Hacker News Reader

Sgt_Aponeon Ticketmaster recruits pros for secret scalper program

I really like that they add supplementary and primary source documents. Seems like something that more news organizations should do.

Sgt_Aponeon Where in the World Is Larry Page?

It mentions that several times.

>In the 1990s he was diagnosed with vocal cord paralysis, a nerve condition that eventually has made it difficult for him to speak above a hoarse whisper. “Sergey says I’m probably a better CEO because I choose my words more carefully,” Page wrote in a Google+ post in 2013, the same year he stopped joining earnings calls.

Sgt_Aponeon Ex-SolarCity employees: We were fired after reporting millions in fake sales

>It's... Weird to suggest that it's abnormal to be responsive to press within 24 hours for a company as big as Tesla.

Exactly. It's laughable to suggest that the entire Tesla communications department doesn't check email on Sundays, let alone on Monday, another day in which they also had to draft a response.

Sgt_Aponeon Ex-SolarCity employees: We were fired after reporting millions in fake sales

So, while it's public information, they shouldn't report the names because most people won't read it? I'm not sure I follow.

Sgt_Aponeon Ex-SolarCity employees: We were fired after reporting millions in fake sales

This tactic allegedly resulted, this person said, in tens or hundreds of millions of dollars in phantom revenue. He added that more than a dozen people reported the practice to the relevant human resources representatives, and CEO Elon Musk himself, who never replied.

So employees were pumping up projected sales figures for (at least) personal benefit in the form of bonuses. What happens when these figures don't materialize?

Sgt_Aponeon Firefox 61.0 Released

Can confirm. If you have the dark theme applied, it applies to the new tab if you have it set as Firefox Home.

Sgt_Aponeon Multiple OS Vendors Release Security Patches After Misinterpreting Intel Docs

I have no doubt that the complexity adds to the difficulty of documenting it. But, I still think the documentation is failing when people across the industry who should be able to parse this complexity are unable to. Complexity just isn't an excuse for broadly misunderstood documentation in my opinion.

Sgt_Aponeon Multiple OS Vendors Release Security Patches After Misinterpreting Intel Docs

Speaking as a technical writer, if that many vendors misinterpreted the documentation then it was the fault of the documentation.

Sgt_Aponeon Google gives up on Google Allo

The Ars piece is much better researched than the one written by The Verge. In the latter case they seem to make it like RCS is a wholly Google project when its in fact a GSMA thing with several RCS solution providers.

Sgt_Aponeon Nissan Finance Canada Suffers a Data Breach

Over 1.1 Million possibly affected and they dump this just before the holidays when people are not paying attention. It's beyond time there were actual penalties for this kind negligence.

Sgt_Aponeon iPhone X

Someone has already built a measuring tape app out of this thing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQpEWv9_6Cg. Not exactly mapping as you're describing, but it's an interesting use case.

Sgt_Aponeon Trump administration has plan to scrap ‘startup visa’ rule

That actually didn't happen. http://globalnews.ca/news/3340159/donald-trump-angela-merkel...

Sgt_Aponeon Show HN: Version Control for Microsoft Word

This point is huge. I'm a technical writer for a large conglomerate, but often get pulled into drafting or contributing to business documentation that is all created in Word. These things have to cross the desks of over a dozen different people spread across three continents so versioning is painful and it's often left to me to put everything back together. I need this product, but there is no way we can put sensitive sales and IP details onto some random cloud service.

Make this a standalone product and it's a no-brainer that can command an enterprise price point.

Sgt_Aponeon DeepBreath: Preventing angry emails with machine learning

Agreed on its own, but I would consider the personality sending it. A manager I worked with sent emails that sounded like Data trying to parse human communication and often seemed condescending, but in person, the guy was very affable. Turns out he is just a poor communicator through text. If I got the above message from a someone in another division, I would think he was being condescending on purpose.

Sgt_Aponeon CIA wanted a way to copy 3.5“ floppy disks ”in a covert manner“ in 2013

Hell, there's plenty of industrial equipment in the 1st world that still does. This doesn't surprise me at all.

Sgt_Aponeon US Customs block Canadian man after reading his Scruff profile

I remember those days. You didn't need a passport to cross and half the time you got waved through because you knew the border guard by name.

Sgt_Aponeon The Wall Street Journal to Close Google Loophole Entirely

NY Times digital subscriptions have soared over the past few months and right now they apparently have 1.6 million digital subscribers.[1] Though, revenue is still down as their print advertising income continues to contract.

