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gatormaxon Paul Graham On Two Kinds of Programmers and Painters

Weenis? Really?

From what I can tell, Mr. Graham, at best, might be wrong about a handful of (evidently fuzzy) facts about painting. I do not see the logical bridge from that to his status as "big ole weenis." That's disappointingly puerile.

gatormaxon Paul Graham On Two Kinds of Programmers and Painters

I would expect that you're correct, given your stint as a professional painter, something Mr. Graham cannot lay claim to. And it doesn't really matter.

The "Hackers and Painters" essay is not about painting, nor the strict similarities between "hacking" and painting. It is about the fact that "hackers" do both design and development. This is different from the conventional notion of product development existing separate from engineering. The painting analogy is merely a (successful) vehicle for communicating this distinction.

I think this is obvious, and I assume you know it. The bitterness in your riposte, especially the invocation of sexual neener-neenerism, perplexes a bit. Perhaps as a painter you take offense to the imperfect use of painting as an analogy. This seems excessive. "Tomate un geniol."

(I am neither a "hacker" nor a painter.)

gatormaxon Linux: Linus Says, Linux Not Designed; It Never Was

Hmmm... idea:

design at the micro-level = hypothesis formulation direction of successful project at macroscopic level = repeated testing and reformulation of hypothesis

in other words, project success is science well applied

gatormaxon Be lucky - it's an easy skill to learn

If the data is valid, I think the article establishes rather well that people who call themselves "lucky" are indeed measurably different from people who call themselves "unlucky." The latter group blew the photo-counting test, for instance.

It is at that point where I would inject your perspective. What other measurable differences are there? Are "lucky" people wealthier? Healthier? Laid more? Etc.

Then there's the matter of training people for greater "luck." I agree, the article is sketchy here, and I'm not sure of a reliable way to measure an increase in "luck" (unless we assume that the "unlucky" can be expected to flunk the photo count indefinitely).

In essence, I think the article is 1/3 of the way there. True, "lucky" people differ from "unlucky" people. So let's figure out if they differ in ways that we care about, and if we can make "unlucky" people become "lucky." Then we'll have something.

gatormaxon Get Out of My Building

Reductio ad absurdum and you know it.

Emotions have no bearing on correctness, but they do have tremendous bearing on actions. Mastery of the former begets knowledge, whilst mastery of the latter begets results.

gatormaxon The Real Cause of Obesity: It's not gluttony. It's genetics.

Also: exercise.

gatormaxon Ask HN: Asking for a raise

Well said. There isn't really a universal answer to this sort of question, so it's good that the submitter included the particulars. Incidentally, this is an example of the benefit of having well developed business and social sense --- those "soft skills" which I would recommend cultivating.

gatormaxon Why are artists poor?

"The principle of revealed preference." If he's not buying it, he's not really valuing it. Like the old joke about two economists who walk past a porsche. One remarks that he'd give anything to own that car --- the other responds, "Clearly not."

gatormaxon Something was wrong. It seemed I had angered the techno libertarians.

I think the point being made here is not that communism or any other system is better than capitalism, but that diligence and loyalty are socially exalted but economic rewards flow more towards opportunists and rent-seekers.

Quote of the day.

gatormaxon Business Advice Plagued by Survivor Bias

I wish it was still on the front page. Understanding bias is, in my book, key, key, key to an effective understanding (and navigation) of reality.

gatormaxon Microsoft’s Long, Slow Decline

Rare is the market event with a single possible explanation. If this is not obvious, here are some examples:

Microsoft's Revenue Drop

* PC buyers care about their computers less than Apple buyers, so in a global economic downturn, they cut back on new computer purchases moreso than Apple buyers

* PC buyers are waiting on Windows 7 (mentioned in passing by Gruber)

* PC buyers feel higher levels of satisfaction with their computers than in previous years, and feel an unusually low need to upgrade

* PC buyers have consolidated their personal inventory, perhaps owning only a single laptop (maybe work issued) as opposed to a laptop and a desktop

* Microsoft is not attracting first-time computer buyers as much as in previous years

* PC buyers are switching to Apple

Apple's Growth in >$1,000 Sales

* There are fewer PC competitors in the market

* PC buyers feel that equal or greater value is achieved in the <$1,000 market

* The >$1,000 market has contracted around Apple

* Apple is attracting more first time computer buyers than in previous years

* PC buyers are switching to Apple

I don't know how probably true these explanations are, before or after reading Gruber's article.

gatormaxon Microsoft’s Long, Slow Decline

I agree, there are some nuggets in here. But I think it's more written for people who want to see why Microsoft is declining than for people who want to see if Microsoft is declining. It doesn't seriously entertain alternative explanations for Microsoft's revenue dip and Apple's >$1,000-market surge, and in turn, I have a hard time seriously entertaining Gruber's thesis.

gatormaxon Linus: "Microsoft Hatred Is a Disease"

Does John Carmack count as a real programmer?

gatormaxon Why a woman's attractiveness acts as a repellent, explained using probability.

As far as sexual market value goes, women in their late 20's and early 30's can't compete with those in their late teens and early 20's. Personal preferences aside, this is how the cookie crumbles. A woman's attractiveness marches in near lockstep with her fertility, and that begins to decline precipitously in her late 20's.

I bet your friends didn't have anywhere near as much trouble finding dates a decade ago.

gatormaxon [dead]

When I first read this article --- and that was quite a while ago --- it was fuel for the fire of my false identity. I considered myself a hacker, a nerd, a geek, a genius --- I didn't care for "normal" people, and didn't care about their opinions of me. In fact, being a loner just solidified my geek cred.

Being a false identity, this made me miserable and greatly impaired me --- and as I have discovered my naturally gregarious self, my happiness and performance have skyrocketed. Now, the intent of this article is a defense of people with non-neurotypical neural patterns, and I think there is a lot of merit in that. But I worry about somebody misapplying the message as I did (and suffering therefore). So please, if you feel this article fueling a fire within you, I beseech you to take a few steps back. Creating a business that does something great for humanity does not require geek cred.