on Rails"
we will analyze your twitter feed and only show you stories from people you
follow on twitter that have curated this kind of stories. You can of course
set multiple topic filters.
Prismatic has a different approach, where they try to figure out your
interests, then they suggest you stories. Those are not stories curated
directly from people you follow on your social networks.
With Flipboard, you follow blogs or curated magazines. No detailed filters.
------
dezinelife
There are a quite a number of sites providing more or less the similar
service. You need to carefully analyze them and proceed.Good luck.
------
shail
Very nicely done. I like the interface. I would suggest that you should let
the users play with it without asking them to signup.
~~~
c_schmitt
Thanks, when you login you get a menu on left where you can filter your news
by topics pretty much like on the new Facebook design.
That's a good point and we were actually thinking about doing that at the
beginning, however it could also make Content Publishers very unhappy.
------
bbissoon
Good work, this reminds me of the concept for something I'm building :)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Two Russian Spies Charged in Massive Yahoo Hack - tedsuo
https://www.wsj.com/articles/four-men-charged-in-connection-with-yahoo-breach-1489592862
======
existencebox
To try and be a good citizen alongside the requisite paywall gripe, here is a
link to a comparable article without paywall.
[http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/russian-spies-
charged-...](http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/russian-spies-charged-
massive-yahoo-email-hack-n733716)
------
detaro
3 hours earlier, also on the front page right now:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13876208](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13876208)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Show HN: Clout Report – A crowdsourced database of upcoming rappers - patwalls
https://www.clout.report
======
patwalls
Hey HN,
I compiled a list of over one hundred upcoming rappers and used APIs and
scrapers to get over 3,000 total data points.
Sort, filter, and search by:
\- Gender, age, location, record label, and region
\- SoundCloud follower and track count
\- Instagram, twitter, and facebook follower data
\- YouTube subscriber data, plays, and video count
\- Spotify popularity, followers, track count
I think this is particularly useful/monetizable for:
\- record labels looking for new talent
\- concert/entertainment venues that want to gauge the size of the audience of
an artists
\- artists looking to collaborate with other artists
Appreciate any feedback and ideas for new features that could be added.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Ed Snowden posts an interesting answer as "TheTrueHooha" in 2006 - erper
http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=6726096
======
w_t_payne
Given that M$ was the first to collaborate ... _cough_ ... err ... I mean
"cooperate" with the NSA, then I guess we should consider the possibility that
xbox 360 hardware has been compromised in some way ... although I think it
unlikely.
(Mind you, no more unlikely than I considered some of the other stuff that has
come to light).
------
teraflop
What makes you think this is Snowden?
~~~
erper
this: [http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/06/nsa-leaker-ed-
sno...](http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/06/nsa-leaker-ed-snowdens-
life-on-ars-technica/)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
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Mark Cuban, Facebook, and OpenSocial - Dauntless
http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2007/11/facebook_google_opensocial_mark_cuban.html
======
joshwa
Tim is really getting it right here-- and the analogy drawn here between the
withdrawal of the Google SOAP API's in favor of the AJAX widgets is spot on.
Google/OpenSocial and Facebook/F8 severely limit the scope of the kinds of
social applications that can be built. A widget living inside a controlled
ecosystem is not an app!
That universal social aggregator we've all been dreaming about (and that
friendfeed, readr, plaxo pulse, etc. have been trying for) is never going to
happen when the data usage is so restricted.
Let me authorize my app (via oauth or similar) and get real data feeds
(RSS/Atom/JSON) for me to mash up and leverage as I see fit! Why can't I get
an RSS feed of my Facebook friends' news feed (and not just status updates)?
And give me the firehose, let a thousand filtering algorithms bloom! Once
someone creates a compelling social network host that lets me freely extract
and aggregate all my friends' activity streams on demand, that'll be the real
social web platform we've all been waiting for, and not just a widget host.
I think this is a real crossroads for Google and Facebook-- they've both been
nominated as the next "Evil Empire", and how rigidly they control their
developer and user ecosystems will determine if we'll learn to love or fear
these companies in the next few years. Both have recently taken steps in the
wrong direction.
NB: Someone should make a try at establishing a "social news feed" standard.
An atom extension with an indication of event source, type, priority, etc...
------
shayan
I think Mr. OReilly has an interesting point about how all these different
social networks that he is a member of portray an image of who he is... and my
belief is that instead of having one ultimate platform such as Facebook with
our social graph we might have to see it spread out between different networks
... each network will focus on something specific in our lives, and will hold
information about us with regards to that particular niche, topic, group or
activities that we have ... for instance I don't think facebook could ever
replace Flickr or Ebay, and the two could have many info on me that represent
me, my activities, reputation and social graph
------
plinkplonk
"When you go to my Facebook profile, you get the real me. Thats not to say I
answer every profile question. I don't. I'm not going to disclose everything
about myself. However, the data that is available about me is the most
comprehensive, self maintained database record about me on the internet or
probably anywhere...."
" the most comprehensive, self maintained database record about me on the
internet" is not quite the same thing as "the real me" is it?
The rest of OReilly's article seems to base itself on where the "real me"
resides. On facebook vs something else.
All very bizarre.
~~~
shayan
"The rest of OReilly's article seems to base itself on where the "real me"
resides. On facebook vs something else."
I am not sure if it says where else it resides, I think every part of the real
me (in this article Mr. OReilly's real me) resides in different parts, and in
order to get _complete real me_ you then have to combine all these graphs
(networks)
if phography is my hobby, then I will probably be very active on Flickr and my
social graph there is just one angel of what the real me is ... it is the real
me in the world of photography, or its the real me when I am playing the role
of a photographer, which couldnt necessarily be copied easily with more
general sites, like Facebook or Myspace
~~~
plinkplonk
Good Point.
My point (poorly expressed no doubt) was that searching for the "real me" in
_any_ combination of websites sounds bizarre (to me).
There are large chunks of my life and personality my "real me") that fall outside my activities on the web. Even with your photography example, hopefully there are aspects of your photography experience/intent/whatever that are *not* captured on flickr.
I guess i was just responding to the notion of the "realness" of a person
being captured/capturable on the web.
------
joshwa
Also, I think perhaps a more descriptive title is warranted here...
waxy's title: Tim O'Reilly on Open Social and Facebook (he nicely articulates
why both fall short, while reframing the problem with a solid prediction)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Show HN (again): OpenCirclez - kapilkaisare
You gave us some feedback on OpenCirclez (http://www.opencirclez.com/) about a fortnight earlier(http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2059407), and we heard you!<p>1. We differentiate from FB, MySpace by allowing you to connect to people outside your social circle. Also, the focus here is on the activity, which can help you find friends with common interests.<p>2. We've fixed the geolocation, and would like your feedback if the "Geolocate" button works more intuitively for you.<p>3. We've pushed the Twitter bar higher up, keeping it in line with the first search result. Let us know if you think this is good, or if you think it should be placed in line with the search box.<p>4. Is the overall purpose conveyed better on the front page? If not, what would you expect to see?<p>From Riyaz(primary developer and UI dude), John (master of the eye candy) and myself (server side guy), thanks in advance!
======
yuvadam
Clickable: <http://www.opencirclez.com>
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Embrace all your users, even the pirates arrgh - jewgonewild
http://www.davidedicillo.com/iphone/embrace-all-your-users-even-the-pirates-arrgh/
======
houseabsolute
Eh, this may not be true. Users gain something from your attention. At the
margin, they may be willing to pay for it. Giving it freely, whether the user
paid or not, removes that incentive.
------
davidedicillo
I updated the image, the first one was the wrong image, now it makes more
sense
------
jahmon
I totally agree! Press is press.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
They Sold Their Stock. They could've made a difference, but they made a profit - patrickdevivo
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/20/opinion/burr-loeffler-stocks-coronavirus.html`
======
hkmurakami
Burr's actions look bad.
Meanwhile Matt Levine rebuts It for Loeffler:
""" Similarly Loeffler sold as much as $3.1 million worth of stock (the
reports give only broad ranges for each asset), which sounds like a lot for a
senator, until you remember that “the Atlanta businesswoman, whose husband is
the chairman and CEO of the New York Stock Exchange, is worth an estimated
$500 million.” So she learned devastating news about a global pandemic and
rushed out to sell … stock worth 0.6% of her net worth? Really? At that level
of wealth that’s just a minor portfolio tweak; if she was going to insider
trade, surely she’d have gone bigger. Also frankly at that level of wealth—and
having a stock exchange CEO in the family—it seems unlikely she’s making such
tiny trading decisions at all. As, in fact, she said:
Loeffler responded on Twitter by calling criticism of her stock sales “a
ridiculous and baseless attack.” The tweet said “I do not make investment
decisions for my portfolio. Investment decisions are made by multiple third-
party advisors without my or my husband’s knowledge or involvement.”
That is a much better response than “no I sold before the stocks went down”!
[https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-03-20/senato...](https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-03-20/senators-
picked-a-good-time-to-sell-stocks)
------
tsycho
Just to play devil's advocate:
Selling stock takes 5 mins, even less than that if you just relayed the
instruction to your spouse. A senator who comes out of a briefing convinced
about the gravity of the situation, and then takes every possible action to do
the right thing after, but also takes a few mins to sell their stock, is okay
in my book.
Basically I care much more about what other actions they took, and how they
fared at their actual job.
~~~
valar_m
When you sell a share of stock, someone else bought it. How is it okay to sell
a security to an unsuspecting buyer when you have nonpublic information that
you know affects its value?
~~~
icedchai
It's unlikely the seller has enough shares to move the market. The buyer
would've bought it anyway.
~~~
valar_m
It's not about moving the market, it's about selling a security when you have
nonpublic information that it's worth less than its price. That's a crime. And
of course the buyer wouldn't have bought it if they had the same information.
~~~
tsycho
Insider trading is _effectively_ legal for congresspersons after the STOCK act
of 2012 was amended in 2013 to remove the online disclosure requirement.
[https://investmentu.com/why-congressional-insider-trading-
le...](https://investmentu.com/why-congressional-insider-trading-legal-
profitable/)
------
afrcnc
They're business people and CEOs elected in public functions. They did what
they were trained to do. Watch their own backs.
This is why business people should not be eligible for public functions unless
10-20 years removed from any executive job. Would love to see a government led
by academics for once.
~~~
necovek
That means you do not have intimate knowledge of how academic institutions
operate. They are similarly led by internal preferences, money, position/rank
grabbing, and disregard for rules and fairness.
People are people. And being smart and knowledgable is far removed from having
any common sense.
------
bsg75
I would applaud insider trading criminal charges to be leveled in these cases,
but I'm not going to hold my breath.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Criminalizing journalism? CNN interviews Glenn Greenwald [video] - detcader
http://reliablesources.blogs.cnn.com/2014/02/09/criminalizing-journalism/
======
codex
Will Greenwald profit financially from Snowden data in his new venture? I have
not heard many details.
BTW, at least in the US, journalists have never been allowed to operate extra-
legally. Were they allowed to, every mobster would also be a journalist.
~~~
detcader
Greenwald will be/is a journalist at a company which pays him for his work
(i.e. writing, researching) which is also a journalistic entity that publishes
material that he (and others) happens to own.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Contextual Identities on the Web - ronjouch
https://blog.mozilla.org/tanvi/2016/06/16/contextual-identities-on-the-web/
======
amluto
If we can get Tor Browser's first party origin feature in as well, this will
be fantastic! I would _love_ to have the ability to type www.facebook.com and
get a context that isn't linked to the rest of my tabs.
I also want ephemeral containers so I could open a tab that forgets its
cookies when I'm done. Think private browsing but without forgetting my
history, requiring a new window, or being limited to one context at a time.
~~~
denis1
Did you try the "Self destructing cookies"[1] extension for Firefox? It is
close to your "forgets cookies" requirement. IIRC it has per domain settings
and allows you to configure the cookies to self destruct after closing the
tab, the browser or never.
[1] [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/self-
destruct...](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/self-destructing-
cookies)
~~~
lucb1e
I use this and am very satisfied with it. It's a very simple thing that anyone
(that knows how cookies work) can fully understand within seconds and it
prevents many, many sorts of tracking. A password manager is a must, of
course.
Every time I use someone else's computer now, I'm horrified to see my settings
from last time on random sites. You don't realize how much tracking is done
until it's not the standard anymore. I even forgot to log out of places, so
I've defaulted to opening private windows instead.
Anyway back in topic, SDC helps a lot but doesn't do everything OP wanted to
do. I too would like to be able to open Facebook without wondering what other
openings tabs might be using it, preventing SDC from removing the cookies. I'm
really really excited Mozilla is doing this. SDC is a good start until it's
out of nightly/beta though.
------
fps
Firefox's clumsy profile support is the one thing that makes me keep switching
back to chrome. I really prefer firefox sync to chrome's implementation, and
some of firefox's tab organization tools are way better than chrome's. But I
use many of the same webapps in my personal life as I do in my work life, and
being able to run two profiles simultaneously, and start them up without
having to launch firefox from the terminal every time, was difficult.
What they've implemented seems to be better than chrome's profiles, in that
it's easier to create a new profile for a specific context (so I don't have to
sort things into a "work" bucket and a "personal" bucket.) It will be
interesting to see how the contexts interact with plugins.
~~~
grimgrin
Doesn't it also just genuinely feel more sluggish to you? Just installed
Nightly to test this feature out, and then took another minute to use the
developer tools to do some debugging, and the whole experience felt less
smooth. Maybe only microseconds of a difference in <my action> and the
<browser's response>, but noticeable nonetheless.
~~~
Sylos
Do you have extensions installed? Nightly has E10s default-enabled, and
there's currently still pretty bad performance problems when using certain
extensions with E10s.
Basically, extension developers can "shim" their add-ons, which, as far as I
understand it, tells Firefox that it has to handle things which are affected
by the extension in a single-threaded way, again. And because the world is a
grim place, this doesn't just get you back to non-E10s performance, but is
actually worse.
Eventually, add-on developers should properly port their extensions to E10s
and then those performance problems will disappear, but at the moment they are
still very frequent and when Mozilla rolls out E10s, they will also only
default-enable it for users without extensions for this exact reason.
If you want to troubleshoot this, I would recommend looking at
about:performance and www.arewee10syet.com. You should probably check how
performance is in a new profile[0] first, though, just to make sure that
you're not trying to replace extensions when it might be caused by something
else.
[0]: [https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-
create-...](https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-and-
remove-firefox-profiles)
------
red_admiral
This could not be more welcome at a time when facebook (UK) is displaying a
new bar across the top of its page saying that by using it, I agree:
"By clicking or navigating the site, you agree to allow our collection of
information on and off Facebook through cookies."
I already have a separate chromium "person" set up for facebook; might give
firefox another go when this gets released.
~~~
bjacobel
I don't mean to tell people how they should and shouldn't use the web, but if
you disagree with Facebook's off-platform data-collection practices, consider
sending them a message about it and closing your account. They have no reason
to change their policies unless we give them concrete evidence that it will
hurt their business.
~~~
beagle3
They track out even if you don't have an account. They have no reason to
change their policies, because you cannot hurt their business enough as a user
(you're the product, not the customer).
The only reasonable option, if one cares, is to use disconnect/ghostery/abp
with the right lists, etc.
In case you are not aware: Every single web page that has a 'facebook like'
button reports your surfing habits to Facebook, whether you have an account or
not.
------
masklinn
That looks neat. And if it were possible to cheaply create and delete
contextual identities on the fly it would even fix an issue I had today: the
difficulty of multiple _separate_ private browsing sessions in the same
browser.
~~~
TazeTSchnitzel
This is an issue for me, primarily for using Twitter. I sometimes want to use
multiple Twitter accounts at once, and not via TweetDeck. What I end up doing
is having one account in use on normal Firefox, one in Firefox private
browsing, one in Chrome private browsing, one in Safari private browsing, etc.
~~~
lucb1e
Exactly. An account as lucb1e, a professional account, one dedicated tweeting
blog posts on my website... It takes some juggling sometimes.
------
breakingcups
This seems very useful for it's intended use-case. At first glance I would
like to note however that advertisers (and other parties) will probably still
be able to track you across these "containers", due to not isolating HSTS-
flags and similar features.
I also wonder whether a seperate banking container makes a lot of sense when
doing online payments, as in my country we get redirected to our bank to do
payments. This might create confusion among non tech-savy users ("but this
should be in my banking-container, I'll just switch. Why does the webshop give
an error upon returning now?").
Overall a really cool feature though and one that might persuade me to give
Firefox a try as daily driver again.
------
BugsBunnySan
Omg, finally this exists :D
I think this is the actual solution to the problem that 'private browsing' was
trying to fix when it first came out.
~~~
tajen
..."Firefox profiles" fixed it very well. Same as Chrome profiles: I have one
for my work persona, one for my personal persona, another for my sysadmin
persona, and 3 others for... er... nevermind. But it works great.
Besides, 11 FAQ and a long blog post: I'm not sure they narrowed down the most
focussed feature that would provide the most value and be used by the most
number of users.
~~~
BugsBunnySan
Yeah, but afaik, switching those profiles in Firefox is (currently) really
difficult. So much so that it almost feels the same as if you didn't have the
capability to do it...
~~~
sp332
You can edit your shortcut or .desktop file to open "firefox -P" instead of
"firefox". Each time you click it, it will ask which profile you want the new
window to be in.
~~~
lucb1e
Had I known this earlier... I had the same reaction as the person you replied
to, I hadn't thought of using profiles. I knew something called profiles
existed, but I thought it was not in use anymore (at least not properly
supported). I never connected the dots.
Still sounds like a pain to manage though, compared to this new feature.
~~~
sp332
Yeah it's not a great user interface, and it's definitely buried. Aside from
the Developer Edition which uses a different profile by default, it seems to
be ignored by Firefox devs. Probably because they don't want to support all
the people who get confused by the terrible UI!
------
Monkey0x9
This is the way to go for firefox. Instead of copying google chrome, creating
new and usefull features.
~~~
gruez
But chrome had this feature as well, with user switching. The only difference
is that user sessions were bound to windows rather than per tab.
~~~
callahad
I disagree. Chrome user sessions don't share history, saved passwords,
bookmarks, or add-ons. Firefox Contextual Identities do.
~~~
milesokeefe
There are pros and cons to that though. It can be useful to have extensions
unique to each profile.
~~~
Sylos
Firefox has had those kind of profiles for a long time, they just aren't the
most accessible thing in the world. But yeah, you can access them from
about:profiles or also via the command-line with "firefox -P". If you want to
use it more extensively, there's also extensions available for easy switching,
like for example Profilist. [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-
US/firefox/addon/profilist/](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-
US/firefox/addon/profilist/)
------
beagle3
This is a great step in the right direction -- though it is not enough.
Different identities would still be going through the same IP (not much one
can do about that). But some things that can be solved are NOT addressed with
containers:
\- everything panopticlick uses (fonts list, plugin lists, timezone, agent,
etc.)
\- everything panopticlick doesn't use, but the bad guys do (aa font
signatures, ...)
\- plugin abuse - e.g., Flash 'cookies', Silverlight 'isolated storage', Java
JNLP properties
\- see EverCookie[0] for more things that have been known to occur in the wild
(and remember it is outdated). the article mentions cache is not shared, but
e.g. HSTS pinning is. evercookie easily pierces through this system.
Since 2005 or so, I have had different users for different purposes; Not sure
how well it works on Windows these days (it used to not work at all back in
2005) - but on Linux, it's just a "sux - otheruser" or "sudo -u otheruser"
command away, and it is well isolated on the web side[1]
[0] [https://samy.pl/evercookie/](https://samy.pl/evercookie/)
[1] Full X11 isolation requires a lot more effort - but luckily it seems that
recent browsers don't let websites abuse that
------
yAnonymous
Vote-brigading and trolling have never been so easy! All sarcasm aside, it is
a great feature.
~~~
yAnonymous-work
Agreed.
~~~
Jordrok
I still think that better support for contextual identities would be a net-
positive across the board for the web, but I have to say that this little
stunt gave me a good chuckle. Bravo!
~~~
eridal
Next step: build a plug in to automate the self vote up!
~~~
yAnonymous
And separate proxy/user agent/other trackable stuff settings for every
context.
My post was not only a joke. This has serious potential to make multi-account
tracking a nightmare... as it should, but not everything about that is good.
------
nickysielicki
This so closely resembles the way that Qubes uses colors to identify your VMs
[1] that I'm surprise they didn't get a mention in the post.
It's a really simple idea that can go a long way for digital identity hygiene.
Can't wait to try it out.
\---
[1] Screenshot of Qubes: [https://www.qubes-
os.org/attachment/wiki/QubesScreenshots/r2...](https://www.qubes-
os.org/attachment/wiki/QubesScreenshots/r2b2-kde-three-domains-at-work.png)
------
james-turner
This looks really promising. The identity problem in browsers is something I
tried to solve by customising the look of different Firefox instances opened
with different profiles[1] (one for personal use, one for work etc). But
having this functionality built in is definitely preferable.
[1] [https://github.com/jamesturner/firefox-profile-
indicator](https://github.com/jamesturner/firefox-profile-indicator)
------
WA
I solved this so far by using two different browsers. But this is cumbersome
and Mozilla now makes sure that I only use their product. This is good,
because I like Firefox.
------
azeirah
Oh that sure does seem really useful :o
I hope they keep going into this direction
------
lucb1e
This is fantastic! I've been wanting this for a few years, but didn't think
anyone else would care enough to get this on a browser's todo list. Awesome to
see Mozilla doing this!
~~~
spiderfarmer
I know a lot of people that use multiple browsers (IE, Chrome, FF) to achieve
the same effect. Especially in internet marketing, where you constantly switch
between Google accounts it's something that's very useful.
------
mark_l_watson
Great idea that makes me glad I use Firefox (settings for maximum privacy and
discard all cookies when browser shuts down; I also use Chrome for Google
properties, Twitter and Facebook).
With Firefox containers I suppose I could drop my two Browser setup, but I
won't, at least for now.
------
notifier2050
Wow, this is insanely cool! I've been thinking to create add-on to be able to
login to multiple Google accounts from different tabs, but they managed to
create it faster!
------
LOSEYOURSELF
Isn't it kind of fucking horrific you have to think about your "browsing
identity" at all?
~~~
lucb1e
You mean in the sense that so many companies and websites seem to be working
against you instead of for you? I agree on that.
------
Nadya
I am always confused by the lack of user customization in features like this.
Why am I limited to four containers? Why can't I rename them?
Four is not enough (personally, though I imagine it would be for most people)
and remembering which identity is under "Work" and which is under "Shopping"
is just an annoyance when _none_ of my identities would be for "Work" or
"Shopping". It would be faster and less annoying to sign out and sign in as
another account. Being able to name my containers after my psuedonyms and have
a container for each psuedonym would make it infinitely more useful and
intuitive for me - rather than a mental burden not worth the hassle of using.
~~~
laported
This is a complex feature to implement and they "don't have all the
answers...yet, but hope to start uncovering some of them with user research
and feedback." If customization is important to you, you can let them know:
"We hope to gather feedback on this basic experience to see how we can iterate
on the design to make it more convenient, elegant, and usable for our users.
Try it out and share your feedback by filling out this quick form or writing
to [email protected]."
~~~
Nadya
My post was more of a mini-rant about how UX of otherwise useful/good features
always seems to be an afterthought. The UX ends up being poor resulting in an
underused and often later abandoned feature.
Although it is likely my social niche - I know more people with multiple
personal or social accounts who will find this feature useful but have a
terrible UX due to the container names.
"Hand me the long, blue screwdriver - by which I mean the short, red hammer."
\- terrible UX
I'll be providing concern this as feedback via email when I get home and have
access to my personal email.
------
Pxtl
I'm not sure about Firefox's implementation of it, but throughout computing
I'm seeing more and more need for this kind of thing, not to mention something
softer than full user-account switching for handing a device between family
members or teammates. As everything gets more personalized and more tightly
bound to the user by learning their habits and typing and voice and all that,
and simultaneously in a social networking context we broadcast stuff about
ourselves incidentally (like Youtube learning your viewing preferences and
likes) that the ability to switch context neatly and quickly is becoming more
important.
------
greggman
Very cool.
I think I'd love to be able to define which domains open in which contexts so
if I click a link that happens to be to something I want in other context ...
But that got me thinking just how effective will this be? If someone sends me
a link in fb and I click it. Even if it opens in a new context it seems like
it's only a matter of time before all the links are changed to
[https://destsite.com/path/to/resource#fbtrackingid](https://destsite.com/path/to/resource#fbtrackingid)
or something similar which then adds the cookie across contexts?
~~~
johnp_
Well, there's an Add-on to prevent the latter:
[https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/clean-
links/](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/clean-links/)
------
eximius
This is a _huge_ step in the right direction.
However, my personal vision is taking this one step further with an 'identity
management' daemon running on your computer or a hardware token which acts a
cryptographic agent on behalf of your identities. So firefox, chrome, or
whatever application could request a credential for some service and your
daemon would pop up and ask you which identity's credentials to use or if
you'd like to make a new one (U2F or some other system).
------
arenaninja
Very cool feature! I remember a friend of mine having a use for this as far
back as 8 years ago. I hope you're happy now Richard!
~~~
lucb1e
Same here, although I'm not sure I can beat 8 years!
------
darkroasted
This is really neat, although it does not look slick enough to replace my own
hacky word-around:
What I have been doing is creating a separate Chrome application launcher for
my different life contexts -- [http://lifehacker.com/5611711/create-
application-shortcuts-i...](http://lifehacker.com/5611711/create-application-
shortcuts-in-google-chrome-for-mac-with-a-shell-script) I have one for
anonymous browsing, one for work, one for personal-real-name, and one for
pseudonymous browsing. I renamed the application so I can launch by typing
"WorkChrome" or "PersonalChrome" in spotlight search. Each Chrome app then
runs with a separate profile, separate cookies, etc. I have a different icon
and colored theme for each one, so that I never make a mistake with regards to
which I am browsing in. I can have multiple open at the same time and tab
switch between them.
------
ars
This reminds of tabgroups for some reason - but they got rid of tabgroups.
I think this feature would have made tabgroups much more useful.
------
nixpulvis
I literally just read the paper [1] a few days ago, pretty interesting. It
lays out a lot of work and thought to be done.
[1] [http://www.ieee-
security.org/TC/W2SP/2013/papers/s1p2.pdf](http://www.ieee-
security.org/TC/W2SP/2013/papers/s1p2.pdf)
------
eliaspro
This is like a match made in heaven for Activities in KDE Plasma.
[http://cukic.co/2016/02/08/heavy-activities-
setup/](http://cukic.co/2016/02/08/heavy-activities-setup/)
Now if only Firefox AddOns/Extensions would be able to properly access DBus,
this would allow for a so much better Linux integration (storing passwords
through org.freedesktop.Secret, opening URLs in the appropriate container from
KDE Plasma sessions instead of random switches to another activity where a
Firefox window is found, global media playback states/control for web
video/audio as org.mpris.MediaPlayer2, powermanagement inhibitors through
org.freedesktop.login1, etc)
------
Grue3
The idea is good, but what's with the identities they chose? "Personal",
"Work", "Banking", "Shopping"? Is "Shopping" supposed to be an euphemism for
"Porn"? As far as I can tell, nobody has a "shopping" Twitter account.
~~~
hardmath123
I think one thing that bothers people is when they look up "Samsung
Smartphone" or "children's stroller" on Amazon and are suddenly bombarded with
advertisements about these things all over the web.
People are also paranoid about online shopping sites changing prices based on
tracking information. Here are two articles related to this:
[http://lifehacker.com/5973689/how-web-sites-vary-prices-
base...](http://lifehacker.com/5973689/how-web-sites-vary-prices-based-on-
your-information-and-what-you-can-do-about-it) and
[http://www.wisebread.com/6-ways-to-avoid-sneaky-online-
price...](http://www.wisebread.com/6-ways-to-avoid-sneaky-online-price-
changes)
------
dubcanada
This actually looks awesome.
------
pc2g4d
Digital marketing companies are moving to reduce or eliminate their dependence
on cookies for identifying users, so unless they add some Tor-like
functionality to this tool that makes you appear to be connecting from a
different IP address, I don't see this having much of a long-term privacy
impact.
That said, no need to volunteer any more information than necessary to use
online services.
If you haven't seen it, you should definitely check out
[https://panopticlick.eff.org/](https://panopticlick.eff.org/)
------
MzHN
Ah yes, thank you, finally!
I can't emphasize enough how much I've been waiting for this.
I've even tried pushing it via the dev-tools uservoice as a developer tool
instead of a privacy tool, since you often need to test with multiple sessions
at the same time. No reaction.
There is still the very real issue of fingerprinting across containers, which
they point at towards the end of the article, but this might just be enough
for me to drop Chrome completely and get my Firefox set up again the way I
like it.
------
natrius
This sounds better than my current solution of multiple Chrome profiles, but
how does this interact with extensions? So many extensions require broad
permissions that give them nearly as much power as the browser vendor
themselves. With separate Chrome profiles, I can keep sketchy extensions away
from sensitive credentials. I hope these containers do something similar,
because I think the UX of per-tab containers might be superior to per-window
profiles.
------
mtgx
If they're going to use per-tab containers, doesn't it make sense to have per-
tab sandboxing as well, to ensure there's no data leakage?
~~~
sp332
They just barely separated the chrome process from the rendering process. All
tab content is rendered in the same process for now. Eventually they will
separate it further but it's not done yet.
~~~
pietroalbini
In Nightly you can enable one process per tab by changing dom.ipc.processCount
to something like 1000.
It currently has some delay when you open a new tab, and a few quirks here and
there, but it's mostly working.
~~~
sp332
It has a lot of bugs left.
[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/showdependencytree.cgi?id=e10s-...](https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/showdependencytree.cgi?id=e10s-multi&hide_resolved=1)
And they haven't even started adding sandboxing between processes.
------
danbruc
Supported at least since IE 8 (2009) [1], not sure how multiple instances
behaved before.
[1] [https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/ie/2009/05/06/session-
cooki...](https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/ie/2009/05/06/session-cookies-
sessionstorage-and-ie8-or-how-can-i-log-into-two-webmail-accounts-at-the-same-
time/)
------
pmontra
Wonderful. I'm looking forward to a feature to automatically create a
container for every new tab, unless explicitly told to open a tab in the
existing container. Example: two tabs for the same site, right click, Open
Link in New Tab (same container). The browser default could be opening in the
same container. An about:config switch would be ok, we'll find it.
------
kirkdouglas
It seems that Firefox is becoming relevant again.
~~~
lucb1e
It has always been relevant for me. Chrome has nowhere near as powerful
customization and privacy features, and Opera has nowhere near as much
support. Firefox has always been the best browser for both power users and
privacy conscious people.
If you were going for something minimalistic and good for business/home usage,
Chrome might be a better choice indeed. I can definitely see the advantages
and I've installed it for my family back when it was substantially faster than
Firefox (by now Chrome got a _lot_ heavier and Firefox, uh, I guess they must
have become a bit lighter but I don't know). I guess I should switch them back
to Firefox again, but it might not be worth the learning curve.
------
siscia
I am wondering what will happen to all the web ads company if this feature get
deployed and use wildly.
~~~
lucb1e
Revenue will go down even further, that'll happen. Same as with ad blockers,
except they cannot detect it this time around (at least not easily, it would
be a bug if they could).
Nothing changes really, ad revenue should already have been going down for
years with how many ads we see every day. Almost everyone should automatically
block them out mentally by now, and I think I recently heard this is starting
to happen more and more now.
------
return0
I prefer to use separate browser instances with different --user-data-dir (in
chrome, i dont know the equivalent in firefox). Adding a different color theme
helps to immediately discriminate betwen them.
Having tabs from different contexts in the same window is confusing.
------
kevinSuttle
This is pretty much spot on what Edward Snowden described for his vision of
digital identity.
[https://gist.github.com/mnot/382aca0b23b6bf082116](https://gist.github.com/mnot/382aca0b23b6bf082116)
------
skybrian
I'm pretty happy with Chrome's support for multiple profiles in separate
windows - for example I have one for work and one just for Facebook. I wonder
why Firefox is using tabs? What other differences are there between these
approaches?
