branden
Re:Dropbox TOS Includes Broad Copyright License
on Saturday July 02, 2011 @01:50PM (#2722050)
"...to the extent we think it necessary for the Service."
Re:Google reminds users to "Call Dad", makes users angry
on Sunday June 19, 2011 @09:24PM (#2672498)
Those are completely valid appeals to emotion, because it is the emotional context of the reminder that makes it significant. If you don't understand why someone might feel bad after seeing that show up in their todo list, then you don't understand the problem.
That said, as someone with pretty unhappy history with his father, I think what Google did here is fine. But really, not every emotional appeal is a fallacy.
Re:A fifteen year old TCP bug?
on Friday March 25, 2011 @01:57AM (#2367429)
printf debugging is too simple and intuitive to justify an entire blog post. ;)
Re:The State of Version Control: an Infographic
on Tuesday March 08, 2011 @01:02PM (#2301867)
Stash, pull, stash pop. Arguably not the most intuitive solution, but there ya go.
Re:Tons of movies in your Netflix Que? What to watch? Qpicker can help.
on Saturday February 05, 2011 @02:05PM (#2183737)
Nope, not giving you my Netflix password at least until I know exactly how this works and whether it's worth the risk. A demo, a video, a description, something.
Re:RIM thought iPhone was impossible in 2007
on Monday December 27, 2010 @09:05PM (#2044342)
It rapidly consumes your precious battery. Of course it's not a common case.
Re:What happens when you give homeless people a prepaid credit card.
on Sunday August 29, 2010 @05:39AM (#1643522)
They're hard to distinguish up close, too. No matter how you get there, whether it's mostly by choice or mostly by circumstance, rock bottom will likely involve you doing whatever you can to relieve your misery for a few short hours. I have a hard time faulting someone for short-term behavior when they don't have much of a future to work toward.
But you're (somewhat) correct when it comes to aid. Giving a homeless person 5 bucks won't do anything to alter their condition. It'll fill their belly, at best. But consider what 5 bucks probably means to me or you and what a meal means to someone who can't always count on one.
Embracing the Git Index
Re:Ask HN:How many of you nerds "read" wikipedia?
on Saturday June 26, 2010 @03:21PM (#1464130)
It's pretty rare that I head over to Wikipedia so I can read any random article, but I'll use it to satisfy the mildest curiosity about nearly any noun I interact with. For instance, I used BART for the first time on Thursday, and now I kind of want to know all about it. So off to Wikipedia.
Re:Dell's list of why to buy one with Ubuntu
on Thursday June 10, 2010 @06:55PM (#1422056)
It's free. When that's your starting point, "it doesn't suck" is pretty compelling.
Re:How I Built an Apartment Buzzer for Multiple Roommates
on Sunday June 06, 2010 @11:47PM (#1409797)
That frequently regurgitated phrase means that execution matters more than an idea for a business, not that ideas are literally worthless and therefore undeserving of attribution.
Re:Ask HN: What's missing in a CS degree?
on Monday May 31, 2010 @01:45AM (#1391894)
History of Computation. Read some old papers, study the people who wrote them. I would've loved a class like that.
Re:YC Founders at Work Series: Reddit interview tomorrow at 1:00pm PDT
on Wednesday May 26, 2010 @06:35PM (#1381973)
Reddit was acquired in 2006. http://techcrunch.com/2006/10/31/breaking-news-conde-nastwir...
Re:Work at a Startup
on Wednesday May 26, 2010 @02:58AM (#1379693)
Most people just want to work, get paid, and go home.
That implies a certain apathy that I didn't (intend to) convey. Strlen's comment is a good expansion of what I said: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1346626
Re:Manufactoria - a game about Turing machines
on Monday May 24, 2010 @01:54PM (#1375237)
Wow, that's way more elegant. Mine looks obfuscated by comparison :)
Re:Manufactoria - a game about Turing machines
on Monday May 24, 2010 @04:33AM (#1374132)
This is amazing. You're forced to do some really complicated stuff. Here's my solution to Rocket Planes that uses all 4 colors, 4 subfunctions, and recursion: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6625091/rocketplanes.png
Is there a simpler solution to that one?
Re:Don't Talk to the Cops
on Saturday May 22, 2010 @09:20PM (#1371477)
I'd dare say you have a civic duty to answer questions that aren't about you if a Cop asks them.
