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vegashackeron Dudes, this is so not REST

In trying to prove you wrong and show you how easy it would be to make a similar call with the rdio API, I found out how not easy it would be to make a similar call with the rdio API. :)

vegashackeron Dudes, this is so not REST

Why does it matter? Ok, I agree that you probably shouldn't label something with an incorrect term, but does not having more than one URL, and not using the different HTTP methods really make a difference in terms of programmer usability?

I personally find that sometimes I have trouble spotting the "oh! I forgot to make it DELETE instead of GET" bugs. When the parameters of the API are all in the url and/or query, it feels better encapsulated.

(promise I'm not flaming, and I fully expect to get told, yes it matters, and here's why! ;)

vegashackeron What's so special about Y Combinator?

[YC partners are] outspoken, honest, straight-to-the-point and totally bullshit-free.

You can...get encouragement from them in hard times.

I'm wondering if the first ever interferes with the second? E.g., if you worked hard on something and they tell you it's not good.

vegashackeron 37Signals' "Rework" in action

:) I just spent 30 seconds looking at the comment form, thinking maybe some tip from the book guided the implementation of the form!

vegashackeron Teaching programming languages: a novel approach

Krishnamurthi's class was one of the best classes I've ever taken. The book didn't exist when I took it, but the the lecture notes from our class would eventually become the basis for the book, so I assume the book's excellent as well.

vegashackeron When you want to quit because it's just not worth it

Yeah, I think I remember seeing it at their HQ when I interviewed. I vaguely remember Paul saying that Trevor had drawn it, but I could be wrong.

vegashackeron What happens after Yahoo acquires you

I'm surprised this is a common scenario. I would think, due to the pervasiveness of the sunk-cost fallacy, that companies would stand behind their aquisitions to a fault even--just cause they spent so much money on them.

vegashackeron Apple is actually asking for 100% of SaaS mobile revenue

APIs for software services make this whole thing even more complicated. Some company has a web service offering which they charge $10/month for. They also have a web API, which allows 3rd-party developers to write apps for the service. Case (1): The services writes an iOS app to access their service. Case (2): A third party comes along and writes an iOS app for the service, using the service's API.

If it's true that in (1), they have to offer an IAP-way for users to purchase a subscription, what does that say about (2)? The third-party developer has no way of adding IAP to their app (it's not their company and the API doesn't expose such functionality).

Under these (more and more crazy sounding) rules, is (2) still required to pay the 30%? And given that it's impossible for (2) to have an IAP subscription option, maybe (2) isn't even allowed to exist? But if it is, then the service company could just pay 3rd-party developers to write apps for their service to add value for their subscribers without having to deal with the 30% stuff.

vegashackeron Silicon Valley is Broken. Should We Even Bother to Fix It?

Github. No funding, charged from the beginning for premium access.

vegashackeron How Lisp macros differ from static code-generation and metaprogramming

Yeah, I think that's a fair way to start thinking about them. But Lisp macros, to extend your example, are more like if you could generate the SQL using SQL. Which sounds like a totally horrible thing actually. :) But with Lisp it makes much more sense because lisp programs are lists. If SQL programs were tables, then it'd be a better fit...

vegashackeron Google Removing H.264 Support in Chrome

That article, "Apple bans Flash-to-iPhone conversions in apps", is no longer true. Apple relaxed the ban. See, e.g.,

http://venturebeat.com/2010/09/09/apple-loses-game-of-chicke...

vegashackeron FaxFresh: Easy Online Fax

Yeah, this is for people without a fax machine--which is pretty much everyone I know. I have to fax so rarely that those subscription accounts don't make sense. I end up walking down to Kinkos, which charges something like a couple bucks a page. So this pricing seems just about right to me.

vegashackeron How many people reading Hacker News do not have any programming skills?

Which projects made you millions?

vegashackeron Cardpool (YC W10) Speeds Up Gift Card Selling By Removing The Snail Mail Option

I'm a fan of Cardpool. I've purchased two orders of iTunes cards already, and I've told a friend about it who's made a purchase. Glad you guys are becoming even more efficient. But, what's this technology? Can you say anything more about it?

