CKKim

Because computers and software work by linking together components often without sufficient communication between the pieces to easily centralise operation.

Thanks, this was a good recommendation - I did enjoy Telepath a lot more!

I've recently been thinking about the motives for people writing these kinds of articles. A year ago I would have found this a weird question because when the actions of blogging and sharing are so culturally ingrained it's very difficult to step outside and ask "Why?". Now I find it instructive to do so. Sincerely and unrhetorically: "Why did you write this?"

My belief at the moment is that such articles are validation-seeking. The writer draws strength from committing their plans to a socially-viewable document and subjecting it to discussion. Most of the likely responses to posting the piece online (including no responses) can, with a little squinting, be interpreted as positive reinforcement for the individual's system, hence the incentive to share.

I don't really like the way this is written. It seems akin to calling the cellphone "dead" because we now have smartphones which do so much more than just make calls.

I googled this and, wouldn't you know, a thread on HN came up! http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4110445

> The languages of other creatures seem to be context free, or just regular expressions of the type "if your hear sound X replace that with concept or behavior Y".

I find this interesting but I'm not sure I fully understand. Could you give an example? (Hypothetical is fine!)

My feedback, for what it's worth, is that I clicked "try it out" and got 2 minutes into the white dot test before closing the tab. I really didn't feel engaged with it and even missed one of them because my eyes were wandering around the room thinking about other things. I suppose this is exactly the kind of thing that the tests can pick up, controlled for the various variables, but not if it's so tedious that I don't even finish the test. I'd be interested if you have the data on when people are closing tabs and to what extent I am an outlier. I felt like I was being patient lasting two (out of three) minutes, but perhaps I'm unusually low-attention spanned in this kind of task.

Ah! Of course! Thanks!

Haha, completely agree with this sentiment. By far the most attractive thing about this for me is being able to check my phone and immediately assuage that "Oh shoot! Did I lock the front door?" feeling.

It's something I've been thinking about a solution to for a while. One of these days I'll get around to making a key cover with a simple mechanical display of which direction the key was last rotated. Cool idea, right?

I only noticed that once people here pointed it out, and I'm somewhat baffled. Can someone explain? My thought would be that something in the attack happened to trigger the "open CD tray" operation in the computer, but then why would the CD jump out? Is it possible that the microwave sent the motor into overdrive? I'd love to hear possible technical explanations for this.

Thanks for that, I get it better now. Writing with this isn't something that interests me personally, but I hope it is funded because I reckon watching other people do it in a "spectator" mode would be pretty entertaining!

I just watched the video. It shows a few people typing with each other online (in this case working together on a collaborative story), a picture being dropped down near the end, and then it being posted to Facebook.

I understand that the product is the software that allows them to do this but it's not clear to me what unique features are being offered that make it superior to the IM programs and forums people have already been writing collaboratively on for years. What am I missing?

Ah, got it. Thanks, that was a really clear explanation.

I think it's been posted to promote the startup.

I don't understand this comment, but I would like to. Could you elaborate, please?

I had read about Lovelace in Doron Swade's works on Babbage, and for a long time was "that guy" who would come into CS love-ins and attempt to correct what I believed at the time were gross exaggerations of her contributions to the field. Eventually I learned to keep my mouth shut since it was usually met with hostility, and more importantly I'm not arrogant enough to think that what I had read by one author is going to be right.

The summary of Lovelace in the OP brought this back to mind as it is exactly what my stance had been when I'd ditched it for the more conservative "well I guess I don't really know". I never looked into it again until now. Does anyone have a recommendation for a balanced modern summary of her contribution?

I believe most of what I had read by Swade was written before she was as popular in the CS community as she now is, and when I raised his points in discussion I was usually told he was widely regarded to hold a grudge against her for some reason no-one really understood.

I agree and encourage anyone who has ummed and ahhed about viewing lectures online to check these out to see just how accessibly and watchably it's being done. e.g. Clear video with good audio and auto-page-turned lecture notes on the right.

