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symptic

466 karma · joined March 6, 2008

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symptic··on A Naked iPhone -- Or, Why You Shouldn't Use a Case
It's worth mentioning that there is a difference between "hardness" and "toughness" when dealing with glass and gems/minerals. Hardness is the material's resistance against scratching, while toughness is its resistance to breakage. The iPhone uses a synthetic sapphire I believe (much like in many eyeglasses made today) which has a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale (Diamond is 10), so it is very resistant to scratches, since only materials with a hardness the same or above can scratch it; that doesn't correlate with it's resistance to breakage. Many very hard materials are also very brittle and will crack or shatter more easily than anticipated.
symptic··on Why don't developers dress better?
Style is a celebration of the self. It's another language to learn and master.

Dismissing it as nonfunctional or damaging to your well being is the same as ignoring the utility of a new programming language because your old ones get the job done or because using traditional languages is "hardcore."

symptic··on How to Create a Million-Dollar Business This Weekend
The title says "a Million-Dollar Business THIS Weekend" and not "IN A Weekend," suggesting the initial effort to create an idea and verify that idea (and potentially creating the MVP) can be done within 48 hours. There is nothing in this post suggesting a business will be completely created in a weekend, and these arguments criticizing the post show a lack of understanding.

Go back and read what is said until you thoroughly understand the message and realize Noah is merely exemplifying the Lean Startup method; it's a gritty and unsexy approach to building a business, and it's very effective at avoiding long-term losses and encouraging learning.

symptic··on David Kadavy's "Design for Hackers" now on Amazon
Great work David. Proud of ya'. :)
symptic··on Ask HN: Freelancer? Seeking freelancers? (September 2011)
SEEKING WORK - Remote (based in Austin)

Entrepreneur just out of college looking for freelance work while I bootstrap and develop a few ideas of my own. I have 10 years experience in freelance design and have assisted brands like AppSumo, GoodPop, AnyLuckyDay, and PriceKnock from the ground up. I interned at NASA in their Habitability Design Center as a design intern, and enjoy lending my expertise to startups.

Sortfolio profile: http://sortfolio.com/company/12632-steven-kovar

Direct portfolio: http://stevenkovar.com/portfolio

symptic··on The economics of good looks
If your store isn't bringing in enough customers you can upgrade the facade to bring in more traffic, but it's still up to you to make the sale once they walk inside.
symptic··on I am nothing
As I read this, I kept thinking of the movie American Beauty. If you found this post through-provoking or disagree with it, watch this movie.
symptic··on $10 logos. Proceeds going to Indian orphanage—great for MVP or proof of concept
I think you should create a Twitter account and share your work (both with design and your great social work with the children). Maybe even tell the story as it unravels with a Tumblr blog? Just a quick thought!
symptic··on $10 logos. Proceeds going to Indian orphanage—great for MVP or proof of concept
From his WickedFire thread:

MY EMAIL ID- sjaghanivasan@gmail.com Please drop me a mail or a PM with the info of the logo to be done! My paypal ID is different. I will send you my paypal ID after completing the order as I always request payment after completing the order.

symptic··on $10 logos. Proceeds going to Indian orphanage—great for MVP or proof of concept
For disclosure, I am not involved in this operation. I saw it and thought what they are doing is amazing and felt compelled to help.
symptic··on Tell HN: We made a Forrst invite code for you.
Thanks for the HN code Kyle. I heard you talking about Forrst at the lunch Noah put together right before SXSW, and I heard you got some funding soon after. Congrats!

Quick problem though: I accidentally tied the wrong Twitter account to my account and can't find where to change it (under "Find Your Twitter Friends").

symptic··on Ask HN: Freelancer? Seeking freelancer? (August 2011)
SEEKING WORK -- Remote

Designer based in Austin, TX. Have a reputation for being fast and am comfortable with both web and print design. I'd prefer to take on smaller jobs like landing pages, 1-2 page layouts, business cards, etc. which can be completed within 24 hours, but I'm open to work at a larger scale. Can produce HTML/CSS if required.

Portfolio here: http://stevenkovar.com/portfolio

symptic··on Ask HN: who launched something in July?
Launched FriendFury (http://friendfury.com), a side-project to help similar Twitter users discover each other. We built in a Tweet Roulette feature to @message a random person who shares your interest and break the ice.
symptic··on Ask YC: How can a startup wannabe make the most of an upcoming trip to SF?
Twitter is a great tool to met new people, and it's not invasive or rude to @mention someone and ask to meet up. Break the ice by saying you're into startups and will be in town. You'll be surprised how many people like to meet up!
symptic··on Weekend/Side Project 101: Inspiration
Reddit is a great community to get feedback and support from. I took a similar approach for a project I had in mind and the response was astounding. I made some mockups, posted them in the proper subreddit right before bed at 3AM, and woke up at 9AM expecting a small handful of comments, but instead was amazed that the number was closer to 70. Because of that thread, I've found a very talented partner for the project and we're getting close to launch date.

