altay

The interface is far more usable. Also, all WD can do with javascript is turn it on and off; Firebug has a full-fledged javascript debugger. (It's how I learned JS, in addition to CSS!) The DOM inspection tools are amazing.

Pretty much the only things I still use WD for are resizing the browser window and checking if I'm in quirks mode. But if breaking the page by adding a label to every div is a key feature for you, then maybe you should stick with WD. =)

He did the interview on no sleep, so he's kind of loopy.

But that makes it even better. Nothing inspires entrepreneurial solidarity like a cracked-out hacker slurring his speech after an all-nighter.

This brilliant Firefox extension is how I learned CSS. Click the "inspect" button, then click any page element, and it'll show you all the CSS rules being applied to that element. It'll also highlight the margin+padding so you can wrap your head around the box model.

Best of all, you can change CSS properties on the fly. Naturally, the best way to learn is to hack up someone else's CSS, so go to a site you like the looks of, and play with the styling.

Soon, you'll be thinking to yourself "man, this isn't complicated at all!"

And then you will open your page in IE 6.

And then you will punch a hole in the wall.

For #1, I just rolled my own admin stats with XML/SWF: http://www.maani.us/xml_charts/

For #2, we've been trying to find a good profiling tool, too. Anyone have any experience with railsbench? http://railsbench.rubyforge.org/

Joe Kraus' story of how Excite got funded.

Take the cookie!

In the case of startups, it's true that everyone's advice is extrapolated from one or two data points. The key is to look at a lot of those data points -- read Founders at Work or listen to VentureVoice.com, for instance -- and try to find recurring themes and patterns.

This is part of the idea behind YC, right? I get that impression from your essays. These days there's less "At Viaweb, we..." and more "Out of the N startups we've funded, X have..."

Uh, is that really the word you meant to use, Kevin? =) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honky

Good luck, everyone!

Actually, Cork'd was acquired back in May! http://hivelogic.com/narrative/articles/corkd-acquired

Hm, perhaps Google's success in advertising isn't because the ads are more relevant to the content, but because they look like relevant content.

I bet you all were "early adopters" of banner-ad blindness. You're probably blind to Google ads now, too. (I almost never click on them.) So... how long will it be before Google-ad blindness kicks in for the general population?

FYI, I get a server error when I try the Run Utility example at http://www.utilitymill.com/help/api

But our non-Eskimo language doesn't fundamentally limit our capacity to comprehend the nuances of snow. We just add modifiers (e.g., 'wet' and 'fluffy') to "snow", instead of using a different word. And, actually, it turns out the Eskimos use modifiers, too.

The Language Instinct is a great read. Pinker's got a real talent for popular science writing that's accessible but not dumbed down. Check out his first hit, How the Mind Works, if you're interested in general cognitive science.

I'd recommend that, and of course the Definitive Guide. Look for the Rhino.

Functional JS rocks. And the fact that you can examine other peoples' programs with FireBug is huge.

(i'm not saying this to win points with PG. i actually find hacking pretty different from painting.)

more generally, stretch out into different disciplines. these days, most of the interesting stuff happens at the intersections. plus, you'll meet a lot of interesting folks whose paths would never cross with yours otherwise.

here's a fascinating TED talk from craig venter. (if you haven't heard of him, he was instrumental in the human genome project.) http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/6

the part that was new to me was the idea of synthetic bio solving our energy problems.

first of all, you can't look at kiva.org and tell me that software can't make a difference in the world.

second of all...

- measured in dollars, the bill+melinda gates foundation is the biggest charitable organization in the country, by an order of magnitude. they give more to fight aids in africa than any country does, i believe.

- this is, in part, thanks to warren buffett, who gave away 85% of his fortune to charity.

- pierre omidyar, the founder of ebay, now runs omidyar network, an investment firm which specifically funds opportunities based on their potential for social good. portfolio: http://www.omidyar.net/portfolio.php

- jeff skoll, the original president of ebay, founded participant productions, which aims to educate through entertainment. it's the company that produced syriana, good night, and good luck, and an inconvenient truth, among other films. http://www.participantproductions.com/

- speaking of ebay, that site has enabled over a million people to quit their jobs and make a living pursuing their passions.

- someone in the comments mentioned aubrey de grey, who's doing research to cure aging. guess who's funding it? peter thiel, founder of paypal. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Thiel

there are probably hundreds of other examples of people who did well by society and then gave back. (in fact, i'd love to hear these stories if you know any offhand.)

Shooter, if you've already gotten past the first part -- doing well by society -- there are plenty of ways to give back to society that would be far more effective than going to med school. PG's doing it in his own way, but if you've got something else in mind, maybe you should talk to some of those other folks for inspiration. my understanding is that bill gates assembled a small group of really smart people and asked them to make a short list of major problems in the world that could be solved with money.

sounds like pretty much the coolest job ever. =)

though part of what i like about it is the idea of two people using a computer together. the internet is so bizarre in that it connects you to others who are far away, but simultaneously isolates you from folks who are nearby.

i have some sketchy friends.

i'm guessing it's cause of the flashlight. ;)

you'd have a shared profile, which is matched with other local couples with similar tastes in movies, music, food, whatever.

they've got those tiny, efficient, mega-powerful LED flashlight keychains -- can't be THAT hard to integrate one into a phone.