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The Lost Tombs of Oman - samsolomon
https://maptia.com/oriolalamany/stories/the-forgotten-tower-tombs-of-oman
======
arethuza
My immediate reaction as a Scot was "What are brochs doing in Oman?"
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broch)
NB Brochs aren't as old and are a lot bigger. However, the visual similarities
are quite striking.
Edit: Obviously this similarity is coincidental - there aren't _that_ many
different ways of building a simple tower out of stone.
~~~
gosub
also sardinian nuraghe:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuraghe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuraghe)
~~~
alexandrerond
Nuraghes we're not built as tombs though, but rather as fortified structures.
They even had several floors and walls around.
Both are amazing though.
------
sonabinu
I lived in Oman for a few years and it's one of the most beautiful places. The
best thing about the place is how much effort goes into conservation of
historically significant structures and the country's focus on eco-friendly
tourism. The people are very friendly and unlike the other Arabian Gulf states
they are not arrogant about the oil wealth.
------
jccalhoun
Great pictures and a really interesting place.
However, it starts off saying it was discovered in the 90s by a British
aviator but later talks about a local legend. So either the locals made up a
legend recently or it wasn't really "discovered" in the 90s.
I tried to look up some information about the site but couldn't find anything
definitive about how long it has been known about (a couple sites mentioned an
archeological dig in the late 70s but it wasn't clear if it was at this site
or nearby and one mention was on a conspiracy site so not exactly a credible
source).
------
emmelaich
Fascinating. Here's the location :
[https://goo.gl/tji5ch](https://goo.gl/tji5ch)
Seems they're not so far from main roads, so it's a bit odd about use of GPS
and four wheel drive vehicles.
~~~
captaintacos
And there seems to be a town nearby. I think they are so busted on this one.
They probably even have souvenirs and guided tours in place.
~~~
fit2rule
I think you both might underestimate just how formidable the desert can be,
just a few kilometers away from the nearest road/track/goat-path .. having
lived in deserts all my life, the mere presence of a track on a map doesn't
mean much. Get out there under you own wind, and you might have a different
compulsion towards criticism of the 'accuracy' of the story ..
------
vmorgulis
It reminds me a bit the Towers of Silence used in Zoroastrianism.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_Silence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_Silence)
------
fideloper
Some superb photography there, hopefully not too touched up
------
2pointsomone
I visited some of these areas on a recent trip to Oman - certainly beautifully
and realistically captured
------
xdissent
I wonder if they're kilns or furnaces rather than non-functional monuments,
given the historical record of trade from the region.
~~~
jewel
I would expect the interior to still be blackened. Here is the photo from the
article closer up:
[https://maptia.imgix.net/photos/75985/1456101557.jpg?cs=srgb...](https://maptia.imgix.net/photos/75985/1456101557.jpg?cs=srgb&s=df472bbb09971018060e26f24761e0a5)
From what I gather from other articles, no human remains have ever been
extracted from them. Perhaps the buildings were used for a religious purpose
or for temporary shelter.
------
24gttghh
Does anyone else see a reflection of mountains in the background, with the
spacing of the tombs along the closer ridge-line?
| {
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Remember Webvan? So Does Amazon - pg
http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/08/01/remember-webvan-so-does-amazon/
======
dpapathanasiou
A better comparison would be with Fresh Direct, not Webvan.
It looks like Amazon is focusing on a large yet concentrated local market
(Seattle).
As FD has demonstrated here in NYC, an efficient, local service _can_ work.
~~~
ecuzzillo
I'm betting (and hoping) they'll expand to more cities if the Seattle
operation succeeds.
------
ivankirigin
I can't believe people thought WebVan would make money because computer
scientists know how to solve a travelling salesman problem.
The asynchronous delivery is important -- cold storage for goods. I don't want
to wait for a delivery.
| {
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Bespin 0.4: Stop, Collaborate and Code - chanux
http://labs.mozilla.com/2009/08/bespin-0-4-stop-collaborate-and-code/
======
jiaaro
just tried it out... very cool project. My only concern is that you can't
check out a project bigger than 10 mb. Which would be find except that in
mercurial you ALWAYS checkout the entire project :(
Maybe they can add support for only pulling the data when you actually use the
file for something?
------
robryan
Looks very promising, first I have seen of it. Seems to be missing import and
export though currently?
| {
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Chart.js Personal Dashboard Challenge (July 11 deadline) - pjrobinson
http://chartjs.challengepost.com
======
notjustanymike
With libraries like this, my first question is always: "Why should I use you
instead of _________".
In this case, how are you better than Highcharts, NVD3, Google Charts, and
gRaphael?
~~~
samanthabtse
A thread in the d3-js group on nvd3 vs. rickshaw vs. chartjs:
[https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/d3-js/nvd3/d3-js/...](https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/d3-js/nvd3/d3-js/BZPDwRcOHsw/sjJ3iHJMFEcJ?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter)
| {
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C11, yo - reirob
http://lcinexile.blogspot.fr/2012/12/c11-yo.html
======
angersock
I support a lot of the language cleanup, but goddamnit can we either a.) bring
pitchforks to Redmond to get proper VS support, b.) bring pitchforks to
$CLANG_DEV_LOCATION to get proper Windows support for Clang thus obviating the
need for a, or c.) write some shims so that C11-ish features are available in
Windows.
:(
There is a world outside of Linux and mobile.
~~~
udp
There is indeed a world outside of Linux and mobile, and most of that world
doesn't have a problem working with C99 and C11. Windows is - as with many
other things - the exception, and it's getting tiresome.
There's no way Windows developers are going to stop using Visual Studio - and
rightly so, because it's a very good IDE. So there are basically three things
Microsoft could do to resolve this situation and let Windows developers make
use of modern C code:
1\. Update their C89 compiler to a newer C standard. This is unlikely, and
probably a lot of work for Microsoft (I'm guessing they'll be removing the C
compiler from one of the next releases of Visual Studio).
2\. Add support for essential C99/C11 features to their C++ compiler, such as
designated initializers. This would still force us to compile our C as C++ and
do nasty things like casting the return type of malloc, but it might be the
easiest solution.
3\. Switch to a modern, open source C compiler like Clang. I would be very
surprised if Microsoft would do anything like this (else IE would be using
WebKit already).
So we're basically forced to either butcher our C code to make it compile as
C++, or write C89. Or drop MSVC support, making our projects difficult for
Windows developers to work with.
~~~
norswap
Or choose the path of least resistance and use C++. Even if it is C-like C++.
Not that I wouldn't like to have MS to support C99 and C11 though.
~~~
jlarocco
That may work for developers writing their own projects on Windows, but
presents a problem when using other people's code.
Not many developers on Linux and OSX are going to hold out on using new
features just to coddle Windows users.
~~~
norswap
So Linux does not have C++ those day? (Just kidding.) But C++ definitely
matches C feature for feature, even tough the way or doing things are not
always the same.
------
buster
As someone who just started playing around with C++ after many many many years
of absence, i must say i am surprised how well it goes. I love the new "auto"
keyword for variable declarations. I had a hard time to get into pointer
arithmetics again but it's slowly coming back.
Also i took this opportunity to use LLVM/clang, Qt5, Qt Creator and all in all
i'm really surprised. I thought everything would be much more cumbersome, i'd
have to dig through terrible error messages or reinvent basic stuff on my own,
but so far the stdlib and Qt offer what i need.
If you're like me amd avoided C/C++ like the plague, i'd suggest you try again
next time, it may not be as bad as you remember :P
~~~
archangel_one
Just FYI: this article is about C11, not C++11. It was easier in the past when
their revisions came in different years ;-)
~~~
buster
I know, but it's slightly related :P
------
jstanley
"Variable-length arrays, alone, would save a tremendous amount of time and
energy"
That is, until you overflow the stack with no way to know if that's going to
happen and no way to recover if it does.
~~~
Someone
Firstly, that can happen with fixed-length arrays or even without arrays, too.
Secondly, I don't have access to the official standard, but it would surprise
me if it required VLA's to be stack allocated. That would give implementers of
the language too little leeway.
In fact, I see no clear reason why the standard would mention the word 'stack'
at all. A quick check of the candidate PDF of the standard seems to confirm
that, but that's not the real standard, and it may be a shortcoming of the iOS
PDF reader.
------
Aardwolf
I don't really see how variable length arrays save time? Those seem like a
feature that belongs in C++ but definitely not in C imho.
However, what I like to see in C are "//" style comments, declaring variables
at other places than start of scope, the integer types with bit size
specified, etc...
But the VLA's? They're created on the stack, right? So you'd need malloc for
large ones anyway.
What actually would save time (for the coder of course) in C, imho, would be a
way to automatically clean up resources no matter where you exit a scope or
function. Something like destructors do in C++. E.g. if you could type
something like "onleave free(myresource);" which would execute what you type
after "onleave" whenever the scope exits.
~~~
cjh_
Regarding your 'onleave' idea; go has a similar construct called defer [1], it
is exactly what you are talking about and (imo) is a really elegant way of
dealing with cleanup.
[1]<http://golang.org/doc/effective_go.html#defer>
------
comex
I love $new_C_stuff, but variable-length arrays are generally a security hole
waiting to happen. Be very careful before using them.
~~~
eridius
What do you mean by that? All I can think of is taking user-supplied input as
the length of the VLA, but I would hope anyone using VLAs are not stupid
enough to think that giving the user control over the size of their stack
frame is a good idea.
~~~
comex
I'd say that most of the time when you want an array whose size is variable,
the size relates in some way to user input. Your mileage may vary.
------
drv
"All the major C compilers have committed to implementing these features":
including MSVC, which doesn't even implement C99?
"Static compile-time assertions allow the use of sizeof() and friends" could
already be done with the preprocessor and typedefs; see e.g. C_ASSERT:
[http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-
us/library/windows/desktop/ms67...](http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-
us/library/windows/desktop/ms679289\(v=vs.85\).aspx) It will still be nice to
have a standard way to do it, though.
~~~
brigade
Microsoft doesn't consider themselves a C compiler vendor. They only ship a C
compiler because they shipped a C compiler.
Really, I think we'd be better off if they actually removed it from future
toolkit releases. That way no one would be confused into thinking that
Microsoft supported C.
------
tytso
Unfortunately, Variable Length Arrays (VLA's) are optional in C11. So use of
VLA's may lead to portability problems, especially if you care about your code
getting compiled on minority compilers.... such as MSVC.
For this reason I'm not planning on allowing the use of C11 features in
e2fsprogs, because I know there are people compiling libext2 so they can
access ext[234] filesystems using FUSE on Windows (and MacOS, but MacOS is at
least using a reasonable compiler).
------
cpeterso
Why are C11's char16_t and char32_t simply typedefs for uint16_t and uint32_t
instead of new distinct types? C++ needed a distinct char16_t type so
functions could be overloaded for both char16_t and uint16_t. I guess the C
standards committee wants to ease char16_t adoption for code that is already
using uint16_t for UTF-16.
------
pascal_cuoq
Variable length arrays:
If, because of parameters outside the programmer's control, a call to malloc()
fails to allocate an array of n doubles, it returns NULL.
If, because of parameters outside the programmer's control, the variable-
length definition “array double arr[n];” fails to allocate an array of n
doubles, the behavior is undefined.
Your choice.
~~~
popee
How do you "allocate" memory on stack? You can always do 'double
arr[huge_constant]' and, depending on resources, overflow heap data. Or with
recursion. Damn those bugs >:-)
The thing about C is that programmer should do check size before calling
function with double arr[n]. Isn't that point of C? On the other hand, user
can make fast stack allocation which, depending on situation, can be good.
Stack is insecure by default, OS should put it really far from other parts. In
embedded systems, well there you must always think about these kind of things.
Btw, how are (p)thread stacks implemented? Every thread has it's own stack,
that's ein interesting situation.
~~~
pascal_cuoq
> How do you "allocate" memory on stack?
I have no idea why you would be asking me this, unless you are quibbling over
the idiom associating the verb “allocate” and the complement “on the stack”,
in which case Google should be able to find you about 56000 uses, in context,
of this precise association.
> The thing about C is that programmer should > do check size before calling
> function with double arr[n]. > Isn't that point of C?
What part of “because of parameters outside the programmer's control” do you
not understand? What limit, in a portable C program, do you check the value of
n against before allocating a VLA of size n?
------
huhtenberg
No computed goto's :-/
------
lmm
>which drives coders away from C, which harms (a different type of)
portability.
I'd say writing as much code as possible in other languages (whether guile or
perl/python/ruby/java/...) improves portability. C code tends to be less
portable than that written in higher level languages.
~~~
EliRivers
I disagree. C compilers are everywhere. A C compiler is the standard tool
expected (and provided) with every embedded processor I've ever worked with.
As a rule of thumb, if a microprocessor is meant to be user-programmable, you
get a C compiler with it. It will be a long time before I get a Ruby
interpreter for a blackfin processor.
~~~
lmm
You get a C compiler sure, but will a given C program work on it?
Maybe not for ruby, but I'd certainly expect most new processors to run Java.
A quick search suggests there are ruby interpreters for blackfin - and if you
have a ruby interpreter you can be reasonably confident any given ruby program
will behave correctly on it.
~~~
tobiasu
There is a bare-metal ruby cross-compiler?
Or are you talking about the ruby interpreter written in C running on an OS
written in C?
Java is available? Again are we talking about a bare-metal Java compiler
(possibly supported by hardware being able to execute a subset of Java
natively), or the large collection of software written in C and C++ that is
supplied by Oracle?
~~~
lmm
Ruby interpreter written in C running on an OS written in C.
No this is not inconsistent; I said move as much code as possible away from C.
That which is impossible to move has to stay in C (and will probably be
responsible for 99% of the headaches when porting to a new architecture).
| {
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Show HN: Being Craftsman – A software developers handbook - hvd
http://hkelkar.com/2015/12/31/being-craftsman-the-book/
======
hvd
This is an ebook that I wrote based on my journey as a software engineer.
| {
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Food prices to rise by up to 40% over next decade - cwan
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jun/15/food-prices-rise-un-report
======
mrb
ALL PRICES are going to rise by up to 40% over the next decade. 40% over 10
years is just 3.4% per year. This is called inflation. Duh!
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
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Uzbl – Web Interface Tools Which Adhere to the Unix Philosophy - pcr910303
https://www.uzbl.org/
======
rcarmo
This is awesome and I used it for digital signage on the original Raspberry Pi
hardware for a long time ([https://github.com/rcarmo/digital-signage-
client](https://github.com/rcarmo/digital-signage-client)), but the WebKit
version became somewhat outdated.
Might be worth revisiting if your content renders on it...
------
cies
I miss examples on the website, both code samples and examples of what this
looks like. And since it is GUI related, i kinda expects at least some
screenshots.
~~~
Funes-
It's mind-boggling how many applications don't include screenshots, especially
considering how easy it is to take and upload them. Even if the given
application is CLI-based, I want to know how it looks like to quickly make
sense of how it operates!
------
Legogris
While I'm fond of uzbl, why is this posted now? The project is abandoned since
2018.
~~~
amphitheatre
I think people just find moderately interesting things online and post them on
HN to maybe revitalise them and give them some exposure, or, pessimistically
speaking, just in hopes to get some upvotes.
~~~
bryanrasmussen
I tend to hope for some discussion about the thing I'm posting that will be
like -
1\. as an expert on this subject this thing you posted is a waste of time or
not for these reasons
2\. X is nice but check out Y!
also as a LOCKSS principle I figure if I have a hard time finding it in my
bookmarks in the future maybe I can find it in my submissions.
------
rnhmjoj
If you are looking for something that's still maintained, there is a list
minimal browsers in the qutebrowser README [1], which is another keyboard-
based browser.
[1]: [https://github.com/qutebrowser/qutebrowser#similar-
projects](https://github.com/qutebrowser/qutebrowser#similar-projects)
------
brajeshgoswami
test
| {
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$1,000 Personal Genome Coming: Are We Ready? - jacquesm
http://www.webmd.com/news/20100429/1000-dollar-personal-genome-coming-are-we-ready
======
AngryParsley
Of course we're ready. Not knowing about a disease risk doesn't make it go
away. Yes, some people will be saddened by new knowledge of their genome. But
in the cost-benefit analysis, that downside is _overwhelmed by the massive
improvement in medical care_. Customized medicine. Preventative care.
Screening embryos for diseases. Etcetera etcetera. So many lives will be
saved. So many lives will be improved. So what if some irrational people feel
bad?
~~~
simplify
Who's going to pay for the curing of these diseases? Insurance companies? I'm
sure the more popular diseases will become cheap enough for anyone to afford,
but who's to say insurance companies won't deny you coverage to an uncommon
disease based on the information your genome gives?
~~~
AngryParsley
There's already a law preventing insurance companies and employers from
discriminating based on genetics:
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_Information_Nondiscrimi...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_Information_Nondiscrimination_Act)
------
akira_x
The benefits are huge of the knowledge learned with knowing your genome. My
fear is that it takes us one step closer to the society in Gattaca. I envision
that it will start in the sports world where athlete's genomes will be used to
determine their athletic potential. Its amazing that the cost is so low, but I
can't help but ponder the possible negatives.
~~~
hugh3
Everybody talks about the society in Gattaca as if it's a bad thing, but what
was really that bad about it? It kinda sucked for those who were born
unenhanced, but give it another fifty years and there probably won't be any of
those any more (they'll eventually figure out you can just freeze your sperm
and have a vasectomy at puberty).
For everybody else, life might not have been perfect, but it was a lot better
in many ways than life is today. It wasn't shown on screen, but they'd
presumably gotten rid of an awful lot of horrible genetic diseases, and
probably eradicated poverty by ensuring everybody has at least the minimum
intelligence level required to make a decent living.
Oh, and also: everyone was pretty.
~~~
JshWright
> and probably eradicated poverty by ensuring everybody has at least the
> minimum intelligence level required to make a decent living
So all we have to do to eliminate poverty is to get rid of the stupid people?
~~~
hugh3
That's my hypothesis, anyway.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Open-sourcing homomorphic hashing to secure update propagation - ingve
https://code.fb.com/security/homomorphic-hashing/
======
jawns
The post offers a brief explanation of homomorphic hashing:
> homomorphic hashing answers the question, “Given the hash of an input, along
> with a small update to that input, how can we compute the hash of the new
> input (with the update applied) without having to recompute the entire hash
> from scratch?” We use LtHash, a specific homomorphic hashing algorithm based
> on lattice cryptography, to create an efficiently updatable checksum of a
> database.
Imagine adding and subtracting hashes!
> For any two disjoint sets S and T, LtHash(S) + LtHash(T) = LtHash(S ∪ T).
This is cool because now you don't have to recompute from scratch a hash
representing a large array; you can just compute the hash of the parts you
update and perform addition and subtraction.
~~~
zzzcpan
Years ago I was trying to use Merkle trees for checksuming and synchronizing
database replicas, since everyone was doing it this way. It was immediately
obvious how impractical it was. So the first thing that came to mind was to
use a fixed sized Merkle tree (half trees or whatever they are called). It was
essentially an array of 64k hashes with each element storing a hash for a set
of database keys. That, however, required rescanning multiple keys on updates
and the number of keys depended on the database size. Of course this wasn't
going to work well. Naturally the same idea of adding and subtracting hashes
came to mind. Adding a hash of a key on update and subtracting on removal
allowed to completely eliminate reads from disk. And rescanning a particular
set of keys was only necessary during background synchronization and only when
a key was missing on a replica, which was pretty rare. Although I don't use
this approach anymore, it did work well and was trivial to implement.
------
dfox
I somehow fail to see why the example in the article needs the hash to have
some special property of homomophicity. When you represent the overall hash of
your dataset as a sum of individual item hashes it trivially follows that
change of one item means that you substract the hash of original version and
add the hash of new version.
Or am I missing something? (apart from the somewhat obvious security
implications of doing such a thing in the first place)
~~~
ivmaykov
Disclaimer: I’m one of the authors of the paper/blog post/code.
If you want to use signatures over the hash as proof of data set integrity,
you need two things. 1) you need to make sure that hash({a}) + hash({b}) ==
hash({a, b}). 2) ensure that hash() is collision resistant - in other words,
it needs to be computationally infeasible to find hash(S) == hash(T), S != T
for any sets S and T. We prove that LtHash with our choice of parameters has
this property in the paper (which is linked from the blog post).
~~~
dfox
My reading of the post is that the Hash({a, b}) is infact computed as Hash'(a)
+ Hash'(b) given that a and b are "rows". And thus my question is why Hash'
has to have any special properties.
~~~
ivmaykov
I can think of hash functions that are homomorphic, but are not secure. A
simple example is something like “sha256 each element separately and XOR all
the resulting hashes together.” This would not be collusion resistant.
We offer a proof that LtHash with our choice of parameters provides over 200
bits of security. You would have to read the paper for the details.
~~~
Scaevolus
I can see how you might lose collision resistance with a normal 256-bit hash
function, but it's not clear why a "stretched" hash with 2048 bytes of output
wouldn't work.
E: Ah, there it is, in the paper:
> However, Wagner [Wag02] later showed an attack on the generalized birthday
> problem which could be used to find collisions > for AdHash on an n-bit
> modulus in time O(2^(2√n)), and that the AdHash modulus needs to be greater
> > than 1600 bits long to provide 80-bit security. Lyubashevsky [Lyu05] and
> Shallue [Sha08] showed > how to solve the Random Modular Subset Sum problem
> (essentially equivalent to finding collisions > in AdHash) in time
> O(2^(n^ε)) for any ε < 1, which indicates that AdHash requires several more
> orders > of magnitude larger of a modulus just to provide 80-bit security.
| {
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Nuclear energy is in fact better than renewables (for us and the environment) - fsflover
https://www.reddit.com/r/unpopularopinion/comments/f278uo/nuclear_energy_is_in_fact_better_than_renewables/
======
mikece
One of the largest problems with nuclear, even bigger than the scientific
illiteracy about it which facilitates the spread of anti-nuclear hysteria, is
the red tape the industry faces. Another problem is the lack of
standardization among nuclear facilities. Both could be solved by adopting SMR
(small modular reactor) base nuclear. The cores are small enough that in a
power-down scenario they can passively cool themselves so there's zero chance
of a Fukushima-type primary loop rupture due to the cooling loop power being
lost. Also, if facilities are standardized, the cost to install a cluster of
ten 150MWe SMRs would cost HALF of what it would cost to install a single
1.5GWe large reactor. Also with standardization we can achieve economies of
scale driving the prices down further. For folks who live off the grid or have
a fondness for solar cells and wind turbines they can still use those but
nuclear fission for the base load can provide more than enough cheap
electricity for today and tomorrow -- even a tomorrow where _everyone_ drives
an electric car.
~~~
FuckButtons
But by having multiple small reactors you loose thermal efficiency and
generate more waste/killowathour. Whatever the technical issues involved
nuclear waste is such a political hot potato that all reasonable attempts to
deal with it have been dead in the water for the past half century. Increasing
that problem substantially is going to make a politically toxic problem worse.
~~~
08-15
Can you please not make up bullshit arguments? The size of a reactor has
virtually no impact on thermal efficiency, especially not if we're comparing
large (100MW) to very large (1GW). Even if there was a direct connection, a
few percent difference (something like 33% vs. 36%) is not increasing the
waste problem (which is not a problem to begin with) "substantially".
~~~
dpoochieni
I think he meant waste as in Radioactive waste.
~~~
08-15
Of course he did. 10% more or less of it for the same amount of electricity
doesn't make the difference between a manageable problem and an insurmountable
one. (It's a manageable problem, obviously.)
~~~
dpoochieni
Don't know the details but consider even if it were 10% more of it, what if it
currently (directly and indirectly) is 80% of nuclear energy's cost. You would
be talking about an almost 50% hit to the profitability of such a proposal.
~~~
08-15
Yeah, what if thing were totally unlike what they are.
The cost of current nuclear power is almost entirely capital cost and
operations. Handling the tiny amount of radwaste is cheap (something like
0.1ct/kWh). It's much more expensive than it needs to be, because the
governments declared that they would take care of the waste and then acted the
way governments always do.
And then there are people like you, who talk about mysterious unquantifiable
"indirect" costs that are tacitly assumed to be approximately infinite. But
that's just FUD, a glass log on the sea floor doesn't cause any cost. (If it's
so easy, why aren't we doing it? See above.)
~~~
dpoochieni
>The cost of current nuclear power is almost entirely capital cost and
operations.
Missing the point: how do the capital and operational costs scale with plant
size in MW? It is ridiculous to assume they scale linearly throughout a big
range so certain plant sizes will be more economical. It's all good, few
people develop this kind of thought or are in a position requiring them to do
so
~~~
08-15
What? That isn't even remotely related to the point you tried (and failed) to
make!
At no reactor size is waste management a significant fraction of the cost. It
may become a larger fraction with future developments, but never a large
fraction.
------
crmrc114
I think the only concern is the US has no high-yield disposal plan like other
nations. Since yucca mountain got NIMBY'ed we had had reactors pumping out
waste only to be stockpiled on the surface in casks that were not designed for
long term exposure.
This is only something I know from watching docmentiries so if you know more
on the lifecycle of waste in the US please let me know how much of this is
true.
~~~
danpalmer
The mid term plan is that generation 5 reactors should be producing much less
waste that is less radioactive for less time. They do this by closing the
cycle and reusing waste again and again.
The end result is expected to be waste with a half life of around 100 years.
This means a feasible option is to just stick it in a warehouse for 300 years.
The danger isn’t proximity to the waste, a concrete container is plenty, the
danger is a 100,000 year half life meaning we need to solve for geological
time scales. With modern reactors that will no longer be the case.
We’re not quite there yet, but research was getting there until much
investment stopped in the last 10 years due to public dislike of nuclear
power. Renewables are doing really well in some countries now which is great,
but I do think this would be a good, feasible, safe backup plan.
~~~
blackrock
Give Elon a contract to launch the nuclear waste into space, and hurl it into
the heart of the sun.
~~~
fsflover
And what happens in the unlikely case of failure of the shuttle?
~~~
crmrc114
Nun Soup?
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOUFdQmLVR8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOUFdQmLVR8)
------
elric
So what's going on with travelling wave reactors? There was a lof of hype
around them a few years ago, and then nothing?
------
ta17711771
Have yet to receive a solid response to this comment the last 5 times I've
posted it, but, I think Fukushima residents would disagree.
~~~
danpalmer
Yeah, and I’d rather not fly on a DC10.
Nuclear reactor technology has come a long way since the 60s. It’s much safer.
Fukushima had multiple reactors, it was only the oldest that had any problems,
the rest were fine.
~~~
renox
The thing is with the huge clean-up cost of Fukushima and Tchernobyl somehow I
doubt that nuclear energy cost can be economical..
Plus in France we're not able to build a nuclear central for the projected
cost, yet we price energy as if we are able to dismantle them for the
projected cost, mmmh.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Gas Pump Skimmer Sends Card Data via SMS - kawera
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2017/07/gas-pump-skimmer-sends-card-data-via-text/
======
basicplus2
Why wouldn't they just put switches on all access panels that set off an alarm
as soon as they are opened? Cheap and effective.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Rising Costs: Is Uber’s Market-Demand Pricing Ethical? - adampludwig70
http://techonomy.com/2013/07/rising-costs-is-ubers-market-demand-pricing-ethical/
======
orangecat
Absolutely. Raising prices during high demand increases supply by encouraging
more drivers to work, and it signals to customers that they should consider
other options before using one of the currently scarce cars. I credit them for
taking the socially optimal action, even though they probably knew they'd get
backlash from economically ignorant critics.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Yes, You Have Been Writing SPSC Queues Wrong - NotThe1Pct
http://www.vitorian.com/x1/archives/370
======
tbirdz
I know the author doesn't intend this code to be "production ready", but I
just wanted to point a problem that may not be completely obvious, if you are
trying to use this structure for multithreaded communication.
The structure declares the read and write indices like so:
std::atomic<IndexT> read_idx;
std::atomic<IndexT> write_idx;
These two variables are going to be stored next to each other in memory. If
IndexT is say a 32-bit int, then the read_idx and write_idx will be 4 bytes
each. A cache line is 64 bytes on intel, so these two variables are going to
end up on the same cache line.
The problem with this, is that cache coherence protocols work on the
granularity of lines, not bytes. So when one core writes to anywhere on the
line (for example the producer to write_idx), then the other core (say the
consumer core) has to invalidate its cache entry for that line, and get the
new value off the bus, or maybe even hit memory.
Regardless of the specifics, the point is the consumer and producer cores can
no longer independently write to their respective variables. Whenever they
write to their variable, it will cause some cache coherence operations to be
done to update the line that variable is in, in the other core.
This is false sharing, since the producer and consumer don't actually need to
access the others variable. The cores are just forced to share access to the
variables because the variables are on the same cache line.
This can really have a big impact for multithreaded workloads, and bring down
the overall thread throughput.
One solution is to add some padding between the variables. Something like:
std::atomic<IndexT> read_idx;
unsigned char pad[64];
std::atomic<IndexT> write_idx;
will do. That will put the variables on different cache lines. And you might
want to pad out some other variables to different cache lines as well.
~~~
NotThe1Pct
Yes, it's not meant to be production ready. Still, the padding you added is
particular to Intel/AMD CPUs and this article is more about constrained
memory/embedded.
On Intel you would not care about the missing slot when you have 256GB memory
available.
I've added the atomic<> in the github and updated the article as well.
However with atomic<> it adds an mfence instruction which is not really
necessary and might add a ton of latency.
~~~
gpderetta
You can specify the memory ordering of operations to get the desired fences.
For an spsc queue just load aquires and store releases are sufficient and will
have no overhead at all on x86.
Don't use operator++ to increment ( it will use an expensive lock xadd) just
code the explicit load + add + store sequence. It is safe on this specific
case.
------
rkevingibson
I'm curious what you think the problems are that unbounded indices causes?
Unsigned overflow is well defined in C++, so I don't see the problem here.
AFAIK, the only issue would be with requiring power of 2 sizes.
~~~
loeg
Yeah. Just requires power of 2 sizes and handling of write_idx < read_idx.
~~~
ashtuchkin
AFAIK write_idx < read_idx case is handled automatically by doing the unsigned
subtraction.
Power of 2 requirement stands, though.
~~~
gpderetta
Yes, this exact trick is used for tcp sequence numbers, for example, which are
allowed to overflow, and as long as the unack'd bytes are less than 2 __31
everything works fine as long as computation is done with unsigned integers.
~~~
gpderetta
(too late to edit)
HN ate my asterisks. s/231/2^31/
------
jessaustin
Why is push() checking for overlap? I thought not caring about that was the
point of a ring buffer?
[EDIT:] To clarify for those who didn't (couldn't?) read TFA's first sentence,
it specifically invokes "I've been writing ring buffers wrong all these years"
[0], recently featured on HN.
[0] [https://www.snellman.net/blog/archive/2016-12-13-ring-
buffer...](https://www.snellman.net/blog/archive/2016-12-13-ring-buffers/)
~~~
LgWoodenBadger
I can't read the site because it's blocked for me, but isn't a ring-buffer a
different class of data-structure than a queue? AIUI, queues are for non-lossy
FIFO behavior.
~~~
loeg
No, ring buffers are just an implementation of a queue. You can implement
lossy/lossless ring buffers or linked-list queues.
------
decker
I didn't see the referenced article and initially thought this was going to be
a post about not using volatile instead of atomic load / store.
I suppose this could be a useful implementation, however, it's not clear how
useful it would be since the main place it has an impact is if you have a
large number of very small queues. The overhead associated with the unused
element is sizeof(T) / (sizeof(T) * n + sizeof(RingBuffer) + malloc_overhead),
where T is likely to be at most the size of a pointer on the platform. If we
assume a standard x86-64 platform with a sizeof(T) to be 8, we can eyeball the
struct and guess that GCC will probably spit out a 24 byte structure since
it's going to want 8-byte alignment on the T* after the uint32 values. On top
of that, not counting malloc overhead, the array will take up n * sizeof(T)
bytes. For regular malloc, the overhead on an 8 byte allocation is going to be
an extra 12 bytes (according to malloc.c). Assuming we are allocating our ring
buffer on the stack, this brings our total size up to 48 bytes for the
"correct" ring buffer vs 56 bytes for the "wrong" ring buffer. Actual savings
will be at most 14% and go to 0% as the size of the buffer goes to infinity,
proportional to 1 / n, which is less than what one might assume. Consequently,
this means that for any buffer over length 2, the power of two buffer size
requirement will likely waste more memory than it saves since we are saving at
most 8 bytes, but losing the difference between a power of two and the desired
queue size, so odds are it makes more sense to write a 1 or 2 element ring
buffer as a special case than to use this implementation for all ring buffers.
~~~
NotThe1Pct
Quite frankly I wrote this more like an exercise. I have never used it in
practice other than the github test. I saw people picking up on the other post
and didn't really like the indices going unbounded. Then I spent a few minutes
thinking how to solve it.
While I think the implementation per se is not that useful (I agree with you),
I believe the actual trick can be reused in a different situation or type of
container.
Check out the github repo now, I added a choice of allocator. That is nice
because the main use of this kind of tool is when you have a slab of mapped
memory that you go partitioning.
------
jstapels
I honestly don't see how any of these implementations are better than simply
using a bool to track whether the queue is empty or not (as suggested in one
of the comments on the original article). You could even use the highest bit
of the write index to store the bool value if memory was an issue.
~~~
buzzybee
Some of these implementations also reduce the number of branches, which is
generally a good performance idea in modern pipelined, branch-predicting CPUs,
but not possible in all cases or even a guaranteed win for performance.
FWIW I checked what I did with the last ring buffer I wrote: I used position +
length to eke out that last cell. As the original article notes, it's not a
concurrency-friendly solution, but I wasn't writing for that in this case.
------
andars
This link: [http://www.sunburst-
design.com/papers/CummingsSNUG2002SJ_FIF...](http://www.sunburst-
design.com/papers/CummingsSNUG2002SJ_FIFO1.pdf) was posted in the previous
discussion on ring buffers. It provides a solution that seems to me to be the
best of any I have seen. See page 2, section 2.2. For a buffer of size 2^N,
use N+1 bit indices. If all bits of the indices are equal, the buffer is
empty. If all but the most significant are equal, the buffer is full.
~~~
danbruc
That is essentially what this implementation does, too, wrapping pointers
after twice the size which is just another way of saying using one additional
bit.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Finding data items in one field that contradict data items in another field - eaguyhn
https://www.polydesmida.info/BASHing/2018-09-30.html
======
codeulike
Ok so the title of the blog is 'Data ops in the Linux command line'. Sounds
fun, but in the same way that 'paintball with blindfolds' would be fun.
e.g. this is one of the examples - a kindof sanity check on two fields in a
tab separated file to see if one is less than the other. The fields are
identified by their position (31, 33 etc)
awk -F"\t" 'NR>1 && $31!="" && $33!="" && $33>$31' fish | wc -l
Surely much better to just import it into a database and do the analysis in
SQL. The SQL equivalent of the above would be something like:
SELECT *
FROM FishSpecimenData
WHERE MinDepth > MaxDepth
AND MinDepth is not null AND MaxDepth is not null
If you're worried about type conversions while importing into SQL, just import
everything as a varchar. You've still got a fairly easy job to compare the
numbers:
SELECT *
FROM FishSpecimenData
WHERE Cast(MinDepth as int) > Cast(MaxDepth as int)
AND MinDepth is not null AND MaxDepth is not null
AND IsNumeric(MinDepth) = 1 and IsNumeric(MaxDepth) = 1
edit: To be fair, on this page
[https://www.polydesmida.info/cookbook/index.html](https://www.polydesmida.info/cookbook/index.html)
the author explains the rationale for using command line tools:
_I 'm a retired scientist and I've been mucking around with data tables for
nearly 50 years. I started with printed columns on paper (and a calculator)
before moving to spreadsheets and relational databases (Microsoft Access,
Filemaker Pro, MySQL, SQLite). In 2012 I discovered the AWK language and
realised that every processing job I'd ever done with data tables could be
done faster and more simply on the command line. Since then my data tables
have been stored as plain text and managed with GNU/Linux command-line tools,
especially AWK_
So I guess the point of the blog is to promote that approach. Fair enough.
~~~
gjulianm
I don't think it's much better to use SQL, it's literally killing flies with
nuclear bombs. Awk does the job perfectly well and you don't have to spin up a
SQL database, import the data, deal with any possible problem when importing
the data. I don't know why a lot of people have this aversion to the console
when it can do the job fairly well, specially in these cases where you just
want a quick check.
~~~
mercer
How would SQLite fare in regards to your concerns? You won't have to 'spin up'
a database and importing from various sources, AFAIK, is pretty easy these
days (and OP even goes out of their way to deal with VARCHAR fields).
It strikes me as much easier than having to figure out Awk, but that's
assuming most people are more likely to know SQL and/or use it in the future.
I mean, I'd be happy to try and solve the problem with Awk because it's been
high on my list of things to learn, but SQL does seem like an easier solution
in most cases.
~~~
gjulianm
You still have to create the SQLite database and have the client handy. Awk is
there by default in all *nix systems, and for these basic tasks it's
incredibly easy (see
[http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~dholland/computers/awk.html](http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~dholland/computers/awk.html)
for a quick intro). Once you know it you can use it to process a lot of text
files in the console without any kind of worry. Maybe it's a preprocess step
before importing data to a database, maybe you're just exploring a dataset,
maybe you want to modify some command's output in the middle of a pipe.
I learned awk a few years ago and it does not have equivalent when the only
thing you want to do is to consume column-based text and do some simple
processing: it is simple and incredibly fast.
~~~
mercer
Thanks for the link and the motivation to keep reading the AWK book I started
a while ago!
------
lolc
Oh I thought the article would be about scientific fields. Not data fields. I
became increasingly irritated about the pedantry before I realized that this
was the topic.
Once the confusion lifted I could enjoy the read.
~~~
stephengillie
Last week I signed a lease that stated "Mold have existed since the beginning
of time." While scientifically inaccurate, I believe legally it is close
enough.
~~~
NullPrefix
Is that a waiver so you could agree to live in a moldy house? Do you have an
option of not living there?
Fixing your health issues could cost more than the savings you get from living
in that shack.
~~~
stephengillie
Mold can become a bad issue if your bathroom isn't ventilated after showers.
I've rented for decades in WA State and every lease I've signed has had a mold
clause. The building was built 4 years ago; I watched them build it.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
The Dangerous Folly of “Software as a Service” - signa11
http://esr.ibiblio.org/?p=8338
======
quickthrower2
It's not that proprietary or SaaS (PaaS, Iaas, etc.) is bad, it is a case of
thinking through what you will do when (not if!) the provider decides to shut
you down.
You can get shut down for any number of reasons, and you may not know why.
Google is renowned for closing accounts so you lose everything laterally where
you rely on the G, Paypal is renowned for freezing money for months. A cloud
provider shut us down at work for a day because we got dished up a IP that
someone else had abused minutes earlier. So yeah whoever you use, eventually
and problematically they will f' you over. They will give you down time (temp
or permanent) and/or they'll leak your data.
So with that in mind you need mitigation. Not necessarily run your own racks
full of only GNU software on open source schematic hardware using batteries &
solar panels, but bear in mind what to do if the provider messes you up. For
somethings you might have it tuned up beautifully where a DNS entry with a 60s
TTL switches you over from AWS to Azure and it's all running nicely again, and
you set up DO as your next fallback.
For other things, it might be a case of 'well we will need an engineer to port
it all over, might take 1-2 hours but we know how to do it'. Whatever it is it
needs planning.
Of course it's horses for courses, and most start ups would weigh up the risk
of being hung to dry by their SaaS versus the much higher risk of simply not
succeeding financially.
But boycotting cloud / SaaS might be a business mistake. However if you are
doing it for philosophical reasons I guess that is different.
~~~
quickthrower2
Timely:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20077421](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20077421)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Update – We’re unable to offer upgrade pricing for Mac App Store purchases - nickmain
http://www.omnigroup.com/blog/entry/update-no-upgrade-pricing-for-mac-app-store-purchases
======
yapcguy
_" We are not allowed to distribute updates through other channels to apps
which were purchased from the App Store."_
The solution is simple.
All Mac developers should stop selling through the App Store, regain control
of the distribution channel, and leave the Mac App Store barren of quality
applications.
Until Mac developers have leverage, Apple will continue taking their 30% cut
and enforcing rules which suit them and not the developers.
EDIT:
Just wanted to add...
What are developers going to do when Apple says every single new API in
Mavericks can only be used if the app is sold through the Mac App Store? This
has already happened with the iCloud SDK, so it's likely they will continue on
this path.
What if one day Apple says you can only have a developer certificate if your
apps are sold exclusively through the Mac App Store?
~~~
routelastresort
... or switch back to Linux, and just download everything you need, without
encumbrances like this. I recently switched back on all of my OSX and Windows
machine, and it feels great. Only through years of contributions to open
source projects, and hanging my head in shame can I ever be redeemed. Oh, and
_Steam_ is only going to get better!
~~~
__--__
I still haven't found a linux distro that doesn't eventually resort to me
fudging with xrandr for a week trying to get multiple monitors working
correctly. Granted, this was 3 years ago. Have any linux distros solved the
problem of configuring multiple monitors using a gui yet?
~~~
eropple
_> Have any linux distros solved the problem of configuring multiple monitors
using a gui yet?_
For two monitors on one video card, things are pretty okay on Ubuntu and
derivatives. More than that, especially 3+ with non-uniform geometries, and
you will have fun. If you have multiple video cards, you will have even more
fun.
~~~
rurounijones
I have two nVidia cards in SLI powering 3 monitors.
Setup was pretty simple using the binary nVidia drivers on Kubuntu, 0 config
file wrangling.
Now, having those three monitors in non-uniform geometries is something I
wouldn't even consider tackling
[EDIT]
Kubuntu 12.04
All monitors in a single X Session and automatic application window sizing
works as you would expect in KDE
(i.e. Maximising a window maximises to the current monitor only and being able
to drag to right side of one monitor causes the window to use up half of the
current monitor)
~~~
eropple
Can you get them all in the same X session? I've never tried SLI, I generally
just upgrade to a beefier main card and use a second card to drive extra
monitors. I have an HD6970 and an HD6450 on 4 monitors that work _great_ under
OS X (Hackintosh'd) and Windows and things go extremely sideways under Ubuntu.
~~~
dripton
I had 3 monitors / 2 Nvidia cards working fine in Kubuntu 11.04 and 12.04. All
one X session. It was easy. But that was with uniform geometry. (I had 3
identical monitors.) Haven't tried non-uniform.
------
Spooky23
Boo hoo. The people paying $80 for todo list management don't need upgrade
pricing. If they do, maybe charging a less insane price would make the App
Store issue moot.
Building stuff for Apple products is like dating and being madly in love with
someone who doesn't love you. Everything is great until they don't need you
anymore.
Remember the independent resellers of Apple products, who operated actual
physical stores selling Macs before they were cool again? You may not, because
Apple basically shot them in the head when try opened Apple Retail stores.
Remember the Mac OEMs?
Apple is building two sales channels, one that makes them 30%, one that makes
them 0%. They've told you that they make many more dollars with walled garden
products built on iOS, and are porting key iOS features to Mac OS -- features
that also require that sales channel that makes them richer.
So if you develop software for Mac, you shouldn't be surprised when Apple
abuses you -- Apple doesn't need you.
~~~
pornel
> The people paying $80 for todo list management don't need upgrade pricing.
Omni makes good products that are (IMHO) worth $80, and paying full price for
an upgrade is unfair whether that's an $80 app or a $3.99 app.
The problem isn't that software costs $80, it's that giving up freedom to use
AppStore ends up hurting users and developers.
~~~
bradleyland
I'm not sure this is the kind of thing that can be categorized as fair or
unfair. The upgrade-pricing model follows the rationale that users pay a
higher up-front cost for software, then each upgrade is a maintenance fee to
support continued improvement of the software. The flat-cost model spreads the
cost of continued software development equally over all users.
The feeling of whether or not this is "fair" depends upon whether you're a new
user or an existing user. With the upgrade-pricing model, new users are
confronted with a much lower price point, which is unavailable to them. This
can be a significant psychological barrier to purchase execution. However,
existing users are more likely to feel appreciated and stick with the product
because they receive favorable pricing.
With the flat-cost model, you have the inverse. New users no longer feel
marginalized, but existing users may consider alternatives at each time-of-
purchase for upgrades.
Apple's vision of flat-cost pricing dictates that the price point should be
held as low as possible, increasing accessibility from a broader market. With
software, there are no incremental costs, so your price point is a matter of
supply/demand tuning. There are countless blog articles on this subject.
While there isn't consensus on which model (flat-cost vs upgrade-pricing) is
the most successful, each has its pros and cons for consumers. I don't think
either could be characterized as fair or unfair.
~~~
Spooky23
It's a model optimized for the platform owner -- who only gives a shit about
aggregate demand. That app you worked on is no different than an a music track
to them.
------
kcase
Not being able to offer the same discounted upgrade pricing to all our
customers no matter where they purchased is obviously disappointing for us.
But it just means we're back to the same state of affairs as I outlined in my
original blog post from the launch of the Mac App Store:
[http://www.omnigroup.com/blog/entry/mac_app_store_or_omnis_o...](http://www.omnigroup.com/blog/entry/mac_app_store_or_omnis_online_store_your_choice/)
As I said in that original post:
"The Mac App Store is the most convenient way to buy our software, letting you
purchase, download, and install our apps with just one step, and easily update
our apps at the same time as you update other apps you've purchased from the
the store.
"But to be clear, the Mac App Store is not the only way to buy our software:
we'll continue to offer direct sales and updates through our own website as
well. Through our website, we can offer much more flexible terms and options:
trial and beta downloads, upgrade pricing, and discounts for volume, bundle,
and educational purchases.
"No matter which way you buy our software, you'll be getting the same product:
all of our Mac App Store apps are exactly the same as the apps we sell through
our website (except for a few minor changes made to work with the store).
We'll also keep future updates to our apps in sync—apps you've purchased
directly through us will continue to update themselves as they always have,
while App Store updates will appear on the App Store (after a slight delay due
to the App Store's review process). And either way, you'll have the same great
support from our team here at Omni."
~~~
timeuser
Can you offer any more detail on what you were specifically forbidden from
doing? Is it that you aren't allowed to offer updates outside of the App Store
to App Store purchased apps? Or is it the method you were using with
OmniKeyMaster that was disallowed?
Do you think Apple would allow other ways of supporting upgrade pricing
between two versions of an App Store app possibly through in app purchase or
similar?
------
kybernetyk
> We are not allowed to distribute updates through other channels to apps
> which were purchased from the App Store.
> Update: Unfortunately, we’ve had to remove OmniKeyMaster from our website
> and can no longer offer upgrade pricing to App Store customers.
So, what happened here? Did Apple threaten to close Omni's app store account?
Because:
The Omni Key Master is an app that is not distributed through the app store.
Also when a user buys an upgrage he will only receive updates through Omni's
website and not the app store. So the upgraded apps should be out of Apple's
reach.
So what happened here? Did Apple legal write a strongly worded email to Omni?
------
stevoski
The Mac App Store does provide something of value: app hosting, oh-so-easy
purchasing (just enter a password, as Apple has your credit card details on
file), app delivery, license management.
But the downsides. Boy, the downsides. And they take a 30% cut of the gross
price.
It would be really nice if there was an alternative App store, which offered
the similar benefits, was cheaper for developers, was curated, but was more
developer-friendly.
~~~
jeena
There is [http://appbodega.com/](http://appbodega.com/) but, yeah, nobody buys
there anything.
~~~
bradleyland
Which underscores the single greatest value of the App Store: the market.
Apple has built a population of dedicated users who are willing to spend
money. They did this by building a product that asks consumers to spend a
little more to get a little more. Now they've created a channel through which
developers can access those consumers directly through the host operating
system, and they charge a fee for that.
When you look at alternative marketplaces, it becomes clear that the value of
the App Store is more than just "app hosting, oh-so-easy purchasing (just
enter a password, as Apple has your credit card details on file), app
delivery, license management".
------
josephlord
It is additional work but I believe something should be possible on iOS7 and
Mavericks. If I remember correctly you will now be able to get the original
purchase receipt including the date of the purchase not just the receipts for
the in-app purchases. If you can separate out some or all of the feature
upgrades and disable them when the original purchase was before date of
upgrade release unless an in-app purchase is made for the upgrade price.
Won't this work? I realise that it doesn't come without effort to set it up
and to test the software in two modes but at least bug fixes can go to
everyone without two releases.
Up to now I don't think there has been a way to identify when the initial app
purchase happened.
------
protomyth
The problem is Apple doesn't currently care about paid upgrades. They don't
sell software that way (witness the new Logic).
Developers need to do things to ensure the loyalty of old customers while
pricing their software so they can make a living. So the starting price +
upgrade pricing model works great. Customer feel like they got a bargain for
being loyal and the developer gets to eat.
Apple doesn't need to do that. So they won't build it for developers. Given
the iCloud API thing, I would imagine this is going to continue to get more
restrictive.
~~~
peterkelly
> The problem is Apple doesn't currently care about paid upgrades
Given that they would make 30% of the upgrade price, I'm surprised they're not
actively _encouraging_ this.
~~~
Alphasite_
You seem to be under the mistaken impression that apple cares about the money,
at the scale the MAS operates at, its nothing to write home about. So i doubt
very much that they plan on changing anything at the current time.
------
gojomo
It'd be ugly and put other burdens on the pricing strategy and support
permutations, but perhaps app-makers so trapped could approximate their
desired result via:
(1) offer a reduced-functionality "version N" to everyone, but for the desired
'upgrade' price. (Essentially, this might only have the features of the prior
N-1 version.)
(2) offer an in-app purchase unlocking full/pro features, priced at the delta
between their desired "full Version N price" and what was already paid
(3) give owners of the previous "N-1 Version" a code that gives them the in-
app purchase benefits for free
Maybe Apple would still object... but since the entire process happens inside
Apple's system, paying Apple's commissions, advancing the use of Apple's in-
app purchase mechanisms, maybe they'd be OK with it.
~~~
timeuser
How do you propose accomplishing (3) that isn't a difficult confusing mess for
users and verifies they are indeed an owner of the n-1 version?
~~~
gojomo
The prior version creates a unique proof-of-ownership code (perhaps on
request, after consulting the vendor's server).
That code is either cut & pasted, or custom-URL-handler'ed, over to the new
install, unlocking the same features as an in-app-purchase. (Or maybe there's
a bounce through Safari, somehow leveraging its offer-to-launch-or-install
functionality to minimize the steps, or through the vendor's own servers keyed
by opt-in email address. Lots of possibilities, really.)
~~~
timeuser
As I said in my other response it seems likely Apple won't allow these upgrade
schemes any more than they are allowing Omni to do upgrades around the App
Store. Why would they block what Omni was doing entirely outside of the App
Store and allow apps distributed through the App Store to accomplish something
similar?
~~~
gojomo
Because outside the App Store, Apple doesn't get their cut, and external
payments or software-deliveries don't bind people to the habit of App Store
purchases and in-app purchases.
With this pseudo-upgrade process, even as convoluted as it is, it all remains
inside Apple's system.
I suppose the key question is: does Apple allow promotions that give some
people the same effect as in-app purchases, while others still have to make
the paid purchase? (I think they do.) I could see Apple objecting _if_ the
feature-turn-on is in any way a reward for outside-of-App-Store valuable
behavior - that's circumventing Apple's role.
But if it's an extra bonus for an earlier in-App-Store action – the N-1
version purchase – Apple's role hasn't been circumvented. In a way, it's been
reinforced. So the same logic driving the prior veto wouldn't apply.
~~~
timeuser
Perhaps. It's an interesting theory. I've seen it claimed in the past that
Apple has given explicit permission to activate in app purchasable features
through other means such as contacting a developer's server with an unlock
code. I'm still leery of going through the effort to build and support a
kludgy solution like that and still have the risk of Apple not approving of
it.
------
yaddayadda
Seems like this is a case study for "Android is for startups"
[http://blog.audobox.com/android-is-for-
startups/](http://blog.audobox.com/android-is-for-startups/)
~~~
radley
Hardly - we have the same problem with the Play Store
------
jeena
It was so obvious when I read about it here
[http://brooksreview.net/2013/08/omnikeymaster-upgrade-
pricin...](http://brooksreview.net/2013/08/omnikeymaster-upgrade-pricing-for-
mac-app-store-customers/) just the other day.
Why would Apple build a distribution channel and then let people upgrade apps
outside of it without getting their cut? I think this was obvious for the Omni
guys too, they just wanted this problem to get some publicity.