~~~
Sylos
Well, because some users will prefer to use them in tabs. If you rather want
separate windows, then you can put those tabs into different windows yourself.
No need to limit what users can choose to do...
------
tener
Cool addition, but I can easily see how people will make costly mistakes by
using different account than intended.
I prefer to use different devices entirely.
When need arises to have multiple logins to the same page I simply open new
private window.
------
enscr
Is it like the Chrome "People" (or profiles or user) feature ? Suggesting that
"user won’t need to use multiple browsers" seems like a problem that didn't
exist if you used chrome.
~~~
olalonde
One notable difference is that those identities are tied to tabs instead of
windows. Chrome doesn't let you mix tabs from different "profiles" within the
same browser window.
------
hammock
So this is like profiles but tab-level instead of window level?
~~~
sp332
Profiles separate your history, bookmarks, and add-ons. This shares all of
those things between Containers.
------
digi_owl
Perhaps they should have called it something other than containers? Or is the
term a buzzword these days for anything that separates A from B?
------
ComodoHacker
Funny side thought. Privacy movement has one additional benefit besides all
others: it pushes machine learning research further and further.
------
srrge
As a developer I see a lot of use for this feature.
------
neves
Great for paywalls that just allow me to read X articles. Now if I create 5
profiles in the site, I can read 10*X!
~~~
yxhuvud
Sure, until they start to tie it to IP instead.
~~~
neves
So all my company will be blocked at once.
------
rolandukor
I think this is fantastic. In hindsight, it is a no-brainer. Good for mozilla
and hoping the others will catch up
------
nikolay
Nice! Google Chrome has profiles, which are kinda similar, but this looks
better!
------
nomi137
this will be awesome.. and watch out google chrome :)
------
mxuribe
Pretty cool!
------
ronjouch
@HN @dang why the post de-rename?
When submitting, I intentionally editorialized the title from something
unclear out of mozilla's blog context ( _" Contextual Identities on the Web"_)
to a more explicit title that speaks by itself ( _" Firefox 50 nightly new
feature: Contextual Identities"_).
Isn't this considered valuable here?
~~~
dfc
I cant speak for dang but the guidelines make it pretty clear that you should
use the original title:
is[https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html](https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html)
~~~
ronjouch
Alright, thanks for pointing to them.
\- This guideline feels a wee bit sad, because editorializing can be valuable
(a title might be crystal clear in context but nonsensical once pulled out of
it).
\- But I understand how we generally don't want it as it might lead to
linkbaiting and misrepresenting the original title.
~~~
k__
Also, didn't they change some titels to less click-baity titles in the past?
~~~
spiderfarmer
Still happens, I saw it happen the day before yesterday. I kind of like the
fact that the title on HN is specific and to the point.
------
janan11
This is genuinely super! I've already configured my firefox so that fb exists
best within the non-public context. This means i will visit any website which
uses fb monitoring, and so forth, and that i won't be logged in!
------
aestetix
Mozilla and Contextual Identities.... hmm.... did they just forget about
Persona?
~~~
lucb1e
Not the same thing, I guess that's why you're being downvoted (and the snarky
remark) but the person didn't comment so we'll never know...
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
LinkedIn employees use forum about diversity to defend racism - tech-historian
https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/4/21279739/linkedin-employees-racist-comments-george-floyd-protest
======
AdmiralAsshat
Ostensibly the "anonymous" questions are used on BlueJeans/Zoom meetings so
that employees can ask a question on an earnings call without worrying about
being fired. I guess it was inevitable that, when left anonymous for long
enough, the questions will devolve into 4chan.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
SEO for Non-dicks - joshuacc
http://mattgemmell.com/2011/09/20/seo-for-non-dicks/
======
sambeau
The message is “write something fucking interesting”
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
From Megaflops to Total Solutions: Cray and Supercomputing History [pdf] - poindontcare
http://ethw.org/images/7/76/Elzen_%26_MacKenzie,_From_Megaflops_to_Total_Solutions.pdf
======
trsohmers
If you enjoyed this article, I highly recommend the book "The Supermen: The
story of Seymour Cray and the technical wizards behind the supercomputer". It
goes into a lot of detail regarding ERA before Cray, the creation of CDC
(which is a fantastic start up story regarding how they got funded) along with
a lot of specifics on Seymour and his thinking and development style. Seymour
is my all time hero, and learning extensively about him and his architectures
was what gave me my love of computer architecture and design, with this book
being a fantastic information source.
~~~
pklausler
I worked for Cray Research and its successors for many years, including a
stint at Cray Computer Corporation in Colorado Springs on the Cray-3 project.
I wrote the compiler's optimization and vectorization phase, and this gave me
a chance to interact with Seymour on several questions and problems with the
architecture. It remains a very fond memory.
------
simplicio
Probably worth noting that the thesis of the article (that network effects and
buyer lock-in would keep Cray from scumbing to competitors) didn't really pan.
Both Cray founded companies went bankrupt a few years after the article was
published.
~~~
aab0
One lesson I take away is how fragile a single-product company is. Each new
Cray computer had to be either a total or good success, or the company would
die. Like a shark, it had to keep swimming forward, and at Cray-3/4, it lost
momentum and asphyxiated. Which is why now IBM builds so many
supercomputers...
~~~
aab0
(Which is not to take away from Cray's accomplishments. It's not every
engineer, or every industry, where it's possible to decide to increase the
performance of a device by an order of magnitude and _do so_ something like 7
times in a row if you include Cray-3 and Cray-4 which apparently did
physically exist, according to Wikipedia.)
------
tcoppi
Should be tagged with a date of 1993, it isn't immediately clear what
timeframe this was published other than after the "late 1980s".
~~~
daveguy
Most recent reference is 1991 with many from 1990. I think it is safe to say
(1991).
Edit: includes an internal reference to "late 1991", so maybe (1992) or (1993)
is more accurate.
Edit2: and you were right (1993). Citation: Boelie Elzen and Donald MacKenzie,
"From Megaflops to Total Solutions: The Changing Dynamics of Competitiveness
in Supercomputing," in Technological Competitiveness: Contemporary and
Historical Perspectives on Electrical, Electronics, and Computer Industries
(Piscataway, NJ: IEEE Press, 1993), 119-151.
------
Sephr
Amazing how far we've come. Now you can get 10.6 TFLOPS of FP32 in only 300W
(reference: GP100 in the Nvidia DGX-1).
~~~
tcoppi
It isn't a completely fair comparison, but it is indeed amazing that you can
buy a GPU for < $1000 that would, going by raw FLOPS, by itself be on the
TOP500 in the early 2000s, and we use them to browse facebook and play League
of Legends :)
~~~
TheOtherHobbes
They'll end up in phones and watches eventually, running CNNs for speech
recognition and other useful things.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Contributing os.scandir() to Python - benhoyt
http://benhoyt.com/writings/scandir/
======
raymondh
Thanks for the write-up. It does a good job of communicating:
* the joys of contributing to Python
* how time and labor intensive the process can be
* the complexities of dealing with multiple operating systems
* what it is like to be alternately helped or hindered by other developers
------
int_19h
I think that sort of thing is an often-underappreciated benefit of Python as
an ecosystem - it has a well-defined procedure for adding and changing things
to core language and library, that strikes a pretty good balance between
agility and prudence, and generally yields great results.
------
danso
That was a great write-up. I liked how you not only covered the technical
details, but the human details, too -- how to get your idea noticed by python-
dev, how to gain early adoption.
------
phillberson
I think the additional windows attributes initiated here:
[https://github.com/benhoyt/scandir/issues/22](https://github.com/benhoyt/scandir/issues/22)
(Source: It was my issue :) )
I was long using the project since it was named betterwalk and was very glad
to see PEP 471 approved. Great work Ben.
(Now I just need to upgrade the project I use it in to 3.5)
~~~
benhoyt
Aha, I'd completely forgotten that had come via a scandir issue, sorry! Fixed
here:
[https://github.com/benhoyt/benhoyt.github.com/commit/0c156b9...](https://github.com/benhoyt/benhoyt.github.com/commit/0c156b9b16d918eca09e3eb6e38e78ead992a2fc)
(let me know your name if you want to be called out by name).
~~~
phillberson
Ha, nah... that wasn't the idea of mentioning it. Probably shouldn't have...
Thanks again for all your efforts.
------
rajathagasthya
Great work! To contribute to Python, would you say it's necessary to be
comfortable with writing C code?
~~~
benhoyt
No, not necessarily at all -- there's a ton of pure Python code in the
standard library, so if you're adding to or making improvements there, no need
to know C. And then there's documentation and other non-code issues too.
~~~
rajathagasthya
Perfect, thanks. Been wanting to contribute to Python upstream for a while
now, but it's overwhelming every time I take a look. :)
~~~
xapata
Remember that status quo is the sane default. Much more important to fix bugs
and add docs than to add features.
------
AdamJacobMuller
Very interesting. I just benchmarked this (the python2.7 module _only_ ) with
an internal application that walks over filesystems and found scandir.walk()
to, inexplicably, be slightly slower than the os.walk().
I think part of the issue (though I've not tested this yet) is that we're
stat()-ing every single file _anyway_ so with os cache considered, it really
ends up not mattering anyway.
I thought the additional cost of the extra system calls (even if they were
entirely cached in memory) would add up, but, it seems like _something_ the
scandir module is doing is just less efficient in general.
Devising some much simpler and more controllable tests (but still with our
exact workload) and testing more though.
~~~
benhoyt
That's very intriguing to me -- I've rarely/never seen it be _slower_ , and
usually at least several times faster. Are you using benchmark.py? If so, can
you send a link to a Gist with the output? It may be that the C module is not
compiling, and it's falling back to the much slower pure Python module.
~~~
AdamJacobMuller
I wasn't running your specific benchmark test. I've been running some more
controlled tests now that show it basically being on-par with listdir() which
I still consider completely oddball.
Also, not remotely hating on what you did here. I actually wrote/tested a very
similar concept in python several years ago for the exact same reason. My
C-skills (and mostly time resources) weren't really up to par to try to get it
included in core. I mostly _really_ want this to work as well as I think it
should :)
I'll run some tests with your benchmark.py (and compare that to my benchmark
script) and post some results.
------
billiob
This issue has been looked into decades ago.
NFSv3 introduced READDIRPLUS in 1995:
[https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1813#section-3.3.17](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1813#section-3.3.17)
FUSEv3 (the library) will have support for such a call. It is already in the
git repository (
[https://github.com/libfuse/libfuse/blob/master/include/fuse_...](https://github.com/libfuse/libfuse/blob/master/include/fuse_lowlevel.h#L1030)
) .
Sadly, there is still no syscall on linux to do a "readdirplus" (usually
called xgetdents()).
------
vectorEQ
Nice to read this man thanks! Interesting to see your experience in this
process and what it's like to contribute to such a project. I've stopped
writing alot of python code admitedly because i prefer to torture myself with
unnecesarily tedious things... but i like how python evolves, and this kind of
contributions are really important and what makes me feel python is one of the
more powerfull scripting / programming tools if you're not writing in machine
native codes. thanks for the writeup, and ofcourse your contribution to
improving all of our codez =]
------
cmdrfred
Nice work, I'll keep it in mind next time.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
New CISPA Cybersecurity Bill Even Worse than SOPA - gcb
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/04/07/1928220/new-cispa-cybersecurity-bill-even-worse-than-sopa
======
incomethax
Please link directly to the RT article mentioned on slashdot
Here it is for easier access <http://rt.com/usa/news/cispa-bill-sopa-
internet-175/>
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Ask HN: Does a centralized supply coin like IOTA have any benefits at all? - robertAngst
Maybe I cannot picture the usecase, but my understanding is that IOTA is used to track data that a company themselves submit.<p>There is the obvious issue of GIGO, and makes IOTA feel like its literally a write only database.<p>Am I missing something? Can anyone find any purpose this could be used?
======
1ba9115454
They advertise themselves a permissionless blockchain ledger with no fees.
I haven't looked much into their technology but assuming it holds up one
possible use case is un-reversible data storage.
What I mean by that is if I commit some data to the network. It gets passed to
all nodes who keep a copy. The transaction that created the data has
signatures so everyone knows it's me creating that data. No-one can overwrite
that data.
You can do the same on most crypto currency blockchains. i.e. put data in
transactions.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
9.5mm Firefox browsers use Adblock Plus Daily - darien
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/statistics/addon/1865
This means about 10% of all firefox browsers on any given day block online ads. (See http://blog.mozilla.com/addons/2009/08/11/how-many-firefox-users-use-add-ons/) Is it right for mozilla to advocate adblock? Is mozilla liable due to promotion? Will the online industry ever address the rising use of adblock a la MPAA/RIAA?
======
DEinspanjer
Please keep in mind that these numbers are not 100% accurate. We do the best
we can to parse out the add-on version check pings that this number is based
on, but what we don't do is systematically attempt to track users. That means
we don't have a cookie that we can rely on to determine exactly how many users
are using a particular add-on. We can only count the number of pings.
Firefox will ping for a version check multiple times during the process of a
browser upgrade. The user can manually check for updates as many times as they
like. There are weird mis-configured proxies that can spam a single ping a
hundred times for some reason, and there are browsers that have been
recompiled for a variety of reasons that can behave in a non-standard fashion.
In each of these cases, we do the best we can to eliminate spurious or
duplicate requests, but because of NAT and DHCP, we can't really rely much on
an IP address to determine the validity of a set of requests.
Personally, I'm happy to provide less accurate statistics and be able to feel
good that I am not violating Firefox users' privacy. This extends down to
things such as not even storing IP addresses in our data warehouse once the
access log data has been parsed. Regardless of the fact we have privacy
policies that state we won't do anything bad with the data, I prefer to not
even have the data available in a database at all.
------
darien
This means about 10% of all firefox browsers on any given day block online
ads. (See [http://blog.mozilla.com/addons/2009/08/11/how-many-
firefox-u...](http://blog.mozilla.com/addons/2009/08/11/how-many-firefox-
users-use-add-ons/)) Is it right for mozilla to advocate adblock? Is mozilla
liable due to promotion? Will the online industry ever address the rising use
of adblock a la MPAA/RIAA?
~~~
pavel_lishin
"Is mozilla liable due to promotion?"
Liable for what?
~~~
darien
Liable for lost advertising revenue due to the 'defacement' and 'republishing'
of copyrighted content under the DMCA. It is a stretch, but America is a
litigious nation and the courts have a tendency to rule in favor of big
business (because they support the economy). And if the courts wont rule the
first time around, there are always lobbyists to help change laws.
~~~
habitue
I think it would be a humongous stretch to say it's defacement. The server
client model is the important factor I think here. A server sends data to the
client to display in a manner it chooses fit. If a browser chooses not to
request certain content, or chooses not to display it to the user, there is no
defacement going on. If it is legal for there to be rendering differences at
all between browsers, I think adblock fits into that gap as well.
As you said however, who knows what crazy justification they will come up
with, and what the courts will buy.
~~~
darien
I definitely agree with you. Right now I'm trying to get into their
argumentative mindset. I think web properties can argue that their copyright
extends to HOW the content is displayed. This point is furthered if online
sites can prove that their site is generated dynamically based on specific
browsers. If they can argue that they manually create different (authorized)
versions for different configurations (1 configuration for each browser, os
and monitor type), and that all of those configurations contain ads. The
courts may find that any configurations outside the site's authorized versions
are unauthorized, an infringement of copyright and illegal. To me it almost
makes sense. Thoughts?
~~~
DEinspanjer
If the web properties could successfully argue that their copyright extends to
how the content is displayed, I think it is likely they could get a lot more
bang for their buck by suing Microsoft for the mangled content that comes out
of the many millions of IE 6 browsers still being used out there. :)
That said, I highly doubt either lawsuit has much of a leg to stand on.
Content transformation is a long standing and tacitly accepted feature of web
protocols. Caching, zooming, and even assistant technologies such as a screen
or braille reader would run afoul this argument.
------
cmars232
Millimeters?
~~~
darien
In finance, MM stands for millions. It can also be MLN.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Wikipedia: Open-Source Ventilator - app4soft
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-Source_Ventilator
======
app4soft
This article started[0] as result of related discussion on _r
/engineering_[1].
[0] [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Open-
Source_Venti...](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Open-
Source_Ventilator&oldid=947695612)
[1]
[https://www.reddit.com/r/engineering/comments/fq22qu/can_som...](https://www.reddit.com/r/engineering/comments/fq22qu/can_someone_send_me_john_strupats_opensource/flozin7/)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Apollo 11: Four lesser-known facts - pionerkotik
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-48907836
======
mkesper
About "Hidden Figures": It's worth reading the book: Quite a detailled history
lesson!
------
melling
The podcast 13 Minutes to the Moon is full of details about the moon landing:
[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w13xttx2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w13xttx2)
------
garyrichardson
The video of James Burke in the capsule was great. He could explain things to
me any day.
I'm Canadian. When I was a kid we got reruns of Connections on TLC before it
was a reality TV network. That was possibly the most informative TV show I've
ever watched. When my kids start hitting the middle school science age I think
we're going to marathon it.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Why host and write a blog? - aangjie
http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/201x/2012/08/18/Blogodammerung
======
lordlarm
A trend I've been seeing on HN recently is a sixth reason:
6. Promotion
This is especially from technology firms which wants to get their brand out to
their target group and also show off their knowledge in hip new technologies.
It's easy to spot them, since they often have a "Oh, and i forgot to tell you:
'We're hiring!'" at the end of the articles.
~~~
gvb
IMHO, promotion would fall under #3 "Influence".
------
mmariani
I don't have a blog, but I write a lot. That's why I could relate to many
points raised by this author. However, something was missing.
In my opinion, if you don't write to better understand how you think, you're
dead wood. No one can better relate with your brain than yourself, and writing
helps that relation grow.
Also, that helps improve your coding skills too. As you better understand how
your thinking process works, so your understanding of how to solve coding
related problems.
Anyway, in the end there's always someone interested in learning from other's
experiences, as long they are a bit enlightening or entertaining.
Anyway, I should start blogging just to write more. :)
~~~
aangjie
>In my opinion, if you don't write to better understand how you think, you're
dead wood.
Can't agree more. that's pretty much what got me into writing back in my
teens. But i have found that without reading,thinking and making connections,
it's kinda monotonous and you stop writing. Recently found 750words.com and
enjoy the interface(mine's black bg with white text). Infact, last 3 months i
have written 50K+ words on that site _. I hear mac guys can use ommwriter, but
linux user here.
_ __ my only current gripe being having to store it on someone's server. think
i'll build a open-source package.
------
wulczer
I like Matt Hempey's take on the problem:
blog blog blog it all, blog it if it's big or small
blog at the cineplex, blog while you're having sex
blog in the locker room, babies blogging in the womb
blog even if you're wrong, won't you blog about this song?
------
dfriedmn
"I’m convinced that medium/long-form writing’s future is unthreatened; but
remain puzzled that nobody in new media has really figured out the elite-
curation story and created a place that you go, and then subscribe to with
real money, because that’s where you have a high chance of being entertained,
influenced, and informed."
It seems like Svbtle may be going after exactly what you describe here,
although it's unclear whether it will be free or paid at this point.
~~~
natep
It seemed strange to me that the author would conclude that this is what they
expect to happen. If the goal is influence, wouldn't you want the share-
ability of free? Then again, if you convince enough influential people to
subscribe to your thoughts, and they can share amongst themselves, maybe that
nets you even more influence.
------
jseliger
I like this post, but I think he leaves out one potential issue: conversation.
We learn a lot through conversing with others, and while I don't think
blogging will take the place of chat any more than books or newspapers did, I
think it does supplement nicely; I wrote some more about this here:
[https://jseliger.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/signaling-
status-b...](https://jseliger.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/signaling-status-
blogging-academia-and-ideas/) , since I a) write a blog and b) am by now a
veteran of the "How and why to blog" blog posts, which have practically become
their own genre.
Most of all, however, I don't think most people blog to inform others: they
blog to inform _themselves_ , since writing is such an effective means of
stimulating thinking.
------
rbanffy
I'm not sure why I started.
I like writing, but when someone says he or she reads my blog, I'm a bit
freaked out. I mean... I did a couple interesting stuff, wrote a couple
articles here and there, but... It always feels weird. Other forms of online
discussions took away a lot of the energy and effort I used to put into my
blog and, gradually, I mostly stopped.
Oddly enough, today I pulled down a copy of it. I'll start moving it to Plone
4. Since it runs on an ancient version, 2.5 tops, my hosting provider would be
very happy if I migrated it to something less... anachronistic.
I will migrate it, of course. And possibly continue posting articles on it.
But I don't see myself investing as much time and energy on it as I did 10
years ago.
------
gambler
Interesting to see the original question. "Where is the New Yorker of the
internet?" I don't see any reasonable online outlets (in English) to publish,
say, one long article every two month. You cannot build a self-contained blog
around that format, and there is no infrastructure to do it otherwise.
There has been a a period of time where all the Web 2.0 hipsters relentlessly
bashed anything with editorial control as outdated, bad, unnecessary and so
on. (Which is kind of ironic, considering the whole movement was started by a
publisher.) That's part of the reason why, I think.
------
Gustomaximus
Another reason us to create a diary of sorts. At least for me I wish I had a
record of things learnt I could read over some years later and if some other
people can also read and discuss all the better..
------
jdrenterprises
In my opinion, writing and hosting a blog serves several purposes. One, to
hone my writing chops. Two, to express my own ideas in my own way... because
it's my own "house" online. Three, I've actually landed some fairly lucrative
client opportunities because of my blog. Four, it gives me a "home base"
content repository from which to draw other ideas, participate in other
discussions etc...
There are others, but these are the main ones.
------
joering2
Anyone having good tips/experience on getting your blog popular? From day one
you start writing and without proper "advertise" you can keep writing for
couple months before anyone swings along your page. I would love to start
blog, but thinking Im shouting out loud in a vacuum for months really
discourages me from even starting...
~~~
simonw
I actually think this is much easier today than it used to be. Write something
good, then tweet about it / Facebook it / share it on LinkedIn / post it to
Hacker News. You don't need a big audience of pre-existing subscribers to get
something good in front of a lot of people any more.
------
dinkumthinkum
But I thought all these "tech gods" were telling us books were garbage and
just dead tree propaganda and that blogs were the only way we should learn
anything. Now we shouldn't have blogs, we should just try to piece together
knowledge from a few tweets and a couple YouTube videos? You guys are getting
ridiculous!
------
mjn
I agree that "medium/long-form writing's future is unthreatened", but I'm less
sure that blogs are the answer long-term. They're one particular way of
publishing, which has pros and cons. Blogs' strengths are: a relatively low
barrier to entry, a convenient way for regular readers to follow updates, and
not much overhead in thinking about how to maintain a "website" in the
traditional sense. Everything is just a new blog post, and at most you slap a
few tags on them. Blogs' weaknesses are a strong focus on recency and lack of
content organization. Everything is about the recent blog posts. Archives are
often hard to use, and many blogs freely mix long-lasting things like essays,
with short-form daily-life types of things or comments on current events with
a short shelf-life.
An alternative is to separate out several kinds of writing. Paul Graham has an
'essays' page, for example, which is sort of like a blog, but less focused on
timeliness and updates. Only essays get posted there, and the focus is not
primarily on which essay is most recent (old essays don't quickly scroll off
the main page into the archive, for example).
In my own writing, I've come to the conclusion that if I had a blog, it would
contain two main kinds of entries: 1) essays I've written, and 2) references
to interesting things I've seen written elsewhere. At least for my personal
interests, I would prefer those to be separate, and also would prefer them to
take more of the flavor of "building a website" rather than "updating a blog".
That is, the focus is on the accumulated content, which you can read in any
order, not necessarily the order I happened to add it. This is partly because
I suspect most people who will run across it aren't ardent mjn fans waiting
for my latest update.
So what I've done is have two sections:
1\. Essays, which are organized primarily by subject rather than date, but do
also have an RSS feed and show recent additions at the top, for my
friends/acquaintances/colleagues who might read regularly:
<http://www.kmjn.org/notes/>
2\. Snippets/clippings, where I collect interesting excerpts I've run across.
If I had a blog, these would get interspersed with the long-form posts, but I
prefer having them separate in a sort of digital scrapbook, for the moment
fairly unorganized: <http://www.kmjn.org/snippets/>
I'm not saying that method is the best organizational method either, but so
far I like it more than a blog. I suppose part of it is that my thinking on
online writing is still heavily influenced by some of the 80s/90s hypertext
ideas, and "maintaining a website" versus "blogging". Websites often had an
/updates.html page where you could see what was recently added, but that
wasn't the _main_ interface. The main interface had some kind of rational
organization, rather than assuming reverse chronological order of addition is
the universal organizational framework.
~~~
aangjie
I noticed a similar usage in my case too. that's two different type of
writings. 1. Medium sized thoughts/posts(not really essays, just a few
connections i made while reading.around 500 words or so.) and 2. Pithy 1 or 2
sentence comment along with a link. The latter cases tend to be posted usually
from my phone.
On blog, not being a good place for long-form writing. I have begun to realize
that, i should write the long-forms without thinking about the publishing
medium to pay attention to the meaningful long-form _. Infact hate a MS Word
s/w for the same reason. and even writing on my 750words page is mostly just a
brain dump not coherent. Think vim might be best chance at focused long-form
writing.
_ \-- Disclaimer: not an expert in long form essay writings.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Firefox/Normandy/PreferenceRollout - mlthoughts2018
https://wiki.mozilla.org/Firefox/Normandy/PreferenceRollout
======
whym
Relevant context:
[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1548973#c57](https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1548973#c57)
> Update: We have rolled out a partial fix for this issue. We generated a new
> intermediate certificate with the same name/key but an updated validity
> window and pushed it out to users via Normandy (this should be most users).
> Users who have Normandy on should see their add-ons start working over the
> next few hours. We are continuing to work on packaging up the new
> certificate for users who have Normandy disabled.
Further context:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19823701](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19823701)
~~~
user17843
This partial fix via Normandy means a relevant part of the user base may still
be in the dark: tech-savvy power users with many extensions who have chosen to
disable normandy. (This is probably also the group which is most affected by
reset extension settings)
~~~
tux3
Indeed, I had opted out of Normandy, SHIELD studies & co after the Looking
Glass/Mr. Robot promotional ad fiasco.
Tentatively re-enabled, it's now 2 hours since the announcement but I haven't
received the preference flip study yet. A couple more hours before my fox's
lastUpdateTime rolls around and my extensions get disabled, patiently waiting
to see if I'll have to take manual action!
Edit: Funny, my app.normandy.run_interval_seconds was set to 24h for some
reason, the new default seems to be 6h. I wonder how many people are also in
that situation.
~~~
bwat49
I found that setting app.normandy.first_run to true and then restarting
firefox triggers the hotfix study to be installed (and the pref then
automatically sets itself back to false)
------
RpFLCL
I understand that this isn't a backdoor, it's a frontdoor insofar as there is
a wiki page about it. What concerns me is that Normandy isn't communicated in
the UI of the browser settings, and that Firefox is allowing Mozilla to target
me based on any of these:
Targeting can be based on many criteria, including:
Firefox version
channel (release, beta, nightly)
a percentage of users
country
Firefox locale
installed add-ons
profile age
any preference value
many keys in Telemetry
_Any_ preference value? Is this targeting being done locally or remotely? Once
I've been 'targeted' what information about me is then sent to Mozilla?
I'm not sure I want any of those shared, especially the last several. Yet this
was enabled by default and the only way to disable Normandy is through
about:config? Does disabling that also stop whatever allowed the targeting in
the first place?
It just seems like there was a real lack of informed consent regarding this
feature and it only came to light when the team used this as a shortcut for
fixing the add-on disaster.
~~~
nyuszika7h
Unticking "Allow Firefox to run and install studies" under Settings > Privacy
& Security should disable Normandy.
~~~
HNthrow22
I have all of the privacy options unchecked including studies but Normandy
(which I've just found out about via this issue) is still enabled.
------
hexo
I don't get it. Is someone going (and I don't really care if is from mozilla
or microsoft) to RECONFIGURE my browser without my consent? This is
unacceptably bad idea.
~~~
Althorion
Yes, sort of. The change is made to _default_ configs, so if you changed
something, it won’t touch it. And while I get that changes to that can be
annoying, I also find them necessary to keep the application easy to use and
productive and cannot think of any piece of software that never have changed
their defaults.
The reason for Normandy to exist is to allow the developers to check if some
change to that defaults is production ready yet. For example, you can start
enabling by default hardware video acceleration for some people and compare
the number of browser crashes they experience compared to the general public
and use that knowledge to know when this feature is stable enough to be
enabled for all.
~~~
lifthrasiir
It should be mentioned that Mozilla had once wrecked their reputation by
allowing a corporate-supported study [1] (yeah, Mr. Robot one). It was a
really bad PR disaster for Mozilla, and I think Mozilla has at least learned
their lesson by not abusing the studies system in such way (as far as I know).
[1] [https://drewdevault.com/2017/12/16/Firefox-is-on-a-
slippery-...](https://drewdevault.com/2017/12/16/Firefox-is-on-a-slippery-
slope.html)
~~~
philipwhiuk
So they'll put it directly in Normandy instead of wrecking Studies?
~~~
lifthrasiir
Not sure, but Mozilla had taken another PR risk by sponsored contents to the
Packet integration [1]. So we need to keep our eyes to Mozilla.
On wrecking Normandy, you can actually see all enabled recipes [2] and nothing
seems smoky. It even seems that the hotfix (id=721) was used to unbreak Office
365, supporting the positive uses of this system. But I strongly agree that
there should be more approachable list of them.
[1] [https://blog.mozilla.org/futurereleases/2018/01/24/update-
on...](https://blog.mozilla.org/futurereleases/2018/01/24/update-on-pocket-
and-firefox-integration/) (HN discussion:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16229927](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16229927))
[2]
[https://normandy.cdn.mozilla.net/api/v1/recipe/](https://normandy.cdn.mozilla.net/api/v1/recipe/)
------
mcny
I absolutely hate this because it is so tone deaf.
What is the point of people like me using Firefox Nightly? Do your tests on
me. Don't do stupid shit with people who choose Firefox Stable. Who came up
with this idea anyway?
~~~
fabrice_d
Unfortunately the population of Nightly users is too small to get relevant
data in many cases.
~~~
mlthoughts2018
That would seem to be a market signal indicating people generally don’t want
to be experimented on by Mozilla.
How is a lack of data for Mozilla my problem? Why does it mean that can inject
default preference changes?
~~~
dralley
>How is a lack of data for Mozilla my problem? Why does it mean that can
inject default preference changes?
It would mean they can't roll out things like hardware acceleration or Stylo
or Webrender as quickly despite their numerous manifest benefits.
~~~
mlthoughts2018
I don’t understand. If users valued those things more than having the browser
be a stand-alone piece of software after it is installed, then users would opt
in to testing.
By not opting in, users would indicated that experiment-avoidance is a feature
that gives them more value than the fast rollout of those other features.
~~~
jamescostian
Would you prefer stable only getting crucial security updates and never
release updates to speed things up? Eventually Nightly would be completely
different from stable, especially with the switch to Rust. So then Mozilla
would have to maintain 2 completely different versions of FF - that's a lot
more work!
A better middle-ground is to let things get tested by those who opt-in to it
(using Nightly and Beta versions), and slowly trickle changes down. That way
none of the published versions are so different that Mozilla needs more staff
to handle the different versions. And of course, stable users have far fewer
issues than nightly/beta users. Certificate expirations throw a wrench in the
whole system, but even if you made FF stable never update, you'd still have a
problem because the cert expired.
~~~
mcny
GP said
» It would mean they can't roll out things like hardware acceleration or Stylo
or Webrender as quickly despite their numerous manifest benefits.
You said:
» Eventually Nightly would be completely different from stable, especially
with the switch to Rust. So then Mozilla would have to maintain 2 completely
different versions of FF - that's a lot more work!
