Anon commented on node.js Is VB6 - Does node.js Suck?.
Most of this article is based on false assumptions and things that are outright not true. Since everyone has google, I'm not going to bother explaining why, but, really this article is fiction.That's a common troll response. "You're wrong, but I'm not going to waste time explaining why."
silver commented on Ron Paul's Competing Currencies Proposal - A Simple Way To Reintroduce Gold And Silver As Money.
I truly love your site.. Very nice colors & theme. Did you develop this website yourself?Please reply back as I'm hoping to create my very own site and want to find out where you got this from or what the theme is named. Thanks!
This is the "simplemarket" theme. I also added some custom PHP.
Fellow Traveler commented on State Sanctioned Murder In Florida - Trayvon Martin.
(I am the author.)
FYI, the client software, long term, is meant to be p2p. This is because the wallets need to compare notes on the public mint files from various servers.
There isn't a "central server" per se, although that is the simplest configuration, but we're aiming for a "federated" model, like Diaspora. That is, many servers, many issuers, each server has many currencies, each issuer has issued on many transaction servers, each user has a list of servers and issuers, etc. You can also distribute a currency over many issuers (via baskets.) You can also convert currencies into other currencies (on markets) and you can also exchange on/off of any server using Bitcoins.
OT also features "destruction of account history" meaning that no account history must be stored other than the last signed receipt, yet all parties can prove which instruments are valid and which transactions have closed. This same mechanism also insures that transactions are unforgeable. Even the server cannot change your balance unless it gets your signature first. We are moving into an era of cheap, "low trust" servers that run across multiple jurisdictions and on anonymous networks.
OT also features "chaumian blinding," which is untraceable digital cash.
FYI: I agree with you on Ripple, which is basically an implementation of "credit lines" (forming a payments network.) Some future version of my software will do this also.
I also agree with you on gold and silver.
You should consider, however, that gold and Bitcoin share many properties. Both are scarce yet minable, value-dense, divisible, recognizable, durable, difficult to counterfeit, liquid, useful as a medium of exchange, and so on.
Bitcoin also has the additional properties that it is censorship-resistant, and your funds cannot be frozen or confiscated by any authorities.
While you are correct that Bitcoin is publicly-auditable, keep in mind that anonymity layers can be added vis-a-vis, for example, my own software. Similarly, while Bitcoin itself is not suited for micro-transactions, the blockchain can still function as the reserves for a micro-transaction system which is then processed on a normal transaction server such as OT.
Many things are becoming possible.
Actually, Bitcoin isn't seizure-proof. Here is one example. Police are cracking down on the fiat-to-Bitcoin exchanges, making it hard to transfer State money in and out of Bitcoin.
Also, every Bitcoin client has a copy of every transaction. Police can run a Bitcoin client, and then track every single transaction. If they track every single Bitcoin, they can figure out identities.
Justin commented on Best Buy Problems.
I worked there so I can attest to the fact that Best Buy is a terrible place to be an employee and that is why all the intelligent workers left. They make you work unreasonable hours for no pay, and they expect you to sell their crappy extended warranties. There is no commission so they use intimidation to "convince" you that the customer would be better of with them.
withheld commented on Best Buy Problems.
For a small fee to join Amazon prime you will get free two-day shipping on all fulfilled-by-amazon items - a good portion of what you can buy on Amazon. I don't know how they do it, but it makes going to best buy no longer necessary.
By the way, you should know better than collect information such as email addresses - there is no benefit for you and nothing good can come of it for your readers. Neither should you force people to enable scripts to leave feedback. Before you had control of your server, you were forced to do what they did (although you were a fool enough to buy into the google 'hand over your customer list' campaign known as adwords). Now you have no such excuse. You seem to have a glimmer of understanding, but continue to disappoint me with ongoing foolishness.
You don't have to leave an E-Mail address. It should work if you leave it blank.
I had a comment spam problem, and added the "growmap anti-spam plugin", which eliminated 98% of the comment spam. That requires a script to work.
There is a problem with ordering from Amazon. I don't have anyone to take deliveries for me.
Justin commented on Income Tax Mailing Address?.
"It’s also amusing, that a tax return is an “obeying orders” exercise." Its even more amusing to me that people thing that the money they pay in tax is "used" for public works. They never considered all public spending is financed, the tax only exists to enmesh you in the system, nothing more.
