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byEngineer

220 karma · joined September 15, 2014

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byEngineer··on Mac App Store: The Subtle Exodus
I like the idea of making it easy on customers. I'd rather go through additional pain as a business/developer and make more money (better product) than have an ecosystem that is unfriendly for paying customer but nice for geeks like me. What I love as a consumer in my iPhone (compared to Android, etc.) is no upgrades -- annoying like hell. No messages about license changes (thanks God!).

Why you guys insist on making sure that your software is annoying to people who use it?! I don't get it. Where is Steve?!

byEngineer··on Edward Snowden’s Privacy Tips: “Get Rid of Dropbox,” Avoid Facebook and Google
To your Edit: tell this to the socialist big time thought-police at the HN HQ that will not count your upvotes on your posts if they don't like them I.e.: I have almost twice as many upvotes on posts than the number appearing next to my nickname. Ah hh... "Land of the free" -- as long as they do and talk as they are told!
byEngineer··on Peter Thiel Is Wrong About the Future
Funny you say this. I hate monopolies as the next guy. Reading Thiel's book right now. What he says is that monopolies can have luxury of innovation while in the perfect market conditions it is all about as low margin as possible without cash flying around to spend on extravaganza like innovation.

AT&T: telecommunications company that employed Dennis Ritchie and Brian Kerninghan to figure out software to play chess. Dudes created C language and UNIX OS in the process.

Which low margin cash-strived company will do extravagant stuff like that for kicks?

byEngineer··on Peter Thiel Is Wrong About the Future
I dont't want to be politically judged by HN audience. But, I will tell you this: don't you see that start-ups and innovation happen around things that are the least regulated by the Government. Things with the least amount of required bureaucracy and compliance to the state regulations?

Peter Schiff - opened hedge fund from his bedroom. He got lucky, worked had, whatever, his investment company is doing pretty good nowadays. But he will tell you one thing - if he wanted to open a brokerage firm from his bedroom today, it would be impossible due to all the regulation imposed on the financial markets. Putting aside that this way the regulation protects established big financial institutions from new competition, this also kills innovation.

What isn't regulated by the Government? Internet start-ups. I can work in my bedroom on a new search engine (currently). Or on mobile app. But try to open brokerage firm.

There is a reason for which still more innovation happens in the USA than in much more heavily regulated EU. Spoke to fashion designer from Paris in New York the other day. He lives in New York. Why? Because to open a fashion shop in Paris requires fee to the government to the tune of 15,000 Euros. Nobody in New York ask him to pay 20,000 usd to the city for the privilege of opening business.

The moment they will start regulating web - the party will be over! What about 10,000 usd fee to open a commercial website? Would you be surprised there is innovation in the web ?

byEngineer··on Plan B for China's Wealthy: Moving to the U.S., Europe (2012)
I find comparing situation of Jews in WW2 to the current situation of homosexuals in Russia tasteless.
byEngineer··on Plan B for China's Wealthy: Moving to the U.S., Europe (2012)
This really comes from ultra-low interest rates. Hike interest rates to 20% (US in 1980s had over 20% APR for mortgages) and see what happens with real estate prices then.

Foreigners influx has some influence but not as much as one might think.

byEngineer··on Captain Crunch needs your help
> That's great that Germany gave you a free 60% chance of recovery!

sales tax of 19%, gas taxed at 100%, state taking away well over 50% (some countries in EU closer to 70%) of your salary, etc. - this is not free. It is paid by taxpayers, exactly as I said. Yes that's really great that for all these money I had 40% chances of dying vs 10% in the US for the cost of 300usd a month.

> If you couldn't afford the 90% chance in the US, your chance of recovery was probably 0%.

That's something I honestly don't know. If you are homeless - they won't treat you? Are you sure? How do you know?

> So, presenting it as 60% or 90% is a false comparison.

It is very true when you are diagnosed with stage 2 renal cancer. Let's not generalize. The cancers and many other diseases have the best chances to be treated in the US.

> What you fail to understand is that many people in the United States would like the same 60% chance funded by the taxpayer that you enjoy in Germany.

At the cost of others - like me - who are just middle class (~100k/year) having now 60% chances instead of 90%. Typical in socialism: let's make it worse for everyone and call equality. Because now chances off everyone are just 60%. How is that better?

>To quote some other numbers at you, Infant Mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births) by the CIA 2013 estimate in the United States is 5.2, in Germany it's 3.48.

I can see that. You see that's my point. EU is great at being mediocre. USA has the lowest valleys and the highest peaks. It has the worst and the best. So then it comes down to "taste" really. Not that using "taste" in morality is fine, but it's about the world view really. Do you think that you should work hard, save, invest, have good education, pay for great health coverage? Or do you think that everybody should have the same chances no matter what they do in their lives? I don't think that EU model is that great after living here for a while. It's like living in a golden cage. You are slave of the state that decides for you and robs you from most of your money. In my personal view selling my freedom for safety isn't a solution. Some people like that and don't care. What I don't understand is why these people don't immigrate to Canada or Western Europe as many Europeans who believe in freedom do choose to live in the US. Put your foot where your mouth is!

> So, it's not like healthcare is uniformly better in the United States than other countries, and it absolutely is inaccessible to many of our citizens. Not something I'm proud of.

Is it? I mean that's something I truly don't know. A homeless person gets cancer. He/She goes to the hospital. They deny them entry? How does it look like "technically" ? I truly curious.

Was at the ER once for aniphalictic reaction. I remember labels next to beds informing that you don't need to reveal information about your healthcare insurance. Also labels stating that is you feel you are treated worse because of your healthcare insurance status then there is a free phone number to a government agency. It looked to me, like they would have to treat someone whether they have money or not. Am I missing something here?

byEngineer··on Captain Crunch needs your help
Please, please, please don't look on healthcare just from money perspective (i.e. affordability). Look on it from life saving efficiency too. Actually foremost.

Renial Cancer I was suspected of having had chances of recovery in Germany of 60%. In the US over 90%. Yes, in Germany it is funded by taxpayer. Yes in the US I would be bankrupt. But I think it is obvious which system is much better in that particular case. I think that all of us would rather be bankrupt than dead. And this is big issue that just isn't discussed in the politics and media.

byEngineer··on How to buy a tank: a BRDM-2 story
No. You need to have the right to bear arms on the one hand and be disallowed to paint YOUR house any color you want. No wonder you are frustrated!
byEngineer··on Smartphones Are Used To Stalk, Control Domestic Abuse Victims
> My ex-wife is a nasty, brutish, turd of a person.

No pun intended: why you married her?

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