I think this is the key difference of perspective between you and the people you're debating. But what's interesting is that you're arguing the tactical disadvantages of something you believe people have a civic duty not to do. Are you sure one opinion isn't influencing the other?
Re:Don't Talk to the Cops
on Saturday May 22, 2010 @09:13PM (#1371465)
If your job was to get information from someone else wouldn't you be upset if they just said "no comment" and wouldn't tell you why they were saying it or even if they had the information you were looking for?
I might be miffed, but if I had the unique ability to ruin their lives with arrest and prosecution, I'd understand a little mistrust and defensiveness.
Re:Don't Talk to the Cops
on Saturday May 22, 2010 @09:03PM (#1371443)
I don't see how you could be detained or have your car towed for refusing a search or any requests beyond your name, driver's license, and insurance. Maybe the officer could fabricate a traffic charge, which you could contest. (I'll agree you're likely screwed there - when it comes to traffic infractions you're guilty until proven innocent.) The officer might decide he smells something and force a search which makes you late for an appointment. Unfortunate for sure, and spiteful on the officer's part. But I don't think this reaches the level of martyrdom, and it'd be worth the shot of pride I get from defending my rights (though I understand not everyone would feel that way).
Am I missing something? What else could a cop do that doesn't require documented evidence of wrongdoing? I suppose Chicago-level corruption could wreck your life, and if that's the environment you're in then it's probably best to keep your head down. And take part in local government, or consider moving.
Re:Don't Talk to the Cops
on Saturday May 22, 2010 @08:28PM (#1371365)
The more you say the more that can be twisted against you. "I'm not guilty." -> "Not guilty of what? We haven't accused you of anything. Why are you acting like you've been accused? What exactly are you not guilty of?" And so on.
The response with the smallest attack surface is "No comment."
Re:Don't Talk to the Cops
on Saturday May 22, 2010 @06:53PM (#1371212)
If everyone who is innocent cedes their rights then yeah, asserting your rights will make you look suspicious. So never cede your rights to a cop under any circumstances. That's too important a principle to sacrifice for a more convenient traffic stop.
Re:Ask HN: Too much soap opera news as of late?
on Friday May 21, 2010 @08:19PM (#1369400)
This might be a matter of recent circumstance. iPad release, Apple's new developer guidelines, Gizmodo iPhone scoop, the Facebook privacy hubbub, and Google IO happened one right after the other. We could just be experiencing an uncommonly dense (and hopefully short) sequence of sensational tech news events.
Re:Ask HN: Too much soap opera news as of late?
on Friday May 21, 2010 @07:48PM (#1369345)
Someone mentioned http://www.reddit.com/r/coding/ in a comment a day or two ago. I've been enjoying it.
Edit - I found it in http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1365094 which has a bunch of other suggestions.
Re:Reddit releases fully functional VM with their source code
on Wednesday May 19, 2010 @11:46PM (#1363204)
Hah, I once had a boss wig out when he heard someone mention a "Java VM." He thought we'd done something crazy with VMWare behind his back.
I like that HN gets confused in the other direction.
Re:Are you an Asker or a Guesser?
on Tuesday May 18, 2010 @10:16PM (#1359859)
Re:Plan B - Skip College
on Saturday May 15, 2010 @05:19PM (#1350679)
Or is attending college necessary to earn more because employers hire people with degrees? That's hard to quantify, and you'd have to control for it to get the answer.
Re:Lightweight Living (1999)
on Saturday May 15, 2010 @02:56AM (#1349510)
Twice since 2008 I've left one state for another with all my possessions crammed into my Honda Civic. It's liberating in a way that's hard to explain to someone who doesn't already understand the feeling. I learned what I really valued (apparently some books, my computers and gadgets, and old letters and other mementos). And a car is large enough that there was still plenty of room for junk I didn't need.
Re:Google Voice invites for students
on Friday May 14, 2010 @06:23PM (#1348803)
I'm sure that adds something, but half seems a little high. The invitation tree must be highly valuable information when it comes to fighting spammers.
Re:Work at a Startup
on Thursday May 13, 2010 @09:29PM (#1346255)
I just want to code. I'm okay with the risk and glory going to someone else.