patdennis

20 ms·

151.
by patdennis 14y ago
As a non-programmer who works in a field that 99% of programmers aren't aware even exists, I would like to point out that there are a lot of simple software programs to be made for specialized purposes in various fields. They don't exist be
152.
by patdennis 14y ago
This may be a bit off topic, but when I get into looking at this type of (mysterious, interesting) of Wikipedia article, I usually end up back at my favorite of the category: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wow!_signal
153.
by patdennis 14y ago
It's the same sort of thinking that has a certain political party opposing free trade agreements out of a fear that it will bankrupt manufacturers using inefficient processes. If by 'inefficient processes' you mean 'workers who are paid a
154.
by patdennis 14y ago
Really? My last Saab was a great car, but showed an odd racial insensitivity sometimes.
155.
by patdennis 14y ago
I am aware... I just thought it was something the commenter would find interesting. Edit: to be clear... I know that quantum transportation doesn't allow for FTL communication... but the fact that the change is not subject to a speed of lig
156.
by patdennis 14y ago
I think you misunderstand >travelling even slightly faster than the speed of light in any frame of reference is instantaneous communication, in some other frame of reference. Even traveling at the speed of light is instantaneous commu
157.
by patdennis 14y ago
Eh, this was never about instantaneous travel, this was about a slight increase in speed. Instantaneous communication causes some serious problems with time/causality anyway. That said, there's always Tachyons. [0] and I think the informati
158.
by patdennis 14y ago
I'm a liberal democrat, but I consider myself pro-anything that will give more kids a leg up in the world, even if it doesn't fit with the orthodoxy of my party. But this is just such a poorly designed law...
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Louisiana's bold bid to privatize schools(reuters.com)
3 points by patdennis 14y ago|2 comments
160.
by patdennis 14y ago
I don't think that data makes it through when Facebook resizes the picture. At least, I wasn't able to extract it from any of the photos at the top of my feed just now, including pictures from a couple of smartphones.
161.
by patdennis 14y ago
You can request anything. They're all public records. Granted, they'll call you and try to whittle you down. If its especially burdensome they'll charge you for the man hours it takes to compile all of the information. If someone who ran a
162.
by patdennis 14y ago
It wouldn't be difficult to find out. You can FOIA all the recent FOIAs.
163.
by patdennis 14y ago
I've done it. They'll put it on CDs or DVDs for you if you want, or work something else out if its more convenient. I've even hard cartloads of documents printed out for me. You have to pay for the printing, which gets expensive, but they'l
164.
by patdennis 14y ago
Well that's nice. I'm glad they stand for freedom of information. There's nothing here I couldn't have gotten with a simple Freedom of Information Act request. But I guess sending them a letter requesting the information isn't dramatic enou
165.
by patdennis 14y ago
The quote from Apple's website that the author uses to condemn Apple as creating a false sense of security is a bit out of context. Apple isn't saying that they're immune to viruses. Rather, they go on to detail the exact security measures
166.
by patdennis 14y ago
Leins against real property, wage garnishments, etc.
167.
by patdennis 14y ago
Eh, that's only two and a half swing states (Actually, NC is probably less than a half swing state). If he was trying to influence the election, it'd be more efficient to fund a super pac. Priorities USA would be the obvious choice. Buffett
168.
by patdennis 14y ago
As someone who writes Democratic talking points for a living, I would like to point out that the original TED talk sounded like something I would write for work. I do wholeheartedly agree with the central thesis, but if I were to put togeth
169.
by patdennis 14y ago
Hard labor is valuable. Sure, it's difficult to get around when your GPS software is buggy. But's its also hard to get around if nobody has built any roads. Generally speaking, our economy doesn't accurately price in how exhausting and diff
170.
by patdennis 14y ago
The value of labor isn't inherent, it's determined by the market. Ditch digging is worth less than programming in the market only because there are more ditch diggers than programmers. If you can afford to educate people to the point where
171.
by patdennis 14y ago
I agree with the premise behind his methods, specifically the 'recreate your identity' part, although I do tend to implement them somewhat differently. I rely less on external pressure and more on my internal disdain for half-assedness and
172.
by patdennis 14y ago
I know that hindsight is 20/20, but I can say with a lot of confidence that this would raise serious red flags for me if I were researching a similar stock today. "How exactly does Enron make its money?... "If you figure it out, let me know
173.
by patdennis 14y ago
If it were me I'd find a way to produce and sell them at a lower price. Ikea tables are sold at a comparable price, and the table top is included.
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by patdennis 14y ago
Depending on your situation this may not be the most useful advice, but have you considered moving to the Bay Area? It may be tempting to stay in your comfort zone, but for me getting to the big city on my own after college was vitally impo
175.
by patdennis 14y ago
Not by me. I can't afford to pay them unless I can raise some money. I don't see how I can raise the money unless I can cobble together a prototype myself... even if just to show that my idea is viable and that I'm serious about it.
176.
by patdennis 14y ago
I'm sure anyone here could do that. But how many people here are looking for a non technical co-founder? Coders are solving their own problems, and until I can hack together a prototype I don't think I'll be able to draw any attention from
177.
by patdennis 14y ago
I agree with this wholeheartedly. My line of work could be made much easier through some very simple software. The only reason that software doesn't exist is because (I assume that) nobody with programming knowledge understands the needs of