~~~
stinky613
They kind of have to because the App Store doesn't allow paid upgrades.
There's no way to offer two prices (upgrade price and full retail price) for
an app.
EDIT: The in-between choice would be moving to SaaS (see Adobe), but that's
another discussion entirely
~~~
pudquick
As a counterpoint, the App Store also implicitly encourages an "infinite major
versions updates" pricing model vs. minor point release updates = free, major
= paid upgrade.
In order to do something like that in the App Store, you have to make your
next major version listed as a completely separate app ID. Almost no one does
this because everyone in the App Store ecosystem expects new version = hit
Update All - and the few times I've seen this done, it resulted in nothing but
negative App Store reviews.
By not providing anything other than a single purchase price, Apple has not
just discouraged the upgrade price model - they've discouraged everything but
a one-time flat price or admitting to the customers that they're truly a SaaS
model (by forcing the developer to do it as an in-app subscription purchase).
I prefer this simplicity.
------
hayksaakian
Why not offer rebates to users of the old version instead?
~~~
wmf
It's likely that Apple would veto that as well.
~~~
hayksaakian
How much control do they really have over your business? If amazon can
redirect its customers to its site to work around this level of control, why
can't they do the same and give licensed users apple gift cards to cover the
upgrade vs full price difference?
------
ryan-allen
Maybe they could do rebates? Like you purchase an app via the app-store and if
they have a record of you owning it they can refund some of the money?
------
jchimney
Yup, Apple needs to fix this. Doesn't seem like a difficult engineering
problem on the surface. Just fix it.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Seagate ST506 (The First 5.25“ Hard Disk Drive) - peter_d_sherman
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ST506/ST412
======
peter_d_sherman
Excerpt:
"The ST506 HDD was the first 5.25 inch hard disk drive, introduced in 1980[2]
by Shugart Technology (now Seagate Technology). It stored up to _5 megabytes_
after formatting and cost US$1,500 (equivalent to $4,561 in 2018).[3] The
similar, 10-megabyte ST412 HDD was introduced in late 1981. The ST225 was
introduced shortly thereafter with 20 megabytes and half the height. All three
used MFM encoding, a widely used coding scheme. A subsequent extension of the
ST412 interface, the ST412HP interface, used RLL encoding for a 50% increase
in capacity and bit rate.
The ST506 drive connected to a computer system through a disk controller. The
ST506 interface between the controller and drive was derived from the Shugart
Associates SA1000 interface,[4] which was in turn based upon the floppy disk
drive interface,[5] thereby making disk controller design relatively easy.[2]
The ST412 interface was adopted by numerous HDD manufacturers such that the
interface became a de facto industry standard for disk drives[6] well into the
1990s."
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
What if JavaScript wins? - thisisit
https://medium.com/@anildash/what-if-javascript-wins-84898e5341a
======
Someone1234
Mark my words, Web ASM will be just as opaque as traditional assembly
languages. Which is to say that we'll shift the problem from "JavaScript is
bad" to "I cannot debug this," "I cannot see what this script does," "I lost
the original source code, and now I have to reverse engineer WASM! Help!"
WASM isn't a panacea. Much like Flash, Java Applets, and ActiveX it is just
the newest in a long line of Magic Blobs™ that supposedly solve all of our
problems. Sooner or later it will become so complex that even the prospect of
manually reviewing WASM will be seen as more unrealistic than a simple re-
write based on input/output conditions.
~~~
bitsoda
WASM is a compilation target. Think of it as a little machine in the browser
you're writing code for. While you technically could write direct WASM code,
the idea here is to have other languages compile to it, which you could then
debug as normal.
Outside of needing some extreme performance optimization, most web developers
should never need to read or write WASM code.
~~~
rounce
> WASM is a compilation target.
Like the VM in the Flash runtime that runs ActionScript bytecode. Part of the
GP's point still stands regarding MagicBlob™s. That said, it does differ
(massively) in that it doesn't cast the spell of being a closed proprietary
format: primarily driven by motivations of it's owner rather than the benefit
of it's community.
------
bitL
Use JavaScript or its wrappers (TypeScript, Dart etc.) just to glue modules
written in C++ or other sane language, compiled into WASM. That's the future.
JavaScript's role will be diminishing, paradoxically when it is now becoming
an actually usable language, e.g. finally removing callback hell by
async/await, adding some "borrowed" stuff from Scala etc.
------
kapv89
For me, as a founder of a young startup, the overarching benefit of being
proficient in modern JS and sorrounding tooling is that I can use the same
language for my whole stack(servers, web, Android, iOS), and spend more time
thinking about the product and business. In the possible future where the
company grows enough where it needs a distributed server software, the only
part of the product that'd be changing would be the backend, and I'd probably
look at Java for that. For the rest, React(& react-native) + graphql + a
typesystem is a pretty good stack for UI software.
~~~
bitL
You literally restrict yourself to one of the worst languages ever designed.
What could be solved with elegance and without demoralizing your staff in 5
minutes in some other language, in JavaScript it might require "sailing to
Africa and back" to achieve the same (though I must say it has improved a bit
recently from the insanity it used to be). On paper it might look good to you,
but the reality is very different and you are making yourself seriously
restricted in competing with other companies using more sane languages.
Not to mention the web stack changes every single year completely, node has
scalability and versioning issues, and you end up relying on quickly changing
pieces of code you have zero control about.
~~~
kapv89
1\. Can you give me an exam of something that is trivial in another lang, but
requires "sailing to Africa and back" in JS?
2\. What sort of scalability issues related to Node.js are you talking about?
Isn't node.js (thanks to V8, and async IO) much more performance friendly than
other scripting langs?
3\. Regarding web-stack changing quickly, this hasn't effected me on server
side yet. It has effected me on the mobile apps and web app side of things
where I am using react 15.x, but it'll make sense to tackle that after raising
meeting the next few business milestones.
~~~
timr
_" Can you give me an exam of something that is trivial in another lang, but
requires "sailing to Africa and back" in JS?"_
Packages and imports. First-class entities, built in to every other modern
language. A mishmash of different "standards" and proprietary implementations
in Javascript. Even K&R-era C had a better solution than Javascript (until
ES6, anyway).
And do not tell me that ECMAScript 6 fixes this -- as long as there are
multiple implementations in use in legacy code (there are) JS will have to
live with a rat's nest of horrors at this incredibly fundamental level (not to
mention the fact that ES6 imports aren't yet universally supported!)
~~~
kapv89
Agree with you on this one. Module systems are kind of a mess in JS land, and
from the looks of it, will remain so for a few years.
However, from a purely pragmatic point of view, not a deal breaker for early
stage companies.
------
shiado
I used to hate JS because the language is objectively badly designed, but then
I realized that the merits of the language provide a glimpse of the future of
programming.
Most programming problems people have are highly generic, often looking to
implement something completely off the shelf as far as problems go. Wheels can
only be reinvented so many times in so many ways.
To me the JS ecosystem offers a level of high level programming that you just
don't get in other languages. Nothing comes close. There is a package for
every possible problem you have just waiting to be used. You wan't some
complicated auth feature? Consider it done with one require statement and
calling a function to set a configuration. You want some reusable components
for your frontend to solve some complicated issue? Somebody has a crazy React
package doing exactly what you need. Obviously there are security concerns
with this but that is a totally separate topic.
In the future programmers won't be replaced by robots, they will be replaced
by import statements.
~~~
nomy99
"In the future programmers won't be replaced by robots, they will be replaced
by import statements."
I disagree. How is this different from someone 20 years ago saying programmers
will be replaced by jar files.
~~~
andrewmcwatters
Yeah, the reality is some of us got replaced by Adobe and Salesforce.
~~~
nomy99
So you are saying you couldn't apply your skills as a java developer anymore
because of salesforce?
------
captainbland
I think within a few years WASM will finally be in a place where it becomes
usable without relying on JavaScript for interfacing with the web browser and
people will be able to develop high-performance, isomorphic web applications
in other programming languages. This will definitely start to eat into it as
it makes gains elsewhere. As such, I don't really see JavaScript reaching the
level of dominance implied in this article - and to be honest, I wouldn't want
it to when Oracle has gone after developers for naming it as something they
support on trademark grounds.
[https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/04/18/oracle_ios_app_take...](https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/04/18/oracle_ios_app_takedown_javascript/)
Honestly, I think JavaScript at some point - not in the near future - will see
its 'Flash' moment where a large organisation stops supporting it entirely if
Oracle keeps up stuff like this.
~~~
abritinthebay
> it becomes usable [...] for interfacing with the web browser
As soon as you add DOM integration... all the things people hate about JS in
terms of architecture and compromises will show up in WASM.
~~~
danield9tqh
I think that's fine because WASM isn't meant to write code in. It's just a
source language for other compiled languages. I'm assuming the javascript
complaints you're talking about are because people actually have to write
javascript code?
~~~
captainbland
Even then I don't think they would tie it to the WASM definition that tightly
as they intend it to be used on other platforms than just web browsers. It
seems to me that you could just have the DOM be expressed as a kind of
interface which the browser implements, and then each language just has a DOM
library which exposes that interface to the programmer.
------
throwpoiu09
To put things in perspective, every decade there is an uber popular so called
simple but highly inadequate non-type checked language that is taking over the
world of novice developers. It's a social phenomenon. Started with Basic,
JavaScript is the latest incarnation.
By the same token, there is also one overcomplicated yet unavoidable
professional language. In that sense, Scala these days has a proud lineage of
C++ and PL/I.
And one Lisp leader per decade for humans who not only perceive human-oriented
syntax as an apostasy and a personal affront but expect that Borg of
parentheses will win any moment now. Hi, Closure.
~~~
TomK32
the border between non-type and type check languages is getting diffuse these
days with typescript going one way and C++ the other way
[http://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/language/auto](http://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/language/auto)
~~~
Felk
Type deduction is very different from dynamic typing. It's still perfectly
safe static typing. A better example would be C#'s "dynamic" type. I can agree
with typescript though.
------
hprotagonist
And somewhere, Gary Bernhardt is shaking his head in disbelief.
[https://www.destroyallsoftware.com/talks/the-birth-and-
death...](https://www.destroyallsoftware.com/talks/the-birth-and-death-of-
javascript) was supposed to be satire... but "asm everything" might actually
kind of happen.
~~~
anildash
Yeah, I definitely thought of Gary when I was writing the piece. The first
time as tragedy, the second time as farce!
------
kizer
All the C derivatives are getting closer to one-another. How different are
Typescript, C-sharp, and Java? When JavaScript adds gradual typing, interface,
etc. won't all these languages be nearly the same? The runtimes will differ
but the language features and syntax will be almost the same.
~~~
Felk
I'm not sure if this is a good or a bad thing. On one side we might get stuck
on a local maximum as all languages stick to the universally established
features to be marketable, on the other side it seems that some arguably
objectively useful abstractions crystallize, which makes things easier for
everyone.
~~~
kizer
I think (hope) that Academia, or individuals, would still be able to churn out
"original" languages if there were no immediate need in industry.
------
kartan
The missing point is that other languages have bigger/more specialized
ecosystems.
For the networking effect to exist, your network doesn't needs to be just big.
But it needs to be bigger than the rest. That's why people don't leave
Facebook.
Java, C#, C++, Python have big ecosystems with specialized libraries for
enterprise applications, performance, data analytics, etc.
If any, Javascript is already decreasing its influence in the web. Unity3D
works with C# and it is removing support for its own version of Javascript. Or
your choice may be Unreal Engine and C++. Or you can use Emscripten with C++
to build your own solution.
JavaScript is a language with a lot of problems. The final blow is going to be
WebAssembly, as it will open direct web development to all other languages.
JavaScript will stay with us for long. But I don't think that is reaching its
peak right now.
------
manyoso
If a non-typed language wins, then god help us and I fear for the youth :)
~~~
peterbraden
Why? Just because a non-typed language is dominant, doesn't mean that typed
languages disappear.
------
nawgszy
I am amused by a lot of the hyperbole used against JS, as if it somehow is
hard to use or drastically restricts the problems you can solve.
At this point, I'm not even sure if a single comment in this thread that poses
itself as obviously anti-JS has a valid knock on the language, just high-
level, hand-wavy reasoning about why it is so poor.
------
_pdp_
You are completely missing the point here. It is not the question if
JavaScripts wins - humans are not great at writing software to begin with
regardless of the language. Soon, machine-learning assisted programming will
be a thing and JavaScript will be a non-issue - applicable to any other
language for that matter.
------
kazinator
> _first-ever truly dominant programming language?_
... after Visual Basic.
------
chadlavi
Anil!
~~~
chadlavi
> Finally, there are the networked information sources for news and
> discussion, primary among them being Hacker News. Though it’s notoriously
> the most hostile of these large, networked coder communities [...]
~~~
abritinthebay
I mean... he's not wrong.
~~~
anildash
But it's also got nice folks! :D
~~~
abritinthebay
Absolutely! But there’s a reason a lot of professionals avoid here and call it
The Orange Website in a derogatory fashion...
... and it’s not because it’s overfloeing with kindness & tact.
------
anaheim_ducks
Blazor and similar technologies built on WASM are the future of web dev.
[http://blog.stevensanderson.com/2018/02/06/blazor-
intro/](http://blog.stevensanderson.com/2018/02/06/blazor-intro/)
I no longer read articles on JavaScript or related libraries, it's all
obsolete. I know enough JS and TypeScript to get by until WASM-based tech
takes over, hopefully within 2 years.
~~~
Touche
Given the popularity of Node.js, I doubt this. JavaScript is still winning
when people have the option to use C# or C++ or Scala or whatever else.
~~~
pjmlp
The type of organizations I work on, node.js is only used as requirement for
Web frontends.
Which I anyway avoid thanks the bundlers in Java and .NET frameworks.
~~~
Touche
Unless you're disputing Node.js' popularity I'm not sure how your anecdote is
relevant...
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Twitter Isn't What You Think It Is - roachsocal
http://blog.scottrocher.com/post/442815250/twitter-isnt-what-you-think-it-is
======
cantastoria
I can't see Twitter surviving if their long term strategy is to sell firehouse
access to their competitors. Relying on your competitors to keep in business
is a bad business plan to say the least.
The way I see it they're pretty much screwed. They're going to have to start
looking at different ways to monetize and they don't have many choices.
Injecting adds into everyone's Twitter stream will mean a drop in users for
sure plus it will contaminate the firehose. Relying on smaller developers to
pay for API access probably isn't going to generate enough revenue especially
if other options are available from Google et al. Once again, Google will
destroy yet another marker with free...
Of course one also has to wonder if Twitter isn't just a "pet rock" that will
run out steam on it's own.
~~~
roachsocal
I think they should take their tagline (What's Happening Now) to the extreme
and start to mine the content being shared through The Platform, present it in
interesting ways, and sell ads on those pages. Like a crowd-sourced Yahoo.
Another way to make money could be to sell hyper-local ads on their search
engine, which should have a high conversion rate if they know your geolocation
at the time of search.
~~~
moe
_start to mine the content being shared through The Platform, present it in
interesting ways, and sell ads on those pages._
Sounds like a great idea to me. Just wonder who's gonna get that right first.
The search engine company, or the company struggling to keep the failwhale
away from a trivial messaging app...
------
dasil003
_Debates about how ‘Twitter is this’ and ‘Twitter is that’ have become an
almost-daily spiel for us internet folks._
This was true 2-3 years ago. Most of us "internet folks" have since moved onto
more interesting frontiers. The conclusion that Twitter's real value is the
open API is something that I heard at every conference I went to in 2007. It
was sort of a novel idea when there were still relatively few open APIs,
mashups were new, and before Facebook launched their platform. Sure Twitter
still drives pageviews for silicon valley rags like TC, but there's not much
interesting to say about them anymore.
------
dpcan
About a point he makes later in the post, is it "confirmed" that Twitter is
getting paid by Google/MS/Yahoo for the Firehose? It seems reasonable, but
it's still just rumor isn't it?
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Douchebags like you are ruining San Francisco - austenallred
http://christacy.blogspot.com/2013/06/dont-be-fucking-douchebag-part-three.html?m=1
======
mc32
It's a free neighborhood, if people want to live there let them. If they don't
want to live there, let them leave. Moral superiority is all relative. The
frat boys and girls (if that's what they even were) are just as right as
anyone else is to live or not live in the Mission district.
I dislike the fraternity culture as much as anyone else who dislikes it, but
it's not much worse then any other kind of cultural baggage like-minded groups
of people bring.
Sure, I like the image grit and sticktoitedness that might have been
associated with immigrant waves of yore --but now not all immigrants are from
economically deficient backgrounds --sure, there may be still the dispossessed
but we also have those with possessions or inter-city or inter-state
migrations to SF people looking to get rich quick -ala Wall Street back a few
decades ago.
SF doesn't 'belong' to a time or a people and place, it belongs to its current
inhabitants --they shape it, that's it. Stop being possessive about something
which is meant to change with time. Paris of today is not the Paris of the
40s, etc.
------
jkldotio
"The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority;
they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise.
Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer
rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before
company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize
their teachers." \- complaint from Ancient Greece[1]
[1][http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=398104](http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=398104)
------
philthesong
Ironically, I see the real douchebag here
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Street View of 80s NYC - mwexler
http://80s.nyc/
======
dmix
The South Bronx really was a war-zone.
[http://80s.nyc/#show/40.8265/-73.9080](http://80s.nyc/#show/40.8265/-73.9080)
[http://80s.nyc/#show/40.8107/-73.9180](http://80s.nyc/#show/40.8107/-73.9180)
[http://80s.nyc/#show/40.8188/-73.9217](http://80s.nyc/#show/40.8188/-73.9217)
[http://80s.nyc/#show/40.8229/-73.9167](http://80s.nyc/#show/40.8229/-73.9167)
[http://80s.nyc/#show/40.8102/-73.9194](http://80s.nyc/#show/40.8102/-73.9194)
[http://80s.nyc/#show/40.8152/-73.9165](http://80s.nyc/#show/40.8152/-73.9165)
All of those rent-control incentivized arsons... empty lots with garbage
everywhere... dogs running around with no owners visible.
Edit: correction, while rent-control played a big role in Brooklyn's housing
abandonment rate, South Bronx faced a variety of factors in addition to rent
control:
> For example, housing abandonment in the South Bronx, probably the most
> devastated area in the entire city, can be plausibly related to the
> economics of an obsolete housing stock. The area was one of the most densely
> populated in the country in the 1940s and 1950s, and the housing stock
> consists almost entirely of five- and six-story walkups. As population
> density decreased, fifth- and sixth-story walkup apartments became
> unrentable at prices sufficient for sound building maintenance, irrespective
> of rent controls. Arson eventually became the owners' only financially
> rewarding alternative.
[http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20100610/BLOGS01/306109...](http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20100610/BLOGS01/306109998/a-history-
lesson-on-rent-regulation-in-the-1970s)
~~~
StanislavPetrov
Have you been there lately? Fewer dogs but still similar.
~~~
pavel_lishin
I know it's fun to be edgy, but it's even more fun to be pedantic and provide
links of what those actual locations look like today:
[https://www.google.com/maps/@40.8265393,-73.9077102,3a,75y,7...](https://www.google.com/maps/@40.8265393,-73.9077102,3a,75y,78.11h,78.55t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sERjgZvX9M5ufLK2zg8LeiQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DERjgZvX9M5ufLK2zg8LeiQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D126.946075%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656)
[https://www.google.com/maps/@40.8107336,-73.9187274,3a,75y,1...](https://www.google.com/maps/@40.8107336,-73.9187274,3a,75y,154.11h,88.32t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sKHIR-1FTXXzdTptJWawjIQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DKHIR-1FTXXzdTptJWawjIQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D230.2409%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656)
[https://www.google.com/maps/@40.8187207,-73.921799,3a,75y,13...](https://www.google.com/maps/@40.8187207,-73.921799,3a,75y,133.03h,79.55t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s1X32bT-
zkdxvUPiKO6ZJTw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)
[https://www.google.com/maps/@40.8228232,-73.9165044,3a,75y,3...](https://www.google.com/maps/@40.8228232,-73.9165044,3a,75y,332.73h,87.26t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVCKhBWfKhueYZHf_KCyBtw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)
[https://www.google.com/maps/@40.8104059,-73.9199855,3a,75y,8...](https://www.google.com/maps/@40.8104059,-73.9199855,3a,75y,82.2h,79.54t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sgeF87kwVccVAKVhjR_Y7Qw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)
[https://www.google.com/maps/@40.8147291,-73.9166855,3a,75y,3...](https://www.google.com/maps/@40.8147291,-73.9166855,3a,75y,343.7h,84.69t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1samU7NWrQqeRLUv-
ERJSj_Q!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DamU7NWrQqeRLUv-
ERJSj_Q%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D233.99023%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656)
~~~
StanislavPetrov
>For Bronx, we found that the violent crime rate is one of the highest in the
nation, across communities of all sizes (both large and small). Violent
offenses tracked included rape, murder and non-negligent manslaughter, armed
robbery, and aggravated assault, including assault with a deadly weapon.
According to NeighborhoodScout's analysis of FBI reported crime data, your
chance of becoming a victim of one of these crimes in Bronx is one in 94.
>NeighborhoodScout's analysis also reveals that Bronx's rate for property
crime is 19 per one thousand population. This makes Bronx a place where there
is an above average chance of becoming a victim of a property crime, when
compared to all other communities in America of all population sizes. Property
crimes are motor vehicle theft, arson, larceny, and burglary. Your chance of
becoming a victim of any of these crimes in Bronx is one in 54.
Take a walk down there some night and tell me what it looks like up close.
Don't bring your wallet.
[https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/ny/bronx/crime](https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/ny/bronx/crime)
~~~
BoiledCabbage
This is what I personally can't stand about internet posters. Posting
forcefully about things they have done no research on.
The borough of the Bronx compared to a number of cities Using total crime as
that's what was used.
Chances of being a victim of property/violent crime Bronx 1 in 95, 1 in 54
Cleveland 1 in 63, 1 in 16 Denver 1 in 148, 1 in 28 San Francisco 1 in 127, 1
in 16
25% more likely to be a affected by violent crime than in San Francisco. And
Less likely to be affected by property crime.
No one is saying all areas of the Bronx are utopias (definitely not), but from
what I've experienced, people posting comments like the above are either made
to disparage, or often are just blindly repeating what someone has read with
zero knowledge of facts.
> With a crime rate of 70 per one thousand residents, San Francisco has one of
> the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes
> - from the smallest towns to the very largest cities. One's chance of
> becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 14.
https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/ny/bronx/crime
https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/mo/st-louis/crime
https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/oh/cleveland/crime
https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/co/denver/crime
https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/ca/san-francisco/crime
~~~
StanislavPetrov
What I personally can't stand are braying internet jackasses who read
statistics and try to tell people who actually live somewhere how things are.
------
colordrops
Seems that there would be quite a bit of historical value to getting everyone
to digitize their personal photos and upload them to a shared repository. Has
there already been such an effort?
~~~
pizzetta
This is similar to this one for SF
[http://www.oldsf.org/](http://www.oldsf.org/)
Looks like the NYC one has more coverage though.
~~~
lonewolf_ninja
They also have a similar site for New York:
[https://www.oldnyc.org/](https://www.oldnyc.org/)
------
apaprocki
From having browsed through the tax lot photos in the municipal archives from
prior generations, it would be fun to see a split view where you browse around
both the 1940s and 1980s at the same time.
If you browse around 80s Williamsburg photos it is not a place you would want
to be. Now every one of those lots would be a _minimum_ of $1M, with
waterfront lots in the tens of millions. Pays to play the long game.
~~~
guelo
In the long game we're all dead.
~~~
volkl48
Not to mention that not everywhere comes back (in said lifetime at least).
The same gamble that paid off in NYC or Boston likely didn't in Baltimore,
Detroit, STL, etc. Playing the long game has given you zero or near zero
returns for decades there.
------
adamzerner
I was expecting a street view like Google Maps. The name seems a bit
misleading to me.
~~~
dogruck
Not hating, but I was underwhelmed.
There must be oodles of old NYC photos sitting in various old home photo
albums out there. I hope some day they're all digitized and compiled into
something like a VR experience. :-)
------
somberi
As interesting as it is to see some rough areas, most of the areas have not
changed much. I looked at the streets where I used to live / currently live -
they largely look the same. Some of the shops are still there.
Since someone mentioned popular culture references, one movie that I thought
"got" the hyper nature of 80s NYC was "Crocodile Dundee". It is of course
exaggerated, being a romantic comedy, but it got some parts of it very well.
------
52-6F-62
Nicely done! This is a great idea! I hope those photos from the 30s are
digitized so they can receive the same treatment
~~~
unclewaltr
From what I've seen of the 1930s/40s tax photos, they're much better quality
as far as framing. Not sure if this is the case across the board, but the
copies I looked up were pretty consistently better. But you have to either go
in to the municipal building to look at them or order them online.
------
largote
New York has really come a long way.
------
Vladv26
Nice project. I was wondering how the street's were back then in 80s and it is
hard to find a photo foe every street. Nice job
------
subdane
There's an AR project in here, I tell ya!
------
martijn_himself
How appropriate. I was just watching Simon and Garfunkel perform 'The Boxer'
in Central Park, 1981 on YouTube.
------
VirtualAirwaves
I miss the old early 80s Times Square! Nice and seedy. (I was born in Brooklyn
in 1962)
------
sotojuan
My building and the pharmacy near me are there and look the same!
------
mttpgn
First thing I noticed was the ReactJS favicon...
~~~
bdon
Good catch, thanks. I use Safari so didn't notice... favicon is updated now.
------
zonotope
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15260897](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15260897)
------
kwoff
I don't know much about NYC, but I've read "The Bonfire of the Vanities" (1987
novel; heard the movie sucked...). Anyone plot key points in that? (for
example: the car scene of Sherman and Maria, the court house in the Bronx, the
Park Avenue apartments). If not, whaddaya whaddaya?
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Ask HN: What's the most effective way you have found to get Facebook fans? - eeagerdeveloper
======
il
The question you should be asking is, why do you want Facebook fans?
Is it to retarget visitors to your site through Facebook ads? In that case, a
Like button on your site would work well.
Is it because your app has a viral element that requires appearance on
profiles/News Feed to grow? Then you should be incentivizing users to friend
you by offering them something of high perceived value in return.
Or do you simply want a high number of fans as a growth metric to show off?
For that, there are numerous enterprises online that will sell you as many
fans as you want at a reasonable price.
------
flignats
That's a hard question to answer without providing some information on your
product/service. Il raises a good question in his post, 'why do you want
Facebook fans?.' That answer will help determine how you want to gather those
FB fans, because there are a lot of ways to do so and some are not so legit.
But, my short answer would be to leverage your existing product/service to
convert your active community into FB fans. Those will most likely be your
most engaging FB fan audience and easiest to become fans with the right
incentive. From there, your networks of fans will only start to grow.
Sorry I couldn't give you a specific answer, but without knowing your business
I couldn't provide a suggestion. In my own community, we encourage the players
of our games to become facebook fans through virtual currency, bragging
rights, and other incentives.
~~~
eeagerdeveloper
How often do you send updates to your fans?
~~~
flignats
We update our fans through multiple mediums. Our community posts about us to
their walls and news stream, but we hardly contact our players through
facebook directly. We communicate with them through our FB fan page, provide
coupons, competitions, and other marketing strategies.
~~~
eeagerdeveloper
Hi flignates,
I just released a website to manage updates to your fan pages. Would you check
it out and tell me what you think?
<http://www.statusscheduler.com>
------
nyellin
I would like to know if Facebook fanpages are useful for marketing. If you use
a Facebook fanpage, does it drive new users to your website?
~~~
eeagerdeveloper
I think facebook fan pages are useful in re-engaging users. I equate it to an
email list. You can gather fans like you gather emails for your email list.
When you push a message to your fans it is similar to pushing an email to your
email lists. Both don't drive more users to your site unless the user chooses
to share the email or the status message.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Conceptual Designs You Wish Existed - pbrown
http://www.creativecloseup.com/15-incredible-conceptual-designs-you-wish-existed
======
biohacker42
I'm not sure I wish these designs existed.
Billy May's Hindsight seems like a good idea, but I think the brain's visual
cortex has its hands full processing what your eyes see as is. I'm not sure
you can _add_ more information just by using lenses, shift it maybe, change
the view, but I don't think your brain will _process more_. You're probably
better off driving slowly and paying attention.
Thomas J. Owen's folding bicycle looks _extremely_ uncomfortable, and a lot of
people I work with are bikers and they all keep their bikes in the cubicles
and in their cars, bikes are already pretty small, do you really need them any
smaller?
Juke Brick by Yon-U Cho - not for me, plain old speakers are good enough for
me. And audiophiles... does to the Juke Brick come with monster cables?
How is Diego Moreno's stool different from any other rotating chair? Is it
better for your back, like those ball chairs? Nope, but it looks cool! If I
was 12 I would totally want one.
Paint or die also looks cool, not very practical, I can't imagine moving it or
putting much weight on it, or not constantly running into it's legs. But
again, if I was 12 I'd want it.
An electronic musical instrument by Petr Hampl - it's like a theremin only not
original.
IC3 High tech cutlery - it's like a spork, a _digital_ spork!
PEBBLES stone grill - it's an electric grill for your cubicle or your lap,
because you can never have enough burning electric heat in your lap.
Sand+Time watch - the creative design pool runeth dry.
Magic Spheres wall - neat!
Lane Light - I want one.
Flying Stick Camera - because your pictures are never too shaky.
Dual Music mp3/CD - imagine yourself at a future archaeology dig, naturally
you're digging in a landfill, someone comes across a CD, one of those ancient
Frisbee sized ones. And you can listen to it right then and there, awesome!
Toast Messenger - Post it notes not doing it for you, do you have too much
money? If so, then we've got a toaster for you.
Sorry about the buzzkill list everyone, but blogs with lists of things just
rub me the wrong way.
~~~
donw
What I really like about the bicycle is that there is no visible mechanism for
conveying power to the rear wheel. Maybe some sort of gear/bearing arrangement
inside the rear casing?
~~~
biohacker42
The more I look at that thing, the more my mind hurts. I it's not that I have
a desire for things to make sense, it's that I feel pain when they don't.
------
Harkins
For anyone not familiar with the term, "Conceptual Designs" ignore
technological limitations and often the laws of physics.
Imagine a unicorn. Now sheathe it in white plastic. Conceptual Design!
~~~
patio11
_Imagine a unicorn. Now sheathe it in white plastic_
An Apple design meeting gone horribly, horribly awry.
------
froo
That MP3/Cd player would be awesome if the plastic down the bottom curved
around a little so it would essentially be a permanently docked piece of
hardware... sort of a set top device for the home rather than a mobile device.
It would be reminiscent of a Bang and Olufsen design
------
electromagnetic
Lots of these designs are cool, I'm not sure how many of them I actually care
about existing.
One conceptual design I wish existed is the Ford Nucleon. We wouldn't be
worried about green house gases and you'd never need to refuel it. Shame all
the hippies protest the one thing that can save the world.
------
releasedatez
I like the "Paint or die but love me" table. I think that one is really doable
right? it's got 4 legs.
~~~
donw
They would need to be incredibly strong to support any load on that table, and
the table itself would need to be strengthened. So, the bottom would need to
be shaped accordingly, and likely the inner structure would be some type of
honeycomb...
Do-able, certainly, but for the cost, I'm not sure you could sell enough of
them.
------
warkaiser
I would buy that bike, provided that it was not overly uncomfortable. The idea
of a ultra-small folding bike is attractive to anyone who lives in a city.
~~~
khafra
The bike exists, it's just not that pretty:
<http://www.babygeared.com/stmifobi.html> For acceptable frame rigidity in a
folder that small and light, you need the triangle. FWIW, the rear-view
sunglasses already exist in an uglier form, too: [http://spy-
stuff.blogspot.com/2006/06/rearview-sunglasses-w-...](http://spy-
stuff.blogspot.com/2006/06/rearview-sunglasses-w-aluminum-case.html) (as
anybody who read the ads in the backs of 80s and 90s magazines aimed at boys
knows).
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
India's Government Wants to Ban Self-Driving Cars to Save Jobs - dmmalam
https://www.singularityarchive.com/indias-government-wants-ban-self-driving-cars-save-jobs/
======
nilsocket
That wouldn't be possible any-way, Indian roads are quite different, In-order
to make self-driving cars work in India they need to do lot of development.
------
finolex1
I wouldn't take his comments at face value. This is essentially political
posturing to his voter base. Self-driving cars have barely made any inroads
whatsoever into the country, and he's picked this non-issue to essentially
signal that he supports employment for the masses.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Algorithm Removes Water from Underwater Images - fortran77
https://www.scientificamerican.com/video/seeing-through-the-sea/
======
ivanech
actual project site with more detailed description and before+after images:
[https://www.deryaakkaynak.com/sea-thru](https://www.deryaakkaynak.com/sea-
thru)
paper [pdf]:
[http://openaccess.thecvf.com/content_CVPR_2019/papers/Akkayn...](http://openaccess.thecvf.com/content_CVPR_2019/papers/Akkaynak_Sea-
Thru_A_Method_for_Removing_Water_From_Underwater_Images_CVPR_2019_paper.pdf)
~~~
andromeduck
So it seems like it's just MVS > depth map + recovery of haze characteristics
by sampling a color reference at a bunch of distances. That seems blindingly
obvious unless I missed something.
~~~
ancarda
This is the most Hacker News comment I've seen in a really long time
Good job, dude
~~~
flir
It's so HN it's almost /.?
------
cetra3
> Sea-thru is protected by a registered patent owned by Carmel Ltd the
> Economic Co. of the Haifa University and its subsidiary SeaErra
Looks like they are going to monetise this technology at some point given the
disclaimer at the bottom of the page. This is not wrong. But it feels like a
PR exercise dressed up as something academic which is a little creepy.
~~~
smnrchrds
It is not unusual in academia to patent all innovations with potential
commercial applications. At least in Canada, universities typically have
innovation centres whose main job is encouraging and helping professors,
graduate students, and other researchers patent their innovations and
commercialize them (e.g. by licensing the patent). It is not sinister, it is
normal procedure in academia.
~~~
loeg
And the funding for the research that allowed for this invention was paid for
by? The inventor? Or the government?
~~~
pansa
[deleted]
~~~
mattkrause
Really?
Some professors have “hard money” jobs where the university covers most/all of
their salary; startup packages that are meant to help you get a grant are
pretty common, as are fellowships or TAships for students.
However, I don’t think most universities cover much of the actual research
expenses.
As for the patent, most places offer a split with the inventor, and may not
patent everything; they have a right of first refusal though.
------
chairmanwow1
I hate to say it, but that was actually a really poorly edited and produced
video. It spent way too long on b-roll and did a really poor job framing the
problem.
I would have strongly preferred static images in the article and an interview
video buried below.
~~~
ec109685
The video let them show a 30 second ad which monetizes much better than static
ads.
I agree they should have gotten to the punch line and show results rather than
the doctor swimming.
------
Redoubts
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21542184](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21542184)
------
a_t48
Some static before/after pictures would _really_ help this article. I get that
it's intended to be consumed as a video, but comeon.
~~~
erikig
For anyone that’s interested - skip to the last 30s of the video for the best
before/after examples.
------
wereHamster
Not a single image in the article. An article about images. What a shame.
------
wallflower
Scuba divers already use post-processing in Lightroom or apps like Dive+
([http://dive.plus/](http://dive.plus/)). It will be interesting to see if
this becomes popular in that community. The results are pretty good already
with Dive+.
~~~
peteretep
Looks a lot stronger than the Dive+ images I've seen (and created)
------
blt
This would be a great application for deep learning. Use the authors' method
to generate a lot of uncorrected-corrected pairs. Or, use a graphics engine to
render realistic underwater scenes with and without water color. Then use a
convolutional neural network to learn to mimic the transformation. Then any
photographer can apply the learned filter without a color card or depth
information.
Edit: already been done:
[https://arxiv.org/abs/1702.07392](https://arxiv.org/abs/1702.07392)
~~~
aspaceman
You should take a look at the paper itself which is linked above. It does not
require a color card in all cases, and the only information required is the
depth, which can be obtained from a series of photos instead if required.
------
iicc
What you want is a few lasers of known wavelengths (RGB?) pointing at known
angles such that, from the camera's perspective, they appear as lines (ie they
aren't perpendicular to the plane of the photo sensor).
A calibration image(s) can be made before each shot. Possibly the resulting
image correction can be integrated in to the camera too.
The laser wavelengths are a substitute for the color chart. The laser angle
means you get a reading at each distance (ie in the image, each point on the
laser "line", corresponds to a distance.)
~~~
ynniv
Her algorithm doesn't require calibration. The color chart in many of the
photos is to demonstrate the effect, or was just habit when she took them.
~~~
londons_explore
True, but the method would totally benefit from calibration, because not all
water is made the same - some has different densities of particulates in.
~~~
nicwest
Also I imagine that depth would be a significant factor
------
ismepornnahi
How is this different from the colour chart idea? If we know how some actual
KNOWN RGB pixels look in a particular setup, we can apply the same filter
across the image. Right?
~~~
Scaevolus
The amount of color shift depends on how much water is between the object and
the camera, so you need to have a depth map to recover the true colors. You
can see how it compares to naive color transforms in the paper.
~~~
Udik
> so you need to have a depth map to recover the true colors
Isn't the blue shift of a known color already a measure of the amount of water
between the object and the camera- and therefore its distance? Knowing the
true color of a fish, a seaweed or the sand isn't already enough to infer
distances and color-correct?
~~~
Scaevolus
Yes, but how do you know the true color of a fish, seaweed, or sand? That's
the unknown part!
~~~
Udik
> how do you know the true color of a fish, seaweed, or sand
I am pretty sure that in most cases those colours are well known.
------
Rainymood
What if I now get a bunch of images before & after and train a neural network
on this to "learn" the mapping. Who would the neural network belong to?
------
lilyball
This looks really cool. She described how she takes photos that include her
color chart, and I'm wondering if that's actually necessary to calibrate the
process, or if that was just done for the purposes of developing it.
~~~
zackangelo
The researcher that authored the paper answered a few questions on Reddit last
year [0]. She explained that the color chart isn’t necessary for every photo.
[0]
[https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/dvts2j/this_researc...](https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/dvts2j/this_researcher_created_an_algorithm_that_removes)
------
stevenjohns
Coincidentally: the researcher's name, Derya, translates to "sea" or "ocean"
in her native Turkish. I wonder if that's something that might have inspired
her as part of this.
~~~
teddyh
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nominative_determinism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nominative_determinism)
------
nighthawk648
I read this and wonder if the technique can be applied to space. Too bad we
can’t take photos of a closing distance of something 50 million light years
away.
I wonder if the algorithm would become better if not only did author did the
swim closer but also took pictures of different path distances and angles
simultaneously and map images together. Maybe it will reveal some of the
editing work on hazy objects took a little more liberty and will produce more
accurate images.
Great read!
------
vijay_nair
Perhaps a real-time version of this can be embedded into the diving
goggles(AR) for murk-free dives.
~~~
dmix
Currently it’s only photoS and requires a carefully placed colour chart to
sync up the colours.
I don’t think that last bit is automatable with just glasses.
~~~
bradyd
The project website shows a video example and says that a color chart is not
required.
[https://www.deryaakkaynak.com/sea-thru](https://www.deryaakkaynak.com/sea-
thru)
------
luxuryballs
I don’t get how it’s not a photoshop though, it’s just a really specific
photoshop. See the stuff how it would be on land... but it wouldn’t be like
that on land at all. This is no more real or fake than any other filter
applied to pixels.
~~~
devit
It would be like that without water, that's the whole point of the algorithm:
based on physics, it computes the (best known approximation to) way the scene
would look with no water being present.
That is, it's supposed to make the photo be like the one you would take if you
were to lift a part of the seafloor onto a boat and photograph it.
~~~
pixel_fcker
Not really: it doesn’t account for specular reflections. It’s more like if you
took the objects out of the water and then used a polarising filter to remove
the highlights.
------
tabtab
NASA and JPL do similar things with Mars surface images to bring out details
and color differences. The orange dusty sky normally washes everything in an
orange tint and softens shading.
------
DocG
Article that is not really an article but video about images. Why? :(
------
miguelrochefort
Is anyone aware of something similar that works when the picture is taken
outside the water? Something that could remove reflection and glare.
------
lqet
> It does not use neural networks and was not trained on any dataset.
------
untitled_
Thats pretty cool. We could do with a GoPro version of this lol.
------
hinkley
I was watching a blooper real for an older movie the other day and realized
that a very similar color rectangle appeared in some of the shots.
Made me wonder how unique this technique is or if they’re just using bog
standard movie editing tricks.
~~~
_ph_
Using color-correction charts is a very standard photographic technology for
correcting colors in any situation, where there is challenging lighting. So
just using one for your underwater photography would give you vastly improved
colors in your picture. As I understand their work, it uses a correction model
which is distance dependant, so corrects the color shifting with distance. In
air, changing the distance doesn't change the color appeareance, but under
water, the absoption and scattering effects vary with distance.
~~~
ivanhoe
> In air, changing the distance doesn't change the color appeareance
Actually it does, it works similar to the water, just the effect is weaker in
the air. That's why sky and distant mountains look blue, the atmosphere
scatters blue light.
~~~
_ph_
Right, with lots of air, the same happens :).
------
thrownaway954
Not trying to be a jerk... but at 2:43 in the video the show video of fish
swimming in the reef and those fish are beautiful, their colors aren't
affected by the problem she is describing... so my question is, was that
footage of the fish run through this algorithm? And if not... then what is the
actual point of this ground breaking technology when it can already be done
without it?
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Work starts in £15m plan to get Concorde flying again - abstractbill
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8712806.stm
======
ctkrohn
Air transport is one area where technology has seemingly stagnated, or even
reversed. Airliners seem pretty much the same as when I was a kid. You
certainly don't get to your destination any faster. There have been
improvements -- aircraft such as the 787 are built with light and strong
composites; the A380 is the biggest airliner ever; low cost carriers have
driven down prices; you can get WiFi on certain flights. But you're not going
any faster, or traveling any more comfortably.
Compare that to the period from 1955 - 1975. Jets entered commercial service,
displacing slow and noisy gas-powered propeller planes. The Concorde made its
first flight in 1969, entering service shortly after. The US had its own
supersonic airliners on the drawing board. There were even proposals for
hypersonic transports. We ended up getting stuck with cosmetically identical
jetliners and a series of unmanned hypersonic test vehicles. Remarkable feats
like SpaceShipOne are few and far between.
Aerospace technology relies on inspiration. "Because we can" used to be a
large motivator. It's tough to get around economic or military reality, but at
the same time it's sad to see fewer mind-blowing engineering achievements.
Most of us couldn't afford a Concorde ticket, but I bet there were plenty of
people who still thought it was damn cool.
~~~
Groxx
I _just_ had a thought... could a nuclear powered aircraft be possible? With
some form of electric turbines? Even if the thing could only land at a couple
airports, it could easily serve as a bulk transport for people / equipment to
get part-way to their destination. I mean, it'd have to be _huge_...
I mean, sure, people would _freak_ about a flying reactor, if only on
principle. But that sort of thing dies down with time.
/me starts hunting for weights of marine nuclear reactors
~~~
Maktab
It has been done before.
In the 1950s, both the US and USSR did some fairly extensive research into
nuclear-powered aircraft, culminating in flight tests by a US NB-36H carrying
an operational 3 MW air-cooled nuclear reactor and a Soviet Tu-119 with a
reactor powering two of its engines. The US had progressed quite far in
developing nuclear-powered engines, culminating in Heat Transfer Reactor
Experiment-3 (HTRE-3), but the project was cancelled in 1961 before it could
go much further, with the Soviet project being cancelled soon afterwards. [1]
The program didn't solve all the problems that nuclear-powered aircraft could
case, such as escaped radiation after crashes, but it did prove that crew
shielding could be done safely at a low-enough weight that the concept
remained feasible.
_Scientific American_ featured an article [2] a couple of years ago about
some people's recent calls to resurrect the idea for commercial use. But the
inherent safety risks remain a big issue.
It's probably an inevitable development at some point, once the core problems
have been solved. And with a new generation of high-temperature reactors
emerging, such as South Africa's Pebble Bed Modular Reactor, we may see
reactors that are ideally suited to this sort of thing coming through.
[1]<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_aircraft>
[2][http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=nuclear-
pow...](http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=nuclear-powered-
aircraft)
~~~
Groxx
_exactly_ the sort of reply I was hoping to get. This site is fantastic.
And oops ^^; should've checked for "nuclear aircraft" on wikipedia first. I
dove into details without hunting for attempts first. Thanks for the summary!
------
zandorg
I get the impression they're spending £15m just to fly for the Olympics. If
true, what a waste of money!
~~~
kierank
Worth every penny to see the Red Arrows and Concorde in the opening ceremony.
------
lotharbot
There are two Concordes at Le Bourget: The prototype F-WTSS, with only 812
flight hours, and F-BTSD, with close to 13,000 flight hours. The Concorde they
hope to fly again is BTSD.
I was hoping they'd get the prototype flying again. It's been sitting
stationary for a lot longer than the production model, but it doesn't have
nearly as much wear and tear. And it is, IMO, a more significant aircraft.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
A photo app that takes out every human from the picture - damjan-ski
http://www.byebye.camera/
======
pssflops
The theory is nice but a $3.00 product for iOS that doesn't explain itself
beyond a few example images (hosted with non-SSL cert), doesn't quite leave me
confident in the app.
~~~
damjan-ski
Hui, thank you for pointing that (SSL) out! And a good call with the
explanation. We'll update the app description. woot
~~~
pssflops
+1 for getting that cert in so quickly! Hopeful to hear more about this
project when you have time to update details.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Smart People Sleep Late - dailo10
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/westview/smart-people-sleep-late-82486792.html
======
gurraman
Work at night, sleep late: check
Drink alcohol[1]: check
Just waiting for _smart people never get anything done_ and I'm ready to take
over the world.
[1] <http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1815901>
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
When GitHub is down, BitTorrent Sync saves the day - iffycan
http://iffycan.blogspot.com/2013/09/when-github-is-down-bittorrent-sync.html
======
throwaway_yy2Di
Closed source.
[http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/13/07/17/1832213/bittorre...](http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/13/07/17/1832213/bittorrent-
sync-beta-released)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Using Google Voice to Receive and Reply to SMS Messages in Web App - sandeep45
Hi, I have a startup and can not afford my own personal short code. I decided to use my Google Voice Number to receive SMS messages and have my app read them and then respond to them. It seems to work fine, but I am wondering if anyone has any experience doing this? Any possible issues or things or alternatives I should be aware of.
======
ohgodthecat
It is probably against the TOS and if you get caught I can see your google
account getting locked.
Take a look at twilio (<http://www.twilio.com/pricing>) if you haven't
already.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
How to Detect a Toxic Customer (2010) - craigkerstiens
http://www.softwarebyrob.com/2010/12/09/how-to-detect-a-toxic-customer/
======
swombat
I presume this came up because it was auto-tweeted from swombat.com (this got
retweeted today: <http://swombat.com/2010/12/9/how-to-detect-a-toxic-customer>
). If so, it's worth pointing to Joel Spolsky's response to this:
<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1987223>
Definitely worth a read alongside this article.
~~~
danielweber
It's not true that large companies will form the bulk of your revenue. It all
depends on what you are doing.
If you are making something that every company in the world needs one of, than
you will sell a lot more to the 501 through 5000th biggest companies in the
country than to the top 500. (You might be able to charge those big companies
a 50% or even 100% premium on various add-ons, but it won't come close to
matching the other revenue.)
~~~
jlarocco
But that's not how software works most of the time.
With most software licensing schemes large companies are, for lack of a better
phrase, gold mines.
They have more money, more users, more computers, more servers, require more
support, and require higher up time. All of which you can charge them for if
you license your software appropriately.
Not to mention it's usually easier to jump through hoops for one or two huge
customers than it is for a hundred small customers.
------
otakucode
Never say no. EVER. I mean it. Not one single time, not under any
circumstances ever. Make them say no. The way you do this is by determining
just how much you would have to be paid in order to deal with the customer. It
doesn't matter if it's a completely unreasonable number. Name it. Don't just
presume they will refuse and turn them away. Tell them that your product which
would normally cost $1k is going to cost them $50k or $100k. What have you got
to lose? Worst case scenario they will pay you a giant amount of money, and
you'll have a bit of a headache, but one that you have already determined you
are willing to take on for the price you named.
This applies to customers, potential employers, and basically everything in
life. There is ALWAYS a price. So take the gamble. Let them decide if it's
worth it from their own perspective... maybe you'll get lucky!
~~~
fusiongyro
37signals had an article a few months ago that essentially argued you should
never do that. The argument went that if your biggest customer is only worth
$200/month, it prevents you from getting confused about who you work for. If
Coke paid 37signals $2,000,000 a month for Basecamp, it would turn into
Cokecamp. When Coke takes their business elsewhere they'd be stuck with a
weird product highly customized to Coke which nobody else wants. This does
happen in practice--it's certainly one view of what happened with BitKeeper
and Linux.
I think both perspectives are worth considering.
~~~
_yosefk
BitKeeper user here; AFAIK BitMover got $0 for hosting Linux though they did
get a lot of fame. And their biggest problem apparently isn't that BitKeeper
"turned into a LinuxKeeper", but rather free BitKeeper clones like git and hg
(the first of which was originally created for Linux). So, just curious about
your interpretation of your Cokecamp analogy; to me their problems (to the
extent that they experience problems) do seem very much related to losing
their biggest, most visible user, but in a different sort of way.
~~~
rst
That's true, but it's something of a self-inflicted wound.
The release of git and hg was a direct response to McVoy yanking BitKeeper
away (withdrawing the free-beer licensing terms that had previously allowed
gratis use for free/open source projects); both were initially announced on
the Linux-kernel mailing list as responses to McVoy's move, and each had had
only a few weeks' worth of work at that point.
Before that, there had been a good deal of grumbling about the ever-shifting
terms of the "don't piss off Larry license", whose increasingly draconian
terms were designed to prevent the development of competitive software. (The
last available version purported to bind all users to a non-compete preventing
them from contributing to another SCM; I'm not sure California law would have
allowed McVoy to enforce a non-compete on his own employees!) However, so long
as these difficulties remained theoretical, there was not, in fact, much
serious work going on to develop such competition. But when Larry revoked the
license, effectively forcing the kernel developers to come up with an
alternative damn quick, they did --- and damn quick.
So, the clones aren't something that the customers did when they got
dissatisfied with BitMover; they're something that happened _after_ BitMover
chose, on their own, to end the relationship. Which makes them, as I said, a
self-inflicted wound, that BitMover could have avoided through better customer
relations management.
------
sarah2079
One thing that has really surprised me is how little you can tell about a
customer based on their initial email. When I get an angry or rude email,
about 95% of the time they will turn into a polite human being once I respond
calmly with help for their problem. A lot of people just do not expect to be
able make contact with an actual human or to get any useful help, and are
angry from the get go because of this. The article mentions "disrespectful &
abrupt" emails. For me this extends this to include "angry and hateful." It is
truly amazing the 180 people can do once they are talking to a person instead
of an anonymous customer support address.
~~~
josephlord
I think it is that they have usually reached a high level of frustration
before they email and it all comes pouring out. The lack of expectation puts
them off writing until they have reached the edge.
------
radley
We got one yesterday. Had a list of changes he expected us to make for our
app. Most were really redundant and outdated ideas. I wrote responses to each
portion of his email: yes, no, maybe...
I got to the last paragraph: if we made all of the changes he'd be happy to
bump up his rating of our app to 3 or 4 stars. At that point I deleted
everything I wrote and instead politely brushed him off and offered a refund.
~~~
sarah2079
I get this all the time. My strategy is to respond honestly about whether any
of the changes they are suggesting are coming and why I have decided not to
add them if they are not, and when it comes to the rating bribery just ignore
the fact that they mentioned it. Also popular: "I will buy your in app
purchase if you add/change X" (So tempting! A whole 99 cents you say?).
Interestingly with this treatment I have not noticed these customers being any
more trouble than usual as a group. They usually seem very happy to get an
honest response from a real person. Even though behavior like this irks me, I
think it is mainly a symptom of the fact that you often have to try so hard to
be heard by customer support these days.
------
deltaqueue
Sounds like this guy has never dealt with any Indian prospects, which
notoriously exhibit many of these characteristics. Our most recent lead, which
was a subsidiary of one of the largest companies in the world, involved
dealing with one of the most painfully disrespectful employees in procurement
that we've ever dealt with. After giving them an ultimatum that we weren't
going to sign their agreement and that they could take ours or not sign at
all, another employee at their company finally stepped in, apologized, and
signed.