As unofficially mandated by the new owners of the Internet - the Google Chrome
team - the time between two "major" versions of Firefox is six (to eight)
weeks. Yes, we can wait six to eight weeks for new features or twelve to
eighteen weeks from trunk to stable (x2 of six to eight).
What we should do is enourage a wider swath of the population to adopt Firefox
developer edition and Firefox nightly.
» A better middle-ground is to let things get tested by those who opt-in to it
(using Nightly and Beta versions), and slowly trickle changes down. That way
none of the published versions are so different that Mozilla needs more staff
to handle the different versions.
Thank you. This is exactly what I want. I am not saying things should never
change. I'm just saying don't experiment in stable. We are already
hemorrhaging market share as is and this nonsense doesn't help.
------
Tharkun
I had never heard of this Normandy nonsense. I have certainly never willingly
enabled it. Yet according to my preferences, it's enabled. And apparently it's
a feature that lets Mozilla remotely mess with my preferences. What the actual
fuck? When did Firefox go from being a privacy-conscious browser to being this
pile of nonsense? I'm not amused.
~~~
jimrandomh
Most large software projects have something like this. The typical use case is
rolling out a feature gradually, to limit the number of users impacted if a
new feature has problems: first you include the feature in a release, but
disabled by default; then you turn it on for a small percentage of users. If
instrumentation from those users reports crashes, you abort; otherwise, you
enable it for everyone else.
------
gilfoyle4ceo
Dear Mozilla, Please, please, please stop the automagical updates. Is it
really so hard to prompt your users if they'd like to allow a temporary
fix/feature to be installed? You use webcompat to push quick fixes for
specific sites (hidden) you use Normandy to push future features/fixes
(hidden), when your users check their version number via the help/about option
you automatically d/l and update the next version(!!??). Why is it so hard to
ask if this is something that your users want to do???
~~~
anonymousab
>Is it really so hard to prompt your users if they'd like to allow a temporary
fix/feature to be installed?
People might say no, and that would likely very much anger a PM somewhere.
------
gouh
It's okay to change certain settings if they don't touch privacy, for eg
testing WebRender on some subset of users. But it shouldn't touch Privacy
related settings. They should separate the settings into Privacy Sensitive and
non Privacy sensitive and be only able to remotely change the latter ones
~~~
jillesvangurp
Technically, this is just a lightweight way to package up minor settings
changes as an alternative to pushing a normal update to do the same. Both are
perfectly normal and I think today's situation totally justifies using this to
fix this. They do offer a way to turn this off just like you can opt out of
security updates if you insist. For the vast majority of users, automated
updates are a good thing.
It's kind of cool that this worked without a browser restart. My extensions
just reappeared while I was watching some netflix.
------
Santosh83
So I have Normandy turned on and 'install and run studies' turned on and STILL
my extensions have been disabled just now, hours after Mozilla pushed the
temporary fix through Normandy which I presumably haven't got, despite having
it turned on. Latest Firefox on Windows 10.
~~~
neogodless
I had Normandy enabled, but Studies disabled. Same version and OS. A couple
minutes after I enabled studies, my add-ons came back online. Maybe try a
toggle/pause/toggle?
~~~
Santosh83
Indeed. Toggling app.normandy.firstrun from its usual false forces a check
upon next browser restart and the addons are back.
------
zzo38computer
Changing default settings when upgrading the version of a software can be
useful sometimes (especially if the new default value is a value that was not
possible before), although you should be allowed to force a setting to have a
specific value even if that value is the same as the old default value, and be
able to require a list of changes to be mentioned so that you can individually
enable and disable them before installing the new version of the software.
------
ptx
"Pref Rollout is a feature that allows Mozilla to change the default value of
a preference for a targeted set of users, without deploying an update to
Firefox."
Maybe if we put this in terms of _user stories_...
As a user, I don't want to be "targeted".
As the person deploying updates, I don't want the deployment updating without
an update having been deployed.
~~~
dralley
An example of "targeting" in this context is "windows user with an Nvidia
graphics card". For example, enabling WebRender (the new rendering engine) for
those users once it is determined to be sufficiently stable.
~~~
ptx
That sounds like a new version of the software and should be deployed as a new
version, with release notes noting that WebRender is now enabled for Nvidia
users, so that users are prepared for the change.
~~~
dralley
The point is gather information on whether it's ready for a full scale
rollout. The Firefox developers might know that it _might_ be ready, but the
sheer number of software and hardware combinations out there might reveal
unknown issues. So instead of rolling it out to 100% of targeted users, you
roll it out to 1% of targeted users, and measure regressions to your metrics
amongst that group.
------
rectang
I'm one of those users who had data collection (including studies) disabled.
Changing `app.normandy.run_interval_seconds` to 60 (via about:config) didn't
work until I restarted Firefox AND enabled data collection including studies
(via Preferences).
Then all my plugins came back, and I disabled data collection once again.
------
Phenomenit
Does the fix reach tor browser as well? Is Normandy available in tor browser?
~~~
Phenomenit
Seems like tor browser is unaffected.
------
32032141
I didn't realise Firefox came with that sort of backdoor.
~~~
rcthompson
Browser updates can also change default preferences, and change a lot of other
things too. How is this a backdoor any more than auto-updating of the browser
is a backdoor? The one issue I can think of is that if you turn off browser
auto-updates, this should probably be turned off too.
~~~
user17843
it's one step closer and more direct control, which is why this is now being
used to deliver the quick fix.
The downside is that the process of updating the software becomes a bit
fragmented, which is probably confusing users now.
------
stevenwliao
I don't understand the criticisms in this thread. Why would anyone trust
Mozilla's code but not their preferences configurations?
~~~
pdkl95
Trust isn't a single static Boolean value. It depends on the situation,
reputation, and many other factors. Trust is continuously re-evaluated; just
because someone's coding ability was trusted in the past does not imply that
their _current_ or _future_ actions will also be trusted.
However, the current problem people are criticizing is _not about Mozilla 's
choices for default preferences_. The specific changes they ship with the
browser or update with Normandy are not (currently) particularly interesting.
The problem is that a new way to remotely control the browser was added
unannounced that bypassed existing update methods.
If you want to change _other people 's property_, you get permissio9n first.
If someone doesn't want to give you permission and you change their property
anyway, we usually call that something like "trespassing", "vandalism". It
doesn't matter if you think it's an important change or if you don't
understand (or even know) their reason for not granting permission; their
computer is their property, and they don't have to justify why they want to
use it in any particular way.
------
benatkin
Firefox has done so much lately to hurt its image, that I wonder if Google has
double agents working inside Mozilla to sabotage Firefox.
------
OJFord
about:config > app.normandy.enabled > false
~~~
mlthoughts2018
One thing that’s still unclear to me is whether you must disable this entry of
about:config even if you go through the traditional privacy & settings drop
down menus and disable the Firefox studies and usage stats options.
If the _only_ way to prevent having a remote entity modify your settings
unannounced (even if not for malicious purposes) is to enter about:config and
change app.normandy.enable to false, that seems like a situation where the
absolute best case, most charitable interpretation is to call it an incredibly
deceptive dark pattern from Mozilla.
~~~
scolby33
This. After extensive reading about studies and Normandy here and elsewhere,
I’m unable to find a straight answer about this. Does anyone know?
~~~
OJFord
Studies and Normandy are different things, the former often using the latter.
Only 'studies' has a checkbox in about:preferences, 'Normandy' is hidden in
about:config .
------
dschuetz
Oh, I get it now. "Look how fast we could fix an issue with our _Normandy_
preference rollout feature!" Best keep Normandy activated at all time, eh?
~~~
akvadrako
Isn't this an abuse of the system, breaking the contract about what kind of
changes will be pushed on users without their knowledge?
~~~
dschuetz
I don't know. Ironically, I had Normandy enabled (without my knowledge) and
that "hotfix" they supposedly rolled out didn't reach my own client. So, what
ever that feature is for - it doesn't even work. Apparently you also need to
have "studies" enabled as well. It didn't work either. So, I'm waiting for
official updated release. If they don't fix this soon - I'm done with Firefox
and Mozilla.
~~~
dralley
The client checks periodically, they can't really "push" out that change
immediately to everyone.
~~~
dschuetz
I'm willing/trying to _pull_ the fix manually, but that doesn't work either.
------
hartator
Why not just update their SSL certificate?
~~~
teddyfrozevelt
Because it's not an SSL certificate.
------
dschuetz
I switched to Vivaldi today.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Truck Drivers: How Many Will Lose Jobs to Automation? - deegles
http://www.futurepundit.com/archives/009691.html
======
byoung2
_A skilled driver could move the truck to a freeway, get out, and then let
automation take over. Then at the other end the truck could stop and let a
driver climb in and drive off the freeway and onto trickier surface roads._
An autonomous vehicle has to have cameras and sensors and the ability for a
computer to control it. With these in place it should be possible for a human
to operate it remotely (like military drones). I would imagine this would be a
good intermediate step before full automation.
~~~
deegles
Do you mean continuously or only at the refueling stations? It makes me think
of how some fast-food places outsource the drive-through ordering process to
call centers.
~~~
byoung2
Basically operate it remotely for the first and last mile (instead of the
driver physically being in the truck), and let the computer take over for the
long stretches on the freeway.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Police seized $10,000 of a couple’s cash. They couldn’t get it back - dankohn1
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2018/09/01/police-seized-couples-cash-they-couldnt-get-it-back-until-they-went-public/
======
celias
John Oliver did a piece on civil forfeiture in 2014
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kEpZWGgJks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kEpZWGgJks)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Weilos (YC S13) Wants To Pair You With An Online Weight Loss Coach - rwu721
http://techcrunch.com/2013/08/07/weilos-wants-to-pair-you-with-an-online-weight-loss-coach-who-has-shed-pounds-themselves/
======
rwu721
Hey everyone, I'm Ray, one of the founders of Weilos. We just got started, but
early signals are promising with active users making significant progress on
the site. Very excited about this opportunity to help a lot of people! Would
love to hear what everyone thinks.
~~~
jlees
Interesting approach, and congrats on the coverage. I just signed up as a
coach - I've found informal mentoring (in both directions) very helpful on
other sites, e.g. Nerd Fitness.
------
dylangs1030
So my questions/concerns:
1) (asked elsewhere) Do you guys have particular domain experience in
nutrition and weight loss? I know one of you is an MD at Cornell, what about
specifics?
2) How will you keep people on the site? Weight loss trends and diets are very
fickle investments because people kind of jump from one to another
inconsistently. You'll need to constantly get new users.
3) What's the revenue source? How are you monetizing this?
~~~
rwu721
Thanks for asking!
1)I spent a year doing diabetes lab research at the University of Michigan and
a couple projects focused on obesity at Cornell, but admittedly the bulk of my
knowledge comes from reading a lot of peer reviewed journal articles, talking
to a lot of successful people (people who have lost weight themselves as well
as numerous obesity specialist MDs).
2) Right on with your observations. What we're trying to do is provide the
necessary ingredients (social combined with technology) to make weight loss
something people feel good about. We give people a leader, which provides
trust/inspiration that they are on the right path, and a peer group for
support. Early signals have been good that this keeps people engaged. That
said, getting new users will always be important.
One additional thought is that people who are successful as members could
potentially transition to the coach role after some sustained success. This
could lead to very long term engagement, but it is too early to tell.
3) Honestly, we are focused 100% on making something that actually works.
Current options for weight are not great by any judging criteria, and we are
confident the business model will work itself out if we are able to provide
real value in the form of good outcomes.
------
chegra
Wow, amazing. I'm about to launch a similar service. I like the fact that you
are involving people who have lost weight before.
Well good luck, I will be keeping an eye on you.
~~~
rwu721
Thanks chegra - good luck with your project as well!
------
404error
I don't mean for this to come out negative, but the name Weilos to me sounds
to much like whales.
Is this on purpose?
~~~
codegeek
I am guessing it is short for WEI(ght) LOS(s) ? Just a wild guess.
~~~
rwu721
Yes that's right codegeek. Definitely did not intend to have the name sound
like "whales"
------
edolfo
I'm looking to get back to race weight, so weilos looks appealing. However,
I'm wary of getting someone who doesn't know what they're doing. Is there a
way to search background or do some more advanced filtering?
The general advice for losing weight when someone is overweight or grossly
overweight is fairly standardized and generally works well. However, I think
my situation is a bit different - I'm 6 feet fall and currently at 160 lbs,
but my race weight is 135lbs.
------
far33d
Personalized guidance will be a huge component of any service that hopes to
make people live healthier and more active lives. We are certainly pushing in
this direction at RunKeeper.
An aside - this model feels a lot like an AA sponsor. AA works (I've heard,
not a friend of bill myself), and I'm surprised we haven't seen a semi-anon
online accountability model like this in similar domains.
------
aray
The diets dont look really applicable if you don't cook for yourself. Are
there coaches that work with zero-cooking lifestyles, or is that just out of
scope for Weilos?
~~~
acheron
This is the weirdest comment I have seen in awhile. "Zero-cooking lifestyles"?
What? What do you eat then? I'm trying to avoid a "mom's basement" comment but
I don't even get it otherwise.
~~~
mahyarm
It means someone else provides your meals because you work 10-12 hour workdays
at your start up job. You get food at restaurants or it's provided for you by
your work.
For example, my work provides all my weekday meals, and I'm only home
occasionally on weekends, so I can't rely on having fresh food in my fridge.
Therefore I eat out on weekends.
You can also live in small places, travel a bunch, share a unreliable kitchen
with room-mates, etc. If you want a personal cook to cook meals to weight loss
specifications, it costs something like $1500 per month total.
What is needed is something like these guys in Australia:
[http://www.musclemealsdirect.com.au/](http://www.musclemealsdirect.com.au/) .
I'm really surprised this doesn't exist in NYC, LA & SF. Eat Club, waiter.com
and others do NOT provide any sort of calorie and macronutrient estimates like
they do:
[http://www.musclemealsdirect.com.au/index.php/faq](http://www.musclemealsdirect.com.au/index.php/faq)
------
thoughtpalette
I think it's a great idea. /r/fitness would probably be engrossed in this.
~~~
rwu721
We've come across so many amazing people from the reddit community! Really
love what they have going on there - we're just trying to give a bit more
structure to the people who need it.
------
Metitiri
How do you validate the results people claim??
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Apple in antitrust crosshairs over e-book pricing - dazbradbury
http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2012/03/apple-in-antitrust-crosshairs-over-e-book-pricing.ars
======
gamble
The underlying problem with the ebook market is the way publishers mandate the
use of DRM.
Under the old model, Amazon was free to sell ebooks under cost, with the goal
of quickly establishing a Kindle monopoly and placing itself in a negotiating
position that would eventually allow them to capture most of the profit in the
ebook market. The publishers and Apple introduced the agency model to prevent
Amazon from dominating ebooks.
Amazon's strategy wouldn't have worked if not for DRM. If the publishers
instead mandated that ebooks _couldn't_ use DRM but let Amazon sell at any
price, there would be no reason for Amazon to sell below cost because
customers would be able to migrate to another vendor's platform at any time.
~~~
yousureimnot
DRM is nasty, but it has nothing to do with Amazon's model. The Kindle exists
to sell books, not the other way around. You can read and buy Kindle books on
an iPad or a computer, and (on average) they're going to make one hell of a
lot more profit on eBooks than cheap consumer electronics.
~~~
gamble
DRM is what provides the barrier against switching between platforms. I have
around 200 Kindle books. If I wanted to switch to another platform, I'd either
have to carry two e-readers or lose access to a big chunk of my library.
It also makes me less likely to buy from smaller vendors, because the music
industry's history shows that when publishers with DRM-encrypted products go
bankrupt, they tend to shut down their DRM servers and their customers lose
access to their purchases.
~~~
mahyarm
To be honest, a large chunk of kindle books on amazon.com don't have DRM
enabled. Try converting your kindle library with calibre and be surprised that
some of your paid books don't have drm. Calibre will fail on books with drm
enabled unless you install a 3rd party plugin.
For me, I choose to keep on using amazon.com not because of DRM switching
costs, but the connivence, library breadth and syncing services on many
devices. Doing it manually with calibre and a nook is just a pain.
------
rhaphazard
Is this why ebooks in general are so expensive? I always wondered why digital
copies cost as much as the physical ones, and I always thought the publishers
were just being greedy.
~~~
cstross
How books are made:
[http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-
static/2010/02/cmap-2-h...](http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-
static/2010/02/cmap-2-how-books-are-made.html)
Note that there are 17 steps in this process for paper books ... and around 15
or 16 for ebooks. And the cost of physical goods (ink and paper) is less than
10% of the cover price.
~~~
jamesaguilar
Steps 13, 14, 15, and 16 are all unnecessary in the electronic world. Perhaps
most of step 8 too, since the ARCs will be sent out electronically.
The actual materials are only part of the cost advantage ebooks have over
print. Among the other advantages are:
- Real estate for book stores.
- Salaries for bookstore employees.
- Shipping, packaging.
- Inventory management.
- Bookstore profit margins.
- MUCH simpler typesetting, since pagination is mostly handled by the device.
So by saying it should only be ten percent of savings you are really
understating the advantage by quite a bit.
------
larrik
Seems like the DoJ is a year late on this one.
~~~
freehunter
Apple has already come under investigation, once for actively prohibiting
people from using third-party music managers [1] and once for unfair contracts
to limit publishers to use only iTunes for their music [2].
Throughout most of their history, Apple has been protected from the kind of
anti-trust onslaught that has forced Microsoft's hand in some decisions,
because Apple hasn't ever controlled significant influence over a market. This
has changed in the last decade, and at some point Apple will have to grasp the
concept of a legal monopoly or be shown what "illegal monopoly" really means.
[1] [http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-22/apple-s-jobs-
must-a...](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-22/apple-s-jobs-must-answer-
questions-in-itunes-antitrust-dispute.html)
[2] <https://mashable.com/2010/05/27/itunes-antitrust/>
------
cstross
Great going, DoJ!
Ignore the aggressive, predatory monopoly vendor with 85% of the market (AMZN)
and go after the other guys, why don't you ...
(I wish I was making that 85% thing up; alas, that's how much of the US ebook
market Amazon have got.)
~~~
aristus
I don't even bother to look at my iTunes sales anymore. I just assume it's
1/10 of my Amazon sales.
But what is Amazon doing that is predatory? Genuinely curious. Simply having a
monopoly isn't a crime; abusing the advantage is.
------
protomyth
I think if the contract term "cannot sell for a lower price through another
vendor" was made illegal, it might make this problem a little easier to solve.
------
cletus
I've always held that the "agency model" pushed by Apple is anticompetitive.
The argument for it is that ebooks are different to physical books in that
they are infinitely copyable (which is obviously true) and that leads to books
being priced at or near cost and publishers don't want to be "commoditized" in
that way.
But that's a BS argument. A traditional bookshop will have a 100% markup for
recommended retail price to cover costs (store, employees, utilities and so
on). The publisher's half will be divvied up a number of ways including
editing, printing, distribution and let's not forget the author (10% or less).
Amazon of course reduced their overhead (no physical store) and increased
their volume cutting down that markup significantly. They may have through
volume been able to negotiate a lower cost from the publisher but I have no
evidence of that.
Ebooks change the model drastically. Printing costs disappear. Editing, the
author's cut and the publisher's profit remain. Distribution costs are
basically zero. What's more, ebooks have no resale market (unlike, say,
college textbooks). This reduced utility should lower the sticker price.
Yet publishers seem stuck in a mindset of looking at nothing more than the
retail price as some kind of metric for profit. Publishers should be embracing
ebook distribution. It lowers their costs and (in theory) increases their
profit through no printing and distribution costs.
Their needs to be structural separation between wholesale and retail market
segments and that means publishers shouldn't be able to dictate the retail
price. Period.
~~~
Steko
Your "argument for it" is a complete straw man.
The real argument for the agency model is that the publishers own the rights
to publishing and can set terms as they wish. If they want to wholesale ebooks
they can do so... and they can also decline to do so if such is their desire.
If they want to use an agency model they can and can also decline to do so.
The publishers presumably want to sell books using the model that favors them
(cf Adam Smith) and so they have chosen the agency model.
What very well may be anticompetitive about this situation is for all the
large publishers to get together and collectively move to a model that
knowingly results in higher consumer prices. IANAL but on it's face that looks
pretty bad and I'd guess based on reported emails that they've pretty clearly
crossed the line on price fixing laws.
Presumably their defense is that the initial "lower prices" were loss leaders
by monopolist Amazon not true market prices and there's probably some truth to
this and that's probably why we'll see a non-trivial but non-blockbuster
settlement in the low eight digits.
~~~
mikecane
>>>The real argument for the agency model is that the publishers own the
rights to publishing and can set terms as they wish.
You lack knowledge of publishing. This model was struck down by the courts in
the 1970s. Had it still been in effect, there would have never been a
videocassette rental market -- which some studios, notably Warners, tried to
subvert by tiered pricing for cassettes that were deemed "Rental Only."
Book publishing is trying that trick now too: Do you like the fact that Random
House has jacked up the pricing of eBooks to extortionate levels to public
libraries -- many of which are supplementary funded by tax dollars, perhaps
even yours? It's the same damn eBook you can buy for yourself, only 4x or more
in price. This while libraries pay far less for print books.
Listen, unless you've an understanding of the history of book publishing, all
you've got as an argument is some ideology, not fact.
And the fact is that the current arguments in book publishing go waaaaay back
in time, as far back as 1922:
Book Publishing: This Isn’t 1922 Any Longer
[http://mikecanex.wordpress.com/2012/02/06/book-publishing-
th...](http://mikecanex.wordpress.com/2012/02/06/book-publishing-this-
isnt-1922-any-longer/)
The most damaging thing that ever happened to book publishing is something
none of you know about. A change in the tax laws in the 1970s that classified
book inventory the same way as factory inventory, thus making it no longer
economical to keep books in print and in warehouses. This led to a sweeping
change in the availability of books, creating shorter print runs and far less
availability of books published even within a year.
None of you should be sympathetic towards the publishing industry. The
obstructionism that is dooming them is the product of their own inaction and
action.
[typo edits]
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Jupyter Notebooks Can't Fix the Scientific Paper - Vaslo
https://www.oliversherouse.com/2018/04/17/notebooks_arent_papers.html
======
artwr
I tend to agree with the overall sentiment of the article. Jupyter is doing a
tremendous job for reproducibility and easeof sharing.
It does not feel as good for writing though. I like the Rmarkdown [1] files
(successor to latex and sweave) better from that standpoint.
[1] [https://rmarkdown.rstudio.com/](https://rmarkdown.rstudio.com/)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Pingdom offer free subscription and then lose their site - piers
I would have posted the url above but there's no point. Pingdom (www.pingdom.com) started an offer that if you registered whilst using Firefox then you would get a year's free subscription. Unfortunately it seems that this was a very attractive offer and now their site has gone down. Oops.
======
iamyoohoo
I actually signed up - so hopefully they are not down for long....
------
piers
I did too. Maybe it'll all be better after the 24hrs is up.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
CloudSwipe - A whole new way to do WordPress e-commerce - joeybeninghove
http://cloudswipe.com
======
benjaminprojas
This is awesome! Thanks for sharing!
------
erdnapc
Sweet
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Show HN: a simple webapp to save time doing something on the way - wisechengyi
http://swingit.us
Hi HNers, I recently started this project and want to test the water on the demands, and your feedback will be highly appreciated. Thank you!
======
wisechengyi
Hi HNers, I recently started this project and want to test the water on the
demands, and your feedback will be highly appreciated. Thank you!
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Show HN: I built this SaaS app without code - skellystudios
https://www.seedform.app
======
boeing767
Why can't I just build my own onboarding sequence? It's really not that hard.
Plus it's free if I DIY, and I have full control over it. Data goes straight
to my database instead of being collected through a third-party form.
------
cs0
The footer links, which include 'Privacy' and 'Terms of Service' don't link to
anything.
------
verdverm
Which no-code platform did you use?
~~~
skellystudios
Stacker: [https://www.stacker.app](https://www.stacker.app)
For full disclosure, I'm part of of the team building Stacker. Right now we're
working on making our app platform good enough for anyone to build SaaS apps
without code, so this was partly a way of testing how close we are.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Facebook launches Portal TV, a $149 video chat set-top box - stclaus
https://techcrunch.com/2019/09/18/facebook-portal-tv/
======
jannes
I'm sure lots of smart people spent a lot of time and effort working on this,
but unfortunately my answer is: Hell no!
~~~
keehun
As someone in the same boat as you, it does seem like Portal webpage is
directly acknowledging this sentiment and addressing them[0].
Whether or not this page can be trusted, we'll have to see what people find
out (I sure ain't going to pay for it to do that myself).
[0]:
[https://portal.facebook.com/privacy/](https://portal.facebook.com/privacy/)
~~~
supermatt
In typical facebook style, their answers are all "does not", whereas they
should be saying "will never". It is in their nature to shift the goalposts. I
wont be getting one, and I'll be making sure noone close to me gets one
either.
------
pesenti
More info about the underlying technology:
[https://ai.facebook.com/blog/smart-camera-portal-
advances](https://ai.facebook.com/blog/smart-camera-portal-advances)
More info about the privacy settings:
[https://portal.facebook.com/privacy/](https://portal.facebook.com/privacy/)
Disclosure: I work at FB, my team developed the underlying MaskR-CNN
technology.
~~~
swebs
What exactly is the benefit of this? The video says it uses neural networks
and fast algorithms, but doesn't say what they're used for, or how it would
benefit me as an end user.
~~~
pesenti
The smart camera automatically follows and zooms in people. This ads shows it
in action:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZVFzDjBBq8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZVFzDjBBq8)
------
mattpavelle
Many people here (myself included) are anti-FB due to privacy issues and then
some, but I think this is pretty great.
The smart camera panning using facial recognition looks very useful. Right now
I Facetime a lot with my iPad and will prop it up to chat with folks and often
move around but then run back to come into the field of view. This solves that
problem (for people who use Facebook and have a TV).
And Watch Party looks pretty great too. They've essentially taken a
significant part of the "second screen" interaction and just embedded it in
the primary screen. And it looks like they're doing it well. I can see this
being a fun interaction.
~~~
therobot24
>> I can see this being a fun interaction.
Oh for sure, unfortunately, it's the Facebook label that makes this cool
product toxic. Since the Facebook brand is synonymous with poor privacy
practices (Firefox even has a 'facebook container' to help reduce tracking), I
don't see how someone didn't think to market this under a different parent
company and make it 'facebook compatible'.
~~~
stunt
That would become another press bomb in the future. They can’t keep that a
secret forever.
~~~
alexis_fr
The “Whatsapp box”. The “Instagram Connect”. The “Zukerberg eye”. There are
many names better than Facebook.
------
notyourday
I really dig this sentence in the FB press release masquerading as a
TechCrunch article:
"If you can get past the creepiness, the new Portal TV let you hang out with
friends on your home’s biggest screen."
Lets see what else we can apply this kind of logic:
"If you can get past the creepiness of having that weirdo look at you naked,
he can give you cookies! You do want cookies, right?"
The real fun, however, will be when some 5 year old is naked in front of that
thing and Facebook employees and/or contractors end up watching it in the name
of machine learning followed by the record of it showing up on Pornhub. Though
maybe at that point "think of the children" finally gets some people to go to
jail. Maybe by that time we get someone like Warren ( regardless how misguided
she is in some other aspects ) be the POTUS and push through the jail time for
executives.
------
kgraves
1984 is not a business model.
~~~
na85
It's actually a fantastic business model if you care more about profits than
ethics, and it seems like Facebook wants a piece of the living room
surveillance pie that Smart TVs/Alexa/Google Nest have been enjoying these
last few years. It's a shrewd business move on Facebook's part; think of the
things people discuss and do in their living rooms and the additional data
they will end up giving Facebook.
~~~
teddyh
I think they actually mean that 1984 _shouldn’t_ be a business model.
~~~
na85
I get that. But the fact remains that it _is_ a business model, whether we
like it or not, and as we've seen it can be very profitable. Until laws catch
up, there will always be companies like Facebook that are devoid of ethics and
will abuse surveillance technology to enrich themselves.
~~~
teddyh
Yes. Which makes it obvious that laws are what is needed. The GDPR is nice.
(Those who downvote parent, please don’t make an is-ought misinterpretation.)
------
5trokerac3
"Smith 6079W! Bend lower!"[0]
[0]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCfW6HFP5cI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCfW6HFP5cI)
------
lvturner
Honestly, being expatriated, I can kind of see the value in this -
unfortunately I doubt the people I actually want to communicate with regularly
will be adopters of this. The tech savvy being too untrusting of it, and the
unsavvy not sure what $150 buys them over tools like Skype.
------
RonaldSchleifer
On an aside, and I know this is a shot in the dark, but does anyone know where
to find a copy of the seemingly impromptu talk Zuckerberg gave some several
years ago now, where he explained that he wanted Facebook to replace the
internet?
It is one of those rather notable regrets that I did not save that video, even
though it clearly struck me to recall it all this time. If I recall correctly,
it was a seemingly impromptu talk outside in the open either at a charity or
corporate socializing event. It was definitely not in some venue, let alone in
a large one where he's basically parroting corporate talking points. Which may
also explain the candor and seemingly single mention of his intentions that
has stuck with me all this time.
------
imgabe
Is anyone even buying the portal? Maybe it's the information bubble I travel
in, but to me it seems Facebook has destroyed any trust that would make anyone
ok with putting a video camera and listening device from them in your home.
------
yay_cloud2
Fool me once, shame on me... fool me twice, er... don't fool me agian.
------
Klathmon
I know there probably won't be much actual discussion on anything but privacy
concerns here on HN (don't get me wrong, it's an important discussion to have,
but it tends to push out literally everything else), but I did want to point
out that this quote from the article is nice to see:
>We’ve done what we can in this latest generation of products, now with
integrated camera covers that are hardware, indicator lights when the
microphone is off, and form factors that are less obtrusive and blend more
into the background of the home.
I actually really like the idea of a dedicated camera device for communicating
with family and friends who aren't nearby. And I've been looking for something
that lets us do things like play couch-coop games, watch movies, and just in
general act like we are together while not physically being together.
For example, some of my closest friends and a bunch of my family are across
the country from me. I've played DnD over video chat, i've watched birthday
parties from a phone, i've tried to do the thing where we do a voice call over
some service then try to start a streaming service like netflix at the same
time so we can watch it together. All those options suck in their own way,
from poor-quality mics, feedback, connection issues, needing to hold a phone
or device or somehow prop it up, and taking up a device which you might
otherwise want to use while with those people.
Granted the Portal looks like it won't get very far without buy-in from
companies like Netflix and other streaming services (although that whole
ecosystem is so fragmented now and it's only getting worse that i'm not sure
my hope will ever actually come true). And without the ability to really
integrate with games outside of the facebook ecosystem this is going to be a
non-starter for couch-coop as well in most cases.
I really like the idea, but Facebook isn't going to be able to build a better
Netflix and a better game console AND be the only one doing video chat with
those products. They have the chat/messaging side, but IMO that's not enough
to really pull me toward this ecosystem, and I've been looking for something
just like this for a long time now. Unfortunately, walled gardens are probably
going to kill this just like they've killed countless other things.
~~~
555513
The first Portal devices as well as this Portal TV are using an OS based on
Android AOSP.
So porting Fire TV or Android TV apps will be much more easy for developers
who want to offer their content on the Portal TV.
~~~
Klathmon
I just don't have any faith that any of the major streaming services will want
to port their services to this device, even if it's simple and straightforward
for them to do technically.
In fact it's more likely that they will try to come out with their own
hardware IMO. At every step of the way streaming companies have made it harder
and harder to actually use their services. From exclusivity deals with one
vendor over another, to having shows and movies jump from service to service
over the years. Unless I can get some kind of assurance that i'll be able to
actually use this to watch a good amount of tv shows and movies with friends
and family, i'm not going to gamble on it.
Sure, they might be able to get Netflix on it eventually, but Amazon probably
won't touch it, Google will probably steer clear if they can, and the "cable-
based streaming services" don't look like they even have the time or ability
to maintain the apps and services they already have.
