Hacker News Reader

I think it's been around for a couple of decades:

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

MurkyPaston Why don't gazzilionaires start their own countries?

Wait, you lived in/on Sealand? I'd love to know how you ended up living there.

MurkyPaston Help Us Find a New MIT Media Lab Director

Sounds like James Cameron to me.

MurkyPaston Google Bowls a Googly - Possible invalidation of Oracle's patents

No:

(in america => does not know cricket) <=> (knows cricket => not in america)

MurkyPaston Users with highest karma avg

People with high average karma aren't the kind of people who will reply to this :) That's not how you get high average karma.

MurkyPaston Ask HN: Which prog. language(Perl, PHP, Python, Ruby) should i learn?

One of Python/Ruby. Just flip a coin and get started.

http://diveintopython.org/toc/index.html or http://www.ruby-lang.org/en/documentation/quickstart/

"what each language is specifically used for when developing"

They're used for all kinds of things. Not worth worrying about IMO.

MurkyPaston Ask HN: Presenting or explaining past illness in a job application

Many of the jobs I will be applying for are in Europe, and as an EU citizen the insurance isn't an issue. But I am also applying to several in the US, so this is all quite helpful.

MurkyPaston Ask HN: Presenting or explaining past illness in a job application

Well, it's very reassuring to hear this from two of the Hacker News Illuminati.

MurkyPaston Ask HN: Presenting or explaining past illness in a job application

Don't read too much into my name!

I don't think anyone will consider me unreliable, but for someone going through a stack of applications it's something that sticks out for the wrong reasons.

Plus, an application can be seen by a lot of people and you don't want to start a new job being THAT guy. I don't mind people knowing, but I like to have it on my terms if possible.

MurkyPaston Ask HN: Presenting or explaining past illness in a job application

Thanks. I'll think about that.

MurkyPaston Ask HN: Presenting or explaining past illness in a job application

Cancer, basically.

MurkyPaston Ask HN: Presenting or explaining past illness in a job application

Maybe I've just had bad luck, but in my experience recruiters have proved to be a layer of unwelcome misinformation.

MurkyPaston Ask HN: Presenting or explaining past illness in a job application

But that's different. If you applied for a job and in the process someone asks "By the way, what was your GPA?" and you tell them "Oh, 3.8" then it's fine. If you reply with poor grades, to me it casts things in a bad light as it looks like you're leaving off damaging information.

Maybe tptacek is right and I'm overthinking things...