a_soncodi's comments

a_soncodi | 10 years ago | on: CodePush by Microsoft

This is great. Between updates/hydration and browser APIs like web push notifications, camera, geo etc.. the app stores are just glorified CDNs. Building 'natively' for these platforms offers few advantages, but adds overhead, deployment delays, and vendor-specific concerns. Choosing to release on an app store should be a config setting, not a business model.

a_soncodi | 12 years ago | on: Perfectly centered break of a perfectly aligned pool ball rack

This is mostly incorrect. The chosen spin depends on several factors including the breaking position (as in breaking from "the box") and ball count. In this case it appears to be Eight Ball.

The burn marks are caused by the downward force due to an inclined cue. Similar marks occur when performing a legal jump. This is why many tournaments provide a cloth scrap for breaking.

Furthermore, the cue ball may hop to the rack and impact the head ball above its equator, causing the cue ball to jump in the air, reducing the likelihood of being kicked into a pocket. Top spin or forward roll is not required for this.

Source: I play pool semi-professionally.

a_soncodi | 12 years ago | on: Angular JS Gotcha: HTML5 Mode Routing

Switching between HTML5 and 'hashbang' URLs lets you run apps in environments which lack support the history API or absolute URLs. Examples include old IE and Cordova. The bit of webserver config necessary is a non-issue, imo.

a_soncodi | 12 years ago | on: The Hackathon Experience Is a Hack

The term hack and its derivatives are trite. People use them because they perk ears. In Dallas, I've attended events where first place won with a 'business plan' consisting of buzzword-laden management-speak and a clever whiteboard diagram. This is a product of the community; the culture here is business-oriented.

A solution is to set expectations on having a good time and socializing, or not to attend. Instead, you may more satisfaction from working on real projects that survive the weekend. At a hackathon, or any event in general, you serve the host's purpose. Their game, their rules.

a_soncodi | 12 years ago | on: Aaron’s Law, much-needed reforms to computer crimes law, introduced in Congress

I recall a past comment on HN claiming that altering URLs to discover content may constitute hacking. For example,

  http://site.com/posts/img.jpg
  http://site.com/posts/img_t.jpg

In the first paragraph of the article:

> The proposed definition … is to obtain information … by knowingly circumventing technological or physical measures designed to prevent unauthorized individuals from obtaining that information.

suggests that, in that context, the debate would be whether a certain URL structure implies a legitimate attempt at securing content, rather than just being a side-effect of website structure/design.

Would it be unreasonable to argue that blatant disregard for security due-dilligence or just 'bad' security is not an honest attempt at the same, and thus equivalent to no security at all?

a_soncodi | 12 years ago | on: The Hidden Costs of Starting a Company

I disagree with the 'you must pick X of Y' absolutism. It appears to validate an oversimplified point, as do 'Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence' and other clever one-liners.

Choices involving time allocation don't have to be binary; each one carries an opportunity cost, the granularity of which we control. Although I can relate to many negatives from the article, it strikes me as equivalent to complaining about a cushy-but-boring day job while not willing to incur the risks of self-employment.

The meat of the issue is to decide what the right balance is, to be aware of the trade-offs, and to not vilify 'startups' and blame them for our failure to make choices consistent with our values.

"You know where you got that shirt!" - Charlie Murphy