bloomshed

Facemash makes more sense I think I was misled by another comment I read, thanks.

To an uneducated observer (that would be me and I cautiously assume most of the girls being compared on Facemash back then) girls were being evaluated on their physical appearance. That is not a noble pursuit.

I completely agree with you about the motives of the characters in the movie being ultimately for the movie. I think a lot of people in this discussion are reading way too much into Sorkin and Zuckerberg.

Anyone who seriously thinks Zuckerberg made facebook because he got dumped by a girl doesn't deserve acknowledgment. It was a mistake for Zuckerberg to even bring this up.

I feel like Zuckerberg is understandably defensive about the way he was portrayed in the movie. It would freak anyone out to see their character faults displayed and magnified and exploited to drive much of the dramatic content in a full length feature film. The Newark donation, the response in the interviews, it all comes off as defensive to me.

Zuckerberg is a lot of great things but in my opinion he's not entirely aware of how his actions are perceived by others. By that I mean he doesn't seem honest. He says he came out to Stanford in the summer "just to hang out." Why can't he say, "I wanted to build facebook and they have great programmers out here. The weather also kicks ass."? It's hard to believe him sometimes.

The movie claims that Zuckerberg created the primordial version of facebook after getting dumped and subsequently drunk. He stole a bunch of images and created a "hot or not" thing called FaceSmash. This supposedly set him on the path towards creating facebook.

The weakest part of the whole film was at the end when it shows Zuckerberg alone, pitiful, refreshing his facebook page hoping his long lost ex would be his "friend" on facebook. I'm one of those people who feels insulted when filmmakers pull overt, lazy stunts like that.

Sorkin hates the idea of facebook. He thinks the whole idea of a social network is a lie and he may be right. He thinks people who use facebook are wasting their time. I saw that on Colbert I think.

I applaud Sorkin's candor. Not too many people say what they think these days, but I felt like he was insulting the audience with that last scene, saying, essentially, "You people do this too, and you're pitiful." He didn't have to show us what was on Zuckerberg's screen. Most people could have guessed what he was doing without seeing the screen. Sorkin decided to show the screen so people would have no doubts about what was happening. I'm reasonably certain Zuckerberg was not actually doing that during his deposition.

This guy is saying that schools don't want parents to know what goes on in their classrooms?

I have a feeling that every single principal and teacher who is worth a damn in America would disagree with him.

I also feel like the LA Times spending tons of money chasing a story that has what they essentially admitted to being a limited slice of information regarding teacher efficacy wouldn't happen if the LA Times was doing well financially. I assume they're scrambling to stay alive just like all other newspapers. . .

>"With a direct relationship between teacher quality and student achievement, the fact that our teacher pool is shrinking will surely undermine other attempts, policy-wise or grassroots, to realize positive reform in education. No amount of money or measures of accountability can counter the harmful effects of teaching position vacancies."

Exactly. This happened to me. I was teaching in an inner city school when myself and 491 other teachers were removed from our classrooms and shuffled around because tax revenues were down last year because the economy sucked. I was left out of the shuffle because I didn't have the seniority to get reassigned.

I want to put forth my idea of "teacher quality" to give people an idea about what I think should be discussed:

"Quality" teachers create an environment in which students feel safe and supported in their learning. Experienced teachers who have tried and failed many times learn how to create and maintain this supportive environment. "Teacher quality" isn't about academic achievement or intellectual capacity of teachers, it's about their ability to set up an environment for students to learn and then guide and challenge students to grow.

I'm saying that increasing the average IQ or SAT/ACT scores of teachers won't make schools better unless those new teachers have the strategies and emotional strength it takes to sustain a learning environment for students.

The program I went through did a horrible job of training us how to create a learning environment. The sentiment was "Oh, it's different for everyone, you'll figure it out." That's a wildly ignorant strategy for implementing the most important part of a classroom.

In the process of trying to formulate a witty response to your comment, the song "Rich Girl" by Gwen Stefani popped into my head. I think that's a sign that I should just move on.

