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jonahbon Show HN: Terraform Drift Detection

Hi all, I work at a small company called Corbalt (https://www.corbalt.com), and I wanted to share a project we've been working on — a simple, browser-based tool that scans for Terraform drift. We're looking for folks to kick the tires on an alpha version, so please try it out:

https://www.terraformdriftdetection.com

We've found that scanning for drift (i.e. Terraform config diverging from real resources) helps eliminate unexpected blockers when we're applying changes and gives us confidence that our infrastructure hasn't accidentally — or maliciously — been changed.

Hope you find this useful. Feel free to click the feedback link on the web site or email tdd-feedback@corbalt.com.

jonahbon Facebook's Email-Harvesting Practice Is Under Investigation in N.Y.

The market cares. It had already priced in a fine, possibly one larger than 3B. The reduction in uncertainty -- knowing the magnitude of the fine -- also positively affects the stock price. If the fine were cancelled tomorrow, you can be sure that, all else equal, Facebook's market cap would jump by 3B.

The fines need to be bigger.

jonahbon Uber is dropping rates for drivers down from 80 cents/mile to 60 cents/mile

A world in which business cares about more than just profit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benefit_corporation

jonahbon Addressing Spotify’s Claims

Nobody rages on HN about Sony’s monopoly over games development for the PlayStation

Might be because the App Store is the sole channel. Also, apps are easier to substitute than games, making anti-competitive behavior possible.

jonahbon Daydreaming about the future instead of doing work today

The tone of this post is so superior and dickish I'd rather not listen to the author.

jonahbon Elizabeth Warren Proposes Breaking Up Tech Giants Like Amazon

All I can say is that a lot of people disagree with you. If you're interested in that perspective, a good book is "World Without Mind" by Franklin Foer.

jonahbon Elizabeth Warren Proposes Breaking Up Tech Giants Like Amazon

The thought, clearly expressed in Elizabeth Warren's post, is that Amazon et al are stifling innovation by discouraging entrants and using dominant positions in adjacent industries to crowd out competitors. This isn't a new idea—it's one of the pillars of antitrust.

jonahbon Elizabeth Warren Proposes Breaking Up Tech Giants Like Amazon

I was but a lowly intern when the verdict came down, but I can tell you I heard the term "consent decree" more times than I could count.

jonahbon Elizabeth Warren Proposes Breaking Up Tech Giants Like Amazon

As Elizabeth Warren makes clear in her post, "demonstrated consumer harm" isn't the only justification for antitrust action. We can't demonstrate the innovation that would occur in a competitive marketplace, but we break up monopolies with the faith that it will. This was the prevailing view until the late 20th century. Hopefully we'll get back to it.

jonahbon Elizabeth Warren Proposes Breaking Up Tech Giants Like Amazon

From the Warren post:

Companies with an annual global revenue of $25 billion or more and that offer to the public an online marketplace, an exchange, or a platform for connecting third parties would be designated as "platform utilities." … These companies would be prohibited from owning both the platform utility and any participants on that platform.

Thus Safeway would be exempt from the regulation because (a) they do not offer an online marketplace and (b) they do not connect third parties (but instead act as an intermediary).

Similarly, it appears that only Amazon Marketplace, not the retail arm of Amazon, would be affected by this regulation.

jonahbon Facebook collects a wide range of private data from developers

Yeah, and kids aren't compelled by law to smoke. If you think that Facebook addiction is the result of human weakness, you need to wake up. Facebook has methodically exploited human psychology for years to cultivate addiction. Check out Roger McNamee's new book.

By the way, I don't have a Facebook account.

jonahbon Facebook collects a wide range of private data from developers

Yes, it was sarcasm. They're more entrenched than you'd like to admit. They have a monopoly on social networking, they control a huge portion of digital advertising, and together with Google, they've bought a huge swath of Washington D.C. (see McNamee's new book). The results aren't surprising: regular abuse of customers, exploitation of human psychology to cultivate addiction, the peddling of a harmful product to minors. They're a consolidated version of the cigarette industry. Free markets ain't working—we antitrust action and regulation.

jonahbon Facebook collects a wide range of private data from developers

Yes, the free market is making it very easy to move away from Facebook.

jonahbon As McKinsey Sells Advice, Its Hedge Fund May Have a Stake in the Outcome

I wonder if you read the article. Banks keep research and banking separate. At McKinsey, the heads of several practice areas are on the hedge fund's board.

Not to mention that if your standard for impropriety is the investment bank, you're lost already.

jonahbon What happens when Google says “we aren’t going to pay your fines”?

> Google is a business, it has a responsibility to make money for shareholders. This is its sole responsibility.

Uh, where'd you get that from? The company has an obligation to act in the the interest of shareholders, but "interest" doesn't necessarily mean "money." Moreover, that's not its _only_ obligation. This guy seems to agree:

https://www.cultofmac.com/268413/tim-cook-tells-profit-obses...

jonahbon Five Corrections to The New York Times

"People get the journalism they deserve."

Do you really feel that that's happening?

You've been given an example of a system that might work in a civilized, modern country called Denmark. Maybe it's worth looking into it rather than repeating your First Amendment / "government is the servant" saw.

jonahbon Last Rites for the Village Voice, a Bohemian Who Stayed on Too Long

> before the commercialization of New York

That's funny. Before the commercialization of New York, it was a Lenape settlement.

jonahbon Why SQLite Does Not Use Git

Fossil vs. Git (2011): https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2524422

jonahbon Ask HN: Who Is Hiring? (October 2010 Edition)

Big Think, NYC or remote

http://bigthink.com/job

Email jonah at bigthink.com

Big Think is an online forum where experts at the top of their fields engage with the public about the critical questions of our time. Over the past two years, we've published interviews with 1,500 luminaries from Ted Kennedy and Ricky Gervais to Stephen Hawking and Jason Fried. Now, we're overhauling our web site, introducing new kinds of content, and expanding to TV and mobile devices. We're searching for a top-notch programmer to help make this evolution possible.

As part of a small, fast-moving, and experienced team, you'll conceive and create features across Big Think, from our web and mobile front-ends to the search system to a back-end that connects to an array of services. You may be called upon to improve the load-balancer; support the production team with a script; or design and implement a significant new feature-set. The ideal candidate will possess the flexibility and broad technical knowledge to fill all these roles plus deep proficiency in Ruby, JavaScript, HTML, object-oriented design, and web-scale architecture.

The job is initially part-time, but we hope to find someone with interest in joining us as a full-time employee in the future. You may work at our office near Union Square in Manhattan or in your own space—in New York or elsewhere.

In a recent interview, Mark Zuckerberg said he couldn't think of another company where each engineer is responsible for 1,000,000 unique users. Big Think is such a company. When you join us, you'll not only have fun building great products; you'll also have a tremendous impact on the world.