Taft

Re:Mexican Drug Gangs Kidnap Computer Hackers and Programmers on Tuesday March 27, 2012 @02:41AM (#3760352)

The correct lesson to learn here is "markets amass when there's demand," or, more simply put, "people will always buy their drugs."

Re:Why We Haven’t Met Any Aliens on Thursday December 22, 2011 @12:29AM (#3380533)

There's gotta be a paradigm shift at some point where we start seeing VR not as an illusion but simply more living space.

Re:Why the film industry needs disrupting on Saturday September 10, 2011 @01:07PM (#2981921)

Seems like the parent comment equates "This is a general problem in x industry" to "stop rabblerousing about problems!"

Ask HN: Making vs. Learning -- what should be my ratio?

Posted by Taft on Saturday August 20, 2011 @05:41PM
from the ask-hn dept.

I'm always one engaging conversation away from starting a new programming/writing/music/film project, despite the inconvenient fact that I'm almost never learned enough to actualize an idea to its fullest.I got ideas; I don't got skills.There's also this insidious tendency that I have, where I finally sit down to do some solid learnin'. Once I grasp something novel, the implications of how I...

( Read More... | 2 comments | 2 points | on HN )

Re:Judge Finds Apple in Violation of HTC's Newly Acquired Patents on Wednesday July 27, 2011 @01:18PM (#2813090)

The reason companies acquire and add to their massive stockpiles of patents is because, like arms races, no one wants to stop playing the game until the game is called off. Unlike arms races, patents are intellectual creations and the "game" can be ended simply by setting precedents in court and reforming existing law.

Re:Judge Finds Apple in Violation of HTC's Newly Acquired Patents on Wednesday July 27, 2011 @11:47AM (#2812617)

Considering the increasingly vocal outcry of rampant patent abuse, it's also possible that tech giants begin publicly stating their position towards US patent law: it needn't exist (or one of the many alternatives that have been proposed). If the market can metabolize that, patent law reform isn't far away.

Re:Learn JavaScript on Thursday July 21, 2011 @02:38AM (#2788704)

I'm currently learning Python and I can't agree more. There's a lot of macho-IRC-dweller attitude on the internet when it comes to learning a new language. People take the "If you teach a man to fish" argument to the extreme and end up confusing/discouraging people in search of some guide, some map to show them the way. No, documentation doesn't count when you can't read a lick of code.

That said, I'm currently reading Learning Python the Hard Way, which pushes you through a lot of information, step-by-step but not patronizing, and teaches you not only code, but how to be organized and on top of your code.