Anonymous Coward commented on George Zimmerman Charged With 2nd Degree Murder.
In the United Kingdom there is a belief that if you call the police, the police will arrest the victims of the crime (source: multiple mainstream media stories).
For example if a group of teenagers terrorizes the occupants of a house over a long period of time and the householders do anything at all to upset the aggressors, the police will arrest the victims or at the least give them a warning.
For example a female model that appears in Marks & Spencer television commercials and posts saw a man in her garden one night-time. She was in her kitchen. She picked up a knife as she was scared. She phoned the police. The police gave her a warning for picking up a knife in her own kitchen!
That's not what happened in the Trayvon Martin murder. George Zimmerman is claiming self-defense, even though he started the confrontation with Trayvon Martin.
Anonymous Coward commented on George Zimmerman Charged With 2nd Degree Murder.
Thank you for your reply. But I understand the situation.
> Trayvon Martin didn’t trust the police.
I was illustrating the lack of trust in the police. A neighbour of ours was having his house burgled and the burglar was still there. He called the police and they refused to come out.
Justin commented on George Zimmerman Charged With 2nd Degree Murder.
FSK they might be doing 2nd degree so they can offer a manslaughter plea, is that possible?
They aren't going to offer a plea, because this is a high-profile trial.
Coward #99 commented on Twitter Vs. Patent Trolls.
From my small experience of using Twitter, I don't think Twitter has done anything of great intellectual merit. Sure lots of people use Twitter. Sure Twitter spotted a hole in the market. Sure Twitter can be useful. Sure Twitter have done well.
But there is nothing of great intellectual merit about the software powering Twitter.
Did Twitter create a new sorting algorithm? Did Twitter create a new kind of database? Did Twitter create a new type of central processing unit? No.
Patents have nothing to do with intellectual merit. Patents are about abusing the legal system and legal extortion.
Twitter needs patents, as a defense if sued. Otherwise, a patent troll would have an easier time shaking down Twitter.
An "obvious software idea" plus some fancy legal arguments equals a patent and a patent lawsuit and a potential loss of millions of dollars.
Justin commented on Twitter Vs. Patent Trolls.
Incorrect.
https://github.com/twitter/snowflake
That is needed only due to other flaws in Twitter's design. For example (userid, seq_id) would be a better system to uniquely identify messages.
Coward #99 commented on Twitter Vs. Patent Trolls.
I looked up your snowflake URL.
You have got to be kidding me! Bull****.
Any software developer could do that in his/her sleep.
Obviously you don't come from a real difficult technology background such as writing compilers or parsers.
Coward #99 commented on Twitter Vs. Patent Trolls.
Off-topic, but addressing FSK's previous comment that Ron Paul isn't going to win.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0qVbVwYo3g&feature=plcp&context=C498bb54VDvjVQa1PpcFMlUJLn_xrY1XIB2pq1Td8ZjAYiPj0nRoU%3D
withheld commented on Twitter Vs. Patent Trolls.
Putting aside the fact that there is no such thing as 'intellectual property'...
Actually it is not that expensive to file a patent. You can do it yourself (if you are neat and smart) for a few hundred dollars, or with an idiot lawyer for a few thousand FRNs and a few frustrating months (if you are good at explaining your idea to a complete moron, a skill you should develop if you want to be an inventor).
The expensive part comes after you have a patent. If someone blatantly steps on your patent, it will cost you about a million FRNs to defend it in court, every time. Assuming your business pulls $10,000,000 per year or more from that patent alone, 10% overhead is another tax. If you are like most wannabees, you are a fool to play this game.
Once again, this is a tool for corporations to keep the little guy out of the game. Don't even think about it. Think small and fast, and when a big corporation steals your idea (you should be so lucky - MOYIAS - most of your ideas are sh*t), have another business ready to deploy.
Another "unique id" that would work is (user_id, timestamp) or (user_id, timestamp, message hash).
Due to stupid system design, Twitter has a "requirement" that each message has a unique ID, and IDs are not assigned sequentially due to massive parallelism.
Twitter at one point was using "Ruby on Rails".
There is one common misconception. By itself, an idea is practically worthless. What matters is execution.
