mdda

60 ms·

571.
by mdda 16y ago
But part of the problem in the UK is that the highest tax rates paid are those by the working poor : As more money is earned, benefits are subtracted at an alarming rate. That means there's a huge disincentive for getting off the couch. Th
572.
by mdda 16y ago
Of course the UK isn't homogeneous - there's obviously an enduring entrepreneurial spirit everywhere. My only point was that (as a social convention) people with aspirations behave differently there than they would in (say) New York.
573.
by mdda 16y ago
Actually, I didn't come up with my 'upside vs downside analysis' here on HN : it's how I've been explaining why I'm in the US to anyone who asks. I've had far more nods of understanding from the people back home (in the UK) than anywhere e
574.
by mdda 16y ago
When I read the GPs complaint about free markets, I took it to mean that this situation was proof that free market ideas are invalid. To counter this, I was trying to say that people themselves (through creating barriers) are deliberately
575.
by mdda 16y ago
Agreed - that's why I'm not buying the idea that the gender of the employee had anything to do with the amount of the pay.
576.
by mdda 16y ago
There's selection bias in the fact that they were pitching the US company on the phone. The non-risk-takers in the US wouldn't have taken the call.
577.
by mdda 16y ago
While it's interesting to note pg is English, for some reason he chose CA to set up in. I'm English too, but based in NYC. As I told everyone when I started my humble startup : If I tried hard and succeeded in the US people would want to
578.
by mdda 16y ago
Internal corporate politics don't contradict the ideas of free markets. It's just that there's complex signalling going on (which an outsider can't be privy to) that erects barriers to entry. These barriers are beneficial to the individual
579.
by mdda 16y ago
Not sure I'm buying the idea that gender has much to do with this. I'm sure Google could instead find an additional 10 female programmers for $100k each - thus changing the averages without having to overpay this one employee. Looking at o
580.
by mdda 16y ago
If you are counting the hours and bringing up the subject of unpaid overtime, then the blog post isn't really directed at you. People get paid excellent money in big companies because they are able to get results out of all proportion to a
581.
by mdda 16y ago
Amount of dissatisfaction is too mushy IMHO. Just title it "Crapometer" or "Hate-o-meter". Better yet, just flip the Y-axis. I'd think that it would be easier to get a company to pay to improve upwards. Do you really have to match the si
582.
by mdda 16y ago
Very interesting point. Of course, it begs the question : If Microsoft was so alert to the potential for the Kinect to be hacked, does that mean that there's a potential way to crack XBox security embedded in the Kinect? There has to be a
583.
by mdda 16y ago
We use a 'PEO' (ambrosegroup.com). Essentially, they are the 'employer' for all the employees, and provide payroll, medical, dental, 401k, travel accounts, etc - and bill us for the total (plus something for them) every two weeks. For a sm
584.
by mdda 16y ago
I was also working in AI in the late 80s and 90s, but in a lab that loved the neural network side of things. I decided pretty quickly that the biological inspiration for NNs was more marketing than useful. The more interesting development
585.
by mdda 16y ago
Obviously this is a little biased - you're not asking your own non-existent younger brother the same thing, are you?
586.
by mdda 16y ago
Really one needs two bidders - and the winner would bid $1 more than the looser. Of course, for the VCs funding it are either aiming for a big buyout or prepared for the long slog to earn the revenues to pay back their investment. Google
587.
by mdda 16y ago
Ok, so your hypothesis is that this benchmark is fairly frequently executed, so that it's reasonable to think that a precompiled version is stored somewhere? In that case, to avoid the accusation of cheating, the choice of precompiled code
588.
by mdda 16y ago
I work on Wall St (but not at the Goldman Sachs). The cartoon is very funny (and will be spreading quickly here too), in the same way Sarah Palin is funny. Good thing no one will take it seriously - oh, wait...
589.
by mdda 16y ago
Did you look at the diffs? There's not much room for the kind of excuses you're coming up with.
590.
by mdda 16y ago
Information point : I got an E-2 for my software startup in 1999, investing $100k for 100%. I've been renewing ever since, and (post angel round), I'm now at 72%. Of course, renewal require that the business passes various other tests. Th
591.
by mdda 16y ago
There must be some geolocation going on - the Japanese Google.com and Google.co.jp are not giving out hotline #s from NYC. Is there someone in Japan who could test this? Of course, it makes sense, since the hotline numbers would probably n
592.
by mdda 16y ago
The current E2 visas don't include a hard-and-fast minimum investment. It has to be sufficient, though : and the interviewer in the Embassy will be the judge of that, ultimately. For an Internet technology startup, $100k is enough (proven
593.
by mdda 16y ago
Cricket is probably the #2 sport in the world.. http://www.mostpopularsports.net/ Of course, I assumed that American football would be right up there : Turns out, it's a minority thing, by a long way.
594.
by mdda 16y ago
Wow - my respect for Steve Jobs just went up an order of magnitude.
595.
by mdda 16y ago
Even though the cab drivers are 'free agents', the economics of the business are pretty harsh (due to the city limiting the number of yellow cabs) : http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/travel/2009-08-05-t... I believe (maybe incorrec
596.
by mdda 16y ago
It seems to me that they should first ask how much of a fine would you be able to pay without having to check on your checking account (for instance). That way they could scale the questions a little. There's obviously an emotional point a
597.
by mdda 16y ago
That's a pretty bold statement : The Goldman trader's NPV will be pretty solid in cash terms (given that Goldman's risk group actually does a decent job, and values things accurately). The NPV created by a Google engineer is more difficult
598.
by mdda 16y ago
This is a definition http://www.practicallaw.com/8-203-6625 - you'll have to play out a few scenarios to see the terrifyingly stark implications...
599.
by mdda 16y ago
It's also remarkable how little success they've had, even though : (a) the verb "to Tivo" applies to any DVR; (b) lots of discussion about "my Tivo thinks I'm gay"; and (c) great product placement on Sex in the City. Personally, when they d
600.
by mdda 16y ago
Yet somehow Apple managed to translate great UX into $

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