insightcheck

Yes, it's because of incentives. In dating, it's seen as a big negative to be a "manchild" or be dating a manchild; in less inflammatory terms, being seen as immature is seen as negative in the dating world. This is actually quite fair: it's natural for someone in a relationship to prefer a responsible person with self-control (e.g. holds a good job, cleans up, and is financially responsible).

A person can take being an "adult" too far, however. They can say that anything that doesn't help you earn money is a waste of time, that anything creative is also a waste of time, and chase status and money. Maybe many of these people got burned at some point for being childish (e.g. they were criticized by a manager or partner and made to feel shame), which explains the behavior.

It depends on your goals, but a nice moderate view is to discard with the labels, and aim to be responsible and have self-control, while also being curious and open to creative pursuits. It's also great to enjoy whatever media you like without caring about what others think (whether it's obscure or mainstream).

Why is this so surprising? Google search gives me better results than DuckDuckGo for my purposes (especially when using the "site:" search syntax). Some web apps and websites are buggy on non-Chrome browsers or a lot faster on Chrome (e.g. Google Workspace apps like Google Sheets are often a lot faster).

If I want to submit high quality work on time, it makes sense to use the best (most performant) tool for the job. Firefox, DuckDuckGo, and other alternative tools are helpful for personal use, but I have less to worry about when using Google and Chrome for work.

> "I’m under the impression that trigonometry is not extensively taught in middle schools and high schools in the USA. While I’m slightly envious you might not have to suffer developing powers of cosine and sine but that would explain the lack of familiarity with radian I see here. Am I wrong?"

It varies by school, but overall I think this prediction is incorrect. Trigonometry was an important subject in high school — for all of the math, physics, and possibly chemistry courses — and then if you take calculus in university, it's very, very important to learn trigonometry well (or you'll really struggle as a student).

So, even on the off-chance that trigonometry is not taught in high school (which I predict is rare), a first-year student taking calculus in university must learn it on their own time. Good calculus textbooks (e.g. Thomas Calculus) even account for this, having fairly comprehensive textbook sections on what you need to know about trigonometry to succeed in the calculus course.

Most students who therefore took math to pre-calculus or calculus (or physics and possibly chemistry), should therefore have a good exposure to the definition of the radian.

It's time-consuming, but there are great resources to learn high school math to a very high level (likely much more effectively in many cases, than actually taking a high school math course, due to thoughtful exercises and more control over the pace of learning).

I learned a lot from the Art of Problem Solving book series because they're highly focused on the reader solving problems to learn, versus giving explanations. Even if you don't finish all of it, you can strengthen any problem areas.

For a less-comprehensive but still great introduction to precalculus (with a great section on trigonometry in particular from memory), Simmons' Precalculus in a Nutshell has a great introduction to this. Then you can read a book like Thomas Calculus, which has a great introduction to trigonometry in the first review chapter.

I would even say that you would be better off working through the books above than if you had the high school classes; the best math students probably took the same approach too (working through books instead of focusing just on the class material). The main obstacle is time, because it's hard to find time when you have work and children to take care of.

I personally found a corrupted file stored in online storage only, though it wasn't with Google, but with Microsoft's OneDrive.

I tried to open a Word document that I hadn't viewed for several years, but got an error that the file was damaged. It looks like this happens sometimes, after searching for the error online. Luckily I was able to recover an earlier version of the file (via version history), but it was alarming that it happened in the first place (also I'm not sure if important edits were made in the latest corrupted version).

It's unfortunate how many cloud services default to storing on the cloud only instead of also keeping a local copy, and don't even provide the option to opt out. Even if you choose the "keep offline" option for several services, for unknown reasons, this doesn't seem reliable (Maybe I'm 'using it wrong'? But in practice, I've found myself having to download files that I was sure I set to keep offline.)

To clarify, I maintain that testimonials from people who give their full names (and thus can be contacted after) are perceived as solid evidence. A common real-life example of named testimonials seen as credible by recruiters are written LinkedIn endorsements from named people who are connections on a person's profile. However, I agree that nameless or semi-anonymized testimonials are less valuable and give the entire term of "testimonial" a poor reputation, because their truthfulness can't be verified.

On the second point, what you wrote is true, but the Airbnb mention was pretty short; your comment is probably around the same length as Graham's mention. The Airbnb mention in full consists of: "[4] The Airbnbs were particularly good at listening — partly because they were flexible and disciplined, but also because they'd had such a rough time during the preceding year. They were ready to listen."

I could find no mentions of other named companies involved with YC in the article, and the Airbnb mention was quite brief (the assertion was that they listened to YC's advice, and the implication is that this was the reason behind its success).

Testimonials, despite carrying the baggage of being a marketing term, are a legitimate form of evidence, especially if the people giving testimony are named in full. It affects their reputation if either they or the company they are testifying for are disreputable.