Here's the thread: http://www.reddit.com/r/Minecraft/comments/i04lm/who_would_b...

symptic··on ShowHN: My latest side project lets similar Twitter users find each other
At the moment, it relates you to anyone sharing any of your three topics. We'll be adding a function to let you choose between seeing users with any of your interests, or being shown users who share your exact interests.
symptic··on ShowHN: My latest side project lets similar Twitter users find each other
Thank you!
symptic··on Ask HN: What has been your most profitable side/weekend project to date?
I enjoyed reading about Stormpulse in the Hacker Monthly: Startup Stories. Congrats on the hard earned success!
symptic··on Founder Stories Volume 01: Slicehost
I think it's largely out of a genuine love for the space.
symptic··on BusinessWeek's Best Young Tech Entrepreneurs of 2011
See: Color
symptic··on Oops: Facebook caught planting anti-Google stories to press
Facebook: Do some evil.
symptic··on Poll: Best Chair For Desktop Coding?
I bought a Steelcase Think about 3 years ago. It's been amazing up until recently, where I feel I am sitting too long in the day and I feel pressure behind my knees. When I move into a new place in the coming months, I'll be using a standing desk to work.

What concerns me is when I am lounging around with my legs crossed or sitting indian-style, my legs go a little numb. I work out rigorously and play soccer often, so being healthy during long workdays isn't enough; I think standing will help with my legs and help maintain my good posture.

symptic··on Sugar and Health: Interview with UCSF professor Robert Lustig
Lustig makes a few great points, but it's important to keep in mind there are some who argue he is a "fructose alarmist" and argue it's not as simple as "blaming fructose alone." A good quote from Alan Aragon: "I would add that fiber is only one of the numerous phytochemicals in fruit that impart health benefits. Thus, it’s not quite as simple as saying that fructose is evil, but once you take it with fiber, you’ve conquered the Dark Side."

Some links: http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2010/02/19/a-retrospective-of-...

http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2010/01/29/the-bitter-truth-ab...

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/straight-ta...

I personally don't take sides with either. Like most things in the nutritional field, a healthy balance is more effective for me than trending behaviors and ideologies (i.e.: no-fat diet, "slow carb" diet, Atkins diet, etc.).

symptic··on A Call to All UI Designers: Do Not Play Skype’s Game
This game is for a young or unknown designer. It's their chance to establish themselves and build their portfolio. As a professional who makes a living in design, you are not obligated to compete. Though, you are still invited.

It was Skype's choice to put on this contest, and it should be assumed they know it is possible they won't get as quality a final product as possible. There are plenty of projects out there for quality designers to work on, and it bothers me that so many designers complain that free/cheap client work is such a pain in the community's ass.

Without a doubt, the type of client who wants to go that route is someone a designer of your talent wouldn't want to work with in the first place.

Right?

symptic··on Ask HN: Best sites online to sell tshirts?
If you plan on making it a larger operation, check out Austin based amplifier.com. They were great in producing the LEAN shirts for SXSW and I believe hey offer print on demand and fulfillment for you.
symptic··on Poll: How much do you average per freelancing gig?
As a student, entrepreneur, and frequent payer of bills, I tend to take on small gigs under $200 whenever my time allows. This way I can get in and get out quickly, not have to devote too much mental energy to the client, and be able to block myself out from clients while I am working on my own project or studying.

For me this yields the highest dollar per minute spent working and allows for the least amount of stress. Because I work quickly and have accustomed myself to this system, most clients are pleasantly surprised when they receive a product on the same day the project was requested at a higher quality than most other designers they've worked with.

symptic··on Ask HN: I have a 3,500 subscriber email newsletter. How do I make $50/mo off it?
Sell t-shirts and mugs with some of the more popular facts. Github was able to sell out of tees and mugs with just their logo on it, so I imagine people would want them with interesting content rather than just a logo.

Additionally (or alternatively) you could create a fmylife.com equivalent for your facts. Even if you don't let users submit content, it's a place where the community can vote on their favorite bits of info. Doesn't even need tons of ads, and you can take private advertising and make sure they are all in good taste for your audience.

symptic··on PriceKnock: Got Some Lean In Our Cup (Lean Challenge)
I'll be more than glad to answer any questions or comments!
symptic··on Launch
Pride. Sounds to me like everyone knew what they were signing up for and fighting to make the accomplishment goes a long way in building the group.
symptic··on Ask HN : Is there an HN for graphic designers (web but mostly print)?
Check out http://www.qbn.com/ and http://www.behance.net/.
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