Fortunately, the more qualified leads we've encountered and close in the area
tend to exhibit only a few of these traits and are generally much more
respectful, but prosecting is still quite different from the US.
------
Negitivefrags
I don't see why asking for a discount is so toxic. We ask for a discount on
every transaction with a 3rd party our business makes and more often than not
we get one.
It seems like most business to business transactions start with the "dummy
price" out the gate.
~~~
dotBen
_> We ask for a discount on every transaction with a 3rd party our business
makes_
I'm curious to learn why you do that? On _"contact a sales person"_ type sales
I can understand but you use the term 'transaction' which implies you are
doing this on self-service purchases.
Most self-service businesses are setup to streamline (ie avoid) human-
interactions which would also suggest they are _honestly_ pricing their
goods/services. By contacting them for a discount you're already increasing
their CAC before you then ask for a discount too.
If you have sticker-shock on the price because it's not offering a return
value to you or you cannot afford it then you're probably not a target
customer. That's why I don't go into the Ferrari dealership and ask for 10%
off.
~~~
aes256
> Most self-service businesses are setup to streamline (ie avoid) human-
> interactions which would also suggest they are honestly pricing their
> goods/services.
This doesn't follow. It shows they are concerned with reducing their costs,
not that they will pass those cost savings onto the customer.
Don't ask, don't get. If you are going to be a solid, profitable customer for
a business, they have a clear incentive to get you on board by sweetening the
deal.
~~~
dotBen
People build self-service businesses because they don't want to build a sales
team and/or be able to keep their price point competitive.
If everyone emailed in wanting pre-sales and discounts the price would go up
because there would need to be a sales team to service the requests.
I'm telling you that as someone who runs such a business that has both self-
service and sales-led products that are priced differently _(partly)_ for that
reason. _(that business is hosting the OP site as it happens)_
~~~
aes256
I don't think it's as big of an issue as you suggest. If you've spent umpteen
hours developing the product, the amount of additional time and effort
required to put a simple discount system in place is negligible.
You could even set up a standard response email. If someone writes asking for
a discount, just send them a ~10% discount code.
It should pay for itself in the form of (even slightly) increased conversions
in no time.
------
jasonkester
This kicked off a nice long discussion last time it showed up here:
<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1987146>
Well worth a read just for Joel Spolsky's comment at the top of the thread.
------
tatsuke95
Anyone who has worked selling...anything, can understand where you're coming
from. There are some real d-bags out there, and some will end up as potential
customers.
But as a guy who has been on the _other_ end of these calls, far too often, I
can sympathize with wanting some directness. I can't tell you how many times I
write an inquiry to a company with some basic questions, and next thing you
know I'm bombarded by requests to get me on a sales call. I don't have time;
phone calls are inconvenient, emails are not. I've done my research, please
answer my questions so I can decide whether to buy your product or not.
That's my approach now. I try to be as cordial as possible, but I ask direct
questions, usually via email. If you can't answer them, I _can't_ buy what
you're selling.
~~~
BryanB55
I've experienced this both ways. Usually when I'm looking for business
products or services they are more likely to want to do an annoying "sales
call" but I've also experienced this as a business owner. We try to offer a
very simple service where customers can sign up online and find all of the
information they need on our website. However we still get customers that will
literally email us and ask us to call them (as if they can't call our toll-
free number) so that they can literally ask the most basic questions.
The worst is when they ask us to "send them a proposal" or "when you can have
a conference call with us?".
We work with clients in the real estate industry, real estate offices,
builders, etc... I think certain industries are accustomed to working certain
ways or just follow the traditional "corporate attitude" of meetings and
conference calls.
If you really want a low-touch, low pain customer base I think the industry
you choose is also very important.
------
danielweber
It looks like internal politics at the prospect were at play here. The guy
didn't want to be doing this and decided to take his bad attitude out on the
vendor he was assigned to deal with.
~~~
wtracy
Now that you say that, that brings up the possibility that the guy was
actually hoping to sabotage the purchase.
------
bryanr
The point about asking questions you can get from the website definitely rings
true. We had a customer ask us about 15 questions, the answers to which were
all on the website on our features page. He then asked for us to walk him
through the installation of our app and a demo. After 30 minutes, we had to
cut him off.
We'll definitely be on the look out for these types of customers going forward
- and the cost definitely outweighs any sales we would get from these toxic
customers.
------
andrew_wc_brown
The customer did sound like a hassle, but by the sound of the author I think
he could have admitted ways he could have improved his customer support.
\- Multiple Questions that Can Be Answered from Your Website
Improve the accessibility of the questions, educate the lead/customer on its
location.
\- Asking for a discount
Whether you like to haggle or not, there are people that think part of the
buying process requires a haggle. Have a trivial bonus you can award to your
haggler so they feel like a winner.
\- Carpet bombing info@ sales@ questions@ support@ and etc..
These emails are impersonal, people want to talk to real people. If you aren't
a big company use your name or if you want a generic account that everyone can
use just make up a name: [email protected]
\- Calling your cellphone multiple times
If you don't want to phone support. Don't list your cellphone on your website.
If you have to list a number go buy one that goes to an answering machine.
\- Email Ping Pong
If you're lead/customer is getting frustrated with every back paddle of an
email you send back its possible you aren't communicating in a way they
understand or your not giving them an answer they'd accept. You don't have to
give them the answer they want just one they get.
------
OldSchool
Right-on! These scenarios are sadly straight out of real day-to-day life in a
successful business.
The colleague one is classic, or worse yet, you're called by the 'expert'
himself who trivializes your product yet somehow is calling to buy it.
Top of my list though is this: Customer negotiates again after delivery. "I
want a refund unless I get convoluted feature X for free, or $Y off the
price."
Don't be afraid to fire a customer just to improve your quality of life. Bonus
points for describing your direct competitor as a perfect fit.
Finally, for sanity's sake, never give out your personal cellphone number. If
you must be "reachable," use something you can block off-hours.
------
melanchton
I feel like I read about some of our customers in post and comments. 10% of
our customers generate 1-2 percents of revenue, and 70-80% of support emails
(all urgent), phone calls, complaints to quality of service, requests to
implement tons of custom features for them, e.t.c, e.t.c.
------
nickesh_23
Am I the only founder here who enjoys the challenge of a toxic customer? Make
the deal, sign a short term contract, then drop communication. A customer is
only toxic when they know they have leverage. My strategy: build up a false
sense of leverage during the deal cycle, then at the end DHV and threaten to
pull away, close the deal, and make em feel like you did them a favor. Never
say no. Never charge a higher price. Get the customer first, and then make
them want you, not hate you.
In regards to the specific example of the 80 question doc, I would've simply
replied "sorry, I'm not experienced enough to answer these, then tell him to
wait to hear from another sales manager, then circle back in 3 weeks seeing if
he got his questions answered (even though you know he hasn't). He's happier
than getting a "no", and his boss will wonder why the purchase hasn't happened
yet. Delay, delay, delay, and let the customer come back to you. That is the
filter. No use in prematurely judging a customer and potentially losing
business forever. Don't less SaaS economics ruin the salesman's tact. It's all
we got left.
\- god of parking and traffic
------
awayand
"can we hit the reset button on this please?" I like this expression
------
benihana
> _But asking us to drop our price by 25% or 30% just for kicks is not
> typically a sign of an outstanding customer._
Disagree completely. Repeatedly asking for a discount over a long period of
time for no reason, maybe. But just asking for a discount at the beginning or
out of the blue seems to be a wise tactic in financial transactions.
If I ask for a discount the worst they can do is say no, and very often they
say yes and I pay less. If I ask and they say no I and I push it and they're
firm about not giving a discount, great - I'm paying a fair price that we're
both happy about. If I ask and they lower their price, great - they lowered
their price and now I'm paying a fair price that we're both happy about. Just
seems to be part of the game you play...
~~~
halcyondaze
I work with a SaaS product, and we've noticed that almost every customer that
asks us for a discount right off the bat tends to 1. Have a low LTV and 2. Not
be a good fit for us support and headache-wise. Just our experience.
------
af3
maybe YOU need to stop bitching...
~~~
eropple
I know I shouldn't feed the trolls, but I find these one or two thoroughly
killed comments at the bottom of threads fascinating and you actually seem to
have other, mostly reasonable posts.
What is this post supposed to accomplish? What actual message are you trying
to convey? What about this article made you feel compelled to write a one-off
insult and nothing of substance?
~~~
ben0x539
Maybe he's the guy in the OP. :)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Basics of Neural Networks with example codes and illustrations - coderjack
http://natureofcode.com/book/chapter-10-neural-networks/
======
JDDunn9
Does anyone have any examples of areas where neural networks beat out
statistical based methods, other than maybe image recognition? I can't even
think of another major area where they dominate.
\- Search engines use algorithms, not neural nets.
\- The most popular algorithm on Kaggle (data analysis competitions) is random
forests
\- Google's self-driving car uses statistical-based methods
I can't imagine commercial aircraft would use a neural net. What happened if
one crashed? They would analyze the data and ask questions like, Q: "What
happened?" A: "I don't know" Q: "Can we fix it so it doesn't happen again?" A:
"I don't know".
~~~
dave_sullivan
Glad you asked...
Definitely image recognition:
[http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~hinton/absps/imagenet.pdf](http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~hinton/absps/imagenet.pdf)
Speech recognition:
[http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~hinton/absps/RNN13.pdf](http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~hinton/absps/RNN13.pdf)
Natural language processing:
[http://www.socher.org/index.php/DeepLearningTutorial/DeepLea...](http://www.socher.org/index.php/DeepLearningTutorial/DeepLearningTutorial),
[http://aclweb.org/anthology/N/N13/N13-1090.pdf](http://aclweb.org/anthology/N/N13/N13-1090.pdf)
If you're into kaggle competitions: [http://blog.kaggle.com/2012/11/01/deep-
learning-how-i-did-it...](http://blog.kaggle.com/2012/11/01/deep-learning-how-
i-did-it-merck-1st-place-interview/)
I don't think there are going to be any further major advances in eg SVMs or
random forests (famous last words maybe...) Neural nets, on the other hand,
are just scratching the surface of what's possible. So _right now_ they are
state of the art in some historically very difficult areas. But these are
early days still.
~~~
lightcatcher
You wrote the answer I was just a little bit too lazy to write...
As to the GP: Geoff Hinton (probably the most well-known neural networks
researcher) said in his Coursera course that neural networks thrive at
problems with a lot of structure that could be encoded, while simpler models
like SVMs or Gaussian processes might be better for problems without as much
deep structure to discover.
Also, a lot of the current research with neural networks involves using neural
networks to learn better representations of data. These cleaner
representations of data (which can be thought about as a sort of semantic PCA)
often make classification far easier, which explains the great results.
Learning representations also makes transfer learning (transferring knowledge
from one domain to another) much easier/more possible.
------
nrox
brain.js library is a NN implementation in JavaScript. It's very easy to use.
[https://github.com/harthur/brain](https://github.com/harthur/brain)
Here is a test with a model of a robotic arm:
[https://assemblino.com/show/public20123372.html](https://assemblino.com/show/public20123372.html)
------
Lambdanaut
This book is everything I've ever wanted in a programming text. I'm sorry that
I don't have much of anything substantial to say except praise, but seriously,
thank you for writing this.
~~~
coderjack
Thanks for liking this post. But the actual credits must go to the author of
this text as I am just another fan of this book like you are now.
------
mekarpeles
The experience (specifically the careful choice of mediums + examples +
presentation though which the concepts are conveyed) is pretty fantastic.
~~~
coderjack
You may also want to read the chapter on fractal programming in this book. Its
pretty intuitive too.
------
NKCSS
An awesome book; I've now started reading from the beginning of the book :)
One thing I've noticed though, is that img 10 of chapter 1 is missing.
[http://natureofcode.com/book/chapter-1-vectors/imgs/chapter0...](http://natureofcode.com/book/chapter-1-vectors/imgs/chapter01/ch01_10.png)
~~~
CodeCube
You can submit a pull request ;) [https://github.com/shiffman/The-Nature-of-
Code](https://github.com/shiffman/The-Nature-of-Code)
I think that's so amazingly awesome, that it can evolve as a living document
in this way.
------
pests
In regards to the first interactive demo, it seems to be adjusting the line to
be parallel to the one drawn on the background. Was this intentional or are
the supposed to converge?
~~~
coderjack
The line in the background is the function towards which the neural net is
expected to converge.
~~~
pests
When I first posted my reply every time I watched that demo the neural net
line was converging on a line perpendicular to the line in the background.
(rereading my original comment I think I described what I was seeing
incorrectly but this new reply correctly explains what I was originally
seeing)
------
bcuccioli
I wrote a simple neural network about a year ago for doing optical character
recognition as a class project. I think looking over the code could be good
for learning, as it has a pretty simple OOP structure:
[https://github.com/bcuccioli/neural-ocr](https://github.com/bcuccioli/neural-
ocr)
------
catshirt
cool. just bought the book on Amazon! i know some small amount about neural
networks (i was able to skim the article), but the book as a whole looks
stellar.
------
gustavodemari
nice article
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Salad? Gimme Steak. (Moving off Cucumber for acceptance tests) - nakajima
http://cmdrkeene.tumblr.com/post/1042767842/group-me-steak
======
ihumanable
How much longer until Steak gets a nifty DSL so it looks like Cucumber again,
maybe they'll call it Zucchini this time.
Ruby seems to be playing with fire a little bit here, similar to the insanity
that happened with Java and XML.
Java programs can't handle some edge case, program becomes configurable with
XML, huge win. Then XML goes way too far, people start disliking XML, Java
falls from grace.
Ruby programs are somewhat cumbersome, but Ruby, being fairly awesome, allows
you to define a DSL. People write DSLs that make tasks easier, huge win. Then
there are too many DSLs, people get tired of trying to figure out _another_
(groan) new DSL to do something they now know how to do in ruby.
Both start with this simple idea, flavor of the month type thing, that in the
beginning is a huge win. After a while though both burn out. I think the
saving grace for ruby is that people will just reimplement the DSL as a more
straightforward ruby library.
~~~
cmdrkeene
Steak doesn't want to be cucumber at all. It's plain ruby. The "DSL" aspects
of the library are purely for legibility and structure. The keywords feature,
background, scenario perform the exact same function as the RSpec keywords
describe, before, and it respectively.
All steak does is provide a structure for acceptance tests and loop in a web
automation driver (capybara).
Far less magical than parsing a the magic language of "Gherkin"
------
cageface
My strategy for dealing with all these ruby testing fads is to just keep on
plugging away with good old Test::Unit and avoid the churn all together. It
takes about two minutes to teach somebody how to read asserts and then you're
done.
~~~
jamesbritt
" ... all these ruby testing fads "
What makes something a fad or not?
~~~
cageface
When everybody claiming it's the next big thing decides six months later that
it's too cumbersome and complicated and must immediately be replaced with the
next shiny new thing. The ruby community seems to suffer from an acute case of
magpie syndrome.
------
benbjohnson
I have a couple issues with Steak:
1\. It seems to take something that's already pretty straightfoward (RSpec)
and just adds a couple keywords.
2\. You're writing code when you should be describing features. Trying to
remember where to put an underscore or what should be a symbol makes it harder
to focus on describing the feature.
3\. It greek to any non-developer. If you tried e-mailing this to a product
owner or a user they would ask why you're sending code samples.
I know you addressed #3 in your blog post but why did you decide to use Steak
over RSpec alone? Do you have any issue ramping up new developers with the
Steak syntax?
~~~
cmdrkeene
To your points:
1) Agreed. It's simple. But, it does some nice things like 1) hook up capybara
2) create a /spec/acceptance folder and suite hook and 3) add some "behavior-
oriented" keywords like feature, background and scenario. Of course, these are
just dumb blocks and yes you could use the provided RSpec DSL (describe, it,
before, etc) but it helps (if only mildly) to indicate that this is an
acceptance test and to maybe put the programmer more in that mindset. This
isn't groundbreaking, it's just a nice convention in my opinion.
2) This is a fair criticism. It does put the programmer more in a "code-
centric" mindset than a "behavior-centric" one.
To address this I usually write out the feature in comments exactly as I would
in cucumber. This might sound like an argument against steak, but it's not.
The most useful thing about cucumber to me is the pattern of thinking: "Given
this, When I do something, Then I should see that". The trouble is in the
details: the maintenance, the awkward step gymnastics, etc. If you write out a
pseudo-feature in comments then under each line of comments write the code, it
totally remove the layer of feature vs. step definition indirection that
plagues large cucumber projects.
3) Totally agreed. Though, very few projects I've used cucumber on ever let
customers see feature files, let alone write them. Steak is for programmers,
not customers.
There is no issue ramping up because it's just rspec and capybara. This is
exactly what's under the sheets of most cucumber (for rails) installs. Anyone
who implements cucumber step definitions should be well versed.
------
momoro
I've used cucumber for several years and love it. The author raises these
issues:
a) Organization of steps in a huge project is hard.
b) Complex quoting is hard
c) Token links in e-mail are hard
d) Manual poking of background jobs is hard
As a Cucumber user I've run into some of these.
a) Step Organization: In large projects, this is indeed difficult. I would
love an os x app that could search step definitions. On the other hand, Ack
makes it fairly simple to find steps. Furthermore, you can always organize
them into folders.
If you see cucumber steps as methods, the author is basically saying "having
methods makes things hard because I don't know if someone has already written
the method. Therefore, I have given up on methods and now write everything
inline."
b) Quoting: Cucumber allows for multi-line step definitions
c): Token links in e-mail are hard: Not sure exactly what he's talking about.
But check out <http://github.com/bmabey/email-spec> which I helped write /
solves e-mail issues for cucumber.
d) I have a step that just says "And the system processes jobs." In this step,
I just run all the delayed jobs. It's not that hard.
To be fair, I haven't looked at steak very much, and am just going off of this
blog post.
~~~
cmdrkeene
To your issues:
1) Yeah, organization is crazy. I think the method comparison is a bit unfair
though. In theory, each step should be easily identifiable (like a method) but
this is rarely the case given that most steps have complex regex matching
(sometimes for grammatical niceness - e.g. (a vs. an), sometimes for other
crazy town reasons). This makes not only automated indexing difficult
(RubyMine tries...) but trying to keep hundreds of steps in your head is
pretty hard. Especially one's you probably didn't write.
The cool thing about steak is that helpers and "reusable steps" are actually
just methods! Hello ctags :D
b) Our case was:
And the user "212-555-1234" should receive a text with:
| Some "double quoted" and 'single quoted' text |
Definitely possible in cucumber, but I prefer a string equality assertion:
text.should == "..." (you have to do this anyway in the step_definition)
c) Ben Maeby's email_spec is awesome and provides some steps for clicking on
links in email. I still use the library in steak (just the raw rspec matchers
though).
The trouble is you have a url:
http://coolsite.org/something/abcde22424aw3324234
The matcher provided says:
I click on the link "Link Title or URL". Since the token is random every time
(unless you stub it, which is kinda out of the spirit of acceptance testing,
but that's another debate) it's hard to say "Click on the link with the big
ass token in it".
You can definitely write a step like:
And I visit the account confirmation link
Again, a matter of preference for abstracting the step with one-time use,
highly coupled text to code vs. a comment and the code together. The actual
mechanics are the same in both systems, it's just that cucumber hides them in
a one-time use step away from the actual feature whereas the steak is inline.
d) Similar to the above, the catch all step can work in cucumber. Though, in a
few scenarios, it's desirable to run only specific jobs or more often in our
case, to check if jobs are scheduled in a specific way. It avoids the weird
scenario of writing a step definition like "And I run only the blah jobs" or
"And a blah job should be scheduled with ...". Ideally the job system would be
decoupled entirely from the acceptance test, but we can't all do cool stuff
like this all the time: <http://corner.squareup.com/2010/08/cucumber-and-
resque.html>
------
oomkiller
I like Steak, but the main reason for using Cucumber in the first place is to
interface with your customers, or at least with people that understand the
business side of things on a piece of software. Steak doesn't aim to, and
won't replace that.
------
etagwerker
It's interesting. Are there any performance improvements?
~~~
nakajima
It's definitely faster, though I don't have any actual numbers (sorry about
that). Developer performance has increased significantly though, since we
we're no longer stuck in "step-state" hell.
------
smartocci
yum... steak
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Ask HN: How do I meet people in an industry - clistctrl
Me and a friend have an idea to change the television industry. Personally I'm a web developer. I have many connections to many industries, but none to television. However to be successful I feel as if I need one. In addition I live in Boston, which is on the opposite side of where I want to be. I want to execute my plan, but I can't imagine trying to get funding with my current team. Any suggestions?
======
Trindaz
Only the obvious: Fire your team, move house, then go to every event related
to the TV industry that you can find out about.
\-- Trindaz on Fedang
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Show HN: A tool for editing, optimizing and converting SVG files to JSX or PNG - shadow_s
http://www.svgviewer.dev
======
husseiny
This is really cool, I love little tools like this that can help you with a
quick task when needed. One thing that would make this even better is being
able to click on an element in the SVG and choose a color from there.
------
aiibe
I used this tool for the same purpose, good alternative tho.
[https://react-svgr.com/playground/](https://react-svgr.com/playground/)
------
shadow_s
Hey guys! I wanted to develop a simple tool that would help web designers and
developers quickly edit SVG files in code and convert them to whatever they
want. Let me know if you have any feedback or suggestions on how to improve
it!
------
ericls
I don't know if this is bug or feature:
You can use hex and binary numbers on the left, which leads to invalid svg but
the preview still works.
------
numToStr
React Native section will be very useful to quickly make RN svg component.
Nice Job.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
LuneOS: WebOS port - wilsonfiifi
http://pivotce.com/2014/09/01/official-release-of-luneos-and-project-updates/
======
shopinterest
This is really cool. I gotta revive my Touchpad to try it. Thanks!!
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Restoring Bletchley Park: birthplace of modern computing - canistr
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/restoring-bletchley-park-birthplace-of.html
======
iuguy
I've been to Bletchley Park about 3 times now. It is staggeringly amazing what
went on there, when you think of the effort those people went through and
their contribution to the war. It must have been incredibly painful to let
people die rather than run the risk of the Germans knowing that the codes were
broken.
If you ever come to the UK from abroad, you can get a train from Euston
Station (zone 1 on the underground) to Milton Keynes and from there head to
Bletchley Park. It's well worth a day trip for the serious geek/hacker type.
~~~
defeated
I just did this about a month ago, and it couldn't be easier to get from
London to Bletchley Park, it's literally right up the road from the Milton
Keynes train station, maybe a two minute walk.
Getting to Down House (Darwin's House) from London, on the other hand, while
totally worthwhile... what a hassle!
~~~
timthorn
I think you mean the Bletchley rail station - MK Central is some miles away.
~~~
defeated
Yep, sorry about that, it was the MK line, stopped at Bletchley :).
------
stcredzero
They deserve credit along with a number of other sites. (The Manhattan Project
is one.)
~~~
chadgeidel
I'm not trying to be snarky, but I did not know the Manhattan Project used
(non-human) computers in any significant way. None of the
documentaries/specials I've seen have mentioned any use.
Would you care to enlighten me?
~~~
stcredzero
They used IBM machines with punch cards to do (what were then) large numbers
of automated computations.
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_IBM#1939-1945:_World...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_IBM#1939-1945:_World_War_II)
Feynman often used to rib Danny Hillis about Computer Science being a fluff
field, since he'd already done all that stuff using primitive machines back in
the 40's.
~~~
chadgeidel
Thanks for that.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
The Science of Politely Ending a Conversation - KhalilK
http://www.fastcodesign.com/3038950/evidence/the-science-of-politely-ending-a-conversation
======
mathattack
I think they overly downplay the effectiveness and efficiency of vanishing. I
used to work with a VERY polished salesman, who was the king of making
everyone feel at home at his events. He was an absolute gentleman. But you
knew he would disappear without saying a word at the end of the night. There
would be a car waiting for everyone that needed it, but he wouldn't say
Goodbye. Nobody faulted him for it.
On the other extreme... I went to a political fundraiser where it was clear
the politician worked the room like a, well politician. He made everyone feel
important and listened to. After he had done his once-over, he announced,
"Thank you all for coming. I apologize for leaving abruptly, I have to go an
meet my mom for dinner." I was stunned at how smooth he was.
~~~
logfromblammo
The unannounced exit is also known by the slang terms "ghosting", "Irish
goodbye", and "French leave".
I'm not altogether certain that you could place it at a fixed position on the
"appropriateness" axis. It would probably depend largely upon the number of
people in the social environment, and as such, the one-on-one conversation
experiment would be the least appropriate situation in which it could possibly
be used.
The politician in your example used _both_ a closing statement _and_ an excuse
to disengage, the two strategies with both high politeness and high
efficiency. That shows a very high level of social intelligence.
~~~
mathattack
I was in awe of him. And thought, "That's how and why he got elected." :-)
------
SixSigma
In the UK we have "right, I'll let you get on" like you are doing them a
favour.
~~~
Swizec
Also a Lord Vetinari trick from the Discworld universe: "Don't let me keep
you."
"When Vetinari considers the meeting ended, he usually dismisses his visitors
with the phrase "don't let me detain you." The inherent implication being that
he just might if they let him."
~~~
TrainedMonkey
This begs for clarification. Lord Vetinari considered ruthless patrician and
was prepared for this role at assassins school. Without healthy dose of fear
and respect this phrase might come off as condescending.
------
Spooky23
On a somewhat related note, when you have the time, you can sometimes yield
dividends by _not_ ending the conversation at an early point.
A 10 minute conversation can teach you a lot or even earn your some goodwill.
~~~
therealdrag0
Good point. I think I've gotten to the point of too habitually keeping
conversations short. But really, a bit of a longer conversation is probably
more healthy and valuable to me than seeing another reddit post or w/e else
I'd do with those few minutes.
------
jliptzin
I'm pretty bad at this. I lose patience quickly when people don't get the hint
that it's time to end the conversation. In these cases I usually just say I
have to go to the bathroom or make a call and don't come back.
------
andrey-p
Regarding the plot towards the end of the article, what does "efficiency"
mean? Surely "vanishing" while the other person is still speaking is the
fastest way to end a conversation for the least effort.
~~~
petercooper
Based on the other points, I'm guessing it relates to expenditure of time and
effort on behalf of the speaker.
Vanishing requires you change location, whereas the more "efficient"
_rudeness_ would hopefully make the other person leave instead. Note that
"non-responsiveness" is the least efficient, because I suspect the most likely
response is for someone to keep questioning why you're not responding, wasting
time. With that said, "vanishing" would almost certainly be the most efficient
on a phone call, as it's just hanging up.
~~~
andrey-p
Fair enough, I was thinking of situations where the conversation wouldn't be
held in your own space. In which case, changing location is something you
would've had to do anyway.
I just really like the sheer surrealness of ending a conversation by walking
off mid-sentence.
------
lettercarrier
My success at ending conversations successfully greatly improved once I took
formal training in personality types [1] Stick a dozen or two in a room and
get a good facilitator to explain how others are. Then you will become so much
better at knowing how to end a conversation, or even better, when you should
not even bother entering in one. Thinkers; Deciders; Sensors; Feelers, in my
learning sessions.
As a boss, I told everyone that under stress, I am a huge decider. Don't waste
my time with conversation; get to the point. But under normal conditions, I am
extremely verbose.
I think the "science" part of the article is good, as any formula can help
when needed. But I sum up what I think my conversation partner is (thinker,
decider, sensor, feeler) so I know how to end the conversation.
[1]
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personality_type](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personality_type)
------
blisterpeanuts
I used to have long chats on the phone with an EE consultant friend. He was
unmarried and lonely and would just never get off the phone. Whatever I said
("well, have a nice day" or some such), he would quickly interject "so tell me
what your plans for the holidays are" or some similar opening to keep the
conversation going. I found that the only way to end the conversation was to
say "I have to go" and he would immediately terminate the call. Weird. He
didn't take to email when it became prevalent, so we just don't keep in touch
anymore.
------
dogpa
Aaaaaanyway...
------
blisterpeanuts
This brings to mind a conversation I once had with a smart, young female
programmer with a playful sense of humor.
Me: I have a meeting.
Her: yeah, right.
Those were fun times.
~~~
hughbert
What does being young or female have to do with it?
~~~
dj-wonk
Perhaps the person in question was young and female. :) Does the above comment
offend you? It was a story, not a generalization, from what I can tell. (It
seems to me that people are too easily offended sometimes.)
~~~
dsjoerg
but why those attributes and not race or height or credit score. not to make
too big a deal of it but it's interesting to note which attributes are
considered notable/identifying.
~~~
JustThrowinAway
The examples you've provided cannot be immediately distinguished just from
talking to a person.
Additionally, these are two traits that are very identifiable - they're broad
definitions that only separate people into two groups. Young implies younger
than the OP (the other option being old), female is one of two groups the vast
majority of the population fits into.
~~~
logfromblammo
When I go to the beach and don sunglasses to mask my otherwise creepy leering
behavior, the two adjectives that most precisely describe the people I ogle
are "young" and "female".
And I most certainly do not prefer to stare at Powerpoint/Keynote/Impress
slideshows as someone drones on about goals and metrics.
While the preferences that govern attraction are a bit more varied, the
propensity for men to enjoy the company of women who are obviously of
reproductive age is literally the sole foundation for huge swaths of the
advertising industry. It cannot be overridden by political correctness or
gender-equality progressiveness. This is such a deeply entrenched fact of
human interaction, that one can make jokes about it in the right situation,
without any prior setup.
And when someone does, it is acceptable to laugh, rather than to question the
premise.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
560,000 fewer online job ads posted this year - mshafrir
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Report-560000-fewer-online-apf-2823942149.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=7&asset=&ccode=
======
idlewords
Probably means someone's script crashed.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Prison Without Punishment - hecubus
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2015/09/25/prison-without-punishment
======
cubano
I violated 3 years felony probation late last year here in Florida and was
picked up on the warrant on May 18th.
The original charges were possession charges from about 5 years ago, and I
only had 6 months to go when I was violated for working out-of-county (I had
to go where the contract was). It was a simple "technical" violation so I
figured I would be ok.
I was not. I was sentenced to 15 months _in prison_ for some reason that no
one could explain. I didn't even "score" prison time, yet my crap public
defender just sacrificed me to the state prosecutors.
Thank goodness I had 13 months credit time served, so I only had to do like 51
days "up the road". Florida D.O.C decided to make it hard on me for whatever
reason, and sent me back to Gulf C.I. Annex in the panhandle, some 9 hours
from my home.
I was first assigned to a "T-dorm" where approx 80% of my fellow inmates were
serving life sentences. Yes, you heard correctly...they made me, with my
little 51 days, live in that particularly dangerous environment.
Needless to say, I avoided talking about my release date.
There are absolutely no programs at Gulf C.I. I am 100% convinced that the
entire system is designed to _create_ recidivism, not prevent it. The C.O's
smuggled in K2 and it seemed everyone was smoking that shit constantly.
It was easier to get drugs then it was to get a book to read.
I was released on the 7th with no phone, money, and prison issued clothes. I
had to stay in shelters for 2 nights until I finally made it back to central
Florida.
I am in the process of writing a blog post about the entire incredible
experience, but the tl;dr version of it is that the system is a sledge hammer
and every problem is a block of concrete to be smashed to dust and swept away.
~~~
code_sterling
Just curious, possession of what? And how much?
~~~
cubano
Possession of heroin, Possession of over 20g of weed...both felonies.
You can read my previous posts about it. I'm just glad it's all finally over
and I'm free to move and work as I need.
~~~
code_sterling
That's ridiculous. I hope we smarten up as a society soon.
------
linuxhansl
German here, living in the US (and liking it here in the US).
I can confirm that generally there is a different viewpoint. In Germany prison
is somewhat of the last resort mostly to be avoided, and even then the aspect
of rehabilitation (and deterrence) is most important.
In the US I find there's often a notion of revenge, as in "This person must
suffer for what for (s)he did!"; and more severe sentences usually to be
considered as "more justice".
Edit: Some spelling for clarity
~~~
trhway
>In the US I find there's often a notion of revenge
US is puritans. Revenge is one of the cornerstones of the puritan moral.
~~~
larsiusprime
That's as simplistic as saying Australia is a bunch of criminals.
The USA spans a huge continent which was settled by a huge number of very
different groups all with different moral and philosophical foundations.
~~~
trhway
No. There is no national party in Australia with a base consisting mainly of
criminals. Whereis the US Republican party's base display all the worst
characteristics of puritanism, including their "holier than thou" main driving
attitude which directly feeds their views on crime and punishment.
~~~
Thriptic
I can't speak to Republicans' ideas of crime and punishment, but I will say
that the US is a place which encourages and fosters individualism strongly as
opposed to collectivism (right term?). In a more collectivist / society
focused model as you might find in Europe, it makes sense that the focus of
prison would be rehabilitation and programs focused on improving the greater
good. In a model emphasizing individualism, it makes sense that the focus of
prison would be punishment: The offender made certain choices as an individual
and has harmed the victim's ability to operate as an individual. The victim
therefore has the right to seek justice.
~~~
trhway
while it sounds logical, the counter-example would be Russia. It has a very
collectivist, hive, mentality - completely opposite to US, yet the same focus
on punishment (in hellish prisons) instead of rehabilitation. The common
though is the "you've sinned -> go to hell" religion. The countries like
German are much more secular (as of today), and that naturally results in more
humane society, including the criminal punishment policies.
It is also noticeable in social economical policies - the approach "you're
poor because you're a lazy bum" can be seen as a form of punishment which is a
natural view in the US (especially to the religious part of the society) while
obviously less so for Germany. Note that such "punishment" is not explicitly
inflicted by people, instead it viewed along the lines like "God loves hard
working good people (and hates the opposite ones)".
------
d357r0y3r
Could it work? Of course, the data is abundantly clear here. If you treat
prisoners like shit, then their chances of recidivism are much higher. If you
want to reduce crime, then you have to treat prisoners well. There's really
very little controversy here from an academic perspective.
The barrier is cultural. The public in the U.S., by and large, expects
prisoners to be punished harshly. Retribution and deterrence rank way higher
than rehabilitation in terms of the desired outcome of incarceration. As far
as the average American is concerned, anything that happens inside of the
prison walls, including but not limited to rape, murder, torture, is the price
you pay for breaking the law.
If we want to have better prisons, then we'll need people to develop some
degree of empathy for prisoners, and that's a tough battle in the U.S.
~~~
ams6110
_If you want to reduce crime, then you have to treat prisoners well._
There are no prisoners without there first being criminals.
~~~
fleitz
Nelson Mandela, Allan Turing, and Oscar Wilde might disagree with you on that.
To be fair on Mandela the modern US stance is that he should have been
assassinated, rather than imprisoned.
[https://wikileaks.org/cia-hvt-counterinsurgency/press-
releas...](https://wikileaks.org/cia-hvt-counterinsurgency/press-release.html)
~~~
srtjstjsj
Mandela was at war with the govt of SA, so that's a complicated case.
~~~
fleitz
He was imprisoned for inciting workers' strikes and leaving the country
without permission... it doesn't seem that complicated to me... His charges of
overthrowing the government were so baseless they had to be thrown out.
------
jit_hacker
There are no absolutes when it comes to criminal punishment. There is always
an exception to everything.
That said, I've long thought if you stop treating people like animals, they'll
stop acting like it. I've never studied prisons, or psychology, or anything
remotely related. But I genuinely believe this philosophy is investigating.
~~~
dethstar
Well there's countries like Norways which make prison look like vacations to
people in countries with less resources (except the not going out whenever you
please of course)
Foucault argued that the point of prison is to create more crime though.
~~~
rdtsc
> Foucault argued that the point of prison is to create more crime though.
Add profits generated by the prison industrial complex and it actually starts
making real economic sense to keep them coming back.
------
rokhayakebe
Note that in the US, prison is a multibillion dollar industry. It cost around
$30,000 (on the low end) to incarcerate someone yearly. Even if they spend a
day or two, someone is making money. Nothing to be said of the calling
minutes. All in all this may be a $50-$100B industry in the US.
That is not going anyway.
~~~
TheSpiceIsLife
When I first read your comment it immediately brought to mind privately run
prisons, but after a few moments though I realised you're comment calls
attention to the ongoing wealth transfer from the general tax-payer to the
prison associated workforce, who then go on to spend that money in the general
economy. Prison generates economic activity, which generates tax revenue.
Governments have a vested interest in increasing tax revenue.
~~~
kiba
Digging holes generate tax revenue as well.
~~~
TheSpiceIsLife
That's what the highway department is for.
------
jorde
We have pretty relaxed prison system in Finland as well and it seems to be
working pretty well[1]. They doesn't have the stigma as it does here the US
and actually my sister lives next to a closed prison with her small kids and
it's a no biggie.
[1]
[http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/09/why...](http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/09/why-
scandinavian-prisons-are-superior/279949/)
~~~
megablast
Difficult to compare the two, when Finland has a very homogeneous culture, and
is tiny.
~~~
jellicle
I often see this given as an excuse for the U.S.'s prison system, but it seems
a sort of non-sequitur along the lines of "difficult to compare the two,
because Finland is named Finland".
Is it just a codeword for the sentiment that the U.S. has black people, and
they're inherently evil, so cannot be rehabilitated or treated nicely like
Finland? That seems to be the only explanation that fits. If that's what you
think, why not say it?
If that isn't what you meant, maybe you can explain further. For instance, you
could try to finish these sentences:
"The USA is a larger, richer, country, and therefore it cannot build a prison
facility that holds 300 people and is rehabilitative rather than punitive
because......"
or for homogeneity:
"The USA has a somewhat more diverse population than Finland, and therefore it
cannot build a prison facility that holds 300 people and is rehabilitative
rather than punitive because......"
I'm curious to see what the explanation is. It certainly isn't anything
obvious to me.
------
clamprecht
In prison (US federal), when a guard was a dick to inmates, our saying was
"We're here AS punishment, not FOR punishment".
------
Confusion
The title derives from a single quote of someone that claims prisoners in
Germany are not put in prison as punishment, but only to protect the public.
But that is simply not true: punishment most certainly is a goal of accusers
and most prisoners certainly feel punished by being locked up, so that goal is
at least partially achieved. The major difference is that the government does
not consider it the main goal and other goals, such as rehabilitation, are
given more weight than in the US.
~~~
rbehrends
The claim is entirely true (§2 StVollzG [1]), but you may be misunderstanding
something here. The rehabilitation of offenders and the protection of the
public are indeed the sole two permissible objectives of incarceration in
Germany. But there is a difference between (1) the imposition of prison
sentences and (2) how they are being carried out. Judges may take other
factors into account to determine the severity of a sentence, but once
imposed, rehabilitation of offenders and protection of the public are the only
two goals that the process of carrying out the sentence may serve.
[1] [http://www.gesetze-im-
internet.de/englisch_stvollzg/englisch...](http://www.gesetze-im-
internet.de/englisch_stvollzg/englisch_stvollzg.html#p0013) (and yes, the
translation of the section title is ... imperfect).
~~~
Confusion
Punishment is not an official goal of the government. Nevertheless, in
practice it certainly is a goal, as required by the people the government
represents.
Punishment is a goal of many victims and of people who believe punishment
discourages crime. When the perpetrator is brought to justice, the victims-
turned-accusers will demand punishment. It is the goal of the government to
represent their interests. It partially does this by setting up the prison
system as it is and imposing prison sentences.
If dealing out punishment, as wished by the victims, was not an indirect goal
contributing to the way things are, prisons would be more comfortable. The
circumstances in prisons, their austerity and severity, cannot be explained
except by wanting to punish the people in there. They are not optimally suited
for only rehabilitation and protection of the public.
This is of course entirely understandable.
------
hwstar
I think the treatment of prisoners in the US is a big part of the problem.
European countries don't force prisoners to wear orange prison uniforms, or
transport them in waist chains and leg irons.
Sometimes respect and dignity for the prisoners by the prison authorities can
go a long way towards reforming the prisoner.
------
Overtonwindow
Sounds like a good idea to me. In America, we do too much imprisonment, and
not enough rehabilitation. I understand has a lot to do with costs and
politics, but I really think we should stop warehousing people for years and
years, with no rehabilitation.
------
scrapcode
In the Federal system inmates work towards something similar through their
behavior. Look up Federal Prison Camps.
~~~
wanderingstan
As someone who was just visiting a prison today, I can assure you that prison
camps are _nothing_ like this. Just a glorified version of home ankle
monitoring. No psychologically training. No saving money.
Read the description by the CEO of y-combinator's Pigeonly. They look for any
possible infraction to send you back to prison. He had to illegally keep a
cell phone in order to found his business.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Marc Benioff on where big tech is headed - canes2001
http://fortune.com/2015/01/22/salesforce-ceo-marc-benioff-on-where-big-tech-is-headed/
======
rezistik
"We have an industry that has a history of stinginess and that does not have a
good history of giving back."
That doesn't match anything I've heard or read, from what I can tell tech
entrepreneurs constantly give back, or at the least consistently invest back.
I'm positive this is bias, but is there another industry that creates as many
investors? Either angel or future VC partners?
That's not quite the right question, because of course finance would lead in
number of investors total, but I mean like created company in industry, this
case tech, then invested in more companies in that industry.
~~~
justaaron
how is salesforce.com going to give back to the big data community?
it's a bit like apple. there's no way to pass their "improvements" to BSD on
to the BSD community even if they felt magnimonious some day...
generally big tech (aside from IBM, Xerox Parc, and the OLD GUARD that
actually did paid research) today are webstack leechers...
maybe the VCs even try to clone techstacks from successful startups but minus
that genius builder person who arbitrarily chose reasonably suitable tools
because she was familiar and comfortable with them... so instead we get ten
million companies looking for "xyz engineers" which is just a big stupid turd
sitting in front of us: no, you need a person who may possibly have a comp sci
education but has hands on experience building stuff and sees how things work.
Where's our moon landing, where's the next major paradigm shift in user
interfaces coming from? where is the salesforce.com ai institute where we can
study the big data techniques they pioneered?
the last refuge of real computing == academia? or perhaps the fringe? garages?
hey it's never been cheaper to make an asic, they say...
~~~
rimantas
So GCD, WebKit, LLVM, Clang, etc do not count? Ot just don't fit your
narrative?
~~~
justaaron
you have a point with LLVM (probably due to the reason you outlined)
However WebKit is steerage, in a direction of their choice.
~~~
lumpypua
Apple's stewardship of KHTML paved the way for Chrome/Chromium, which ran off
WebKit until version 27. Enabling better browsers is a hugely valuable
contribution.
------
jgalt212
Marc Benioff knows where _everything_ is headed because he can see what a good
portion of America's and the world's sales channels look like for the next 3 -
18 months.
------
crabasa
I can't help but think that people who truly feel like they have unique
insight into the future would be insane to share it publicly.
~~~
fizx
There's a sweet spot where you're right enough to say "I told you so" and
vague enough that no one can use the info.
------
canes2001
Phil Levin, CEO of Evernote, I think had it right when he said "CEOs should
think of building a 100-year startup." CEOs have to continually innovate and
take a startup mentality to remain relevant.
------
touristtam
So he is saying that we need more expert system? I can't help but finding it a
bit obvious.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Real-time search of CT logs (logs of HTTPS certificates) - dc352
https://vimeo.com/300546272
======
dc352
You can test yourself at
[https://beta.keychest.net](https://beta.keychest.net)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Show HN: TubeHero – An SEO Toolkit for YouTube Content Creators - lukehero
https://tubehero.io
======
lukehero
Hey Hacker News!
The Product: I made this tool to help YouTube creators with researching topics
and keywords for videos and also helping with the upload process with features
such as title keyword suggester, tag generator and preview pages to see how
your video will look on YouTube without you having to upload it, plus more!
Me: I am an aspiring IndieDev like a lot here on the platform. I love to build
things that help people and it’s my dream to make a living doing so. My
mission this year has been simple: Take a month to learn the fundamentals of
code, then start building - 6 projects in 6 months, this makes 4 out of 6.
You can follow me here to see how I’m doing and what I’m making:
[https://twitter.com/itsLukeHero](https://twitter.com/itsLukeHero)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Twitter ‘gave Saudi Arabia information about journalist who ended up dead’ - jbegley
https://metro.co.uk/2018/11/09/twitter-gave-saudi-arabia-information-about-journalist-who-ended-up-dead-8123873/
======
ryanlol
Twitter has fundamentally screwed up by allowing far too many employees direct
access to customer data.
They will never be able to stop these leaks. (But neither will FB)
------
freewizard
Not a surprise. Just like China govt has been trying to recruit Twitter
employees.
------
webninja
“They got his information from the Twitter office in Dubai.”
Ouch.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Ask HN: What do you use to manage your business and what changed when growing? - _1tan
I am currently in the scaling stages and need some advice from experienced founders.<p>I am talking about requirements that could count as ERP like e.g. payroll, timesheets, requests, tasks, communication, CRM/Sales, etc..<p>I know this depends deeply upon ones business model and needs generall advice. Currently we are using GSuite Enterprise which is nice but not an ERP system.
======
rahimnathwani
Payroll: depends on the countries in which you have employees. If US-only,
Gusto.
Timesheets: Depending on the scale, why not Google Forms, Google Sheets and/or
Airtable?
CRM: Heavily depends on what type of business you have (e.g. few large
customers with long sales cycle, vs. many small customers). Go with something
simple (Google Sheets) if you don't know your workflow and requirements yet.
Tasks/communication: buy a copy of 'The Great CEO Within' and read it cover-
to-cover. Pick something to implement. Do it. When you're done, open the book
and find the next thing.
Sales: what type of business? Maybe read 'Presictable Revenue' by Aaron Ross,
SPIN Selling (classic book on sales) or (if SaaS), Holloway's new book
'Founding Sales'.
ERP: not sure what you need here. Do you manufacture or sell a physical
product? If so, maybe something like Netsuite? Or maybe look in Shopify's app
directory to see what's popular.
Most important: document processes so that you avoid single points of failure,
are prepared for rapid scaling in # employees, and can easily identify and act
on opportunities to increase efficiency.
You may also find something useful in Verne Harnish's book 'Scaling Up'
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
A List of Hacker News's Undocumented Features and Behaviors (2018) - billme
https://github.com/minimaxir/hacker-news-undocumented/blob/master/README.md
======
isoprophlex
To me HNs biggest feature is the lack of features and the lack of
'innovation', or rather redesigns for the sake of redesigning.
Keep up the fantastic moderation and the wonderful lack of innovation, HN
people!
~~~
VHRanger
Completely agreed. The site:
1) loads instantly
2) is mostly plaintext.
Reddit, for what it's worth, provides about the same features but on an
absolutely heavyweight site. Especially the new (redesigned) SPA reddit
~~~
jimmaswell
SPA is one of the worst things to happen to the web. There are a small number
of instances where it makes sense but it just ruins sites like Reddit,
especially on a mobile device.
~~~
travmatt
When do you think SPA’s are the best fit?
~~~
bri3d
SPAs are the best we can do for... applications. Online spreadsheet? SPA.
Document editor? SPA. Image editor? SPA. Visual programming environment? SPA.
IDE? SPA. Facebook makes sense as an SPA too - it's basically a rich widget
"dashboard" app with some content creation applications inside of it. Building
applications for the web is still not the greatest experience because you're
fundamentally building an application over hacks built to expand an
abstraction built for hypertext content (the DOM). But, honestly modern
JavaScript frameworks, TypeScript, and transpiled environments like Elm all do
an admirable job working with what they have.
On the flip side, SPAs are terrible for hypertext content, because existing
web technology was literally built for that. Why should a blog be an
application? The content creation side, sure, maybe, but viewing a blog?
That's literally what HTML was made for. A table of contents full of links
like the HN or Reddit homepage? That's pretty much hypertext 101.
------
zaroth
I’ll add one to this list, I’m sorry if it comes off as complaining, but at
least it’s topical.
There is more than one karma tracking algorithm that can be activated for a
given account. That is to say, a downvote is not always a downvote, and an
upvote is not always an upvote, and the point score of a comment is not always
exactly equal to the number of up and downvotes.
Accounts that are flagged for posting flame-baiting or ideological comments
can be switched to an alternate voting mode where votes are not counted the
same way. This may mean that any manual downvotes are given greater weight, or
upvotes are underweighted, or downvoting is automatically applied after some
time providing a type of downward gravity which must be overcome.
I don’t know the precise algorithm. It’s complicated by the fact that I’ve
been getting auto-downvoted by bots. But due to some overly combative COVID
related posts my account is in this current state. I’ve found that even
researched technical comments of mine will inevitably end up at -1 karma, or
struggle to stay above 0.
After reaching out to dang about bot-downvoting Daniel was nice enough to look
into it and confirmed my account was getting bot-downvoted but also explained
that my account had been flagged and made some suggestions on posts that
crossed the line. I’ve had a long and mostly enjoyable relationship with HN so
hopefully I’ll be out of purgatory soon.
To be clear I have no interest in debating whether the feature was misapplied
in my own personal case, but rather just it’s abstract technical merits make
for great meta-discussion of moderation techniques for social media boards.
~~~
radcon
I was going to mention the same thing. This happens on Reddit too.
If your posts are unpopular for any reason you're automatically penalized.
Doesn't matter if you're right or wrong, you're penalized for posting anything
that people disagree with or don't want to hear.
That's why sites like Reddit and HN will always be echo chambers. Dissenting
voices are automatically silenced. Not 100% of the time, but often enough that
most will probably never waste their time posting.
~~~
saagarjha
I find that Reddit is generally much worse about this kind of thing; perhaps
it is the culture or maybe it is the fact that votes are public. If you say
something people don’t like, they’ll quickly pile on you. For some reason
people there _really_ like going with the flow, and you can’t even reply to
clarify without them coming after you. I have found it much less likely that
this happens on Hacker News, and people are generally more willing to listen
to a comment regardless of how others felt about it.
~~~
catalogia
I don't think it's just reddit, I believe these systems are prone to
triggering some primitive human instincts towards group interaction. I can
think of a few plausible explanations for a discrepancy in outcomes across HN
and reddit. Perhaps hidden scores or the per-comment floor HN uses suppresses
it. Perhaps HN attracts a particular sort of personality while reddit attracts
a more representative slice of humanity. Maybe reddit is harder to moderate,
has worse moderator tools, worse mods, or just too many people. I'm not sure
what the answer is, but one way or the other I consider these sort of systems
to be failed experiments.
> _Researchers from Hebrew University, NYU, and MIT explored herd mentality in
> online spaces, specifically in the context of "digitized, aggregated
> opinions".[4] Online comments were given an initial positive or negative
> vote (up or down) on an undisclosed website over five months.[5] The control
> group comments were left alone. The researchers found that "the first person
> reading the comment was 32 percent more likely to give it an up vote if it
> had been already given a fake positive score".[5] Over the five months,
> comments artificially rated positively showed a 25% higher average score
> than the control group, with the initial negative vote ending up with no
> statistical significance in comparison to the control group.[4] The
> researchers found that "prior ratings created significant bias in individual
> rating behavior, and positive and negative social influences created
> asymmetric herding effects".[4]_
> _“That is a significant change”, Dr. Aral, one of the researchers involved
> in the experiment, stated. “We saw how these very small signals of social
> influence snowballed into behaviors like herding.”[5]_
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herd_mentality](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herd_mentality)
------
Athas
I think there are some "features" missing from this list. I seem to recall
that Hacker News will transparently remove some characters from titles (such
as emoji and exclamation points), which seems like a bad feature to me, and
one that people should be aware of.
~~~
saagarjha
It will remove many emoji from comments as well, although not all of them. Not
sure what the criteria is for that, either.
~~~
Uehreka
That’s a shame, because I could see legit and serious reasons why someone
would want emoji in comments. For instance, what if someone was trying to
illustrate a point by “drawing” a diagram of a network, using different emoji
to represent different types of nodes.
~~~
drannex
As someone who despises emojis, I am more than happy that they are removed.
There are other ways we could show the hypothetical example.
~~~
cmroanirgo
Agree. It's almost as if using vocabulary is wrong. I've been watching how our
conversations deteriorate by gratuitous use of emoji. It seems that some seem
to think that emoji can cut through all language barriers, because they're
universally understood. Unfortunately, the effect I see is newspeak to the
detriment of all, as we lose the nuances of language itself, and indeed we
become more 'visual only' in our language.
------
yread
Oooh I didn't know about /invited. Few stories of very high quality, looks
like HN back in the day
~~~
saagarjha
/invited is basically the second-chance queue for things that have been
personally stamped to be interesting by the moderators, so it's generally
pretty good.