It’s true that independent reporting will be more likely to provide a balanced and objective assessment, but at the same time, opinionated articles like the submitted essay are more valuable with the provision of stronger evidence.

Yes, thanks for the catch. I made a mistake, and will edit the comment to correct.

[EDIT: This comment is wrong, and can't be deleted; I misremembered James Clear as Scott Young, apologies.] On the one hand, most of Clear's writing is uncontroversial and easy-to-read (which is why Atomic Habits took off versus other habit books, as another commenter wrote). However, I think a lot of his success comes from his past moments of some controversy. The MIT challenge/the language learning challenges were a bit controversial due to sowing doubt, but earned [Scott Young] a lot of clout.

Seconded. The approach is very readable and also happens to be from an academic perspective, as BJ Fogg is a Stanford professor of psychology. I also liked the list of suggested potentially useful habits at the back of the book.

> "What I'm trying to say is, while the medium doesn't change core mechanics of human behavior, it distorts and accentuates – there is, for instance, a difference between tiktok and a novel. And we do have power of mediums, we can choose to engage in different types, and we can lobby for digital mediums to change."

You've made a good insight with an interesting solution. You might already be aware of this, but for an academic perspective, Canadian academic Marshall McLuhan framed this with the famous assertion "the medium is the message," [0] in other words the method of delivering a message strongly influences how that message is drafted. The reasons align with what you've written: the incentives caused by YouTube algorithms do pressure creators to create more clickbait content.

Perhaps human curation can be an initial way to get more viewership for quality channels that don't try as much to game the algorithms. Recommendations on HN and other forums have led to the discoveries of such interesting channels, though this would have limited impact versus change on YouTube's end.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_medium_is_the_message

> You said "outside of business," and then gave three examples of _asking for money_. You could have said "in dating," or "in electoral politics,

No, I didn't: the third item I listed was "it's important for individuals who want to improve their lives (even in relationships)." Relationships include both romantic and friendship. The second item with non-profits also mentioned recruiting volunteers, not just fundraising.

>"but even in those examples, "persuasive" speech verges on "coercive" speech.

Persuasive speech includes: if I ask a friend to hang out with me and go to a conference, it's great for the both of us because we'll both enjoy it together and learn. There's no threat or coercion here, it's a win-win that is communicated well. The non-persuasive alternative would be: "There's a professional event this Thursday, we should go" with no further explanation.

> "In a darwinian competition, eg "the marketplace of ideas," ethics will always lose out to money. To play is to lose."

Ethics has value in many contexts. Certain non-profits can struggle to raise money due to having a bad reputation. Significant ethical misconduct can lead to scandals and arrests of executives. Highly unethical companies end up paying premiums to applicants due to struggles with recruiting.

> "The issue is, I think, exactly that everyone must be at least partially a salesman to get ahead. Is this what we want?"

Regardless of what we as a society want, and even if YouTube never existed, it's the reality that salesmanship is always important to some extent.

Persuasive communication is important even outside of business: it's key for academia to get grants, it's important for non-profits to get funding and volunteers, and it's important for individuals who want to improve their lives (even in relationships). I know several people who are technically brilliant, but have abrasive personalities and/or fail to get their point across to key stakeholders, so they don't achieve what they want.

There is a difference between honest salesmanship and sales pitches that include lies or fraud. It's necessary to sell, but you can play the game with some ethics instead of not playing at all and losing out.

The next iPadOS software update is confirmed to be in October (source: https://www.macrumors.com/2022/09/07/ipados-16-macos-ventura...), so that month is a a reasonable guess for the next release date.

The best way to really tell the difference, in my view, is to watch YouTube videos or see comparisons of photographs. I find that a lot of written articles or comments on forums really hype up the difference (along the lines of "get the new phone, it has a better camera"), when in practice, it's not that noticeable.

For example, this YouTube video from a quick YouTube search shows fairly insignificant differences between the iPhone 11 and 13 non-Pro models: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjosGytrIJI

Would travel health insurance be a possibility?

Agreed. Dirhams is the unit, so it would be "16,000 dirhams," not $16,000 in dirhams.

The clipart and other graphics may reduce the webpage's formality, but the text itself by Russell is a classic work.

> "Phase three starts at 8 a.m. sharp, next Monday, and lasts for fourteen Pomodoro-timer cycles, concluding at 5:38 p.m."

Unfortunately, this sounds dreadful and yet completely plausible. Pomodoros, or taking short breaks every once in a while, really are useful for avoiding stretching out tasks, though.

> "I ended up graduating at 25 with a degree in computer science years behind everyone else. For a long time I regretted this because everyone I worked for was far younger than me (18-22). I then wasted several years in graduate school, which I didn't finish because it wasn't my thing, and then wasted several more years drinking at bars for no reason other than boredom. I regretted everything for a long time wondering who I'd be if I was a social person, better in high school, did more things, was more popular, etc. I still have these regrets."

