Hacker News Reader

cm127on All April Fools' Day Jokes on the Web Are Here (so they don't clutter HN)

I really like the Google Maps gag. I hope it will still be an option after today.

cm127on How to Hustle SXSW for Fun & Profit

> If you are going to get ridiculously drunk, and especially if you are considering using substances that the United States considers illegal, PLEASE DON’T WEAR YOUR COMPANY TSHIRT. It is every PR person’s nightmare. Please just no.

These are really great tips for keeping it both casual and professional. Finding that balance is important at events like SXSW. I wish I was going this year.

cm127on JavaScript at Khan Academy

1. I'm a little confused why you would object to JavaScript as a first language. You're using it to teach very basic concepts like variables and conditionals. Who cares about polymorphism at that stage?

2. Creating a Web App to follow programming concepts is something John Resig knows how to do. Check out his Advanced JavaScript page for examples:

http://ejohn.org/apps/learn/

3. No installation needed. No one has to have permissions to install or modify software or the OS. That's a huge hurdle. If you're at a public library or borrowing your brother's computer, you don't have to worry about permissions, settings, downloads, etc. You're already setup to start with just learning.

Obviously, to become a better programmer you have to learn some more languages, but JavaScript is not going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, there is a higher demand for JavaScript programmers than ever. Why not learn it?

cm127on Warren Buffett: Why stocks beat gold and bonds

Well, then why not rate all the elements in the periodic table? Silver is considered precious and can kill werewolves; Plutonium can send you back to the future. If you start talking about Gold as a resource, then what's the point?

cm127on The switch: Python to Node.js

The "Javascript is a shitty language" argument is getting old. I feel like you're only admitting that you're too lazy to learn how to program with a prototype-based language. You even suggest Coffeescript which is big on making Javascript like an OOP language when it's really not.

As far as a reason why you might "hobble" yourself is because Javascript is great at asynchronous design. You should try checking it out for real instead of jumping on the opinion bandwagon.