~~~
dang
It's only a small part of it, the ones that were too old to put in the queue
directly, so we emailed repost invites for them instead. It's on my list to
publish a more complete page. The _types_ of stories are much the same on the
larger list though.
------
saagarjha
>
> [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19212822](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19212822)
Hacker News has so many strange, undocumented things that even such a list is
incomplete. I’ve run into entirely new things I didn’t know existed just by
using it more, or by happening upon one of ‘dang’s comments…
~~~
billme
Here’s an example:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20643177](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20643177)
------
ourmandave
Don't forget about their API on github.
It's simplistic but you can still use it to write a sh*ttier version of HN.
[https://github.com/HackerNews/API](https://github.com/HackerNews/API)
I just wish they'd open source their We're-Not-Reddit behaviors library.
~~~
minimaxir
The API has no authentication, which makes it useless for anything other than
a reader.
~~~
saagarjha
You may find this interesting, and as a bonus it also includes something that
you haven't documented:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22788526](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22788526)
~~~
minimaxir
That is indeed interesting, but I have a feeling it'll be documented once it
launches. :P
~~~
saagarjha
Was talking more about the existence of an alpha-tester list, which has some
additional features itself :)
------
Causality1
Also needs a section on muting. If too many of your consecutive comments get
downvotes you start encountering "you are posting too fast" messages, even if
it there was over an hour between comments and several hours since your most
recent.
~~~
billme
For related prior discussion:
[https://www.google.com/search?q=%22you+are+posting+too+fast%...](https://www.google.com/search?q=%22you+are+posting+too+fast%22+AND+\(%22hn%22+OR+%22hackernews%22\))
------
booleandilemma
I've always found it kind of ironic (or at least funny) that the code for HN
isn't open source.
~~~
remote_phone
For me I find it funny that HN doesn’t scale. Whenever there’s an unusually
active topic, the mods have to scramble to make countermeasures to keep the
site up.
~~~
dang
That's not true. I wonder where you got that idea.
It is true that the app server runs on a single core and we don't have a lot
of performance to spare. But it handles the current levels of active threads
reasonably well. The main concern is that if average load goes up
significantly we'll be in trouble at some point.
We've got an ongoing major project that will hopefully flatten that curve, but
unfortunately it's hard to find time to work on it.
------
simonw
This is amazingly useful. I've been on HN for nearly 13 years and I only knew
about a fraction of this stuff.
~~~
billme
Agree, not sure why after X amount of rep is earned something like this is not
featured for just for new users, users who haven’t viewed it, etc.
------
itchyjunk
Ah, there is nothing past 501? I was hoping something else would unlock for
user whose karma points are over 9000.
~~~
billme
PG’s phone number used to appear if your rep got high enough, not sure if
that’s still a feature.
~~~
lucb1e
On his profile page (/user?id=pg) you mean? I don't see it there with 11k rep.
It might require higher rep nowadays or indeed be removed.
~~~
nostrademons
65K karma (and #22 on /leaders) and I don't see it. I think that was a joke.
~~~
kogir
It happens somewhere between ten and eleven digits of karma :)
~~~
maxbond
Relevantish short film:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae2ghhGkY-s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae2ghhGkY-s)
------
dccoolgai
I agree with most of those policies, but "downranking of tutorials" seems
kinda dumb. I could see it making sense for "how to React" drivel that people
use for self-promotion, but I've learned a lot from 1-off tutorials I saw on
HN first.
~~~
billme
Reasoning is HN’s goal, per dang, is to promote substantially new information
— unless the tutorial fits this meaning, it’s less of a priority to feature
than those posts that do meet it.
Worth noting there’s nothing stopping you from building custom HN searches
like this to find tutorials posts, though this would not solve the likelihood
of the community posting related comments:
[https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&qu...](https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&query=tutorial&sort=byDate&type=story)
~~~
floatingatoll
Citation?
~~~
billme
Sure, read all the comments by dang (aka HN’s main mod) here:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23239164](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23239164)
------
yesenadam
I'd love if I could choose on my user page not to see my HN points total
always there next to my name in the top bar. Seeing that often turns me into
someone I don't like.
~~~
dang
We might implement that as a profile option. One question is where such a
feature should fall between minimal (don't show karma next to usernames in top
bar) vs. maximal (don't show any point totals or karma about anything). I feel
like it might be better to go the whole hog and just have the maximal option.
'nokarma'.
~~~
yesenadam
Oh great. Yes, I guess not seeing the voting on one's own comments would be
good too. (Looking at the score on my comments is a very small percentage of
my HN time, but my HN total score is there every time I return to the main
page. Have to learn to ignore it I guess.)
As long as it doesn't mess with the voting system too much! Maybe there'd be
many more bad comments if people couldn't see their points total/comment
scores.
~~~
dang
The maximal version would hide story points as well.
------
YeGoblynQueenne
>> If a user has 251 Karma, they can set the color of the top bar in their
profile settings. The default is #ff6600. Here's the complete set of colors
users have set.
Happy to see that the most #bada55 colour of all is in that list.
~~~
airstrike
Would be nice to see a sorted list and the count for each color. Could even
bucket very similar colors so we get a sense for the general HN taste for
colors, though I don't know the first thing about bucketing colors.
I use #93a1a1, personally (i.e. $base1 from solarized
[https://ethanschoonover.com/solarized/](https://ethanschoonover.com/solarized/))
~~~
acheron
I use the Dark Reader extension [0], and the standard HN topcolor stood out
too much, so I darkened it to #fff0e6.
[0] [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-
US/firefox/addon/darkreader/](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-
US/firefox/addon/darkreader/)
------
Havoc
Neat. Been here nearly a decade & didn't know that downvotes are capped to -4
for example.
~~~
blattimwind
Is that a recent change? I'm pretty sure some of my less popular remarks
earned double digit negative points.
~~~
minimaxir
No, that's been around forever.
Back when comment scores were public via the API, I retrieved the lowest-
rating comments for each month. which was always -4:
[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IfbSDYVBXiHZCuMdHXgp...](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IfbSDYVBXiHZCuMdHXgprhmeCVc4XDtOGizF9CSGyUo/edit?usp=sharing)
Bonus histogram of comment scores calculated in 2014:
[https://minimaxir.com/img/hn-
comments/distribution_comment_p...](https://minimaxir.com/img/hn-
comments/distribution_comment_points.png)
------
United857
I've wondered why we can't comment on YC jobs postings on HN. I imagine
commenting would be beneficial for questions/answers about the company or
position.
~~~
billme
Because they are officially sponsored YC related ADs.
~~~
ryandrake
Although it is a fact, that doesn't really answer why you can't comment on
them.
~~~
billme
Generally speaking ADs don’t allow comments. Have an example or reasoning why
this would make sense?
~~~
hirundo
for users: How about "I tried it, I like it" or "this product gave me warts",
both things it could be useful to know.
for makers of products HN people like: Comments could draw more attention to
the product, more clicks, more sales.
for makers of products HN people don't like: No, can't think of a reason why
allowing comments on ads would make sense.
~~~
kick
The ads are job ads, not product ads. All of your criticisms don't really
apply here. I say this as a person who doesn't like them and rather wishes
they weren't here.
------
lsllc
Comment "markdown" syntax with some examples would be a nice addition to this.
~~~
ainar-g
While we're on the topic of HN syntax, I _really_ wish they would add proper
blockquotes. Quotes in monospace look ugly, especially on mobile, and quotes
that simply start with a “>” aren't visually distinct enough, imo. Just
indenting a paragraph when it starts with a “>” would probably be enough.
~~~
johannes1234321
Not allowing quotes drives users to limit their quoting to a relevant part. I
observed other places that users have a hard time to limit themselves and
context is always there.
------
d0m
[https://news.ycombinator.com/topcolors](https://news.ycombinator.com/topcolors)
~~~
billme
Are these the only supported “custom colors” ?
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7432201](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7432201)
~~~
Stratoscope
No, you can set any CSS color if you have the minimum karma required. The
linked page is just a list of colors that users have actually set.
I really wish any user could set a custom topcolor. I found the default orange
hard on my eyes, and I was glad when I could change it.
Mine is #d0c8b5, which is simply a darker version of the page background
color. Plain and unobtrusive, and the bit of orange in the "Y" logo sits
nicely in the corner.
~~~
pbhjpbhj
And you can always use user.css to adjust per site CSS to your preference. I
use it for a few sites; there are addons that facilitate it, but I've never
bothered.
------
buboard
Not mentioned, but you can be "rate limited", where you can post up to ~ 3
comments per hour (?not sure), else you get a "posting too fast, please slow
down" message. It's keeping us trolls at bay
~~~
ccmcarey
Didn't know that was a thing. Is it a function of your karma?
~~~
buboard
No, manually flagged
------
dfabulich
"Posts without URLs get penalized." That's strange. Does that include "Ask HN"
posts? I would have thought that submissions with no link would be good
discussion starters.
~~~
TwelveNights
Could this be why most Ask HN posts are desaturated? I always wondered why
that was the case.
~~~
floatingatoll
“Desaturated”?
~~~
nerdponx
The text color is lighter, as if the post had been downvoted.
~~~
floatingatoll
That's the 'visited link' color, which indicates that you've visited a given
post's link. Posts do not change color based on votes. For posts without a
link, reading the post requires still visiting the post's link, so it works
out as expected from there.
~~~
frosted-flakes
No, the actual colour of the text on text-only posts is super light. I read
somewhere a while back that it was supposed to discourage people from using it
too much.
Here's an example from the front page:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23438930](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23438930)
~~~
floatingatoll
Ah, thanks for clarifying.
------
tripu
I think the minimalistic design is appropriate and efficient mostly.
…with a couple caveats regarding accessibility: the default font is way, way
too small, and some colours don't have enough contrast (eg, the “visited
link”). Also, a tiny bit more of formatting would make comments more readable
while keeping them sober and focused (eg, blockquotes, monospaced inlines,
true hyperlinks).
------
speg
Is there a simple link to get the top stories from the past week? /best seems
to only return from the past couple days.
------
ufmace
I was always kind of surprised that there's a relatively high karma threshold
for downvoting, but seemingly not for upvoting. Seems like it would invite
voting rings. I guess there's already other software to detect that though.
~~~
billme
Downvotes per item are limited to -4 and the signal-to-noise ratio for
negative votes beyond pushing them below the “new comment” boost is of little
positive impact in filtering content, in my opinion.
And yes, there a lot of filters in place for upvotes, many of which are
intentionally kept secret.
Personally, I don’t use downvotes.
------
rikkipitt
Thanks for posting this. I've been an avid reader of HN for years (with a few
modest/minor submissions). I had no idea about a substantial amount of this...
I wonder how much is commonly known in the community?
------
danielecook
Does anyone know why the top bar sometimes has a thick black line underneath
it?
~~~
dang
minimaxir should add that one! It doesn't look like it's on the list.
~~~
minimaxir
Huh, I thought I did add that. Will do!
------
zaroth
Can we make feature requests here? Hah.
I would absolutely love it if the comment box was taller than 7 lines on
mobile, perhaps just at least when editing a comment.
~~~
floatingatoll
If you set the delay profile value to X it’ll let you edit and save a comment
for up to X minutes before other users can see it. I use it extensively on
mobile and have mine set to 7.
~~~
zaroth
Ooh, that’s a good one because I tend to post then edit, edit, edit, so a
little delay would be nice. Thanks for the suggestion!
------
randyrand
I find it interesting that politics and diversity each have their own section
on here. I always considered diversity a political topic.
~~~
chaorace
I suspect that it's more about optics than practicality. Not all diversity
topics are political, but most diversity topics are probably outside of what
the mods believe to be within the purview of HN.
Making it a separate category bin bypasses all of the hemming and hawing over
particulars.
------
sawyer29
The front page way back feature is pretty cool.
------
elorant
One thing that I'd like to know is if there is any kind of penalty if the
stories you submit get flagged.
~~~
dang
No.
------
mhdhn
Thanks! Pretty useful. Can anyone supply a good comparison between Hacker News
and Reddit?
~~~
billme
Stating the obvious, Reddit was in the first YC batch; YC is HN’s parent
company. Further, HN was created in part because Reddit’s intend is more
general than HN; HN’s intend is to focus on substantially new information that
triggers both curiosity & notable dialogues.
~~~
dsr_
Tip: intend is a verb. She intends to win the election. What did you intend?
Paul intended not to lose.
Intent is a noun. That is her intent.
Intent is also a verb: She is intent on winning the election.
You wanted "intent" as a noun in both your usages above.
~~~
tchaffee
I don't think intent is a verb. It is either a noun or adjective. In the
sentence "She is intent on winning the election" the verb would be "is" and
"intent" is an adjective that describes her.
Compare:
His program focused on dinosaurs. (verb) His program is focused on dinosaurs.
(adjective describing his program).
You would never say "his program intented on dinosuars" because it's not a
verb.
~~~
dsr_
Correct.
------
codeddesign
“Moderators will sometimes rescue a post which didn't receive a lot of upvotes
and reset the submission time on the post.”
This sounds more like manipulation of content based upon moderator viewpoints
or interests. HN has a wide enough audience to hit a good post the first time
around.
~~~
O_H_E
> HN has a wide enough audience to hit a good post the first time around.
Unfortunately, it is widely agreed that a lot of good quality content goes
unnoticed. Which might be due to the sheer number of submissions.
That could be seen in yesterday's post about quality content that goes under.
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23392049](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23392049)
------
benjaminsuch
/leaders is pretty cool. First place got over 300k points, wtf.
~~~
billme
Related link, leader list:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/lists](https://news.ycombinator.com/lists)
Direct link to top users by rep:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=tptacek](https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=tptacek)
(tptacek’s comments are super useful and extremely knowledgeable)
------
drdeadringer
I'm glad to know about the hex-color change ability.
------
waynesonfire
incredible that all these features in combination is what make hackernews
great.
------
billme
Good bye HN!
Dang (HN’s mod) just asked me to be identifiable and given that’s not a good
fit for me, this will be my last post:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23441542](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23441542)
~~~
amaccuish
>Dang (HN’s mod) just asked me to be identifiable
But that's not what they said. Were you asked to use your real name? Nothing
stopping you keeping to one, anonymous sounding username
~~~
owaty
I see where billme is coming from. I don't do it here (because I don't comment
much, because I mostly use [https://hackerweb.app](https://hackerweb.app) for
reading), but I do it on reddit.
Once you've left enough comments, a motivated party has a good chance of
identifying you based on the intersection of your (relatively uncommon)
interests, various bits and pieces of the personal info that you tend to drop
in comments etc.
------
4636760295
People should check out [https://lobste.rs/](https://lobste.rs/), it's like HN
but with less censorship and less content marketing BS.
~~~
kick
lobste.rs is almost entirely content marketing spam, and it actually has
heavier censorship of non-spam than HN does; you can see this pretty easily by
checking their mod log.
~~~
greenyoda
I just looked at their mod log. The last article removed by a moderator was
deleted because it was "not about computing". I read the same article on HN,
and it gave rise to some interesting discussion here:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23437529](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23437529)
Some of the most interesting discussions on HN are not directly related to
computing, and they're one of the main reasons why I stick around HN (and
would not be interested in moving to lobste.rs).
~~~
pushcx
Howdy, Lobsters admin here - I agree entirely with you, and expanded on that
in previous comments:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22156438](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22156438)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
The Chernobyl Story in pictures - milankragujevic
http://imgur.com/a/TwY6q
======
topspin
We speak of technical debt at times here on HN and other places where workers
struggle with complex systems. The Chernobyl incident can be characterized as
a consequence of technical debt. The test that was being performed had been
deferred since prior to the start of plant operations and the operators were
attempting to complete it while under pressure from multiple sources,
including securing their own annual bonuses.
Dr. Paul Josephson covered a lot of the inside baseball surrounding Chernobyl
and other aspects of Soviet nuclear power and weaponry in his book Red Atom
(2005).
------
troutwine
This is an excellent collection! Igor Kostin is mentioned in one paragraph but
I do _highly_ recommend reading his "Chernobyl: Confessions of a Reporter" if
you can get your hands on it. Confessions is an incredible bit of
photojournalism. Everyone I've ever lent the book to has been moved by the
scale of the unknowing sacrifices that were made to bring the plant under
control.
------
bogomipz
I had never heard this story before about the Swedish nuclear worker who
tested positive for radiation was what led to the discovery of the incident. I
would love to know how they traced it back. This is fascinating and really
incredible that the U.S.S.R. didn't feel any responsibility to share such
information with Europe.
Amazing research and effort by the author. This is the Amazon link:
[https://www.amazon.com/Chernobyl-01-Incredible-Nuclear-
Disas...](https://www.amazon.com/Chernobyl-01-Incredible-Nuclear-
Disaster/dp/0993597505)
~~~
cocoablazing
Chernobyl occurred prior to the warming in relations that resulted from
Gorbachev's reforms, so it is understandable that the Soviets perceived a
significant threat from admitting the accident occurred. Unlike Fukushima,
Chernobyl slowly released radioactivity for days due to the fire. Initial
Soviet assessments of the accident severity were optimistic. I'm not saying
that they were right in delaying, but the fire was still burning and the
atmospheric release ongoing when they publicly revealed it.
~~~
topspin
The Soviets also covered up Kyshtym in 1957, a cover up that lasted for three
decades. Many officials in the West were complicit in that cover up, adopting
extraordinary skepticism of the available evidence to discredit those that
either knew or believed a major nuclear incident had occurred.
One of the victims of that cover up in the West was Zhores A. Medvedev. He
wrote a book (Nuclear Disaster in the Urals) in response to critics of his
claims of a major nuclear disaster. The book is a truly fascinating survey of
open sources of academic work published by Soviet researchers that reveals the
incident indirectly; the papers (typically studies of the effect of
contamination of various organisms; fish, plants, worms, deer, etc.) could
only have been written if a large area of land had been heavily contaminated,
and this subtlety was lost on the state censors, who were themselves not aware
that Kyshtym had happened.
Medvedev was eventually vindicated when the Soviets fessed up in the late
'80s.
------
guscost
Amazing photos, but please see my other comment about this caption:
> It... was considered to be the best and most reliable of the Soviet Union’s
> nuclear facilities
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13349940](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13349940)
------
tehabe
I still remember this. When it happened I was 7 years old and I was living in
Germany. The town were I was living in blocked all playgrounds for weeks. And
my parents warned me more about picking stuff up from the ground.
I actually never knew if this made a difference.
~~~
xal
Exactly the same experience for me. I remember we stayed inside for weeks.
------
coldcode
About as haunting a set of photos as you can have. Imagine going from a
carefree existence as a child and in two days being evacuated with nothing,
and not idea if you are going to die soon or not.
------
codecamper
I had no idea that there could have been a second explosion. However, I didn't
really get from this article why that is no longer a possibility.
~~~
gtfierro
My understanding was that until the "elephant's foot" and other radioactive
lava flows were found, everyone was under the impression that there was still
fuel in the reactor, which carried the possibility of a second explosion. The
existence of the lava flows instead indicated that everything had melted
together and spread throughout the lower parts of the building: radioactive,
but no longer prone to an explosion.
------
pastullo
Amazing collection! Really expanded on a few less-known aspects of the
disaster
------
ldmosquera
BRILLIANT.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Lennon stars in OLPC advert - alexandros
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7801938.stm
======
alexandros
the video can be seen here: <http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=4b4GkGMiBDQ>
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Cool iPhone app lets you acoustically measure distances of up to 25 meters - quadrix
http://iqtainment.wordpress.com/acoustic-rule
======
quadrix
Check out the discussion on Reddit, and grab some promo codes:
[http://www.reddit.com/r/iphone/comments/m9scx/hello_riphone_...](http://www.reddit.com/r/iphone/comments/m9scx/hello_riphone_it_took_me_200_hours_to_make_this/)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Google Checkout Is Dead, Long Live Google Wallet - kirpekar
http://searchengineland.com/google-checkout-is-dead-long-live-google-wallet-101473
======
ROFISH
As an online store that sells T-Shirts, Google Checkout accounts for roughly
5% of all orders, but a very vocal minority that really, really hate Paypal
and likes to click any option that guarantees they don't use Paypal.
------
typicalrunt
IIRC, Google Checkout also required US customers only. As it was never
extended to the rest of the world, I expected it to never take hold and change
the marketplace.
~~~
deadcyclo
Don't think that is the case. It was limited to merchants in a few countries,
but it was not limited to US customers. I once purchased a computer from UK
using Google checkout, and I live in Norway.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
But the question is: will it recurse? Part 1: fibonacci(40) - titel
http://www.saltwaterc.eu/but-the-question-is-will-it-recurse-part-1-fibonacci40.html
======
Locke1689
Recur is to make a recursive call. Recurse is to curse again.
~~~
SaltwaterC
Thanks. Missed that one. My "3rd party" language support is not perfect.
------
maxs
Don't want to get into the language shootouts here. But this seems like a
horrible way to compare language performance.
There are many more interesting real-life programs tested on computer language
shootout website.
In particular, you can't compare C and JVM performance on programs that run
for such a short time. The JVM time will be dominated by the time to start up
the the JVM and to do the first JIT optimization. I think it is very likely
that for a larger fibonnaci number, the JVM performance will come
asymptotically close to optimized C's.
~~~
SaltwaterC
This may be the subject for a part 2. Aka more intensive testing for the
implementations that actually perform. And other recursive algorithms (such as
the classic factorial). I didn't test the language (implementation!)
performance, but the recursion and how the various implementations can
actually handle the bad recursion algo.
A proper testing suite that tests various aspects of a specific runtime takes
time. I am aware of that, but I am not aware of any test suite that does this.
------
colomon
Okay, I don't get this. I thought the original node.js article was using a
terrible implementation of Fibonacci precisely because it was stupidly slow.
Why are people writing articles looking at how fast different languages /
implementations are at running this terrible code? Does that give us any
useful information whatsoever?
~~~
SaltwaterC
There isn't an original article. In fact, my article isn't something to give
the node.js police ideas on how to "fix" various stuff. This is about how
various runtimes handle bad recursion. In fact, V8 isn't stupidly slow
compared to PHP, CPython, and the de facto Ruby implementation.
If you aren't writing recursive code, then the valuable information for you is
NULL. Otherwise, it may give you some food for though.
~~~
colomon
I do write recursive code. However, I certainly do my best not to write _bad_
recursive code...
~~~
SaltwaterC
In fact it is _good_ recursive code, mathematically speaking. It's just that
some compilers are _bad_ at it aka doing brute force instead of tail
recursion. The main selling point of these "interpreted" languages is the
programmer productivity. Now why the hell one would have to write more
complicated algorithms just to go around the compiler? C does this just fine.
The 0.6 seconds to 5 minutes difference for the same simple algorithm shows
that something is fundamentally broken.
------
Jabbles
Try using compiler optimisations...
~~~
SaltwaterC
Good catch.
fib|⇒ gcc -O4 fib.c -o fib fib|⇒ time ./fib ./fib 0.65s user 0.01s system 100%
cpu 0.657 total fib|⇒ gcc -O3 fib.c -o fib fib|⇒ time ./fib ./fib 0.66s user
0.00s system 100% cpu 0.657 total fib|⇒ gcc -O2 fib.c -o fib fib|⇒ time ./fib
./fib 1.54s user 0.00s system 100% cpu 1.535 total fib|⇒ gcc -O1 fib.c -o fib
fib|⇒ time ./fib ./fib 0.00s user 0.00s system 0% cpu 0.001 total
For some reason, it hates the O1 flag. Printing the result brings it close to
the result without the optimization.
~~~
aklein
O1 probably sees you don't use the result or have side effects in
fibonacci(40) and optimizes the call away...
~~~
SaltwaterC
One of the reasons I get why people advise against certain levels of
optimization without understanding its implications. As I write few lines of C
code, usually I don't bother with deep understanding of all the concepts of
compiler optimization.
------
throwaway1415
Wow meaningless article. Try tail recursion, and a functional language -
although that won't be able to help you with your terminal banality...
~~~
SaltwaterC
Can you post something that actually means something?
------
rauljara
"sucks" "suckier" sucks that hard " "makes me laugh so hard up to the point of
bursting into tears"
In these sorts of posts, I tend to find that flavor comments like the above:
a) add nothing of value to the post
b) are likely to provoke hostile responses (or turn people off from
responding), actively detracting value from the conversation surrounding the
post.
Thank you, though, for taking the time to write up your benchmarks.
~~~
SaltwaterC
Buzz marketing. These days nobody gives some attention to a purely technical
article without any incentives. Seriously, on HN usually it matters who wrote
the article, not the factual contents of it.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
The Apple App Store Graveyard - walterbell
https://techcrunch.com/2016/06/21/the-apple-app-store-graveyard/
======
PebblesHD
My first attempt at publishing an app with Apple for (at that point) the
iPhone 5 was met with extremely limited exposure in the app store itself.
Based on our web referral metrics from the main website and client usage our
downloads were driven (in over 90% of cases) by web referral to the app store,
and not by app store searches natively. The app itself was quite successful
and served its purpose, but the app store alone is not the best way to gain
exposure for a new app, it really needs a combination of web advertising and
active endorsements elsewhere.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Stack Overflow Architecture - timf
http://highscalability.com/stack-overflow-architecture
======
banditaras
"Joel boasts that for 1/10 the hardware they have performance comparable to
similarly size sites. He wonders if these other sites have good programmers.
Let's see how they did it and you be the judge."
Let me be the judge then. For a site serving 13 million pageviews per month
(80% of them are _uncachable_ searches) we use 2 servers with about the same
configuration (same memory, cpus). The database server has an average load of
1 and the application server (that is serving a bunch of other sites as well)
is under 2 most of the day.
We have 1/2 of their capacity running an equally heavy site (all sites running
on those servers make up 16-18 million pageviews per month). So if they run on
1/10 of similar sites, we run on 1/2 of their 1/10. Even better we pay 100%
percent less of what they are paying. I wonder how smart Atwood is.
I don't intend to be a smart ass here. I would never say "Hey we run with 1/10
of your capacity, you are stupid" because performance heavily depends on the
application. StackOverflow probably has a 90% cache hit ratio (86% of visitors
are from google that land on some question asked some days or months ago). So
3 servers for a cache and forget site (logins and bits for pages that change
often can be cached too) serving 16M pageviews per month is below average.
They maybe doing a whole lot of other things in the backend that we don't know
of , but the same goes for the other sites that "their programmers are stupid
and use 10x hardware."
I would expect them to say what problems they solved and how instead of
bragging about how awesome programmers they (he?) are.
~~~
spolsky
I never asserted we have better performance because we have great programmers
(although we do). I have stated that there is a performance benefit to using
the Microsoft Stack relative to other common platforms like PHP, because C#
just performs way better than PHP. And I've stated that the savings you get
from the small number of servers we require relative to a typical PHP site
more than pays the Microsoft licenses.
~~~
jganetsk
Why pay the Microsoft licenses when you could have Java or Scala serve the
site?
------
kevinpet
I think a key item in Stack Overflow's success is that they can predict with
high reliability how big it will get. They are safe going with scale up
because they know they will not have to scale out.
Compare this to a more mainstream consumer website, say FriendFeed, which is
currently on roughly the same scale as Stack Overflow. FriendFeed's business
model is more "swing for the bleachers" and success would mean scaling to the
size of Twitter. They need an architecture that can handle fast growth if it
comes.
Stack Overflow is a much less risky proposition. They had excellent knowledge
of the market, knew they could pull all the traffic from expertsexchange
almost overnight, and they knew that scaling to tens of millions of monthly
visitors was something they needed to worry about.
------
dasil003
Great high level summary. Given current work scaling up a smaller site
(3million pageviews/month) with more social networking functionality is that
Stack Overflow ought to be pretty amenable to caching. Obviously it's pretty
interactive so it's somewhere middle of the road. But what's a real cache
killer are the types of per-user customization that Facebook does. Not to take
anything away from Stack Overflow, but it seems like it ought to be served
pretty well by standard techniques whereas something like Facebook obviously
needs some juicy custom middleware. Would love to see an article about that.
~~~
alxp
StackOverflow does some pretty clever things like using JavaScript to dim or
hilight questions on the front page based on the user's Ignored or Interested
tags, instead of generating a unique set of front page items HTML for every
user.
~~~
garcara
This might be clever for them but I hate seeing these dimmed items, dimmed !=
ignored.
~~~
ryne
True for me as well even here on HN; I go out of my way to read downvoted
comments when they're barely legible by highlighting them.
------
biohacker42
_My impression is they pay about $11K for OS and SQL licensing._
11K probably "cost" them less then the time and effort to come up to speed on
open source solutions. They were MS experts already and it would have taken
quite a bit to reach the same level of expertise in *nix land.
If you're young and just starting out and are wondering if you should become
an expert in free or commercial software, keep their situation in mind.
~~~
pbz
If they're using BizSpark like the article claims, wouldn't it be free?
~~~
rewind
That's correct. They get three years of production licenses, even for SQL
Server Enterprise Edition.
------
NoHandle
Stack Overflow certainly deserves some credit. I was unaware of how much
growth they have seen and that is mostly due to the fact that the service has
rarely diminished for me. Taking on that kind of increased load, while
preemptively scaling to meet is no easy task.
~~~
marcusbooster
Eh, I could do it in a weekend. (I'm so sorry)
~~~
NoHandle
That made me smile so I forgive you.
------
sstrudeau
StackOverflow's traffic numbers: * 16 million page views a month * 3 million
unique visitors a month * 6 million visits a month
... which is very similar to what my sites are doing (we do more than 20m page
views w/ about the same # of uniques. Our content is very image heavy, though
_maybe_ a little more amenable to caching.
StackOverflow is running on 2 quad-core 8GB boxes and one 8-core 48GB db box.
We're keeping up with VPS "slices" at SliceHost that add up to less than two
full 4-core 16GB standard SliceHost boxes; and I expect to reduce capacity
when I finish moving our image assets off to S3+CDN.
We have one full time developer/sysadmin/etc.: me. Are other similarly
trafficked sites really using a lot more iron? I thought we were typical for
this scale.
------
brown9-2
This article kind of feels like it was just scraped from
[http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2008/09/what-was-stack-
overflo...](http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2008/09/what-was-stack-overflow-
built-with/) and <http://blog.stackoverflow.com>, doesn't it?
I'd be much more interested in knowing about the internal architecture of the
software running the site rather than just "they threw this server together
with that one and then v1.2.3 of this other one too".
~~~
toddh
It was indeed scraped from all the sources listed in the article. I would have
like more too, but for me the emphasis was more on the viability of scale up.
------
jrockway
_The refactorings will be to avoid excessive joins in a lot of key queries.
This is the key lesson from giant multi-terabyte table schemas (like Google’s
BigTable) which are completely join-free._
Congratulations, you just implemented your key/value store in MSSQL.
~~~
rewind
Denormalizing in some areas for performance is hardly the same as implementing
a key/value store in MSSQL.
~~~
tumult
Actually, yeah, it is. :)
~~~
rewind
Right, because I'm sure they stopped using joins (as well as all the other
RDBMS benefits) completely after they made those changes ;-)
------
mukyu
"To get around these problems Salesforce's Craig Weissman, Chief Architect,
created an innovative approach where tables are not created for each customer.
All data from all customers is mapped into the same data table, including
indexes. The schema for that table looks something like orgid, oid, value0,
value1...value500. "orgid" is the organization ID and is how data is never
mixed up. It's a very wide and sparse table, which Oracle seems to handle
well. Hundreds and hundreds of "tables" and custom fields are mapped into the
data table."
I thought I was on thedailywtf for a second there. So they took Oracle, and
implemented an RDBMS in it?
~~~
toddh
It is quite strange, but it does reflect the needs of finding a real solution
to a real problem. I'm not aware at least of similar multitenant site that
serves so many customers, with so much data, with so few servers, and such
extensive customization. Having said that, Oracle seemed non negotiable in his
mind and I wonder if that wasn't so if a different solution might have
evolved.
------
rbanffy
Is every Microsoft-based heavy-traffic database-driven site using this much
hardware for just a couple dozen million page-views a month?
Seriously, the hardware they have has a lot of room for growth.
------
StrawberryFrog
"All data from all customers is mapped into the same data table, including
indexes. The schema for that table looks something like orgid, oid, value0,
value1...value500. "
They make it sound like that's a good thing. It is not. Show that to any
halfway competent SQL guy and you'll get a disgusted response. Implementing a
database on top of an existing RDBMs is an antipattern.
------
blasdel
Their handling of multi-tenancy is bound to be hilarious:
<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=67839>
~~~
johns
Huh?
~~~
blasdel
What will be the distinction between 'shared' and 'dedicated' hosting?
How in are they going to get 'shared' hosting working with such a silo-ed
vertical setup? Are they going to be assigning customer sites to machines ala
Dreamhost et. al.?
Will they end up paying for separate Windows Server and SQL Server licenses to
run each 'dedicated' site in its own VM? Are they going to be manually
migrating customers who exceed the size of what they can handle in one VM?
~~~
johns
Fog Creek is running the hosted version and they already have the
infrastructure in place running FogBugz on Demand. And I'm confident enough to
guess that none of the hosted instances will have anywhere near the traffic of
SO.
~~~
blasdel
Totally forgot about FogBugz on Demand, that mostly explains how the 'shared'
hosting will end up working (though doesn't FogBugz use mysql?)
~~~
mhp
On Demand uses SQL Server, but yeah, licensed FogBugz can run against mysql.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
India Up for Sale as Modi Offers National Icons to Plug Deficit - ashleshbiradar
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-05/india-up-for-sale-as-modi-offers-national-icons-to-plug-deficit
======
ra7
The words "Air India" and "national icon" don't quite go well together. Air
India has been an absolute embarrassment for years both in terms of its
finances and its quality as an airline.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Stopping The Google AdWords Morphine Drip: How We Saved $183 Last Week - carefreeliving
http://www.smallbusinesshub.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/1985/Stopping-The-Google-AdWords-Morphine-Drip-How-We-Saved-183-Last-Week.aspx
======
stuki
Theoretically, as search engines and advertisers both get more and more
sophisticated, the organic and paid for links should converge. The most
'relevant' results for (search term, searcher history, other relevant data)
indicating someone looking to buy something will be the sellers most likely to
convert the given searcher. At the same time, advertisers would be unwilling
to pay for clicks from searches indicating unlikely buyers. If matching ever
get that sophisticated, some altruistic sounding blurb about keeping
commercial links off the organic section probably won't be far behind,
however.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Ask HN: Event loop vs. Threads - villagefool
Hello,
At my work place we have a lot of legacy C++ code that uses threads to parallelize things. We are considering to switch to Node.js and searching for sources comparing the Event loop model vs. a threads based one from perspectives such as the following: efficiency, ease of maintenance, etc. Would be thankful for any references to good constructive material.<p>EDIT: more details about the application - it is a trading app that communicates with multiple sources at high rates to gather information and send commands, but it also does quite alot of number crunching.
======
Uchikoma
Take a look at the ring buffer data structure from the LMAX architecture (my
talk on LMAX [http://codemonkeyism.com/lmax-architecture-high-
performance-...](http://codemonkeyism.com/lmax-architecture-high-performance-
seda-java/) or <http://martinfowler.com/articles/lmax.html> from Martin
Fowler).
They have incoming work, I/O for incoming and outgoing work is done multi
threaded while work on events is single threaded.
The architecture is quite clever as more than one event processor can work on
the data structure and event processors can have dependencies on each other.
Independent processors can race past each other.
It was written for trading and might be portable to C++, but if you consider
switching to JS it might also be ok for you to switch to Java. Their framework
is called Disruptor and open source
<http://code.google.com/p/disruptor/>
"LMAX aims to be the fastest trading platform in the world. Clearly, in order
to achieve this we needed to do something special to achieve very low-latency
and high-throughput with our Java platform. Performance testing showed that
using queues to pass data between stages of the system was introducing
latency, so we focused on optimising this area."
------
CookWithMe
I think a lot has been written on why threads, locks etc. are hard to program
(= i.e. hard to maintain) and are considered the "assembly of parallel
programming".
As for efficiency: Threads and Processes are what the OS offers. Any parallel
programming model will have to use these in one way or another, so does
Node.js. The discussion is kind of similar to assembly vs. high level
programming languages. You can always write an assembly program that is as
fast as the program compiled from a high level language. However, it will take
you a lot more time to write it.
In the end, it comes down to choosing the right tool for the job. Therefore
you should try find out what people with a similar job choose and what their
experiences are; and also for which job a framework has been created.
E.g. Node.js is good at a job where there are lots of events and I/O is
involved. If your job is number crunching, then Node.js is the wrong tool.
~~~
nadinengland
+1, if your job is number crunching, stay the hell away from JavaScript as it
will bite you in the ass. [http://stackoverflow.com/questions/307179/what-is-
javascript...](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/307179/what-is-javascripts-
max-int-whats-the-highest-integer-value-a-number-can-go-t)
~~~
pyrotechnick
You will find these problems have been solved:
<https://github.com/substack/node-bigint>
------
hermanhermitage
I'm kind of playing in the same space, although I tend to be more a
hardware/assembler guy. Im currently prototyping with nodejs and C/C++ with
inline assembler for AVX crunching.
I would view Node.js as an effective tool for leveraging js/v8. What's
attractive for me when prototyping is throwing js/HTML UI over the top without
having to switch gears. Look at raw node as an IO multiplexer and dispatcher
but not a compute capable platform. The GC is weak for large data sets and the
CPU efficiency is extremely poor for any heavy processing - very hard to
manage your cache lines efficiently. Node sweet spot is packet and stream
switching in webby stacks where the solid http, ssl and so forth are
invaluable. Check out fabric (I forget the name) if you want to look at
extracting more from JavaScript.
Suggest you check out LMAX and kx systems. And think how close you can get to
a pure event sourced or stream processing model.
You will need the equivalent of one thread per (hyper)core to maximise
effective instructions per clock - whether you need to do that will depend on
your sustained memory bandwidth. So there a few C/C++ threads is not
necessarily a bad thing.
Its possible to build a world class system in erlang with custom DSP, FPGA
logic or using a GPU farm if you have the budget. This is the approach I would
use if you have millions of decision sources.
If you want to maximise performance on x86 with a simple code base - and
leverage SIMD it's hard to beat a combination of intel fortran and intel C/C++
compiler. You can roll your own messaging layer and put the compute node code
in fortran - where you'll get great AVX throughput out of ifort.
------
DanWaterworth
Hi, I work at a company that makes heavy use of event loops. I'll try to
accurately convey what I know:
From an efficiency standpoint, using event loops requires much less memory,
but marginally more CPU time than threaded approaches.
In terms of maintenance, you're essentially writing your programs in
continuation passing style which means error handling is explicit everywhere.
There are tools that allow you to hide this like streamlinejs, Haskell's
continuation monad transformer and to a lesser degree,
promises/futures/deferrables. If you decide to stick with callback passing,
then a good knowledge of functional programming is useful as all loops require
recursion. If your application is single threaded, that tends to make finding
race conditions easier, but on the whole I'd say it's harder to write good
asynchronous code than it is to write good synchronous code.
~~~
willbmoss
At high concurrency, I'd argue you will probably end up being more cpu
efficient as well. The cost of context switching effectively larger frames and
getting into and out of privileged mode can get expensive.
~~~
CookWithMe
I don't know what exactly you are referring to with high concurrency, but if
you mean "high number of tasks to work on in parallel" then a ThreadPool will
eliminate the problems you are describing.
------
Uchikoma
Thought this was the definitive blog post on the issue:
<http://sheddingbikes.com/posts/1280829388.html>
"epoll is faster than poll when the active/total FD ratio is < 0.6, but poll
is faster than epoll when the active/total ratio is > 0.6."
~~~
Uchikoma
Really not sure, why someone voted this down? The only open experiments on the
issue of threads vs. events - at least I don't know of any other.
~~~
papsosouid
That has nothing to do with threads vs events at all. It is Zed going "I am
going to make up some imaginary fallacies about poll and epoll and then prove
them wrong, by proving epoll does exactly what it says it does". These are
both ways of checking file descriptors for activity, which says nothing about
threads vs event loops vs cps.
~~~
Uchikoma
Events can either mean single-thread/event queue (like the LMAX architecture),
or async/sleeping with wake up on event trigger. Or both.
Poll usually is run with threads on incoming connections/work, while epoll is
keeping conections sleeping and wake up on incoming work. So in which way does
this have "nothing to do with threads vs events at all"?
For sure the ratio of sleeping vs. active connections is important in the
discussion on node.js model vs. a thread pool with a thread-per-connection
setup. If you have very few active connections, poll and a thread-per-
connection setup is more efficient (which does say nothing about the ratio of
threads per CPU, context switches etc.), if you have a high number of inactive
connections, say server-push or chat scenarios, event based connections are
more efficient. The OP asked for efficiency.
I don't think the node.js is in any way relevant or efficient for event queues
/ single thread setups in high throughput scenarios like LMAX where poll/epoll
is not relevant. But for node.js, poll vs. epoll setups are highly relevant as
they show e.g. node.js vs. standard thread based behaviour.
~~~
papsosouid
>Poll usually is run with threads on incoming connections/work, while epoll is
keeping conections sleeping and wake up on incoming work. So in which way does
this have "nothing to do with threads vs events at all"?
Poll and epoll are trivial implementation details in both cases. Nobody is
going to be choosing threads vs event loops based on poll vs epoll, you are
using one or the other in both cases, and it is no more relevant to the
decision than what you had for breakfast in either case.
------
bhattisatish
Current implementation of node.js does not ensure in any way a parallelism
mechanism like the system threads. Please do note that node.js event loop
works within a context of a single event que.
_What does that result in?_
\- If you have lots of code that is blocking on IO operations (like
file/socket) then you will see some improvements in performance. \- If your
code utilizes your cpu, then node.js will be slower then your current thread
implementation.
------
X4
Hi villagefool,
so you've lots of legacy C++, then I'd suggest you better stay there and
rewrite performance critical parts effectively with ANSI C code.
Honestly I think StackOverflow is a better Platform for questions like this.
You'll see that the answer to your question is: "Yes, use both." source:
[http://stackoverflow.com/questions/953428/event-loop-vs-
mult...](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/953428/event-loop-vs-multithread-
blocking-io) I think YCombinator is more of a community of entrepreneurs and
investors, who can give you concrete advice on questions regarding technology
decisions, but even though you'll also get quality answers to to CompSci
questions, those type of questions are betters answered over there at SO.
Coding-Standards exist to allow "easier maintenance" of your application. You
better check if there's an ISO-Standard for your branch, that defines the best
practices in your business.
Here are "Google's C++ Guidelines" for example: [http://google-
styleguide.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/cppguide.x...](http://google-
styleguide.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/cppguide.xml) but you'll need Coding
Guidelines that fit better to your branch. Maybe you'll find some guidelines
on the pages of the SEC <http://www.sec.gov>
I think there are people who automatically build up prejudices when you say
"App" to something large like a Trading-Platform, but that mustn't be the
case. I believe there are also people who'll think that you know what they
want when you talk about complex things in the form of an "App" (something
they know). Just be aware of it.
Can you answer me a question? How is Cuppertino, CA for a Software-Developer?
(I won't work for Apple, just about to stay there for a while)
------
IvoGeorgiev
One year ago, I wrote an implementation of a concept I had. This
implementation is a system daemon, which manages a lot of I/O work. The
prototype was in bash, the actual system daemon was in C.
I am extremely proud of my recent decision to rewrite it in JavaScript and use
Node.js. In the C implementation, I used standard FS functions (e.g. unlink,
fwrite, fread) and of course, they are synchronous. In order to optimize the
I/O, the entire daemon needed to be rewritten to use threads for the basic
worker units, which were at least 5-6, each doing a very simple job. The
alternative was to use async FS library in C, but I had to name every single
callback.
So I scratched the C code and rewrote the daemon in Node.js. It is much faster
because it manages to utilize the system resource much more efficiently, and
the code is 3-4 times smaller.
The point is. If you have to do a lot of computation, DO NOT switch to Node or
DO switch to Haskell. If you simply have to manage I/O operations, writing in
Node might actually decrease complexity.
------
toddh
You might consider the Actor model. Event loop code can be a mess and threaded
code while simpler because it appears linear eventually has such complicated
runtime behaviours it also becomes a dangerous mess. And Actor model combines
the best of both worlds. Messages are queued to an actor which combines a
state machine plus its own thread or a slice of a thread. The state machine
aspect and the centralization of the code around an actor object and the
reliance only messages make it conceptually easy to understand and program.
Actors can act as endpoints in protocols, services, publish/subscribe, timers
etc so they offer a high level of abstraction away from lower level
frameworks.
------
zollercopter
If one of my developers posted something like this, I would fire them on the
spot.
You've got a "lot of legacy C++ code", and it seems like you're just randomly
deciding whether or not to port it. You're basing this decision not on
measurement, team considerations, or the needs of your project. Instead you're
soliciting opinions from random people on the internet on what is a very
religious issue.
If you have problems with your code (performance, maintainability, debugging,
whatever), then go fix that. Maybe switching to Node is the right thing to do.
But you'd be a fool to make that decision based on something someone said on
Hacker News.
~~~
option_greek
Funny, that almost all the programmers I know posted questions at one time or
other on stackoverflow or codeproject. Do you mean to say all these guys
taking opinions from strangers need to be fired ?
------
davidw
Erlang is something else you might want to look at, but you really do have to
go into more detail... Node.js and Erlang are both potentially a lot slower
than C++.
------
pwg
While not C++ related, this category page on the Tcl'ers wiki contains links
to several articles discussing event loops: <http://wiki.tcl.tk/_/ref?N=8558>
Tk has had an event loop based paradigm from its start, and straight Tcl also
has the ability to explicitly enter an event loop.
------
veyron
It depends on many variables, including but not limited to anticipated
workload, the nature of the hardware, and parallelism of the underlying
workload. It would help if you gave more information about the task at hand.
------
ExpiredLink
You cannot expect reasonable answers without being more specific.
------
ralph
Neither? _Bell Labs and CSP Threads_ by Russ Cox,
<http://swtch.com/~rsc/thread/>, as used in #golang.
------
ObnoxiousJul
Most developers with no background in electroncis do not understand
asynchronuous paradigm : Transitions = factorial(state). In best case if they
don't confuse states and transitions (wich is common) you'll end up with a
spaghetti code where goto are replaced with callbacks on events. In common
case they will make intricated state models without making the docs (state
transition diagrams are a MUST have (like RFCs on network protocol)). In the
multi-threading context, most devs don’t fully grasp the concurrency problem
(which is still an asynchronous problem). So if you want to stay safe, use
multithreading with disjoint data. Map Reduce is actually a pretty idiot proof
paradigm for multi-threading. It only requires your data to be smartly
shardable.
Executive note : \- if event model : have all state transition models
DOCUMENTED ; \- if multi-threading : once you have shared a context (config),
uncouple all the data passed to your thread (and handle a SIGHUP to reload the
conf safely).
Event model done wrong will cry havoc on your code maintability the same as
multitreading done wrong.
~~~
czzarr
> Transitions = factorial(state). In best case if they don't confuse states
> and transitions (wich is common) you'll end up with a spaghetti code where
> goto are replaced with callbacks on events.
Hey could you expand on this? I don't understand what you mean by transitions
= factorial(state) and why this leads to spaghetti code when you confuse state
and transitions.
~~~
ObnoxiousJul
In a state/transition model states are the node of an oriented graph . When
you reach a state you have a well defined condition (ex connexion
established). If you have an oriented graph with N nodes, and the possibility
to boucle up on yourself, than you may compute the number of available paths,
(edges, transitions, ...) according to this it is [ N possibilties X N
possibilieties ].
So I may have a little over stated the number of transitions. :/ (what an
idiot)
* 7 states <=> 49 _possible_ transitions, * 8 states <=> 64 _possible_ transitions.
Possibilities are increasing in a more than polynomial way, with a brain that
can remember at most 7 items in memory.
A good example of a state transition diagram is in section 7.2.2
<http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3720.txt>
Soz, for miscalculating.
------
papsosouid
"I was thinking about switching to fad software X" is generally not a good
line of thought. _Why_ do you want to switch? Node.js doesn't offer
parallelism, so it is obviously not a good choice for your app.
And "threads" is two things. There's programming in a threaded style, and
there's using native operating system threads. They don't have to go together.
For example, if you use a green thread library, you end up with the exact same
benefits and limitations as an event loop, but with simpler, easier to
understand code. A really good thread library could then handle multiplexing
green threads over OS threads to get you parallelism too (see haskell).
------
pyrotechnick
WebWorkers are testament to the lack of mutual exclusivity between event loops
and threads.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_worker>
<https://developer.mozilla.org/En/Using_web_workers>
Once you start doing any heavy lifting or large amounts of parallelizable
tasks you will find yourself drifting towards the threading model from within
your event loop.
~~~
bascule
Unfortunately Node's implementation of web workers uses external processes and
serializes all the data as JSON. This makes them considerably slower than
Chrome's implementation of web workers, which use threads.
In general if you're doing something compute-bound, Node's single threaded
event loop isn't going to help you.
Depending on your performance requirements you might take a look at LMAX and
Disruptor. At the very least you could be writing Java instead of C++
------
scoith
How about switching to Go and using goroutines?
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Fermi Space Telescope Fails to See Evidence Of Dark Matter - jcr
http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/26912/?p1=blogs
======
oscilloscope
Specifically, fails to see evidence that dark matter is made up of Weakly
Interactive Massive Particles (WIMPs) which should annihilate and produce
gamma rays occasionally.
Dark matter dominates the mass (90% or more) of all galaxies, not just dim
dwarf galaxies. The gravitational aspect of dark matter and is not widely
disputed.
Ideally, this experiment would be run on a "dark galaxy" which contains only a
dark matter halo and no stars, but we haven't found one yet. The issue with
visible galaxies is there may be black holes and other sources of gamma rays
created by normal matter.
~~~
iwwr
So we have so far no other evidence for dark matter other than the absence of
matter to explain the rotation-speed curve of galaxies?
~~~
keur
Dark matter is not needed to explain the rotation of galixies.
<http://arxiv.org/abs/1007.3778> Assuming that paper is true, dark matter is
not the simplest idea and by Ockham's razor, we should drop dark matter as
known today.
~~~
hartror
Interesting, do you have some reputable links to something dissecting the
claims in the paper?
I would have thought mathematical mistakes would have been classed out long
ago. Certainly it would have been the first place people looked at the
difference in predictions vs observations.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Scientists Rule Out Hawking Theory for Source of Dark Matter - atentaten
https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/deep-space/a27048233/scientists-dismiss-hawking-theory-source-dark-matter/
======
karmakaze
"If Hawking's hypothesis was right, then you'd expect to see around a thousand
such flickers. They saw one."
How is this expectation of 1000 derived? Was it based on the mg mass, what if
they were 0.1 mg black holes?
------
castis
Scientists know the mysterious substance makes up the majority of all matter
in the universe, vastly outnumbering normal matter like stars, planets, and
people.
s/know/assume
~~~
karmakaze
Perhaps poorly phrased. I'd agree with the gravitational effects of unknown
sources (aka dark matter) those of matter that we know of.
~~~
Zenst
Given the speed of light is 299 792 458 meters per second and current
measurements for the speed of gravity is between 2.55 × 10^8 and 3.81 × 10^8
meters-per-second.
Then over distance we would see the effects of gravity from objects that we
have yet to see. For example our Sun, the light you see has taken about 8
minutes to reach you. Yet the effects of gravity from the sun reach in about 6
minutes. As we know, the sun in the scale of the universe is extremely close.
Scale that difference over distance and minutes become days, weeks, years,
centuries...
So when it comes to gravitational effects from unknown sources, may be that
they are from sources that we won't see for a long long time in the future.
~~~
gus_massa
> _For example our Sun, the light you see has taken about 8 minutes to reach
> you. Yet the effects of gravity from the sun reach in about 6 minutes._
I think you misunderstood. As far as we guess from the theories, the speed of
light an the speed of gravity is the same. The problem is that it is very
difficult to measure the speed of the gravitational waves.
The experimental results for the speed of gravity has a wide interval. This
interval includes the speed of light and we guess that they are the same, but
it would be nice to have an experimental result with a nice small interval.
8 minutes vs 6 minutes: Nah
~~~
Zenst
Yes we still don't know exactly the speed of gravity and as it stands we know
it to be the around the same speed of light with a margin of 70% (
[https://arxiv.org/abs/1602.04188](https://arxiv.org/abs/1602.04188) ). But
with so many theories at play, we still don't know for sure. Indeed, some
still believe that the speed of light has changed over time - hence
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable_speed_of_light](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable_speed_of_light)
. Which as a theory, if true, would really mess up distant astronomy
calculations for some.
