dp1234's comments

dp1234 | 10 years ago | on: A curated list of data science blogs

Inoreader functions very similarly to how Google Reader worked:

https://www.inoreader.com

dp1234 | 10 years ago | on: Show HN: A paperless 401k with automated advising built-in

Wow, that is really low cost compared to other providers. Surprised to not see an asset-based fee.

Are there any other costs that get passed on to the participants?

dp1234 | 10 years ago | on: Show HN: A paperless 401k with automated advising built-in

What 3rd party recordkeeper are you using?

Do you use the recordkeeper's websites or have you built your own?

dp1234 | 13 years ago | on: Vanguard conditioning users for phone phishing atttempts

I ran into that with a credit card company recently. They called and left a message about suspicious activity on an account and a callback number. I couldn't find that number anywhere on their website or the web in general. I ended up calling the main # and connecting to the security department. It was a legitimate message they left. I mentioned the phone number thing and they agreed that was an issue but who knows if they acted on it.

dp1234 | 13 years ago | on: Getting by in a technical industry without a degree

A degree also proves that you were able to stay dedicated to something for ~4 years without giving up. There is a lot to be said for showing that kind of commitment to a goal.

dp1234 | 13 years ago | on: TSA Removes X-Ray Body Scanners From Major Airports

And not just a naked picture taken. A naked picture taken of you and potentially stored on disk.

dp1234 | 14 years ago | on: Turning down Zynga: Why I opted out of the $210M Omgpop buy

Most US workers are considered at-will employees. There is no contract and either party can stop working with the other for almost any reason.

dp1234 | 14 years ago | on: Show HN: 7courses - The easy to use online recipe manager.

Recipage (http://www.recipage.com/) is a free solution that has a decent amount of overlap though it is more focused on bloggers being able to publish their recipes.

dp1234 | 14 years ago | on: Verizon's audacious new fee for on-line payments

I cancelled a 4 year gym membership over this. They wouldn't allow credit card payments anymore, only bank drafts. Not giving a gym access to my checking account. Some MBA figured wrong when they ran the numbers on that change.

dp1234 | 14 years ago | on: The scandal of the Alabama poor cut off from water

I would imagine that there are restrictions preventing the residents from installing septic tanks so their only option was the sewer system run by the city. The libertarian perspective would allow them to install their own sewage handling system as long as it didn't adversely affect others.

dp1234 | 14 years ago | on: The scandal of the Alabama poor cut off from water

And this is why instead of a large city of Birmingham, you have a large amount of spun off mini-cities in the area each with their own schools and municipal infrastructure (Hoover, Mountain Brook, etc). Of the many friends I know that live in Birmingham, none of them actually technically live in the city of Birmingham.

dp1234 | 14 years ago | on: Apple awarded patent for touchscreen slide-to-unlock gesture

How is something that seems so obvious and trivial patentable? In the physical world this seems like patenting doorknobs that rotate to the left versus the ones that rotate to the right that everyone was already using.

dp1234 | 14 years ago | on: As Criminal Laws Proliferate, More Are Ensnared

Exactly the reasoning behind never speaking to police as detailed in these 2 videos a while back:

http://boingboing.net/2008/07/28/law-prof-and-cop-agr.html

The risk of self-incrimination is incredibly high since no person can even be aware of all of the laws that exist and may be violated.

dp1234 | 14 years ago | on: Congress Tries To Hide Data Retention Law Pretending It's an Anti-Child Porn Law

In America you can pretty much guarantee that if the bill has a name that makes it sound like it is good for you...it will definitely be bad for you.

dp1234 | 14 years ago | on: My life in Accenture before startups

Also once you are on an industry career track, it's hard to convince yourself to take time off to get a PhD.

dp1234 | 15 years ago | on: Intrade CEO dies climbing Mt. Everest

One of the guides in a documentary on it said that if Everest was at sea level, you would take your kids to summit it. But the altitude makes it a completely different animal. I wonder what the statistics are on frostbite and amputated body parts (fingers, toes). All of the documentaries I've watched seem to include a pretty high rate of some kind of frostbite in many of the climbers.

dp1234 | 15 years ago | on: Doctors and dentists tell patients, "all your review are belong to us"

If your lease was not up for renewal, you probably could have gotten out of your lease by refusing to sign it. Refusing to sign it and taking your business elsewhere is one of the best ways to let them know that you won't stand for this type of thing. And then spread the word to anyone that will listen about why you don't recommend doing business with that establishment.

dp1234 | 15 years ago | on: Patriot Act extended four more years, USA in fourteen year state of emergency

When it comes to proposed US laws, the simple way to tell if the law is good or bad is as follows. If the name makes it sound like it is good for you, then it is definitely bad for you and should be voted against.

dp1234 | 15 years ago | on: US Senators ask Apple to pull DUI checkpoint apps

True, so we really shouldn't limit it then since it is the public's best interests. We should stop all motorists periodically and check them for warrants, license, insurance, impairment level, maybe take a DNA sample in case they have committed a crime but haven't been caught yet. Probably should also allow searches of people's home and property in case there is criminal activity going on too. Probable cause is very overrated.

dp1234 | 15 years ago | on: Pay Teachers More

That is one thing I never understood. There are less requirements to teach at the college level than to teach high school. Most people don't realize that most college teachers have never actually had any education courses, they just happen to have attained advanced degrees.