At the end of the day I expect some basic services to come eventually, but
they probably won't bother integrating with the more advanced features like
simultaneous streaming on multiple devices and other stuff. I'd love to be
surprised, but I just don't have much faith any more.
~~~
bryan_w
They already have integration with Alexa voice commands, so maybe there's some
hope of adding prime video
------
Yhippa
They've solved some real business problems here and there's a lot of cool
engineering tech. I'm surprised this is buried so far that I had to use HN
search to find it. Unfortunately the fact that this comes from Facebook is the
albatross hanging around this product's neck as illustrated by most of the
comments on here.
I couldn't convince any of my friends or family to get one of the last-gen
Portals even with the discounts. I still don't know anybody who actually has
one.
------
keehun
What none of the privacy-related prose defense by Facebook addresses is the
abundant value of the metadata that Facebook will be able to harvest. Check
out what leaking even just the metadata can tell about you.[0]
[0]:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM0PmwOlifE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM0PmwOlifE)
------
ddalex
Hahahaha... how about no?!
------
rpmisms
I can't find the article, but the "Facebook Showerhead" and "Facebook TV" were
both joke products back in the early '10s. This is hilariously predictable.
------
propter_hoc
Cool. Would consider using this, but for business videoconferencing.
------
ben_jones
If you accept the premise that Facebook is hemorrhaging users (or worried
about hemorrhaging users), these sorts of products makes sense as a means to
ensure you ALWAYS have a active Facebook account.
Kind of like everyone has a Google account, either through personal gmail-
esque services, a google-for-education account, an android device, a Google
IoT device, their work account, etc.
------
sumosudo
"There will be no fight. It will not be hard to keep an eye on the masses. No
one will be duped into giving up their rights. The sad part actually, is that
they will take it willingly. Gladly, and they will be happy with it." \--
Someone, somewhere, I can't remember.
------
markholmes
What demographic is this intended for?
~~~
minxomat
People who would by an Alexa show and still watch normal TV. So, my parents
for example. Though an interesting thing has happened. Event though this is
very similar to Google or Alexa devices with cameras, I'd bet money on my
parents having a similar "how about no" reaction to any Facebook hardware.
They are Facebook users, but I think there is a lot more inherent scepticism
around Facebook that has been growing over the past year. Maybe, if this came
out before the show, it would have been the other way around. I'm in Germany
btw.
I'm definitely not the target. The two features here (TV and video chat) are
completely opposite to my needs. I want a dumb (relatively) box to which I can
hook up my Netflixes and Prime Videos etc. and view them without any ads in
the UI (looking at you, scum of the earth Smart TV manufacturers). Apple TV,
Roku or whatever. The hardware that is, not their respective services.
------
excalibur
> The Portal TV is genius
No.
~~~
aylmao
Objectively, it kind of is though. No one is claiming you have to buy it or
that it's a good product (privacy-wise, usability-wise, execution-wise, etc.
it's all tbd IMO), it's a very interesting move that makes a lot of sense, and
there are some good ideas here.
It's relatively cheap since you're not buying a touch enabled LCD panel with
the device. You want the best audio and video quality? Piggyback off TV and
sound system manufacturers and the fact that people who care about these
things probably already sunk a lot of money on nice home entertainment
hardware.
People won't have to worry about where to put another screen. You also have
the fact that the living room is semantically already a "social" space, with a
"stage". Most people have a couch to fit several people in front of their TV,
it's essentially a room already built for video calling.
Strategy-wise, they're using their core competence (social networking) to move
into the living room— which is pretty cool and unique in a world where the
other options (Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, etc) mostly rely on entertainment.
Also, technology that right now only Portal has— the whole smart camera to
find you in the frame thing. They probably released the other Portals before
this to battle test it, since this device will probably rely more on it than
previous ones.
Honestly, why don't more companies make smarter TV boxes like this? It'd be
cool if Google made Chromecast more "Google". Imagine a Chromecast with
Assistant built-in, that makes smarter use of your TV when you're not watching
it (Google News, Google Finance, Traffic info before your commute, a couple of
important calendar reminders, etc). Now I'm thinking an Apple TV with FaceTime
and and Siri built-in could be cool too. I could use FaceTime on my TV more
than another smart speaker, and would buy it over a HomePod, personally.
There's good ideas here. Of course, wether you want to buy is a separate
issue. Honestly kind of sad there's all the privacy concerns, because it
sounds like a cool device.
~~~
excalibur
The bulk of your argument seems to boil down to "video calls on TV, much wow".
This is not brilliant, or new. My kids were doing that on the Wii U in 2012.
Probably at least a third of all conference rooms in America are equipped to
do that.
~~~
excalibur
Too much work to edit my comment on my phone. Obviously the Wii U chat only
enabled communication with a limited audience, and I think it might be
deprecated now anyway. But the Kinect does Skype.
~~~
aylmao
Didn't know about this, huh. That's pretty cool. No questions about the Wii U,
but I do wonder why Skype on the Kinect didn't take off more.
------
stunt
I wouldn’t be surprised if they are not generating any revenue by selling it
at this price point considering manufacturing, designing, hardware, and
engineering costs.
------
adam12
Man, I have a hard time carrying a smartphone after what Snowden revealed to
us. I'm surprised anyone would even think about putting one of these in their
home.
------
derp_dee_derp
i don't even understand the product after reading the article. what is the
value of this?
its an always on teleconference with my facebook friends? no thanks.
~~~
ddalex
The value is giving FB video stream data to analyze and monetize.
------
sarcasmatwork
Another device to spy on people? A privacy audit needs to be done on anything
FB touches or produces. They cannot be trusted.
------
ivv
Logitech has (or had) a Skype camera that you’d clip to a TV to do a similar
thing; it’s been around for years.
------
quotha
If you think what the office space guys did to that printer was bad....
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Show HN: An app to cherry pick text from the real world - ajithimself
http://autopick.co
======
supermdguy
This looks great! There are so many times I want to quickly grab text from
things.
~~~
ajithimself
That's what I built it for, Please share it with your friends and colleagues
that would mean a lot to me, Thanks.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
High end components fork of Raspberry Pi - efm
http://www.bananapi.org/p/product.html
======
voltagex_
>Built with ARM Cortex-A7 Dual-core CPU and Mali400MP2 GPU (and 1GB of RAM)
Doesn't really stack up against the Pi2, but I guess the lima driver may be
better, video wise.
~~~
api
The 1gbps Ethernet is better for networking stuff as long as it's wired to the
main bus and not via USB (unless USB3, which this isn't).
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
It’s inheritance that is immoral, not inheritance tax - FabHK
https://medium.com/@AbiWilks/it-s-inheritance-that-is-immoral-not-inheritance-tax-33ff91791f03
======
DarkKomunalec
"An accident of birth placed them in a wealthy family and they’ve benefited
from that their whole life."
Is this what our connection to our parents and ancestors, and their lifelong
effort to offer their children a better life, has been reduced to? An accident
of birth? Personally, I find this attitude sickening.
~~~
pavlov
From the point of view of purely individual achievement, it indeed is an
accidental circumstance.
I would be in favor of capped inheritance -- for example, $1 million USD or 1%
of the net worth of the deceased, whichever is higher. For inheritances below
that limit, a progressive tax.
I don't see why anyone would need more than a million as a "nest egg",
especially considering how lifespans are extending and the inheritor might be
70 years old at the time of the parent's death. Also, less hoarding would lead
to more investment and more economic growth.
I have no idea how this plan could actually be implemented for private
corporations whose stock can't be easily liquidated to pay for taxes. So this
is not a real political suggestion, rather a random vague idea of what would
feel "just" to me.
~~~
DarkKomunalec
"From the point of view of purely individual achievement, it indeed is an
accidental circumstance."
Yet there's precious little of purely individual achievement. From the
upbringing and help you get from your parents, the safety and convenience of
the town you grow up in, the education system you benefit from, to the health
system that takes care of you when you're sick, as well as makes sure the food
you buy is safe for consumption. Whether paid for by taxes, or out of your
(parents') pocket, these are all systems there to help you, built by the
society you live in, in most cases also your ancestors, so their children
would be better off.
To turn your back on all this work and claim it's just an accident of birth is
the pinnacle of ungratefulness. Should we take this line of thought to its
logical conclusion, and randomly reassign children to different parents, in
different countries, to do away with all inheritance, not just private
inheritance?
------
FabHK
One aspect she doesn't mention is that an inheritance tax on someone that
inherits a small business might force them to wind down the business in order
to pay the tax. That deserves some attention.
Otherwise fully agree with the article.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Show HN: Realtime TODO Lists without signup (Weekend Project) - Polarity
http://todo.share.ac/
hi, i created (yet another) todo list web app with realtime capabilities. After adding a item you just created a list with a random url that you can share with others.<p>one drawback: its not offline available atm. because of the realtime part (socket.io). If people like it, i will offer a premium subscription with additional features. but the main functionality will be free (and ad free). thx
======
monkcoder
Is there any support for sub-items? Looks great, works fast and simply, and
definitely gonna use this!
~~~
Polarity
not at the moment. but i can add it to the wishlist. thx for support!
~~~
monkcoder
Oh, wow! I didn't even notice the menu options via the logo! Nicely done!!!
------
jesusmichael
This may be the most useful fucking link this week!!! Thank you! I've shared!
~~~
Polarity
thx man <3
------
jesusmichael
This doesn't work on win 8 1 mobile...
~~~
Polarity
thx for reporting. im looking into that today. just have to get a device (or
simulator) first ;)
------
anoncow
Clear and easy. Beautiful!
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Death Rates Rising for Middle-Aged White Americans - pappyo
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/03/health/death-rates-rising-for-middle-aged-white-americans-study-finds.html?_r=0
======
artur_makly
"Visit some formerly middle class suburbs of cities in the Midwest and you can
see exactly why this is happening. No decent jobs, no social clubs, no
children playing outside, sports tickets out of the budget of anyone but the
1%, no decent restaurants and obesity everywhere. Add decayed infrastructure
and empty malls. You should see it. Horrific. "
"These sad statistics should come as no surprise given the pummeling the
middle class has taken since 1980. As middle-aged, white males have been fired
wholesale by the tens of thousands, battling years of constant unemployment
with few or no resources, they have literally reached the end of their means.
Broken men are unable to escape from hearing everyday how the executives of
their ex-employers are reaping massive profits and personal gains. Their lives
are overlaid with exhausted savings and unemployment benefits; all the
negatives in their lives beat down on their heads like a ceaseless hailstorm.
Finally, swallowing their pride, they turn to the caring myth of family and
friends only to find them replaced with the harsh reality of indifferent
relatives and unhelpful acquaintances. Too young for Social Security and too
old for today's employment prejudices, the unloved and unemployed white males
have few options. "
[nytimes comments]
~~~
curiousgeorgio
It's a sad state of affairs made worse by undereducated, lazy people who blame
the government and simultaneously elect politicians who promise to solve the
problem for them by handing out a gift-wrapped "american dream" that everyone
feels they deserve. I see this kind of self-destructive philosophy/behavior
every day, and I'm getting tired of it. It's always someone else's fault, yet
it seems the "progressives" in our country keep shouting that the solution
lies in more government involvement, forgetting that the only way we get
decent jobs and favorable social and family conditions is by letting people
fulfill their own dreams through hard work and less government intervention.
The american dream isn't a gift - it's the idea that through blood, sweat, and
tears, we can shape our own lives.
From my perspective, the problem is a manifestation of a shift in popular
ideals and a growing sense of entitlement.
~~~
creshal
> the only way we get decent jobs and favorable social and family conditions
> is by letting people fulfill their own dreams through hard work and less
> government intervention
We tried that during the industrial revolution. Didn't _quite_ work out that
way…
~~~
curiousgeorgio
There's a role for government to play in ensuring public safety and
transparency, in addition to providing national defense and perhaps a few
fundamental infrastructure services. To function effectively in those areas,
we don't need them trying to manage the finances of everyone, nor picking and
choosing who should or shouldn't be deserving of tax breaks, subsidies, or any
of the other countless benefit programs.
When people are out of work or large classes of people are struggling to get
by, it's because we haven't provided a suitable environment in which people
can thrive (and yes, most people can and will thrive through their own action
in a healthy environment), _not_ because the government has somehow failed to
give people enough prosperity.
If it were a traditional business (without the ability to print money or use
military force), the U.S. government would frankly be one of the most
disastrous companies ever imagined - not just bankrupt (many times over), but
mismanaged, fraudulent, and corrupt. A huge portion of our paychecks go to
support this company today. And we want more of it?
~~~
creshal
Are you listening, or are you posting copypasta?
~~~
curiousgeorgio
A constructive argument might be more appropriate than simply trying to
deliver an insult in your comment.
~~~
creshal
I'm just confused, because you didn't address anything in my comment, you're
just spewing right-wing propaganda. We tried "small government", it failed
horribly and lead to widespread misery and avoidable deaths. How do you plan
to make a "small government" _without_ repeating past mistakes?
~~~
curiousgeorgio
I did address your reference to the industrial revolution indirectly, but
perhaps I didn't make myself clear. The industrial revolution had numerous
positive outcomes including more jobs, increased productivity, and a strong
economy. Yes, it also uncovered some serious problems, many of which were
addressed by the government (e.g., child labor laws, better working
conditions, etc). In my opinion, those are valid areas of government
involvement (hence my point about government ensuring public safety), but
that's a far cry from the kind of government intervention we're seeing today.
If we failed anything with small government as you say, those things were
growing pains that we would have experienced with a government of any scale. I
guess what I'm saying is that it's unfair to blame "small government" for the
problems exposed during the industrial revolution.
------
xacaxulu
I'm in my 30s, male and ostensibly white by American standards and I've been
watching these sorts of trends for a while. Distrust in our certain brand of
capitalism has led me to regard America with a wary eye. It has influenced a
lot of my life decisions, i.e. stack cash, stay mobile/agile, no spouse, no
children, etc. so that I can continually pursue the best jobs no matter
when/where they appear. I luckily was able to obtain an EU passport recently
via my mother, giving me a few extra countries as potential markets for work
but mostly as a hedge against a (probably) meaningless 401k or just the
general depressive idea of eventually being an older person in the US.
Basically I'll spend my good years putting money away, and as soon as I'm sick
(read, need healthcare) or ready to retire, I'll bounce back to the mother
country where retirement actually looks like living rather than dying.
~~~
ageek123
I guess you haven't looked to carefully into how the EU economies are doing.
~~~
tomp
Don't worry about that, we might not have amazing growth, but the actual
living standards are still amazing in the EU (specifically, Slovenia). If it
changes soon (hopefully not), it's more likely to be because of the influx of
immigrants/refugees, not because pf the economy.
------
wyclif
Ageism still seems to be very much in play in technology, and a trap to avoid
for middle-aged, skilled white men:
[http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/06/02/google-
agei...](http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/06/02/google-ageism-and-
the-business-of-plastic-surgery.aspx)
This guy had eyelid surgery, shaved his head, and got a pair of Converse
"Chucks" to look younger because he was worried about jobs (previous HN
submission):
[http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/27/us-valley-
ageism-i...](http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/27/us-valley-ageism-
idUSBRE8AQ0JK20121127)
"Don't hire anyone over 30":
[http://anewdomain.net/2014/12/11/dont-hire-
anyone-30-ageism-...](http://anewdomain.net/2014/12/11/dont-hire-
anyone-30-ageism-silicon-valley/)
~~~
ak39
Thanks for the links. This from the last link:
"To walk the streets of Austin during tech’s biggest annual confab, South by Southwest Interactive, is to experience a society where Boomers and Gen Xers have vanished into a black hole. Photos of those open-space offices favored by start-ups document workplaces where people over 35 are as scarce as women on the streets of Kandahar."
At least made me chuckle against the backdrop of an otherwise serious topic.
Well-written piece.
~~~
DanielBMarkham
This is funny.
Also funny -- I worked in Austin in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Looked the
same then. When I was stressed out one evening, I joked with my wife that I
was tempted to run over a few of the yuppies. With so many, who would miss a
few?
So wonder where all those guys went?
On a related note, this weekend might be a good time to re-watch Logan's Run.
~~~
wyclif
Sorry, I won't be at Carousel tonight. It's my Love-Shop turn.
------
marincounty
Maybe my math is wrong, but the raising rate is .134 percent?
I'm in that group of guys now. I sometimes wonder if white males are getting
enough vitamin D. I never really gave it much thought, until I saw a friend's
blood work-up. His doctor is routinely checking his level of vitamin D. I just
chalked it up to his good insurance plan.
I know I don't get the amount of sunshine my father got. My father always had
a tan, and made sure to get outside as much as possible. I, on the other hand,
spend too much time looking into a screen. Maybe I'll get a few more years in
because I have exercised, but it's been at night for years.
Depressing. Sometimes the Internet is really depressing.
~~~
draven
The death rate "increased by 134 deaths per 100,000 people from 1999 to 2014".
Without the starting point (the death rate in 1999) we can't know the raising
rate. If there were 268 deaths per 100,000 people in 1999 that would be a 50%
increase for example.
------
Alex3917
I did an analysis a couple years ago and found that drug misuse kills about a
third of Americans. Possibly even more if you include the new study that found
that the surgeon general's report is undercounting tobacco deaths by 80k per
year or whatever, which I didn't because that wasn't out at the time.
[http://alexkrupp.typepad.com/sensemaking/2014/05/the-one-
sta...](http://alexkrupp.typepad.com/sensemaking/2014/05/the-one-statistic-
you-never-hear-about-drugs.html)
[http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1407211#abstract](http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1407211#abstract)
~~~
danieltillett
Alex interesting post, but I would not put too much value in the ADR numbers.
Getting accurate information on the cause of death due to ADR is not easy
given death in hospital rarely has a single cause.
------
browseatwork
It would be interesting to see this broken down by gender. My hunch is it's
hitting men harder, but I'm curious if that's reflected in the data.
------
AlexB138
I may be projecting, but I feel like this is a symptom of our deteriorating
middle class. White, now middle aged, men have been hit over and over by free
trade, out sourcing and cheap immigrant labor suppressing labor value. Now
they're beaten and broken.
I've worked with these people and seen it first hand. In my anecdotal
experience, depression and drug use isn't just a common case with working
class whites, it's nearly the majority. These people know they've been
abandoned by society, and a lot of them are just giving up. They're people who
have put in 60 hour weeks of hard labor, with little to no health care, for
decades and have next to nothing to show for it, and no hope of things
improving.
------
niels_olson
Naked capitalism has found a way to thin the herd more efficiently than the
Jonathan Swift ever imagined. A modest proposal indeed.
Unrelated: the top NYT comments are better than HN. Sad day.
~~~
vixen99
What is naked capitalism as against, for instance, naked socialism? And how
germane is all to this to the topic? Or is it just hand waving according to
predilection?
~~~
niels_olson
Would you like it better if it said "pure capitalism"? Or "capitalism and only
capitalism"?
------
DanielBMarkham
I must be missing this. I read the article carefully and scanned the comments
here. Looks like FUD-bait to me.
This is how I would write the article (and this is probably all there is to
the article)
Over the past 15 years, death rates for whites per 100,000 people aged 45–54
remained basically the same, with the natural increase lifespan being offset
by increases in both suicide and alcohol/drug issues. This difference is
statistically significant, but it is on the order of 1 or 2 extra deaths per
thousand people for their lives from 45-54. It is highly unusual for death
rates to change like that. The last great change in the west of this magnitude
was with the introduction of HIV/AIDS. For context, the average middle class
white american would experience the same increase in risk if they took up
canoeing over the same period.
But maybe I missed it. I got a graph where one line stays the same where
others decline, and I got a graph where risk increases for a couple causes of
death by a very small amount (out of dozens not listed)
Also I have approximately 50 comments lamenting the rise of third world
conditions in places like Peoria and the death of all things good and decent
in the USA. I believe if a little more context was provided by the news outlet
in this case, perhaps our comments would be more aligned with the actual
impact of the news being reported.
------
zeckalpha
Is this a case of Simpson's paradox?
~~~
nostrademons
Don't think so. Simpson's paradox applies when you have two groups and
_independently_ rates of your variable are increasing within both, but the
population of the lesser group is increasing faster. For example, if death
rates for both whites and blacks were decreasing but blacks had a higher death
rate, and the population of blacks was increasing, you would see overall death
rates increasing. If death rates for both uneducated & college-educated white
Americans were increasing but there were an increasing number of college-
educated white Americans, you would see death rates decrease.
Neither of those seem to be the case here: it's just one group who,
tragically, is killing themselves or self-medicating to death disturbingly
frequently.
------
littletimmy
You'll never see a black activist or feminist show solidarity with these poor
middle-aged white people.
The greatest success of capitalism has been dividing people along gender and
race lines - not letting them show any class solidarity. If people did, they'd
realize that the difference between a poor white and a poor black is a
rounding error compared to the difference between a poor guy and a rich guy.
~~~
uououuttt
> You'll never see a black activist or feminist show solidarity with these
> poor middle-aged white people.
Speaking of "dividing people along gender and race lines".
------
adamwong246
Happiness is reality minus expectations. Guess who had the highest
expectations? White guys.
------
SHIT_TALKER
_The mortality rate for whites 45 to 54 years old with no more than a high
school education increased by 134 deaths per 100,000 people from 1999 to
2014._
This should surprise no one. These are the people who work marginal jobs and
they have been the most affected by so much manufacturing moving offshore, the
resultant shift to service sector employment, and the downward push on service
wages created by massive immigration of unskilled South American workers. (Not
to mention the political and social demonization of this cohort.)
~~~
vfrogger
I don't think you can tie this to economics alone. After all, blacks and
hispanics have been feeling the economic pressures as well.
Suicide, drug use, and alcoholism have deeper cultural ties. I have no idea
what those ties are, but it likely won't be fixed by a 4% annual increase in
wages.
I can't help but wonder if perhaps this increase in self destructive behavior
is due to an increase in secularism. Blacks and Hispanics are more religious
than whites, and with that religiosity comes greater church attendance which
likely brings greater community support (a generalization, I know, but I'm
guessing that this is probably more true than not).
~~~
awl130
Good theory but the same cohort in Europe has not seen the same Effect despite
even higher secularization
~~~
vfrogger
I don't know, I don't believe Europe is really doing a bang up job of
preventing suicide either, but I will admit that I don't know much about the
situation, I'm just hypothesizing.
------
Someone
Side note: looking at the color choice in figure 3
([http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2015/10/29/1518393112.full...](http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2015/10/29/1518393112.full.pdf)):
_" Census regions are Northeast (blue), Midwest (red), South (black), and
West (green)."_
I think they were picked manually. On the one hand, I think picking that makes
them more memorable, on the other hand, it surprises me that people in the
politically hypercorrect USA would pick those colors this way.
------
shams93
Speaking from experience Im 43 years old but been rejected by women my entire
life in LA for being a "white guy" its certainly depressing that no matter how
well you do you have to spend your entire life alone have to be ignorant of
sexuality because its cut off from you , theres never any reward for my
efforts no matter how well i do only puniahment for being born the wrong
ethnicity.
~~~
smt88
> _for being a "white guy"_
I am 100% certain that you have not _only_ been rejected for being a white
guy. White people are the most sought-after race in the United States[1],
partially because most people seek partners of the same race.
Furthermore, the language you're using is deeply concerning. Women aren't a
"reward" for your efforts. Failing to find a sexual partner is not a
"punishment". No one owes you sex, and there isn't a grand design that's
keeping you from finding someone to have sex with.
I think it's very important for you to seek counseling or the support of a
therapist. They'll be able to help you learn how to start and maintain a
romantic relationship. There's always hope.
1\. [http://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/race-
attraction-2009-2014/](http://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/race-
attraction-2009-2014/)
~~~
dropit_sphere
[http://slatestarcodex.com/2014/08/31/radicalizing-the-
romanc...](http://slatestarcodex.com/2014/08/31/radicalizing-the-romanceless/)
~~~
smt88
I skimmed this and have no idea what it has to do with the comment I was
responding to.
The argument in the article seems to be that, if you're a good guy on paper
(you don't abuse women, you're financially stable, etc.) that you should get
attention from women instead of men who aren't good guys on paper.
My response is similar: the world is not a vending machine where you insert
"hard work" or "not beating women" and a sex partner drops out at the bottom.
No one just "deserves" sex. It should never be a bargaining chip or a debt
that someone is paying you.
What's particularly disturbing about this line of thinking is that these
people seem to think women owe them _in general_. It's like they don't even
know who they want to have sex with them, and they feel that _some_ woman now
needs to step up.
Do you not see how bizarre that is? It echoes the comments of the mass shooter
who went to a Lulu Lemon to kill women because they "owed him".
Nice guys are nice guys because they don't want to harm anyone and because
it's good for the people around them. They don't secretly (or publicly!)
expect to be rewarded for it with sex.
~~~
dropit_sphere
If you skimmed it, then you should read it again, in full. Because it didn't
say what you think it said.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Why is everyone so busy? (2014) - asoli
https://www.economist.com/news/christmas-specials/21636612-time-poverty-problem-partly-perception-and-partly-distribution-why
======
factsaresacred
I recommend people watch Japan A story of love and hate
([http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x56bwzc](http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x56bwzc))
which, aside from being a great look at Japan, epitomizes the absurdity of
exchanging our time for a salary that increasingly fails to cover the cost to
live and leaves us without free time. 30,000 Japanese kill themselves each
year due to work related stress.
Great quote from the doc:
Naoki:"You (the West) game me this f*cking Capitalist system 100 years ago..."
Cameramen: "And now you're rich"
Naoki: "Is this rich...is this a good system?"
I hope - and expect - that one day offices are viewed in the same way we view
the factories of the early industrial age: prisons of drudgery and misery.
I'm not naive, civilization and its innumerable benefits (like actually being
able to live past 65) has a cost. But the notion that sitting in traffic each
morning to reach a room where one stares into a screen for 9 hours - every
day, for 40 odd years - is desirable is the greatest con capitalism has ever
pulled.
~~~
terrytrend
On the money. Fuck the 9-5 corporate work life.
I've been doing this everyday for 12 years..and I'm about to blow my brains
out.
I encourage everyone to find one thing they love and find a way to do it
everyday for the rest of your life.
~~~
kirso
A bit too radical, lots of people enjoy having a job and stability that it
brings.
Entrepreneurship is romanticised by entreporn on Medium.
Essentially there is no black and white answer, everyone should just do what
gives him/her meaning.
~~~
mercer
I think it's interesting that:
> I encourage everyone to find one thing they love and find a way to do it
> everyday for the rest of your life.
...is translated to entrepreneurship, when that doesn't have to be a given.
I'm still struggling with the alternative possibilities, but I just wanted to
point that out.
That said I do agree with your conclusion. It's the path to get there that can
keep me up at night, and perhaps not framing it purely in terms of being
employed or self-employed might help (not saying that that's what you were
saying, btw).
------
hliyan
I'm of the opinion that the root of the problem is inflation (but I'm open to
correction).
My thinking is that we're constantly being pushed to work harder because no
business today can reach a successful steady-state -- it must keep growing.
The reason businesses must keep growing is that investors demand it. Investors
demand it because they believe that wealth sitting around not making more
wealth is a waste. Inflation, I believe, is a big component of this view. What
would happen if we keep inflation near-zero? Is slow growth really a bad
thing?
~~~
XR0CSWV3h3kZWg
I agree that there are likely negative social consequences from inflation, but
the idea that inflation is the reason a business can't reach a steady-state
because of inflation seems to ignore Red Queen[1] like affects.
Something I've noticed a lot in tech is that companies will spend a huge
amount of money to push new features that aren't core to the business and to
launch new products that frequently fail. I've always viewed these as
attempting to prevent competition from emerging rather than trying to
compensate for inflation.
~~~
codetrotter
You forgot to include the link you were going to reference.
~~~
bproven
This is the reference AFAIK:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Queen%27s_race](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Queen%27s_race)
------
SomewhatLikely
As long as there are marginal gains to be made from working an extra hour I
don't see this changing. Imagine if one country decided to change from a 40
hour work week to a 20 hour work week. If this decreases their GDP from
producing less output, then they become economically weaker, their standard of
living in terms of purchasing power is diminished, and the tax base is
decreased. I think the biggest reason we don't see more leisure time is the
same reason wild animals don't see much leisure time: competition. At the
international level, countries which produce more are more powerful, and at
the domestic level other things being equal an individual who produces more
will command a higher income, which translates to gaining a bigger slice of
the economic pie and the additional power that confers. I suspect many of the
people on hacker news could easily live on half the income they make, but we
choose not to, because we prefer the extra affordances of working full time or
more.
~~~
guntars
It's just people being wired to compare their lives with other's. Humans
evolved in small groups with hierarchies where your "rank" compared to others
could mean the difference between life and death. Not so much these days, but
the habit is still there.
Luckily, we also evolved big brains that let us override almost any instinct
and with a bit of effort we can be perfectly happy with any slice of the pie.
P.S. I'm somebody that gave up a large fraction of my salary to be able to
work part time and travel the country. It's been worth it so far.
------
LandR
My last job, I had so much more free time. I finished at 4 each day and
sometimes took 3 hour lunches. Someone would text me in another city and ask
if I could come through and meet them. I would often just walk out of work (it
wasn't a problem) and go meet them. If it meant that I didn't get back to the
office that day, so be it.
There was lots of time spent with friends and family, it was great.
My current job, I eat lunch at my desk and spend so much less time with
friends and family. A couple of months ago I was working from 8AM to 3:30AM,
then was back to the office for 8AM the following day.
I make more money now, but I was so much happier before.
I often think about just quitting work and taking a year or two off, just do
me things and figure stuff out. What I want from life, what my prioritie are
etc.
But then I worry if you take that long off, how hard would it be to get back
to work afterwards? Are employers even going to entertain my CV
~~~
justaguyhere
_I would often just walk out of work_
In one of my previous jobs, while leaving at 5:30 pm (started at 9 am), the
CTO asks "half day today?", only half jokingly :(
~~~
jfoutz
I got in late, so i'm leaving early to make up for it.
------
taneq
Because we've been sold the idea that there is someplace else to be, and that
we should work as hard as we can to get there.
~~~
davidjnelson
> we’ve been sold
And believed the sales pitch, which was never true.
------
collyw
There is a lot more bureaucracy built into the systems we have to deal with
these days as well (David Gaerber's "Utopia of Rules" is a good read on this).
I have a lot of stuff to do, and was kind of getting on top of it recently. I
needed to renew my driving license here in Spain. I needed two appointments
(trying to fit them around work). I have been given a temporary license for
the time being and am waiting on the new one to be posted. I noticed that the
temporary paper has my name spelled wrong, so there is a good chance I will
need at least one more appointment just to get that typo fixed when the
plastic version comes through.
I guess another factor is the changing nature of jobs. Certainly in IT you
need to devote at least some time to keeping up with new tech or you will
become obsolete. I find this especially frustrating when a lot of the "new" is
just a rehash of stuff from 30 years ago. Its also why I hate fronted work, as
the ecosystem is a constantly changing mess.
------
sixhobbits
I found this article really interesting and extremely well written. The
excerpt below is a literary masterpiece.(other comments complain about paywall
but on mobile I got "3 articles free" message. Not sure if they're A/B testing
or if they're giving me free stuff because I'm in South Africa and they assume
that online payments are hard here)
"Leisure time is now the stuff of myth. Some are cursed with too much. Others
find it too costly to enjoy. Many spend their spare moments staring at a
screen of some kind, even though doing other things (visiting friends,
volunteering at a church) tends to make people happier. Not a few presume they
will cash in on all their stored leisure time when they finally retire,
whenever that may be. In the meantime, being busy has its rewards. Otherwise
why would people go to such trouble?
Alas time, ultimately, is a strange and slippery resource, easily traded,
visible only when it passes and often most highly valued when it is gone. No
one has ever complained of having too much of it. Instead, most people worry
over how it flies, and wonder where it goes. Cruelly, it runs away faster as
people get older, as each accumulating year grows less significant,
proportionally, but also less vivid. Experiences become less novel and more
habitual. The years soon bleed together and end up rushing past, with the most
vibrant memories tucked somewhere near the beginning. And of course the more
one tries to hold on to something, the swifter it seems to go"
~~~
mrhappyunhappy
I wonder if this author has children. I couldn’t read because of paywall. My
life came to a slow and boredom was setting in slowly until I had a child.
