RawData

Not to start a flame war, but I've always sort of thought of ruby on rails as kinda faddish. What's the reason to use it over php/mysql/javascript?

Sometimes it's the simple things that make the most impact. It cracks me up whenever I see a new time management app come out. I've used this two legal pad method myself for years and really get a ton done every day.

They'd probably kick you out of school for pulling a stunt like that these days...

That was my first thought too....you don't just step down without being forced to behind the scenes.

Most CS types that I talk to suggest that they didn't really need to study all that much in school as many of their CS classes didn't even have tests...more like projects. But overall...what was your level of studying while at college?

ha, that's awesome!

I remember my grandmother worked in a comic book factory and she used to swipe a couple different computer magazines for me that they printed there...loved those things!

I'm reading that one right now...

Ahhh PEEK and POKE...yep.

yeah, server crashed under the weight of hackernews...working with tech to try to patch up a solution :-(

EDIT: Upgraded my hosting plan a couple notches and tech support is monitoring memory usage. Hopefully that takes care of things...

I really like the head first books...I've got a couple of them too.

OH YEAH! I did that too! Oh man I forgot about those magazines...what where they called..."Ahoy" Magazine or something like that for the old Commodore 64 mags...yeah yeah :-P

You should see this thing, dog-eared, warn out...but still kicking! Even though it's not very useful anymore, I wouldn't sell this book for anything in the world lol

Do you remember your first programming book, or have a particular favorite?

This is an article about writing content for adsense type sites, but the advice is really pretty good for any type of writing. I especially like the "golden five" rules or writing listed towards the end of the article. As coders, we could probably all work on our non-code writing.

Where do you find work? Is I just word of mouth?

There's a pretty nice C tutorial there too at http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~lcc-win32/C-Tutorial.pdf

Thanks for the suggestion...can you compare/contrast it to Pelles C?

Stupid...for the last 15 years I've worn a black tshirt and pair of jeans every day....every 6 months or so I replace the tshirts and buy a new pair of jeans...

The Zuckermonster...heh...

This is a really simple bit of code, but extremely useful.

Sure, we go to a lot of meetup events...built in chicago, lean startup, different coding meetups. Chicago's really coming along as a startup city and the strong meetup culture is just one example.

I'd be interested in hearing some other unusual ways that people found their co-founders... anyone got something more bizarre than this?

It's so hard to know where to even start. Google algo changes usually knock you silly, but this one has completely stunned me. I've had hundreds of sites completely destroyed by this. Old sites, new sites, thin sites, thick sites, affiliate sites, brick and morter sites. It's all over the board and there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason. I'm so tired of Google.

Sure there's tons of stuff flawed with the current system...but that's the system, not Apple. Change the system if you don't like it, don't penalize companies like Apple who play by the rules of that system. You can't have it both ways...

I don't think my argument is sophistry...choice is very important. It's the cornerstone of my beliefs and it's a valid philosophy.

Of course they do...All individuals are free to form corporations and take advantage of these loopholes...

Who has a leg up in this? Duck duck go maybe? The more I use them the more I love them...

We aren't talking about emigration...we're talking about corporate domicile creation...the red tape is substantially less...

But even emigrating...why not? My girlfriends brothers wife emigrated from China to the US...my brothers exwife emigrated from Sri Lanka to the US...I have lots of friends who's families have done this...what's the problem?

OK...skilled plumber...he might not be able to move...I studied economics in college and there are examples of industries that the professors would always cite...like hair stylists...plumbers...etc. Sure.

BUT...that plumber could create a company hiring local plumbers in 20 different countries, and sell plumbing services locally in each of those countries, and incorporate the overall business in a friendly tax country.

So your example isn't really valid. I argue that ANYONE can take advantage of globalization with a little thought. If you choose not to, and Apple chooses TO do...well its really your own fault and choice...isn't it?

That's just one simple example...that plumber could create a digital course that teaches others to become plumbers...or teaches plumbers to market their services better...he could package that digital product, incorporate a company in singapore or WHEREVER he finds the best corporate tax rate, and take advantage of the same things Apple does...

I could go on and on...it's all choice. You chose to be proactive or you choose to snipe at others who do...A thing is not unfair if everyone has the ability to take advantage of it...and some simply choose not to because it's hard.

I'm pretty sure I could incorporate a business virtually anywhere I liked (within reason - there are obvious exceptions). No one is going to throw me in prison if I try to start a company in Singapore, or Chile, or Hong Kong, or any other whatever. You don't have to physically MOVE there in most cases...and even if you did...what's stopping you? And as to Visa issues...there's ways to gain residency in most countries...you can make it happen if you want.

> Most people don't have this luxury.

Why not? Seriously. What's stopping anyone from doing this exact thing? Inertia...that's really all - when you get right down to it..