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dommer

71 karma · joined September 30, 2015

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dommer··on Targeted Bets: An alternative approach to the job hunt
If you can’t find a job, make a job. Sounds reasonable but fraught with risk.

Having been in the software industry for 30 years I feel the need to provide some balance and context to your advice. YMMV

Getting a startup to even survival level money takes incredible effort, skill, and time.

Outside of those, luck is by far the most important aspect. Which is out of your control.

You have to fight and beat dozens of biases and fallacies. Here is a small sample…

Survivorship bias — focusing on visible winners, ignoring the many failures Outcome bias — judging decisions by results rather than decision quality Availability bias — overweighting memorable success stories Publication bias — only successes get written about or promoted Narrative fallacy — inventing clean stories after the fact

Please ignore the one-shot-bro-influencers who have a fool proof recipe for making 10MMR with Ralph mode. If they are real they have hit luck not execution.

As hard as it is getting a job. The massive amount of work and time it will take. Building a network via proof of work [side projects] and hitting only your archetype with applications is still far more valuable for landing a role. With, and this is key, much higher levels of success than startups.

dommer··on Volkswagen Brings Back Physical Buttons
Good, smart, and so needed. That said, I'm not forgiving them for the diesel emissions scandal.
dommer··on India orders smartphone makers to preload state-owned cyber safety app
We’re basically seeing this story through media summaries and Richelieu-Booth’s own account, which means the narrative reflects either what he says happened or brief police statements. There’s very little publicly available that allows anyone to independently confirm or contradict either side.

Stories like this are designed to provoke a reaction, but the truth could be far more mundane: he might be a completely unreasonable person who was genuinely stalking someone, and police might have had credible concerns. We simply don’t have the full picture.

For balance, West Yorkshire Police do have a reputation for being heavy handed. the same force that used drones during Covid to shame people walking alone on the moors.

My point is: this isn’t solid evidence of Orwellian decline. It’s difficult to draw sweeping conclusions about Britain from a single case built on incomplete information and media amplification.

dommer··on 4Chan Lawyer publishes Ofcom correspondence
Perhaps the terms import and export aren’t suitable for internet content? Perhaps new terms with legal implications are needed for internet age?
dommer··on Are touchscreens in cars dangerous?
The report seems focused more on crash rates, accident involvement, rates with Autopilot / Full Self-Driving vs without, and active/passive safety systems. Has zero insight into touchscreen and their safety issues. Also from the car manufacturer not independent and isn’t without bias.
dommer··on Slack has raised our charges by $195k per year
For changes of this size, to any client, grace and care is the well trodden path. The only case where this isn't the route is when you don't want that customer, or where you can no longer afford that customer. Does it seem like the cost of AI on everything is coming home to roost?
dommer··on Show HN: I built a text-based birthday reminder app
Reading the comments looks like I’m not the only one who thought on similar lines.
dommer··on Show HN: I built a text-based birthday reminder app
I’ve had this idea in my little book of ideas for almost a decade. Great effort getting this up and running.
dommer··on Google is making AI in Gmail and Docs free, but raising the price of Workspace
Is it just me or is this title a clear contradiction? Free but increases price? Do they mean now included in your cost…which is increasing? Doesn’t have the magic marketing power I suppose.
dommer··on What is a second?
So where does that leave all those incredibly expensive watches that boast accuracy?
dommer··on Ask HN: Tips for hacking a TV?
Me too. I was about 8 when I took my TV apart and brushed my arm against that capacitor. Packed a wallop, and kept my arm in a ridged state for a bit.
dommer··on The Marshmallow Test does not reliably predict adult functioning
https://www.bps.org.uk/research-digest/ten-famous-psychology...