I could say something immature about your mother but I'm sure she's a great lady and I can't afford to lose any karma points because I barely have any to start with.

My idea is better than me. I'm just trying not to mess it up. I don't have all the answers and I need a lot of help. I think San Francisco is the best place for me to find a lot of help. Unless someone reading this is from Milwaukee and wants to help. The Cubs suck! Hit me up!

My project is using jQuery right now but I don't know how scalable it will be long term. Are large volumes of users a concern with jQ? - - - - - - - - -

Forgive my elementary level question. I'm not a programmer, I'm just trying to learn about what my contracted coder is doing.

I think a little bit of pee came out. . .

Great article. . .

One of the questions from the bottom of the article: What needs to be taught in that 'teachable moment'?

I would say that learning to find solutions constructively with good outcomes is the most important skill an entrepreneur can learn because that's why they are entrepreneurs in the first place.

I think the process of finding solutions is important and exhilarating to entrepreneurs. Solving problems and making it through crises are almost physiologically addicting.

As a teacher I find myself easily bored with routine and constantly redesigning my lessons or approaches to problems with students. Some of that tinkering results in great solutions, other aspects of constant adjustment are not good for a classroom and a lot of stress results. With experience I'm learning to pick my spots for trying new things, but the thing I like best about teaching is finding new ways to help kids learn. I love to make new things happen.

My current strategy is to build a demo, work to find angel investors, keep expanding the demo, keep expanding investment and go from there.

There seems to be a lot of discussion of "my value," I'm pretty sure valuable people have made good and bad products just like "lesser-valuable(?)" people have also made good and bad products.

I have experience and training in sales if you count selling lumber as sales experience. I've got a marketing friend I've consulted with quite a bit on this project.

My big issue is time. The window of opportunity is closing and my concept is not rocket science. I'm trying to get into the market first.

Forgive me for my bull-in-the-china-shop approach. I get wound up sometimes because I lack experience and expertise. I'm trying to communicate my passion and willingness to work with whoever is willing to make my vision happen. Sometimes I get heavy handed. Can't say it won't happen again. Let's begin:

What’s my vision and why am I here annoying people on HN?

I have an idea for a mainstream social network in the vein of Twitter and/or Facebook, my vision is clear and the market for what I want to do is currently open. I feel like I have to act quickly, and YC would be a great fit for me. I'm pushing hard to let the selection committee know what I'm about.

What is my experience that shapes my attitude toward creating great things?

Everything I’ve read or seen tells me that there is no place for doubt in the foundations of an attempt of something. Mother Theresa didn’t doubt that she was supposed to go to Calcutta for the first few years as she established herself there. Her doubts came later in life but she had accomplished amazing things through her refusal to allow fear to prevent her from being successful. I’m sure there are lots of different ways to accomplish things, I guess I was just thinking in general terms and I was trying to express most accurately how I felt.

What do I bring to the table besides the vision?

I have a passion, a willingness to listen, and an open perspective. I also think I'm smart, good looking, funny, and I smell good, if that helps at all. Examples of my so called passion: I started a company, raised a small amount of money from my family, designed wireframes and product specs, and contracted with freelance developers to build a demo of the site. My first demo should be done by the end of this week, according to my developer.

In my experience, why is saying all of that hyperbolic crap a good idea?

My use of “meaningless platitudes and danger signs” sounded good to me because I see, hear, and read a lot of that type of stuff from tech guys. Take Ron Conway and Mark Zuckerberg at the YC Startup School for example. If somebody came up to you and said, "I'm working on something that hasn't been done before," you would say, "Thanks so much for that useless information." Then if that person turns out to be Zuckerberg, you'd say, as Conway did, "I remember when Zuckerberg said to me, 'We're going to build something that hasn't been done before.' He had such a clear vision of what he was going to do."

These ideas I have and my statements on what I bring to the table are completely and hilariously true. I can't put them any other way. It sounds dumb to say "I'm going to build the next Twitter," so I try to avoid doing it. The only problem is, I believe I can so I have a hard time containing myself when I get started discussing it.

