Hacker News Reader

skylan_qon Bose Hearphones

I never thought of it that way but it makes sense. My hearing is fine and I can pick out quiet sounds, far away sounds, high-pitched sounds, etc... But I always have trouble turning the sounds that comes out of people's mouths into words especially if there's other noise. It's not a focus issue, either. I'm probably just bad at hearing speech in those situations for some reason.

skylan_qon AWS announces new region in Canada

As far as I've ever known, Ontario and Quebec are central Canada.

skylan_qon A strengthening dollar is bad for the world economy

Personally I suspect it was from earlier than that. I think you can trace it back to Nixon at least who fully severed the dollar from gold and thus removed the last bit of restraint that countries had against the US from inflating too much or too quickly.

This was a huge hit that helped to spark runaway debts and inflation, to be sure.

But I'd go further back and say The Fed. It did more than anyone to give us the roaring 20's and the great depression.

skylan_qon Reddit Is Tearing Itself Apart

I love the freedom and exchange of ideas on the Internet. The centipedes are now turning it into their very own echo chamber.

skylan_qon Toronto convicts first Airbnb owner over zoning violation

Yes, it is. I want to understand the excitement over this ruling and I want to understand the purpose of the zoning violation.

skylan_qon Toronto convicts first Airbnb owner over zoning violation

It does add to fears that people won't be able to rent out their places at those rates. Especially in Toronto where everyone's long-term plan is to own income properties. Everyone is looking to get out of careers and get rich on real estate. It's madness.

skylan_qon Toronto convicts first Airbnb owner over zoning violation

I'm behind. What's the buzz about zoning violations here?

skylan_qon I, Pencil (1958)

Ironically, as hard as it is for people to understand what those are, they are much simpler to produce than pencils.

skylan_qon It’s not the methods that are Agile, it’s the people

You don't do agile. You are or aren't agile. Once you stick a process on it and everyone starts gaming that process you have the opposite of agile.

skylan_qon It’s not the methods that are Agile, it’s the people

This is what it's devolved into: process. Middle management can now provide metrics to upper management.

skylan_qon Real or not? USC study finds many political tweets come from fake accounts

it makes its money by selling stories and perspectives in the form of media narrative to its audience.

That's less and less the case as their revenues are collapsing. Facebook being the gatekeeper is one of their ways of not being defeated by citizen journalism.

More and more, large corporate and monied interests are funding these media outlets to promote their agenda.

skylan_qon Real or not? USC study finds many political tweets come from fake accounts

...and they have a long track record of hate and lies.

So does every left-leaning outlet.

See what I did there?

skylan_qon Real or not? USC study finds many political tweets come from fake accounts

No one denies that there's "fake news"

This is an attempt by the media to control the narrative by gatekeeping what's "real news" and what isn't: i.e. what they disagree with or citizen/independent journalism that is beating traditional media in providing better coverage.

skylan_qon Obama Administration Gives Up on Pacific Trade Deal

It sure does. We're all going to have to live it. It doesn't get more mandate-y than that.

skylan_qon How Does the Electoral College Work and Is It Fair

Yet all the electors have to "vote" for the marginal winner.

They aren't compelled to. One of the electors from WA says they won't vote if Clinton wins. It's pretty unprecedented, however.

skylan_qon The bizarre role reversal of Apple and Microsoft

Heh heh heh... that'll show the author.

skylan_qon Vine will be discontinuing the mobile app

One of Twitter's goals is to not make it look like they don't know what they're doing.

They're still working on figuring out the rest of the goals.

skylan_qon Ecuador Says It Still Backs Assange, but WikiLeaks Says It Cut His Internet

Wikileaks can't appear to be unbiased to those who will perceive them as biased as a result of releasing info that may hurt Hillary Clinton.

What would they have to do to appear unbiased but still be able to release information damaging to the DNC and Clintons?

skylan_qon Twitter Shares Slump After Report Says Google Won’t Make a Bid

Check who owns Twitter.

skylan_qon Wikileaks: Julian Assange's internet access 'cut'

I've been there for a while. I only trust a few people who thanklessly go through materials and study issues in detail. If I want to verify further I can only then trust primary sources and direct evidence.

For a long time now, all forms of traditional media have had a bent. It's just gotten very monied and politicized as of late.

skylan_qon Wikileaks: Julian Assange's internet access 'cut'

These are completely different things. What's in those emails is FAR more damming than some foul-mouthed quips. Gross FCC violations, for one.

skylan_qon Wikileaks: Julian Assange's internet access 'cut'

DNC collusion with the media is one that stands out to me. Also the acknowledgement that ISIS is funded in part by Saudi Arabia while the Clinton Foundation gets many donations from Saudi Arabia.

If you have some time, scroll through the Wikileaks Twitter. Very little noise, mostly content. https://twitter.com/wikileaks

skylan_qon Blitzted: The Third Reich as a Society on Drugs

I'm willing to believe anything bad about the Nazis. Upvoted!

skylan_qon Twitter Shares Slump After Report Says Google Won’t Make a Bid

The attack was retaliation. The original attack was "you're a sexist if you don't like and watch our movie"

Guilting people and sending out messaging like this is an attack on people's notion of self-determination and self-worth.

skylan_qon Twitter Shares Slump After Report Says Google Won’t Make a Bid

orchestrating a long campaign of harassment

It's actually possible for independent people to all hate the new Ghostbusters film. It doesn't require orchestration to have taste.

skylan_qon Twitter Shares Slump After Report Says Google Won’t Make a Bid

Oh I know this. It did go over most people's heads and many thought he was serious about his Clinton endorsement. He then "came out" for Trump.

skylan_qon Twitter Shares Slump After Report Says Google Won’t Make a Bid

Why would Twitter ban trump supporters and not all the other really vile people infesting twitter?

Because they work for the Clintons and Saudi Arabia.

skylan_qon Twitter Shares Slump After Report Says Google Won’t Make a Bid

It wouldn't bother me as much if Twitter was small-fry. But in some cases they even see themselves as a public utility. Imagine not being allowed a bus ride because of your party affiliation!

skylan_qon Twitter Shares Slump After Report Says Google Won’t Make a Bid

In other words, "follow the money" to see what motivates Twitter to do what it's doing.

skylan_qon Twitter Shares Slump After Report Says Google Won’t Make a Bid

Perhaps you should unfollow those whose tweets you don't like. It isn't Twitter that is generating the content.

Fully agreed and totally expected for people to do this. But Twitter is going so far as to ban people who haven't made threats, but that Twitter considers evil.

EDIT: They're also shadowbanning many accounts of those who support Trump. Scott Adams recently switched his endorsement, and within a few days was shadowbanned.