As you say, would be nice to have some definitive experiment that reduced the
margin for error and give a more definitive speed for gravity. Though current
results do tend to lean towards Einstein being right more than Newton in
respect to the speed of gravity.
~~~
karmakaze
How does inflation factor into calculation of gravitational force or speed of
gravity wave propagation? Is it at a scale where it matters?
~~~
Zenst
How does expansion effect gravity, I don't know exactly. Does it stretch it as
the same with light. Whilst light comes in various wavelengths, gravity as far
as we know - does not. But a wonderful question and one day we will know for
sure.
As with scale - difference would become more pronounced at scale.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
U.S. Government Intelligence: DNI/IARPA Announces Open Source Indicators Program - yyzyvr
http://infodocket.com/2011/08/29/recently-announced-intelligence-iarpa-announces-open-source-indicators-program/
======
danso
How likely is it that this public data analyzer will be significantly faster
than, say, watching TwitScoop? Or have any advantage over just grabbing the
private data of social networks, which contain such valuable indicators
including the number of and keyword content of messages between parties of
interest?
~~~
sixtofour
"Or have any advantage over just grabbing the private data of social networks"
But, that would be illegal.
~~~
d0ne
I would like to point out that hasn't stopped them in the past[1][2]
[1] <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/us/01nsa.html>
[2] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ThinThread>
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
German regulator says Huawei can stay in 5G race - Leary
https://www.ft.com/content/a7f5eba4-5d02-11e9-9dde-7aedca0a081a
======
sschueller
Doesn't seem to matter much anymore when more and more cities and countries
are stopping the 5G roll out all together.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
My math teacher site from 01.04.2008 - LukaszB
http://lo.szczecinek.pl/matma/matma.html
======
scotth
The web of 2008 didn't look like this. Looks more like '98.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Amazon Chime - runesoerensen
https://chime.aws/
======
niyazpk
The first (and personally the only) requirement I have with any chat system is
that it should _not_ modify the text I enter in any way - especially if I am
pasting something.
Sometimes I have to paste a line or two of code, or a few lines of a stack
trace. Sometimes I have to paste a string which contains some particular set
of characters. Microsoft Lync absolutely destroys the pasted text. It subtly
converts the double quotes into some unicode nonsense. Then it converts some
common character sets into smilies. When you copy text from Lync it is almost
always guaranteed to be different from what what entered originally. God, I
hate Lync with a passion.
~~~
StreamBright
Microsoft had a much better chat before:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Comic_Chat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Comic_Chat)
~~~
pmarreck
Not sure how the heck I am just learning about Comic Chat and thus the
creation of Comic Sans
~~~
Cpoll
Note that Comic Sans predates Comic Chat.
------
ultimoo
I liked the part about Chime calling you at the scheduled start of meeting. So
simple yet I had never thought of this since my org uses WebEx.
With a smart phone that would pretty well via a push notification or an actual
call, but not sure how that would work when you want a join a meeting from a
physical meeting room with its own AV system. I'm sure there is a way to get
that set up.
~~~
baconner
Seemed like it was just a mobile join notification in the video similar to
Skype for business or WebEx if you are using VoIP. No?
My company used WebEx and I could make it dial me and start up my conference
line without having to go through all the regular pin entry stuff. Now we're
using Lync (Skype for business) which is similar although tragically buggy.
That can also dial me and sends notifications if you hook it up.
The key for these kind of apps is cost and reliability. Seems like they're
advertising substantial cost reductions and better quality. If either one is
true they'll likely make out really well.
~~~
webmaven
Lync is still buggy? I haven't used it in about two years, but I'd have
thought Microsoft would have solved those issues by now.
~~~
baconner
I must say I've been really disappointed with how often it crashes outright or
has major rendering issues during screen sharing. When it works it's really
convenient but 20% of meetings with screen share involved seem to have an
issue. I really think quality is life or death for these products. If my
company weren't a tight Microsoft partner I really doubt we'd be using it.
WebEx wasn't as convenient but at least it worked correctly the vast majority
of the time.
~~~
annnnd
> I really think quality is life or death for these products... > _If my
> company weren 't a tight Microsoft partner_ I really doubt we'd be using it.
You answered yourself - no, quality is not life and death (at least not _fast_
death) for this product. :)
~~~
baconner
Ha you got me there
------
krashidov
Enterprise conferencing software is so bad and so expensive I'm astonished it
took this long for a decent competitor to come in. I'm really surprised Google
didn't go all in with making Hangouts a decent competitor. I have a feeling
this will make a lot of money.
~~~
ryanSrich
You're right in that 99% of them are complete garbage. However I was
pleasantly surprised when my company switched to Zoom[1]. A company I had
never heard of before. In terms of call quality I've never experienced
anything better. Beyond that their mobile experience is almost better in terms
of raw features than their desktop app (which is still very good in its own
right).
1.) [https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/zoom-video-
communica...](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/zoom-video-
communications#/entity)
~~~
dzhiurgis
I refuse to use anything that requires proprietary plugin/app. AFAIK so far
the only thing that works natively in the broswer is Hangouts.
~~~
dagss
appear.in
~~~
makenova
appear.in requires a plugin for screen sharing but otherwise, I do like it.
~~~
phanimahesh
The plugin is dummy, required by chrome and just gives permission to share
screen. Appear.in has been whitelisted on firefox and requires no plugins
there.
------
greyskull
Amazon acquired Biba[0], this is that product with the backend swapped out.
It's currently being beta'd internally and they haven't yet added anything
over Biba the product. There are some great features planned, from what I've
heard.
[0] [http://www.biba.com/](http://www.biba.com/)
------
therealmarv
I really do not like conference systems which do not work on Linux. Not
everybody is using a Mac or Windows. Microsoft is also ignoring Skype and
Skype for Business on Linux. This is all crap.
~~~
parasubvert
We are mostly Mac and Linux at my company.. give Zoom a shot, it's worked out
well for video, audio, and sharing... (Europeans in this post have had latency
issues though)
~~~
dmurdoch
I can vouch for this, used it daily for most of last year.. And we didn't have
much of any latency issues with our team in Canada and 2 others in Turkey.
~~~
fernandotakai
same here, people from all over the globe, 30+ people on a meeting, everything
just works®.
and the linux client works really well (it's on aur, if you use archlinux)
------
Taek
They tout security but I don't think it's open source and it looks like
everything is stored on Amazon servers.
Minimally it is centralized, and you can't verify that there's no backdoor. In
this day and age, that means we're both trusting their core intentions, and
also trusting that some government won't step in and silently force their
hand. I don't personally feel that is good enough to be considered secure
anymore.
~~~
miend
Like any other hosting, if it's in the US, it must be considered compromised
in these terms. That's the world we live in now.
~~~
zeveb
> Like any other hosting, if it's in the US, it must be considered compromised
> in these terms.
s/, if it's in the US//
There, fixed it for you. Any data not under your control can and will be used
against you, especially by a state wielding a monopoly on force.
------
biot
"With Amazon Chime, you can feel confident you’re communicating securely."
This wording has always struck me as being awful. People felt confident
investing with Bernie Madoff as well. I'd rather _have_ confidence from proven
security instead of just _feeling_ confident.
~~~
notatoad
confidence is a feeling. there's no other way to experience confidence than to
feel it.
~~~
biot
I'd word it something along the lines of: "Communicate securely with your
team, confident that we've taken care of your online security via [list of
reasons]". Yes, confidence is a feeling but for me it sounds better this way.
Saying "you can feel confident" reads to me like "with MtGox, your funds _can_
be secure".
------
planetjones
Great product idea. At work we use Skype for business and it's a disaster -
especially bad is it seemingly randomly says 'your device is causing poor
audio quality' and mutes you. The only way to recover is to dial out and in.
Before that it was the AT&T solution - such an ugly application with poor
usability. If Amazon really polish this product and provide a great user
experience and quality they could pick up a lot of business.
Edit: there's a problem here. Skype for business allows up to 250
participants. The AT&T solution (webex maybe) allows, I think, an unlimited
number. Amazon Chime has a limit of 250 people. This wouldn't cut it for
presentations in large companies e.g. announcement of annual results or
divisional virtual 'town hall'
~~~
josh2600
All conferenincing systems have a limit on the number of first-class
participants (people who can listen and speak). Broadcast is a different
problem and there are a ton of really good solutions when you have less than
250 speakers but many listeners.
There are no conferencing products, to my knowledge, that support more than
250 first-class participants over the internet in a reliable way.
If you have an example, I'd be very curious to play with that product.
~~~
planetjones
So can Chime allow more than 100 listeners. I interpreted the 100 limit as a
hard cut off on the number of participants irrespective of their class.
------
kupiakos
> Amazon Chime works seamlessly across your devices.
> No Linux support
~~~
partiallypro
Haven't looked but probably no Windows Mobile support either. I know I'm a
infinitesimal user base, but the lack of support from services makes me not
use them. This is one place Slack really excels and why I hate Hangouts.
------
lars_francke
I'm definitely going to try this (even though unusable for us because of
missing Linux support). We have currently settled on Zoom and it's okay, they
do have Linux support.
One problem I have with all video conferencing solutions we've tried (same for
my colleagues, all Mac or Linux users, sadly no Windows users to compare) is
high CPU usage. I have a 2015 MacBook Pro and when I share my screen CPU usage
skyrockets to 150-200% basically pegging the whole CPU. Without sharing my
screen CPU usage is at 80-100%.
I have similar problems with certain videos on the web (e.g. Ted.com and
others).
Is this something everyone else here sees as well? I always assumed they must
because we see it across devices and products.
~~~
djrogers
I wonder if it's a function of _what_ you're sharing? I use zoom with
PowerPoint and Keynote all the time and have never had my fans spin up when
sharing. Haven't noticed it sharing Safari or my whole desktop either...
As a test I'm currently on a video+computer audio+full screen sharing zoom,
and my overall CPU load is at <20%, with Zoom accounting for about half of
that.
~~~
lars_francke
That's interesting. I'm mostly sharing either Powerpoint, IntelliJ stuff or
just Chrome.
I more or less can't use IntelliJ any more productively while sharing my
screen because it's starved for resources.
------
Narkov
Their claim of "a third of the cost of traditional solutions" is an apples and
oranges comparison.
The basic and plus pricing options, while cheap, are practically useless with
only 2 maximum attendees and the $15/user/month pro plan is hardly "a third of
the cost...".
Looks like a great product with an average price point.
~~~
djsumdog
I suspected they were directly challenging either WebEx or Skype for Business.
~~~
mynameisvlad
[https://products.office.com/en-us/business/compare-more-
offi...](https://products.office.com/en-us/business/compare-more-
office-365-for-business-plans)
Skype for Business is available in all Office 365 Business plans except the
software-only one (ProPlus). That includes the $5/6 plan
([https://products.office.com/en-
us/business/office-365-busine...](https://products.office.com/en-
us/business/office-365-business-essentials)) as well as the $8.25/10 plan that
includes all of Office.
It's not a very good competitor on that front...
------
Corrado
This is really cool but I wish they had more details on the Chat part of the
solution. What does it look like? Can you theme it? Does it have any
integrations (ala Slack)? Can you have inline pictures? Does it have a rich
message API?
~~~
thatwebdude
More importantly, does it support GIFs?
~~~
tylermac1
It does not. Just tried it. Displays as a static image, even when you open it
in the chat window.
------
benevol
> Amazon Chime is a communications service that transforms online meetings
> with a secure, easy-to-use application that you can trust.
\- Amazon, _PRISM partner_
~~~
colmmacc
"Amazon never participated in the NSA’s PRISM program." \- Stephen Schmidt,
CISO @ AWS
[https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/security/privacy-and-data-
secur...](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/security/privacy-and-data-security/)
(Full disclosure: I work on AWS}.
~~~
Zach_the_Lizard
And what do all the PRISM documents say?
You don't admit this as it's bad for business.
~~~
saycheese
Amazon wasn't listed on the PRISM partners slide. What documents are you
referencing?
EDIT:
General info on PRISM:
[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRISM_(surveillance_program)](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRISM_\(surveillance_program\))
"PRISM Partners" slide:
[https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prism_slide_5.jpg](https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prism_slide_5.jpg)
~~~
Zach_the_Lizard
I double checked and you're right, they are not mentioned. I could have sworn
they were.
I stand corrected.
------
bobmagoo
Not sure what the long term play for Amazon is with a WebEx competitor,
something likely to do with getting enterprise business, hope it works out.
In case you hadn't seen it, this is basically the anti-marketing video for how
conference calls actually work:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYu_bGbZiiQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYu_bGbZiiQ)
------
cyberferret
Everything else aside, I am surprised/impressed to see that Amazon has the
'.aws' top level domain! Does that mean they will be now branding all their
AWS infrastructure under this domain?
~~~
djsumdog
This pisses me off to no end. I hate how ICANN approved these product name,
(mostly) single company TLDs! I think allowing this is terrible. I know it's
just a DNS entry, but it's a fundamental change in the way we think of DNS and
the Internet.
DNS should not degrade into AOL keywords!
~~~
andrewstuart2
I don't know. I agree with you on one hand. On the other hand, though, the
second-level domain name that is typically up for purchase is all about
branding. I have a hard time justifying treating TLD as special and distinct
from the rest of the domain name.
After all, TLD is just the widest level of the hierarchy that DNS names allow.
Why limit TLDs to countries if a particular organization has grown large
enough to benefit from it, and wants to pay for it?
------
hrayr
Are they competing with WebEx, Skype, or Slack? Looks like a compelling B2B
offering from Amazon. I bet they'll have an accompanying hardware to go with
this in the coming months.
~~~
m-app
Looks to me a bit more akin to Cisco's Spark, although without the video
endpoints, digital whiteboard and end-to-end security.
[https://www.ciscospark.com/products/overview.html](https://www.ciscospark.com/products/overview.html)
D: I work at Cisco and use Spark daily.
~~~
jquast
so cisco employees don't use webex? no wonder it sucks ...
------
jamiesonbecker
We use Zoom at Userify and love it. Fantastic Linux client, too. However, it
automatically calling me (and saving me time auto-dialing auth codes) would be
a pretty nice feature.
------
algesten
So, no video conferencing in basic/plus plan (1:1 doesn't count). It's funny
how many attempts there are at making conferencing software that just have
audio and some basic chat.
Entry level needs video, since you can get it for free elsewhere (i.e.
hangouts).
~~~
fourstar
Not a bad idea. Have a poorer quality (free) version and then offer an upgrade
to a higher quality stream.
------
krackers
Amazon's horizontal expansion is pretty fascinating. From an online stores and
cloud service provider to consumer products and now b2b apps.
------
manishsharan
...application available for Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows
Why not Linux?
~~~
dsacco
Probably because they crunched the numbers and came to the conclusion that the
potential revenue didn't justify the development costs.
~~~
pmontra
Don't overlook that a team might keep using something else because they need
to make a conf call between 3 Macs, 1 Windows and 1 Linux (a case with a
customer of mine).
------
avip
I absolutely love the startupish way aws launches new services. They have the
whole "landing page" and marketing pitch class A, but the product is alpha if
being nice.
There's long, long way to go for this thing to compete with hangout, zoom, or
anything else out there.
Source: I've just tried it out, chatting with myself on native app + 2
browsers.
------
legohead
No screenshots of the product?
------
JumpCrisscross
Does this feature end-to-end encryption?
~~~
dsacco
I don't believe so. If you look under the FAQs and the "Security and Control"
heading of the Features page, there is no mention of encryption beyond
AES-256. Companies offering E2E typically like to highlight that somewhere,
even in a non-technical way.
Furthermore, the security is apparently "fully managed", which to me
translates to "keys securely stored on our servers, not client-side."
------
dorfsmay
No Linux client? What's the advantage over WebEx then?
Both hangout and zoom can do Linux, but they aren't seen as corporate as
WebEx.
------
nathancahill
Speaking of.. can Slack hurry up and buy Zoom? Aren't they pretty flush with
cash? It seems crazy that they are letting this huge market (where they have a
foothold) slip away to new competitors.
~~~
toomuchtodo
A better question would be: How long until AWS has a Slack competitor? That
natively integrates with the entire AWS stack?
~~~
draw_down
That's what I figured this was, before I read what it did. Someone will come
up with a decent competitor one day.
~~~
brazzledazzle
The page claims it has chat and can replace your entire communications stack.
Curious to see how it executes on that.
------
zeta0134
I clicked through, and was accosted with a gigantic video. I wanted to close
the tab right there, but I've seen this before, so I scrolled down to make the
giant video go away. No dice, _every_ single page element dances and animates
and moves, and there don't seem to be any static images on the whole page. I
can't scroll to a single position to read the actual text without some large
part of my monitor animating in a suitably distracting fashion.
Why. Just... why? Why is this necessary?
~~~
z3t4
You instantly see what the product is good for. It's something many startups
fail at. If you are really interested you will endure a lot to get it.
------
andy_ppp
This looks awesome; I'm regularly told that Amazon is a horrendous place to
work yet they seem to be producing great software and interesting startup type
concepts all the while. Not sure how they do it? AWS is a bit of a mess, maybe
it's just there that is problematic...
~~~
djsumdog
There are good people everywhere. There are also terrible people in every
business. The best people tend to not care about money and leave to go work as
paramedics or line cooks or attempt a startup .. and then end up back in
software after a year or two. One day we'll get out of here.
------
pimlottc
How do they authenticate who they are when they call you? I've gotten bogus
calls before from "the credit card company", so there needs to be a way to be
certain you're talking to the right people.
~~~
hamandcheese
I think it's the app "calling you", not an actual phone call.
~~~
pimlottc
Okay, that makes sense, wasn't completely clear from the video.
Still, they would need to somehow verify it's the right conference call, and
not one set up by a phisher.
~~~
darkstar999
If it's anything like Slack, the call can only originate from within the
application (which is isolated to the single business), so there is no chance
for outside calls.
------
dbg31415
Someone please do what you say and make one that's clearly better than all the
other shitty dwarves out there today so the industry can standardize.
"Should we call, or Go to Meeting, or Google Hangout, or Skype, or Lifesize,
or Slack, or Adobe Connect, or Zoom, or WebEx, or Chime, or..." It's getting
ridiculous.
For new services: Please don't be based in the US or willing to cooperate with
the US Government. Remember, "We don't snitch!" is an excellent marketing line
-- I'll give you money for that. I don't trust Amazon or any of these at
present.
------
po
This is the first time that I've heard Amazon really call out AWS as a name
brand in a non aws-dashboard oriented product (maybe they have already in the
past?) Are Chime user identities AWS IAM users under the hood?
AWS as a more consumer-facing platform probably has a long climb ahead of it
but it could be quite helpful for Amazon to differentiate from their many
product misses released under the Amazon name.
------
webwanderings
I don't know how any of these could compete with Zoom, in terms of their
offerings. Perhaps Zoom just doesn't have enough of a big name branding push,
otherwise, it is hands down a product one should use over any other. I am a
free-user of Zoom and I have explored many others out there; there's just no
one who come close to Zoom's offerings.
------
m_mueller
For those who tried screensharing, does it have a pointing-feature (i.e.
viewer can point to something)? There's so many products out there like Skype
and Hangout that don't support it and I don't understand why not, it seems
pretty basic to me (just only show the arrow on platforms that support it,
i.e. OSX, Windows and Linux).
------
vinay_ys
Super expensive dial-in rates. $0.214 per minute in India is basically twice
the ISD calling rate.
~~~
phonon
For some reason they only have toll-free for India, which explains the cost, I
guess. (Still seems pretty high.)
[https://chime.aws/dialinnumbers/](https://chime.aws/dialinnumbers/)
------
woodylondon
Wondering if you have a Plus account and setup a call if you then have remote
access, group chat etc - a little unclear what happens between Plus and Basic
user. if all users need to be Plus then can see this being a problem.
------
Grimes23
Only amazon would reveal a product without including any screenshots or
details.
------
blintz
I'm really curious how this all-in-one concept will compare to the Slack
approach of chat as the central functionality augmented by a bunch of
integrations with external services.
------
tea-flow
My Amazon login doesn't work. Is anyone else experiencing this issue? I just
logged in on Amazon.com just fine using the same credentials (I use a PW
manager). Thanks in advance.
------
Roritharr
While we're on the topic of conferencing software, is there a List for
Software to use when you want 4k/30p or 1080/60p?
Skype seems to not be up to the task. Our Gbit Connection is.
~~~
nodesocket
Have you tried Slack video?
~~~
Roritharr
That's only 1on1 for now. We need at least 3 people (more often 5) in a video
conference.
------
codingdave
Screen sharing not being available for free is going to make us skip the free
trial. We have plenty of options for voice and chat. And video just isn't that
important to my teams. Screen sharing, however, is vital. And we are willing
to pay, but as long as hangouts works for free, why pay?
I know everyone says hangouts is dead and Google isn't putting much work into
it. But it does work. And unless they actually shut it down, it gives us what
we need. Free. We don't use it for large webinars or anything, and it has its
flaws, but... free. That is a really hard point to beat.
------
dfrey
I'm so sick of proprietary walled garden messaging systems. So now I need
slack, chime, skype, hangouts, imessage, allo, facebook, etc depending on who
I want to talk to.
------
slyall
Interesting that you pay per user per month. I wonder how it works for
occasional and one-off users.
Eg if you want a vendor to join your team's chat or you use it to talk to
clients.
~~~
djrogers
With most (all?) of these conferencing, the host is the one that has to have
an account and pay - otherwise nobody would be able to use them for support,
sales calls, etc.
------
alexandercrohde
One thing I'd like to hear the official policy on is message privacy (i.e. is
management reading your stuff?).
That's a personal concern I have with slack.
------
cdnsteve
Plus plan: $2.50 per user, maximum 2 attendees - seriously, $125/mo for 50
users? I think they missed the mark.
Join.me: 50 meeting participants, $22/mo.
~~~
phonon
No, "user" means someone who can initiate meetings. The Pro Plan ($15/m)
allows up to 100 attendees per meeting. So twice the limit and 30% cheaper :-)
------
jcoffland
The Chime app for Android is very invasive. Instead of asking for permissions
as they are needed it asks you to give up everything immediately.
------
avodonosov
No linux support?
------
xroche
So this is basically what lifesize.com has been providing for ages, sans the
Linux support. Truly revolutionary I guess.
~~~
gurrone
From my own experience lifesize voice and video quality is so awful that
anything from an egineering company should be superior. Also the stability of
the lifesize appliance is horrible. Often enough we've to reboot them before
every meeting, because the microphone went dead again. The only positive point
is that it works with Chromium on Linux including the window sharing
extension. I hope it's of slightly better quality then webex. But I fear that
is overly optimistic at least.
On the other hand Google Hangouts is for free, has from my experience a better
quality and all of them ship your data to the US. If amazon offers something
similar they and can offer an option that keeps your data in Europe that would
be an interesting option.
------
sthomas1618
Zoom competitor?
------
bikamonki
I see Amazon making a successful social network faster than Facebook making a
successful market place.
------
malloryerik
Is Chime based on WebRTC in any way?
~~~
daimoc35
Found in Chime MacOS 3rd party licence :
** WebRTC; version 90 -- https://webrtc.org/
Copyright (c) 2011, The WebRTC project authors. All rights reserved.
------
kr0
I hope they don't get in the habbit of releasing -ime products. Wow that's old
already
------
chime
As the guy who has owned chime.tv for well over a decade, this is a bit
concerning IP-wise.
~~~
discardorama
Instead of a chime, you should be hearing a cha-ching!
~~~
dajohnson89
Yes, proceeded by a bang of the gavel. Kidding, kinda.
------
euyyn
A new player in the area! Is this the first Amazon enterprise service not for
developers?
~~~
ajmurmann
They have a online email interface and a virtual workstation solution also
targeted at enterprises.
------
hkmurakami
I noticed that this is from AWS. Is this the first SaaS application coming
from AWS?
~~~
Artemis2
Amazon already has WorkDocs and WorkMail in the business productivity segment:
[https://aws.amazon.com/products/?nc2=h_l3_bu](https://aws.amazon.com/products/?nc2=h_l3_bu)
(couldn't find a better page with the list)
I guess some of the other services in AWS could be considered as SaaS?
~~~
aji
I would add QuickSight to that list
[https://quicksight.aws/](https://quicksight.aws/)
------
evantahler
Appear.in can't be beat.
~~~
mderazon
Agree it's great for small meetings (2-3 people). P2P without any server in
between, works as good as your connection.
One thing that bugs me though is using it in Chrome in Mac. 50% of the times
the microphone doesn't work and I have to kill coreaudiod and restart the
session. I came to a point where I do it before I start a meeting just in
case.
It's not appear.in problem though, it happens in Hangouts in Chrome as well
------
fizixer
> ... transforms online meetings ...
(has no mention of collaborative white-boarding)
~~~
eyeonai
you can check out Acrossio for a new experience with recording and bookmarking
during the meeting! www.acrossio.com
------
manuj10
UI Seems to be inspired from goto meeting.
------
thomasfl
No screenshots?
------
cobookman
Not sure if more impressed with the product or use of a TLD of .aws
~~~
endgame
Go with the product. ICANN making dumb decisions isn't impressive.
~~~
dajohnson89
Is it a dumb decision, or a corrupt/biased one?
~~~
djsumdog
Yes, yes and yes.
------
draw_down
"Meetings call you" is a good idea, as is the reconnecting stuff. Who knows if
anyone will use this, but even with all the supply in this market, there is
still space for something that actually works well. As someone who works
remotely I can't wait until this gets figured out.
------
vegabook
No Linux. Buh-Bye
~~~
supercoder
Why is this surprising ? Just get it for iOS
------
_ao789
I didn't know there was a .aws tld..
------
nodesocket
How did they get that TLD .aws?
~~~
laurentdc
By asking ICANN: [https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/global-
support/faqs...](https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/global-
support/faqs/faqs-en)
------
jerianasmith
For simple and secure meetings, We should give Amazon chime a try.
------
all_usernames
In soviet Russia...
------
happy-go-lucky
No wonder Amazon is the most innovative company of 2017.
[https://www.fastcompany.com/3067455/most-innovative-
companie...](https://www.fastcompany.com/3067455/most-innovative-
companies/why-amazon-is-the-worlds-most-innovative-company-of-2017)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Game Developer Barbie Is Awesome - pacaro
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2016/06/mattel_s_game_developer_barbie_is_fantastic.html
======
pacaro
Mattel appears to have listened to some of the criticism from their crass
"Barbie: I Can Be a Computer Engineer" book a couple of years ago.
(i.e. see
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8634393](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8634393)
)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Ask HN: What is some advice for someone self-learning ds/algos for interviews? - The_Workplace
======
rvz
Start from here: [https://github.com/jwasham/coding-interview-
university](https://github.com/jwasham/coding-interview-university)
When studying from this, choose only to learn the optimal data structures and
algorithms, understand why the other solutions are bad and then find out where
these concepts are applied in several open-source projects.
Once you have completed the essentials, solve the puzzles in Hackerrank and
Leetcode, before the interview.
To be honest, I dislike this sort of interviewing for DS/Algos unless the
company can justify using them other than for a secret IQ test or another
candidate filtering technique. If it were me, I'd just ask for links to
significant open-source contributions instead of this nonsense.
------
taway555
1) Do every easy/medium problem on leetcode. Do the hard ones, too, if you
want to go above and beyond. 2) Go back to step 1 until you pass an interview.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
A Practical Guide to Distributed Scrum [pdf] - brudgers
http://A.Practical.Guide.to.Distributed.Scrum.pdf
======
lfowles
Heh, novel URL:
[http://a.practical.guide.to.distributed.scrum.pdf/](http://a.practical.guide.to.distributed.scrum.pdf/)
Warning: OT
1) Is there information on how many gTLD registrars (right word?) have (or
will) spin a profit on their gTLD? There are so many gTLDs out now that I
can't imagine all of .photo, .photos, and .photography will get enough domains
registered to pay for the initial $180k application cost.
2) dang, is it feasible to display more than just TLD and 2nd level domain in
the preview? Some sites like this benefit because of a novel URL, but other
sites like Knuth's homepage almost deserve to be identified as unique from
"stanford.edu"[0].
[0] From earlier today: "Programs to Read (stanford.edu)" \--> [http://www-cs-
faculty.stanford.edu/~uno/programs.html](http://www-cs-
faculty.stanford.edu/~uno/programs.html)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Secret is coming back - knes
https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/12/secret-is-coming-back/?ncid=rss
======
_kyran
I met one of the first few people at Secret on a pub crawl in Vietnam. Hearing
first hand what it was like behind the scenes made it sound like possibly the
biggest shit show ever.
I'm curious to see what Secret does differently now.
------
mulligan
Secret was filled with trashy posts and other types of low quality content
without the ability to do much filtering.
~~~
draw_down
It was just a bunch of people venting about the sex they were having or other
minor petty stuff they couldn't say to whoever in their lives. Not exactly
revolutionary stuff.
------
mobiuscog
It's ironic that at the same time Facebook faces challenges regarding the
publication of fake news, we also want completely anonymous information.
------
gnicholas
I'm really looking forward to this. I was bummed when it went away and think
its return is potentially very timely.
------
misiti3780
i thought they raise 6MM, and returned most of the money to the VC after
growth stalled ?
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Facebook does not consider this page to be inappropriate - ceteco
The facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Niñas-de-12-a-17-años-cabronas-y-bonitas-en-busca-de-novio/223378684434425<p>Facebook's answer:
http://imm.io/VUfa
======
ScottWhigham
Spam? Two accounts, both created specifically for this post.
~~~
rbreve
So what, people are trying to stop something bad, child pornography should not
be tolerated
------
bsommardahl
Unbelievable. They didn't even bother looking at the contents of the page.
------
rbreve
Niñas-de-12-a-17-años means Girls from 12 to 17 years old
~~~
steverb
Thank you. I can only imagine what the eventual reaction from the network
admins might have been. Generally they're pretty forgiving, but I imagine
child porn probably crosses a line.
~~~
FernandoEscher
Not only crosses the line, this guy should be prosecuted immediately!
------
zsnake
Unbelievable, that's disgusting..
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Still Here, Part 1: A Memoir - panic
http://randi.io/wp/archives/86
======
song
I have a seething hatred for weev, his clique and anyone who behaves
similarly. I hope to think they're a small minority of people but it's amazing
how many women they've tried to turn off tech with their idiocy, their
defamation, their death threats and their abuse.
When I see what happens to women in tech and a lot of the abuse they have to
withstand, I admire those that can stand the trolls. I don't think I would be
this resilient faced with this abuse.
I wish we could be in a world where everybody would be accepted in the tech
community regardless of gender, race or sexual orientation. I hoped before
that due to the relatively higher education level of tech workers, people
would be more tolerant but it seems that's not the case.
PS: Now, in the case of weev and his AT & T conviction, I of course support
reversing it and support the work that EFF is doing defending him but that's
despite weev. It's because, in this particular issue, he's innocent. That
doesn't stop him from being an horrible person.
~~~
yummyfajitas
I wonder though, has he actually turned a statistically significant number of
people off?
Suppose field X had a crazy person so dedicated that he shot a US president in
order to send a message to a woman working there (far more than Weev has
done). Suppose that pervert letters to women in field X were completely
expected and commonplace, and had been for many years. Would women flee from
X?
Surprisingly, acting has no shortage of women. Pervs sending creepy letters is
a topic of humor:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmeh7EHpIE0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmeh7EHpIE0)
Journalism has similar issues. Still plenty of women. Seems like there must be
something else at play.
[edit: replaced the word "anyone" with "a statistically significant number".
This better expresses what I meant to say.]
~~~
jxf
That's survivor bias [0]. The point isn't whether there's still at least one
woman in the field, or whether there's "plenty of women" (what does that even
mean, anyway?). The point is whether anyone was _stopped from entering the
field at all_.
The ones who are still in the field are the ones most resilient to the abuse.
But you miss out on the contributions of all the people who left and did
something else. How much farther along might we be in software engineering, or
sculpture, or architecture, or <insert your favorite field here> \-- had the
toxic environment not been present in the first place?
[0]
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_bias](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_bias)
~~~
yummyfajitas
_" plenty of women" (what does that even mean, anyway?)._
Not really sure - I don't personally view a lack of $GROUP as a problem. If
you feel similarly then disregard my entire post - it's premised on the idea
that the reader does view a lack of women as a problem.
There are two claims here. One is that bad behavior exists. The other is that
this bad behavior plays a significant causal role in keeping women out of
tech.
The latter is what I'm questioning. Since large number of women seem to want
to enter acting in spite of it having a far worse reputation (never heard of a
"casting couch" in tech), it seems that bad behavior alone is a poor
explanation for the lack of women.
~~~
purerandomness
Basically, you want a formal proof that "bad behavior plays a significant
causal role in keeping women out of tech" is a valid hypothesis?
While scientifically interesting, I don't see the utillity for that, honestly.
Do we really not agree that this has to stop? Does it really matter how many
people harassment would keep out of the business? While skepticism has its
place, harassment is not a technical, but a social problem, and I, for one,
can bring up enough empathy to not need the scientific method to want to stop
harassment.
As to the casting couch, I don't know how it's where you live, but here in
Europe, while everyone in the acting and music community is familiar with the
term, the "casting couch" exists merely as a myth, not an actual thing
preventing women to begin working in acting. Besides, the acting/music
community is _far_ beyond the 1/10 (or whatever) gender split in the tech
community, so even if someone would try to establish the casting couch as a
de-facto gate-keeping procedure, female members of the in-group would call it
out, ending this phenomenon much sooner than would be possible if the gender
gap in those communities were to be as it is now in tech.
Even then, you wouldn't bring up statiscics how many women were entering the
acting field by "passing" the "casting couch". So I'm confused and would like
to know what your point really is.
~~~
yummyfajitas
No, I'd like to see evidence of some sort that the effect is significant
before concluding it plays a significant role in keeping women out of tech.
If you want to tackle the problem of crazy people trolling public figures, be
my guest. I don't see any reasonable steps that we could take that wouldn't be
oppressive, but maybe you have more imagination than me. Just don't be
surprised if you solve this problem but tech remains 25% women.
~~~
purerandomness
We're not discussing "crazy people trolling public figures" here. No one wants
to do anything about your favourite sunday newspaper cartoonist and his daily
Obama caricatures. We're not talking about your neighbour kid playing phone
pranks on you.
What we're talking about here are death threats, sexual harassment, and
calling your boss to get you fired. Deliberate, organized hate. Effective and
planned activities to harm an individual who doesn't represent the in-group
you're happening to be in.
I couldn't care less how the gender distribution remains after we've solved
THAT issue. This is a showstopper bug that has to be solved BEFORE we even
begin to debug the gender gap.
Anything else would be ridiculous: "Yeah, we're trying to find ways to get
more women in tech, but since we don't have any scientific evidence to back up
that the harassment, hate and verbal abuse against women in tech is a root
cause of too few women in tech, we're still investigating and solving other
possible causes"
If you were a woman (I suppose you aren't), would you want to work in an
environment that is obviously this toxic?
~~~
yummyfajitas
_If you were a woman (I suppose you aren 't), would you want to work in an
environment that is obviously this toxic?_
I don't think tech is "toxic".
I've put as much of my money where my mouth is as my plumbing allows. I
recently (read: past few months) did everything I could to help a girl I care
about get into tech. I think she'll be happier in the field than in her
various alternatives.
~~~
purerandomness
Well, that's because I assume you're a decent human being, and that's great -
and I try to do the same (while not having experiences specifically with
girls, I try to support women in tech where I can)
We both are fortunate to not see a problem in our specific peer groups, but
strangely seem to disagree that the problem still exists for some other peer
groups, and that we should do anything possible to stop that toxicity.
------
Bahamut
I will say this, from the perspective of someone who has been around online
communities for approaching 20 years and moderating in various online mediums
for 10+ years - women get harassed online far too much in most communities.
The extent some of the harassment goes is mind boggling.
One of my good friends had a beastiality erotica written about her as part of
a campaign to defame her, where the people involved went as far as taking the
ip addresses of the moderators and redirecting them to a harmless image
whenever they attempted to load the actual image. The primary reason is
because a group of people didn't like how she acted, including dating the
founder for a short while of the site the community was based on.
Another member of the community was naively coaxed into sending someone else
some pictures of her naked, which was then gathered up and used to slut shame
her - she was not even 18, which made it distribution of child pornography.
I have had to ban countless harassers who would go on a public TF2 server I
run and immediately try to harass the women who had the gall to use a
microphone - I take a zero tolerance attitude towards this behavior,
harassment of any kind is unacceptable. Whatever positive contributions some
of these people might have, it certainly isn't worth accepting that sort of
behavior as the norm, driving away good people who did nothing wrong.
~~~
thyrsus
Your individual actions are laudable. Is responsible moderation the only way
to create welcoming communities, or are there ways to scale that?
~~~
Bahamut
I'm of the opinion that it always starts at the top - even silence can be the
wrong action, especially with behavior that normally gets decried as
unacceptable at large.
Moderators have such large power to influence the directions communities go -
in a way, moderators are like unofficial judges. Bad decision making ruins
everyone's quality of life who participates. This is in large part what makes
places like 4chan and Reddit not great in my eyes. Some of the moderation
policies here on HN are also highly suspect as well, and it is reflected in
some of the comments you see here and in some other posts.
Communities have often proven bad stalwarts of proper decorum and
respectfulness - you can see it quite often in forums or boards of various
types and various subjects. 4chan, Reddit, HN, sports forums, video game
forums, etc. More community run forums tend to devolve into chaos, where many
otherwise good people who would normally stand up to abusive behavior end up
leaving since they get drowned in a sea of mob rule. The only way I have been
able to see this situation get stopped is by strong moderation, since they
have special authority to make or break situations. However, moderation also
has to be mindful of the community as well - some actions, even if right, can
drive away people. Communities can mold around how a moderator behaves, so one
has to be careful not to be too strong armed.
It's a delicate tightrope one has to walk as a moderator, and one managing
moderators.
------
freshflowers
I'm tired of the fact that this debate has deteriorated into sides lead by
extremists.
On the one side there is the gamergate crowd, who despite their constant
denial are fundamentally sexist and misogynistic in pretty much every second
sentence they utter. And the existence of these pricks serves as a cover for
the ubiquitous but much more subtle sexism in the tech industry. Which in turn
is being denied by the people smack dead in the middle of it (this thread to
will see a lot that kind of denial).
On the other side however are the consummate activist, the ones the bigots
refer to as "Social Justice Warriors" who see sexism in everything, stifle any
debate with finger pointing, bullying and witch hunts (as recently
demonstrated with "shirtgate"). These people are no better than the pricks
they claim to be fighting. They don't just fight sexism and inequality, they
want to bury anything they are uncomfortable with, including basic human
desires and freedom of any kind of non-politically correct form of expression.
And from the tactics used and the collateral damage caused, I find it
increasingly difficult to tell the two sides apart except for the the
symbolism and rhetoric.
~~~
rmc
Here's a hint. One side is threatening "the greatest school shooting in
American history"
~~~
Igglyboo
By one side you mean one person who affiliates with that chosen side, trying
to say that all the SJW's or GamerGate people support murdering children is
ridiculous.
~~~
ZeroGravitas
It was actually woman and feminists specifically they were vowing to kill, not
schoolchildren. It's "School" as in "college".
------
JonnieCache
I stopped hanging around on IRC because of people always being weird to women,
it's just depressing to watch. Maybe I should have stayed and made a stand...
~~~
FoeNyx
I rarely see people being weird to women on IRC, but I guess it's as IRL:
there are good places and bad places.
~~~
TazeTSchnitzel
It may depend a lot on the IRC network and channel. IRC these days seems to be
confined to open-source software discussion, so the communities are more
helpful.
~~~
JonnieCache
This was on freenode, on the channel for a development tool. I'm not going to
name names because the people involved weren't actually members of the project
IIRC, just regulars on the channel.
It wasn't nasty or anything, just... weird. It gave me an overpowering urge to
uninstall irssi and go outside.
------
unimpressive
This is a good post, I want to make that clear because that's about all I'll
say about the rest of it beyond the second part being marred by a flaw that
deeply bugged me:
Idle speculation about 4chan causing the Pilchuck shooting was uncalled for,
and as somebody who lives fairly close to the events very insensitive. It's
one thing to talk about Elliot Rogers where it was made very clear that his
motivations were pertinent, but turning whatever shooting tragedy into a
political billiard ball is one of those things that we should stop doing
because it's not improving discourse.
------
cousin_it
> _When a woman publicly tells her story and a man tells her that her
> experiences are invalid_
That's what happened with Zoe Quinn, except gender reversed. Her ex told the
story of how she abused him, and it got censored and slammed everywhere.
Edit: I'm a bit freaked out by the downvotes. What's wrong with my comment?
~~~
paddyoloughlin
I have not downvoted you, but the zoe post wasn't slammed because its author's
experiences were considered invalid but because it is a textbook example of
slut-shaming. And now you are saying that the target of this was an abuser.
And it's a stretch to say thezoepost was censored. It's still available at its
original location.
~~~
tomp
> a textbook example of slut-shaming
Accusing someone of cheating on you is slut-shaming?
~~~
paddyoloughlin
That's a very generous description of the zoe post.
If Eron wanted to only accuse Zoe of cheating on him, he could have done that
and left it there.
~~~
tomp
He accused her of being a shitty human being - lying, cheating, denying the
above, deceiving the author to have unprotected sex with him (should she be
locked up in an embassy?), having double standards/no principles... Still, I
can see no slut shaming in the text.
------
Tryingtofeel
As an outsider reading this, I feel like there is a missing side of the story.
Did those people really do all those things for no reason? What prompted them
to harass her? Edit: I'm not saying there are ever circumstances where what
they did is warranted. The story just seems to be so one dimensionally against
her, couldn't help but feel something was missing.
~~~
aw3c2
Careful, that question is forbidden. You will probably be accused of "victim
shaming" in a minute.
Sadly most people seem not interested in the psychological or sociological
motivation of those abusers. There is always something that triggers abuse
(no, I am _not_ saying that it must be something the victim did). I wish we
would investigate into that and help people stay clear of the psychopaths that
way.
~~~
ZeroGravitas
Kathy Sierra suggests that the fact that she was listened to by many people
was what triggered the hatred for her:
[http://seriouspony.com/trouble-at-the-koolaid-
point/](http://seriouspony.com/trouble-at-the-koolaid-point/)
_" I now believe the most dangerous time for a woman with online visibility
is the point at which others are seen to be listening, “following”, “liking”,
“favoriting”, retweeting. In other words, the point at which her readers have
(in the troll’s mind) “drunk the Koolaid”. Apparently, that just can’t be
allowed."_
Read the whole thing, it's heartbreaking and eyeopening. It also involves some
of the same people that attacked the author of the current post.
So whatever these two woman did to "incite" this harassment was shared by at
least two kinda-succesful woman in tech.
------
inglor
It's very hard not to sympathize with this as most of our generation who went
to tech are "misfits". As a minoroty that's even harder.
I don't understand why randy would focus on making tools for blocking people
on Twitter though - writing about it is more effective and less 'ragey'.
It would also be nice if she adds how to help.
~~~
freebsdgirl
I told myself that I wouldn't comment on any of this, but goddamnit. MY NAME
IS RANDI. IT IS LITERALLY PART OF THE URL.
~~~
inglor
Sorry :) An honest DYAC mistake.
------
aw3c2
To maybe save some from reading through this rambling who like to stay away
from the topic: It does not seem to be about women in tech generally but seems
to boil down to the work of a few socio-/psychopaths caught in a feedback
loop.
~~~
nounaut
You sound like you're probably part of the problem.
~~~
lost_my_pwd
Please don't do that; a hit and run labeling does nothing to improve the
situation.
If you think the grandparent poster is part of the problem, at least explain
your reasoning. Without that, there's no chance of them correcting their
behavior or, at the very least, seeing things from a new perspective.
Not saying I do or do not agree with your assessment; just hoping for more
constructive discourse and positive criticism on HN going forward.
~~~
calibraxis
The world does not owe misogynists infinite amounts of patient one-on-one
education. Expensive labor. The linked article is more than sufficient.
Public, contemptuous dismissal is the correct response.
(Or how much money are you willing to pay to fund this education you expect
others to provide?)
~~~
aw3c2
Are you calling me a misogynist? How on earth did you get to that incredible
insult from my initial post?
This kind of abrasive behaviour is exactly why discussing these issues seems
impossible. This is why people like me get sick and tired of it. Please
educate! Please give me objective education, I crave it!
~~~
paddyoloughlin
Your post seeks to minimise the issue (it's not about tech in general/just a
few bad apples) something which is directly addressed in Part II of the
original post:
[http://randi.io/wp/archives/91](http://randi.io/wp/archives/91)
I think the reasoning basically goes that trying to minimise the problem of
misogyny is a symptom of misogyny.
~~~
aw3c2
I am sorry but I do not see that directly addressed at all. I have now read it
3 times. There are selected examples, personal experiences, the Gamergate
shitstorm which is beyond the point of sanity by a long shot and a lot of
rambling. And that lead to my conclusion of being not something one has to
read if one is interested in making the situation for women in tech better.
~~~
paddyoloughlin
This is the part I meant:
> What’s even more troubling than the abuse, however, is that so many people
> are oblivious to these issues. Even after Kathy was brave enough to post her
> personal story, people think she’s a statistical abnormality. Since I’ve
> started talking more openly about my experiences, a staggering number of men
> that I know and respect have spoken to me privately, apologizing because
> they didn’t know this was happening. I’ve related those conversations to
> other women, and they were shocked. They didn’t understand how men could not
> see these problems, but it’s because so many of us are being so goddamn
> quiet.
But on re-read, I accept that it was too strong of me to say 'directly'.
Anyway, the "it's only a few bad apples" response is common enough to have
been addressed many times by essays on sexism in tech. It's akin to the "not
all men" narrative.
~~~
aw3c2
Thanks! Still reads as mostly anecdotes to me. I know enough women who are not
subject to such abuse to know that it is a tiny minority that is. Or maybe
they are not parts of communities where this is more normal? (Obligatory
disclaimer: Not victim blaming for being in certain communities.)
I wish oblivious (apparently) responses like mine would actually get valid
feedback/criticism instead of being swept under the rug on an instant. I have
learned nothing today except to never ever participate in a discussion of
these issues. Instead I felt a lot of anger and hatred against the
I really wish people would concentrate on finding out what motivates people to
harass and abuse instead of directing their anger at those who question their
methodics and tactics.
~~~
freebsdgirl
>I know enough women who are not subject to such abuse to know that it is a
tiny minority that is.
Are these women really not subject to abuse? Is it possible that they just
haven't felt like they could talk about it? Could it be that they don't
realize that some of the things they've experienced constitute as abnormal
behavior? It took me a long time to figure that one out. It wouldn't be
unreasonable to think that others would have the same problem.
~~~
aw3c2
It could very well be but I am very close to some of them and am confident
that they are neither oblivious nor feeling like they have to hide anything.
They are well respected in their respective communities.
~~~
JoshTriplett
Your anecdotes do not support your stated conclusion that "it is a tiny
minority"; at best, even if your data is actually accurate, you've gathered
evidence to support the conclusion that there exist people who have not been
harassed or abused. Likewise, there is more than enough evidence to support
the conclusion that there exist people who have been, and more than enough
evidence to infer that those aren't just "isolated incidents"
([http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Isolated_incident](http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Isolated_incident)).
------
ivanca
You had been target of completely sexist discrimination and many of the
perpetrators should be on Jail, but Annita Sarkeesian and a few like her are a
completely different subject:
[http://youtu.be/WuRSaLZidWI](http://youtu.be/WuRSaLZidWI)
We always look for people with the same motivations and the same struggle than
us so I blame no one who relates to her.
~~~
TazeTSchnitzel
Anita Sarkeesian isn't a completely different. She is a woman in tech (more
specifically, video games) who is harassed for speaking out about sexism in
video games. Perhaps some of her essays have inaccuracies, but none of this
justifies the horrible abuse she gets on a constant basis.
Also, Thunderf00t's videos on her seem to focus on single details as if her
entire argument would fall down, when it wouldn't, and by repeating something
enough times until it seems to be true. I'm hardly the best person to talk
about these, though.
~~~
geographomics
Totally agree. Personally I think Anita provides quite a fresh look at the
portrayal of women in video games and other pop culture, and it's interesting
to hear her perspective even if one disagrees with it.
It just seems thoroughly unhinged to mount a campaign of sexual harassment and
death threats in response, rather than countering with a reasoned line of
argument, or simply just shrugging it off.
~~~
XorNot
I haven't found Anita's videos particularly compelling as unique analysis, but
that's become an utterly tertiary issue to the completely insane crap which
has happened to her, and started happening, at the mere _idea_ that she would
make them.
~~~
ivanca
No, you don't understand, the crap that has "happened to her" is how she is
making a living out of it, unlike the poster of this article and anyone
actually suffering from it.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Ask HN: How do you focus at work? - parvatzar
Ambient noise generators like mynoise and noisli have been a great help in getting dev and documentation work done amidst noisy workplaces. What about you? Is there anyone out there who doesnt need noise cancellation headphones or ambient noise generators to get focus intensive work done?
======
takemypills
Addy. 5 mg. Every other day.
I know this will be down-voted, but I've been having issues focussing at work
and completing projects for the last 10 years or so.
Visited a Psychiatrist (in Palo Alto). After listening to my situation, she
followed it up with a detailed Q & A. She then prescribed 5 mg XR (extended
release) of Adderall. Apparently "mild ADHD" is a thing with software
engineers in their 30s and up...
The difference has been night and day. I'm completely focussed now, in the
zone. I've even gotten side-projects that were languishing for many years,
done and shipped over 2 weekends!
I take it only on days I need to focus and get something done. I also take
weekends off and also take 1 week per month completely off. This keeps me from
building tolerance. Also 5 mg Addy is like the LOWEST dose dispensed, so I
feel ok with it.
~~~
arthurcolle
Adderall works but I find Vyvanse to be less intrusive and allows for greater
behavioral flexibility which is a must if youre doing any kind of teamwork
Its been around for a while but compared to dexmethylphenidate, or Adderall
proper, it doesnt have as much of the euphoria that makes it difficult to
objectively assess work output, what with the slower acting formulation (but
this seems kind of a given, since its a prodrug after all), it doesnt
completely change your personality and you can more effectively context switch
edit: i have a perscription, due to attention span of a drosophilia
melanogaster
~~~
takemypills
Thanks for sharing.
Do you get good sleep with Vyvanse? The only -ve side effect I'm feeling from
5 mg XR Addy is that I fall asleep somewhat late (like mid-night or later) and
wake up a couple of times, and get only 7 hours of sleep. Don't have headaches
though, but I would love to get a deep sleep while on it.
~~~
arthurcolle
I've been supplementing with a lot of vitamins despite the evidence that
suggests that absorption of supplements is not the same as the ingestion of,
for example, fish products to get naturally synthesized omega 3 protein. I've
found that a mix of good foods that you enjoy eating, as well as other dietary
changes mentioned above, has been a huge boon. Furthermore, any kind of
exercise is good but I have found positive mood related changes as a response
to recently getting an electric bike which has helped to get regular bursts of
exercise throughout the day when I get bored of being around my apartment.
Much like how interleaved learning is a key trick to use to deeply learn
subject matter, I've found interleaving a diverse set of activities has been
key to finding that physical "balance" \- human body itself is more than
sophisticated enough to handle the self regulation itself but without the
right component inputs your jets aren't going to be running at peak
performance
------
jaysonelliot
This sounds like a silly trick, but I literally put a post-it on my monitor
with the name of the task I'm currently working on.
It's very easy to get distracted by things in my environment and on my screen,
and just seeing a sign in my line of vision that says something like "making
redlines for mobile screens" helps me re-focus.
\---------
Edited to add: the task needs to be something specific, not an abstract like
"doing UX work." I take advantage of Asana's sub-tasks to try and break down
all my work into the most robot-like steps possible. That keeps me focused on
the task itself, instead of figuring out what my next step is.
~~~
wool_gather
It's not silly at all; it's a good trick. It's one that the Pomodoro technique
uses, and at least one piece of productivity software (Vitamin-R) that I know
of. Having a clear immediate-term goal is very valuable for getting stuff
done. Just _defining_ it is a good start; having it in front of your face
can't hurt either.
------
hhh
I listen to a lot of music and try to make myself work at late hours, when
nobody else is around. ADHD medication helped me over the years as well, and
allows me to function well every day.
