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bernardv

236 karma · joined December 25, 2012

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bernardv··on Writing JavaScript without a build system
Precisely, because there is generally little need for it.
bernardv··on Writing JavaScript without a build system
Why is this opinion resulting in negative points? It speaks to the sentiment of the post. Happy to discuss the topic constructively.
bernardv··on Writing JavaScript without a build system
All those extraneous elements to Javascript are a real turn-off. Python: batteries mostly included. Javascript: feels like you need to drag a dozen suitcases along anytime you embark on any non-trivial project.
bernardv··on U.S. stock market returns – a history from the 1870s to 2022
Buffet’s simple advice for anyone wanting to invest but not sure how to start - Have at least some exposure the S&P500 for the long run. Pretty sound advice.
bernardv··on Switzerland: snow flown in by helicopter in attempt to keep ski slopes open
Typical human behavior to constantly seek to push their luck, past the point of sustainability. Any resource-based community, tied to a single commodity, must know it is living on borrowed time.
bernardv··on Ruby 3.2.0 is from another dimension
Love both languages. However, by the time I discovered Ruby, around 2010, I had already invested a lot of time in Python - and the Python ecosystem was already leaps and bounds ahead when it came to numerical and analysis-related libraries. But Ruby had an elegance to it and expressiveness which was a welcome change from Python and other commonly-used languages at the time. I think a lot of people had similar experiences but were already invested in a tool which came with a large collection of ready-made and tested add-ons.
bernardv··on Detangle: AI-generated summaries of legal docs
The fact I have to upload to a server and my document will not be deleted for up to 24 hours, makes it a no go for most corporate users. Make this a standalone desktop app, with zero cloud dependency and it would be useful. This is very useful for a first pass through a legal doc, for example, to triage documents.
bernardv··on Start a fucking blog
Start with a less offensive domain name if you want someone to read your precious thoughts.
bernardv··on Toronto-Waterloo tech workforce expected to surpass Silicon Valley in 2023
How is it a train wreck? Are you alluding to some mis-informed view of its politics, or some aspect of its tech industry? Not clear from your comment, I’m not looking to start an argument.
bernardv··on Microsoft is making Excel’s formulas easier
Excel is still a killer app. Microsoft has undermined it for decades. it’s a shame.
bernardv··on Windows 95 went the extra mile to ensure compatibility of SimCity, other games
Perhaps. But I think some of them were actually more senior techs calling in and messing with the new guy.
bernardv··on Windows 95 went the extra mile to ensure compatibility of SimCity, other games
The most rewarding calls were those helping either very young or very old customers who just needed help getting started. I recall a grandfather calling in with his grandson, trying to figure out the new Windows machine he had just bought him. Being patient and understanding was all it took to make a difference.
bernardv··on Windows 95 went the extra mile to ensure compatibility of SimCity, other games
Plenty of BSOD calls for sure. Also some very memorable calls from a bunch of Linux guys who would think-up of a monster Windows machine loaded with all sorts of crazy hardware peripherals and call support to mess with us.
bernardv··on Windows 95 went the extra mile to ensure compatibility of SimCity, other games
Very cool. I was an MS Windows Tech Support during the Win31/1 to Win95 transition. Looking back, it went pretty smoothly. Most of our calls were HW driver related or usability related if I remember well.
bernardv··on What ChatGPT can't do
The most dangerous thing about ChatGPT and “AI” in general is the horde of media editors, marketers and self-proclaimed influencers hyping it up. Aside from that, exciting times.
bernardv··on I still use Flash
Totally agree. And as a result, it has become very hard to find young developers who understand GUI usability and standards.
bernardv··on I still use Flash
Flash and Actionscript were to interactive and animated apps what Python is to generic coding today. It brought together ease of use and powerful functionality, accessible to mere mortals.
bernardv··on The Golden Age of BASIC (2014)
Yep, Visual Basic was very much under-appreciated. That, combined with a great IDE, Visual Forms, and a very decent compiler. Then .Net came and ruined a good thing.
bernardv··on Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
They have no need for glitzy smoke and mirrors. Love it.
bernardv··on Mom handcuffed, jailed for 8-year-old son walking half a mile
Totally ridiculous. Again, police officers going over the top and making it up as they go.
bernardv··on Technical milestone reached: global earth system simulations with 1.2 km resoln
When you’re trying to assess imminent danger from an approaching tropical cyclone, days and hours count. A lot.
bernardv··on Lufthansa bans AirTags in checked luggage
How are they going to enforce that? Being an airline I would have expected them to just tack on yet another fee.. ‘AirTag fee’.
bernardv··on Python library for univariate regression, interpolation, and smoothing
Nice. Well done.
bernardv··on Crumb Circuit Simulator
Although the AOB lab book, on its own, presumes you have the same kit used in the original course. If you’re a newbie, annoying/confusing.
bernardv··on Excel is pretty dang cool
Thing is, Excel could have been so much cooler, much, much earlier. Decades of unused potential.
bernardv··on Ask HN: Career advice for junior dev on first job hop?
Here’s for the contrarian advice.. Given the economic climate and the little work experience under your belt, I’d think very hard before taking the risk. Moving has a cost and you have no guarantee the new exciting job will last or work-out. If that happens, your resume will have taken an unnecessary hit very early in your career.

It is very easy to undervalue what you have now. You got plenty of time ahead of you to figure what you really want to do and plan how to get there.

bernardv··on Predictably Bad Investments: Evidence from Venture Capitalists
Need to be clear about the definition of ‘investors’. Institutional investors, referred to in the abstract, make bets on VC firms. The VC firms bet on startup candidates. Unless the institutional investor has an in-house VC team.
bernardv··on France bans veggie ′steaks,′ ′sausages′ to describe vegetarian products
Good move. Nothing against vegan ‘meat’, but simply call it what it really is.
bernardv··on Show HN: Feather – 90 percent of Bloomberg terminal, for 5 percent of the price
This is essentially re-packaged public equities data. Not at all comparable to what a Bloomberg Anywhere or terminal subscription offers. So, right off the bat, your marketing line is going to push your target customers away.

And as others point out, data provenance and data quality are a pre-requisite to anyone seriously considering anything alongside Bloomberg, let alone as a substitute.

On the plus side, I bet it likely doesn’t have that prehistorical pre-windows, stone-age Bloomberg UI.

bernardv··on Show HN: IoT device to warn you of a supernova hours before Earth is destroyed
Perhaps should pivot to monitoring for radioactivity levels, in the more likely event Putin goes supernova on all of us.
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