Living through his life makes me feel excited again, not for myself but
knowing everything he’ll go experience. If anyone reading this has a choice in
having kids but hadn’t yet, I’d highly recommend it. Yes it’s hard and strange
at first but worth every moment. Just now I smiled at my 6 Mo old kiddo and he
laughed at me. It's moment like this that make me realize what's important in
life and one of the reasons I enjoy working for myself from home - even at the
cost of much less pay.
~~~
s3cur3
I feel like the idea of “living through” one’s kids has a lot of negative
connotations——pushing them to spend hours a day on something they hate, etc.
But there is absolutely something to be said for being able to see the world
through your kid’s eyes. They get so excited about things that are totally
mundane to adults. (My one year old yesterday had to stop and examine each
little hole in the sidewalk as we walked.) That wonder at the world is
certainly infectious.
~~~
davidjnelson
There’s beauty in seeing the world through a child’s eyes, even as an adult.
Where life is wonder. Nature is really great at infecting one with wonder as
well.
------
davidjnelson
> Writing in the first century, Seneca was startled by how little people
> seemed to value their lives as they were living them—how busy, terribly
> busy, everyone seemed to be, mortal in their fears, immortal in their
> desires and wasteful of their time. He noticed how even wealthy people
> hustled their lives along, ruing their fortune, anticipating a time in the
> future when they would rest.
Living fully in this moment _now_ feels way underrated.
------
fwn
I'm not sure their psychological/cultural reasons translate very well to
continental europe. The people that surround me in Germany have all the time
they want.
Besides that:
> No one has ever complained of having too much of it.
Isn't that just being bored? I'm sure I've heard people complaining about
that.
~~~
KozmoNau7
I think people who complain about being bored are simply scared of being alone
with their thoughts. I don't mind doing "nothing" on a train or bus ride, it
gives me time to slow down a little and just think to myself.
I think this "gotta be busybusybusy" thing originated in the US, but it is
definitely spreading.
I see way too many people who are way too wrapped up in their careers or are
constantly stressing about all the things they "have to do", and they forget
to actually enjoy anything, because they're already mentally at the next
thing.
I love lazy Saturdays on the couch, and I wouldn't trade them for anything.
------
arca_vorago
Honestly it's about ownership of homes and debt levels. If you aren't in
massive debt and you own your home, small efforts can easily pay off other
costs and you can live a comfortable life. If you lose your job but you own
your house and have a small amount of savings (most don't), at least you won't
get evicted...
And because wages are so artificially depressed by the suprarich, it takes two
jobs to support a life far too often. Noam Chomsky talks about how at the
beginning of the industrial revolution the people were skeptical of the 6-9
job that payed a pittance as essentially not much better than chattel slavery,
the only difference being you got to go home at night.
This is about class warfare, this is about the oligarchs fucking us all
constantly and consistently while we do nothing because the people we expect
to do something (the government) are corrupted, blackmailed, coerced, and
lobbied into the ground until they break to the oligarchs will (which is why
there is truly only one party at the moment, the oligarchs party).
Add on top of that the unconstitutional private banking conglomerate known as
the fed and the 16th amendment, and you have a recipe for runaway inflation,
devaluation of purchasing power, and increases in poverty, homelessness, and
_work hours needed to support the cost of living per area_.
Jackson was a piece of shit when it came to the natives, but that far too
often overshadows the importance of his effort to fight the banks. (Also, him
beating the brits with marines, sailors, militiamen and pirates is a movie I
want to make someday.)
Shades of Smedley Butler if you ask me. Anyone remember that? Oh yeah, they
don't teach you in public school that a bunch of facist corporate oligarch
banker types tried to attempt a coup on the American government via a Marine
Corps general who double-crossed them and reported it all to congress all in
~1933? Oh yeah, they blacked out the names until John Spivak published them.
([https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/McCormack%E2%80%93Dickstein_C...](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/McCormack%E2%80%93Dickstein_Committee#Deleted_Text))
([http://coat.ncf.ca/our_magazine/links/53/spivak-
NewMasses.pd...](http://coat.ncf.ca/our_magazine/links/53/spivak-
NewMasses.pdf))
------
newnewpdro
Everywhere Americans look they're pressured to consume more, achieve more,
live beyond their means, go into debt (student loans, car loans, home
mortgages), and have a family on top of it all while saving for some fabled
retirement and college tuition for the kids.
If you unplug and simplify your life, don't bother with pursuing a family,
you'll see how disincentivized to be busy you are and how absurdly everyone
else appears to be living. But if you pursue all the things your competitors
are pursuing, you'll find yourself having to acquire similar levels of
resources. There's not enough to go around for _everyone_ to have that amount
of excess, hence it must be fought over.
Basically what you have is a non-violent (most of the time) resource
competition determining who gets how much of what in what order, where the
participants aren't even pursuing a specific quantity - they're just after as
much as possible while they're still able, MORE.
edit:
After writing the above, I remembered this short video from the 90s, semi-
related. [1]
[1]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCeeTfsm8bk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCeeTfsm8bk)
------
Sylos
> And lunches now tend to be efficient affairs, devoured at one’s desk, with
> an eye on the e-mail inbox.
Alternatively, you do go into lunch break, because you have to network with
colleagues or business partners.
------
omalleyt
Societies compete with each other like organisms. Successful societies
propagate. Primary dimensions of competition are demographics, economics, and
military. Thus the history of social organization is necessarily a history of
extracting ever-more value from the labor of society's members.
Keynes and others seem to have labored under the delusion that the history of
social organization is a history of ever-increasing happiness for society's
members.
------
projektir
My current guess is that a large part of this is the increase in various
amounts of "chores" to manage, and this potentially increases with more
wealth. Bills to pay, insurances to get, appointments to make, this or that
government obligation to fulfill, monitoring credit report and data breaches,
investing money here or there, getting real estate...
\+ other things, like continuous learning, information collection, designing
exercise schedules, designing diet systems...
With the persistent threat that if you mess these up there will be trouble.
Related to this, I wonder if the proliferation of these things is why
_conscientiousness_ is currently strongly associated with success. I've seen
highly intelligent people have significant failures in their lives because
they simply couldn't efficiently manage the bureaucracy that it seems it is
assumed you can just manage automatically, which very much does not seem to be
the case.
In reality, I think the current small (and large) task management load is
simply too large for most people to properly handle, and wealth doesn't
particularly help with all this because it doesn't directly increase the
mental load surface... unless you outsource the work somewhere else...
------
blowski
Listen also
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07v07pb](http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07v07pb)
------
8bitsrule
If 'busy' means that your time is filled with things to do, that -can- be a
good thing. My impression is that before technology, media, communications,
health, and rising standards of living life was -a lot- more boring.
Every day on the 'net I see that hundreds of people who've not only found
specialized, fascinating topics, but finally have someone to talk to about
them. Sure beats taking anti-depressants.
To the extent that busy means 'paying for all this stuff I have to have': how
much of it do I really need? Are we victims of 'have to have' obesity? I'll
just gently suggest that, for many in the West, the answer is yes.
------
KozmoNau7
This "must be busy" mindset and 50+ hour work weeks is so utterly alien and
_wrong_ to me, and I'm glad I feel this way.
I would never let a job get in the way of family and social experiences, in
the way of _my life_. Relaxation and leisure time is absolutely non-negotiable
for me, I would never give up on a concert or culinary experience or anything
else for something as mundane as work.
I think this mindset has also gifted me with more patience and more ability to
not be bored, compared to most of my peers. Luckily, all of my friends share
my mindset, anyone too work-obsessed simply doesn't fit in for long.
I am a slacker, and I enjoy it very much.
~~~
marak830
I am the same as you, alas I cannot afford not to work the hours I do (for
which I have copped quite a bit of flack on HN about).
I do wonder why people who can afford to spend time with their family and not
work 60-70 hours per week, actually do.
I can only imagine it would be that they really enjoy their work that much, or
their in a culture such as here in Japan where you stay until the boss leaves
- or else. (Not my situation, I'm a chef, stupid hours in my industry).
~~~
psyc
I'm terrified of letting people into my life, and the biggest reason is I'm
afraid they'll cut into my work time. Now, sure, there's probably a bunch of
Freudian damage that's gone into this. But however I got this way, I am this
way, and I don't mind.
~~~
wu-ikkyu
May I ask what you do for work? And how fulfilled you are by it?
~~~
psyc
Game programmer. 8/10 fulfillment and climbing.
~~~
wu-ikkyu
How is your relationship with your coworkers?
~~~
psyc
I mostly work alone, as of the past few years. Occasionally take consulting
work or contracts. When I do have coworkers, my relationship with them is
typically good to very good.
------
ekr
(this is only a very quick and dirty exposition.)
Humans, like every other organism on this Earth, have been shaped by
evolution, which has instilled a set of adaptations into them.
Like most other species, there is a competition for mates, reproduction
opportunities and resources within the sexes. So, along the ages, humans have
acquired a set of adaptations that "maximize" wealth, status, (whether they
still work in the current environment as opposed to the ones in which these
adaptations evolved is another question). So, in essence, humans who tended to
work more, tended to obtain more resources/wealth thereby becoming more
attractive reproductive prospects. You also get more opportunities to help
fellow tribe members, improving your status within your community etc. In
other words, a highly competitive arms race has emerged.
However, only in recent times, intellectual work has become more common, where
the size of the input is not proportional to the quality of the output.
There is another dimension to this. Many humans today work in corporate
environments where there is an intense competition for advancing in a rigid
hierarchical structure. These advances are strongly correlated with income
growth, and power and control over many work-related issues, which is strongly
related to status. In these environments, it is often difficult to actually
measure the output quality and quantity of each human, partly because there is
little incentive to do that, partly because people doing the measurement are
not the most technically knowledgeable in the field, but mostly because they
are humans themselves and thus have their own interests (namely improving
their reproductive prospects themselves, so they need to forge allegiances
that stabilize their positions etc). Promoting the most capable worker is
sometimes outside their interests. So in this environment, many other cues are
used to evaluate the worth of employees, many completely unrelated to their
capabilities and work. So, marketing oneself becomes an important aspect in
this economy.
One clear way to signal to others that you are very dedicated to the company
and an important employee is to spend more time at the office than the others.
Busyness is a signal of importance/status and value to the company. Of course,
people actually interested in performing high quality intellectual work will
know that time spent on a task is only one (minor) factor ...
~~~
patrickxie
what other ways can we use to measure worker's output quality and quantity
other than the easily quantifiable factor of "time"?
------
Rainymood
I'm an academic. If I get in 3-4 hours of deep work I'm done for the day and
can relax.
------
IThoughtYouGNU
[http://archive.is/AfhEN](http://archive.is/AfhEN)
~~~
el_cid
creepy
------
hellofunk
I'm always amazed how I end up seeing long threads from HN users who read an
article, but when I click on it, there is a pay wall. Are all those readers
subscribers to these news sites?
~~~
wyattpeak
Most of the sites show their content to archiving services. If you go to
archive.is and enter the URL, you'll see the content.
~~~
pcf
Thanks, I wasn't aware of this.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Greenpois0n on github - hasenj
https://github.com/Chronic-Dev/syringe
======
gcb
just syringe and others injectors
lots of binary payloads.
but i'm clueless of iStuff anyways.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Top 5 Bugs of my Career - pembleton
http://javadots.blogspot.com/2009/10/top-five-bugs-of-my-career.html
======
jrockway
_At some point I decide that my new rules are complete and I put them to work
on several real inputs: large zip files with > 100K classes. I notice that
both the import and load commands run much slower than before. In fact, they
run so slow that they wipe out all the benefits of having my own optimized
data structures._
Well, it would have been even slower without the correct data structure,
right?
_Remember, we are speaking about the C programming language, so expecting
something as fancy as a stacktrace is out of the question._
Maybe on Windows. This is certainly not a problem with the GNU stack. But I
doubt that Win32 C programs can't be debugged.
_First, I tried to apply reasoning. I made educated guesses regarding which
events are likely to be the ones causing the crash. After several hours of
unsuccessful guesses I went to a more brutal approach: I commented out the
whole switch block._
I would have tried 'printf("%d\n", msgid)' first. Seems like this would have
identified the faulty switch case almost immediately.
_I started debugging this code. When I stepped over the b = true statement
the program crashed. This puzzled me. b is a local variable. It is stack
allocated. How can an assignment to it fail?_
Are you sure that as the stack started to unwind after this, destructors on
local variables were not being called? (C++ does actually have this sort of
automatic memory management, after all.)
_if you implement a cache you must always implement some cleanup strategy._
Every language with garbage collection has weak references. That's what these
are for.
Anyway, this article was kind of weird. "Here are some weird bugs that caused
me lots of problems", but no word on how they were ever resolved.
~~~
bmj
_Anyway, this article was kind of weird. "Here are some weird bugs that caused
me lots of problems", but no word on how they were ever resolved._
I think that's part two....from the bottom of the post:
_Got it? Great. Otherwise, wait for the next post...
(To be concluded)_
EDIT: Updated to include the quote.
------
scott_s
#4: Sometimes transforming your data so that it's in an "optimized" structure
requires a significant upfront cost. If the processing on that data is
comparatively small, it might not be worth the effort. I'm going to guess that
the import and load functions had n^2 algorithms in them.
#2: Assuming that no objects go out of scope, memory corruption. If objects do
go out of scope, I'd still suspect memory corruption, but I'd check the
destructors first.
#1: He already answered it, really. The caching mechanism was probably
maintaining references to the objects, while still allocating space for new
ones.
------
JeremyStein
#1: The rows are being traversed by index, but the indexes are changes during
the execution of the loop as some rows are deleted. The loop ends up skipping
any row that immediately follows a deleted row.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
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Getting Your Kids Off the iPad Is Worth the Fight - jorganisak
https://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/getting-your-kids-off-the-ipad-is-worth-the-fight-191447400.html
======
domjbs
The trick is not getting them on in the first place.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Ask HN Parents: How do you handle working and kids? - barredo
Do you work from home and/or in a small startup and have kids? Would you mind share some tips?<p>In my experience (father of a <2 year old):<p>* work when the kids are sleep or in daycare
* don't work all the other time (I usually check email, server status and such minor tasks)<p>My daughter gets 11-12h at night and a couple of hours of nap. So, I always try to adapt around her schedule:<p><pre><code> 9,30h - 13h day care
14h - 16h nap
21h - 8,30h sleep
</code></pre>
I started working at 21h at first. This started messing with the mother schedule and staying up late is not always the best solution. Although it's the most quite time.<p>So i ended up waking up as soon as possible everyday, coffee up and start working for a couple hours before they woke up. Then I'll take her to daycare (which takes 12min*2 walking) to get a mental break, came back home and working till 12h30 when I go back to pick her up.<p>Then I usually take a nap with her. Then park time, then bath and dinner, then I'll check if everything's ok (altough I keep checking with the smartphone every now and then). I cannot get any job done when she's playing/"idling" around the house.<p>And that is the only tip I could share right now (TLDR): start working really early in the morning before anyone wakes up.
======
OafTobark
My situation is unique so don't know if this will help you. My son is also
under 2 years old. He has always been a very happy baby (never cries except
for when he gets hurt which almost never happens). I guess this is a bit
different than what most parents experience. My son sleeps a good 12 hours
through the night and additionally naps for 2-3 hours during the day. This
means he's only up for about 9 hours give or take in a day. This isn't always
true but it's pretty standard. It helps that my wife is a stay at home mom. I
pretty much spend mornings with him, work during his nap, a few more hours in
the afternoon, then work evenings to night. I get adequate sleep hours and are
able to function pretty normally on a good schedule. I am not sure how that
will play out for you. As a note, I have my office in a separate room he is
never allowed to come into
------
barredo
I forgot to say that I live in Spain, which shares timezone with Poland and
northern Norway
([http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/eutimetwo...](http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/eutimetwo.gif)
>2000 km difference in longitude... I know). We should have the UK/Portugal
timezone. So when I say we eat at 13h it's really 12h "sun time".
------
ArekDymalski
My son is 3.5 years old. I've never been able to work longer than 3 minutes
when I was home (and he was awake). My solution is office+baby sitter(now
kindergarden) as I can't actually focus at home (unless the family is
sleeping). What I like about your solution is the work-life balance and
healthy breaks.
------
KiwiCoder
2 kids; 3y and 1y.
I pay for office space and treat my own work the same as if I was working for
someone else.
I go to the office to work, and when I'm home my interrupt flag is set to 1.
This is the only way I can get things done. Anything else and someone is bound
to be unhappy.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
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Why Does Bureaucracy Exist? Here’s Why… - penfold
http://expressiveegg.org/2016/08/29/bureaucracy/
======
Safety1stClyde
> It Digitises Uncivilisation is founded on ego which can only conceive of
> reality in terms of that which can be isolated, measured, defined,
> controlled and possessed; in other words, written down.
With this as the first sentence, it seems unlikely this contains any
worthwhile content.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
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Born to Spend (or Save): It’s All in Your Genes - wiradikusuma
http://moneyland.time.com/2011/10/06/born-to-spend-or-save-its-all-in-your-genes/
======
pedalpete
I have trouble agreeing with this for a few reasons. First of all, I've gone
through times in my life where I've saved and saved spending very little.
I've also gone through stages where I've spent more than I had.
If it's all in the genes, wouldn't it have to be one or the other?
Why would our genes have a code to buy or spend, which is so far removed from
a natural process?
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Ask HN: Feedback on my startup - eljayuu
Landing page is > http://inventr.org<p>Hoping that over time the Inventr boards ask more complex questions especially around problem solving and better giveaways.<p>Each Inventr has their own publicly available profile which shows their Inventr status, each brand has their own Inventr page (click on a board to get there).<p>Sharing is built into the platform with the option to share an idea once submitted for as many upvotes as possible.<p>Business model likely to be subscription based version for the enterprise to drive change, problem solving and innovation.<p>We were featured on product hunt in mid December. https://www.producthunt.com/tech/inventr
======
brudgers
This might make a good "Show HN".
[https://news.ycombinator.com/showhn.html](https://news.ycombinator.com/showhn.html)
~~~
eljayuu
Thanks Man - will share it there too.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
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Microsoft Edge Lets Facebook Run Flash Code Behind Users' Backs - fbelzile
https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-edge-lets-facebook-run-flash-code-behind-users-backs/
======
zzo38computer
You should be allowed to customize the whitelist; such whitelisting should not
be hard-coded.
------
Piskvorrr
And here we go again with "but that was the old, evil MSFT! This is the new,
good MSFT!" Where oh where have we seen this before? Hello leopard, nice
spots. (Cue whataboutism)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
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Humanae - sharp11
http://humanae.tumblr.com/
======
brudgers
_Humanæ is a chromatic inventory, a project that reflects on the colors beyond
the borders of our codes by referencing the PANTONE® color scheme._
_The project development is based on a series of portraits whose background
is dyed with the exact Pantone® tone extracted from a sample of 11x11 pixels
of the portrayed´s face. The project’s objective is to record and catalog all
possible human skin tones._
_Humanæ it’s a pursuit for highlighting our subtle-continuous of our tones
that make more equality than difference… our true colors, rather than the
untrue Red and Yellow, Black and White. It is a kind of game for subverting
our codes. The audience is free to read into it. The ultimate goal is to
provoke and bring currently using internet as a discussion platform on ethnic
identity, creating images that lead us to match us independent from factors
such as nationality, origin, economic status, age or aesthetic standards._
The about page:
[http://humanae.tumblr.com/About](http://humanae.tumblr.com/About)
------
angersock
This made me smile. :)
------
mahmud
Way too cute.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
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Ask HN: An average developer's work seems meaningless? - duochrome
I have been wondering what people need. Most people would love to have a better house, furniture, food, etc. They barely need a better software.<p>I was a developer for 8 years. I worked in some corporation and some startup, and it's the same issue all around. The product is not really been needed nor used.<p>I can see that companies like Google had a good impact on the world but they have a good supply of good engineers. They don't need me.<p>It seems that I would be happier saying making good wood furnitures. But hey that's hard to find a woodworker's job and I guess the paying is a lot less.<p>I'm somehow lost. Did you ever had the same feeling? What change did you do?
======
rnovak
Not all programming is fun, in fact the vast majority is boring, and the
software that gets produced is boring, but it is still important.
Just because you aren't a part of Google or some other ubiquitous, well known
company, doesn't mean a product that you're a part of producing isn't
important. You may not see the implications of all of the software you
develop, and some software that has the biggest impact, no one even knows
about.
There is always a good reason to program, and considering the current
disparity of good engineers, you don't need to be amazing to make a
difference, just be good.
------
sharemywin
Software isn't usually about making a big impact in people's lives(military,
flight control, medical are exceptions). It's about making whole lot of
people's lives a little bit better.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
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Show HN: Bolt – free email validation API powered by AI - eternal_virgin
https://helloaiko.com/bolt
======
jamesarena
Free????
~~~
eternal_virgin
Free for makers, 2000 validations per month. (We might increase the free tier
limit, right now it's based on how many sockets we can connect to mail
providers before our IP gets blocked)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
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What Is Going to Happen in 2017 - bakztfuture
http://avc.com/2017/01/what-is-going-to-happen-in-2017/
======
pyb
For me this is the money quote : >Tech investors will start to adopt genomics
as an additional “information technology” investment category
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
$675,000 RIAA File Sharing Verdict Is ‘Unreasonable’ - phsr
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/01/riaa-verdict-is-unreasonable/
======
bugs
That is an insane amount for each song, it makes one wonder what punishment
would come from stealing a dozen cds (a tangible item of similar nature).
~~~
bluedanieru
The plaintiff in that case would be an actual physical shop, and the US
government is not the tool of record stores (knock on wood). So very little,
compared to this. Of course there would also be criminal charges but even they
would be minor in comparison.
~~~
bugs
That's what my point was supposed to be, that the criminal charges for a first
offense most likely would come out to community service and a fine of less
than 50 thousand dollars unless the price of the cds put them into the next
class of felony.
------
nvasilak
We're doing pick your price music on <http://anjuno.com> and for some reason
no one is paying $22,500 per song. I wish those RIAA lawyers would start using
Anjuno, it would really help our bottom line.
------
jacquesm
When special interest groups have the amount of lobbying power that they do
today you get nonsense like this.
Why such a thing as a lobby even exists is beyond me, the government is
supposed to be there for the people.
------
mschiller
Regardless, the RIAA and the major labels are all in big trouble. There's only
so much litigation you can do before you realize that the world has changed.
The RIAA suing customers is like manufacturers of horse drawn carts suing
early car manufacturers back in the early 1900s. The new economy just happens
whether you like it or not. Music file sharing makes perfect sense in a world
where the cost of making a copy of a digital file is zero. Arguing against
that is like arguing against gravity. It is what it is. The labels were all
aware of the changes going on way back, but they chose not to take advantage
of change because they thought they were that powerful. They deserve their
cruel fate.
------
onoj
Coming from the days of the cassette recorder when we all used to record from
the radio and share tapes with friends, how is it that this is anything less
than persecution? Is this sort of judgment making us warm towards the
recording industry or artists? Assuming that people who download are the
biggest buyers?(Forrester research) can they really make a case for any
losses?
[http://www.phrequency.com/blog/Study_shows_music_pirates_buy...](http://www.phrequency.com/blog/Study_shows_music_pirates_buy_more_music.html)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
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Corona Virus Rumour - davidabcd
Now it's so tough to determine a news rumor or actual. Yesterday some people spread a news that one of my neighbors died due to covid-19. Lastly we got the update that he was suffering for serious heart problem for last 3 months and died for that.<p>Is there any authentic website which gives us country wise 100% correct data?
======
dylz
No one has 100% correct data, no test battery is 100% specific or accurate,
and no area is 100% tested.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Ceramic-bearing bicycle drive shaft (2018) - tomcam
https://www.bikeradar.com/news/faster-than-any-chain-ceramicspeed-driven/?image=3&type=gallery&gallery=1&embedded_slideshow=1
======
ben7799
Not sure why this is coming up again a year later.
They put it out as a marketing thing. It had a bunch of impractical caveats.
They haven't announced they solved any of the problems with it in the year
since they put it out.
The friction thing & drivetrain is mostly a non-issue. If you're riding fast
enough to care the % drag from the chain/drivetrain gets smaller and smaller
the faster you go. It's pretty much a non-factor compared to air resistance.
You get way more benefit from doing some extra stretching and yoga so you can
lower your handlebars and still ride hard than you do changing to ceramic
bearings or fiddling with expensive lubricants or chains/belts/shaft drives.
~~~
hadlock
Agreed, rolling resistance at 30mph (about the fastest you'll ever ride a
bike, even down a steep hill) is about 50w of energy, whereas wind resistance
at that speed is close to 1000w of energy.
Compare to 10mph (average speed for most casuals) where your total wind +
drivetrain is about 50w of energy. Wind resistance goes up by the cube,
drivetrain is mostly linear.
~~~
u801e
> Agreed, rolling resistance at 30mph (about the fastest you'll ever ride a
> bike, even down a steep hill)
What do you consider a steep hill? There are hills here that I can routinely
get up to 35 mph with a little effort. Many cyclists have gone downhill at
speeds exceeding 50 mph [1].
[1]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc2nqMXlZWg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc2nqMXlZWg)
~~~
CamperBob2
Most people who aren't hardcore cyclists with really nice bikes are going to
chicken out around 30 MPH.
Or they should. 30 MPH is _fast_ on a bike. If anything goes wrong, it's going
to hurt.
~~~
LargoLasskhyfv
Then i've been lucky, since i did that and much more in the past. Nowadays i'm
doing 22 to 23 up to 28 peak on flat ground with no headwind. On a decades old
3-speed, with coaster/back pedal brake, mud guards and basket on the
(rear)carrier. (27x1 1/4 pumped to 7.5 to 8 bars)
The only thing of going wrong i can think of is insects in the eye, and
generally unpleasant airstream in the eyes. Use sports glasses. Problem
solved. Anything else is situtational awareness, maybe a helmet, and good
maintenance.
------
parsimo2010
A little background on this and a thought:
Friction Facts started out as a guy (with an engineering degree) that
developed his own test equipment to measure drivetrain losses under load. He
eventually published his own wax formulation so that a DIYer could replicate
his best effort at reducing chain friction. It produced a chain that had about
4 watts of loss, which is pretty good. That's over 98% efficient for a person
putting out 250 watts. 250 watts is high for someone that's never ridden a
bike, doable for someone that commutes by bike every day, and a pro wouldn't
even break a sweat. So going to 99% improvement, or "reducing friction by 49%"
sounds like a lot, but you're only gaining back 2 watts out of 250. Also,
Friction Facts felt really cool when is was just a backyard engineer
publishing his results, but then he got bought and took all his
results/website offline. Luckily the internet archive and many forum posts
have the major results, but it felt kind of like he was selling out to the
man. I understand that he has bills to pay so I'm not mad at him. I also
understand that a regularly lubed bike chain has higher than 4 watts of loss
and most people aren't willing to melt wax on their stove to wax their own
chains (I do though).
The CeramicSpeed concept couldn't shift in 2018 and they haven't demoed a
shifting version as of August 2019. The pie plate at the back is only for
looks, and claiming 13-speeds is totally worthless at this point. Heck, I
could CNC a 30-speed cog for the back, since it would fit inside the diameter
of the wheel. I predict that when a shifting system is functional, it will
increase the complexity and add to the friction of the drivetrain, bringing to
about the same level of friction as top end chain based systems from Shimano,
SRAM, and Campagnolo.
This is a promising idea, but ultimately it's _worth more as a way to avoid
patent infringement_ than it is to make a faster bike. Another smaller player,
Rotor, makes a 13-speed system that shifts hydraulically. Rotor's marketing
claims that hydraulics shift better, but everyone knows that it's just a way
to keep from stepping on the established players' toes.
~~~
LeifCarrotson
In round numbers, the drivetrain causes about 4 watts of loss.
Tire rolling resistance costs about 40 watts (on regular roads with road bike
tires; less in a velodrome and more with knobby, thick mountain bike tires).
The bike itself costs 8 ~60 watts or so in air resistance, less for aero,
deep-dish tri bikes and more for round-tube wide-tire gravel bikes. But more
importantly, air resistance increases with the square of velocity, no matter
your starting drag coefficient.
The remaining 150 watts or so are caused by rider air resistance.
And of course, all 250 watts are produced by the rider and dependent on their
fitness level.
Clearly, the best way to go faster is to put more energy in. Next, improve
your posture to produce less drag. However, it's easier to spend money than to
sweat and suffer, so people instead turn to aero bikes, tires, and the
drivetrain.
~~~
track_me_now
>> However, it's easier to spend money than to sweat and suffer
not disagreeing with anything you're saying, however at the super-elite level
_everyone_ puts in the maximum amount of perfectly allocated effort into
training and preparation. _if_ we could eliminate 4 watts of drive train
friction loss that would be material. For your average weekend warrior the
points you make are definitely true, but hey, not the worst thing to blow your
money on...
------
makomk
Previous HN discussion:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17494226](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17494226)
Can't imagine this catching on. Ordinary chains are already really efficient,
and the efficiency of this will only last until dirt gets into all those tiny
little open bearings. (Sealed bearings would eat into the efficiency gains.)
~~~
jacobush
Something which would be cool would be a electric hybrid drive. Electric
generator + electric motor.
~~~
nradov
You can already buy electric bicycles. But regenerative braking on such a
light vehicle doesn't gain enough to be worth the extra weight.
~~~
braythwayt
I know someone who uses an electric cargo bike. It has regenerative braking,
and perhaps the extra mass of carrying loads is what makes it practical.
I believe it uses the Bionx system, which uses a direct hub drive. The company
is lo longer in business, IIRC.
------
wlkr
I think the biggest innovation of this kind that I've seen in use (anecdata,
of course) is the number of commuter bikes fitted with belt drivetrains (Gates
Carbon Drive) paired with internally geared hubs. The reduction in maintenance
effort is purported to be significant and it's not only limited to high-end
bikes (plus it can be retrofitted although non-trivially for the majority of
frames). When the cog wear becomes too bad on my single-speed I'll look into
fitting a belt drive, if possible.
~~~
vinni2
I have been using a bike with belt drive for about 2 years and while the lack
of chain reduces some maintenance doing other maintenance like switching tires
gets more complicated.
And of course the loss of efficiency due to belt drive is also pretty bad.
I am convinced that this will be my last belt drive bike.
~~~
pkulak
If you're a tinkerer, and you like swapping tires, doing all your own
maintenance, etc, then I agree with you 100%.
However, my bike is my car. I'd no sooner swap out my own bike tire than I'd
swap out my own car tire. Not that I can't, it's just not something I enjoy
doing. My hub-geared, belt drive, hydraulic-disc bike is incredibly difficult
to maintain... but I also just bring it in to my local bike shop once per
winter. That one trip is all the maintenance it needs for the 3200 miles I put
on it per year, mostly in the rain. I'd never go back to lubing a chain every
week, putting new pads on every month, replacing the chain every 3, etc. 6
months after I bought this bike I gave away my repair stand and it was
glorious.
~~~
sbierwagen
>I'd no sooner swap out my own bike tire than I'd swap out my own car tire.
In my neighborhood I get a flat every other month. If I had to pay someone
else to replace inner tubes it'd cost as much as driving a car.
~~~
pkulak
What tires do you run? That'll happen to me unless I run touring tires. With
Schwalbe Marathons front and back, I never get flats.
~~~
entee
There are also very tough plastic liners you can put between the tire and the
inner tube. At some point picked up a 1 cm cut in the the tire that this inner
layer not only prevented a puncture but kept the whole tire/tube/wheel
together until I noticed it by happenstance weeks later. Search for Mr. Tuffy
liner but there are others.
~~~
LargoLasskhyfv
Tried them, felt bad, was harder to drive. The same goes for stuff like
Schwalbe Marathon. When i look back into the times where i bicycled more, i
wonder how i managed with the tires which had just a thin mesh of wires
embedded? I feel like the modern stuff has more planned obsolescence built in.