Back in my day (2008) we had nothing like this, and that was at a top 5 UK Math(s) University.

> What purpose does account suspension serve?

I'm usually tempted by this kind of thing but value my account too much to chance it. I think there are many wishy washys like me who could use another account/console to do piracy properly but aren't really into it at that level, just opportunistic if it's there and easy to do. A small penalty like banning is all that's really needed to deter us.

Having read those, I'm pretty much on your side about the karma, but in each of the downvoted ones I can pick out a thing that definitely rubs people up the wrong way and can lead to downvotes if they already disagree with the content of the post.

Firstly you begin with "No.", which many many folks on here find rude and arrogant, and I'm basically with them - plus I've read so many ranty unreasonable posts beginning with "No." that it begins to hoist a red flag - then you misspell "keyboard". Those kinds of things tip people over from "disagree" to "downvote".

Second, "Do not ever bring PSD to me. Ever." - who are you talking to? Yes, I think we get it, but you must understand how rude it sounds. In this case I am sure that had you replied to the (sincere) follow up question then you'd have got some correcting upvotes. You didn't, so it looks like you're just ranting.

Thirdly, typos: "something what", "get's". You don't get downvoted for typos, but when you're saying something like you were in that post you need to do so with authority. If you undermine that then it recontextualises the post and makes it seem like you're bullshitting.

The problem that they all have though is TONE. You sound aggressive.

A service which makes detailed and complete digital records of everything you have, then disposes of the physical originals.

Dystopian version: It's done by a lot of hazmat-suited folks, possibly robots, and you and your family are included in "everything you have".

Thanks very much for posting this. From the second paragraph of the Discover article I was thinking "this reminds me so much of something I read years ago...what the devil was it?". Turns out it was not years ago, but just last February (I thought time was supposed to speed up as you get older?). It's a fairly safe bet that NPR article was linked on here and that's how I came across it, too.

"But we got 10 canned answers that told us nothing we already knew."

What do you mean?

I cannot see how this is a reply to edw519's comment. Perhaps you could clarify.

That's interesting. This might be the first time I've seen someone specifically choose not to link something because they find it objectionable but point out their decision in this way. I'm not sure how to react. I want to ask you to post it anyway, but that seems disrespectful given you've stated your choice so clearly. At the same time, I'm trying to disassemble the reasoning behind your decision to comment (vs not commenting at all).

Anyone care to link to some of these "PLT-related Twitter novelty accounts"? This is the first I've heard of them and it sounds entertaining.

Also, what's all this about Yan Yan sauce?

I've given both a quick google and it appears I'm better off asking here.

I've been downvoted, so could someone set me straight on the etiquette for pointing out errors here please?

The original article gives only a Twitter account for contact info, the submitter of this HN post is the same as the author of the original piece, and my comment above is 251 characters.

Interesting!

This link has some rather entertaining pictures too:

http://www.thegatesnotes.com/Topics/Development/Reinvent-the...

Hi Josh, interesting read. I noticed the following typos:

"Great software masks it’s complexity"

"Package it such that it shows off it’s craftsmanship"

"I don’t expect it to even last beyond it’s last drop"

"Its like an infant child in that regard"

I thought this when I first read the article a few hours ago and decided to wait to see if anyone else posted (they haven't, so I may be wildly off with this) but "You must be entrepreneurial" sticks out to me as a mostly redundant combination of the preceding points. I wonder if the piece would be better or worse if that paragraph were replaced with a shorter one titled "Run Your Own Business" (IMO that would be even more out of place, but make the point more clearly), or simply removed altogether.

Taking on board what people have commented in this thread, I think it ought to be replaced with "insert your passion here". He has chosen entrepreneurship because that's his thing, but it seems to me idiosyncratic.

I often find myself thinking similarly when such articles are posted, but I remind myself that "Hacker News" used to be "Startup News" and the change in name doesn't represent a change in subject.