I try to bring a healthy perspective to my ambitions but it's hard to convince people that I'm serious because everyone I’ve met in the tech community seems to have an attitude of skepticism. So when I say things like,

"I've got something big here. I need a lot of help to make it work will you help me?,"

instead of people responding with,

"Tell me more about what your idea is,"

I get a lot of,

"It’s too big. Do you really think you can pull this off?"

My response to that question is: “I know it’s big, I know it’s a long-shot, but it’s so cheap to try and the result could be amazing.”

At that point the skeptic says or thinks: “A lot of stuff could be amazing. Who cares?”

The optimist says: “Thumbs up! Let’s do this!”

For me, the issue should be about the product, not about who I am or what my skills and experiences are. It’s convenient of me to feel this way because on paper I am completely unqualified to make this happen. That’s why my constant refrain is, “Who wants to help make it real?” It’s going to take a village.

I'm hungry to bring people into the project who share a passion for my vision. I'm on my own right now and that's not good from YC’s (or my own) perspective. It's hard to find cofounders in Milwaukee. Maybe I haven’t tried enough to meet people, but the Winter Session is here, so I have to work with what I’ve got. I've had help from a lot of people but too many of them are tied up with other things. I can't make this project happen on my own. YC would accelerate the process of helping me find the right people to make it real.

All of this stuff sounds like a lot of hot air until it happens. I'm trying to get YC to help me make it happen.

The first step for me, as an untrained bootleg marketer, is to identify the functions of your product.

Second step, identify simple words that explain the function of your product.

Third step, identify the context in which you would most like your product to be perceived in by your customers (techno, natural, family, pet, baby, rockstar, sports, etc.)

Fourth step, combine functional descriptions and the idea you've identified as your ideal context to communicate your product into a solid group of names.

Step five, look at your competition. Analyze the name and contexts of their brand IDs. Don't emulate them in most cases.

Step six, combine steps 1-5 into a name that does three things: communicates your products major functions, identifies the brand ID context that fits best for your customers, differentiates itself from existing competition. A good method for doing this is to google search every potential idea. If it has a lot of results, move on, the name is played out.

Oh, yeah, step seven: Emotionally prepare yourself to defend whatever you decide is the best name for your product against all the random haters you tell your name to.

It only took me 4 days of obsessive, painful, brainstorming to develop the branding for my company and product! It was not enjoyable by any stretch and I still have insecurities about them but deep down, I believe in the brand IDs I have. I think you'll always have second thoughts but many great brand IDs are pretty terrible: IBM, Shell, Facebook, Reebok (are you kidding me?), etc.

I'm glad for the huge disconnect between techies and actual people. It makes it possible for the development of new ideas to connect with mainstream users. If techs understood mainstream people I wouldn't be on this site right now. Why do I feel Palinish? Ugh. . . too bad it's true.

Perspective Time: Being an expert means you are capable of a lot, it's great for sure, but it doesn't mean you're smart or have all the answers. Let's not be mad at each other, it's all good.

Working within the timeframe of the current rate of development in web apps, I'm not the "business person" in my operation because I don't have the time or experience to accomplish what is listed above. I'm the "vision person", I need a developer to make my vision real in the form of an alpha version of the site, then I need a "business person" to come in and connect the dots for the investors to make the thing real.

I need a lot of help for sure but my hand is open, I know I can't do this on my own. I haven't found the people to fill the roles I need through my limited professional network.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I'm working on the connections listed in #1 by networking with local developers and applying to the YC winter session.

#2 is a big jump for me without a working demo which I'm currently contracting and developing. 14K name mailing list? Yikes, I need an expert for that one.

I've attempted #3 already but it's not efficient to design things and then not being able to pay for the coding of all the stuff I design.

I need cofounders who have the time, energy, and value system to take my vision and run with it and make it real.

I know I sound like a kid writing a letter to Santa but I know that someone is willing to pursue a dream. I just have to find them.

In my experience, people who have an attitude of doubt or want a guarantee of quick returns immediately disqualify themselves from achieving something earth shattering. You've heard it all before I'm sure, and that's the problem. My project is a long term long shot. It's not for everybody.