Tubeless makes no sense economically to me, so i go with a small can of
breakdown spray.
------
snak
I'm an enduro and downhill rider myself, and I don't see these coming anytime
soon to the "mountain bike" world. Looks fragile and susceptible of failure
under high forces and dirt/mud.
~~~
salty_biscuits
I am waiting for gearboxes to become competitive with derailleurs. Would
totally be up for getting rid of that fragile and expensive part.
~~~
romwell
>I am waiting for gearboxes to become competitive with derailleurs
You mean the internal gear hubs?
They've been competitive for over a hundred years[1].
I had a bike with an 8-speed SRAM[2], it worked fine (got stolen one day).
[1][https://www.sheldonbrown.com/internal-
gears.html](https://www.sheldonbrown.com/internal-gears.html)
[2][https://www.sheldonbrown.com/sram-g8.html](https://www.sheldonbrown.com/sram-g8.html)
~~~
salty_biscuits
Not in the hub, bad for unsprung mass. In the bottom bracket like this
[https://pinion.eu/en/](https://pinion.eu/en/)
But has some tradeoffs that mean it isn't quite there yet.
------
asteli
What are the efficiency numbers when using normal, grease and shield laden
bearings? This might have a place in cycle sprints or other short distance
disciplines where you have a lot of time for prep, but the benefits are quite
moot if you have to swap or service bearings every hundred km.
~~~
avip
92-96%
~~~
logicallee
are those actual numbers or are you just showing it is high?
I'd have guessed it's more like 99%. isn't anything that isn't heat or noise =
perfect efficiency? a normal bike chain doesn't get hot or make much noise at
all, does it? seems to me just about 100% efficient. maybe transfers a bit of
vibration to the rest of the frame? but not 8%-4% of its transferred force....
~~~
jdietrich
This paper gives a very detailed analysis of chain drive efficiency:
[http://www.ihpva.org/HParchive/PDF/hp50-2000.pdf](http://www.ihpva.org/HParchive/PDF/hp50-2000.pdf)
~~~
logicallee
Wow, thanks. I only had a quick look but Figure 2 seems to show 91.5%-95%
efficiency depending on configuration. Very detailed study and it sounds like
it would answer all my questions if I spent an hour reading it.
------
londons_explore
The sideways forces on those sprockets are going to lead to very rapid
failure...
~~~
laputan_machine
Absolutely, putting full-load on those sprockets is not going to happen,
either the sprockets will bend or the bearings will pop-out. Interesting
design tho
------
Theodores
The detail about changing gears is glossed over, there is that big stack of
what look like sprockets so it is assumed that changing gear is possible, but,
get to the bottom of the article, and it isn't.
This is doing well as a fake-halo product for Ceramic Speed and their existing
products, it is a crowded marketplace and not many people care about bike
bearings, this product makes people aware that there is room for efficiency
gains.
~~~
cr0sh
> The detail about changing gears is glossed over, there is that big stack of
> what look like sprockets so it is assumed that changing gear is possible,
> but, get to the bottom of the article, and it isn't.
Actually, it's not - take a look at the renderings again.
If you notice (and the article details) the rear "cassette" is actually a flat
disk with concentric "gearing" which the roller bearing "gear" on the shaft
interfaces with.
Switching gears would be accomplished (in theory) by moving the roller bearing
"gear" in and out along the radius of the rear disc "gear".
It reminds me in a way of old wood "peg" and "lantern" gearing seen in
wind/water mills and similar old power transmission systems, except in this
case the "peg" gear is a formed or cast disc, and the "lantern" (which you
couldn't shift due to the plates at the ends) is a "ring" of bearings, the
bearings forming the "teeth" of the gear (which isn't that strange, if you
understand how a simple gear is basically formed out of partial circles along
the edge of a larger circle, all "joined up").
They do mention though, at the end of the article, that they can't shift gears
easily and something about an internal wireless servo (which I think is kinda
daft). I would instead use a splined shaft, and just change the "length" of
the shaft to move the end-gear in/out of the wheel gear, and actuate it with a
normal lever and bowden-cable type arrangement, though that might interfere
with their efforts/want for more efficiency...
~~~
Theodores
The thing is that this gadget has been doing the rounds of trade shows for
more than a year with this unfinished detail of having it actually change
gear.
There is this difference between theory and practice. So even if there was a
solution - yours is elegant b.t.w. - then it would take a whole lot of testing
and fine tuning to get right.
I am actually quite astonished at how bicycle parts evolve, the derailleur
took the best part of a century to get indexed gears and those took decades to
go from clunky to smooth. What took so long to get right? Scores of
refinements were needed, e.g. to the sprocket teeth profiles, to being able to
manufacture a decent chain to basics of friction in cables. Then there is the
challenge of mass manufacturing these things so they are durable and precise.
I am not dismissing the ceramic speed shaft innovation - it gets people
thinking - but I doubt my bike will be losing its chain any time soon!
------
deaps
I think one of the biggest problems is as the rear cassette shifts toward a
larger gear, flex could become an issue. The driveshaft will push out on those
larger gears making the 'disc' flex toward the wheel. Those larger gears are
where you'd be when climbing a hill - where you're typically putting out a
good bit of power too.
It's a great idea, and I do love innovation. I've honestly never really had a
problem with a chain though, myself.
I have about 6,000 miles on my cross bike (that gets used in some pretty
dirty, dusty, sometimes-muddy conditions). And maybe 2400 on my newer road
bike. I just clean the chain with wd-40 when it's dirty (sometimes water/soap
first if really muddy), dry it well with a rag, then apply some liquid chain
lubricant (sometimes after every ride, if it's needed).
~~~
samstave
I have more miles than you :-) (14,000) ((I have exclusively biked for over a
decade))
But you know what might be an interesting design idea:
Make a shaft drive like this which is centrally aligned. But the bike has TWO
rear wheels as closely spaced as possible and the shaft drives a single axle
for the rear -- but has more gearing up front...
But make the two rear wheels with a camber such that they angle out slightly
such that their centerlines are as clos as possible - allowing for turning to
be essentially the same as a single-rear-wheel bike...
~~~
cr0sh
I'm curious as to how you would drive both rear wheels with a single central
shaft? Both sides would rotate in opposite directions; I can't find a good
example to illustrate what I am saying, unfortunately. I trust you understand
what I mean.
Now - there might be a way around this, but it would probably introduce more
complications and friction to the mix (one way would be to drop/raise the
central shaft off-center of the driving wheels centerline, then have separate
fore/aft gearing on the shaft to drive the wheels in the proper direction).
~~~
samstave
Shoot I think you may be correct. I hadnt thought of that aspect. Maybe it
would require the central shaft to rotate a single gear in the forward
direction which was attached to via smaller chain that rotates the axle
between the two wheels...?
Yeah... basically what you said in the second paragraph of your comment....
This would be a fun design challenge. Anyone Solid on Solid Works want to give
it a go???
\---
OH . I thin I have it, but I dont know how efficient it would be:
A Worm Gear:
[https://i.imgur.com/BgJODdP.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/BgJODdP.jpg)
~~~
robotresearcher
Here's a solidworks tutorial making a differential gear which is how many/most
vehicles solve this problem.
[https://youtu.be/qqFTMhubEtc](https://youtu.be/qqFTMhubEtc)
A differential gear solves both the direction problem and the distance between
the wheels when turning problem.
------
buro9
Having been dumb enough to use ceramic bearings in a BMX bottom bracket, and
in the hubs of a mountain bike... I would not purchase this system.
The replacement rate for those bearings would be astonishing.
~~~
olyjohn
Care to expand this comment? Do ceramic bearings have a higher wear-rate than
a traditional steel ball bearing?
~~~
speakeron
Hambini has a good article on this[1]. The basic problem (apart from cost) is
that only the ball bearing itself is ceramic; the inner and outer races are
made of steel and the ball wears a groove into them which increases friction
over time. Near the bottom of the article there's a 'power consumption vs
kilometres' chart which illustrates this nicely.
_" Hybrid ceramic bearings are the equivalent of trying to run a locomotive
on an asphalt road - the hardness differential causes the road (raceway) to
become damaged."_
[1] [https://www.hambini.com/blog/post/ceramic-bearings-vs-
steel-...](https://www.hambini.com/blog/post/ceramic-bearings-vs-steel-
bearings...-an-engineering-opinion/)
------
kazinator
"The first shaft drives for cycles appear to have been invented independently
in 1890 in the United States and Britain."
([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaft-
driven_bicycle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaft-driven_bicycle))
This basic idea has had over a hundred years to take off.
The particular design seen here appears particularly impractical.
The rear shifting mechanism has a poor selection of gear ratios for road use.
The gear ratios are not sufficiently close. In my bike I have a Shimano Claris
(or Sora?) cassette like this: with 12-13-14-15-17-19-21-23 teeth:
[https://i.imgur.com/BFFBYzj.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/BFFBYzj.jpg)
Even if the drive train has a bit more efficiency, if the gear ratios are bad,
that will be a deal breaker, because bad gear ratios wreck the efficiency of
the human power plant.
The system has to be extremely rigid for the gears not to skip. If there is
any flexibility in the system, it requires massive preload to hold the parts
in contact. The chain solves this problem; its own tension binds it to the
sprocket teeth.
The rear engagement mechanism has a kind of gear made up of a dozen tiny
bearings. Once dirt from road spray gets inside those, they are done.
This is a basically a fair weather toy for yuppies who don't know anything
about bicycles.
------
vr46
I’ve had two shaft drive motorbikes now and appreciated the low maintenance
and general cleanliness but they are heavier than chain drives. On a bicycle,
this looks great, although it would be better off enclosed for protection -
but fewer showhorse points.
------
tcmb
There's a very in-depth talk by Keith Wakeham, arguing that shifting is
practically impossible with this system:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9d_cBGXMwY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9d_cBGXMwY)
If I understand it correctly, the issue is that the driveshaft has to move
from one "sprocket" to the next in a very small amount of time at high
rotational speeds of the cassette. Because of the weight of the bearings at
the end of the driveshaft, a very large force is required to accelarate it.
------
tlb
Here's a picture I took of the 1899 version, in the fascinating bicycle museum
in Amsterdam: [https://imgur.com/ZnA4kEM](https://imgur.com/ZnA4kEM)
------
the-dude
What is the news here? In NL cardan-bicycle's are commercially available.
~~~
Jackim
This design doesn't use bevel gears.
------
victorbojica
What I'm curious about is, how robust is it? How does it handle bumpy rides
and rough terrain? The article doesn't say anything about it and i can't tell
~~~
bdamm
Nor can anyone, because it doesn't actually exist as a product that can be
tested. This pops up every few months for some reason, with the same note: The
rear shifter is not controllable. A wire to the back half with a bearing to a
ring around the drive shaft would solve that, but I'm guessing that messes
with their stated high efficiency goal.
------
Empact
Was a fan of Dynamic Bicycle's earlier (now discontinued) version of this, but
not to the point of ever riding or buying one. They used an internal hub gear
for shifting:
[http://web.archive.org/web/20160124015048/http://shop.dynami...](http://web.archive.org/web/20160124015048/http://shop.dynamicbicycles.com/Runabout-8-18-Frame-
Size-Runabout8S-18.htm)
------
Animats
Right, this is about going from 98% to 99%, which is not all that useful.
Bearings today are quite good.
Before ball and roller bearings, though, it was really bad.[1]
[1]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Peu5hH9vy7E](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Peu5hH9vy7E)
------
rasz
1% drivetrain efficiency using fancy expensive fragile materials ... or $100
300W hub motor for effortless commute? choices choices
------
rienbdj
iirc a single speed or fixed gear setup is already as efficient and the
prototype can't change gear anyway...
------
iicc
(2018)
~~~
2T1Qka0rEiPr
Thanks for actually pointing this out, when I read the article I thought I'd
seen the exact same concept bike in a Global Cycling Network (GCN) video last
year. Makes sense.
------
avip
Not unrelated to the patent
[https://patents.google.com/patent/EP0105949A3/ko](https://patents.google.com/patent/EP0105949A3/ko)
~~~
NietTim
2019-08-16 Application status is Expired
What a funny coincidence
(Not implying anything about the company in article, the article is from july
2018)
~~~
mattkrause
I, too, thought I had magic patent expiring powers, but that line shows
today’s date and the status as of today.
If you check tomorrow, it’ll say “2019-08-17 Application status is Expired”
instead.
~~~
NietTim
Of course, this makes so much sense, and it changed indeed, hahaha
------
johnr2
> Ceramic-bearing drive shaft is twice as efficient as Dura-Ace, company
> claims
A conventional chain in good condition is >90% efficient. How do you double
that?
~~~
tln
Maybe they should have said "half the inefficiency"
------
ptah
a video or animation would be helpful
~~~
srrr
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFAQ6CzNm7s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFAQ6CzNm7s)
------
Grustaf
My God that’s an ugly crank!
------
betimsl
It's never going to work.
------
samstave
As a 100% bike commuter for the last decade.....
I need one of these YESTERDAY.
How get.
Ill trial the fuck out of this thing.
~~~
rasz
you need this 1% efficiency boost? one percent
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Russia eyes caves on moon for setting up a lunar base - evo_9
http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-10-russia-eyes-caves-moon-lunar.html
======
bediger
Following in von Braun's footsteps again. In his book "The Conquest of the
Moon" ([http://www.amazon.com/Conquest-Moon-Wernher-Von-
Braun/dp/B00...](http://www.amazon.com/Conquest-Moon-Wernher-Von-
Braun/dp/B0007DVW7A)), von Braun wanted to send his ships
(<http://www.astronautix.com/craft/vonander.htm>) to Sinus Roris, for
protection against micrometeroids.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Broadband bills will have to increase to pay for snooper's charter - oneeyedpigeon
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/nov/11/broadband-bills-increase-snoopers-charter-investigatory-powers-bill-mps-warned
======
oneeyedpigeon
Great; now we have the privilege of paying for our government to abuse our
privacy: win-win.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
My Problem With Klout Scores: Beyonce Gets a 50 - Without Ever Sending A Tweet - danyork
http://www.disruptiveconversations.com/2011/03/my-problem-with-klout-scores-beyonce-gets-a-50-without-ever-sending-a-tweet.html
======
nikcub
Klout has me on a score of 56 and ranks me as a curator, which means "You
highlight the most interesting people and find the best content on the web and
share it to a wide audience. You are a critical information source to your
network."
I don't think I have ever retweeted anything, and I very rarely share links on
twitter, and when I do it is to my own blog. I mostly just troll people and
make lame jokes.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Cause of ALS is found, Northwestern team says - nurik
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-northwestern-als-breakthrough-20110822,0,6531848.story
======
linktylr
My dad also died of ALS last year.
Identifying the cellular mechanisms underlying ALS is crucial. At the same
time I'm disheartened by the conclusion of the researchers that this will pave
the way to the development of drugs. Why is that always the first solution we
turn to?
So ubiquilin2 is unable to repair damaged proteins in people with ALS. The
question is, why?
I can't help but believe ALS is an autoimmune disease that is caused by the
combination of genes and an environmental trigger. The fact that this
possibility isn't even mentioned in the article suggests that we have a long
way to go. Drugs, though helpful in some situations, are often merely band-
aids. Let's find the trigger!
Still, this is progress. My dad donated his body to Northwestern for research
so I can't help but be proud today.
~~~
gfodor
> Why is that always the first solution we turn to?
First, I'm sorry for your loss. I did want to point out that there's no reason
to believe that this is an either-or situation. Clearly research can progress
in all directions now in a more focused manner: further understanding the
cause of the mechanism identified, as well as attacking it directly.
~~~
linktylr
Yes, I agree. If we can develop a drug, I'm all in favor of it and this
certainly gets us closer to that goal. I'm simply arguing that the search for
a wonder drug/magic bullet always seems to overshadow so called root causes.
Noticeably absent from the tribune article (have not yet read the Nature
article) is any discussion of environmental triggers such as diet or
lifestyle.
We often jump from disease to drug without considering the causal factors.
~~~
Bud
Figuring out and treating/resolving causal factors does not generate millions
for pharmaceutical companies. Developing drugs does.
In particular, discovering environmental factors and trying to resolve those
especially does not produce reliable revenue streams for pharmaceutical firms,
and also rankles those with certain political assumptions.
~~~
evgen
Not really. The real problem is that many claimed environmental/diet factors
turn out to be statistical noise or complete bullshit when examined further.
If environment or diet plays a role then it is possible to discover how this
triggers some latent element of the genome or some existing physiological
process that gets subverted and from this discovery it is sometimes possible
to interrupt the process. If a pharmaceutical company can develop a wonderpill
that can be marketed with a basic message of "yes, we both know you are fat
and do not have the willpower/desire to stop grazing 24x7 but if you take our
pill we can block or delay the onset of type II diabetes" they will have a
very reliable revenue stream to look forward to...
~~~
linktylr
"Not really. The real problem is that many claimed environmental/diet factors
turn out to be statistical noise or complete bullshit when examined further."
No doubt this is true, especially in the case of meat and saturated fat.
Usually this is the result of bad science, typically drawing cause and effect
conclusions from epidemiological evidence (See Denise Minger's critique of The
China Study here: [http://rawfoodsos.com/2010/07/07/the-china-study-fact-or-
fal...](http://rawfoodsos.com/2010/07/07/the-china-study-fact-or-fallac/)).
The problem with "interrupting the process" is that we still don't know much
about the functioning of many (perhaps most) physiological processes.
Disrupting the body's natural processes in one area can cause problems of
equal or greater significance in other areas.
Also, studies proving the safety and effectiveness of drugs are, more often
than not, highly flawed. Studies frequently exaggerate the improvements seen,
fail to show that improvements are due to drugs, or are repeated until the
results they are looking for are achieved.
For an excellent review of the flaws of medical research see Lies, Damned
Lies, and Medical Science here:
[http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/11/lies-
dam...](http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/11/lies-damned-lies-
and-medical-science/8269/?single_page=true)) Here are but a few highlights:
"...much of what biomedical researchers conclude in published
studies—conclusions that doctors keep in mind when they prescribe antibiotics
or blood-pressure medication, or when they advise us to consume more fiber or
less meat, or when they recommend surgery for heart disease or back pain—is
misleading, exaggerated, and often flat-out wrong. He charges that as much as
90 percent of the published medical information that doctors rely on is
flawed."
"researchers were frequently manipulating data analyses, chasing career-
advancing findings rather than good science, and even using the peer-review
process—in which journals ask researchers to help decide which studies to
publish—to suppress opposing views."
"even if a study managed to highlight a genuine health connection to some
nutrient, you’re unlikely to benefit much from taking more of it, because we
consume thousands of nutrients that act together as a sort of network, and
changing intake of just one of them is bound to cause ripples throughout the
network that are far too complex for these studies to detect, and that may be
as likely to harm you as help you."
"Even if changing that one factor does bring on the claimed improvement,
there’s still a good chance that it won’t do you much good in the long run,
because these studies rarely go on long enough to track the decades-long
course of disease and ultimately death. Instead, they track easily measurable
health “markers” such as cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and blood-sugar
levels, and meta-experts have shown that changes in these markers often don’t
correlate as well with long-term health as we have been led to believe."
"The tests could turn up something, but they’re probably irrelevant. Just
having a good talk with the patient and getting a close history is much more
likely to tell me what’s wrong.” Of course, the doctors have all been trained
to order these tests, she notes, and doing so is a lot quicker than a long
bedside chat. They’re also trained to ply the patient with whatever drugs
might help whack any errant test numbers back into line. What they’re not
trained to do is to go back and look at the research papers that helped make
these drugs the standard of care. “When you look the papers up, you often find
the drugs didn’t even work better than a placebo."
I suppose I've strayed too far from the original topic, but I think I've made
my point.
------
thedoctor
Here's the journal article in Nature:
[http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/natu...](http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature10353.html)
------
niels_olson
Just finished reading the article from Nature (thanks, warech). So, they're
saying this ubiquilin 2 protein has a consistent mutation compared to the wild
type, it's found in patients with ALS, it' found in intr-neural tangles, and
they're hypothesizing that this protein may be involved in clearing misfolded
proteins. Wouldn't it be at least as likely that it is one of the misfolded
proteins targeted for clearing? I think the senior author, Seddique, is right:
this gives them a good direction to go in. But it's still a long road.
Unfortunately, we don't have many good cures for these sorts of diseases yet.
Enzyme replacement has worked to slow the progress of a couple of metabolic
diseases (to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars per treatment), but I'm
not aware of anything that can meaningfully clean the intracellular
environment of built up detrius, especially in the central nervous system.
That's a tall order. How would you do that? Intrathecal injections of a virus
to splice in a functioning copy of the gene? Viruses are not well tolerated in
the CNS, to my knowledge, eg, Herpes simplex encephalitis is lethal.
Best of luck on the quest though.
~~~
linktylr
I wonder if intermittent fasting would be an effective deterrent of ALS
through autophagy, though I highly doubt this would be of much good after the
disease takes hold.
------
warech
This is a link to the full text: [http://extremelongevity.net/wp-
content/uploads/als_discovery...](http://extremelongevity.net/wp-
content/uploads/als_discovery.pdf)
I'm hesitant to put too much hope in this discovery. I would expect a
discovery of this magnitude to be published as a full article in Nature,
rather than a Nature Letter. I'm not sure of the difference in the publishing
process for the two, but Letters generally come across a bit rushed and are
less exhaustive than published articles (citation needed).
~~~
avalind
The difference between letters and full articles is described here [1]. I
don't think that one should view the length of the paper or whether it's
published as a Letter or an article as a marker for its scientific importance.
For instance, The paper that Watson & Crick published that described the
structure of DNA was only slightly longer than a single page [2].
[1]
[http://www.nature.com/nature/authors/gta/2a_Manuscript_forma...](http://www.nature.com/nature/authors/gta/2a_Manuscript_formatting.pdf)
[2] <http://www.nature.com/nature/dna50/watsoncrick.pdf>
------
bhousel
If it turns out to be true, this guy deserves a Nobel Prize in medicine.
------
gmac
For those who come to the comments before the article, ALS means amyotrophic
lateral sclerosisis or Lou Gehrig's disease, and "is a paralytic and usually
fatal disorder caused by motor-neuron degeneration in the brain and spinal
cord".
------
ams6110
My mother died of ALS; this is encouraging news. Of course it's not a
treatment, yet, but given that nothing else so far has really been effective,
it's a promising discovery.
------
dirtyaura
As my dad died of familial ALS last year, thus this is fantastic news to me.
And of all places, I learn this information from HN first. Thanks HN!
------
rms
There's been lots of good news in medicine lately. Here's to a decade filled
with great scientific advances.
~~~
rquantz
A decade ago there were promises of huge advances in treating diseases based
on knowledge related to the human genome project, but then gene therapy kind
of fizzled out. I'm wondering if all the latest medical breakthrough news is
just the latest round of similarly overhyped findings, or if this is something
else.
Specifically, now that basic gene replacement -- perhaps we could call that a
naive application of the new genetic knowledge -- has generally been ruled
out, scientists have been looking for more subtle ways of applying what they
learned in the last two decades wrt genetics/molecular biology and it is
starting to bear fruit. INAD, but if anyone has insight into whether this
describes what has been happening lately, I'm curious to hear.
------
davidgreen24
Never more proud to be a Northwestern alum. Go Cats!
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Ask HN: Which HN android apps are the official unofficial ones? - DiabloD3
Type "hacker news" into Android Market's search, and it lists a bunch of apps. I have a tablet, which one should I be using?
======
lazugod
This is one of those quintessential moments where someone can act like Eliza
and force the questioner to question themselves:
* Which apps claim to work on tablets?
* Which app has the highest score, or the most inviting review?
* Which app do you think is cheap enough?
* Or, which app do you think is expensive enough to guarantee quality?
* Which app do you prefer the look of?
~~~
DiabloD3
Ahh, but thats the fun part. They ALL seem to be inferior to the website
itself. I wonder if I should just do that instead.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Repair Café - fredley
https://repaircafe.org/en/
======
bad_alloc
I live in a small town in Germany and we have five of these in one year, with
20-30 devices coming in each time. We can fix most of them, even with fairly
basic tools. Some observations:
* One of the worst things to repair are electric shavers. It feels like horology, but dirty.
* Sewing machines are suprisingly complex. The electrical issues are easy to fix, but the internal mechanical parts are really unfarmiliar.
* Outright hostile designs are rarely found in cheap products. The main problem is usually worn out platic threads or breaking clips.
* People almost never bring in smartphones or computers.
* Many visitors are very interested in what we are doing and often suprised how simple a repair can be.
------
justifier
i've fantasised about something like this before
my neighbors are consistently throwing away perfectly fine electronics where
90% of the problems are a blown electrolytic capacitor
there is a place in our apartment complex where we place electronic rubbish
and just two days ago i noticed a tablet with a destroyed screen
i popped it open and everything inside looked pristine so i bought a new
screen for some ~20$ and am now waiting on it to arrive
i've fixed a toaster oven with a busted resistor, 50in plasma tv with a blown
capacitor i now use as a monitor for my laptop when working at home, a blender
with a broken container and blown capacitor.. an older blender model that
actually has a standard thread size so i am able to use mason jars as a, what
i think is superior, container
i think repair should be taught in schools, a la 'home ec', educationally its
a three`for : repair, basic ee, basic applied maths
when i was living in squats in london part of the squat culture was to slowly
accrue enough bike parts in the hope that you could one day open your squat
doors as a bike repair cafe
i have thought quite often something similar for basic everyday electronics
would be great for educational and environmental concerns
there is so much unneccessary eWaste, even if something is beyond simple
component swap repair it can itself be used to source parts for other fixable
devices
the idea that we toss away a salvageable device, or even its sometimes
hundreds of functioning discreet components, because of a single blown
capacitor, frayed wire or dislodged headphone jack is upsetting
~~~
chrisseaton
> there is a place in our apartment complex where we place electronic rubbish
> and just two days ago i noticed a tablet with a destroyed screen ... i
> popped it open and everything inside looked pristine so i bought a new
> screen for some ~20$ and am now waiting on it to arrive
Note that taking someone's rubbish without permission is considered theft in
the UK (there is precedent). If you sell it it's even worse because it's
handling stolen goods.
~~~
jjeaff
In the US, it is legal to take garbage. And there is precedent for that as
well. Although there can be trespassing issues if you don't have permission to
be there. (like digging through a private dumpster at a business).
~~~
lloydde
Is there an Internet law that says that for every reasonable rule there will
be one US jurisdiction where it doesn’t apply?
My understanding is that in almost all jurisdictions in USA possession end
when the trash is moved to the curb, put in public space. I remember reading
at some point that at least in some part of Texas possession is transferred
from the individual to the trash collection agency. This was interesting to me
from privacy/search warrant perspective.
------
mrzool
There are several of these repair cafes around town where I live. My old Braun
blender from the 70s that I got from my grandma got repaired in one of these.
I sent an email with brand, model and photo when I registered, the guy got
some spare parts on eBay just in time for the day and I managed to repair the
blender under the guy’s guidance. Paid for the spare part (5 bucks) plus left
10 bucks as small donation. My blender is as good as new. Overall a great
experience, would recommend.
~~~
technics256
Where abouts do you live? Germany?
~~~
mrzool
Berlin, Germany.
------
jacquesm
I have a little hobby: I will fix _anything_ as long as whoever wants it fixed
isn't going to push me on a delivery date, is willing to drop it off (or it is
easily accessible without moving) and pick it up again when it is done. I only
take in a small number of items at the time. It gives me a great excuse to
keep tools around.
Last two weeks worth of projects: vintage synth, an 'unrepairable' mountain
bike, a bed (that had been cut in half by someone to move it), a couch (that
had lost its legs).
~~~
codezero
Do you ever post your before and after projects with maybe some tips? I’d love
to see that.
~~~
jacquesm
Hm, no, but I could. That's an interesting idea, thank you, I will use that.
~~~
newnewpdro
You have a youtube channel in the making right there...
------
holidaygoose
I don't understand how this works, so maybe someone can enlighten me. You pay
50 euro in exchange for some banners/logos to start a repair cafe, but they
don't help you repair? I would have thought the starter kit would have
supplies or something. What would you do when someone comes in with a toaster
to repair? Do you just go on Youtube to figure it out together?
~~~
lbriner
You need to already have or find a network of "experts" to staff the cafe but
there are loads of people out there. You can schedule different sorts of
repairs on different days but a lot of electrical goods only require some
basic faulting-finding and then spares from the internet.
~~~
holidaygoose
I see. So then this Repair Cafe is basically a branding/marketing tool, so
that you can some traffic via people who see their website.
~~~
pontifier
When I looked into having some of these events at our Makerspace a few years
ago, I found that the branding was very restrictive as well. My takaway was
that they demanded that you put their logo on everything you do and every
event you put on, even if it has nothing to do with them.
There's no way in hell I was going to agree to that.
------
stmw
There needs to be more of these around! Among other things, it helps for
people to keep in touch with how things work.
~~~
zhrvoj
This bad as it can be. While everybody charges for everything, for thin air,
repairs should be free...yeah..and repairman should donate their money they
didn't earn to the other people.
~~~
lavayya
I go to the local repair cafe about every other month _. Almost everything
people bring would othersise be thrown out and replaced by a new item, not
repaired by a professiinal repairman. The people "working" there do so because
repairing is fun for them, they like the puzzles, and they mostly do it for
ecological reasons.
_ I go with my son, who loves seeing what electronics look like on the inside
and how they work. We always bring a large cake as a thank you.
~~~
zhrvoj
Do you still think this repairman shouldn't charge you or receive fair salary
for his work? My opinion is that Repair cafe is brought to you by big
companies trying to influence on independent service tech. For example, if you
have coding problem you cannot solve, you will probably hire some freelancer,
and you will be charged of course. Because that's what they do for living.
Even if you don't want to mill you own coffe (which should not be problem for
21st century man), you will pay to get ground coffee. I even saw artists
statement and it says like this: "I'm an artist, but this doesn't mean I'll
work for free." Why nobody expects from them to work for free because it's
fun? I don't mean people who decided by their own, to work something or
sometimes for free, but public initiative...?
------
baddash
Does anyone have a good idea of the environmental effects of reducing waste
that this would cause? Or maybe just more generally the environmental effects?
~~~
justifier
a film called manufactured landscapes(o) completely shook me when i saw it in
theatres when it was first released
the film addresses ewaste issues like the fact that a lot of electronics rely
on toxic elements, but there is also the shear vastness of dumpsites
there is shot of a dump of motor armatures which could be argued to be one of
the least likely failure points in consumer goods that use motors like washing
machines, blenders, drills, et al
the film was even released in 2006, one year before smartphones become a
cultural ubiquity
it is also wild to think that most of what is being documented is a result of
manufacture happening only over the previous 50 or so years.. which is only
0.00025% of the hypothesised almost 200k year human history
it is a film 'documenting a photographer's technique' so retains an air of
lacking bias but the subject matter is just so affecting that audience bias
becomes seemingly inevitable
you could just as easily goog 'ewaste concerns' and find a myriad of issues
but i highly recommend this film.. i was in awe from the opening sequence
(o)
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufactured_Landscapes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufactured_Landscapes)
~~~
Regardsyjc
Thank you for recommending this documentary. It was horrifying because the
photography looked like a breathtaking scifi dystopia but it was real life.
The woman who makes 400 gadgets at a factory a day, the laborer who makes
20-30 yuan ($3-4) a day...
The only positive thing was seeing women welding and operating heavy
machinery. I've only seen women like that in ads and posters so it was
refreshing to see badass women.
If anyone wants to check it out this documentary is available to watch for
free on Amazon Prime.
------
mcshicks
I haven't been to one but (there was one yesterday close to where I live) but
fixitclinic another option if there is no repair cafe close to you. I can't
remember how I found it, but I was planning on try and check one out. It seems
like pretty similar thing.