1 - https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/02/business/media/new-york-t...

Sgt_Aponeon Time to Take a Stand

The ban itself isn't relevant to it supposed goal.

Between 1975 through 2015, 17 foreign-born folks from these nations were convicted of carrying out or attempting to carry out a terrorist attack on U.S. soil and they killed zero people. Zero Libyans or Syrians intended to carry out an attack on U.S. soil during this time.[1]

It's all bullshit.

[1] - https://www.cato.org/blog/guide-trumps-executive-order-limit...

Sgt_Aponeon George Orwell’s 1984 is currently the top selling book on Amazon

You can watch the full timelapse PBS compiled that shows from start to end of the inauguration[1]. It's nowhere near the numbers they were trying to suggest.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdantUf5tXg

Sgt_Aponeon WhatsApp backdoor allows snooping on encrypted messages

Messages and media backed up to Google Drive are "not protected by WhatsApp end-to-end encryption while in Google Drive" according the app.

Sgt_Aponeon Car allergic to vanilla ice cream (2000)

Pretty sure it's just meant to be a parable.

Sgt_Aponeon Renewing Medium’s focus

> - AirBnB: a lot of money is spent on fighting regulations - but elections are every 4 years and regulators will change...

AirBnB have gotten stuck in some real regulatory problems worldwide that are going to manifest themselves this year. In London alone they could make $400m less than was expected. I don't see it ending well.

Sgt_Aponeon The Middle Class Can't Afford to Live in Cities Anymore

Exactly. Canada is very diverse and there are plenty of music scenes, symphonies, and other culture centers outside of Vancouver and Toronto. It's like saying the only good places to enjoy culture in the US are New York and LA.

Sgt_Aponeon In 2017, I’m going to stop watching the news

I've found that the solution is somewhat in middle. Burying your head in the sand and pretending everything is grand just makes you ignorant. On the other hand, consuming news everyday is a depressing affair that can warp your worldview in the opposite direction. Personally, I just consume national and international news once a week through more traditional magazines and journals. This usually means I get full reporting on events after they have unfolded and I avoid the hearsay and rumours that cable news loves. The analysis is usually top notch as well.

I consume local news daily as local issues tend to affect me more directly, but I don't find it nearly as bad as the internet's daily quest to find the most gruesome national or international news story to spew everywhere. Also avoiding news subreddits and comments sections is key. I like Hacker News because the dialogue is usually pretty good and it's mostly about industry news.

Sgt_Aponeon The strange effects of thinking healthy food is costlier

My vet told us to alternate between wet and dry servings. Cats are designed to get water from their meals and it helps for cats that don't like to drink water on their own. Dry food helps with their dental hygiene like you said though. Nutritionally I think they're more or less the same.

Sgt_Aponeon One More Sign World Is Shrinking – eBay Is for Suckers

I imagine it could work its way to collections eventually, but I'm not sure.

Sgt_Aponeon Married to someone with anxiety

That's good that you've reached out. I hope you work through it all for the better. I know it's easier said than done, but just remember to take care of yourself in whatever way that you can. Your wellbeing is always worth fighting for.

Sgt_Aponeon Married to someone with anxiety

> I don't think I can handle this much more to the point I'm getting depressed as well (suicide thoughts)

I'd strongly suggest telling someone how you are feeling if you have not already. I've been there myself where my significant other was having physical health issues and I was just spent emotionally, physically and financially. That discussion with my spouse and family was a big turning point for all of us for the better.

Sgt_Aponeon Married to someone with anxiety

>But a depressed person often is a negative person, and moods can spread.

That's pretty stereotypical. The happiest people on the outside can hide some pretty dark clouds on the inside; especially in a work environment where outward appearances are important. In fact, I would suggest that the majority that are depressed don't show any outwards signs to working colleagues.

Sgt_Aponeon U.S. Citizens Now Hold About $1.3 Trillion in Student Loan Debt

>Give some sort of limit - 10/20/30 years? - and some sort of max% of income - 10%?. If the loan isn't paid off by the end of the limit at a max % of income, then the loan can then be discharged by bankruptcy.

This is how it's more or less handled in Canada. You're able to discharge your student loans through bankruptcy 7 years after you graduated. It prevents abuse, while offering some respite to those who fall into deep financial problems. Seems fair to me.