I'm just being honest. If I could code like Zuckerberg, I wouldn't have to annoy developers so much.

What do I bring to the table? Something that hasn't been done before coupled with an understanding that I don't have all the answers, other people who are experts in their particular areas have value to contribute, and I don't care what has to happen to make my vision real as long as my vision doesn't get corrupted or sold short.

What is my supposed "vision"? It's not something I toss around in forums. I don't care what the folks at the YC Startup Forum talked about this year, if people are just throwing around ideas with no strings, they're being reckless because they have nothing to gain from their ideas being ripped off. I have bills to pay.

I think the point about how an app needs to do one thing well is becoming outdated because there are too many functions people are doing to spend time jumping from app to app. People probably only have time to really use about 3 or 4 apps in a regular day.

Please understand that I'm only making a wild conjecture based on my experience with end users in the real world, not any sort of data based claim.

My point is, at some point apps get too specific because people are using the social web for more than 4 or 5 functions. Skipping between 4-6 social apps is confusing and exhausting for me personally and, I suspect, most users.

photos - Facebook keeps expanding its capacity in this area. I suspect that Flickr is mostly being buoyed by it's current community of users.

video - Youtube is the workhorse in this area, Vimeo is the smooth luxurious sedan that keeps all the crap out. Basically these networks are hosters, not viable mainstream social networks.

email - Gmail killed this. Google wins. Move on to next function.

broadcast of one's thoughts/links to one's friends- Twitter/Facebook haven't quite settled who will win this one. I suspect Facebook will even though it's becoming quite played out.

all other blog related functions - most people don't blog. all other services that help blogs are natural products of services demanded by bloggers. until blogging becomes more prevalent, demand for these services will not grow. I don't see demand growing for content sharing services. I barely know what I'm talking about so don't take me seriously.

I'm working on something different to appeal to mainstream users who are not bloggers. I don't want to share what it is until you sign a form and submit a blood sample.

I need a cofounder in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. I have a vision but I can't code. I'm looking to bring in a developer looking for a big project. Let's discuss.

For any recent applicants to YC, how much does your expectation of contributing to the forum affect the comments and tenor of your posting?

If I were to answer my own question, I would say that I probably focus more energy than I should on sounding more insightful than I normally am and I get frustrated with a lot of the inane types of discussions such as: "What does it mean to be a successful tycoon who conquers the world and what's wrong with people who aren't successful tycoons who take over the world?"

As someone who has spent three years working with kids who grow up in economically disadvantaged situations, I have to say that it takes more than parental encouragement and talent to be able to qualify and successfully complete a high level academic degree. There are so many obstacles for kids growing up in economically depressed areas. Anyone who survives the environment of growing up very very poor is ten times more valuable as a member of society over someone who was "legacied" into a university.

When people like the Obamas or any of the other successful people who grew up in disadvantaged situations actually make it, they inspire many more people who are currently struggling to keep fighting until they accomplish their dreams.

A big motivator for me to get off my couch and chase my dream was because of my experiences working with these kids. Many of them are so talented and work so hard in spite of the difficulties they face. It made me realize that I had no excuse to just sit by and watch somebody else build my idea.

I'm glad to see these responses, this forum moves so fast I thought I could have been lost in the shuffle. A big thanks to both of you for taking some time to help me out!

Each time I get into something new it's so important for me to learn the language of that area. Sometimes it takes a while to really be able to understand and operate within a new system.

I'll keep my eyes open and do the best I can.

I think what you're getting at is that a willingness to sacrifice in order to achieve a goal is essential to achieving that goal. All greatness has a cost, of course. There are literally not enough hours in the day to have a normal life and achieve amazing things.

My feeling on the idea of greatness is that we need to keep things in perspective. There's nothing wrong with a person who doesn't want to risk their family's well being to pursue their dream. We all choose our path based on the cards we're dealt. Some people decide to go all in over and over until they get it right. If you've got a good hand, by all means go for it.