[http://fixitclinic.blogspot.com/](http://fixitclinic.blogspot.com/)
------
acd
I am starting to shift my perspective when buying things. New perspective,
instead of the thing looking to buy should last approx 3 years I have the
outlook it should last 10-40 years. Sometime that means buying a more
initially expensive thing but since it will last longer it will be cheaper
overall over its lifetime and have better build quality. What is good in the
long run is also good for the environment. When having a repairability mindset
when buying things that also sometime mean buying simpler things, I buy
headphones without built in electronics since the electronics inside will fast
become obsolete more than speaker elements.
Less waste less pollution Less bought stuff less co2 emissions and global
warming.
Would love to have more modular devices more repairable devices
Do not want a wall-e future but a green one. Thanks to the repair cafes good
movement!
~~~
oarfish
How can headphones not have electronics inside them?
~~~
subraizada3
A speaker/headphone can produce sound with only the wire coming from your
computer/phone, a magnet, and the cone. The electricity from the audio cable
manipulates the magnetic field in the speaker, causing the cone to vibrate.
So while the audio cable is transmitting electricity into the headphones, it's
just wrapped around a magnet instead of having other electric components.
This is a good graphic on them:
[https://animagraffs.com/loudspeaker/](https://animagraffs.com/loudspeaker/)
A microphone is just the reverse: vibrations in the air move the cone and its
attached magnet, which induces electrical current in the wire.
------
fernly
At the linked site, click "Find a repair cafe" for a map of the many local
ones. In particular for the SF Bay Area note Palo Alto and Mountain View ones.
The Palo Alto cafe[1] is particularly active with quarterly events that are
very well attended, processing over 100 repairs each time. The video on that
page gives a good feel for a typical event. I've been a volunteer "fixer"
there a couple of times and it's great fun if you have some basic repair
skills.
[1] [http://www.repaircafe-paloalto.org/](http://www.repaircafe-paloalto.org/)
------
selimthegrim
Wonder if the CBC should have found any of them for their story:
[https://www.cbc.ca/news/thenational/complete-control-
apple-a...](https://www.cbc.ca/news/thenational/complete-control-apple-
accused-of-overpricing-restricting-device-repairs-1.4859099)
------
Gys
Its a pity to hear the International Repair Café Week ended exactly today.
~~~
fredley
I posted it a few days ago, it only just got reupped unfortunately!
~~~
Gys
Next year maybe post it in the week before and with a direct link to the
repair week (2019) instead of the more general repaircafe.org
It seems there is growing sentiment for keeping hardware repairable (while
manufacturers more and more want to prevent that). Part of HN will certainly
appreciate this initiative.
~~~
lbriner
I'm not sure the idea of manufacturers wanting things to fail is as reliable
as it sounds (it is a common assumption). Having worked in manufacturing, it
was generally a case of not wanting something to cost any more than it needed
to when competing with other companies/countries so you didn't spend what you
needed to in order to get a better motor/circuit design etc.
People like Miele on the other hand, spend a great deal on reliable design but
then their goods can cost 3x more than others and lots of people don't want
their goods to last forver, they want to upgrade to something that looks
modern and trendy.
Different business models!
~~~
Gys
> I'm not sure the idea of manufacturers wanting things to fail is as reliable
> as it sounds
I was refering to a trend where manufacturers actively prevent any other party
(user or otherwise) from doing repairs. See for example this discussion about
Apple:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18154371](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18154371)
------
KiDD
While I love the idea/concept, the logo is horrible...
------
andyidsinga
apropos: the "will it run?" videos on the "mustie1" YouTube channel
------
Jenz
Shame it’s over D:
------
justtopost
How is this anything but unnessary branding? Am I missing something, the
website is all marketing, no message, no repair tech.
~~~
peterwwillis
The front page layout sucks, but click the Menu button at top right and you'll
find the content.
------
known
Competing with
[https://www.amazon.com/services](https://www.amazon.com/services) ?
~~~
adetrest
How?
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Ask HN: Suggest a Novel Robotics Project for PhD, Bio-inspired Direction - jmiseikis
I'm just starting my PhD with focus on bio-inspired robotics. I'm lucky to have quite a lot of freedom to choose the project I want to work on, as long as it fits the focus of the lab. Currently, the focus is on evolutionary robotics, AI, analysing the gap between simulation and reality and robotic surgery. Personally, I have quite a strong background in Computer Vision and loved working with ROS on my Masters project. The resources I have access to:
- Two advanced 3D printers
- Motoman SIA20 7 DoF robotic arm
- Universal Robots robotic arm
- Couple of high precision motion capture systems
- Nao
- Otto Bock SensorHand
- Kinects, Leap Motion and other various sensors
- People and doctors working at university hospital
- Some FPGA experts<p>... and of course hardware could be bought given a good project.<p>As you see, it's quite a good opportunity, so I'd like to hear your opinions on what you would do in my position without actually giving my thoughts first. Quite crazy thoughts are appreciated as well! :-)
======
schrodingersCat
This really depends on how practical you want to get. One of the biggest
problems in hospitals is (lack of) staffing. Having a robot that could go
around the rooms and check on low-level, treatment related problems would be a
huge improvement in patient care. Imagine using CV to check on IV pumps for
flow rate, how much of the drug is left, is it leaking, does the patient need
more IV fluids, does the name on the drug label match the patient's, etc.
These are low level problems that can lead to injury and death of patients in
hospitals, and usually handled by overworked nurses. Seems like a perfect
application of CV to me.
~~~
jmiseikis
Interesting idea, thanks! gonna think on how rfid or similar tagging can help
to avoid adding complex CV algorithms where much easier alternatives could be
offered. There are some robots moving around trolleys with items already
there, so staff and patients are getting used to see machines sharing same
corridors
~~~
schrodingersCat
New rfid applications would be great and by means pursue them! The reason I
think this is a great problem for CV is that right now, only a nurse would be
able to tell if there is a puddle on the floor from a leaking IV, patient's
puke, overflown catheter bag, etc. Also is there air in a line, does the label
on the drug match the prescription in EMR? These are common sense, cheap to
fix / prevent problems that I'm not sure rfid could solve. RFID would be great
for matching drug labeled with rfid with chip in patient's armband. One could
think of lots of implementations for that sort of thing!
I guess it really comes down to what sort of focus you want your project to
take, and what idea you think your PI will be interested in considering. Good
luck!
------
Qworg
I'd do doctor training or correction. An expert "extra pair of eyes" is a
project I've not seen anything on.
~~~
jmiseikis
Interesting idea. However, I believe doctor correction can be a very delicate
matter as professionals are still not happy of machines pretending to "know
better". However, we did discuss some surgeon assisting robots, like holding
various tools or ultrasound scanner in place and adjusting for patient's body
movements
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
SOPA vote is now December 21 - hsmyers
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57344536-503544/sopa-bill-to-stop-online-piracy-hits-minor-snag-in-house/
======
ck2
There must be serious money to be made - or rather already made for the
representatives plowing this through - there is simply no other explanation.
Money is definitely deep in pockets.
Looking at the "donation" list it's to both sides of the aisle and HUGE
amounts, these aren't little $10k donations but $100k and even $1M
I am starting to understand the fall of Rome a little better.
~~~
acabal
I just don't understand how with this bill being so clearly bought by the rich
media companies, why there isn't a counter from the rich internet companies. I
mean if the RIAA can give $1 million to Senator X, then why can't Google give
$2 million to Senator X to ignore the RIAA? Sure it's dirty politics, but at
this point it's just semantics as to who is dirtier.
The media companies are throwing money at Washington to get their laws passed,
and the best Google or MS or Yahoo can do is send some representatives and
give those uncaring congressmen a stern talking-to? Obviously these companies
realize that SOPA will crush an open internet, which is directly related to
their bottom lines. Start lobbying already!
~~~
shutej
How to say this without trolling?
This isn't the RIAA's country, it's not Google's country, it's not Microsoft's
country, and it's not Yahoo's country. It's our country. Until we, the people,
accept our responsibilities and stop this from happening, it will continue to
happen. More corruption is not the answer.
~~~
nitrogen
_How to say this without trolling?
This isn't the RIAA's country, it's not Google's country, it's not Microsoft's
country, and it's not Yahoo's country. It's our country. Until we, the people,
accept our responsibilities and stop this from happening, it will continue to
happen. More corruption is not the answer._
Look at it from this perspective: as a practical matter, _today_ ,
corporations have significantly more power in politics than individuals, and
media companies more than tech companies. If something isn't done _right
freaking now_ , SOPA will pass from committee in _three days_.
There is _nothing_ you, as an individual, or we, as a collective, can do
against the millions of dollars spent on lobbying and campaign contributions
by the media companies in the _next three days_. Talk of what "ought" to be
will not solve the immediate problem.
An analogy: suppose you are poor (or bootstrapping), and you are $150 short of
making rent for the month. Rent is due in five days. You can talk on and on
about how you should have got a better job, didn't iterate on customer
development, etc., but if you don't come up with $150 _right now_ , you will
"die." So, you might go to a payday loan shark, get a cash advance from your
credit card, or sell something to make rent and live another day.
What's my point? When your very survival is on the line _right now_ , you have
to do whatever you can to live to fight another day. That's where we are now
with media companies and the Internet.
------
r00fus
So the delay is just to put it under the radar while everyone is off on
Holiday break?
Devious.
~~~
exDM69
This is a classic dirty trick in politics. Organize an unpopular vote when a
lot of the voters have left for xmas holidays. Just make sure there's a
majority left when the vote is on. As an example: the federal reserve act was
established in the same way on the days before xmas when a lot of the
opposition had already left for holidays.
Since it's holiday season, the news will be a lot quieter than usual and the
public can be left in the dark.
~~~
GuiA
In France, they do the same thing but in August, when pretty much everyone is
away on their summer holidays. Democracy has become a funny thing.
------
foxylad
Well, it's been nice having our US friends with us on the internet, and it's
going to be quieter without them. So long and the best of luck with that
government of yours.
------
orangecat
Ugh. One thing I oddly haven't seen mentioned at all: if it passes, will Obama
sign it? I disagree with him on many things, but he's not stupid, and given
his support base there have to be some geeks close to him that can explain how
awful it is. Of course, his support base also includes Hollywood...
~~~
alexqgb
Obama doesn't give a flying fig about his support base. Sorry to be so blunt,
but that bastard just threatened to veto the NDAA unless the provisions
allowing indefinite dentition of Americans without charge or trial were put
pack in. His base is screaming bloody murder, and the White House remains
utterly unmoved.
Added irony: the Senate passed this abomination on Bill of Rights Day,
_precisely_ 220 years after the (now gutted) Bill of Rights was ratified.
Separately, this same base has been howling about ACTA, which has been
spearheaded by none other than Joe Biden. So no, he isn't going to veto the
censorship bill either. But you better be careful about how you choose to
protest. Obama has also out-Cheneyd Cheney in claiming that the President has
the power to hunt and kill Americans without charge or trial if the Executive
(not the Courts) determines that the 'target' is an 'enemy combatant'.
And what's the standard for making this determination? Top Secret, naturally.
According to Obama, it's all about "remaining flexible". And that brings us to
Christopher Hitchens, who observed that "The essence of tyranny is not iron
law. It is capricious law."
The really scare thing about all this is the prospect of Democrats going into
open revolt, ejecting Obama from the White House, and inadvertently handing
this basket of unspeakable nasty to Newt Gingrich.
~~~
redthrowaway
He's counting on the Republicans selecting someone crazy enough to bring out
his disenfranchised base, and it might just happen. Still, Newt will quickly
calm down after the primaries. He is many things, few of them good, but an
idiot is not one of them. He won't say anything _too_ crazy and risk scaring
up support for Obama.
This election could go either way, and quite frankly I don't give a damn. I
tried the Hope thing with Obama, and I got burned. They can all die in a fire.
The very best I can hope for government at this point is that they ignore the
things I care about (fat bloody chance).
~~~
steve-howard
I sincerely hope Newt doesn't come anywhere close to being our president. He's
set a new bar for hypocrisy.
~~~
mckoss
too late :-(
------
teresko
Someone in CBS News site's comments pointed out an interesting thing: there
were already two bill like that.
"Communications Decency Act" and "Child Online Protection Act", which both
were tossed out by Supreme Court.
~~~
skymt
Both of those bills attempted to create new restrictions on speech. SOPA
simply creates new censorship measures against forms of speech that are
already illegal.
~~~
kijin
New censorship measures which a lot of people believe violate due process.
I can't quite decide which option would be better in the long run:
(a) stop SOPA, only to have similar ideas come up every single year, or
(b) let SOPA pass, then build a case and take it all the way to the Supreme
Court hoping that measures such as SOPA would be ruled unconstitutional once
and for all. If this succeeds, it would set a precedent to seriously
discourage similar ideas from coming up again. The anti-SOPA camp definitely
possesses the financial and legal resources to mount such a challenge, too.
But it would take years, and there's no guarantee that the Supreme Court will
be any more reasonable than Mr. Lamar Smith.
~~~
hillbilly
The SOPA bill states that even if one provision is deemed unconstitutional,
the rest of the bill remains intact.
------
sek
German here, can somebody explain to me what it means when this passes?
As far as i understand it, the US controlled tld's like .com .net are done.
Every time someone posts something on these sites they could be shut down,
what is impossible to prevent by sites like Tumblr and Facebook. Probably for
every domain when the company is US based.
So this will result in a more diverse domain landscape and a competitive
advantage for non-US internet companies.
Or did i miss something?
~~~
_delirium
Really depends on how it plays out. My guess is that there will be some
favoratism and de-facto lenience towards large companies, because no agency
will want to be the one who seized google.com and ruined everyone's day. The
downside is that just opens up a large new avenue for corruption and, even
when not outright corruption, selective enforcement of laws.
~~~
sek
Sounds like a real threat to the valley, could this kill the internet startup
culture?
I tinker with the idea to get there, but i am really concerned now with all
these developments.
------
Mithrandir
> A controversial measure aimed at stopping online _privacy_...
Heh, I've made this mistake too when speaking, although privacy certainly
could be affected by the SOPA.
~~~
jen_h
I wrote my Congressman about my objections to this the bill, and his auto-
responder gave me some bs about understanding my concerns about "Internet
Privacy," not "Piracy." Our tax dollars at work!
~~~
bo1024
That's why I've been calling mine.
------
tatsuke95
What else can be expected from a bunch of old people who hardly understand the
internet? When the internet to you is a search engine, Facebook and typing
URLs into the IE6 address bar, I'm sure SOPA seems mostly harmless.
Let them plow it through committee and play their games. These are tumultuous
times. People, globally, are unimpressed with leadership. This is being
watched carefully by the public. Hopefully it will be a watershed event.
~~~
a-priori
_When the internet to you is a search engine, Facebook and typing URLs into
the IE6 address bar, I'm sure SOPA seems mostly harmless._
The problem is that describes a large segment of the general population as
well.
~~~
keithpeter
Most of the people I see using the Web now type the title of the site they
want to access into Google. Getting them to type an actual address into a Web
browser address bar is hard work.
Good luck over there. In the UK most things are allowed until they aren't (see
the Police and Criminal Evidence Act and its updates).
------
burke
I know it's just a coincidence that they chose the darkest day of the year for
this, but I still find it a little poignant.
------
ceslami
To me, the most shocking about SOPA has been the way it is portrayed in the
media. Imagine reading this passage if you weren't "in-the-know" (as many of
us would like to think we are):
"But most of the major players in the technology industry, including Google
and Facebook, are strongly opposed to the legislation because they say they
would be forced to police their websites for possibly illegal content. Google,
which owns YouTube, says the language is so broad that videos of teenagers
dancing would be banned because of the copyrighted music playing in the
background. And that would stifle innovation, they say."
The media is minimizing the issue to corporate laziness, and thats really not
okay. I sense snarkiness, especially in the last line, and I think an outlet
like CBS has an obligation to do better than that.
~~~
antoko
>To me, the most shocking about SOPA has been the way it is portrayed in the
media......The media is minimizing the issue to corporate laziness....I think
an outlet like CBS has an obligation to do better than that.
The media are the ones that are lobbying for this bill, did you really expect
them to cover it with anything approaching impartiality?
CBS is owned by Viacom. Getting the media to join the fight against SOPA is
not very likely.
~~~
ceslami
I absolutely agree with you. As crazy as it is, most people don't realize that
news programs project the agenda of their corporate parents -- the media just
"speaks the truth."
------
willyt
Here's an idea, might be ridiculous: Can you file court papers electronically
in the US? What if say youtube, wikipedia, etc had a fully automated SOPA
compliance system which automatically filed court papers to have the take down
notice 'reviewed' however that works thereby overloading the system. There
must be some way to reflect the work back at them and DoS a manual process
somewhere in the legal machinery. 'OK we'll do it, but your not going to like
it...' fight bureaucracy with more bureaucracy.
~~~
delinka
Court oversight? In SOPA? Not AFAIK and that's why everyone is so pissed about
this.
------
OstiaAntica
It is ironic that the "creative" film and music industry has become a leading
force in suppressing speech and innovation.
~~~
mkr-hn
The artists being represented by these lobbying groups are probably just as
ignorant of the consequences as the legislators.
------
albertsun
There is exactly one bit of news in this story.
"The panel later scheduled a vote for Wednesday, December 21."
~~~
abeppu
Thursday and Friday morning, the sad, small opposition (Lofgren, Issa, Polis &
Chaffetz) did a good job of slowing down the markup process. One frequently
repeated suggestion was that since it was likely that the markup would
continue past the holiday recess and need to be resumed in January anyways,
that they may as well take the time to convene a hearing where actual tech
experts could respond.
Does anyone know, procedurally will it be possible for Lofgren et al to
prevent or delay an actual vote in the committee, or is Smith with his large
support able to force the matter? I suppose, if worst comes to worst, the four
opposing committee members could each agree to impugne the integrity of each
of the others, obstinately refuse to revise their words in the record, take a
break to consult with a parliamentarian, and then relent.
------
hillbilly
I am concerned that a lot of the anti SOPA complaints I've read are fear
mongering, and I want to be better informed. Is there a website to visit that
debates specific line numbers of the bill?
------
Stwerner
The data is freely available of the amount of money raised by different
members of congress, right? I've got an idea for a little mashup to try to
raise money against the backers of this bill.
~~~
tomkinstinch
Maplight.org has the data: [http://maplight.org/us-
congress/bill/112-hr-3261/1019110/dow...](http://maplight.org/us-
congress/bill/112-hr-3261/1019110/download.csv)
------
throwaway8890
What is going on in this country?
~~~
russell
Money. Money buys legislators. Money buys institutionalized corruption. The
Supreme court says that organizations can make unlimited campaign
contributions, yet individuals are limited. Until we take money out of
politics, it will only get worse.
------
presidentx
Can someone copy/paste this article? The mobile version is just a big ad that
I can't seem to dismiss.
P.S. Quick, before SOPA takes effect.
~~~
stonemetal
_Republican Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, who chairs the House Judiciary
Committee, decided against holding a committee vote that had been expected on
Friday. The panel later scheduled a vote for Wednesday, December 21._
The rest is a description of SOPA.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
UK ruling makes Internet browsing a copyright risk - jamesbritt
http://blog.meltwater.com/uk-ruling-makes-internet-browsing-a-copyright-risk-rendering-innocent-acts-of-millions-illegal
======
cHalgan
The west is learning fast from the east (meaning east europe) :)
The communist countries were setup in such way that everybody living a normal
life was definitely breaking some law. Hey even using a fax machine was
illegal (but companies needed to have it to operate a business).
So, to get you, the government (and some random state company) needed just to
put you on the list and you are arrested.
~~~
SoftwareMaven
I always think of John Adams' quote:
_"It is more important that innocence be protected than it is that guilt be
punished, for guilt and crimes are so frequent in this world that they cannot
all be punished. But if innocence itself is brought to the bar and condemned,
perhaps to die, then the citizen will say, "whether I do good or whether I do
evil is immaterial, for innocence itself is no protection," and if such an
idea as that were to take hold in the mind of the citizen that would be the
end of security whatsoever."_
If you are damned if you do and damned if you don't, what's the incentive to
be in the "don't* category?
------
flipbrad
The ruling not only causes absurdity/doesn't work, it's wrong in law to boot.
I hope this goes to the UK Supreme Court. It's very dangerous: it effectively
means that if I look at a picture on the floor I'm not breaking copyright
(because I'm not making a copy), but if I view in on a public server I can be
held to be in breach of copyright. Just because there are technological steps
involved in delivering the picture to my eyes, copyright law suddenly applies,
and hard. Copyright is not meant to limit the reading of works, merely their
reproduction where such reproduction is marketable/commercially relevant.
Browsing a webpage must be viewed as the sort of merely transient "copying"
that is not a restricted act. There is no permanence in the act and the viewer
doesn't take possession of a copy with which he can then compete in the
marketplace which the rightsholder is supposed to have a state-granted
monopoly over.
Wrong in law: The Ecommerce Directive (2001/29) says that, subject to certain
conditions, copies made during transmission by a third party or in your ram,
cache, etc, are not reproductions covered by copyright law. The leading case
on this is called Infopaq, which summarises: \- the act is temporary; \- it is
transient or incidental; \- it is an integral and essential part of a
technological process; \- the sole purpose of that process is to enable lawful
consumption of the work or a transmission in a network between third parties
by an intermediary of a lawful use of a work or protected subject-matter; and
\- the act has no independent economic significance.
The recital (explanatory notes) to this exemption is this: "The exclusive
right of reproduction should be subject to an exception to allow certain acts
of temporary reproduction, which are transient or incidental reproductions,
forming an integral and essential part of a technological process and carried
out for the sole purpose of enabling (...) lawful use of a work or other
subject-matter to be made. To the extent that they meet these conditions, this
exception should include acts which enable _browsing_ as well as acts of
_caching_ to take place, including (...)"
The court in Meltwater says that the copies made by the users (which, it says,
are unlicensed and thus infringing copies) are not exempt. Its reasoning
hinges mostly on the fourth point. It uses circular logic despite accusing the
defence of using the same: "A person making a copy of a webpage on his
computer screen will not have a defence under s. 28A CDPA simply because he
has been browsing. He must first show that it was lawful for him to have made
the copy. The copy is not part of the technological process; it is generated
by his own volition. The whole point of the receipt and copying of Meltwater
News is to enable the End User to receive and read it. Making the copy is not
an essential and integral part of a technological process but the end which
the process is designed to achieve. Storage of the copy and the duration of
that storage are matters within the End User's control. It begs the question
for decision whether making the copy is to enable a lawful use of the work.
This judgement presupposes that a copy is being deliberately made by the user;
therefore it 'begs the question' whether the steps leading to that are
excepted or not (because this is not lawful consumption). This is of course
very flawed: when viewing a .jpg or Meltwater news from a remote server, we
are not creating a meaningful copy of it, any more than receiving a broadcast
on your TV set. That only happens once you hit Ctrl+S. Because you're just
viewing (consuming, not copying) what's placed in plain sight, any
RAM/cache/whatnot is in fact incidental to lawful consumption. The court
thinks that you cannot consume digital work without meaningfully copying it -
because it exists once on the server and they think it can exist
simultaneously on many, many different users' terminals. But that is no more
'copying' (in the copyright sense) than happens on TVs in broadcasting (since
you ignore all incidental technologically necessary 'copies' that lead up to
the display of the work), and is precisely the opposite of what the law (Art
5(1) Ecommerce Directive) says.
They consider Infopaq, but all too superficially. From Infopaq: "23. According
to the Højesteret, it is not disputed in this case that consent from the
rightholders is not required to engage in press monitoring activity" - loading
the websites so they can be read (and summarised by hand, or whatever else you
want to do that doesn't store a copy of the words). Infopaq objects to the OCR
and printing. I don't know if/why this was not flagged up in Meltwater.
Infopaq seems poorly considered in that case.
Absurd: \- If the mere display of a .JPG were a copy, each re-rendering of the
page (scrolling, zooming, AJAX refresh, etc) would be a separate potential
infringement, wouldn't it? In fact, each refresh (60 times a second) would be
creating an infringing copy. \- everyone (even rightsholders) clearly think
there is no infringement possible by mere browsing, otherwise if the traffic
lights system goes ahead anyone clicking on a redlighted link is immediately
an infringer (because they will be making infringing copies of unlicensed
content). It would then be absurd for google to even list the site. In fact
Google wouldn't even be able to re-spider it from the instant it is
redlighted. Infringement detection agents couldn't safely visit it. Nobody
could. That is clearly not what the PRS is suggesting with their traffic light
scheme, unless I'm vastly mistaken (or that is in fact their cunning plan). \-
if the publisher of a work doesn't want her copy of the work to be available
to the public, she can simply stop making it available to the public. If
nobody has actually made a copy which they can go on using or serving to the
public themselves (which I don't deny would be a restricted act), the work
stops being available to the public. If I circumvent the way she sets up her
property to reflect her wishes, just to be able to cast eyes upon the work,
she at the very least has the Computer Misuse Act to remedy the trespass onto
her server. She does _not_ require copyright infringement remedies for that.
Horses for courses thus combine to ensure total respect for the publisher
without necessitating an expansion of copyright law that were it isn't
required - viewing files on a server (nor, for reasons stated in my preceding
emails, is it welcome there either). \- the picture on floor vs. picture on
webpage dichotomy mentioned in my first paragraph: if it's can lawfully be
retrieved and displayed (by looking at the picture on the floor, or requesting
it, quite legitimately, from a server) then copyright shouldn't apply, but in
Meltwater, it applies to the latter.
Any reading of the law that extends the law to where it serves no purpose at
all, cannot befit the purpose of the law being read (and it sure ain't
necessary in a democratic society, ney'ver). Even if this were not the plain
meaning of the law (which I showed above that it is), _if_ for any reason a
judge were to seek a purposive reading of the law (I have, for example, heard
of Art 8 - right to private and family life - being applied in more surprising
ways that protecting your right to browse the web without courts having the
ability to find you in breach of the law for every page you visit - Branduse v
Romania was about smelly prisons, ffs, not being able to forward your music,
or deeplinks and headlines to your daughter - this allows the judge to use the
Human Rights Act as authority for a strained, non-obvious interpretation of
the law in order to respect european human rights law), I also think it be
possible to read the text appropriately.
~~~
Silhouette
Just to follow up your note on the E-commerce Directive, is that the same
point of European law that England accidentally/conveniently forgot to enact
in its local interpretation?
I've heard what I suspect is the same issue raised before, in the context of
End User Licence Agreements. The question of how EULAs can have any legal
standing if you don't buy the software directly from the copyright holder was
raised: if a contract necessarily involves consideration in both directions,
and you get nothing of value from the copyright holder in return for
"agreeing" to their often onerous EULA after you've completed the purchase of
your software from a third party, what right do they have to impose any
conditions on you at all? The answer being debated was that by merely running
the software in the normal manner for which it was purchased, you are
inevitably making copies (in RAM etc.) and thus copyright law applies and you
require a licence. Ah, but making transient copies in the course of normal use
is excluded from copyright by the point of law we're discussing, right? Except
that unless something changes since I last read about this, that point of law
hasn't actually been legislated in England, and thus this shady argument for
EULAs having some sort of legal weight isn't completely DoA.
Apologies for not citing the source of this argument. It was a rather
interesting and well written paper, by a law student IIRC, but I regret that I
didn't bookmark it at the time and have never been able to find it again
since.
------
ZoFreX
So you can't find out if you've infringed copyright by making a cached copy
(and if your browser is creating a re-usable, loadable at another time, HTML
format backup of the page for cache purposes, it is a copy) until after
loading the page and reading the copyright notice?
If only there were a way to transmit data ahead of the page body itself to
indicate whether you should be permitted to store a cached copy of the page or
not...
~~~
xorglorb
You could use a HTTP header, for example:
X-Cache-Permission: Allow
~~~
ataggart
Or the one provided by the spec:
Cache-Control: no-store
------
zmmmmm
I wonder whether protocol and technical aspects provide a defense to this. If
I request a page from your web site and I get back 200 OK, is that not some
kind of permission? If then I receive an instruction to cache the page (or
elements thereof), is that not some kind of encouragement to keep a copy? If
the page has a permissive robots.txt, or even by choice no robots.txt, does it
not indicate that visitors are welcome to come and store the copy for indexing
purposes?
~~~
jamesbritt
You would think so, but technical arguments seem to get ignored in these
matters. For example, so-called "deep linking". Controlling direct access to
Web resources is a solved technical problem, and if someone has a URL that
responds to a basic GET then, hey, it must be intended for that; that's how it
works. Yet it still ends up as fodder for endless legal manuevers.
------
simonbrown
More detailed information about the case is here:
<http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2011/890.html>
~~~
justincormack
Much more useful.
The key issues upheld are:
(1) The headlines to the various articles reproduced in Meltwater News are
capable of being literary works independently of the article to which they
relate. (2) The extracts from the articles reproduced in Meltwater News with
or without the headline to that article are capable of being a substantial
part of the literary work consisting of the article as a whole. (3)
Accordingly the copies made by the end-user's computer of (a) Meltwater News
(i) on receipt of the email from Meltwater, (ii) opening that email, (iii)
accessing the Meltwater website by clicking on the link to the article and (b)
of the article itself when (iv) clicking on the link indicated by Meltwater
News are and each of them is, prima facie, an infringement of the Publishers'
copyright. (4) No such copies are permitted (a) by s.28A CDPA dealing with
temporary copies, or (b) as fair dealing within s.30 CDPA, or (c) by the
Database Regulations. (5) Accordingly, the end-user requires a licence from
NLA or the Publishers, whether or not in the form of the WEUL in order
lawfully to receive and use the Meltwater News Service.
Which is not about the user copying but Meltwater's summaries and distribution
of them being illegal. Google should note this and immediately stop crawling
the internet in the UK as this behaviour is clearly illegal as headlines are
creative works.
Stupid...
~~~
notahacker
I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Google had numerous discreet licencing
agreements with UK copyright trolls in place already
A key difference between Meltwater and Google News is that Meltwater is
charging the end user for the excerpts they scraped (I'm not going to contact
their account managers to try to understand their pricing structure, but I
strongly suspect that it includes a component related to level of usage and or
quantity of targeted content served). Meltwater's service is more analogous to
Factiva and LexisNexis, whose licencing structure is almost certainly more
favourable to the publishers.
It ought to be of some concern to other providers of SaaS feed readers, media
analytics and the like though.
------
aj700
This is how law works in Britain.
Things are done to give the police the tools to fight whatever social ill
currently obsesses the political class, however clumsily drawn.
They'll arrest protesters at an event and let them go 48 hours later with no
intention of ever charging them. Politicians really want indefinite internment
of terrorists. Because they're probably right that nobody will abuse it.
No privacy for drivers.
The age of consent of 16 DOESN'T exist to stop 13/14/15 year olds having sex.
It is set at 16 to make (Victorian) child prostitution dead easy to convict.
Covertly having sex with any age of teenager who is discreet would be easy.
Pimping them would get me in real trouble though.
It is assumed that all these powers will never be abused, because there is so
much undetected and unprosecuted crime that the police don't have the time or
inclination to abuse them. But they are there when they need them. The British
police would never be so ungentlemanly, like those nuclear sub crews who
protect their launch enablers with bicycle locks.
([http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/UltimateDe...](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/UltimateDefenceOfTheRealm))
When you have a social contract, you don't need enforcement, just the
enablement of enforcement against badness.
~~~
Nick_C
> nuclear sub crews who protect their launch enablers with bicycle locks.
I can't see anything about bicycle locks on that website. Do you have another
link? (Very interesting, by the way.)
------
sorbus
Would an effective way to forestall this be to set up a website and start
suing anyone who visits it from the UK for copyright infringment? I would
expect that such lawsuits would be laughed out of court, or strongly ruled in
favor of the defendant, especially if you started out by suing fairly powerful
or influential people.
(Also, is it legal to read books in the UK? The brain and eyes make a
temporary copy of any inputs, and memory could be considered to be a
derivative work.)
~~~
iuhyghjkl
There is already lots of precedent that viewing a web page is making a copy.
The law on child pornography is that it's only an offense to produce an image
- since it's assumed that the person making the image is the one harming the
child and banning reading/viewing something would have freedom of speech
implications.