I saw an amusing Craigslist ad today. It said "We have a brilliant idea for a business. We're looking for a programmer to implement our idea. We demand you sign a NDA before we tell you anything about it. We want you to work for us for equity-only (i.e. for free) and be a minority shareholder. Once our business starts generating cashflow, we might decide to start paying you, and then you'll be rich!" There are a couple of huge mistakes. If you have a brilliant idea for a business, it's worth nothing if you don't have technical ability. If you don't have technical ability, it's likely that your idea is stupid. If you make someone sign an NDA for an interview, right away that puts you in the "clueless twit" category. I once saw an NDA that contained a broad non-compete agreement, before they even told me any details of the business! Working for equity-only is stupid. As a minority shareholder, there's too many ways to get cheated.
I can imagine signing their NDA, not working with them, and then getting sued 5 years later when I do something vaguely related to their stupid idea.
Anonymous Coward commented on Where Are The Intelligent Hiring Managers.
I have wondered exactly the same things myself.
During the first 5 or so years of my "career" in software, I could easily get hired.
Now it is so difficult I have given up. All that happens is between 1 - 4 days of my time are wasted in test after test. I do well in the tests. Then I hear nothing back.
Recruiters are stupid scumbags as well that just get in the way.
I work for myself now. Lots of people purchase my software. In fact several companies that won't even hire me, use my software!!!!!
In one classic case, a big famous company put me through about 2 days of tests and interviews. I got all the questions the manager asked me correct. The manager got impatient when I didn't get one answer out fast enough, but that was all. After the manager's interview I had two more interviews, one of which was very difficult.
I didn't get the job. The manager lied about a question I had got correct. On my way back to the airport, 10 new copies of my software had sold.
So it the space of the time it took Microsoft to reject me, 10 other companies had purchased my software.
My advice is to listen to Ennio Morricone's The Platinum Collection Compact Disk #3. It won't change the bad hiring manager sitution, but it will make you feel temporarily better while you listen to it.
no thanks fbi commented on Where Are The Intelligent Hiring Managers.
That's too bad. It would be interesting to know the details. Did you make any good contacts to move forward?
Maybe you should move to the west coast? A change of scenery, different people, different businesses. Plus, you'd live close to me!!
Anonymous Coward commented on Where Are The Intelligent Hiring Managers.
>That’s too bad. It would be interesting to know the details. Did you make any good>contacts to move forward?
I'm not sure if you are commenting on my comment or about the original post by FSK.
I had several interviews that day. One was with the manager of the group. Throughout the interview I got every question asked of me correct. Then at the very end of the interview I was asked another question. After a while of working out on their whiteboard I got the correct answer. I said it out loud.
The manager then said he was in a hurry as he had to interview someone else. He then said the answer to the question out loud, which was just a re-phrased version of what I had just said.
That was it. Nothing more was said of that question.
Then after two more interviews, the recruiter said the manager had called a meeting and that he hadn't been invited, which he seemed annoyed about. He said I hadn't got the job because I failed on the very last question with the manager. I queried this at the time.
Maybe the manager didn't lie. Maybe his concentration lapsed. Maybe he was looking for an answer matching exactly the words for the official answer to the question. Maybe he didn't follow my working.
If I was disqualified for the very last question the manager asked me, then why did I have to have two more interviews and why was my performance in them irrelevant?
This whole thing was dumb, as I had multiple interviews and not getting one question right (in fact I did get it right!) in amongst a large number of interviews is silly.
It seems wrong that the manager should pack the interview jammed packed with questions, then say at the end of it he has to leave quickly and then ignore my correct answer.
But how annoying. Because I had to travel to a foreign country, this episode would have taken up 4 days of my time in total (with preparations etc). Even if you get the questions correct, there is no job at the end of it.
It is wrong to place so much emphasis on technical questioning, when at the end of the day it doesn't matter one damn!
Jason commented on Where Are The Intelligent Hiring Managers.
FSK, I hope you will eventually get serious and at least try to become independent - work as a free lancer etc.
You are afraid of trying but - what do you have to lose? I know several IT people who became independent - and none who failed. They may not be rich but they are free to choose how and how much they work.
You are lucky that you are a programmer as it would be much harder for e.g. a scientist..
My prediction is that your chances to keep any job (where you are owned by a company and most likely not happy anyway) are slim in the current paradigm. There are websites that post jobs for free lancers - go ahead!
You may also find that that way your talent of independent thinking has better chances to become an asset rather than a liability or time bomb.
Right now, getting another wage slave job is my only option.
Longer-term, I'm thinking about starting my own business.