Honestly, you've done a really great job to make it to graduation at 25 by persevering. For many people, it's really not easy to stay as an undergraduate at an older age (it's much easier to drop out), then still make it to graduation.

Then you got into graduate school, at the same time as taking longer to graduate. That kind of experience gives a lot of non-traditional students hope.

Even the time spent drinking at bars is just time spent normally to many. It's a natural response to take time off, after working for so long as you've written. It's a great thing that you persevered and made it to graduation.

It's very relatable for many to feel that one's time was wasted online, but wanting to change, especially for people who find forums like Hacker News. The interesting thing is that the solutions to changing one's situation can also be found online (or preferably, a starting point of the solution that leads to real-life resources).

It's a double-edged sword in that sense: on the one hand, one can unintentionally spend a lot of time online, but on the other, browsing has given me the ideas and encouraged me to contact people in real life, which led to real positive career changes.

I think a lot of people can relate to OP's situation, and really wish them to succeed. If they can think critically about a lot of these comments, and selectively consider the ones that make sense, it can be a great starting point to seek real-life resources that will make a massive difference over time.

To add with more examples, the vast majority of the actors in the recent acclaimed television series Better Call Saul were not too well known before the show.

Most of them are in their 40s, 50s, and 60s [0]. For many of them, it's only now that they're reaching the peak of their professional careers. These people weren't major figures at the outset, unlike other actors.

[0] https://www.google.com/search?q=better+call+saul+cast+age&hl...

I would add additional scales. You can learn a lot in 2 weeks, and so much in just 1 year, and an incredible amount in 5 years.

The funny thing is that I personally tend to overestimate what I can do in one day, but after 2 weeks, you can accomplish a lot.

The nice thing about this, too, is that there's no real barrier (besides owning a personal computer) to reverse engineering an OS or learning computer science.

There's no incredibly high fees, there's no licensure to practice, and many of the educational materials are free. The original poster can start today if they'd like, using free resources like the Open Source Society University's curriculum: https://github.com/ossu/computer-science

> "The second thing is, the past is dead and gone. You can't do anything about it. You can learn to let go of it or you can let it consume your present and deny you whatever future you're trying to make for yourself. There is only now."

This is a valid approach, and a key principle of many worldviews (especially those focused on the present). To provide an alternative approach too, it's also useful to reframe the past, so it's not haunting or negative when it comes to mind.

There are many bright spots. Like another commenter akmarinov wrote, the original poster has experience with what makes an engaging game. Social media experience is also useful for future efforts to raise awareness about a service or product. The time spent also gives a much stronger motivation to make the most out of future learning, instead of going through the motions in classes.

Someone who really wants to be a great computer scientist and follows through most days in the future, which is completely still possible, can really get the most out of their education.

Exactly! You can learn a lot more from computer science undergraduate courses as someone motivated to be there, versus someone going through the motions because they just want a stable job (nothing wrong at all with doing so, but the upside is that the original poster actually has an advantage here).

> "how would my life be if i spent that time coding/reverse engineering/learning the internals of OS, reading books, or generally developing my interests instead of playing wow and mindlessly scrolling on SM?"

Most computer science undergraduates at many universities don't do a lot of this. A lot of people see computer science just as a way to a stable, high-paying job; it's rational and there's nothing wrong with this, but this means that you're not that much 'behind' versus many computer science graduates.

> 'Would i still be in the same position in my life, the same person, as i am now?"

You could have also burned out on computer science and switched career paths. Now that you've delayed it, you likely want it more.

Even if you really are "behind," you don't need to be as good as John Carmack to make a positive impact in the workplace. There are a lot more niches than a top computer scientist. Many, many people (especially in software development, and even computer science research) started at an older age after a first career. You can too.

Microsoft is in a tough place in that respect, because its user base is so broad by design (as a default program in Windows 11 now). It can never be fully optimized for professionals in formal environments, nor professionals who prefer more casual environments.

This Pirates of Silicon Valley scene comes to mind [0]. Teams may not be the most optimized software for formal versus informal users, but that doesn't matter because it's trying to have a broad appeal.

https://youtu.be/UFcb-XF1RPQ?t=131

Hypothetically, I wonder how Discord would pull off a shift to enterprise. A big differentiator is that Discord is more for casual conversation. By changing the current successful product, it won't stand out versus Slack/Teams.

However, a fork to a separate version of Discord sounds very, very costly in terms of resources. They would need a lot of software development (when their current developers are already occupied with the main app), and a costly marketing strategy too (to reframe Discord's fork as non-casual and suitable for business).

The shift sounds very expensive, and I'm not sure how Discord could make it pay off.

Yeah, even if file uploads are disabled and limited to sharing links (e.g. from Google Drive), screenshots will be very useful for communication, for a long while.