apowell

15 ms·

121.
by apowell 17y ago
What's a decent ergonomic chair for under $100?
122.
by apowell 17y ago
A real-time mirror won't help if your data gets corrupted (via a fat-fingered shell command, errant script, or a compromised system). When it's appropriate, it's awesome, but I don't think it's a replacement for a static "offline" backup,
123.
by apowell 17y ago
I remember being Slashdotted in 1999. It was a brutal onslaught of traffic. Fortunately, more sites seem equipped to handle that sort of traffic today. ( http://slashdot.org/story/99/12/04/158227 , if you're curious.)
124.
by apowell 17y ago
I'd add two more problems: 3) Too expensive. 4) Takes too long. Getting a patent attorney to prepare and file a patent is very expensive. It takes $10k just to get started. The patent system is so byzantine that you can't reasonably expect
125.
by apowell 17y ago
This is why I like restoring my backup slice every so often, just to make sure it's there. A couple years ago I had to use archive.org as my external backup, and it wasn't fun.
126.
by apowell 17y ago
Unfortunately, the weight-loss ads have invaded Adsense too. I agree that the data isn't surprising, but I don't think the headline should frame it as a slight against IE users. Also, I think that people overestimate the influence of Adbloc
127.
by apowell 17y ago
The word 'gullible' implies that the ads are meant to take advantage of the user; I think that's an unfair assumption. Perhaps 'receptive' would be more accurate?
128.
by apowell 17y ago
I think we're viewing the same situation through slightly different lenses, but mostly in agreement. You're right - this is a silly situation, and Congress ought to fix it. I was about to make the same point about monopolies, fairness, and
129.
by apowell 17y ago
Today Google is the only entity with the legal right to do what they do with the books. If I were to try it, I'd be sued into oblivion by the publishers. For Google, forgiveness was easier than permission. For anyone else, forgiveness won'
130.
by apowell 17y ago
It's a monopoly because Google has been granted the exclusive right (via a lawsuit) to digitize and distribute orphaned books. It would be a copyright violation on a grand scale if anyone else were to try. http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2
131.
by apowell 17y ago
The revenue generated from the ads shown alongside news search queries is a tiny fraction of our search revenue. Translation: We make so much money that the piddling revenue your entire industry generates means nothing to us.
132.
by apowell 17y ago
$70, because domains names were expensive in 1998. Best $70 I ever spent, that's for sure.
133.
by apowell 17y ago
I've joined in order to be able to display the seal on my own ecommerce site. As a single-person company, it isn't terribly expensive (it is priced per employee). I don't have any hard evidence (such as an A/B test) to support my decision,
134.
by apowell 17y ago
I don't think it is a scam to sell products with different features and specifications and allow the customer to choose the product that is right for them. Could search technology improve this process? Sure, but it isn't a scam. Furthermor
135.
by apowell 17y ago
The pricing is in addition to what you pay for your merchant account and gateway.
136.
by apowell 17y ago
The API ( http://support.recurly.com/faqs/api/accounts ) looks very similar to the Authorize.net API, so I'm not sure that this service simplifies the integration all that much. Also, it isn't clear to me whether the accounts are stored in
137.
by apowell 17y ago
In my experience, you can never rely on everybody knowing something. Every piece of assumed knowledge is a stumbling block for someone and will result in lost sales.
138.
by apowell 17y ago
I was also in the midst of a 30-day trial of Writeroom (inspired by http://www.balsamiq.com/blog/2009/10/30/tools/ ) and I was planning to purchase it. When I saw the Macheist bundle, I downloaded it instead. I don't hesitate to purchase
139.
by apowell 17y ago
You're right, Amazon really nails the personalized upsell in a way that is tough to do in a retail environment (short of having talented salespeople on the floor). As for the bar code scanning, isn't that what these folks are trying to acco
140.
by apowell 17y ago
At my local Borders, the checkout queue is lined with stuff to purchase. It isn't contextual, but it's an upsell nonetheless. Also, the book I want is physically next to other books I may be interested in - that's an effective cross-selling
141.
by apowell 17y ago
Many new bloggers (or social media participants) may not know that the federal government has created regulations that pertain to what they do. And if they did know that the regulations exist, they may not know how to find those regulation
142.
by apowell 17y ago
Disclosing a conflict of interest is always a good thing. Agreed. But this isn't about disclosing a conflict of interest; this is about the creation of a federal regulation that is both vague and unnecessary. Why is is challenging for a
143.
by apowell 17y ago
Thank you for the clarification. I'm not sure if that makes things better or worse -- now, without specific case law, it will be impossible to know whether you are in compliance. For instance, is a disclosure page enough? What if you link
144.
by apowell 17y ago
I think that savvy organizations are going to bury these disclosures in their Terms & Conditions (or perhaps a new "Disclosures" page will become common?) along with everything else they don't care if you read, but still want you to be
145.
by apowell 17y ago
Perhaps the essay is no longer the genuine gauge of ability that it once was. "The hand-wringing that went along with the long essay, which has become the icon of the college application, has spawned a cottage industry of consultants, comp
146.
by apowell 17y ago
No, I just read the article (sitting in a coffee shop at the moment). I'll have to watch the video when I get home -- thanks for clearing that up.
147.
by apowell 17y ago
Neat concept, but the title "The Last Lecture" reminded me of this: http://www.cmu.edu/randyslecture/ . It's surely a coincidence, but an unfortunate one. And if you haven't watched Randy Pausch's "Last Lecture", you should.
148.
by apowell 17y ago
I like the look of light boxes, but I've had some serious usability issues. I had to train myself not to close my entire browser window when all I wanted to do was dismiss the lightbox modal. The first few times I saw one, I reflexively clo
149.
by apowell 17y ago
I remember installing BeOS when it came out. It was impressive and beautiful, and I really wanted it to catch on. I think I'll give Haiku a spin. With VMware, it'll be much easier this time around.
150.
by apowell 17y ago
reCAPTCHA presents two words. One is known, the other is unknown. The idea is that if you type the known word correctly, then you've typed the unknown word correctly as well. It also shows the same unknown word to many people as a distribut

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