The best way I've ever been able to explain my thought process is as a
branching tree, in which the trunk is the primary focus and the branches are
the wandering paths that I think of along the way. Unmedicated I cannot help
but only suggest where to think, but when medicated I can choose.
Luckily I can make my own hours or else I can't really manage much social
interaction without needing to leave.
------
Thaxll
Get a Bose QC 35, it will change your life and also your future flights.
~~~
maerF0x0
Many have said that noise cancellation does not work for coworkers' voices. Is
that your experience or are these for another reason?
~~~
CrI0gen
The QC's don't completely wash out background noise. If you listen to your
music loud enough (which is probably too loud), you literally won't hear
anything around you. But normal use, I find that it muffles outside voices
enough not to get distracted, but not so much to the point where if someone
says my name I can respond. An added plus, is people will bother you less if
you're wearing them. Sometimes I like wearing them without listening to any
music, just to create a quieter environment.
~~~
vorticalbox
I do this too, sometimes I just don't want to listen to other people in the
other.
------
btilly
[https://musicforprogramming.net/?two](https://musicforprogramming.net/?two)
is something that my wife uses with success.
~~~
theon144
Can attest to musicforprogramming's effectivity, I literally only remember the
first 5 minutes of every mix before I totally zone in.
------
codewritinfool
Ozric Tentacles. Psychedelic Space Rock. Maybe two songs with lyrics in 30
years of albums.
~~~
jaysonelliot
Thanks for the suggestion. I've never heard them before, this is great
focusing music.
------
micky_25
At my current work my main distraction is in my peripheral vision as I can see
every move made by co-workers either side of me. I'm seriously considering
buying sunglasses with side shields or some type of goggle, similar to a race
horse. In the spirit of Cato the Elder, Open Offices must be destroyed!
~~~
zwieback
I have a pair of Julbo sunglasses I use for skiing - those would work great
and they stay on your ears even during frenzied hacking sessions.
------
jeffail
When I'm struggling to focus I just walk away from my desk. It doesn't matter
where I go or what I do. I spend up to 10 minutes letting myself think about
whatever my mind naturally brings to the table. Usually when I return to my
desk the distractions I was struggling with no longer bother me.
------
tombert
I just don't focus and bounce around everywhere :D
But seriously, I try and psychotically keep Jira updated. It probably drives
the PM crazy, but it's very satisfying to see your progress grow, and
especially satisfying to close a ticket.
~~~
idoh
Kudos for keeping JIRA up to date. As I PM I am fine with that. If devs just
kept JIRA a little up to date then it saves me and them the hassle of checking
in on the status of things, I can just look it up.
------
bargl
Pomodoro timer.
I work for 25 minutes at a time then take 5 minute breaks. This is more to
help me start getting into flow. I know I don't do it right, but I'll start
the pomodoro and that's my minimum. If I'm really into what I'm working on
I'll see my time is up and commit to an additional work cycle or two.
It also helps me track what I'm working on and how long each task takes me.
And gives me set breaks in which I get to write comments on HN, like this one
:-)
------
c2h5oh
Active noise cancelling headphones. Monitors set up to block rest of the
office including peripheral vision. Wall behind my back.
Slack notifications and all in browser notifications off.
------
acconrad
Communicate with your team a physical signal for what is focus time and when
you're open to "office hours." The simplest example could be "if I have
headphones on" or you can have some sort of trinket on your desk that shows
when you're free or when you need to focus.
That combined with proper away messaging on Slack/IM, you should be able to
get focused chunks of time
------
pmarreck
1) A bit of Adderall 15mg XR on the days I need it
2) An excellent automatic-time-tracker app, the transparency into your own
habits is life-changing:
[https://www.rescuetime.com/](https://www.rescuetime.com/)
3) NC headphones: Sony WH1000XM2
[https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B074KDJVS2/ref=oh_aui_se...](https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B074KDJVS2/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
ORRRR apple's AirPods
------
swah
Every trick helps, but when you actually get to work and into the flow, the
room might be noisy or you might be hungry and you don't even notice. So I try
to achieve that state more frequently. Its hard..
------
hluska
I hope that this isn't the culprit for you, but I was having a lot of trouble
focusing. I kept finding lifestyle reasons for it (a life of attention issues
plus a newborn baby were near the top of the list), but then my health went to
hell.
Turns out that my blood pressure was through the roof. I fixed that and I can
focus again.
I genuinely hope that your blood pressure is fine, but seriously, if this is a
new thing, it might be a good idea to see a doctor for a checkup. From
experience, it's far better to catch blood pressure early than when you end up
in a cardiac unit...
------
Artlav
As someone who grew up next to a highway in a place with constantly-on TVs, i
don't notice most kinds of noise, so i can't offer any advice on that front.
What was a distraction in my case was internet browsing. This got solved by
having a dedicated tablet for all sorts of non-essential browsing, and the
work computers never having anything but work-related links.
You'd think that's not going to matter, but the little bit of friction that
created was enough.
------
Adamantcheese
By work being more interesting than being bored out of my mind. If the work's
boring though, an album or two from my collection; C418's One is pretty great.
------
b3b0p
For me, I have found it hard to focus mostly only when I have another
externality in my life on my mind or something outside of work causing stress
(mentally).
I also like to listen to video game music via rainwave.cc (OCRemix Radio
basically), Bandcamp, or (this may be strange) the classic Retronauts podcasts
(still available on Archive.org, not the new ones).
------
kostarelo
\- Disabled notifications. \- I take long walks, frequently. \- Cancel noising
headphones
------
bartozone
I found this post on HN (and ensuing comments) maybe the most ironic of all
time.
------
amorphous
Oh, yes, ambient/white noise has changed my life. I even use white noise for
sleeping (via sleep headband), much better than ear plugs
------
baq
Have kids at home.
------
peelle
Currently I get my best work done in a cafe. Usually, without using
headphones. There is the usual cafe background noises.
I find it hard to work from my small apartment, whether family is around or
not, music or no music.
I forget the term but I think it has to do with the fact that I use this same
room to watch TV, play video games, sleep, and eat meals. My desk and bed are
only inches apart.
------
rwcarlsen
I try not to read/post on HN.
------
bassman9000
Classical music or alpha waves, with a pair of decent Sennheiser over-the-ear
headphones.
------
fanf2
Goa trance
~~~
thinkxl
Wow, surprised to see this genre here, I listed to Goa Trance/Psy Trance music
when trying to focus at work.
~~~
rzzzt
I'd also add techno and albums/mixes of any genre which I have listened to a
lot previously.
------
misiti3780
i use self control app and [https://www.noisli.com/](https://www.noisli.com/)
------
chuckdries
not reading hacker news lol
------
mkempe
Playing _London Calling_ , on repeat. Turning the volume up to 9, not 11.
------
aidos
Meta: Curious how a dup of this comment is downvoted into oblivion under a
different account and this is at the top.
~~~
sctb
We detached this comment from
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17545540](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17545540)
and marked it off-topic.
------
captain_perl
The OP makes it sound like inability to focus is a normal thing, but it's not.
I've never used white noise or headphones to improve focus, and it's rare that
co-workers ever use headphones.
So maybe investigate whether the problem is you or the office. Or if you
really understand what you're being paid to do - I can write documentation and
diagrams effortlessly.
~~~
loco5niner
> The OP makes it sound like inability to focus is a normal thing, but it's
> not.
But it is normal. When there are noises and distractions all around your desk,
of course it's hard to focus.
It's also normal to be able to drown all those things out, and completely zone
it out and focus on work.
It's also normal to thrive on activity, getting your best work done in a busy
environment.
It really depends on the kind of work you are doing, and the kind of person
you are. There is a wide spectrum of what is "normal".
There is a simple reason that libraries/exam rooms/lecture halls are not full
of distraction. People focus better without distraction.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Classical (and Faux) Glories of New York - allthebest
https://kirkcenter.org/reviews/classical-and-faux-glories-of-new-york/
======
jclem
I had the pleasure of getting married in one of these structures: The 113
year-old Grecian Shelter [1] in Prospect Park.
[1]:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grecian_Shelter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grecian_Shelter)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Fancy a quick cuppa, in 5k words? (1999) - Tomte
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/oct/02/10
======
ixwt
Here[0] is a video of someone making this cup of tea, and why it's important.
[0]:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAsrsMPftOI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAsrsMPftOI)
------
cafard
Anyone else reminded of a bit in _The Restaurant at the End of the Universe_?
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Financial Backtesting: A Cautionary Tale - kawera
http://www.philosophicaleconomics.com/2015/12/backtesting/
======
chollida1
The biggest problem with back-testing in finance that I've come across is that
markets change.
Nowadays markets change every 5-10 years,this is my own personal belief here,
which means you can't do too many meaningful comparisons over longer time
periods. Couple that with the fact that most bull markets last for 5-10 years
and this means you can't really tell how your active portfolio will perform.
Or put another way, strategies that work on a macro level tend not to work
very well. Anything of the flavor of "if the market does X for past 5 days,
then buy Y and hold until Z happens tend not to be reproducible or testable in
a meaningful way."
What does work, again from personal experience, is arbitrage. Arbitrage is
everywhere in the financial markets.
\- 5 year bonds that are 2 years old look just like 3 year bonds that were
just issued, assuming all terms are the same.
\- The A and B shares of a single company tend to follow a constant pattern
\- 2 different ETF's that follow the same index(say SPY) tend to move
together,
\- exchanges that tend to cross at midpoint( most dark pools) and price via
the SIP tend to offer a half penny latency arbitrage opportunities
\- when two companies merge the price of the target will converge on the deal
price at the closing.
\- low latency arb where stock prices follow some commodities price, banks vs
currency rates, oil produces vs WTI, etc
These are all examples of things that you can meaningfully back-test and
model.
Jim Simmons of Renaissance Capital once remarked that there is no signal in
the market data at a macro level, I tend to agree with him and the author.
~~~
p4wnc6
The way I understand this is that a lot of it comes down to articulating
useful prior distributions over some of the outcomes to be predicted.
The kind of backtesting that this post explores, which is basically the bread
and butter of "quantamental" asset managers (lolz CRSP Fama/French data), is
almost always performed in a frequentist set up where you plan to regress
outcomes (portfolio returns) on a simple set of "easy to understand"
predictors, like price momentum over some trailing time period.
You might have to do a few cross-sectional or time-series adjustments, like
the Fama/MacBeth regression and some poor man's time series smoothing of
coefficients, but it's basically just a really large, really crappy OLS model,
where the plan is to just torture the vendor data sets until you get out
whatever kind of statistical significance you need for a marketing whitepaper
and/or pitchbook entry to shop around to unsophisticated board members in
client organizations.
This is the whole "which 1000 tests did I do before I showed you the results"
thing from this article, and it just amounts to simple p-hacking (or t-stat
hacking) which is a well-known Bad Thing To Do.
Clients are already very sensitive to things like transaction costs, so the
clients probably would have demanded that the analysis be carried out net of
transaction costs in the first place. But transaction costs are easy for a
paying client to get their head around... for non-quantitative client board
members, getting their head around nuances of p-values and regression models
is actually quite hard, even if these are statistics 101 for the finance
professionals working with them.
But the amazing thing is that while everyone's busy worrying about p-hacking
(and _never_ Bonferroni-correcting reported results, if they even know how
many researcher degrees of freedom [1] are involved in the first place), no
one is talking about the fact that all of this is in the service of a
frequentist-style analysis of _Prob(Data | market hypothesis)_ , rather than a
Bayesian-style _policy_ question that seeks to analyze _Prob(market hypothesis
| Data)_ and necessitates some use of expert-derived priors about the
probability of some market hypothesis in general.
In the case of a momentum strategy like the one studied, the market hypothesis
would need to be about modern market conditions, the causal underpinnings of
price momentum as a predictive factor, and whether or not its efficacy will
improve or decrease when you condition on the _modern_ market situation.
And crucially, _this_ is the part that active managers are (like everyone
else) very bad at. They can't articulate accurate or informative priors about
the current status of something like the causal underpinnings of price
momentum any better than anyone else.
If you are seeking to pay someone for a _policy_ analysis, e.g. what should I
think about the posterior probability _Prob(market hypothesis | Data)_ , then
you shouldn't be paying them for the _easy_ part of that analysis -- the part
where you write down some silly likelihood function due to heroic OLS
assumptions and optimize it for parameters and update a portfolio position
based on those parameters. That part is borderline _trivial_ if you have
decent software engineers to make sure the code is not excessively buggy (yet
most quantamental shops don't, and they're still letting portfolio managers do
this shit directly with SLOPE in Excel and then making Ivy MBAs translate it
into poor Python or MATLAB code for "production") -- the _hard_ part is
actually articulating informative priors.
I think overall, it higlights a need for client organizations to become a bit
more sophisticated about the sorts of forecasting models that quantamental
managers use. Then they can begin applying market pressure by firing managers
that do bang-simple things like OLS in a crappy dev environment, and hopefully
create competitive pressure to make quant shops shift to more rigorous
Bayesian methods, or _at least_ make the rampant researcher degrees of freedom
and p-hacking problems transparent so they can be mitigated.
Of course, a lot of this is moot because a very large amount of the business
done with quantamental asset managers is based on nepotism and cover-your-ass
blame insurance. For example, suppose you are a non-technical board member of
the entity charged with managing the pension plans for some state's retired
firefighters. You are paid money not _just_ based on whether the pension
plan's assets improve, but also on whether you did due diligence when hiring
an active manager (read: you hired a fancy consulting firm who told you what
you wanted to hear), and whether you are in a position to fire firms if they
seem to do a bad job, or create pockets of plausible deniability by crafting
"data journalism" accounts about a market downturn that "no one could have
avoided."
Because these board members are the ones with most of the interaction with
quantamental shops, most quantamental shops end up turning into shoddy data
journalism mills -- need a story to explain yesterday's bad returns to the
rest of your board? We're on it. Whadya want? Something about oil & natural
gas? Something data mined about some random earnings reports? Just let us
know. We're your one stop shop to rationalizing away yesterday's returns. Just
don't ask us what will happen tomorrow.
In this sense, clients rarely punish quantamental shops. In fact, many of them
are _handsomely rewarded_ for doing p-hacking and shoddy data journalism as
long as it covers the ass of some client board member who doesn't want to lose
his bonus because of a downturn in the S&P 500 and needs to sell a story to
his bosses fast.
If that kind of stuff doesn't go away, there will be no actual prediction-
based incentive for the asset managers themselves to ever improve. Why work
hard to write good code and do proper statistics when you can make bank by
selling shoddy data journalism?
[1] [http://andrewgelman.com/2012/11/01/researcher-degrees-of-
fre...](http://andrewgelman.com/2012/11/01/researcher-degrees-of-freedom/)
~~~
xixi77
You make it sound like Bayesian-type analysis is somehow fundamentally
impervious to p-hacking and is therefore clearly superior to frequentist for
this purpose; do you have any actual references in support of this -- because
I am personally having serious doubts about that, in particular given how bad
people are at coming up with priors (and when they do, wouldn't these priors
be usually backward-looking anyway?)
~~~
p4wnc6
No statistical method is impervious to malicious attempts to subvert it. That
said, reasoning between two different models on the basis of _magnitude of
t-stat_ is _inherently_ flawed. That is, such an inference process doesn't
possess the properties necessary to lead to the conclusions people try to draw
from it, _even if no malicious intent is present_. When you add this to a
situation where the temptation is high for things like p-hacking, it _actively
encourages_ poor statistical hygiene.
Whereas, with Bayesian statistics, you'd have to _go out of your way and do
something that is glaringly fishy_ to do the same thing. Hiding it from people
is generally a lot harder than hiding what you're doing with generic
p-hacking.
One of the main reasons for this is that the model's reliance upon assumptions
is usually far more transparent in a Bayesian model. You are forced to
publicly declare your dependence on assumptions encoded in the prior. In the
frequentist case, many people _don 't even consider_ that there are prior
assumptions that may not hold about the data, and indeed they often report
results which are incorrect because they did not account for basic things,
like how their data is encoded, or non-ignorable experimental designs.
One of my favorite papers about this sort of thing is "Let's Put the Garbage-
Can Regression and Garbage-Can Probits Where They Belong" by Christopher Achen
[1].
Of course, the same thing can happen in a Bayesian setting. Someone can use an
off-the-shelf Bayesian model fitting tool without understanding what it is
doing, and they could use standard prior distributions for analytical
convenience or ease of coding, and then later try to package their result as
some "fancy Bayesian analysis" when it really suffers from low stats quality
just like the dumb t-stat comparison would have.
But it's _harder_ to do that in a Bayesian setting without it drawing a red
flag (I guess, unless you just tell bald-faced lies about what code you wrote,
but that's a different story).
The bigger point is that you don't trust just one thing. You don't look at a
single description of model fit or comparison, like two t-stats, and draw a
conclusion. You should plot the residuals, make calibration plots, ROC curves,
histograms of where your observations fall based on predicted outcome
variables, etc. There is _never_ any sort of cookie cutter approach that will
tell you whether some backtest should be believed.
As for the usefulness of managing this stuff in the form of articulating
priors, one quote I always liked was in response to a critcism of Bayesian
methods' reliance on a prior, where some academic said something like "So and
so is standing on the front porch with a shotgun ready to shoot down any
assumption that comes over the hill -- meanwhile, the back door is wide open
for any assumption to run in."
If we set aside the fact that _any_ statistics procedure can be misused, or
can be reported upon without proper skepticism and due diligence, then I still
_do_ further believe that frequentism, in general as an entire epistemological
half of statistics is simply a failed project, especially for any type of
problem that is a _policy_ problem, which inherently requires access to a
posterior distribution conditioned on some information.
But, I don't want to derail this thread and turn it into yet another
philosophical debate about whether frequentism can be used as a basis for
probability theory that corresponds with reality or not.
[1]
[http://www.columbia.edu/~gjw10/achen04.pdf](http://www.columbia.edu/~gjw10/achen04.pdf)
------
Nomentatus
Gotta agree with Jerf - what happened seems obvious. Someone else got there
first - and we know pretty much when - and by now their algorithm includes
sophisticated filters and refinements. They're pulling in only the best low
hanging fruit now and competing for it, too - by buys near the end of the day,
say. Margins are much lower now and the stated crude algorithm can no longer
compete.
My first paper-and-pencil investment strategy in stocks was precisely this
momentum one, when I was about 14, around 1970. So, this wasn't an opportunity
that was going to persist forever. (What made it non-viable in the past was
the high cost of broker fees.)
------
lordnacho
Well written article. I kinda fear for some people I used to work with.
They've got a "model" that turns over the portfolio 1.5 times a year,
backtested since around 2000. Sometimes it's hard to get people to understand
that what they're doing is totally crazy.
What the article is hinting at is a very specific part of the scientific
method: mechanism.
When you hypothesise about something, you are also guessing at how exactly the
effect comes to pass. So for instance you surmise that incident radiation
induces a current in conductors, lessening the amount of radiation beyond the
point of incidence. This mechanism would have some interesting experimental
results, namely that non conductors would not shield anything, whereas
conductors can be used to shield say a phone from EM radiation. It also means
if your shield was conducting but very thin, it might not work.
In the financial sphere, you rarely have the luxury of being able to test
mechanisms. There's a huge amount of data, and it's quite easy to find
structure, but the apparatus itself is rarely exposed.
This leaves you with two areas of research: arbitrage, as in what Chollida1
says, and presumed mechanisms.
Since the first area has been explored by him, I'll look at the second.
So let's say you used to work in a large pension fund, and that pension fund
always did its trades starting at 3pm, and filled whatever wasn't done in the
auction. You meet some colleagues, who do the same. Since you now have a
glimpse into a causal mechanism, it's pretty reasonable for you to look at a
model where things that have traded a lot since 3pm continue in the way they
were going.
There could be lots of similar mechanisms in play, coming on and off as the
market evolved.
------
mcguire
Does anyone have current performance data for the _Dogs of the Dow_ or Motley
Fool Foolish Four (?) strategies?
------
canttestthis
If you were an investor in 1985 and you did this analysis and ran out-of-
sample tests, you would have 15 years of profitability before the algorithm
starts generating losses. After a few months of losses you would discard the
algorithm and search for a new one. What am I missing?
~~~
lintiness
why would you imagine a few months or losses indicated the strategy didn't
work anymore?
~~~
p4wnc6
Exactly. This is a form of counterfactual bias. It's easy to imagine how you
were "almost right" and give yourself credit for that, but it's much harder to
imagine when you were "almost wrong" and correctly penalize your thinking in
proportion to the almost-wrong-ness.
It's easy to imagine you would have turned off the strategy at a convenient
time, but it's hard to imagine that you would maybe rationalize that it's just
a short slump or something and keep the strategy going.
And for any hard rule you make like a priori committing to turning off some
strategy if there are X consecutive months of bad returns (for reasonably
small X), you can construct some counter-example strategy where, if you had
just had the foresight to hold on to month X+1, you would have made a ton of
money and there was some after-the-fact obvious reason why months 1 through X
had the poor return, and "smart" investors would have understood this and...
------
1812Overture
"Markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent." \- John
Maynard Keynes
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Current position of the ISS - Red_Tarsius
http://iss.astroviewer.net/
======
Red_Tarsius
If you want to spot the _International Space Station_ with naked eye, check
out: [http://spotthestation.nasa.gov/](http://spotthestation.nasa.gov/)
You can also check out the crew timetable and listen/watch a live stream of
station modules: [http://goo.gl/L2fDJ](http://goo.gl/L2fDJ)
Lastly, if you a view of the earth, keep watching the _High Definition Earth
Viewing_ (HDEV) experiment: [http://goo.gl/VcqBQr](http://goo.gl/VcqBQr)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Discovering the Computer Science Behind Postgres Indexes - kilimchoi
http://blog.codeship.com/discovering-computer-science-behind-postgres-indexes/
======
Cieplak
If this interests you, I highly recommend exploring the documentation in the
postgres source:
[https://github.com/postgres/postgres/tree/master/src/backend...](https://github.com/postgres/postgres/tree/master/src/backend/access/nbtree)
[https://github.com/postgres/postgres/blob/master/src/backend...](https://github.com/postgres/postgres/blob/master/src/backend/utils/sort/tuplesort.c#L4)
------
calinet6
One of the best classes I took in college CS was the database class, where we
dove into the internals of Postgres and learned how the core CS concepts we
had learned the year prior applied in real life. It was a great lightbulb
moment that solidified the education unexpectedly well, in hindsight. And of
course, gave me great respect for the code quality and rigor of the Postgres
system.
~~~
patzerhacker
In my undergrad CS class we had to write a small RDBMS using the techniques
learned in class and then had to dive into the internals of Postgres. It
remains my favorite class taken during my undergrad, followed closely by the
graduate level computer graphics course I was able to take.
------
nodesocket
Bravo for the amazingly detailed writeup. I know how long these things can
take, and give kudos to the author.
------
grey
I've wanted something like this for years! A great real world example of a
data structure that really made an impression on me during my computer science
education, connecting theory to implementation
------
patmcguire
Am I correct in thinking that if it weren't for the order-by statement in the
first query, it would have stopped after the first occurrence?
~~~
vampirechicken
No. Without any indication that the value in that column is unique the query
engine must read the entire table in order to insure that it has found every
row that meets the search criteria.
~~~
thaumasiotes
But the original query includes "limit 1". Why is it necessary to find every
row meeting the search criterion? Only one will be returned, and without an
ORDER BY clause it doesn't matter which one.
~~~
vampirechicken
You appear to be assuming that the limit is applied while fetching tuples,
rather than while filtering the tuple set after fetch.
It occurs to me that if you handle LIMIT during fetch, you'll add complexity
the fetch, and might only see run time gains in the cases where the number of
desired rows is small.
If a column contains unique data it should be marked as such in whatever way
your RDBMS requires (e.g. UNIQUE constraint and/or UNIQUE index)
------
petergeoghegan
"""B-Link-Trees: Lehman and Yao’s paper actually discusses an innovation they
researched related to concurrency and locking when multiple threads are using
the same B-Tree. Remember, Postgres’s code and algorithms need to be
multithreaded because many clients could be searching or modifying the same
index at the same time. By adding another pointer from each B-Tree node to the
next sibling node — the so-called “right arrow” — one thread can search a tree
even while a second thread is splitting a node without locking the entire
index"""
The big innovation of Lehman and Yao was that their right link technique
obviates the need for "latch coupling", or in Postgres terms the crabbing of
buffer locks. In other words, the Postgres implementation need only lock one
page/buffer at a time as an index scan descends the B-Tree, rather than
alternately locking a single page, then its child, then unlocking the parent,
and once again locking the child (the grandchild of the original page).
Certain other B-Tree implementations must do this until their descent reaches
a leaf page, and locking multiple pages at once just to service index scans
can hurt concurrency a lot (I think that they might need to be exclusive locks
for writes, which is particularly poor).
These low-level locks are not to be confused with lock manager locks that have
deadlock detection and so on. They're low-level Readers–writer locks, and are
far more lightweight (hence the Postgres term "LWLock").
The basic idea of Lehman and Yao is that index scans of all types may detect
and recover from a concurrent page split my following a right-link (having
found that the page high key is logically less than the scankey value). It
won't matter that the parent page was observed to not have the new downlink
that is inserted after a page split, except that we need to look right.
------
fancy_pantser
I'm always at a loss.
"indices is generally preferred in mathematical, financial, and technical
contexts, while indexes is relatively common in general usage"
~~~
duaneb
Different languages have different plurals. Both are accepted because of the
history of using latin suffixes (i.e. indices) and because it is the correct
way to pluralize regular noun (i.e. indexes). This is the same reason "iris"
has three accepted plurals: iris (genitive, from common use and genus name),
irises (english plural), and irides (latin plural).
~~~
thaumasiotes
Something's gone wrong here. If iris is the genitive, no plural form can be
irides. (Also, I tend to think of iris as being from Greek, although
apparently the English word does come from a Latin borrowing.)
~~~
duaneb
Yes, sorry, you're correct, I had the nominative and genitive cases swapped
when I checked the dictionary.
------
mrinterweb
"The term B-Tree actually stands for “balanced tree.”"
B-tree means "binary tree" and are not inherently balanced. There are plenty
of specific types of self balancing tree algorithms, but I believe the default
implementation of b-trees by definition are not self-balanced.
Edit: this comment is incorrect. There is a difference between b-trees and
binary trees.
~~~
msluyter
The wikipedia article on b-trees suggests a variety of possibilities for the
etymology, "binary" not really being one of them:
_After a talk at CPM 2013 (24th Annual Symposium on Combinatorial Pattern
Matching, Bad Herrenalb, Germany, June 17–19, 2013), Ed McCreight answered a
question on B-tree 's name by Martin Farach-Colton saying: "Bayer and I were
in a lunch time where we get to think a name. And we were, so, B, we were
thinking… B is, you know… We were working for Boeing at the time, we couldn't
use the name without talking to lawyers. So, there is a B. It has to do with
balance, another B. Bayer was the senior author, who did have several years
older than I am and had many more publications than I did. So there is another
B. And so, at the lunch table we never did resolve whether there was one of
those that made more sense than the rest. What really lives to say is: the
more you think about what the B in B-trees means, the better you understand
B-trees."[3]_
[https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=B-tree#Etymology](https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=B-tree#Etymology)
~~~
mrinterweb
I was confused. The wiki article says at the top "Not to be confused with
Binary tree." Then in the first paragraph:
"The B-tree is a generalization of a binary search tree in that a node can
have more than two children (Comer 1979, p. 123). Unlike self-balancing binary
search trees, the B-tree is optimized for systems that read and write large
blocks of data."
Long ago in one of my CS classes, I wrote binary tree, 2-3, 2-3-4, red black,
and AVL tree algorithms. So I guess I learned about binary vs self-balancing.
I did not know about b-trees. I made the mistake of thinking that b-tree meant
binary tree.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Crowdstrike IPO in 5 Key Metrics - howardxchen
https://www.publiccomps.com/blog/crowdstrike-ipo-in-5-key-metrics
======
publiccomps
Public Comps co-founder Jon here! Let us know if you all have any thoughts or
reaction to our analysis of Crowdstrike which is going public this Wednesday.
Here's the high-level analysis
1/ Crowdstrike is #1 Fastest Growing Public SaaS Company at 108% YoY revenue
growth. Move over #Zoom
2/ There's a lot of room for Crowdstrike to grow and continue to replace
legacy solutions like McAfee and Symantec which are $B+ revenue behemoths but
shrinking or growing slowly.
3/ Crowdstrike has best-in-class net dollar retention at 140% which is #2
among our top SaaS companies.
4/ ⏳Crowdstrike is able to do grow relatively sales efficiently with a payback
period of 15 months versus a median of 22 from top SaaS companies.
5/ Unlike Zoom, Crowdstrike is not profitable and has -25% Free Cash Flow
margins (lowest among SaaS companies with the exception of Slack)
For valuation expectations and the full analysis, please go to
[https://lnkd.in/eHGcdpe](https://lnkd.in/eHGcdpe)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
What's new in CPUs since the 80s and how does it affect programmers? - AndrewDucker
http://danluu.com/new-cpu-features/
======
fiatmoney
It's strange the extent to which programming interview questions reflect an
80s view of the cost of operations, particularly the overabundance of linked
list and binary tree questions. Cache misses ain't free and memory scans are
relatively cheap after you do the initial lookup.
~~~
trsohmers
Yep! The big thing people don't realize that it is memory operations that are
the biggest cost in terms of both time and energy.
While it takes ~100 picojoules to do a double precision floating point
operation on a Ivy Bridge Intel processor, it takes 4200 picojoules to move
the 64 bits from DRAM to your registers. Most people assume that the huge
power usage is because you need to move data from off the chip, but the
reality (and surprising fact to most people) is that over 60% (~2500
picojoules) of the energy usage of moving the data is consumed by the on chip
cache hierarchy. That doesn't mean the SRAM caches themselves, but all the
additional logic that makes it hardware managed (TLBs, etc) that give you
functionality like virtual memory translations, cache coherency, etc.
Getting rid of all of that cruft that has been added since the 80s to make
programmers lives easier would actually reduce power consumption and latency
significantly... My startup is working on that problem by removing all of that
additional logic from the hardware and instead having it managed at compile
time. The best thing though would be having programmers really think about
locality when writing their programs though.
~~~
CyberDildonics
I hope you realize that managing memory latency has been the most fundamental
motivation throughout Intel for 25 years. It isn't a problem that is a matter
of a revelation about the problem itself.
I speed up programs all the time by reorganizing how memory is layed out and
accessed. Many time by factors of 12x or more.
I would think that making SIMD, parallelism, and multiple simple loops instead
of one bigger loop much easier to program around would be much more realistic.
Something like a fusion of ISPC, Rust, C++11, and Julia.
~~~
trsohmers
First off, I was referring primarily to memory latency between L1 cache, which
has improved over the past 2.5 decades only through the combination of Moore's
law getting the wires shorter (which is going to end soon, at least for
silicon) and increasing clockspeed (which really ended with the breakdown of
Dennard scaling a little over 10 years ago). Intel's L1 cache latency has not
improved in almost 10 years, with it still at 4 cycle latency (at best). The
improvement has only been that there is more data you can access at L1, but
the time to data hitting your registers has not improved at all.
Our scratchpad (the analogous term for software managed memory, in comparison
to a traditional hardware managed L1/L2/L3 cache system) for instance has
single cycle latency along with zero bus turnaround. Along with our ability to
guarantee memory latencies between any locations in memory, our whole goal is
to try to never have a wasted cycle.
------
ansible
What interested me in the design of the Mill CPU is how it throws out the
usual design of machine language.
I'm not talking about assembly language, and I know the difference, BTW.
In the name of software compatibility, we're still trying to program CPUs
using machine language that wouldn't be so strange to a programmer from the
1980's. Sure, there's more registers, and some fun new stuff, but it isn't all
that different.
Except that in the 1980's, the CPU actually implemented those instructions.
These days, it is all a lie, especially with regards to things like register
sets and aliasing. Yes, of course, logically, what the programmer wanted to
happen does, but today even programming at assembly level, you are far, far
removed from what the CPU is actually doing.
Edit: Here's the website:
[http://millcomputing.com/docs/](http://millcomputing.com/docs/)
~~~
gizmo686
It is worth noting that many of the Mill features are also a "lie" (for
example, the belt is still just registers and register renaming). Its just
that the Mill uses lies designed for modern processor technology.
~~~
w0000t
False. Mill does not do register renaming. ( Or use "lies". I failed to
comprehend you second sentence. )
Here is a talk from one of the designers explaining how it is done:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGw-
cy0ylCc&feature=youtu.be...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGw-
cy0ylCc&feature=youtu.be&t=24m38s)
~~~
stdbrouw
"Lie" in this context means something like "abstraction or metaphor that
doesn't present itself as such."
------
mgrennan
This is a wonderful post that no-one will care about. This may be the only
post.
Today, programmers are more interested in the rate they can turn out "Just
Works" code. These kinds of details are fare fare to down in the weeds for a
continuous development artists.
~~~
detaro
> _This is a wonderful post that no-one will care about. This may be the only
> post._
I think you are underestimating the crowd here. Last time it was posted it got
quite a few responses:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8873250](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8873250)
(already a while back, but might be interesting for reference/to bring topics
up again)
~~~
lfowles
There also seems to be a constant barrage of assembly/CPU posts (I counted 4
posts including this one earlier on the front page) , I'm not sure where GP
gets the idea that no one here cares.
------
annnnd
> A few years back, I used a Pentium 4 system...
I hate it when blog posts don't include the date. Judging by the linked
question this blog post must be at most a few months old, but there was
nothing on the page that would tell me that. One of the most important
questions is whether the information in the article is still applicable... In
this case it is, but it would be nice if readers knew it. Not to mention 10
years from now when somebody stumbles across this writeup. </rant>
EDIT: Nice article though. :)
~~~
stefantalpalaru
It's from January 11 2015, according to this page:
[http://danluu.com/blog/archives/](http://danluu.com/blog/archives/)
------
userbinator
"However, loads can be reordered with earlier stores. For example, if you
write
mov 1, [%esp]
mov [%ebx], %eax
it can be executed as if you wrote
mov [%ebx], %eax
mov 1, [%esp]"
The confusing mix of Intel and GAS/AT&T syntax aside, this is not possible
since it would give different results when ebx == esp.
~~~
caf
It's not a static decision though - the memory accesses can still be reordered
when %ebx != %esp, though of course this only ends up visible where there are
multiple CPUs involved.
For example, consider the case above and assume that the initial conditions
are:
(%esp) == 0
(%ebx) == 0
Now imagine we have a second CPU executing simultaneously, with the same %ebx
and %esp as the first CPU, but executing this:
mov $1, (%ebx)
mov (%esp), %eax
Now if there was no reordering, either one or both CPUs must end with %eax ==
1. However, the hoisting of loads before earlier stores means that you can
actually end up with both CPUs have %eax == 0 after this executes.
~~~
userbinator
You're correct about it being possible for other CPUs to see "crossed"
loads/stores, but _within one CPU /stream of instructions the programmer-
visible ordering is absolutely preserved_, because if it wasn't, a lot of
existing software would break. In your example, if ebx == esp, and both CPUs
executed those two instructions, then they must both see eax == 1. I think you
had this scenario in mind instead (where A and B are _different_ memory
locations):
CPU 1:
mov $1, (A)
mov (B), %eax
CPU 2:
mov $1, (B)
mov (A), %eax
Where eax == 0 on both CPUs is definitely possible.
~~~
caf
We are of course in violent agreement.
The point to note is that the decision on whether or not the reordering can
occur, based on whether or not A and B are the same or not, is made
dynamically at the point of execution.
------
nickpsecurity
It's nice but let's be clear on the best feature: application-accelerators. I
brought up the Cavium Octeon 3 in a discussion on game systems:
[http://www.cavium.com/OCTEON-III_CN7XXX.html](http://www.cavium.com/OCTEON-
III_CN7XXX.html)
Intel, IBM, mainframes, and embedded SOC's are all taking the same approach to
a degree of combining 1-N general-purpose cores with dedicated hardware for
performance-critical stuff or just stuff that shouldn't add overhead. The
Octeon line is an extreme example with them adding accelerators till they hit
around 500. Most modern variant being the "semi-custom" business of Intel and
AMD that is making more of it happen for those with the money.
This is peripheral to an improvement in computers known as network on a chip.
This plus extra layers of functionality in silicon lets the companies easily
do stuff like that. The next step is incorporating FPGA logic in the
processors. We already see it in embedded scene. Just wait till Intel uses
Altera technology in Xeons. SGI's Altix machines with FPGA's using NUMA were
already quite powerful. Imagine the same benefit of no, remote-memory access
for the FPGA logic working side-by-side with CPU software. Will be badass.
------
Aoyagi
This is a question from someone rather ignorant, so please don't hit me: Why
didn't the Bulldozer affect the programmers? It (or Piledriver) seems to be
doing quite well in applications with good threading.
~~~
Symmetry
In general all x86 chips are carefully designed to fulfill the abstraction
that is the x86 ISA so to the programmer it shouldn't matter whether their
code runs on an Atom or a Bulldozer or an i7.
------
Tobu
I don't think "good at executing bad code" applies for embedded CPUs. Of
course, good code is still more the province of the compiler (with PGO for
example).
------
hackuser
Who is Dan Luu? Does he have expertise in this area? Is he a leading expert?
(No offense to Dan if he is reading this; I just don't know.)
~~~
ajdlinux
You can start by looking at
[http://danluu.com/about/](http://danluu.com/about/). Assuming his CV is
accurate he presumably has a reasonable amount of knowledge in the area.
------
bitwize
It's a great article but this drove me nuts:
DON'T USE FUCKING AT&T ASSEMBLY SYNTAX.
Literally everyone uses Intel syntax, except in those situations where they
are forced to use AT&T syntax (inline assembly in C on Unix, somehow your box
doesn't have NASM). Using AT&T syntax for examples just confuses people. Write
assembler the right way. Destination, source. Come on.
~~~
chrisseaton
The default output format of HotSpot is AT&T. The default output format of GCC
is AT&T. The default output format of Clang is AT&T. Tools like the universal
compiler output viewer [https://gcc.godbolt.org](https://gcc.godbolt.org) use
AT&T by default.
Intel isn't the universally accepted format you think it is. I'm a
professional VM researcher and I use AT&T more often than Intel. In fact I
most often see Intel when reading Intel documentation.
You're shouting about nothing more than empirical than tabs vs spaces, and
even then I think your side is actually in a minority.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
SF air quality is currently 3 times worse than Beijing - justinzollars
https://www.sfgate.com/weather/article/air-quality-wildfire-smoke-fog-gray-breathe-health-13178427.php#photo-15808316
======
turtlebits
This is temporary, due to the wildfires. The Seattle area is in the same
situation, although it cleared this afternoon.
------
siruncledrew
Damn, that's crazy. That is seriously thick smoke. Hopefully people wear some
respirator masks.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Ask HN: 40 iPhone app promo codes for candid feedback - johnda
I'm relatively new to iPhone app development and am having trouble with one of my apps. The app is called PowerPlay+ and is a power hour playlist generator for the iPhone. I realize the idea isn't that original, but I think my execution is better than similar apps. The problem is, I'm not getting feedback from users (<1k downloaded between free and paid versions)--which isn't too surprising given the nature of the app store.<p>Could anyone provide some feedback on the app? I spent a good amount of time designing the app to be 'attractive' and easy to use.<p>http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/powerplay-plus/id413083997?mt=8<p>Thank you!<p><i>Codes</i><p>99RN6EXHYY3P
JKHJA4JW6TJL
R73MAT3JY9EX
WTK4NMA9M7T7
XLX4A9E79HLH
ARH3LTT7K949
4NJ7ETY9KJX9
TWMR9LE766Y3
MYJTA67E73WY
RMEWEPM3Y6LF
JALAFMHPR639
A79K7XJMFYPW
HMXEPRYHPPEK
PELN7HPAYW3W
P6MENXJMKM9F
J3TAFNPXW49W
9KPPRKRPRPXA
6LMRLERALPPF
W73J4KFL6HWX
NJNNPYMMPHMA
MN74NLJN797E
433KE6P7JPPY
TWXWMMLEM6LK
7W4HJ9HL7KLF
PF67KEELT77K
PYFL7MYXA7XL
966XWKT4A397
AY6X6X7WK4E3
A3MMLNT6XXPM
9HRNTTAFPL9Y
EN73WXKLL6XH
379KWK3KHE9E
AWMR4NJPJELM
YK6L7XMNAJT6
JH6PJXYH79P7
WTAHK6K4LP4J
TR79PM4KH9RJ
XP3MKHRYT7JM
43JRYJWL7PXE
YF9R9TWLJ9TW
======
agent86
I used code: NJNNPYMMPHMA
\- First thing I noticed was that upon launching the app it asked me to rate
it. I haven't even done anything with it yet, so asking me to rate it seems
out of place. You might want to wait a few launches before you request
feedback. Also, it is really annoying that every time I run the app it keeps
asking me rate it even though I said "No Thanks". I even agreed to rate it,
and it continues to pester me.
\- In the settings menu, I think I would like it if it played the transition
sound when I changed it in the menu. It was annoying to have to close out that
menu and tinker with the app to hear the sounds.
\- I think I managed to flummox the app a bit. Not sure if it is as designed,
or a bug, but it feels like a bug...
Here's what I did:
1) Start the app
2) Add one song to the playlist
3) Click Done
4) Click Play to start the list
5) Skip ahead to the next song
Counter says "0 down/0 to go", but the 60 second timer continues to count
down. The play button doesn't do anything, the back button doesn't do
anything, but the skip button will reset the 60 second timer and play a sound,
despite there being no song present.
------
kersny
First impressions: Well, initially, I didn't really know what to do... some
sort of explanation would definitely be helpful (maybe brought up by hitting
the "power play" button at the top). Also, I would recommend against using the
UITabBar for selection or control, as it is generally associated with
completely separate views. It should at least be styled differently, so that
people don't think of it like, for example, the clock app. This relates to the
settings selection... you can select it, and then remove the view with 'x',
but settings is still highlighted. Finally, I'd recommend adding background
audio support and better resume from close functionality.
Just my 2c, overall its a well executed app.
------
johnda
Thank you guys so much for taking the time to give me some feedback! I really
appreciate it. I'll make sure to address those issues--didn't realize the app
itself was confusing to use, great point.
------
Void_
Can you explain how would be a "power hour playlist generator for the iPhone"
useful to me (or entertain me)?
~~~
johnda
"Power hour" is a popular drinking game where a group of people gather and put
on a power hour playlist. The 'game' is played by setting up a playlist to
play one minute of each song for 60 songs (= 1 hour). Once a song changes,
everyone takes a sip of their drink/beer.
The app is supposed to make it simple to setup these playlists. Often times,
people make power hour playlists ahead of time and it can take a while. With
this app, power hour playlists can be made instantly and on-the-go with an
iPhone. Does that give you a better idea of the intent?
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Facebook over Tor on Android - yeukhon
https://www.facebook.com/notes/facebook-over-tor/adding-tor-support-on-android/814612545312134
======
gcb0
i haven't even clicked, but i already have a question: Why would anybody use
an anonymous way to access a service which sole purpose is to gather and share
personal information?
~~~
thatcat
for the user it provides current location privacy.
for fb it provides the ip of the exit node you're currently using, could be
used to flag you as a tor user and detect which version of tor browser bundle
you're using.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
The Illustrated Transformer - ghosthamlet
https://jalammar.github.io/illustrated-transformer/
======
angel_j
that's a great arxiv translation, a model for ML elucidation
re: Transformers, see also:
[https://towardsdatascience.com/the-fall-of-rnn-
lstm-2d1594c7...](https://towardsdatascience.com/the-fall-of-rnn-
lstm-2d1594c74ce0)
which suggests that Transformers have been supplanted by simple conv2d
networks that span both the input and the out; also mentioned are
"hierarchical neural attention encoders", but no links; q.v.
[https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~hovy/papers/16HLT-hierarchical-
atten...](https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~hovy/papers/16HLT-hierarchical-attention-
networks.pdf)
------
activatedgeek
This was a really great post!
Quick question: What does the decoder attend to right at the start? I still
can't figure this part out. Perhaps I am missing something very simple.
~~~
angel_j
From the article:
> _In the decoder, the self-attention layer is only allowed to attend to
> earlier positions in the output sequence. This is done by masking future
> positions (setting them to -inf) before the softmax step in the self-
> attention calculation._
In other words, the output logits (i.e. word translations) of the decoder are
fed back into that first position, with future words at each time-step masked.
I'm not quite sure how it all flows, b/c with several rows representing words
all going through at once (a matrix), it seems like you would need to run the
whole thing forward several times per sentence, each time moving the decoded
focal point to the next output word...
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
737 Max Explanation by a Software Engineer - paulsutter
https://twitter.com/trevorsumner/status/1106934369158078470?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1106934369158078470&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zerohedge.com%2Fnews%2F2019-03-17%2Fbest-analysis-what-really-happened-boeing-737-max-pilot-software-engineer
======
JorgeGT
I'm an assistant professor of aerospace engineering and I find this analysis
quite spot on, in which this is representative of a much larger issue of
economic and regulatory negative incentives, rather than just a "software
issue" as some news outlets have reported. What I find downright criminal is
this:
> _Boeing sells an option package that includes an extra AoA vane, and an AoA
> disagree light_
The fact that the redundancy of a sensor on which a system capable of sudden,
large control inputs relies is an optional package to be purchased
separately... I simply have no words.
How was this package advertised in the brochure? Pay extra and when the
airplane nosedives at high speed, this useful indicator will helpfully warn
you it's because AoA reading disagreement?
~~~
Animats
I was amazed at that. Boeing used to be known for overdesign for safety. The
B-747 had four redundant hydraulic systems. Here's a 787 doing aerobatics at
the Farnborough air show to show that it can operate way outside the normal
passenger aircraft flight envelope.[1]
Boeing used to be an engineering-first company. HQ was at Boeing's own airport
near Seattle. Then they got new management and moved corporate HQ to Chicago.
[1]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzr313wSY_Y](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzr313wSY_Y)
~~~
tyingq
Similar video with a test pilot pushing a 707 pretty hard. Includes a barrel
roll, which isn't hard on the aircraft, but unusual to see with a passenger
aircraft.
[https://youtu.be/Ra_khhzuFlE](https://youtu.be/Ra_khhzuFlE)
The 707 was pretty similar to the 737...same main fuselage dimensions, similar
pax capacity, etc.
~~~
nickgrosvenor
Love the 4k footage.
~~~
tyingq
Ah, well, it is from 1955.
------
gok
I really wish people would wait for the report before drawing conclusions like
this. These investigations take a long time, and it's often not the issue that
gets circulated on Twitter.
AirAsia 8501 was widely suspected to be caused by a thunderstorm. Wired [1]
and WaPo [2] still have articles up blaming the weather. When the
investigation came out a year later, it turned out to have nothing to do with
weather. The fly-by-wire system malfunctioned and the pilots got confused.
[1] [https://www.wired.com/2014/12/airasia-
qz8501-thunderstorms/](https://www.wired.com/2014/12/airasia-
qz8501-thunderstorms/)
[2] [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-
gang/wp/...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-
gang/wp/2014/12/28/the-challenging-weather-conditions-when-airasia-
flight-8501-disappeared/)
~~~
the_mitsuhiko
The analogy does not make much sense because the majority of what is in this
twitter thread is not new information or disputed. We also know that boeing is
fixing it by a software patch already.
~~~
losvedir
Eh, we still don't really know if MCAS is the cause of the Ethiopian crash,
though. Some things point to it (flight fluctuating up and down, jackscrew
found with full nose down trim), but some things are different, too, like
crazy acceleration and handling issues right from takeoff, when the flaps
would still be up and MCAS inactive.
~~~
spectramax
Even if it Egyptian Air didn't crash their plane, Lion Air investigation alone
exemplifies systemic negligence, not from the software standpoint, but from
the top-down executive level and the negligence of the FAA.
So, your point is valid about that we need to wait for Egyptian Air's
investigation, but misplaced because of the aforementioned argument.
~~~
croisillon
*Ethiopian
------
rdiddly
This is a "Twitter sucks" off-topic rant comment, so if you're not interested
in that, just move along. At no point in my reading on this topic or any
other, did I say to myself "Boy this thing would be great if it were broken up
into a series of small brainfarts and served up one at a time on a bloated,
slow-as-molasses web platform." I'm embarrassed every time someone tries to
express a complex thought on Twitter. It's like a machine that turns your
thoughts instantly into listicles. And every time I go view something there,
I'm astonished all over again at the dismal user-experience people put up with
in exchange for "access" to a "network." (Facebook is worse... it looks like
some crap I built for my big-company employer. sic. I'm not much in the front-
end department, so yes, my UI sucks balls. But _my_ users _have_ to use my
app, and they get _paid_ for doing so. Facebook users, I can only weep at the
thought. But I digress. This was supposed to be about Twitter.)
~~~
dilap
I'll take a contrary opinion -- forcing each thought into a tweet is a nice
constraint that compels people to get to the point. This would probably be
less well-written as, say, a Medium article.
~~~
rdiddly
I actually agree with that - it's an interesting exercise to communicate
concisely within a limit. (Sort of like Vine, which Twitter destroyed, but
oops there I go getting smart-assy again.)
It's just, if that's your game, stick to the game, don't cheat by sprawling
across 14 of those. It fails as an instance of the Tweet artform because
cumulatively it's too long, and it fails as a longer-form piece because it's
all broken up.
If I strung together 1780 Vines to make Fellowship of the Ring (and yes,
nerdily, the math works out there), what have I proven? My powers of
conciseness and economy? My respect for rules and limits? My ability to choose
the right tool for the job?
------
VBprogrammer
Often times as a Software Developer I encounter a bug which has an obvious two
line fix. Rather than implementing that though I often spend another few
minutes digging into how and why that bug was introduced. Often times I'm left
with a greater understanding of the problem or encounter a requirement that
the previous developer was trying to implement that my fix would have broken.
Other developers will simply assume the previous developer was an idiot and
bash in the fix.
I feel like in this case a lot of people are assuming the engineering team
were idiots, or criminally trying to make an aircraft which didn't pass safety
standards. Rather than taking a look at what caused the bug in the first
place.
~~~
rlabrecque
I deal with this constantly. Someone gets a bug report for a crash, let's say
a null pointer dereference, so often I see:
> if (pPointer == nullptr) { return; }
> Crash is fixed!
I mean sure... but that's not the problem. Why was pPointer null here in the
first place? So few people take the time to understand that :(
~~~
aphextron
>So few people take the time to understand that :(
Because "fix this null pointer exception" is ticket number 14 this week, and
your PM just wants it checked off. They don't want to hear that you need
another week of digging through layers of spaghetti to track down the source;
that doesn't bode well for their KPI goals.
This is a systemic issue in the way software companies function.
~~~
quickthrower2
We can blame management but sometimes the developer just doesn’t give a f* or
it doesn’t fit their agenda. I guess both are ultimately management issues,
but it’s a shared responsibility.
~~~
thatoneuser
Ultimately it doesn't matter if your engineers don't give a fuck if management
will sabatoge their efforts when they do care. Only if you have management who
won't forgo quality for ticks can you really blame the dev.
------
userbinator
More information about the MCAS than you probably ever wanted to know:
[http://www.b737.org.uk/mcas.htm](http://www.b737.org.uk/mcas.htm)
That page includes this noteworthy and unusual design decision:
"MCAS is implemented within the two Flight Control Computers (FCCs). The Left
FCC uses the Left AOA sensor for MCAS and the Right FCC uses the Right AOA
sensor for MCAS. Only one FCC operates at a time to provide MCAS commands.
With electrical power to the FCCs maintained, the unit that provides MCAS
changes between flights. In this manner, _the AOA sensor that is used for MCAS
changes with each flight_."
~~~
mannykannot
> the AOA sensor that is used for MCAS changes with each flight.
My first thought was that, in the Lion Air case, it happened both on the crash
flight and the one before - but an attempt was made to fix the problem between
flights, so the FCC may well have been powered down (alternatively, maybe both
senors were faulty.)
------
rwhitman
One of the trends I find most disturbing in business over the last few years
is the nonchalant passing of the buck on hard business problems, down the food
chain to software engineers.
The Silicon Valley mantra of "software can change the world!" has infected
every corner of our lives but frequently people misinterpret this as "software
can solve anything! (so I don't have to)".
Software engineers also tend to eagerly say "yes" to solving every problem
with code, when sometimes a problem just can't be solved with code. Thus
compounding the issue.
I'd argue that many of the macro problems in our world right now stem from
this cycle.