Tricky subject by all accounts

dommer··on Why is it so hard to share links on LinkedIn?
Just a continuation of internet companies breaking open standards.
dommer··on Show HN: I built a site to share code boilerplates
I see people have already worked out the rude word stacks.
dommer··on Web Scraping in Python – The Complete Guide
+1 Interested in this area as well.
dommer··on Indian government moves to ban ProtonMail after bomb threat
What an ad for ProtonMail - Governments cannot track you.
dommer··on Improving deep sleep may prevent dementia, study finds
Stay away from 23andme if you have any privacy concerns. I've worked with providers of DNA insights and advice that don't build their revenue model on selling your data. For example DNAPal.me
dommer··on Tell HN: Reminder that your LinkedIn profile is fully visible to site members
Slightly related. Visible.cx has a free service that reports what an AI would report on your linked in profile.

If anyone is interested in seeing their report sign up: https://www.visible.cx/?r=domini996z

[Full Transparency, that link has my referral id so I can get early access. Drop the query section if you want.]

dommer··on Longitudinal study on the relationship between childhood maltreatment and ADHD
The title could have been worded better.
dommer··on Email proves Microsoft's Activision bid is designed to eliminate Playstation
Fair point. I meant no disrespect to those making a `honest` living. A vast difference between the 100m of sole proprietors of the world and the LLC.
dommer··on Email proves Microsoft's Activision bid is designed to eliminate Playstation
I'm sure that is the modus operandi for any business. That is, to find ways to give the business an advantage over any competition...and hopefully put them out of business in the process. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
dommer··on ‘Catch Me If You Can’ conman lied about his lifetime of lies
I believe Steve Jobs hate the idea of turning the iPod into a phone. Rejected the idea from his smartest people for a long time.
dommer··on CBS Shuts Down Stage 9, a Fan-Made Recreation of the USS Enterprise
Sounds a like a real shame, lots of faithful energy put to good quality work.

Perhaps this is more about projected issues than this specific work. Law is based off the precedence of previous cases. If this project is allowed to continue other future projects may get legal precedence to continue, and those future projects may damage the brand or the profitability of the IP.

dommer··on StreetLend.com shuts down, citing GDPR regulations
I tend to agree, seems a little sour. (and now I'm sounding a little judgy)

https://www.borroclub.co.uk is managing (so far) to compile to GDPR.

dommer··on StreetLend.com shuts down, citing GDPR regulations
Seems a little angry, sour, and conspiracy-esque. But 20 Mill is some dark cloud.

GDPR hasn't effect https://www.borroclub.co.uk/ So seems like it is possible to have a sharing website and not violate GDPR

dommer··on Introducing unlimited private repositories
I'm not directly comparing, only highlighting the step issue.

To me, give a per user or private repo cost. Allow the customer to choose between user or repo model, each addition costs a single fixed unit. Simple!

dommer··on Introducing unlimited private repositories
I didn't say you did. Well, I don't think I did. Either way, we agree it wasn't disingenuous. I'd also agree this change won't be beneficial to all.

And GitHub is also allowing everyone to make a choice. "...you'll have at least 12 months notice before any mandated change to your plan."

dommer··on Introducing unlimited private repositories
"loosing credibility" is subjective in this case. Some orgs/people will be better off, some won't.

I recall GitHub doing some extensive research on what their customer based wanted. This is most likely the outcome of that research.

If I were to migration our org. over we would be worse off. Even with that I don't think this move is disingenuous. Poorly thought through perhaps?

dommer··on Introducing unlimited private repositories
Isn't that one of the points of marketing: Highlight issues as a positives to decrease their impact to sales?

ps. No pricing model will suit every org. The current model based on repo numbers has horrid steps which make no sense. eg. 125to300 private repos = $200to$450 cost. So if you need 126 repos you pay more than twice as much for that extra 1 repo. That makes little sense to me.

dommer··on When It Comes to Age Bias, Tech Companies Don’t Even Bother to Lie
If a company looks like it would hire based on age, best to look elsewhere and put it down to "their loss."

There are, I believe, many companies that do hire responsibly.

Disclosure. [mid 40s; with children;]

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