News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

steve

Ask HN: How do you work faster?

Lately I have been doing some side projects as well as contract work and it seems I'm not really producing code at an efficient rate. For one project I estimated that I could wrap it up in about three weeks, but it ended up taking nearly five.Although my code is "good" (my employers tell me as much), I just wish it didn't take so long. It was the same with mathematics homework in school. I...

( Read More... | 10 comments | 19 points | on HN )
Re:5 things that make your social network monetize like crap on Wednesday September 26, 2007 @09:15PM (#60095)
> Engagement is inversely correlated with CTRs

Which is exactly why more CPA ad systems are needed. That's the best way I see to allow everyone to get their interests in line.

Re:Another reason many startup founders are young - salary on Wednesday September 26, 2007 @02:47AM (#59745)
You could burn yourself out much faster with a $0 salary over a number of years though.
Re:Another reason many startup founders are young - salary on Wednesday September 26, 2007 @02:46AM (#59744)
The risk is higher for younger people.. and yet so many more younger people are successful? Hm.
Re:Another reason many startup founders are young - salary on Tuesday September 25, 2007 @06:08PM (#59582)
and by salary you mean - no family/spouse to support.
Decisions...
Re:Facebook at $10 Billion Valuation, Microsoft to Invest? on Monday September 24, 2007 @11:42PM (#59259)
I disagree. The usage was very different.

Oh, and I upvoted you by accident. Damn.

Re:Facebook at $10 Billion Valuation, Microsoft to Invest? on Monday September 24, 2007 @11:37PM (#59256)
> Most of Myspace's user base (and thus value) was added since the acquisition.

Nah, the hot young promiscuous girls were there from early on.

Re:What class in college did you get the most out of? on Thursday September 20, 2007 @10:34PM (#57775)
Senior project, of course.

Most all of the undergraduate courses focused on analysis. I hated that! Let me design stuff already!

Re:Food Ideas for Startup Guys on Thursday September 20, 2007 @04:29PM (#57582)
Yeah, had girlfriend cook before... but that will never be "for free".

Before that, mom. Now, pre-cooked chicken from the microwave. And beer. Too much beer.

Re:Is email the ultimate social environment? on Thursday September 20, 2007 @04:27PM (#57580)
Depends. Does it serve alcohol?
Re:CMU professor gives his last lesson on life on Thursday September 20, 2007 @02:26AM (#57277)
Think of it this way: you don't have nearly as much to lose as you once thought. On the other hand, you'd better start living a good life now, because while you're alive is all you've got.
Re:CMU professor gives his last lesson on life on Thursday September 20, 2007 @12:39AM (#57250)
Better to live a day as a lion... you know the rest.

Maybe I'm not old enough, maybe it's because I don't have a family, but I'd rather do something few others have done than just lay around with my family until they send me off to the retirement home.

So, I disagree with your position 100%.

Anyone have a link to video of the guy who rides on top of the high speed train shortly before he dies of cancer?

It's bad because those people ONLY plan to work hard, but not work SMART.

It isn't just about building to flipping. They would never start a business at all. There is much more honor in pushing papers around and accomplishing nothing at some huge company than ever actually doing the most you can do.

Re:HOTorNOT Reverses Course On "Reinventing" -- Back to Paid Accounts on Wednesday September 19, 2007 @12:17AM (#56701)
credit card verification?

Sounds like a porn site. That's a terribly unmarketable idea.

Re:HOTorNOT Reverses Course On "Reinventing" -- Back to Paid Accounts on Wednesday September 19, 2007 @12:15AM (#56700)
Unless valleywag changed their post, I see nothing wrong with what they posted there. In fact, the above reply is more inflammatory.

That said, the reversal to a payed model seems fine to me. It even sets a good example for the rest of us who have sites where payed is the way to go for them.

No no no.

Fake profiles are still a huge problem. Facebook handled it early on by severely limiting their audience but that solution simply would not work for hotornot.

You tell me how to effectively solve this without driving your users away... I found some decent solutions but it's not nearly as easy as stopping spam.

Re:How is it that 'Hacker News' still doesn't have search? on Monday September 17, 2007 @08:12PM (#55965)
brand dilution.
Re:Where and how to announce the launch of a website? on Monday September 17, 2007 @05:37PM (#55911)
How is that not exactly what I said?
Re:Where and how to announce the launch of a website? on Monday September 17, 2007 @04:50AM (#55609)
Your blog is very optimistic. You'll need that:)

This is an interesting topic. I'm always trying to learn more about what other people do for publicity. I get really tired of all the bs stories with the founders who claim that they just told some friends and then woke up with ten million users the next day.

Re:Where and how to announce the launch of a website? on Monday September 17, 2007 @04:46AM (#55608)
news.yc is a "social networking" site...

I'd try to lose that buzzword, but the concept of making sites that users can communicate over is still pretty solid.

I don't know, I start to change for the worse when I isolate myself from all people while programming for a very long time. Good thing we have the internet these days.
Interesting, but this is just stupid:

> Here's a tip. If you want to make money, why not offer something of real value to your visitors like a product or service. Provide content that is so good that people will want to pay for it. That's called doing good business.

If sites supported entirely by advertising had no "real value" then people probably wouldn't be using them so much... The commenter has no clue about internet "business."

> Begging people to look at your ads for junk they neither want or need is nothing but ad welfare.

And this is exactly the FAULT of google. It is incredibly counter-productive that publishers cannot directly support the advertised products as is the case with CPC advertising.

"There are strict taboos against money that isn't earned with sweat from the brow"

A relative of mine grew up with many orientals and she too holds this attitude. It seems very strange to me but now at least I know where it came from.

Re:Ventations.com, or, Please use the site I made this weekend on Sunday September 16, 2007 @05:21PM (#55384)
make the message font bigger.

not a bad idea.

Re:Some sex differences that look biological are really cultural on Wednesday September 12, 2007 @08:05PM (#54074)
Inflammatory article that makes many misleading statements.

downvoted. twice.

Re:Some sex differences that look biological are really cultural on Wednesday September 12, 2007 @08:03PM (#54072)
No one is arguing that the bell curves don't overlap.

Re:Dating? Wives? Relationship balance? on Tuesday September 11, 2007 @08:59PM (#53654)
1. Yes

2. Adversely.

3. Balance? What balance? Well mine is in another country until winter. This wasn't exactly by choice though, so the decision itself was easy.

Good luck, and don't do the relationship unless you absolutely have to do it - my advice:)

Re:How to price your web application on Tuesday September 11, 2007 @03:44PM (#53492)
If only I could get users to get out their CC's in the first place.
Re:OK, you've convinced me. I'm coming to join you. on Monday September 10, 2007 @10:49PM (#53132)
Parent speaks the truth. Sadly, I don't think this girl will ever escape my dreams.

Older »