Seems you can't guarantee that the person doesn't sell a card to cardpool and then go out and spend the money quickly. Unless you can maybe contact that company and request a re-issue with a different number? Or you just trust that the seller is honest and in the rare (?) case they screw you you don't do business with them and just eat the loss. Or something I'm not thinking of...

vegashackeron Software Patents Shut Down RunwayFinder

How did FlightPrep come up with such an exact number for visitors to RunwayFinder (22,256)?

vegashackeron What will kill Facebook?

I really wanted to downvote you cause I thought your response was an intentional misunderstanding of the comment you were replying to, but then you go and write this gem:

[Conducting relationships on Facebook is] like trying to compose a story out of the messages written on greeting cards.

Insightful. Hilarious. Wow.

vegashackeron Sorry Bing, Adioso (YC W09) still the only natural language flight search tool

As someone noted on the comments of the post, the "flights from SFO to Bos under $300" is a strange query. Why not just search for the cheapest?

It got me thinking though a cool query would be "flights from SFO to (some set of cities) in (some rather large time range) with an unusually low price".

vegashackeron Dear Twitter, we see your 31 providers and raise you 134. Embedly (YC W10)

Since we're being nit-picky, this wouldn't get you thrown out of a real card game. The raise would simply be pushed back by the dealer.

vegashackeron Tim Ferris: 3 More Case Studies of Successful Cash-Flow Businesses

Interesting. I didn't know he outsourced his blog posts. Can you give me the link for that?

vegashackeron Boomerang for Gmail update: Now in public beta with revamped UI

Thanks for the reply. I'm going to sign up right now.

vegashackeron Boomerang for Gmail update: Now in public beta with revamped UI

I'm no email expert, but doesn't that raise like spam flags--a gmail originated message not coming from gmail servers?

vegashackeron Boomerang for Gmail update: Now in public beta with revamped UI

This seems cool. Do HNers use this?

The video says that if you send an email for future delivery, you don't have to actually be logged in at that time for it to send. How does this work? Do they log into your gmail account from their servers?

vegashackeron Salesforce Buys Heroku (YC W08) For $212 Million In Cash

I'm guessing dawson meant that now that Heroku has been acquired by Big Company it will start to suck and so people will be looking for new hosting options.

Not saying that's what I think, but that's my interpretation of the comment.

vegashackeron Small startup hits Google paydirt

I've heard PG complain about using "YC" in titles (from guidelines: "In titles, please don't describe things by their relation to YC unless they're actually associated with YC.") But I didn't think the use of the word "reject" was the issue. YC even uses that word themselves in their "non-judgement" letter. ;)

"Groups we rejected will go on to create successful startups. If you do, we'd appreciate it if you'd send us an email telling us about it; we want to learn from our mistakes."

So they are also apparently are interested in hearing about such things too.

vegashackeron Just buy this one

I upvoted you cause I like the question, but I guess the answer is that this site is better because it makes a decision for you. I tried your idea on Amazon for televisions and sorted by customer rating, but it just felt very intimidating. The first result was $900, and maybe that's more than I want to spend. So I start scanning down the list, and all of a sudden I'm doing something that feels a lot like researching, which is the whole thing I'm presumably trying to avoid.

Now that said, would this actually be useful to me? For the stuff I care about (like, say, a computer) I definitely would not use this site. So it's for stuff I don't care about. Like a kettle. But I'm fine just buying a cheap-ass old school kettle that you don't plug in. So it's probably ultimately not for me. Super clever though!

vegashackeron Heroku is down for the third time today

It just occurred to me that you know you've made some pretty serious traction as a startup when HN posts about your company no longer have something like "(YC W08)" appended to the end.

vegashackeron MessageParty (YC S10): How The Idea For My Startup Came At A Music Festival

It's even got a harder battle ahead of it than a dating site does. With Message Party, there's gotta people a ton of people using the site at that moment.

vegashackeron Hipmunk Closes Hyper-Competitive Angel Round, Sans The Usual Suspects

I agree Sam may be in an especially good position to make guesses about the future of companies, but that doesn't explain where the investment money comes from.

vegashackeron Hipmunk Closes Hyper-Competitive Angel Round, Sans The Usual Suspects

It surprised me to see Sam Altman on this list. Where does that money come from? Maybe Loopt is very profitable and he takes a big salary? Or maybe he had cash before Loopt?

vegashackeron Qwiki Just May Be The Future Of Information Consumption. And It’s Here Now.

Any one have a link to a video showing an actual Qwiki-created video?