My PSA to all devs - if someone asks you to patch a major business problem
with software, push back. Sometimes a puzzle to solve, isn't _your_ puzzle to
solve. Send it back up the food chain. You don't have to say yes to
everything.
~~~
thatoneuser
That's easy enough to say while talking about crashing airplanes. Harder when
your H1B or family's dinner relies on you keeping your job.
I think everything keeps pointing to more punishment for management and
corporate decisions. I mean management doesn't really do the work, they should
at least be responsible. Otherwise it's just a system to attenuated blame.
------
WalterBright
The failure of the MCAS system does not indict using automatic controls to
adjust the flight envelope of the airplane. Lots of systems do that already:
1\. The autopilot
2\. The feel computer
3\. The device that reduces elevator authority at high speeds
4\. The stall stick pusher
5\. Hydraulically boosted controls
Modern jets would not be flyable without these, and the net effect of them is
to make the jet much safer.
The failure of the MCAS system does not indict the purpose of the MCAS system,
either. The problem with it was it continued operating with a failed sensor.
------
mcguire
"Hey, Bob, we need you to write the software for this system. It's based on
one, non-redundant sensor and can move the elevator trim to an extreme
position. Sound good?"
"Sure, no skin off my nose."
Isn't software engineering a wonderful field to be in?
~~~
JustSomeNobody
Except that's not really how it works
Bob to team: "What should happen when the two AoA sensors disagree?"
Team: "We should alert the pilot"
Manager: "We can't alert the pilot because the manual will need to change.
What if we only use one sensor?"
Bob: SMH
Team: "That's not a good idea. We need redundancy."
Manger: "Well, we're not alerting the pilot. Use the one sensor."
Bob: Writes the code to use only one sensor.
~~~
TheHypnotist
This shouldn't happen in a vacuum. Who's writing the requirement? The test
case?
------
sunnyP
AoA = Angle of Attack
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angle_of_attack](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angle_of_attack)
------
credit_guy
Just in case anyone is wondering why more efficient engines are bigger: the
energy is quadratic in speed (mv^2/2) while the momentum is linear (mv). For a
given amount of energy (which comes from burning fuel) you can choose to push
the airplane forward by pushing air back in 2 ways: 1. less mass, more speed,
2. more mass, less speed. It turns out 2 is better, for example you can push 4
times as much mass for half the speed, which results in twice the momentum of
the air pushed backwards. Now the amount of air you can push is the amount of
air you can get, and that's proportional with the front area of the engine.
So, you always want to have as large an engine as possible. Bonus: the larger
the engine, the slower the air moves through it, and so the less noise it
produces. When you read that engines have become both more efficient and more
quiet over the years, the second part was just a nice side-effect of the
first.
~~~
Gibbon1
This is one of the reasons I don't poo poo hybrid electric aircraft. With
electric you can drive two or more fans off one turbine. Which allows you to
increase the bypass ratio. As you mentioned the gains from that are quadratic
where the efficiency penalty is linear.
Notable is using larger diameter high bypass ratio engines is what lead to the
373-MAX design compromises.
------
abalone
Sure, it’s a system failure not strictly a software failure, but I don’t think
the Boeing software engineers are off the hook here. Software is where the
whole system comes together. Software is what can mitigate sensor failures.
Software is the top of the stack that gets certified for reliability.
A good safety culture will not have even a whiff of a “not my job” attitude.
The software team should never have signed off if they noticed that a single
sensor failure could cause their “correct to spec” program to crash the darn
plane (if that’s indeed what happened).
~~~
autopilotsw
I think when people say software error it is in a general sense. It mean the
problem is in the software as opposed to hardware. The are different types of
software errors. A software error can be a coding error or a bad requirement.
In the case the requirements are the issue. In my career we had safety,
systems and software engineers. An experienced software engineer might have
challenged the requirement in this case but the design safety would fall more
on the system and safety engineers.
------
djvu9
I think a lot of the discussions are missing the point. The mcas system itself
is indeed just a duct tape for a _known_ design defect, ie using a new engine
on an old body. It is like you replace a part in your car, find it over
heating, and put an ice bag on it. The planned software “fix” is something
like changing the volume of ice. I think it is a dead end and it is scary.
~~~
macspoofing
>ie using a new engine on an old body.
Would you ever be surprised if an old car got brand new tires? No? Then why do
you find it so surprising that engine manufacturers would build new engines
for existing airliner designs?
~~~
sundvor
That's more like fitting oversized wheels / tires that will rub into the well
/ body every time you hit some proper bumps. Sooner or later they will fail,
spectacularly.
~~~
macspoofing
Obviously the analogy breaks down once you start unpacking it.
Question to you though, what makes you so sure that this is in fact what
happened here?
------
aphextron
All of this stems from a pointy-haired marketing decision to push the MAX as
an upgrade to current technology requiring no new training for airlines. If
they had made the ethical decision to seek a new type rating and force every
pilot to be trained in the MCAS system, 400 people would still be alive. Those
executives have blood on their hands, and they know it.
~~~
Xixi
The ET pilots were trained with the MCAS system.
But to speculate: ET pilots seem to have experience issues before the MCAS
would be active, so it's not unlikely that there was another issue with the
plane, compounded by the MCAS kicking in when pilots where already fighting
the aircraft...
------
linuxftw
No new information here, just another person pretending to be some
authoritative source on this.
There's 0 proof the software worked correctly or that it's fit for purpose
whatsoever.
------
CodeSheikh
Fixing an "aerodynamic" problem with a "software" solution is already cutting
over to a different problem domain and it will lead to unforeseen
circumstances. What can go wrong, will go wrong.
People at Boeing who made decisions for this project whether it is a team lead
or a test lead or a project manager or a sales exec or a CEO; are all equally
blamed for this. These deaths are on their conscience.
~~~
macspoofing
>Fixing an "aerodynamic" problem with a "software" solution is already cutting
over to a different problem domain and it will lead to unforeseen
circumstances.
I have a hard time parsing this. A modern airliner is a conglomerate of
physical aerodynamic design, electronics and software. I am not convinced that
something like MCAS is so out of the norm from modern aviation design
principles.
>People at Boeing who made decisions for this project whether it is a team
lead or a test lead or a project manager or a sales exec or a CEO; are all
equally blamed for this.
Maybe. Or maybe there is no actual underlying problem. Or maybe the problem
has nothing to do with the MCAS system. Let's wait a little and see how it
plays out.
------
gnulinux
What's the reason people write long stuff like this on Twitter? Literally
unreadable.
------
ksajadi
With this line of argument pretty much nothing is a software issue since
software is mostly there to compensate for something else: speed, errors,
efficiency, manual labour, etc?
Highlighting the facts behind the design decisions of 737Max 8 is good for
general knowledge but doesn’t help with much else in this context.
To follow this line of argument, I’d claim that this is the fault of old
airports that didn’t have jetways so 737 had to be designed with lower body to
allow folding stairways and so on...
~~~
D_Alex
Yes... and furthermore: it seems that a key problem was:
> MCAS can make huge nose down changes
This, to me, is really odd. All the hardware changes could not, AFAICT,
require that. It seems really dumb that the MCAS system was made to be
capable, in principle, of completely overpowering pilot input.
Is it a software problem...? Well, if the MCAS was limited to making only
small changes in the stabiliser position, that could be counteracted by
pilot's input to the elevators, these accidents would not have happened.
AFAICT. It does seem that software contributed to the accidents.
------
newscracker
I read the entire thread, but the summary is that this is a harsh indictment
of Boeing, its handling of this aircraft and the accidents. It describes
Boeing as cutting corners in many places, and makes it seem like what has
happened was inevitable (in retrospect).
~~~
RandomTisk
We don't have the official word on what happened yet.
------
gabrielblack
I'm a frequent flier and I'm scared. I try avoid companies with low standards
reading all the news about incidents related to the use of used or
counterfeited parts, lack of maintenance, etc. But now it's clear that, in
times of low cost companies, cheap airplane are requested and even the
redundancy in critical subsystems is sacrificed both by the producer and the
flight company that didn't pay for a "optional" that actually is a lifesaver.
How many critical subsystem haven't redundancy to reduce the costs of
airplanes ? Maybe some regulation in this market is needed to avoid other
disaster like this one, imposing standard for the critical system and denying
the routes to the airplanes that do not meet the specifications. I don't think
that the market can play with human lives.
~~~
7952
This kind of compromise is made all the time. In the past you needed 4 engines
to cross oceans, now it is normal to just have two. It saves lots of money,
and has been a massive success in terms of safety. The industry generally
seems to get these compromises right when you look at the amazing safety
record.
------
scoutt
_" we're ... called on to fix the deficiencies of mechanical or aero or
electrical engineering"_ __
As an embedded and firmware developer, I can tell you that this happens almost
every day. If you ask how it is even possible to fix mechanical issues with
software, know that it is true.
But, you know, this time the electrical engineer screwed up the power supply
and there's noisy glitches everywhere, _we just can fix it with software_ they
say. Or the mechanical engineer designed the cover plastic with the wrong
material and LEDs light comes out _ugly_ : no problem, _let 's arrange the
weirdest PWM sequence with SW so it looks nice_.
This time, people died. Don't throw at us badly designed system so easily
because _it 's just software_.
------
selimthegrim
This makes Boeing sound like VW - “We don’t want people to have to refill
AdBlue except at oil changes”
~~~
Iwan-Zotow
Do you mean DEF Blue?
~~~
selimthegrim
Yes
------
blackrock
I think this is perhaps a serious design flaw with the plane.
Boeing wanted to make the 737 more fuel efficient, but they didn't want to re-
certify the frame, and design a new body. So, they put bigger engines on the
wings. This sounds simple enough.
Except that the engines were too powerful for the frame to handle. So on take
off, these extra powerful engines would push the nose of the plane up, to such
an extreme angle that it could cause the plane to stall, and risk falling out
of the sky.
In order to compensate for this, they introduced software and sensors that
would mechanically adjust the flaps of the plane, in order to help "level out"
the plane. This is probably ok for inherently unstable fighter jets, but for
commercial aviation, a single crash is devastating.
So, this issue is not just a software defect, that can easily be fixed with
code. This is a serious design flaw, where the planes are a death trap just
waiting to happen. There is a mismatch between the geometric placement of the
powerful engines, in relation to where it should be on the plane, in order to
achieve balanced flight, without the need for software to auto-correct for an
excessive nose-up pitch. It was probably only a matter of time, before sensors
start to fail, and the software can no longer handle the situation.
~~~
godson_drafty
This is incorrect. The engines are not too powerful for the airframe. The
problem is that the engines themselves create lift at high Angles of Attack,
pitching the nose of the plane up.
"This new location and size of the nacelle causes it to produce lift at high
AoA; as the nacelle is ahead of the CofG this causes a pitch-up effect which
could in turn further increase the AoA and send the aircraft closer towards
the stall."
[http://www.b737.org.uk/mcas.htm](http://www.b737.org.uk/mcas.htm)
------
yingw787
I wonder how this will affect pre-sales and sales of the Boeing 797.
Apparently, they're going to pull the trigger on whether to build it this
year:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_New_Midsize_Airplane](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_New_Midsize_Airplane)
I think it would be a good decision to do this. Not only because the 757
design in 50 years old, there's no planes Boeing offers that easily substitute
for the 757, it would fit well alongside the business direction of the 787
(which has proven itself out quite well), but also because it would be a
completely new plane, with few to no band-aids. I would trust a 797 over a 757
refresh, because Boeing would be much more terrified of a new plane with so
much invested capital never achieving market acceptance than an older plane
that has already been sold with money in the bank.
I would also hope Boeing's sales/marketing department understands planes
falling out of the sky is bad for current and future sales growth, and now
appreciates the difference between a properly safe plane and an unsafe plane
with lots of band-aids.
~~~
Xixi
The 757 production line doesn't exist anymore, so a 757MAX is completely off
the table. Boeing even refused to build more passengers 767 even though the
line is still running (for freighters and KC-46). The 797 as it is currently
showed to prospective airlines is closer to a 767 replacement than a 757
replacement.
The real kicker is: if 737MAX becomes a hard case with lots of cancellations,
or Boeing simply cannot sell it any further without cutting the price too
much, Boeing will have to build a replacement from scratch sooner rather than
later. The nickname for this project is NSA (New Single Aisle, I think). Or
Boeing could try to build both at the same time (similar to what they did with
757 and 767).
The 797 is in an interesting situation: I believe Boeing is sitting on an
incredible plane from a technical perspective, but the business case is hard
to close. Of course the engineers want to build it: it's an incredible plane.
But in my completely uninformed opinion it would be a mistake: no matter how
great an airliner is from a technical perspective, and how alluring it is to
engineers, it should not end up being a perfect solution looking for a
problem.
Delta really wants the 797, but the design might be a little bit too US-
centric, as if I understand correctly the capacity to haul cargo is sacrificed
to keep flying costs low. But that makes it a complete no-go in the asian
market, and is arguably not very forward looking (assuming ongoing rise of
cargo needs). If the business case is hard to close, Boeing should just move
on and build the NSA.
Airbus did that mistake with the A330NEO. They didn't have a clear business
case, but a couple of customers and lessors kept pushing because they really
wanted it, so eventually Airbus agreed. At least it's a "cheap" mistake,
compared to a clean sheet design...
~~~
ggm
Do you have pointers to A330Neo problems which put it into this fail bucket? I
found stuff about delayed delivery, and I found some scuttlebutt about the RR
engines, but I can't find something which says its a fundamentally flawed
idea. Bearing in mind that the 787 did not exactly have a stellar launch,
having an Airbus A330 in the space feels to me logical: Many airlines have
pilots trained in the A330.
Oh wait.. Is that what you mean? That there may be lurking differences in the
flight envelope in a NEO to any prior experience on 330?
~~~
Xixi
The problem is very simple: the A330NEO is not selling well at all. It was
supposed to be a cheap alternative to the 787: not quite as good, but much
cheaper. The problem is that Boeing has managed to reduce the manufacturing
cost of the 787 so much that you can essentially buy a 787-9 for the same
price as an A330-900.
The A350 is also suffering from the cheap price of the 787: it is too
expensive, so Airbus has to work hard to lower the manufacturing cost...
~~~
ggm
This is declaration by fiat. Do you have pointers to back this up?
Web searches are much more equivocal. Many pro Boeing but not all.
Observations that by type and training and flexibility an a330 fleet with a
mix of ranges can suit.
Emirates has made big orders.
------
mastazi
If you have 20-ish minutes to spare, I suggest this video about the same topic
by Mentour Pilot who is a 737 NG captain:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlinocVHpzk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlinocVHpzk)
It's not very technical, but very easy to understand. Assumes you have some
basic aviation knowledge e.g. what a stall is and how weight & balance affects
flying.
------
tzs
> If the pilots had correctly and quickly identified the problem and run the
> stab trim runaway checklist, they would not have crashed.
I'm curious how long it takes to run that checklist, and how much altitude
would be lost while doing this? How long does it take to reach sufficient
altitude to have time for this?
Also, I have a question about stall recovery and altitude. Are there any
altitudes for which it is better to go ahead and stall and fall flat out of
the sky than to nose down and risk flying into the ground at above terminal
velocity? If so, do any automatic systems on any planes recognize you are in
such a "must crash" situation and try to pick the least worst crash?
~~~
gvb
Video of training for runaway stabilizer trim:
[https://youtu.be/3pPRuFHR1co](https://youtu.be/3pPRuFHR1co) (time 2:45)
* The clanking sound is the stabilizer trim "runaway". In the video, it starts while the video is zoomed in; when the video zooms out you can see the trim wheels (next to their legs) spinning.
* The trainer (left hand seat) says "rudder", but he means "stabilizer" (he says it correctly later in the video)
* The pilots in a real plane would likely not hear the noise because they will have noise canceling headsets on, but the manual trim adjustment is the big wheel next to their leg that spins very visibly and they would feel the trim pushing the plane's nose down
* The stabilizer trim adjustment is relatively slow - it takes just under 10 seconds to travel end-to-end, so runaway time is going to be at least five seconds.
------
OJFord
URL has a load of junk on the end of it.
Suggest change to:
[https://twitter.com/trevorsumner/status/1106934369158078470](https://twitter.com/trevorsumner/status/1106934369158078470)
------
zyngaro
Is used to think aerospace industry was the most safesty conscious industry
because people trust manufacturers with their lives but now Boeing is selling
an essential feature like sensor redundancy as a option to make extra money .
~~~
throwaway808080
Kind of how Mixpanel used to sell single sign on security at an extra price
and free users didn’t get it.
Then they got hacked and shit blew up on their face.
Safety and security aren’t add-ons. It seems that in the name of making a bit
of $$$, Boeing cut corners and led to loss of life.
------
zyngaro
Given given the relative shortage of talented software engineers in a world
where software is eating the world, I find worrying that aircrafts are
increasingly relying of software systems to make them airworthy.
------
nbevans
Whilst this is an interesting read and is almost certainly largely true it
does not entirely square with the fact that Boeing are working (and the FAA
expect the certify) a software fix by April - as noted in their press release.
Software bugs or not - it does seem a major factor was the lack of an extra
"AoA sensor" and a "sensor disagreement indicator". Presumably a very low cost
option in reality that Boeing should have made standard fitment at least for
the first year or so whilst they worked out any kinks in the MCAS system.
~~~
ncallaway
The fact that Boeing is working on a software fix doesn't contradict the
thread. It's explicitly mentioned in the thread.
[https://mobile.twitter.com/trevorsumner/status/1106934422249...](https://mobile.twitter.com/trevorsumner/status/1106934422249582593)
> Nowhere in here is there a software problem. The computers & software
> performed their jobs according to spec without error. The specification was
> just shitty. Now the quickest way for Boeing to solve this mess is to call
> up the software guys to come up with another band-aid.
(some related follow up tweets)
> I'm a software engineer, and we're sometimes called on to fix the
> deficiencies of mechanical or aero or electrical engineering, because the
> metal has already been cut or the molds have already been made or the chip
> has already been fabed, and so that problem can't be solved.
> But the software can always be pushed to the update server or reflashed.
> When the software band-aid comes off in a 500mph wind, it's tempting to just
> blame the band-aid.
> Follow @davekammeyer if you want to dig in.
~~~
buchanan
I don’t get this thinking, if you’re in the bandaid making business, maybe
make sure it doesn’t cause an infection ?
In this case the software was developed to compensate for the system
characteristic,it did not fully do that. Of course, it is immensely
frustrating that software is always called upon to the papering up, but that
is another issue.
~~~
ncallaway
Sure, I'm not necessarily endorsing the thread.
I'm just saying the existence of an in progress software patch in no way
contradicts the thread itself.
It's part of the premise of the thread itself.
~~~
buchanan
I was looking at it from the narrow view that it was to do A (the papering
over), and it did not do that (fully).
On second thought, it’s more a systems engineering issue not to take that case
into account. Software engineering doesn’t get off scot free though, as they
are an important voice.
With the presumably tight engineering controls that are practised, I can
speculate that it may have fallen into “the pilot disables and takes over
control” branch. The gap would then be that they did not think that the
airlines would be given the option to “not” install the sensor failure
warning.
------
toomuchtodo
[https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1106934362531155974.html](https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1106934362531155974.html)
------
NikkiA
What worries me is if we're going to see some kind of relevant similarity with
the 777X which afaik is 'type rated as the same as the existing 777', despite
having new mechanical processes to fail (wing fold) and entirely new
undercarriage.
Still, the 777X is still some way from hitting customers, so maybe Boeing will
spend some time contemplating the way they gamed type rating with the MAX
before hitting customers.
------
jshowa3
What do you expect? Boeing is so integrated with the government that it's
hardly surprising that poor regulatory decisions influenced the crashes. In
fact, that's like every project. Nobody willing to assert themselves and say
no. So they start integrating a bunch of unnecessary systems to compensate for
flaws until you get one, big giant mess that you can't control with a deadline
looming.
------
throw0101a
Whenever there's talk about "causes" of things, it makes me wish that more
people had studied Aristotle and his four causes:
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_causes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_causes)
This was a pretty good example of material, formal, efficient, and final
causes.
------
cletus
This story keeps getting worse and I was already shocked and stunned beyond
belief.
\- Boeing recycles 737 airframe moving the engines. This seems largely about
reducing costs, decreasing time-to-market and (importantly) maintaining a
common type rating.
\- To compensate for the engines moving, which could cause the nose to dip,
they add a software solution (MCAS) that could dip the nose without really
telling any pilots or airlines. Worse, it's based on a single input (well, one
of two but it only listens to one at a type), this being the AoA sensor.
\- Blaming pilots for the Lion Air disaster. Whatever the truth, that's
certainly premature.
\- Boeing refusing the ground the aircraft after the second crash.
\- The FAA apparently complicit in this until it finally capitulates to the
inevitable and grounds the plane after Europe and several others already have.
\- The hubris of not wanting to appear wrong or like they're capitulating to
public pressure, Boeing sticks to their guns til the better end.
\- An AoA sensor upgrade as an option for what is arguably a critical system.
What's also fascinating is all the Boeing apologists who have come out of the
woodwork (eg [1]). I've seen comments about how the airlines "demanded" the
737 MAX. There might be a demand for a low-cost narrow body passenger jet and
I'm sure that's the reason the 737 MAX was developed. Anecdotally, it seems to
be terrible for passengers (eg [2]), which would certainly be compatible with
the idea that this is a low-cost solution.
It's also worth mentioning the rudder issues of the 737 that was posted here a
few days ago [3].
I honestly don't understand how Boeing's management can be so reckless with
the hard-earned reputation for safety. They've done so much damage to their
brand with this that if it wasn't for the fact that hundreds of people have
died here, Airbus would be laughing all the way to the bank (or at least it
would take the edge off the giant A380 boondoggle).
As much as pilot error has been a significant cause of air disasters (eg
experienced pilots pulling the plane up to cause a stall as in the Air France
crash), you get a sense of how hard it would be to fully automate piloting a
plane. What I find disturbing is how hard overriding automated systems seems
to be. When a plane's automated systems fails, shouldn't a pilot be able to
easily take full manual control? I would've thought so. You see examples of
this like Qantas Flight 72 [4].
And flying a plane is in some ways a much simpler problem than driving a car.
You takeoff, you fly a predetermined route and you land. There are some
adjustments for weather and other factors and occasionally you have to turn
around or deviate and make a landing. I'm obviously oversimplifying here but
cars seem to have so many more corner cases here. People seem to think
autonomous cars are right around the corner. I'm not so sure.
[1]
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19389791](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19389791)
[2] [https://thepointsguy.com/2017/11/first-look-aa-
boeing-737-ma...](https://thepointsguy.com/2017/11/first-look-aa-
boeing-737-max-8/)
[3]
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19385980](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19385980)
[4]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qantas_Flight_72](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qantas_Flight_72)
~~~
jacquesm
> To compensate for the engines moving, which could cause the nose to dip
The engines could cause the nose to go _up_ , leading to a higher chance of
stalling the plane. The reason why the nose would pitch up is because the
engines are below the center of gravity and that's what more engine power
would cause the plane to rotate around. To offset that they came up with the
idea of changing the trim.
------
dandare
* Management problem. The senior executive who smooth-talked every department into bending their own rules, using phrases like "working together as a team", "focusing on the solution, not the problem", "agile" and "MVP", was hailed as a hero and financially rewarded.
------
evilotto
It's not a software problem. It's a software _engineering_ problem. It's the
attitude of "it met the specifications, so I did my job and it's not my fault"
that separates this kind of software "engineer" from the likes of William
LeMessurier and Bob Ebeling.
------
tbeutel
Are attitude indicators or gyroscopes used as as inputs to automated systems?
Or are only external sensors used?
------
jacurtis
If you found it difficult to read the twitter thread, this is the same thing
in blog format.
[https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1106934362531155974.html](https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1106934362531155974.html)
------
swiley
Yet more deaths because people aren't looking at what the software controlling
their lives actually does (in this case, ignoring extra sensor readings that
could indicate a failure of one of the sensors.)
I feel like it's getting better in most industries but not in things like
aerospace.
------
platz
Likely, the reason the 737max story receives so much attention is because
software devs (consciously or not) feel this could affect our industry.
There may even be some guilt involved (justified or not), if it involves
software in any meaningful way.
Various community members have been warning for some time that we'll face
regulation sooner or later; all that needs to happen is a sufficiently large
disaster. The dependence between life-critical hardware and software will only
increase in scale.
Whether or not this begins our "Iron Ring" moment, I think it's something devs
implicitly feel, and is culturally resonant for them.
\---
> my brother in law @davekammeyer, who’s a pilot, software engineer & deep
> thinker.
> I'm a software engineer
The thread does feel a little defensive, no?
I'm not saying that software was the cause, or even the main cause; though
even if the other causes appear to be the precipicating factors, we should be
on the watch out for defensiveness, without knowing the _whole story_
* I don't care that in this case, the software was not to blame - that is not the main point i am making.
~~~
sbarre
I wouldn't say defensive, but rather informative.
The main point of that thread is not actually to "solve the mystery" of the
crash, or even to point fingers at where the fault lies.
The point I took away from the thread is to show that these issues are
complex, and there is never one single thing you can point to as "the
problem". In most cases, it is really a series of interconnected events.
Our media (and I think many of us - so I'm not singling them out) loves to
simplify problems in an effort to make them understandable by the average
person, and while that may be necessary for them to get people to pay
attention, it does us all a disservice in the long-term I think.
~~~
mcguire
...as long as you aren't pointing at the software engineer, whose products did
exactly what they were supposed to do.
~~~
platz
Ah yes.. the code meets the requirements. It follows the spec. No further
involvement necessary.
And if Boeing does release a 'software upgrade', what is there to say about
why the software wasn't required to be that way in the first place?
------
systemBuilder
"EVERY HARDWARE BUG IS _FIXED_ IN SOFTWARE" \- Motorola Iridium management in
the late 1990s. The hardware was so bad when they upgraded from 68040 cpus to
powerpc 603 they got a 0% improvement in performance despite the ppc603 being
2x faster ...
------
zakki
So someone built a (traditional) weight scale. Then he can’t find the balance.
Thus he added a gyro sensor and develop software for it. And they call it
modern scale When somehow the software didn’t deliver the balance, they say we
will fix the software.
------
cmurf
This is why speculation needs to come with a warning label in advance, or
people retreat to their corner and start attacking to defend.
A student pilot is hyper aware of the economics of aviation. It's frigging
expensive. The only thing cheap and plentiful is the opinion of another pilot.
The tweet author's shot gun spray of possible things to blame other than
software, is fine speculation, because aviation accidents are rarely simple.
Likely more than one thing happened. But the author rapidly falls into a trap
of making claims that are not yet in evidence.
Alpha sensor failure? There's a categorical statement the sensor failed? How?
Was it transient? What was the range of the readings? How did the software
interpret it? Could the sensor data be corrupted in between the sensor and the
interpreting software, i.e. in the communication pathway?
Author says Lion Air pilots weren't informed of MCAS. Southwest Airlines
pilots weren't informed either. I haven't heard for sure whether AA pilots
were informed. Of the pilots who were informed, what exactly were they told?
_If the pilots had correctly and quickly identified the problem and run the
stab trim runaway checklist, they would not have crashed._
It is not a fact in evidence they failed to do this. We have no idea what the
position of the stab trim switches were, or the autopilot, and we don't know
when they got into that position, or in what sequence.
Central to troubleshooting system failures in-flight is buying time. And
buying time means stabilizing the plane. Uncommanded behavior can have dozens
of causes. It's supreme hubris and insulting to propose pilots did something
wrong without evidence, to propose they were incompetent, without evidence. To
assume the failure should have been recognized, without evidence.
What will cause a consistent uncommanded roll? Could be a powerplant failure,
could be control surface failure (could be any of several or a combination).
Could you get a control surface failure that will kill you before you know
what failed? Absolutely. Your job is to rely on training to manage the failure
with a reaction that will stabilize the airplane, to buy a little extra time
so that you can figure out what's failing so you can properly mitigate the
failure. The proper mitigation will inevitably be different than the initial
stabilizing reaction.
What happens when the failure is intermittent? That means you can't trust your
stabilization routine, and therefore you haven't bought time, and therefore
you're switching from death defying reaction to having to think critically.
Both are being perturbed, panic is likely. The _normal_ behavior of MCAS nose
down is not described as consistent if you're not aware of it in advance; you
might need a few minutes to recognize the pattern. Is this for sure recognized
as runaway trim? We have circumstantial evidence that it may not be.
_Nowhere in here is there a software problem. The computers & software
performed their jobs according to spec without error._
That's a concluding statement for which there's insufficient evidence. It's a
reasonable assumption, because computers and software are expected to be
deterministic, in particular in industrial applications. Obviously the code is
not changing on the fly. And this had to be demonstrated for certification.
But it's still an assumption until all the facts are available, and we have a
high confidence explanation for all of the facts.
Further, the author totally ignores public statements from Boeing and the FAA
that a software "fix" or update, is expected for MCAS, the software routine
under discussion, by the end of April. If there's no software problem, why
update it? Perhaps it's a work around for some other design deficiency. But
could it be fixing a non-deterministic software bug, however unlikely?
This is the folly of speculating on airplane crashes.
------
quickthrower2
Am I the only one who sees a tiny bit of irony that this is posted as a
twitter thread?
------
keymone
Am i missing something? Who and where claimed it was a software problem?
From what i read it’s always framed as Sensor issue (and non-redundancy
issue).
It boggles my mind that a plane can be certified to fly with non-redundant
sensor of such importance. Boeing should go bankrupt paying off victims and
management that let that happen should be jailed.
------
krm01
What a wonderful breakdown analysis of the chain reaction one small change can
have.
------
xmly
Let us make it simple.
It is a Boeing problem!
~~~
sundvor
That we know about. I keep thinking, what other gremlins have they got hiding
in the closet?
------
bjowen
But - but - but - software is indistinguishable from magic!
------
caberus
in such a complex system, software is the first thing to save your ass if
there is a problem, and also the first thing to blame
------
sanj
The nose wheel was made 8in higher.
------
dosy
I really don't appreciate this attempt to shift blame away from any group and
onto any other group. it's unprofessional and suggests working out who we can
point the finger out and convincing people not to point the finger at our
group is more important than the tragedy that happened and trying to work out
ways to take responsibility for that. I'm sure all systems involved in the
failure could be improved in some way. to emphasize how one system is not
responsible is not a very empathetic response.
~~~
ww520
The group you are complaining about, the software people, are already being
falsely blamed. This is a rebuttal to that. Just refuse to be a doormat.
~~~
evilotto
Accepting responsibility, is not being a doormat. No matter what systemic
faults were in play, the software was a part of it, and if the software
engineers had made different choices - such as refusing to allow a flawed
system to go forward - then the outcome would have been different.
~~~
speedplane
> if the software engineers had made different choices - such as refusing to
> allow a flawed system to go forward - then the outcome would have been
> different.
You're assuming that the software engineers had sufficient information to
identify the system as flawed.
The MCAS problems appear to stem from faulty sensor data, we don't yet know
much more. However, suppose, for example, that the software engineers were
told in by the sensor manufacturer that when the sensor had an error, it would
shut off entirely and no signal would be sent. If that was the case, it would
be difficult for the software developers to forsee and account for _incorrect_
sensor data, rather than just no data.
In something as complex as a commercial airplane, no one person can know all
the systems. There has to be information "hand-offs", and it's understandable
that the person receiving the information would rely on it.
It's not that different in more prosaic software development. If an API has a
bug in it, it's hard to blame the API users for not accounting for the bug.
You generally trust that the API does what it says it does.
~~~
evilotto
> You're assuming that the software engineers had sufficient information to
> identify the system as flawed.
No, I'm assuming that the software engineers had sufficient information to
know what the gaps in their knowledge might be.
Following your example, if the engineers were told by the manufacturer that an
error in the sensor would result in no data rather than bad data, there should
immediately be followup questions: What is the redundant source of data? What
is the valid range of data? Is there a positive way to detect and identify
errors? How should detected errors be handled? The answers to these questions
should be provided by the manufacturer. It may not be the software engineer's
responsibility to double-check all the answers, but they do need to check that
they were answered in the first place.
There absolutely needs to be information hand-offs; blindly accepting such a
hand-off does not absolve you of responsibility.
~~~
speedplane
> No, I'm assuming that the software engineers had sufficient information to
> know what the gaps in their knowledge might be. ... if the engineers were
> told by the manufacturer that an error in the sensor would result in no data
> rather than bad data, there should immediately be followup questions ...
Yes, of course there should be due diligence with any hand-off. However, lets
assume for the sake of argument that there was, and the engineers using the
sensor data received appropriate answers to their questions, and yet still the
sensor did not perform as specified.
It's hard to blame someone who did their due diligence, did everything right,
and relied on ultimately inaccurate information.
~~~
evilotto
My point (poorly made) is that there is a difference between _blame_ and
_responsibility_. "Blame" is answering the question "who screwed up";
"responsibility" is answering the question "who is going to make this better".
The original tweet-stream post was making the argument that the software (and
so naturally the software people) did nothing wrong and thus was not to blame,
but also made the argument that since everything else was wrong ("not my
fault!") that there was nothing the software people could have done to make it
better, i.e., they have no responsibility.
------
revskill
That's why software integration testing is nessessary for any critical
feature. Considering airplane as a software, i think there're no integration
tests to be run in this case before delivering actual product to customers.
------
punnerud
On top of this you have the legal system in US, where you only (?) have to
prove that it is not unsafe, compared to Europe where you have to prove that
it is safe.
You can see how this play out in how the nations handled the news of the
accidents. Europe put the plains on the ground as precaution, US needed proof
that is was unsafe.
------
jorblumesea
Ultimately, the core issue here is corporate greed. Redesigning an entire
plane is expensive and time consuming. Slapping hacks and patches onto an
existing airframe with modifications is cheaper. To use a software analogy,
Boeing hasn't paid down its technical debt. Except instead of broken services
or customer outages, it's peoples' lives. It's the same reason that many
companies don't pay down their tech debt, it only indirectly helps the bottom
line and it's hard to get business leaders to understand why engineering needs
to redesign something.
~~~
lutorm
It's not really about corporate greed, it's about _people wanting to fly as
cheap as possible_. Redesigning an entire plane is indeed expensive and time
consuming, and that cost would be passed on to the passengers. The airline
industry is very cost-sensitive.
Gradually refining an airframe is done all the time and is not a cause for
concern. If corners were really cut in analyzing the implications of such
modifications, that's where the problem lies. But the vast majority of
airframes in use today, civilian and to an even greater extent military, and
they were often designed in the 70s. (And some very successful planes, like
the C-130 and B-52, were designed in the _50s_.)
~~~
aphextron
>It's not really about corporate greed, it's about people wanting to fly as
cheap as possible. Redesigning an entire plane is indeed expensive and time
consuming, and that cost would be passed on to the passengers. The airline
industry is very cost-sensitive.
Completely regardless of a redesign, the MAX is a perfectly safe aircraft (
_WITH_ the proper additional MCAS training). The reason these people died is
because Boeing didn't want to have to get a new type rating for their modified
airframe, thus making it an easier sell to airlines. Corporate greed killed
those people.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Show HN: Hackercouch - couchsurfing for hackers - captn3m0
https://hackercouch.com/
======
captn3m0
We haven't changed much since the last time this was on HN 2 years back
([https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10646551](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10646551)).
But I thought it would be nice to get some new feedback (and maybe a few more
hosts!)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Relax – A New Generation CMS on Top of React, Redux, and GraphQL - nikolay
http://getrelax.io/
======
lojack
IMO, you're giving way too much control to the end user with regard to
configuring the layout and minute details of their page. Giving a content
author control over the padding, background, font choices, etc, is a recipe
for them creating super specific pages that look bad and have no consistency.
Typically, I'll limit clients to specific widgets and layouts and train them
on how and when to use these elements for maximum effect. That's the only way
to maintain design integrity. I don't let them pick fonts, font sizes, colors,
etc. Authors are given a list of choices for the fonts, and these choices
correspond to the font hierarchy specified early on, and they have to build
pages within those bounds.
The idea is you want to give them just enough control to author the content
they need (without weird hacks) and nothing more.
~~~
andybak
I completely agree.
This is also true of rich text editors (at least in their usual default
configurations. First thing to do is hide most of the options)
The reason we've developed our own CMS framework (on top of Django) is because
everything else I looked at had a complex, powerful and dangerously flexible
interface. I lock down almost everything apart from content fields and a
choice of page types (about us, contact, product lister etc).
A CMS isn't a design tool or a page layout package. Unless you're building
something that's meant to be reusable and configurable by end-users (a mammoth
and complex task which you probably want to avoid) then lock down as much as
possible. I've had more problems from allowing too much flexibility than i
ever get from allowing too little.
~~~
wslh
> The reason we've developed our own CMS framework (on top of Django)
Is it open source? How does it compare to Mezzanine CMS?
------
djsumdog
One thing that's really missing from the OSS world is a CMS that builds static
content. We've got Jekyll, Hugo, Middleman and others that are really only
targeted at developers.
I'll admit, it's not easy. This is why CQ, Teamsite, et. al. cost a lot of
money (insane amounts of money, oh and they're both terrible. CQ is good for
end users, terrible for devs. Teamsite is just terrible, and cost $11k per
website).
~~~
mapgrep
No, this is a terrible idea that is being spread like a cancer by people who
don't know their history.
First of all, static rendering CMS-es are IN NO WAY missing as you say; in
fact, as your own comment hints, such systems are incredibly abundant. There
are MANY other static-render-HTML products that could be added to that list,
and they stretch back into the 1990s.
The basic problem with this approach is well understood: As the corpus of
content on a given site grows, render time quickly approaches time between
updates. In other words, you start waiting for renders to complete before you
can change something else on the site.
This happens in part because changes to a single particular piece of content
often cause changes to multiple pages — think blog views, archive pages, index
pages, tag pages, RSS feeds. Meanwhile, as a site grows, the number of
contributors tends to grow, including authors, editors, illustrators,
photographers. So not only are the static renders taking longer as the site
grows, there is also a growing likelihood that someone will want to touch a
piece of content in a given time period, thus triggering a new render.
Probably the most high-profile example of how this could fail was when there
were a lot of people using Movable Type for their blogs in the early 2000s; MT
did static renders and many bigger blogs had switch to other blog engines or
carefully operate around massive render times for MT sites.
If you have a small personal site, static renders are fine. But SO IS
BASICALLY EVERYTHING ELSE. You can build a personal site using any number of
primitive-but-effective technologies, like server side includes, emacs macros
— hell you could literally make a Microsoft Word template and publish
everything from there via SFTP. On the flipside, you could install the most
inefficient, computationally intensive, database driven crapfest of a web app
and it won't matter because you don't need to scale.
In other words, static CMSes are fine if you don't actually really need a CMS.
By all means, for yourself, or a tiny project, use whatever you want. But we
don't need MORE of those tools.
~~~
gizzlon
Is speed really an issue today though? With multiple cores, multiple machines
etc.. Seems like a simple enough engineering problem. How many "pages" does a
big site have? How many can be touched by a single update?
Also see Hugo, as someone mentioned..
Not doubting that you're right regardign the history, just that it has to be
this way today. OTOH, a dynamic page can also be plenty fast, it does not have
to be Wordpress.
~~~
mapgrep
Well there's the small answer and the big answer.
The small answer is that rendering touches not just CPU but storage as well.
Yes we have SSDs, which help, but writing to "disk" is still relatively slow.
The big answer is: If you can render each of your pages very quickly, there's
no real win from pre-rendering everything. You should just render on the fly.
The whole point of pre-rendering, historically at least, is to make a site
very fast by eating the cost of the render up front.
~~~
awinder
But from that storage "problem" you get to avoid hosting on a dynamic
platform, and literally just need a static web host. As mentioned you can put
stuff up on s3 and be done with it.
At large scale of visitors, this kind of approach is a lot easier to handle
than the dynamic model.
------
therealmarv
Speaking with my DevOps hat I cannot "relax" with MongoDB in the backend ;)
Have you done ANY heavy loadtesting with this infrastructure (which is cool
but does it scale?) and what is your result in comparison to Wordpress and
static content?
How likely is it possible to switch to another database like PostgreSQL?
~~~
weddpros
Considering most CMS systems barely reach 100req/s (uncached), I think we can
say raw database speed is less of a problem than bad query patterns. Or if you
prefer, the use of a SQL db is no guarantee for performance.
Maybe mongodb will perform better, free of joins, than
MySQL/Wordpress/whateverCMS... or maybe the data access pattern will suck and
make it slow (and maybe it would be slow with a SQL db too, like other CMSs).
Ideally (in terms of performance), a single K/V request would be needed for
each page, and the CMS would handle all the denormalization (and tens of
thousands of req/s). I don't know how they've designed their data model...
All in all, a CMS is the most cachable web app ever, as it's more or less
meant to replace static pages ;-) The poor performance of existing CMSs has
always been hidden by caching layers...
~~~
therealmarv
100% agree. But there is not a single word about caching or how to integrate
it with Relax either. I understand it is a young project but if I need a CMS I
want it to have it a little tested and scaling questions not open. Caching is
totally NOT trivial with React,Redux,GraphQL (at least I totally don't know
how to do it but maybe I'm not smart enough) ... maybe it is even harder with
such an architecture. I'm just saying I doubt a littlebit the cool and shiny
architecture justifies the purpose (many questions open).
~~~
bruno12mota
Hey! Relax creator here. Thanks for your input :)
Saying PostgreSQL is a better fit in terms of performance is a bit
controversial in my opinion, there are quite a lot of tests between the two
and most say it is the exact opposite
[https://blog.michaelckennedy.net/2010/04/29/mongodb-vs-
sql-s...](https://blog.michaelckennedy.net/2010/04/29/mongodb-vs-sql-
server-2008-performance-showdown/)
Despite that, can't say for a fact that's the case for Relax since I haven't
test both on it. Mongo is behaving really well though, our demo instance has
been getting a pound lately (dozens of users at a time) and it's running
smoothly even though our machine is not really powerful.
Also in terms of scaling, Mongo also has a great solution for horizontal
scaling
[https://docs.mongodb.org/manual/sharding/](https://docs.mongodb.org/manual/sharding/)
Having this said, not entirely against having different database layers
supported in Relax. Since we're using GraphQL would be a matter of creating an
abstraction when accessing the data on the queries and mutations resolves. Not
on our priorities for now but we're always open for contributions :)
------
nikolay
Source code: [https://github.com/relax/relax](https://github.com/relax/relax)
Demo: [http://demo.getrelax.io/admin](http://demo.getrelax.io/admin)
(username: demo, password: demo)
~~~
dexwiz
Doesn't work for me.
Works now, was getting 403
~~~
TuringTest
It doesn't work on Firefox (using the Developer Edition, may be related to
that).
~~~
wigginus
Doesn't work in the 'classic' edition either.
------
degenerate
I don't have one specific piece of advice, but after playing with the demo,
the front-end of this CMS is very hard to use. I don't seem to know what the
heck is going on when I create new items or drag little boxes around. I
literally have no idea what I am doing.
~~~
bruno12mota
Hey! Relax creator here. Sorry to ear that. Since it's a demo people add a lot
of noise to it (a lot of styles and colors etc), with a private account and
with some theme imported you'd see that making a theme is a bliss with it :-)
We're also redesigning the admin entirely for the beta release
[https://twitter.com/relaxjs/status/699674354657976320](https://twitter.com/relaxjs/status/699674354657976320)
------
einrealist
I wish, someone would build an OSS CMS on top of Apache Sling. The concepts of
JCR and Sling are perfect up to a point, where I don't want to deal with
anything else. If my company had the money, we would instantly buy Adobe AEM
licenses. Unfortunately its soooo expensive and they are the only ones who
have a CMS frontend for Sling.
------
kelvin0
I've just started working with Joomla in the last few days. The only redeeming
factor with it is that you can install it anywhere (since PHP is so
prevalent). I wanted to install Django-CMS, but guess what: the host I have to
work with does not support Python... So I'm stuck in CMS Land with choices
that don't really help me much. Hopefully I'll get over the initial 'ugliness'
in using Joomla. Relax CMS requires Node.js, which unfortunately is also not
supported as much as PHP ... _sigh_
~~~
matt4077
If Joomla today is similar to Joomla ca. 2010, I'd rather call each potential
visitor and read them the html than use that CMS.
I'm really quite fond of the static generators now. I'm not even sure why –
the principle isn't much different from a dynamic CMS with caching. And data
probably belongs in a DB rather than a bunch of files. But the architecture of
Hugo etc. make them really easy to understand, I can host it on google cloud
storage (and probably serve thousands simultaneously without breaking a
sweat), it's as fast & save as possible and I don't have to worry about
passenger/postgress/memcached/etc. making any trouble.
I'm sure the next step will be web-based authoring tools for Hugo/Jekyll/etc.,
which will seem a little strange but actually get us close to the best of both
worlds.
------
dcsan
Is there an easily accessible API for this? The ability to add schemas, and
manage media is nicely done, but for a game app I'm building we have our own
client app. I'd like to mix the occasional embedded webview, but mostly just
access content as JSON. There maybe other CMS tools that are more suited to
being used just for their backend, any reco's appreciated ^_^
~~~
bruno12mota
Hey! Relax creator here. Schemas you create in Relax will be able to mark as
publicly accessible, so you'll be able to use it as an API, it's a GraphQL API
though :)
------
j1436go
Throwing "Uncaught TypeError: Cannot read property '_currentElement' of null"
on the page edit view. UA: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64) AppleWebKit/537.36
(KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/50.0.2661.86 Safari/537.36. Just saying ...
------
amcleod
Interesting idea and I can see this being really useful. Question: Is it
possible for developers to extend the base component set with new components?
~~~
bruno12mota
Hey! Relax creator here. Yes it will. You'll be able to create any component
to use on the page builder where you can make your own settings and styles
options.
------
fallenshell
TIL: Add the words React and Redux to something and it is immediately cool.
~~~
mixedCase
"We've now switched away the human interface used to manage the control rods
in the nuclear reactor from antiquated buttons and levers to a touchscreen
running an application powered by node.js+React+Redux"
:^)
------
Sir_Cmpwn
Dependencies: Chrome
Come on guys, test your software properly.
~~~
kylemathews
It's in alpha.
"Relax isn't yet ready for production, stay tuned for releases, beta version
will come soon"
------
chrisabrams
Where are the tests!???????????
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
President Seeks Whistle-Blower’s Identity - jbegley
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/30/us/politics/trump-schiff-treason.html
======
jessaustin
Chelsea Manning is a whistleblower. Edward Snowden is a whistleblower. John
Kiriakou is a whistleblower. Some CIA reptile who hung out at the White House
for a few months and is now deeply disturbed by Trump is not a whistleblower.
Lots of people are deeply disturbed by Trump.
If she actually were blowing a whistle, it would be about one or more of the
evil deeds perpetrated by CIA, where she actually works. In that case, of
course, she could look forward to years of prosecutions and imprisonment, just
like other actual whistleblowers. In that case her lawyer wouldn't be near as
certain of this bullshit: "The law and policy supports protection of the
identity of the whistle-blower from disclosure and from retaliation. No
exceptions exist for any individual."
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
A Starting Guide to VIM from Textmate - dfischer
http://blog.danielfischer.com/2010/11/19/a-starting-guide-to-vim-from-textmate/
======
zkirill
My favorite VIM color scheme. [http://dengmao.wordpress.com/2007/01/22/vim-
color-scheme-wom...](http://dengmao.wordpress.com/2007/01/22/vim-color-scheme-
wombat/)
With Monaco 13 typeface it's bliss.
~~~
pyre
Colorschemes that use italics are hit-or-miss for me. Sometimes I prefer to
use Terminus which doesn't have an italic typeface, but vim will try and
emulate one horribly. (Or when using DejaVu Sans Mono at 9pt (?) because the
lowercase 'd' has it's tall part cut off when in italics causing it to look
like an 'a')
------
devdas
The snipmate plugin at <http://www.vim.org/scripts/script.php?script_id=2540>
may be useful for other textmate users. As a non Textmate user (I use vim), I
have no idea of how well it would map to their Textmate experience.
------
bphogan
I used to use VIm for years before I got my mac, and I've been moving back to
it recently.
One thing I'm surprised nobody ever mentions is the ! command.
If I'm working on a file and I want to, say, commit my work, I can do
:!git commit -a -m "committing my changes"
I used to do this a lot when working with Oracle and Bash. It's much quicker
than opening another terminal for one-off commands.
~~~
matwood
You can always use fugitive which wraps many git commands into vim plugin:
<http://www.vim.org/scripts/script.php?script_id=2975>
~~~
bphogan
Yes, that's really great too... I was just looking for an example that many
people could relate to. :)
------
powdahound
I think the the Command-T plugin for vim is one of the most helpful things
when switching from TextMate: <https://wincent.com/products/command-t>
~~~
dfischer
Yes, I think I use this more than anything in my workflow.
------
sudonim
I used to get stuck in vim when logging in to linux servers. The key things to
know for any newbie...
:q
i
ESC
:w
After I learned those, I've really come to love Vim. I imagine I'd need to
learn about 50 more commands before I could be really well versed. What are
some other important things to know?
~~~
gurraman
I started writing the basic commands in a comment, but it got kind of long.
You'd best look at a reference.
<http://tnerual.eriogerg.free.fr/vimqrc.html>
<http://www.pixelbeat.org/vim.tips.html>
<http://www.rayninfo.co.uk/vimtips.html>
I'd start with looking at commands that allow you to quickly move around in
buffers first (/, f, t, w, e, b etc). Then start combining those with actions
(ct", dw etc). Then "timesavers" such as macros and built-in conveniences (q,
gqq, marks etc). The rest will come to you.
~~~
wyclif
Python and vim: Two great tastes that go together (slides):
[http://www.tummy.com/Community/Presentations/vimpython-20070...](http://www.tummy.com/Community/Presentations/vimpython-20070225/vim.html)
------
frb
Lately I've noticed that more and more TextMate users are switching (back) to
VIM. For years TextMate has been really popular, but now it looks as it's
losing more and more users.
Would be interesting to know why. What made you switch from TextMate to VIM?
~~~
lenni
I switched to Vim because to me it seems that TM2 is vapourware. I know Allan
is trying to get it right with his second go but he is _so_ coy about any sort
of details that I lost interest in it.
------
zenshade
One thing that can be a negative irritant for new users is how far the esc key
is and how often they have to reach for it. Vi wasn't designed that way. It
was designed for keyboards that had esc where the caps lock key is on modern
keyboards. One solution is to map caps lock to the esc key. Another solution,
the one I prefer, is to map ii instead. This can be done with the following in
the .vimrc file:
imap <silent> ii <Esc>:let &insermode=0<CR>
This doesn't work so well if you are frequently editing files on multiple
servers you can't edit the .vimrc file on. But for your local environment
it'll make going in and out of insert mode a lot more efficient.
I'm dead used to using ii now so I'm probably not going to switch, but others
have pointed out kk may be a better choice, due to greater distance between
keystrokes/mode. Indeed, about one in ten times I hit ii when I don't need to.
------
trafficlight
<http://vimcasts.org/> has some excellent howto videos on Vim.
~~~
spacemanaki
And he's writing a book on mastering Vim. "Vim’s documentation reads like a
dictionary; I propose to write a phrasebook."
------
spacemanaki
I'm being pedantic but, isn't it "Vim" not "VIM"? I seem to remember seeing
something like a usage suggestion on the site but can't find it. It just looks
silly to me, like when people write "LISP."
~~~
frb
Although I've seen people "Vim", "VIM" and "vim" I never really thought about
what the correct spelling is. Most times I went with "VIM" since I always
thought of it as acronym for "Vi IMproved".
But I think you're right with "Vim", since even on vim.org it's spelled like
that.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Ask HN: What is the best way to get an unavailable but unused twitter name? - Mark_F
I need to open several twitter accounts for several projects I'm working on but these accounts have already been registered however they are all inactive accounts without tweets or followers.<p>Is there anyway to get that twitter name that you want but that unfortunately somebody registered and never used?
======
telemachos
I believe that it's no longer possible to get names freed. I wrote Twitter
support recently about releasing a name that was created over two years ago
and used once to send a single nonsense tweet (twice in a row). It's never
been used since.
The support person was very clear and wrote back quickly to say, and I'm
paraphrasing, "We don't do that anymore." She added that they have some plan
to reap unused accounts maybe ever somehow, but it was very vague. Vague
enough that I'm not hopeful they will ever do it. (You will find a number of
discussions online about various methods that used to work for getting a dead
Twitter account released. It seems they got enough requests that it was more
work than it was worth. That's my guess, frankly.)