There have been many convictions of people viewing images where the
prosecution made the case that the browser had created an image (albeit a
copy)
~~~
lotharbot
> _"The law on child pornography is that it's only an offense to produce an
> image"_
In the UK, "simple possession of indecent photographs of children" is a
criminal offense [0]. US law is fairly similar [1].
[0] <http://www.rogerdarlington.co.uk/sexonnet.html#UKlaw> \-- see Criminal
Justice Act of 1988 [1]
[http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?L...](http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=1476)
\-- part (b) of the first cited law
~~~
SoftwareMaven
But the difference between possession and creation is very large.
------
7952
Surely that would have implications for search engine spiders.
~~~
epochwolf
It would mean all UK websites would no longer be indexed. Great way to shoot
yourself in the foot.
~~~
Groxx
Ya know... maybe that's the way to resolve this. Google should simply "drop"
all their .uk data. The _immense_ public outrage should get something done
pretty quickly.
~~~
ZoFreX
Honestly I think the only way to deal with the BS that we're being handed at
the moment is complete and total compliance. Turn off browser caching for uk
websites, deindex all uk sites from search engines, and drop Set-Cookie
headers for everyone in Europe. One hour of the internet like that and
everyone will realise how stupid these laws they're bringing in are.
------
lambada
Is there a more neutral source for information on the impact of this?
Intuitively I'm thinking that the precedent set is more complex than is made
out here.
~~~
pbhjpbhj
They give an OutLaw link in the article, they're pretty highly regarded but
I've not checked the background to verify that their article is independent of
the OP's link or the companies involved.
------
null_para
I seriously think that most of the copyright folks dont get what is
information law and policy. Especially, in Europe. People still think "bits"
as "atoms". I guess it will take at least a decade to bring significant change
in the way they think as old guard will be leaving the post.
------
tobylane
Nothing that outlaws so many people is ever actively dealt with, the whole
world learnt that lesson from the Prohibition of the 20s.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Thousands to receive basic income in Finland - greifswalder
http://www.demoshelsinki.fi/en/2016/08/30/thousands-to-receive-basic-income-in-finland-a-trial-that-could-lead-to-the-greatest-societal-transformation-of-our-time/
======
randomThoughts9
I've been reading about these kind of experiments for years now and they all
do the same mistake: it's not basic income if it has a deadline.
Almost nobody will leave his job / stop looking for one / risk a complete
career change if that income is not guaranteed for life.
~~~
vtange
Plus there's always the risk that the government can take your income away
from you for any reason.
It's almost like taking away a child's allowance...
------
_rpd
> Finland is about to launch an experiment in which a randomly selected group
> of 2,000–3,000 citizens already on unemployment benefits will begin to
> receive a monthly basic income of 560 euros (approx. $600). That basic
> income will replace their existing benefits. The amount is the same as the
> current guaranteed minimum level of Finnish social security support. The
> pilot study, running for two years in 2017-2018, aims to assess whether
> basic income can help reduce poverty, social exclusion, and bureaucracy,
> while increasing the employment rate.
~~~
collyw
Hmmm. Wasn't the idea that basic income would be for everyone? Not just the
unemployed.
------
anotheryou
So what if I got more social benefits before? I suppose I can deny the
nomination, but how is it supposed to work in general?
If I got no social benefits before it's all golden. If I get the bare minimum
anyways, yay for less bureaucracy and allowing me to take a small job without
loosing money by falling out of the social benefits.
But what if I got more? There will be some good reason for me to get more,
like illness or handicap, higher income before loosing a job (it's a little
strange, but makes sense so people don't loose their house by failing to pay
off the loan on it), children, student that needs to pay rent in the city and
university etc...
If they get the same it's just a decay of the social state.
------
ousta
I thought many countries had already basic income for people not working? In
France we have RSA what would be the difference here?
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Organic food worse for the climate - huntermeyer
https://www.mynewsdesk.com/uk/chalmers/pressreleases/organic-food-worse-for-the-climate-2813280
======
symlock
This headline is incorrect for how little is actually measured in this study.
It's like staying that rammed earth houses are bad for the environment because
they use more dirt that otherwise might be growing plants - so everyone should
build with lumber instead.
They invented a new metric called "Carbon Opportunity Cost" and only looked at
one thing: some types of organic farming require more land area which _might_
be otherwise left for forest.
There are so many things that go into farming and a true evaluation of
"climate" impact. Synthetic chemical production, environmental contamination,
soil depletion, shipping, chemical runoff, farming equipment production and
emissions, etc...
Even the researcher understands this: "The type of food is often much more
important. For example, eating organic beans or organic chicken is much better
for the climate than to eat conventionally produced beef"
~~~
techbio
> "The type of food is often much more important. For example, eating organic
> beans or organic chicken is much better for the climate than to eat
> conventionally produced beef"
There's something strange about that quote, maybe a PR sound? I imagine
_conventionally_ produced beans and chicken would have less impact than
_organic_ beef as well.
------
jefflombardjr
Well yeah, factory farmed monoculture anything is worse for the environment -
organic or not... time to plug permaculture once again:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permaculture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permaculture)
Anyone interested in learning more - this is a great free introduction:
[https://open.oregonstate.edu/courses/permaculture/](https://open.oregonstate.edu/courses/permaculture/)
~~~
toasterlovin
It’s worse for the environment except the part where it feeds the same amount
of people using less resources.
~~~
FlyMoreRockets
It seems you have not researched permaculture. It uses very little resources
compared to common industrial agriculture.
Edit: the article makes the argument that organic farming leads to increased
deforestation. Permaculture incorporates trees into the production cycle.
~~~
toasterlovin
Look, no offense, but I'm going to trust the ruthless profit seeking motive of
industrial-scale farmers, _who are not pursuing permaculture_ , over the
postings of internet denizens who've read some blog posts.
~~~
FlyMoreRockets
Look, no offense, but I'm growing most of my family's food using permaculture
techniques and selling the surplus at the local farmer's market. Just like my
parents did before me and my grandparents did before them. I'm not just some
internet denizen who has read some blog posts. Just because it wasn't called
permaculture until Bill Mollison published his "Permaculture Manual" in 1988
doesn't mean farmers haven't used many of these principles for a very long
time. In fact, this is how stable, complex natural ecosystems actually work.
~~~
FlyMoreRockets
As for my effective hourly rate, I haven't bothered. The peace of mind and
food security alone is priceless, not to mention the health benefits of
getting out and playing in the dirt.
I spend on average, around an hour in the garden a day. The property was badly
eroded range land when I began. The soil was basically sand. Through careful
management, I have built a significant amount of humus through carbon
sequestration, composting, mulching and no-till techniques.
------
mark_l_watson
Sure, the article makes a good point on land use, but two things bother me
here: 1) I think that people who favor organic food tend to eat less meat or
are vegetarians or vegans. Don;t forget that a predominantly meat diet uses an
order of magnitude more energy and water compared to vegetarian. 2) I think
people should have the personal freedom to decide on organic vs. non-organic
and on whether they eat meat. However, I dislike the huge US government
subsidies for meat production: people should pay the real production costs for
meat (I eat meat sometimes, full disclosure).
~~~
dagw
_Don 't forget that a predominantly meat diet uses an order of magnitude more
energy and water compared to vegetarian._
The articles does cover that as aspect well
“The type of food is often much more important. For example, eating organic
beans or organic chicken is much better for the climate than to eat
conventionally produced beef,”
------
FlyMoreRockets
The article states "...organic food is so much worse for the climate is that
the yields per hectare are much lower, primarily because fertilisers are not
used." It uses this metric to assume organic agriculture increases
deforestation and is thus worse for the environment.
The flaw in this reasoning? Fertilizer manufacture is responsible for the
majority of our current atmospheric CO2 emissions.
------
rini17
Completely ignores unsustainable soil depletion, groundwater depletion and
pollution, carbon emissions to run machines and manufacture chemicals,
etc.etc.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Cloudflare nearly killed us last night - johnfiles
https://www.indiehackers.com/JohnFiles/post/23eab453d8
======
capitalone
I just tried uploading the file
([https://anonymousfiles.io/T6I22kgQ/](https://anonymousfiles.io/T6I22kgQ/))
to IO anonymousfiles, and everything is fine now. Even faster than before.
Hopefully your cloud is getting better this minute and so on.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Defend PHP; convince me it isn't horrible - ryanwaggoner
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/309300/defend-php-convince-me-it-isnt-horrible/
======
zdw
I wouldn't call it horrible... I'd say it has a lot of warts.
There are some very solid bits of code out there in PHP - Wordpress and Drupal
being the foremost ones I've used.
You can generally survive with the base library, which tends to have nearly
everything you'd want in it - compare to Perl or others which you'll be
running to modules the first time you need to process XML, do graphics
manipulation, or connect to a database, and often have to bug your sysadmin to
do this...
PHP is a station wagon - not sexy, but gets the job done.
~~~
ryanwaggoner
_There are some very solid bits of code out there in PHP - Wordpress_
Uh-oh...cue the hordes of people whining about Wordpress's security.
~~~
tptacek
Why wouldn't they? What could possibly be so hard to implement about a blog
that would create such a track record?
------
Myrth
1\. That's a 1 year old post
2\. English language is horrible as well (theoretically)
3\. I'd try to convince anyone, but it would waste highly valuable time making
nice income developing in PHP :)
------
d0m
Great programmers will write pretty code in any languages.
However, I think that poor programmers will write more ugly code in PHP than
in python/django for instance.
So, if you compare the overall quality, PHP loses.
Also, it seems that these days, great programmers use clojure/python/ruby/arc
instead of PHP.. so that doesn't help PHP quality ratio (As poor programmer
using PHP will continue to use PHP since they would never ever be willing to
learn a new language).
I've recently worked with the most ugly code of my life. 1000 lines function,
bad indentation, 8 levels of if/foreach, wrong OO, lots of repitition, etc.
Guess what, it was written in PHP. Does it prove something? No. Does it make
me like PHP? Really not.
That being said, I've seen some pretty clean PHP code and I even had some fun
with it.
~~~
julius_geezer
Only a 1000 lines? Man, you are living the easy life.
------
chrisaycock
I like the comment: "poor programmers get very defensive about their language"
------
petervandijck
I like php. I like functions too (as opposed to objects). I'm probably just
old school. I also like my car, which doesn't have a motor to move the windows
up and down, and doesn't have a remote to lock the doors, but it works great.
------
jmathai
If you can be convinced that PHP is horrible then you're probably better off
using Ruby on Rails.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Show HN: Outro – Retrospectives, Re-Imagined - tbird24
https://outro.co
======
faeyanpiraat
Scrolling the page takes up 100% CPU, and has like 1 FPS.
You should do something about that.
~~~
tbird24
Thanks, what browser/OS are you on? I definitely don't have this experience.
Sounds concerning though.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Cleaning and Transforming Excel Data in the Browser With Data Janitor - martin_drapeau
https://medium.com/@martindrapeau/cleaning-and-transforming-excel-data-in-your-browser-with-data-janitor-d7d6751214f5
======
martin_drapeau
An incarnation of Atwood's Law: any application that can be written in
JavaScript, will eventually be written in JavaScript.
Wraps together cool web technologies like clipboard API, local storage and web
workers to create a wonderful user experience.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Samsung factory robbed at gunpoint, $36 million in devices stolen - hamburg
http://9to5google.com/2014/07/07/samsung-fa…
======
abdelm
Correct Link: [http://9to5google.com/2014/07/07/samsung-factory-robbed-
at-g...](http://9to5google.com/2014/07/07/samsung-factory-robbed-at-
gunpoint-36-million-in-smartphones-tablets-and-laptops-stolen/)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Benjamin Pierce – Software Foundations - mlitchard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKrD4JcfW90&list=PLGCr8P_YncjUT7gXUVJWSoefQ40gTOz89
======
jcr
His book, "Software Foundations" is here:
[http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~bcpierce/sf/](http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~bcpierce/sf/)
And there's a discussion about the book from a year ago:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7824793](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7824793)
~~~
mlitchard
Thanks for the discussion link.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
The cult of design dictatorship (2012) - tapp
https://alexcabal.com/the-cult-of-design-dictatorship/
======
knowtheory
This post is unfortunate. This post is so extremely unfortunate because first,
it is wrong, and second, it highlights the wrong problem (and the post's
author even admits it in the post).
The problem is not the cult of design dictatorship, the problem is _bad
design_ and _bad designers_.
Apple and 37signals are two examples of design oriented thinking (and I don't
mean visual design), but there are many others, even from within the world of
Free & Open Source Software.
After all, why else would a term like "Benevolent Dictator For Life" exist if
it weren't for design dictatorships in programming language development?
The real claim that this post is making is that " _You are not Steve Jobs and
you are not 37 Signals_ ". And... well that may be true, but it also may not.
And if you can't have frank discussions about the utility of the things you
make, and whether or not you have evidence to back up why/how you are doing
the right thing, then yeah, you may be a bad designer.
That doesn't mean that being a designer or a dictator is a bad thing
inherently, and arguing against central organizing authority in creative works
is highly problematic, especially in the absence of any concrete alternatives
to suggest.
As an aside, I wouldn't describe _either_ Steve Jobs or the 37signals as
"nice". Smart, pretty determined, resolutely sure of themselves, but nice is
not the first adjective that springs to mind.
~~~
acabal
I don't disagree that dictators can make great software. My point, perhaps
poorly communicated, was that using these exceptional success edge-cases as an
excuse to uncompromisingly drive your own design vision will probably do more
harm than good--precisely because they were successful as _edge cases_.
The Gnome 3 discussion from last year sparked this post because Gnome 3 was
becoming an example of that: designers creating a product that many vocally
disliked, and insisting on sticking to their original vision, torpedoes be
damned. The result, many argue, is a deeply flawed product.
The thrust of the post is, "be humble and open-minded as a product leader,
because chances are you're probably not the genius that these exceptional
success stories were/are."
~~~
knowtheory
Right, but you're targeting the wrong problem still.
DHH is (and I use this term unironically) a visionary. And on top of that he
had a keen enough political sense (and arrogance) to be able to deflect or
mute criticism of Rails's early flaws.
Ruby is a slow, memory hog? Doesn't matter, developer time is worth more than
machine time. Buy bigger machines.
Rails concurrency model sucks? Doesn't matter, fire up more processes!
These were real problems, which have been subsequently addressed in Rails (by
and large, by other people in the community who cared about those subjects).
But what was important about what DHH did was define a vision and aesthetic
for what web development should look like (and please note i'm no DHH fanboy.
I jumped ship during the Merb/Datamapper split), and kept on pushing on his
priorities even in the face of legitimate criticisms of things he thought were
less important.
So, Rails succeeded because DHH has sensible enough taste in terms of
prioritizing concerns, and a strong enough user base to fix Rails's
shortcomings.
I'm not as familiar with the specific battles over Gnome (partially because
i'm on OSX, and also because i find the interlocutors in the Gnome discussion
to be so furiously inarticulate), but the conflict really only comes down to
two possibilities. Either the leaders of Gnome genuinely are shit designers
and aren't meeting the needs of their community, or they're really terrible at
politics.
That's a really important distinction to be mindful of. I'm not amongst their
target userbase, so frankly I can't say one way or the other, but all of the
complaints I've heard against Gnome's leadership are things that I as a user
have never ever cared about (granted I haven't used Gnome in a while, but all
the times i've used systems w/ Gnome installed by default in the past, i've
been satisfied).
And really, if Gnome's leadership is so inadequate, i'm puzzled why a critical
mass hasn't risen up and forked the community. That's really the ultimate vote
of dissatisfaction.
~~~
PommeDeTerre
I'm not convinced that Ruby on Rail's popularity has to do with the factors
you describe.
I think it comes down to two other factors: community and hype.
Technologically, it wasn't anything special, and still isn't. Many of us who'd
been doing web development for years at that time had either used or created
similar or better frameworks in languages like Perl, Tcl, Python and even
Java. These frameworks were usually kept internal to the organization that
developed them, however, so they were obviously nowhere near as widely used.
DHH was of minimal importance, too. Yes, he was somewhat of a visible figure
head and spokesman for the project, but that was about it. For the average
Ruby on Rails user, DHH didn't have much of an impact.
In my opinion, Ruby on Rails brought together several distinct groups of young
men (women are still very rare in the Ruby on Rails community) who'd typically
been outcasts within the computing industry. They included:
1) Less-talented UI, web and graphic designers. These people, unable to find
work in more traditional software development, print media, and other fields,
ended up moving toward web development, where the bar to entry was set much
lower.
2) Less-talented software developers. These people, either due to age, a lack
of experience, a lack of education, or a lack of natural ability, were
inherently drawn to Rails. It provided the rigid structure ("convention over
configuration") that they needed in order to get anything done. It also
allowed them to continue to avoid learning SQL and proper database design
techniques, while creating something that partially worked (even if the result
lacked severely in terms of performance and reliability).
3) Attention-seeking youth. We all know who these people are. They're the ones
who repeatedly wrote loud, profanity-ridden "articles" full of anger. Or they
created absurd, cryptic writings and art, and then spontaneously vanished,
creating much unnecessary drama. Many of them were also self-styled
"hipsters", who just went out of their way to be different merely for the sake
of being different.
Ruby on Rails provided something these people could all rally around. It gave
them a common cause, if you will. And they rallied around this cause quite
loudly, which generated an immense amount of hype relative to what they were
able to accomplish, or what their software provided. This helped draw in more
and more of these outcasts, making the community larger and larger.
I think that GNOME 3, for instance, is a result of spillover from this newly-
formed community into existing, established open source communities. Members
of a community formed solely around a lack of merit forced their way en masse
into what was once a near-total meritocracy, and as would be expected,
disaster was the result.
------
noir_lord
Whilst I broadly agree with the thrust of the article I do wince when I see
statements like "once-in-a-century genius." applied to Steve Jobs.
I also cringe when I see "You are not Steve Jobs" etc. indeed I'm not nor
would I want to be, I disliked many things about the man intensely when he was
alive and that hasn't changed one iota since his death.
It fascinates me how we continue to set the bar of leadership based on a man
who judged by his actions was a borderline sociopath, I guess success by
whatever measure truly does forgive all sins.
<http://www.businessinsider.com/steve-jobs-jerk-2011-10?op=1>
The only thing that amazes me about his career is that he didn't get punched
in the face more often.
~~~
acabal
OP here, I agree totally. Steve Jobs was by all accounts a jerk and I think
it's unfortunate so many people idolize him instead of people doing more human
good like Bill Gates. But it's undeniable that he had a once-in-a-century eye
for picking and tweaking good design, and he was a once-in-a-century
businessman too. Was he a good human? All signs point to "not really". But his
uncompromising vision and massive business success are stories that are hard
to match in modern times.
~~~
noir_lord
I'm sorry but I simply disagree with you on his "once-in-a-century" eye for
good design.
Take (for example one of my favorite) industrial designers - Raymond Loewy -
This is a man who created the Shell and BP Logos, designed the Scenicruiser
greyhound bus (iconic), coca cola vending machines, the GG1 (in my opinion one
of the most beautiful trains of it's generation and they ran for just shy of
50 years) and the PRR S1 (which I think is the single most beautiful train
I've ever seen) and just to finish it off he designed the livery for Air Force
One.
~~~
coldtea
Yes, so Jobs only had "two-in-a-century". Or "twenty-in-a-century".
That's kind of a pedantic distinction, isn't it?
------
Sevores
Steve Jobs was highly opinionated, but he also had a reputation for being able
to change his opinion radically. “He would flip on something so fast that you
would forget that he was the one taking the 180 degree polar [opposite]
position the day before. I saw it daily. This is a gift, because things do
change, and it takes courage to change. It takes courage to say, ‘I was
wrong.’ I think he had that.” — [http://allthingsd.com/20120529/steve-jobs-
was-an-awesome-fli...](http://allthingsd.com/20120529/steve-jobs-was-an-
awesome-flip-flopper-says-tim-cook/)
It seems odd to copy one without the other.
------
hcarvalhoalves
The author somehow manages to conflate Apple, 37signals and Gnome 3 all
together, then makes a case about design being a bad thing, being the latter
the only unremarkable one in this aspect?
Let me tell the obvious: Gnome 3 doesn't suck because it focus on design, it
sucks because it has horrible design process. If it's not fulfilling user
requirements, that's bad design _by definition_.
The problem with Gnome is management. Last time I tried improving the font
selector (which I think still is utterly broken for selecting weights), nobody
cared. They though the only weights people need are "bold" and "italic". Now
compare to the font selector on Mac and say Apple is "design dictatorship"
with no regards to user requirements...
------
jeswin
The post is mostly an opinion. And where it tries to bring analysis, it fails.
According to the author, gnome3 and unity are flawed. Well, many people like
unity now. It's not that different from the other operating systems. And sure,
there'll be people who won't like it too.
But if these are examples of design dictators screwing up things, what about
the interfaces that existed before unity? They had a ton of issues too. And
while I may not have had issues with them, unity is certainly easier for the
non-technical crowd. And the rest of us know how it needs to be tweaked to our
liking.
Nothing's wrong really.
~~~
PommeDeTerre
When it comes to things like GNOME 3 and Ubuntu (i.e., Unity), I think you're
neglecting to look at the big picture.
Yes, there are a small number of people who like the changes that have taken
place. But their numbers are indeed quite small compared to the much larger
number of people who have been driven away completely by these changes.
I don't think that you appreciate how many GNOME 2 users (including former
developers and other contributors) are either still using GNOME 2, or have
moved on to KDE, Xfce, or other non-GNOME desktops.
The same goes for Ubuntu. With Unity and their other recent changes, many
users have instead moved to Linux Mint, Debian, and other distributions.
These are the worst users to lose, especially the contributors, because
they're the ones who did do things correctly, leading to the initial success
of the project. Once they start to leave, we end up with GNOME 3-style
debacles where it's one bad design or decision after another.
~~~
takluyver
Do you have any evidence to support either claim (that more people dislike it
than like it, and that substantial proportions of users have been driven
away)? Certainly there has been plenty of criticism, and some people leaving
in a very public fashion, but whenever something changes, we know that the
people who don't like the change are far more vocal about it than people who
do. Witness the storm of outrage accompanying every Facebook UI change, after
which everyone carries on using it.
There's probably no good evidence available about how many people like Gnome 3
or Unity. For abandonment rates, have a look at the graph on
popcon.ubuntu.com. Those numbers come with caveats, like the fact that not
every installation sends data, but none of the lines have any discernible
downturn.
------
georgespencer
So wide of the mark that I almost feel faint. Selected highlights:
> This cult is insidious. Its two main tenant are: 1. The designer is always
> right. 2. If you don’t like what the designer is doing, you’re wrong, and
> you should go somewhere else. Doesn’t sound very friendly, does it?
1\. Couple of fallacies here: you've set up a scenario in which your
conclusion is supported (gosh, that doesn't sound friendly! This guy's a
genius!), but it's also ignoratio elenchi: it doesn't fucking matter whether
it's friendly or not, because who gives a shit whether the philosophy by which
you design a product is friendly or not? It's like asking whether the
philosophy is crunchy or gooey.
2\. I would argue that if the designer is doing their job properly and working
with and for users, then they will be usually right, and if you don't like it,
you're wrong, and you should go somewhere else (because you're probably a
neckbearded engineer trying to design something with zero user empathy).
> Steve Jobs made a zillion bucks cramming his design decisions down peoples’
> throats.
1\. In the same way as any designer, living or dead, who has shipped something
to consumers, was "cramming [their] design decisions down peoples' throats."
2\. In addition to the hugely biased language used, it's a gross
oversimplification of design at Apple. A good example of Steve Jobs designing
something is the iDVD anecdote. The iDVD team spend weeks working on a user
interface that they think works. Jobs comes into the meeting, stops them
halfway through, ignores their complicated workflows, and draws a simple
rectangle which has a single "BURN" button on it. His great skill wasn't
design, but editing and empathy.
> and now one of its founders spends his days custom-building and racing F1
> cars.
Just another casual misrepresentation. DHH has not retired and is still
working hard at 37signals.
> They did all this by being design dictators.
Yes. Forget the brilliant engineering, marketing, thought leadership,
branding, etc. It was this cult thing you've conjured out of nowhere.
> Steve Jobs had a vision, and if you didn’t like his vision, you could go
> home.
Yes. But a vision is nothing to do with design. Example: Steve Jobs had the
vision for MobileMe/iCloud. The vision was a cloud-based software product that
allowed you to synchronise your devices and keep data across all of them. The
design is terrible. Design being architecture and the implementation. Vision
!= design.
And what do you mean by "go home"? Isn't the same true of any product? If you
don't like Android you can "go home". If you don't like Ferrari you can "go
home". With "go home" you're implying that the consumer loses out. In reality
because there IS ONLY ONE WAY A PRODUCT CAN POSSIBLY WORK, you're criticising
them for not disrupting the space time continuum in order to offer two
different products so you can not like Steve Jobs' vision and still like Steve
Jobs' vision. Fuck me.
> 37 Signals made its products like it wanted to, and if you didn’t like it,
> you could suck it.
WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? I'm giving up on the rest.
~~~
acabal
> The iDVD team spend weeks working on a user interface that they think works.
> Jobs comes into the meeting, stops them halfway through, ignores their
> complicated workflows, and draws a simple rectangle which has a single
> "BURN" button on it. His great skill wasn't design, but editing and empathy.
That's not editing, that's literally throwing everything away and forcing his
vision on them. Precisely what I'm talking about. And "empathy" is not a word
I'd use to describe Steve Jobs, who by all accounts was a terrible jerk.
> Design being architecture and the implementation. Vision != design.
Maybe a better title for this post would have been, "The cult of product
leader dictatorship." When I wrote design, I didn't mean industrial design or
UI design, but product design and leadership. My fault for being unclear.
> WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
On reading this post again 6 months after I wrote it, those are indeed strong
words that don't really reflect 37 Signal's attitude. My words, not theirs.
~~~
georgespencer
> That's not editing, that's literally throwing everything away
Throwing stuff away is editing. Sigh.
> and forcing his vision on them. Precisely what I'm talking about.
1\. His vision was "a simple experience for the user". iDVD didn't end up with
a simple rectangle and a single button marked "Burn". He refocused his teams
around simplicity and ease of use.
2\. I note that you've avoided responding to the other parts of my response in
which I inquire as to whether you believe all designers in history are
"forcing" their "vision" on others.
> And "empathy" is not a word I'd use to describe Steve Jobs, who by all
> accounts was a terrible jerk.
Product design is all about empathy with users. Steve Jobs was blessed with
that in abundance. If you attribute Apple's success to his vision and design,
then you have to acknowledge that users love their hardware and software. Jobs
was great at cutting through bullshit and getting himself, his team, his
engineers and designers -- who are all highly technical 'power users' -- to be
humble and remove themselves from the equation and build something for mass
consumption.
------
alan_cx
The thing that amazed me in that piece, was the throw away fact about Apple at
one point holding more cash that the US treasury. OK, Im no economist, but,
well, wow.
And after the nearly sensible point, my imagination wished Jobs had decided to
become an Evil Super Villain, and set up a volcano base, with a moon based
super weapon, preferably a "LASER"....
------
dasil003
The author is attacking the mythology of Jobs and 37s, not the reality. I'm
fairly certain neither of them ever just sat around dictating from on high
without ever accepting any criticism or user input.
"Strong opinions held loosely." That's the key, not being a virtuosic genius;
no one has infallible vision.
------
mrxd
If you've ever been in the position of a "design dictator", you know that it's
no picnic. You live and die on every piece of qualitative user feedback, every
usability test and every A-B test result. Sure, you get to make decisions, but
if you fail, you fail publicly. Great designers are accountable, but design-
by-committee is a much more popular model because it diffuses responsibility.
You can always find the bad designers hiding behind the committee.
A lot of people think they have good ideas and want to moonlight as designers.
But when the data comes in evaluating their ideas, too often those people have
moved on to other things. That's because they're idea guys - when their idea
fails, they lose interest in the problem. Real designers stick with it, learn,
iterate and find better solutions.
------
nnq
37signal's 2nd paragraph of that book chapter
([http://gettingreal.37signals.com/ch04_Make_Opinionated_Softw...](http://gettingreal.37signals.com/ch04_Make_Opinionated_Software.php))
still says it the best:
> The best software has a vision.
...now just make sure the vision is _not too narrow_ and that _it's a vision
and not an edict_ (now about Linux DEs, the Gnome 3 and Unity teams OP is
referring to just keep turning a narrow copy-cat vision into a bunch of
edicts... while the KDE vision tends to be so freaking all-encompassing that
you get lost in it and so full of corner use-cases for bugs to hide that no
developers can keep up with the bug hunt... sigh, and thanks god for xfce)
------
cuillevel3
Author probably never led any big project, and never experienced the amount of
criticism one gets for doing anything. Furthermore the critics are the real
dictators, having done nothing besides using (probably for free) your product
they are the know-it-alls. Sure it's good to be humble, but you shouldn't
listen to everybody. As for the designers, more often than not it isn't
hybris, but miscommunication. Or maybe they're just lacking in public
relations.
And then there is this huge community of interface-conservatives, they are
against change per se...
------
seivan
I'm usually pro having the "implementor(s)" be the dictators. If you code it,
you have a say.
~~~
sambeau
"Having a say" is very different to being a dictator.
A good designer understands that design is a discussion and that there will
always be pragmatic compromises to be made.
However, having the implementer make the important design decisions about a
user interface is nearly always the wrong thing to do. The implementor knows
too much about the implementation to see it the problem like a user would. It
is this which causes UI's that look like database tables when they should
resemble faces and buckets and controls that mould to engines rather than
fingers.
It is not the implementors' fault. They are just to close to the metal and too
far from the users.
~~~
seivan
"They are just to close to the metal and too far from the users." That is
bull. How far they are depends on company policies. Some sweatshops keep their
developers away from their clients.
~~~
jamesdelaneyie
It's a sweeping statement, yes surely, but it has basis. Ellen Ullman's
writing on early programming culture, while now dated, reveal there is a
significant gap between the developers and the rest of the company - and that
it works for development.
------
EarthLaunch
Love these titles. This one is only a sample. Here's a creation of my own:
"Terrorists in the murder of design: Why you're wrong and failure is
beneficial."
It's sure to encourage a good discussion.
------
wittysense
I've been argued that some parts of the design have been tested against users,
and other parts of the design come from the authority of the designer, in the
midst of "agile-based" decision making that drops huge, unspec'd components on
yr lap mid-day at 3PM.
At the same time, no one is going to argue with yr Hypermedia hubris or API
spec. =P
Or namespacings. Or syntax preferences. Or hacks.
Look, no One Person (or role) wins (or loses -- and none of this
"dictatorship" sensationalism is really needful, methinks). It's all sausage
factory at the end of the day. Just try to create enough black boxes before
lunch so you have some dignity at dinner and can sleep after the midnight
snack.
A CEO gently reminded me one day, "No one lives or dies by this." It's
frustrating, not a "dictatorship." In just the same way that no one "killed
the coffee"; and no your computer did not just "die." This sensationalist
writing makes it difficult for us chill developers who just want to make a
simple critique without having to be pigeon-holed with all the hyperbolic-
complaint-machine because all of our critiques have the same content (this
modal or that button) but the hyperbolic-complaint-machine suggests what's
beyond frustration.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Snip2Code launches the new code snippets tool for Notepad++ - cghersi
http://www.snip2code.com/Static/Downloads#notepadpp_plugin
======
sungminchokr
I think storing and sharing code in snippets is a genuinely good idea. Looking
forward to seeing the database grow further!
------
TexasH1931
Definitely +1 for Snip2Code: it is saving me tons of time looking for the best
snippet and it is also giving me a truly powerful and engaging user
experience. I have tried other apps to search and collect snippets but
Snip2Code is definitely a MUST!
------
raiz1982
This definitely solves my coding problems, and works great also in other IDEs
like Eclipse. Great job guys!
------
Marathon52
Great! It saves me a lot of time since I'm a heavy user. Thanks guys!
------
elekfafafa
Great job!!!
------
logologo
It's simply great!
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
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