nlabs

Interesting thanks for the link. However, seems like you need to be able to cross-correlate with another database in order to de-anonymize. If netflix made a good faith effort to protect privacy, how are they liable?

According to PG sometimes you dont get in, not because there is anything wrong with your application, but because there were so many others who were a better fit. In this case applying again isnt productive. And you shouldnt change your idea just to get into YC. Right?

How does sharing the Netflix data violate privacy? With the hundreds of thousands of records it would be difficult to trace information to an individual. The US needs more engineers and fewer lawyers.

If you dont get into YC this round, does it make sense to apply again, or is this just banging your head against the wall?

of course, but the guy who posted the essay it did so to show off a critique of captialism. An appropriate response is then to say why Einstein is wrong, not attack his credibility by making it akin to JM Keynes commenting on QED (as Keynes is clearly not qualified to comment on QED).

Avoiding people like Saul is one reason to do a startup

I'd contend that the reason HTML5 actually paid attention to video and vector graphics was that Flash made them popular.

good point. But maybe Adobe should do more to embrace more on open standards than pushing a closed (swf) format.

hands down, John von Neumann: the greatest mathematician of the 20th century. Information theory, computer architecture, quantum mechanics, game theory, pure math - he did just about everything.

huh? flash provides video and vector graphics in a browser. If html5 can do these then flash is doomed, hence related.

dont you want flash to be doomed? In 5 years why should the web require a plugin to show video or vector graphics?

They dont want to have to recode all that flash they use

Go to graduate school in human-computer interaction or software engineering. Get an MS and then apply to a startup program.

Major in software engineering and build some cool stuff in the meantime, sharpening your skills. Then apply to YC during your jr/sr year.

Bad retort. The prerequisites to understanding economics is hardly close to that needed to understand QED. Besides, economists have physics envy. Physicists can intelligently contribute to economics.

Hopefully Ill be there

Of the proprietary options, JMP is the best. R of course is a better option, however it can take more work to do stuff that is just a few clicks in JMP. My startup idea is to build a JMP-like interface based on R.

oops! I innocently edited my app after the deadline (I added a posterous video). I spoke with you over email and made the deadline - please dont count this mistake against me!

To cut down the volume of applications, YC should charge an application fee, like most colleges. That will quickly filter out the crap. An app fee is not evil. Id pay $25 or so to guarantee honest, thoughtful consideration by the YC 4.

Whew. I got really upset when I heard another group that has my same idea was contacted by you and I wasnt. Thanks for clarifying.