If you have luck somehow, please write back to say how. It's really a shame
since so so many names were taken and just lying there unused.
------
yungchin
Did you try direct-messaging the accounts? They might (by default) be
configured to email-notify the person who's registered them...
------
subpixel
Glad I did this when it was easy. Someone was using my site's name, I emailed
Twitter, 5mins later it was mine.
------
Mark_F
Thanks for the feedback. I will keep researching it and post my findings.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Development of the Nokia 3210, the cellphone that started the mobile revolution - smacktoward
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/the_next_20/2016/09/the_development_of_the_nokia_3210_the_cellphone_that_started_the_mobile.html
======
pawadu
From the article:
> “When you dropped these things, they didn’t break,” Nuovo says with pride.
> “They bounced.”
Interestingly, the very first Lumias produced by Microsoft (950 and 950XL)
have _significantly_ worse build quality compared to the last ones Nokia
manufactured (640 and 735). I guess some invaluable engineering experience was
lost when they closed down the Nokia Finland offices.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Summers Vindicated (again) - ivankirigin
http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2008/07/summers-vindica.html
======
helveticaman
I guess the "politically correct < correct" debacle is the one thing nowadays
future generations will look back on our time and say, "These people were
vehemently retarded about some things. [1]" This is the current case of
"emperor's new clothes". I for one prefer to have intellectual self-respect
and avert my gaze, _even though I'm Hispanic._ My IQ, as given by race, should
be around 93, and I still can't put up with this nonsense. I'd benefit if
every brain was suddenly standardized to match that of Anglo-Saxons, but that
doesn't mean I'm going to lie to myself. If I have to lie to myself, I'm going
to do it about bullshit that isn't quite so pungent.
The evidence in favor of cognitive differences across race and gender is
enormous; in fact, it couldn't reasonably expected to be any greater. Hundreds
of millions of standardized tests, tens of thousands of autopsies, brain
scans, hormonal testing, etc. They all align. Not only that, but it's plain
even to small children that not all humans were created equal. We're past the
point of an emperor's new clothes dilemma; at this point, the emperor is butt-
ass naked, trudging through snow, losing toes to frostbite, with big
billboards of closeups of his genitals all over the place. I don't publicly
call out the nakedness, but I'll at least avert my gaze.
[1] They'll say retarded because it will be the most appropriate term for
something that is slow and stupid, and because they won't be chastised for
saying it.
~~~
time_management
"The evidence in favor of cognitive differences across race and gender is
enormous".
That differences in realized cognitive ability exist is without dispute.
Evidence for a genetic basis for these differences is pretty much nonexistent.
The Flynn effect basically shreds the credibility of any argument from so-
called "g". Disadvantaged groups invariably score 10-20 points lower than the
dominant groups within societies, and when members of both emigrate to other
countries, the gap vanishes.
Frankly, I'm pretty sure that my barbaric, 7th-century European ancestors
would have tested very poorly on any IQ test.
~~~
helveticaman
The genetic basis is there. First, I suspect the Flynn effect is simply
natural selection in modern society; after all, if environment changes in the
Galapagos can change the shape of birds beaks in a few generations,
industrialization should make people better at desk jobs. And according to
Gregory Clark, this has happened to Anglo-Saxons between the 1300s and the
1800s. [1] The same appears to have happened to Ashkenazi Jews and East
Asians.[2] Keep in mind they, too, were once very disadvantaged in American
society, but there's no keeping them down; both groups are richer than whites
now, and had to contend with heavy discrimination on their way to riches. In
fact, because of the belief all races should be equally represented, Asian
students are heavily penalized in college admissions to make room for African
Americans and Hispanics. [3] Finally, I wouldn't go so far as saying
emigration eliminates gaps; emigrants aren't necessarily representative of a
group, as they're the ones who are ambitious or desperate enough to want to
leave. Mexican immigrants in the United States do not form an accurate cross-
section of Mexican culture. Nigerian immigrants in United States have the
highest rate of PhDs and Master degrees per capita [4], but that has a lot to
do with immigration policies. It's a lot easier to get into the States with a
Masters or a PhD, so there's selection at hand.
[1][http://www.econ.ucdavis.edu/faculty/gclark/papers/clark_evol...](http://www.econ.ucdavis.edu/faculty/gclark/papers/clark_evolution.pdf)
[2]<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashkenazi_intelligence>
[3][http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=1&url=h...](http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fopr.princeton.edu%2Ffaculty%2FTje%2FEspenshadeSSQPtII.pdf&ei=uziPSLHMJZSUeur3gKwH&usg=AFQjCNFM9ICtMOYFosbcEEFCncLmIX26UA&sig2=kHO7HZtc2qijBQqh6LaYlw)
[4][http://isteve.blogspot.com/2008/05/nigerians-are-most-
educat...](http://isteve.blogspot.com/2008/05/nigerians-are-most-educated-
nationality.html)
~~~
time_management
Why do you assume that the changes in the Galapagos occurred over "a few
generations"? My understanding was that the separation occurred thousands of
years ago.
If industrialization has been driving human evolution, it has probably not
been in a positive direction. Fertility and IQ are negatively correlated in
contemporary industrialized societies, so if anything, this would propel the
opposite of the Flynn effect. The dark comedy Idiocracy is essentially about
this.
~~~
helveticaman
The separation indeed occurred long ago, and the most dramatic evolutionary
changes happened then. But the populations on the Galapagos continue to make
observable evolutionary changes because of weather conditions.
[http://www.nwf.org/nationalwildlife/article.cfm?issueID=115&...](http://www.nwf.org/nationalwildlife/article.cfm?issueID=115&articleID=1472):
"Recently, the Grants witnessed another form of natural selection acting on
the medium ground finch: competition from bigger, stronger cousins. In 1982, a
third finch, the large ground finch, came to live on Daphne Major. The stout
bills of these birds resemble the business end of a crescent wrench. Their
arrival was the first such colonization recorded on the Galápagos in nearly a
century of scientific observation. 'We realized,' Peter Grant says, 'we had a
very unusual and potentially important event to follow.' For 20 years, the
large ground finch coexisted with the medium ground finch, which shared the
supply of large seeds with its bigger-billed relative. Then, in 2002 and 2003,
another drought struck. None of the birds nested that year, and many died out.
Medium ground finches with large bills, crowded out of feeding areas by the
more powerful large ground finches, were hit particularly hard.
When wetter weather returned in 2004, and the finches nested again, the new
generation of the medium ground finch was dominated by smaller birds with
smaller bills, able to survive on smaller seeds. This situation, says Peter
Grant, marked the first time that biologists have been able to follow the
complete process of an evolutionary change due to competition between species
and the strongest response to natural selection that he had seen in 33 years
of tracking Galápagos finches."
I'm also aware of the negative correlation between IQ and Fertility; however,
this is not without explanation. IQ correlates with k-strategy (bigger
investments in fewer children that are slow to develop), and k-strategy
correlates with having few children. [1] R-strategists have lower IQs and
higher fertility rates. In the society outlined by Gregory Clark in his paper,
wealth correlated with reproductive success. Right now, we live in an
anomalous situation where food is not a limiting factor. But this is coming to
an end; food prices have increased dramatically in recent years, with no sign
of falling any time soon. This phenomenon is not new, and illustrates the
possible advantages of r-selection.
From Clark's article: "The strength of the selection process through survival
of the richest also seems to have varied depending on the circumstances of
settled agrarian societies. Thus in the frontier conditions of New France
(Quebec) in the seventeenth century where land was abundant, population
densities low, and wages extremely high the group that reproduced most
successfully was the poorest and the most illiterate."
[http://www.econ.ucdavis.edu/faculty/gclark/papers/Capitalism...](http://www.econ.ucdavis.edu/faculty/gclark/papers/Capitalism%20Genes.pdf)
[1] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K-selection>
------
mynameishere
Men fall to the extremes of every pursuit. Even dressmaking, cooking, and
interior design. Both testosterone and a greater likelihood of psychosis would
account for this.
------
DaniFong
The article mentions 'Note that we are assuming that mathematical ability is
normally distributed - we know the data fit this distribution around the mean
but we don't know much about what happens at the very top.'
Which is precisely the thing being talked about. Why is this being voted up?
The post isn't a relevant part of the discussion, and has little to no bearing
on the articles it links to...
------
dissenter
Generations from now our scholars will be lumped in the same category as
alchemists and geocentrists---much to their discredit.
~~~
william42
Don't you mean "our media"?
~~~
ivankirigin
Larry Summers was effectively forced to step down by a large body of highly
educated academics at Harvard that reacted emotionally to statistically
accurate statements. The media didn't help though.
~~~
jacobolus
That is nonsense. Summers was forced to step down because he picked fights (on
hiring/firing/promotions, spending priorities, the balance of power between
different parts of the university, etc.) with the majority of the faculty, and
forced out some wonderful and very popular members of the community. He tried
to run the university like a CEO would run a corporation, and learned that a
faculty made up of many of the the top scholars in every field isn’t easily
pushed around. The public gaffes were just the icing on the cake.
Also, in being “forced to step down”, he was given a University Professorship:
not the roughest of deals, to be sure.
~~~
byrneseyeview
Are you referring to Cornell West? My impression was that Cornell West was not
bothering to show up for class and grade papers, and that Summers asked him to
do the job he'd been hired to do. I guess that could make someone unpopular.
~~~
jacobolus
No, I’m not. However, “not bothering to show up for class and grade papers” is
grossly inaccurate. Here’s a link to West’s radio interview with Tavis Smiley
at the time:
[http://www.npr.org/programs/tavis/features/2002/jan/020107.w...](http://www.npr.org/programs/tavis/features/2002/jan/020107.west.html)
~~~
byrneseyeview
"In 2000 economist and former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers became
president of Harvard. In a private meeting with West, Summers allegedly
rebuked West for neglecting his scholarship, and spending too much time on his
economically profitable projects.[5] Summers allegedly suggested that West
produce an academic book befitting his professorial position. West had written
several books, some of them widely cited, but his recent output consisted
primarily of co-written and edited volumes. According to some reports, Summers
also objected to West's production of a CD, the critically panned Sketches of
My Culture, and to his political campaigning."
And
"In October, he had the temerity to meet with Cornel West and suggest that he
turn his hand to some serious scholarship-West's most recent production was a
rap CD called Sketches of My Culture-and lead the way in fighting the scandal
of grade inflation at Harvard, where one of every two grades is an A or A-.
What an outrage! West went to sulk in his tent, announcing on the way that he
was applying for another year's leave of absence (he had just returned from
one) and letting it be known that he might just up and leave Harvard."
To whom were you referring?
_Edit: I accidentally misspelled the professor's name in my previous comment.
He is, of course, Cornel and not Cornell._
~~~
jacobolus
First: whoops, I edited my comment while you were replying. Second: Summers
was clearly in the wrong at the beginning of his spat with West, who was at
the time a University Professor (an extreme honor, which places a professor
outside any department, and accords him the ability to teach whatever he
likes); West’s outrage at Summers’ disrespect was predictable and easily
avoidable.
There were several resignations of much-loved deans, &c. in the last couple of
years of Summers’ presidency. Go read through the Crimson’s coverage of
Summers’ departure if you want a reasonable semi-outsider’s (students aren’t
party to internal faculty disputes) look.
Edit: that National Review article you quote is garbage: _“The unpalatable
truth is that Afro-American Studies is a pseudo-discipline—an academic ghetto
constructed to accommodate the beneficiaries of ‘affirmative action’—and that
the celebrated occupants of Harvard's department are second-class scholars
with first-class salaries and perquisites.”_
~~~
byrneseyeview
What was summer wrong about? West was an embarrassment -- too busy writing a
bad rap album to publish any actual work? It's not like they have accounting
professors who are busy playing country music or death metal.
I hadn't heard about the other deans. I can understand Harvard professors
being huffy when someone tries to make them behave differently, but that
doesn't tell me it's wrong to ask -- it could be, but perhaps those professors
were too egotistical or cozy. Very hard to say.
Is the _National Review_ article factually incorrect? What parts of my life
have been improved by the diligent and industrious researchers of the world's
Afro-American Studies departments?
~~~
jacobolus
I don’t think we’ll get anywhere with this discussion—you have an existing
prejudice about those involved which causes you to toss around trivializing
sarcastic insults of Professor West (have you read any of his “actual” work?)
and Harvard professors in general (“huffy”, “egotistical”, “cozy”? “behave
differently?”).
And no, it’s not “factually incorrect”: it’s an opinion piece. It is, however,
garbage.
~~~
byrneseyeview
It's more of a post-judice. I notice that in disputes with Larry Summers,
Summers offers lots of data and the other side offers lots of emotion. I mean,
the Big Stink over Summers was when he mentioned a fact about the standard
deviations of test scores, and a professor in the audience swooned ("I
would've either blacked out or thrown up.")
So yes, I think referring to the emotional aspect is important, here. People
nail Summers for mentioning data they don't like -- which is probably why he
gave up on academia and government and moved closer to finance.
I would like to know what about the article is garbage. My request for ways in
which the legitimate field of Afro-American studies has improved my life still
stands. If you can't discern a single logical or factual error in the entire
_National Review_ article, but you persist in, er, trashing it, shouldn't I
just accept that you're reenacting the typical disagree-with-Larry pattern?
~~~
jacobolus
No, Summers was not canned because of his comments about women in science (at
least that was not the primary reason; it certainly didn’t help him out). That
was the whole point of this sub-thread. “People” didn’t nail Summers for
mentioning data: that is a straw-man mischaracterization of any serious part
of the dispute with Summers, even of the dispute about women in science.
Summers did not give up on academia: he holds a University Professorship and
teaches courses.
But more to the point, you are conflating three separate disputes, and trying
to change the subject as a way to dodge my questions. But again, this
discussion is going nowhere, and is therefore pointless.
As for the National Review article, it adds no substance, and makes no attempt
to engage with any of the discussion it supposedly disagrees with, and instead
makes a classic troll argument of empty epithets. It has no factual
inaccuracies, because it not arguing facts. (Note: it does not take factual
inaccuracies to make a stupid argument.) It is garbage, because the only
possible reactions to reading it are “Yeah, they’re right. Those liberals
_are_ just useless elitist leeches on society,” or else “No, they’re wrong.
Studying how society works is important,” neither of which is a worthwhile
reaction (e.g., “Hey! That article taught me something I didn’t already know,”
or “Wow! That article really clarified that concept I was having trouble
understanding.”).
------
time_management
The issue is one of variance, not mean. When social intelligence is included,
I think the average woman is probably smarter than the average man, but men
have more variance and are thus more prominent at the extremes.
I doubt that there is a strong genetic basis for this. It is probably due, in
large part, to the ways boys and girls are raised. Speaking very broadly, and
acknowledging the existence of counterexamples; boys are raised to be smart,
while girls are raised to be social and cooperative. This means that gifted
male children can more easily zip ahead in school, but that the stragglers
fall further behind in academic and social skills... and are more likely to
end up becoming criminals. A lot of girls feel guilty and insecure about being
"too smart" compared to their peers, which holds them back.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Start-ups: Here's The Difference Between a Product and a Feature - destraynor
http://blog.intercom.io/where-to-draw-the-line/
======
_pius
Great piece, but I feel like I've read it before.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Overload functions in Python - arpitbbhayani
https://arpitbhayani.me/blogs/function-overloading
======
nickserv
This is pretty neat, and shows off some relatively advanced features of the
language.
And while it's fine for a personal project or in a specific context, please
don't do this in a regular Python project, especially in a professional
setting. You'll just confuse new hires, slow down execution time, and make the
code more difficult to reason about and debug.
~~~
pwdisswordfish2
It's a funny thing:
Advocates of dynamic languages tend to claim that the flexibility they offer —
dynamic duck typing, dynamic dispatch, runtime reflection, eval — is a major
advantage.
And yet every time someone actually tries to meaningfully use those features,
they say ‘why would you do that, it's too confusing’ and tell people to stick
to writing code that's just as easily expressed in a statically-typed,
statically-dispatched, AOT-compiled language, while still paying the costs of
their environment supporting those features.
If you're going to write Python like C, why even bother?
~~~
missosoup
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
A large part of Python's popularity is due to the fact that there's a
reasonably well defined 'pythonic' way to do things, that everyone can learn
and then have a decent experience using and reading code produced by others.
You _can_ implement fancy operators, overloading, entire DSLs in Python; but
by doing so you break the pythonic contract and make your creation stand alone
with a separate learning curve. There are some valid reasons to do this,
especially for bespoke in-house tooling, but open source modules intended for
mass use have virtually no justification to deviate from the primitives which
the entire community is used to.
~~~
2T1Qka0rEiPr
> Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
I think this is very much true, but actually I disagree with you when it comes
to OSS. For example, Django makes heavy use of metaclasses in order to
simplify its API, and I think _that 's fine_, because no junior developer
realistically needs to contribute to such a project. They can work on a
project _which uses_ Django without needing to understand the internals.
Having said that, I was only introduced to SQLAlchemy a couple of years ago,
when already pretty competent at Python. Their filter syntax (ab)uses __eq__
to allow you to write expressions such as `MyModel.my_field == 'query'` which
return an expression which can be evaluated dynamically when applied to a SQL
query. I did a double take when first looking at this, assuming it at first to
be a typo. I then ended up digging into the internals of SQLAlchemy to find
out how it all fits together. The upshot was that I explored the SQLA API in
great detail. The downside is I spent a few hours doing it :D
------
skrause
The standard library has something similar:
[https://docs.python.org/3/library/functools.html#functools.s...](https://docs.python.org/3/library/functools.html#functools.singledispatch)
~~~
mlthoughts2018
Cython also has had a mechanism for this for a long time. In fact if you
wanted multiple dispatch in a new pure C program in 2020, just write it in
Cython with no use of the CPython API and have Cython generate the pure C
library for you.
[https://cython.readthedocs.io/en/latest/src/userguide/fusedt...](https://cython.readthedocs.io/en/latest/src/userguide/fusedtypes.html)
------
rusk
I thought a consensus had emerged that function overloading was a bad idea for
a while now? Even in strongly-typed languages, it pushes that extra bit of
cognitive load onto the human reader. It also complicates things for tooling.
In loosely typed languages it's hard to see the need. As somebody else
mentioned here, variable _args and_ _kwargs are the more_ pythonic* way to
address such concerns. If you want to have different behaviour for different
args you can do this explicitly.
I guess this article is a fun discussion and a nice comparison of language
features, maybe I'm taking it too seriously.
~~~
testuser66
On one hand - I agree, overloading isn't great. On the other hand having a
`def func(args, kwargs)` is a pain the ass for everyone involved (people &
IDEs): you have no idea what the args or kwargs could be without reading the
source.
If you can get away with just a bunch of named kwargs after the arguments that
is fine, but I'd take overloading over the `args, kwargs` garbage any day,
even if that is the more "pythonic" way.
~~~
rusk
I think the kwargs approach is fine for when you’re reading your code. When
you’re writing I think you’ll always have to consult the docs, or headers. In
a strongly typed language IDE can pick up the hint but in a more dynamic
language like python it can get confused.
~~~
testuser66
My bad - I meant this but didn't know how to format code so that is showed the
stars
def func(*args, **kwargs)
I am in full support of actual kwargs with names, it's the wildcard ones that
I don't like.
------
josh_fyi
Python has idiomatic ways of implementing something like overloading. \-
Default parameters, so variable numbers of arguments can be passed. \- Run-
time type identification. Though not generally recommended, you can use it for
slightly different implementations for different argument types.
------
mumblemumble
This is a neat article, and a nice dive into Python.
I think it also taught me, by prompting an immediate negative gut reaction to
the basic idea, about an opinion about language features that I didn't know I
had, let alone that I didn't know I had so strongly: I think that I officially
believe that function overloading should only be used for two reasons: First,
you can overload functions of the same arity to mimic dynamic typing in a
static language. A print function that takes many types of argument, for
example. Second, you can provide multiple arities to mimic optional arguments
in a language that doesn't have them.
But the example in the argument, where the overload is for providing two
different versions that do different things with their arguments, is not
something I'd want to see in real code. There's just too much opportunity for
confusion. For example, if I were familiar with `float area(int)` as a
function that calculates the area of a circle, and and then encountered
`area(int, int)`, I would guess that the return value is a float, and that the
two ints are now the lengths of the semi-major and semi-minor axes of an
ellipse.
And I'm having a hard time coming up with a better example for the article.
Perhaps because function overloading just isn't a desirable feature in a
language like Python.
~~~
cuchoi
I don't miss it a lot in Python except for some cases such as:
area(Circle circle):
...
area(Square square):
...
You could say "Ah! But that could be something that you define in each class,
like square.calculate_area()". Yes, but sometimes you don't have access to the
class. You could monkey-patch it but that's not something that I like to do.
~~~
mumblemumble
The Pythonic way to deal with that would be to just remember that Python is a
dynamic language:
def area(shape):
if isinstance(shape, Circle):
...
if isinstance(shape, Square):
...
Or, if you want better coverage from your type checker,
from typing import overload
@overload
def area(shape: Circle): ...
@overload
def area(shape: Square): ...
def area(shape):
if isinstance(shape, Circle):
...
if isinstance(shape, Square):
...
This still isn't real overloading. The last one is the one and only function.
All the other two bits do is tell the static type checker what kinds of
arguments it's prepared to support.
edit: Scratch that, I think what I'd really go for in a simpler case like this
would just be
def area(shape: Union[Circle, Square]):
...
~~~
closed
Python including functools.singledispatch I think is a strong indicator that
function overloading IS pythonic (or at least pythonic enough to core python
developers)
~~~
joshuamorton
I don't know that I've seen singledispatch used anywhere, and the standard
library includes a lot of unpythonic code (and entire modules).
As a simple example, the unittest module is entirely unpythonic.
Singledispatch was mostly included to handle specific cases where
singledispatch is very clearly useful (the PEP mentions pprint and copy), but
not as a generic tool for common end-user code.
------
bakery2k
The Wren scripting language supports this kind of "overloading by arity" [0].
Wren therefore allows overloads such as `range(stop)` and `range(start,
stop)`. This is more intuitive than Python's `range(start=0, stop)`, which
might be the only function in the language that has an optional parameter
_before_ a required one.
[0] [http://wren.io/method-calls.html](http://wren.io/method-calls.html)
~~~
mlonkibjuyhv
I could have sworn I have written range(1,stop) many times in Python. Did I
misunderstand your argument, or has my memory gone all sideways?
~~~
bakery2k
`range(stop)` and `range(1, stop)` are both supported, but without
overloading, the implementation of `range` is messy as it has to work out the
meaning of each argument manually.
~~~
skrebbel
Why is that a problem? I _want_ the standard library to contain all messy
stuff so my code doesn't have to.
From the call site there's no difference between Python's optional-first-
argument range() function and a hypothetical overloaded one. Any perceived
complexity in usage, therefore, can be fixed with better documentation.
~~~
bakery2k
`range` is an example. Lack of support for overloading makes it harder to
replicate its API in our own functions.
~~~
skrebbel
Ah right, totally misunderstood.
Yep, true. Overloading is nice.
------
techdragon
Its weird an article written about this _now_ , has no mention of
[https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0443/](https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0443/)
(skrause mentioned the standard library docs for this
[https://docs.python.org/3/library/functools.html#functools.s...](https://docs.python.org/3/library/functools.html#functools.singledispatch)
a few minutes ago
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22346433](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22346433)
)
It's especially weird to me, since single dispatch generic functions would do
quite a lot of what he shows in the article, without having to build it all
from scratch. I mean if you need more than what the standard library tools for
multiple dispatch will let you have, then sure build your own, but I
definitely echo nickserv's sentiments
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22346235](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22346235)
... This kind of hand rolled alternative to something in the standard library
is not something you should end up doing as a last resort, its usually more
trouble than it's worth. When you do need it, you should be documenting the
_hell_ out of not just what it does, but why you had to do it yourself.
Edit for general knowledge sharing reasons: I just noticed the nice update to
the built in functools.singledispatchmethod
([https://docs.python.org/3/library/functools.html#functools.s...](https://docs.python.org/3/library/functools.html#functools.singledispatchmethod))
that came with Python 3.7, it now supports registering arguments using type
annotations. I can already think of a few places where I could go back and
clean up some code by removing a bunch of now unnecessary code doing "if
isinstance(foo, str):" checks.
------
jupake
This is very clever. But function overloading is something out of static
language territory. It feels un-Pythonic and needlessly complicated.
Especially when compared to _args and_ *kwargs.
~~~
closed
It feels pythonic to me. One thing that I think brings perspective here is the
PEP on singledispatch, which is essentially on function overloading, and is
implemented in functools!
[https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0443/](https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0443/)
------
fredley
Got to the Namespace portion and couldn't help thinking "Namespaces are one
honking great idea—let's do more of those!"
------
keymone
meh.. that kind of code would be on a shortlist for refactoring at first
sight.
area(radius=1)
area(width=1, height=1)
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Tell HN: A realization about working for myself - trickjarrett
So I have been a web developer for a while, since college I would pick up contract jobs, making sites for customers etc. And though it brought in some nice side income, I was never really driven to do it. I didn't wake up thinking about my client's websites. Part of this was that they were usually simple projects, never really web apps, just simple websites or blogs.<p>With my recent project Shove.mobi, though it is just a week old, I realized something critical. This was something I wanted, for me, and that I hoped might be useful to others. But largely, I was building it for myself.<p>I used to think, based on the motivation and lack of drive for contract work, that I wasn't really cut out to be self-employed. But I realize now that I'm not cut out as a freelance web designer/developer. I want to develop apps that I come up with or that I am passionate about.<p>Has anyone else had this realization moment?
======
mgkimsal
I've had some of those moments, and then things change for me a bit. Been
self-employed for a number of years now, primarily doing freelance web app
development, but also some training, publishing, and a few other things.
There's not been one thing that has yet clicked as my lifelong passion, but
that's been OK. I didn't find things clicked when I was taking fulltime w2
gigs either, so it's not been much of a change in that respect.
Congrats on finding that moment for yourself - I hope it lasts for you :)
------
jscore
"I didn't wake up thinking about my client's websites."
No, but I wake up knowing that I have the freedom to wake up anytime I want,
be it 8am or 2pm.
~~~
staunch
What's even more fun is being so excited that you wake up early to work on
your own project.
~~~
hasenj
Really? I can never work on projects when I wake up, I don't know why, but I
need about an hour or two of other activities (such as watching youtube)
before my brain can get to work.
------
togasystems
I have been doing freelance work for about 4 -5 years now. I am coming to the
conclusion that I would like to work on a signal project/product without the
burden of reporting hours.
I hate having to always explain to someone what I did for the last 8 hours.
~~~
PonyGumbo
It's also a completely different experience to see something through beyond
launch, and refine it over the course of many years.
------
hasenj
I had a somewhat similar experience. Working on various projects for specific
clients isn't so exciting. Although I must admit I learned the most from it,
but I never felt that it's what I'm cut out to do.
I think the difference between working on an application vs doing a contract
work is having someone mandate to you what you have to do and when you have to
do it, vs deciding yourself what you want to work on.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Amnesty Int'l: Don't Call Female Genital Mutilation "Barbaric" - ishener
http://www.clarionproject.org/analysis/female-genital-mutilation-barbaric
======
redwood
It's not about censorship so much as what leads to real change on the ground
versus what leads to riled up westerners. If we want them to change we need to
lend them a hand. This is an especially complex issue... women become women in
these societies, by joining the other women, in this 'rite'. We need to
understand them, then help them.
~~~
adaml_623
This is indeed a really complex issue because everyone involved in this
practice believes it is the correct thing to do. And what's more 50% of the
people involved have had it done to them in the past.
To come out point blank and say this is barbaric is to tell 50% of these
people that they have been unnecessarily mutilated by their mothers and
grandmothers. And some of them will have done it to their daughters. It is
human nature that they would deny what you are saying rather than accepting
the part they have played and the harm that has been done them.
I and most westerners think this is barbaric but if you were trying to stop
people from doing this you might consider telling them that it's been
scientifically proven that it's unnecessary and could have a risk of
complications. And I imagine this is why Amnesty chooses their language the
way they do.
------
silentmars
Abusive. Barbaric. Evil. Wrong.
These are all words I feel confident in saying are accurate when applied to
coerced female genital mutilation. While I appreciate Amnesty International's
position - it's obviously impolitic to call someone these things while sitting
at the table having a dialog - it's inappropriate to sacrifice our own moral
clarity everywhere else.
~~~
illuminate
"it's inappropriate to sacrifice our own moral clarity everywhere else"
Sometimes pride interferes with the ability to do good.
------
logn
'Barbaric' stems from a group of people seeing foreigners at their state wall
and hearing them as speaking like 'ba ba ba baba baa ba' so they called them
barbarians. I can understand Amnesty wanting to avoid being linked with
calling people barbarians.
~~~
vmind
If you're going to use etymology as a reason to censor words, then I hope you
never use the word 'bad'.
~~~
logn
Interesting. Had to google it: <http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=bad>
'Bad' is a pretty fundamental word in our language not easily removed.
'Barbaric' is different. We also don't sling around 'gay', 'retard', and
'ching chong'.
~~~
omonra
We don't call Asian homosexual mentally-challenged 'retarded ching chong fag'
because
a) those qualities are something a person is born with b) they do not cause
grievous harm to others
Meanwhile certain actions (such as practice of FGM) are both done by choice
and cause harm to innocent victims. Which is why it is our right to call them
barbaric.
Is there _any_ human activity that you would not call barbaric - cannibalism?
Slavery?
~~~
logn
That's not quite the same thing. A better comparison would be calling FGM
'retarded'. A more apt comparison would be, say, that sex slavery is so
'gringo' (although gringo doesn't really have a negative definition so it's
not the best analogy).
Anyhow, I don't truly care one way or another. I'm just saying I see where
Amnesty is coming from. Generally I don't modify my language until there's a
group specifically offended. That might not even be the case here and I might
not mind offending FGM practitioners. But Amnesty is not trying to dehumanize
people, because doing so in general leads to worse treatment of people.
~~~
omonra
I think your mistake is to suppose that we use the adjective 'barbaric' to
somehow demean or dehumanize its practitioners. Ie - because they are
black/brown/muslim that we allow ourselves to use this language.
That's 100% wrong (and is well addressed in the OP). Barbaric refers to the
_act itself_. If Hungarians or Swedes decide to chop their girls' labia off, I
will call that barbaric. And if it offends someone - I don't give a flying
fuck. Just like we do not care if slave-owners are offended because we
consider their practice barbaric.
------
azundo
If there were a better balance of stories in the media then this would be much
less of an issue. In the west most of stories about the rest focus on the
"barbaric" aspects. FGM, despotic dictators, Islamic extremists. If there was
an equal representation of all of the kind, loving Muslims working for peace,
and all of the compassionate rural mothers and grandmothers that make up the
majority of Africans then people would be less sensitive on these issues. It's
not about judging individual practices, it's about our subconscious
application of those values to a much broader set of people than what is true
or just.
I don't think that censorship is the right word. But for every time you write
about FGM, find a story about an inspiring African grandmother and write about
that as well.
~~~
booruguru
> I don't think that censorship is the right word. But for every time you
> write about FGM, find a story about an inspiring African grandmother and
> write about that as well.
Oh, give me a break! Try writing posting that bullshit the next time someone
writes about American corruption.
FYI: I'm a bleeding-heart liberal.
------
russelluresti
The most poignant aspect of the article is when they talk about words sounding
judgemental. This was something that was stressed in my Sociology course - how
practices and beliefs of other cultures should be observed but not judged,
because those practices "work for them".
Like the author, I agree that this shouldn't be the case. There are specific
things groups like Amnesty International are trying to change - and if you're
trying to change those things then you've already passed judgement on them.
------
duaneb
"barbarian" is a highly pejorative term and should never be use outside of
demagoguery.
~~~
illuminate
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Jones_Barbarians> makes a compelling
argument that the Romans slurs on the "barbarians" were grounded in their lack
of Roman custom and not based on the qualities we associate with "savages".
------
withoutthis
"Female Body Retouching"
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Kotlin Multiplatform for Android and iOS - andraskindler
https://www.kotlindevelopment.com/kotlin-multiplatform-in-action/
======
oropolo
In essence, JetBrains has caught up to where Xamarin was prior to the
announcement of Xamarin.Forms: the ability from one solution to have separate
iOS and Android UI applications with a business logic library shared between
the two, all written in C# or F# (the two languages supported by the Mono
compiler). The main difference is that one of the vendors actually supports
the language in question (Kotlin) as a first-class citizen.
And going the other way, there's been noise for a couple years that Android
apps could be written in Swift, achieving the same effect in reverse.
~~~
the_trapper
> The main difference is that one of the vendors actually supports the
> language in question (Kotlin) as a first-class citizen.
How is this different for Xamarin? C# has first class support on Windows.
~~~
oropolo
Windows isn't a mobile platform. They tried 2.5 times and have given up. In
mobile it's iOS and Android, and neither Apple nor Google recognize C# as a
first-class language. If you can write a compiler that emits code that LLVM
can compile to ARM binary with Xcode or package your MSIL with a micro .NET VM
on Android, then more power to you but Apple and Google aren't going to help
you if you get stuck.
~~~
pjmlp
Windows tablets, laptops and 2-1 devices are quite mobile to me.
~~~
rad_gruchalski
Prerty difficult to find a good dash mount, no usb charging, bit bright at
night and having to plug in an external gps unit is fairly limiting though.
~~~
pjmlp
The car computer already takes care of that.
------
dglass
The thing that I still don't know about are how would things like data
persistence be handled in a cross platform manner?
I recently built a kotlin Android app for work, and our architecture is
tightly coupled to Android's Room database and LiveData objects. Obviously if
we build it to be cross platform we wouldn't be able to use a Room database or
LiveData objects on an iOS device. Would we have to roll our own persistence
layer in a cross platform application? Or would we share business logic but
still write a persistence layer using platform specific code?
It's not just persistence too. Any lower level API provided by the platform
would still need to be written twice, right? Accessing the camera, the devices
GPS location, or anything hardware related still needs an implementation for
both platforms. Or would we eventually see libraries that would abstract this
layer out, similar to react native?
Edit: Another thought...I haven't done much iOS development but the whole
async nature of Android apps with the UI thread and background threads also
seems like it would be a nightmare to deal with in a cross platform way. Does
iOS involve a lot of async threads?
~~~
vbezhenar
I'd suggest to use SQLite as a persistent storage. It's very fast, convenient
and cross-platform.
~~~
sidlls
Room/LiveData are abstractions over the persistent store but by default/in
practice they abstract over SQLite.
------
jaegerpicker
Looks great! My biggest concern and one of the reasons I'm not using Swift or
C++ for a cross platform library is that most of the dependencies you (at
least I need) need don't support those languages (Auth0, Firebase, Crashlytics
etc...). So you end up writing more complex code to make that also work. If
Kotlin native can bring those types of libraries to be supported it will be
huge IMO.
~~~
tlarkworthy
Some of the firebase apis have c++ implementations:
[https://firebase.google.com/docs/cpp/setup](https://firebase.google.com/docs/cpp/setup)
~~~
jaegerpicker
Yep just not the main one I need (FireStore)
------
hashrate
Seems like a gimmick to me.
In a nutshell this has the same limitation has Xamarin.
The Business Logic is shared , but the UI Logic and the Technical Logic aren't
shared or not completely.
The Xamarin community has been struggling with this issue for half a decade
and they ended up re-writting their own rendering engine[0] (similar to
Flutter) in C# on top of Xamarin to obtain truly MVVM Cross-Platform
Framework.
My point here is very simple , getting Kotlin to run on iOS is great, but it's
somewhat a waste of time because of how much time and effort it would talk to
create a Runtime or Rendering Engine to normalize UI/UX on differents
platforms.
[0][https://github.com/AvaloniaUI/Avalonia](https://github.com/AvaloniaUI/Avalonia)
~~~
aikah
The difference is that Kotlin has first class support on Android. Aside from
that I agree, Kotlin is obviously second class on iOS. IMHO for simple multi-
platform projects I'd use either plain webtechs or react-native. The impedance
mismatch between Kotlin and Swift/ObjC is going to be an hindrance no matter
what.
~~~
pjmlp
JavaScript is also an impedance mismatch.
~~~
aikah
> JavaScript is also an impedance mismatch.
Yet both Android and iOS allow embedding a Javascript engine in an native
application with no effort whatsoever.
~~~
pjmlp
I wouldn't call manually exporting Java methods to the WebWidget "no effort
whatsover", plus the performance hit of doing cross-language, inter-process
calls, in a dynamic language while the platform languages are static.
~~~
aikah
> I wouldn't call manually exporting Java methods to the WebWidget "no effort
> whatsover", plus the performance hit of doing cross-language, inter-process
> calls, in a dynamic language while the platform languages are static.
Well like it or not JS is first class on both platforms as they both have a JS
engine at the developer's disposal, Kotlin or C# aren't.
~~~
pjmlp
I don't know about iOS, but on Android it surely isn't first class, the
development experience is even worse than using the NDK.
If it was first class, there would be official Android APIs for JavaScript,
debugging support on Android Studio, project templates on Android Studio.
Instead it is a web widget with its own little island of HTML 5/CSS 3, hardly
first class.
The support is not much different than getting chromium and compiling it with
the NDK.
The only mobile platforms where JavaScript is first class, alongside the other
platform languages is on ChromeOS and UWP.
~~~
aikah
First class because there is no need to deploy your own JS engine on both
these platforms, you can argue all you want, both have a webview/js engine API
that are part of their respective SDK.
~~~
pjmlp
That is not what first class means.
A language is first class when the complete SDK stack tooling has support for
it.
IDE, debugger, docs, project templates, profiler, OS APIs.
~~~
aikah
> That is not what first class means.
That's not what first class means to you. You can't just make up the
definition you want just because it's convenient for your. First class means
it runs on the platform without any form of external or third party runtime.
~~~
pjmlp
The point is that you want JavaScript to be seen as first class no matter
what, because it fits the React Native story, even though it requires manually
written FFI for the platform APIs.
Hey, by your definition even web pages are first class on mobile devices, as
they don't require any form of external or third party runtime, maybe we can
even call them native apps!
If JavaScript doesn't require any form of external or third party runtime,
then why does React Native bundle JavaScriptCore?!?
[https://github.com/react-community/jsc-android-
buildscripts](https://github.com/react-community/jsc-android-buildscripts)
------
theWheez
So, so excited for this. I would love nothing more than to be able to create
Model and ViewModel code a domain specific cross platform SDK, and have a View
implementation on a platform by platform basis for android, iOS, and web.
Possible? I sure hope so!
------
jaxondu
What is needed for more adoption is Kotlin SDK for Firebase & AWS.
------
masterp
Looks promising!
~~~
andraskindler
Yup! Still not production-ready, but we're getting there.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Ask Hackaday: How Did They Shoot Down a Stealth Aircraft? - pant
https://hackaday.com/2014/08/15/ask-hackaday-how-did-they-shoot-down-a-stealth-aircraft/
======
Choronzon
Because ancient radars in the VHF frequency light up stealth aircraft. Hell
even wikipedia mentions this.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-18_radar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-18_radar)
Increase the wavelength and triangulate with multiple P-18s and you have a
very visible nice slow moving target.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
What things didn't you know you needed but are now very glad you have? - cshekhar
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/203286/what-things-didnt-you-know-you-needed-but-are-now-very-glad-you-have/203398#203398
======
ColinWright
Is there a reason you've lunk to a comment in the middle, rather than to the
question itself?
~~~
cshekhar
No, It was by mistake
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Why You Should Always Use === and Other Bad Practices - adamnemecek
http://fifod.com/why-you-should-always-use-and-other-bad-practices/
======
JelteF
This illustrates way better what is wrong with that piece of code:
[http://stackoverflow.com/a/500531/2570866](http://stackoverflow.com/a/500531/2570866)
The speed shouldn't be the issue. If it is, please start using a library like
Lo-Dash [1], a faster version of Underscore.js. Actually, please just do that
in general so you won't make mistakes like this.
[1] [http://lodash.com/](http://lodash.com/)
------
jpatokal
I'd draw an entirely different lesson from this -- namely, killing time by
doing "100 other minor cleanup changes to a bunch of different files" on a
40,000 LOC legacy production system that (apparently?) has no tests sounds
like a Really Bad Idea(tm). Don't mess with code you don't understand if you
don't have even the basic safety net of decent unit tests in place.
------
goldenkey
I am scratching my head at how someone can write a blog post correcting code
and leaving such egregious code as a revision. The last snippet of code is
still busted and very cringeworthy
The proper way to do alternate behavior for the first iteration, would be
this... It's O(n) versus the authors O(2n)
if(attributeArray instanceof Array) {
if (attributeArray.length >= 1){
// do something with attributeArray[0]
for (var i = 1; i < attributeArray.length; ++i)
// do something different with attributeArray[index]
}
}
~~~
inglor
Not to mention the anti pattern of doing this in the first place.
When manipulating collections - you almost always want .map .filter .reduce
.some .all or a variation of thereof and not a plain old for loop for this
sort of thing, doing this a million or a billion times a second theoretically
shouldn't matter. (explained in :
[http://stackoverflow.com/a/17253577/1348195](http://stackoverflow.com/a/17253577/1348195))
Also, checking for instanceof Array is a JS anti pattern to begin with and
makes code a lot less generic.
~~~
goldenkey
I agree that the Array methods are extremely useful other than their ugly
performance-sacrificing function scope. In this case though, when you need
alternate behavior for the first index, it is much clearer to read a standard
for loop with some precursor code behind it, than to read a forEach loop with
an if-else.
~~~
inglor
Really? You find the above loop more readable than:
if(array.length > 0) doFunction(array[0]);
array.slice(1).forEach(doOtherFunction);
~~~
goldenkey
You're kind of cheating because you're using slice which will create a copy of
the Array, and that's not cheap if the array is large.
~~~
inglor
People use arrays for things like queues and stacks all the time in JavaScript
- they're _much_ slower than hand rolled collection (eg.
[http://jsperf.com/deque-vs-array-2](http://jsperf.com/deque-vs-array-2) ) -
why not micro optimize that as well?
If you have a very large array of course optimization can/should be considered
but that's simply not the average case.
~~~
goldenkey
I actually like the slice code for it's ease of readability. Functional
methods are extremely nice and I hope they get faster and faster with the
optimization of JS JITs.
I never heard of Dequeue [1], that is mighty cool. I agree that premature
optimization is not good - but when it can be done cleanly without hurt to the
readability of the code, I'd say to keep it in ones' repertoire, to
effectively write more performant code, more often, on average.
[1]
[http://code.stephenmorley.org/javascript/queues/](http://code.stephenmorley.org/javascript/queues/)
------
dcherman
That code snippet is also using a faulty technique for identifying an Array.
Although it will work for the majority of cases, if you're using an array from
a different iframe, the instanceof check will fail since the Array
constructors are not the same.
You should be using Array.isArray ( ES5 compatible browsers ), or
Object.prototype.toString.call( obj ) === '[object Array].
Lodash, Underscore, and jQuery all provide utility methods to do that
comparison for you.
~~~
inglor
Should probably do `.length` to detect it's iterable and not do a type check
since that's an anti pattern anyway.
~~~
underwater
That would happily accept and iterate over a string, which wouldn't be
desirable.
------
727374
Also, putting 'var' in a loop header is debatable because it gives the false
impression that the variable "i"'s scope is confined to the for loop, when in
reality it will be alive throughout the containing function. JSLint would
bark.
~~~
xiaoma
I don't think it gives that impression at all.
In JavaScript the rules for scope are clear—it's lexical scoping nested at the
function level. Loops, conditionals, etc... have no bearing on scope.
------
al2o3cr
Better title: "Why Javascript's for/in loop is more useless than a sack of
busted assholes".
~~~
inglor
Also, Object.keys is much nicer and doesn't have a lot of the same issues.
------
shawnz
The only problem here was that a for/in loop was being used. Iterating the
array, rather than its properties, was clearly what was actually wanted.
However, the author uses the opportunity to take a strong stance in favour of
always using strict equals, even though it was never a bug here anyway. As far
as I can see, the only argument this article produces against double equals is
that overzealous developers might accidentally break your code trying to be
proactive.
Strict equals is something I only use when necessary in javascript. Despite
the "taboo" surrounding double equals, I rarely face situations where its use
adds brittleness to the code. Is there some horrible danger that I am just not
seeing?
~~~
magicalist
Well in this case, the original author was relying on '0' == 0 for their code
to work. Even if you were dead set against using strict equality (which is
silly, but whatever), the code is still disingenuous and should have tested
index == '0' to make its intent clear. There's no other value that they could
have being relying on it to coerce without some other very nasty things going
on.
> _overzealous developers might accidentally break your code trying to be
> proactive_
It's not just people changing your code, it's people trying to read your code
(including you, months later).
------
inglor
That's stupid, the reason you should not use `for... in` isn't because it's
slow, it's because it's reflective.
It's using reflection over object keys to iterate an array. This just happens
to work because JavaScript arrays are also objects.
`myArr.forEach(function(el){ // do things here });`
Is perfectly fine.
~~~
inglor
Also,
[http://stackoverflow.com/a/17253577/1348195](http://stackoverflow.com/a/17253577/1348195)
------
ndesaulniers
I'd recommend putting comments around code that appears like it may be wrong,
or just avoiding such code as proposed. For instance, if I must do assignment
within a conditional, I would at least put a comment the line before saying
that assignment was intentional. But it's worth writing the assignment on its
own line for clarity.
------
joshguthrie
Why you should not use "should" or any other imperative in your HN
contributions if you don't want to be downvoted to hell and back.
------
AeroNotix
garbage in, garbage out.
~~~
goldenkey
JCVM sure has some issues (Javascript Coder Virtual Machine)
------
himal
Is it me or the title seems to suggest the use of '===' considered as a bad
practice ?
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Researchers Say They Caught an iPhone Zero-Day Hack in the Wild - wslh
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/pken5n/iphone-email-zero-day-hack-in-the-wild
======
valuearb
All evidence says no they didn’t.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
Inside America's Plan to Kill Online Privacy Rights Everywhere - eplanit
http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/11/20/exclusive_inside_americas_plan_to_kill_online_privacy_rights_everywhere
======
na85
UN negotiations will predictably go nowhere, since the US maintains a
permanent seat on the UNSC with veto power. Any "solution" that relies in
whole or in part on the US will fail. The US is not a force for good as it may
once have been characterized.
I predict in the future we'll see each individual nation lay their own fiber
lines and establish IXPs. At the very least it will protect the privacy of
internal communications.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
PHP: why GOTO instead of recursion? - napolux
https://github.com/igorw/retry/issues/3
======
Guvante
So the short version is "PHP doesn't perform optimizations so I had to
manually include them".
~~~
kstrauser
That whole thread made me cringe. Yes, it's a clever microoptimization, but he
never mentions whether a profiler showed it to actually be beneficial. That
might save 5 cycles out of a billion, for instance, at the cost of making the
code "weird".
Don't try to out-clever the compiler. You might be able to do it, but there's
no guarantee that tomorrow's compiler update won't be smarter than your
today's workaround, leaving you with code that is both "weird" and slow.
~~~
Crito
> _" there's no guarantee that tomorrow's compiler update won't be smarter
> than your today's workaround, leaving you with code that is both "weird" and
> slow."_
Yeah, there is no _guarantee_ , but let's be realistic here. That bug for
PHP's incorrect parsing of octal integer literals has been unfixed for what, a
_decade_ now?
~~~
kstrauser
Point taken.
------
realusername
I knew that the php interpreter was not very clever but the most surprising
part is this one :
There is actually a difference between "while (true)" and "while (\true)", and
it's not even capable to optimize this as a standard JMP. I can't believe that
really simple things like this are still not optimized in the interpreter.
~~~
psuter
From the reply: "This requires doing a namespace lookup against igorw\true".
It has been a long time since I last wrote PHP code, but is it possible to
dynamically redefine the value of `true`? That would (partially) explain why
you can't statically evaluate it to `\true`.
~~~
jbrooksuk
I've never tried, but this ([http://us2.php.net/manual/en/function.runkit-
constant-redefi...](http://us2.php.net/manual/en/function.runkit-constant-
redefine.php)) seems relevant.
~~~
richardwhiuk
So if you redefine true to false:
runkit_constant_redefine("true", false) == false in success and failure (as
success results in true, which equals false now).
------
martin_
To add context, igorw is a contributor on php-internals has committed multiple
patches/improvements[1] to php-src as recent as PHP 5.6
Great explanation!
[https://github.com/php/php-
src/commits?author=igorw](https://github.com/php/php-src/commits?author=igorw)
------
excitom
It seems to me that if you're this worried about performance you should be
looking at something like HipHop.
------
peterwwillis
Longest explanation of "function calls [and loops] are expensive" ever. Also
the best example of why over-optimization is a completely valid thing to do if
you're bored and have a debugger handy.
~~~
masklinn
The explanation is mostly "Zend's bytecode compiler is retarded and can't do
trivial optimisations so you have to handroll them".
------
seccess
In my experience, PHP can have really unexpected runtime performance. This
site has some interesting benchmarks highlighting this:
[http://www.phpbench.com/](http://www.phpbench.com/)
I'd like to hear of any other PHP performance gotchas people know of. One of
my favorites: passing function arguments by value is faster than passing by
reference.
------
powera
The real question is: if you care _that much_ about performance, why would you
use the un-optimized PHP runtime?
~~~
thathonkey
Sometimes people optimize for fun, out of sheer curiosity, or some combination
of things like that. Not everything we do as programmers has to be for some
solely practical purpose. Having some fun with opcode optimization is
certainly permissible and if you program a lot in PHP, learning how things
work under the hood will make you a better PHP programmer in general.
------
krazydad
I like including a few GOTOs just to piss off the Dijkstra acolytes, one of
whom is quite vocal in the thread.
~~~
jtc331
Since I see you're referencing my posts in that thread, you'll notice that I
also point out that I understand that GOTO is not always bad, and, in fact,
have used it before in production code.
------
Piskvorrr
Very...clever[1].
[http://www.catb.org/jargon/html/K/kluge.html](http://www.catb.org/jargon/html/K/kluge.html)
------
wyager
If you need to use GOTOs in your code for speed and you're not coding in C,
you should probably find a faster platform.
~~~
quotemstr
Not all useful control flow graphs can be described with while and if. It's
perfectly fine to use goto. Look at some of the contortions people need to go
through when avoiding it. Avoiding goto often makes programs harder to follow.
Why is it inexperienced programmers go through a phase where they think goto
is evil incarnate? I wish Dijkstra had never written that damn paper.
~~~
wyager
>Not all useful control flow graphs can be described with while and if.
They can be described with if, while, for, case, pattern matching, recursion,
etc. There is almost always a better alternative.
>Why is it inexperienced programmers go through a phase where they think goto
is evil incarnate?
It seems to me that most people who support general usage of GOTO are
inexperienced and don't necessarily realize it. They lack knowledge of better
control structures. See the blub paradox.
Besides, the justification here is performance, not readability. I'm saying
that performance in particular is a bad justification for using GOTO.
------
justincormack
Languages without tail recursion elimination are very annoying. Looking at you
JavaScript.
~~~
phkahler
>> Languages without tail recursion elimination are very annoying. Looking at
you JavaScript.
Programmers who use tail recursion instead of a loop are very annoying.
Looking at you justincormack ;-)
Seriously, when I first saw recursion explained using the fibonacci sequence I
was really scratching my head. I wondered why anyone would do that. Now that
I'm older and wiser, I can see that it's natural to a mathematician. Why
anyone who claims to be a programmer or compsci person would do it is beyond
me. I suppose it's a simple example, but I'm a fan of introducing concepts
with examples that really _want_ the technique in question as a solution.
~~~
emodendroket
How about a depth-first search, then?
~~~
crimsonalucard
That's not tail recursion! It's tree recursion.
~~~
emodendroket
Well, good point, but so is the naive implementation of Fibonacci, isn't it?
------
Hawkee
Great read, but I think it's a few years too late. When you compare how PHP is
trending against languages like Python it's following a similar path as perl,
[https://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=php%2C%20javascript%...](https://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=php%2C%20javascript%2C%20python%2C%20perl&cmpt=q)
\- I'm surprised JavaScript isn't having much of an upturn lately.
~~~
goshx
On a side note, Monty Python (or the snake) are not programming languages.
Check the "Related searches" section at the bottom and click "Python".
~~~
Hawkee
Silly me. I forget that not everybody lives in the world of development.
Considering this it seems every language is experiencing a downturn. To me
this looks more like a fault in Google's trend calculation. Maybe it doesn't
consider search inflation from year to year.
| {
"pile_set_name": "HackerNews"
} |
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