four's comments

four | 11 years ago | on: Ask HN: What's your morning routine? Be specific!

I am curious. Curious for a glimpse into a private, quotidian aspect of other people's lives, and perhaps their priorities and foibles.

HN Meta nonsense: I'm interested to know why you want to know why other people find interesting something you don't find interesting! HN arch comment: Oh, wait. I'm not interested to know.

four | 11 years ago | on: Ask HN: What's your morning routine? Be specific!

I'm a UX designer & UX coach. I work for myself. I am looking for work/clients. I live in a small city more than an hour outside a big city. My New England Winter morning routine: 1. Awake - Often long before "it's time to get up" 2. Check the time. 3. Think or sleep further or arise to read, watch, nap, or think. 4. Arise, usually at 6 a.m.; anywhere between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. 5. Unplug cell phone from AC. 6. Put cell phone is it's "spot". 7. Dress. 8. Walk around the block. 9. Change into minimal layers. * 10. Open all drapes. * 11. Stretch. * 12. 1 minute of intense exercise. 13. Put on water to boil/re-heat coffee already brewed. * 14. Shower unless schedule dictates delaying shower until later. 15. Start preparing breakfast (oatmeal or eggs or yoghurt with things). * 16. Clear off the dining table. 17. Get on the web (Note: home page set to YC S15 app). 18. Check email for anything urgent - about 2 minutes. 19. Scan 1st 60 HN headlines & save for later - about 1 minute. 20. Put away computer. 21. Finish preparing breakfast. 22. Sit down to eat breakfast. 23. Eat breakfast while reading the weekly newspaper from the (other) rural town where I spend some of each summer. 24. Turn on NPR for news and the three hours of classical music following. 25. Make the bed. 26. Take stock, make a list and get down to work.

* If my girlfriend is not gone by the time I arise, I defer these steps until I'm alone. At the same time every morning, I interrupt everything at a pre-determined time to call my child with love and wishes for a good day.

four | 11 years ago | on: Ask HN: What up with these startup salaries?

You have taken the words right out of my mouth! I, too, would like to understand the reasons. I just read the Chariot Lead Designer post with dismay. (https://angel.co/chariot/jobs/45415-lead-designer) Now, the other comments are interesting, but speculative or general to the point of not providing applicable knowledge. I will come back to see if anyone who set these terms will tell us their reasoning. My interest is practical. I have been thinking about compensation lately in case I have the good fortune to: 1) get into YC S15 and 2) survive and 3) need to hire. Also, I mentor designers and so am a sponge for compensation data and explanations.

four | 11 years ago | on: Why I use Fastmail.com

Yes, I use FastMail, too. Who would use Gmail, when you can pay a pittance and keep strangers the F out of your business? I pay for the performance and ease, too. The privacy comes in the bargain. +1.

four | 11 years ago | on: YC startup accused of stealing design from CBInsights

Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2015, 10:24 a.m. My view of the point of this story: Copying a design is efficient business. Implementing someone else's idea instead of creating your own is lazy and lacks integrity. Profiting from someone else's work, without attribution or mutual agreement is stealing, is unethical and lacks integrity. Apologizing for acting wrongly is an act of integrity. So is ceasing one's unethical behavior.

The rules are: Take responsibility for your potential and for your actions. Don't be lazy. Don't steal. When you act wrongly, acknowledge it, stop it, fix it.

four | 11 years ago | on: Ask HN: What projects are you working on?

• iOS app using Multipeer Connectivity Framework for personal medical information communication • A healthcare social network • Curriculum for my child and I to learn programming together - without spending all the time staring at screens. Using drawings, machinery, logic problems and so on. • An online clearinghouse for running in Boston., Then D.C. • Web back-end for tracking my $$ balances from SMS/email expense itemization: I send an email for an expense, it sends back my new balance.

four | 13 years ago | on: Poll: Do you use your real identity on HN?

Yes on HN. Because here are people I actual want to become familiar with and to. Like all my online presence, it is a public persona, not me in all my dimensions.

four | 14 years ago | on: Ask HN: Glut of Mainstream news on HN?

Seems that way to me, too. Have 000 data to support that assertion, however.

I post rarely, sometimes from NYT, and try to contribute articles that are germane, inspiring - not retellings or layman's gee-whiz reporting.

Overall, I don't think this is an important problem for HN - if a problem at all. And of course, we can change it ourselves at any time.

four | 14 years ago | on: Sex, Lies, And Game Development

Words to hack by:

I made games. I didn’t ask for anyone’s permission. If you have the love and the drive, you can walk through that door on your own.

I will say some of my best and most popular/successful work was inspired when someone pissed me right the fuck off. I think I’d be a crappier designer if I were male ... because I would have been exposed to fewer stupid assumptions about who I was and what I could do, which means I would have been less angry and less inspired as a result.

four | 14 years ago | on: OS X ring notifier for iPhone?

This is just such a hilariously classic geek forum entry I couldn't resist! Has it all: mystery, hope, humor, wonder, passion, aspiration, disappointment...

four | 14 years ago | on: Visualizing Process Execution

The visualizations of processes are crucial to my understanding of Brendan's analysis. As a visual person, I can't imagine using this data another way.

Once again we see that screen size remains a central UI limitation to better UX. Give me a wide printer and a big wall any time!

four | 14 years ago | on: Patent troll claims ownership of interactive Web—and might win

I just love this. Lots of dick-swinging and heart-bleeding and whining and greed. There is no right side in this. Everyone just wants their way.

The web is not some inalienable right handed down from God for the betterment of humanity. It's a clever idea that lots of people find handy. Kleenex and eyeglasses are clever, too. I don't see a movement to free tissue paper.

Why is anyone shocked by the prospect that it may come at a cost, directly or indirectly?

Life's too short, and too beautifully wonderous, to waste fretting about who's greed is good and who's is bad or unfair. Drama, drama.

four | 14 years ago | on: Stealing Your Address Book

Unacceptable. What craven view of ethics puts any concept of "user experience" above treating others truthfully and respecting their privacy, property and personal domain?

This is not a "mistake". Why would anyone want to have anything to do with such people, much less be their customer?

This warrants punishment, not forgiveness.

four | 14 years ago | on: Ask HN: How to overcome strong feelings of worthlesness and inadequacy

I'm sorry to hear that you feel so crumby.

In coming to us, asking for help with your problem, you demonstrate strength, in spite of feeling badly.

Since you mentioned thinking of suicide, I must strongly recommend you talk to a mental health professional. If you don't already have an appointment, tell us your city and we'll come up with a resource for finding one in your area. These can narrowly constrain your opportunities. If we know, we can perhaps offer more realistic help.

Do you have: money? car? housing? physical disabilities? Legal problems? (Of course, you're not required or compelled to share any personal details with us.)

Once all that is addressed: You need to focus on success in the place of focusing on failure. You need to see that you can accomplish, yourself, a goal.

Not knowing anything about you and your life, I recommend: Goal: walk for an hour every day - in any number of shorter walks, if you'd like or have to.

Steps:

Preparation: P1. Cancel broadband service at home. P2. Get a small, blank notebook as a daily log.

Daily actions: D1. Go for a walk. Out the door, or a bus or car ride away. Mall, abandoned train tracks, park, city streets, airport, your driveway - doesn't matter particularly. D2. Immediately after your walk, log your walk: date and time. D3. Shower, shave, dress neatly. No excuses on this one. D4. Go to a busy place for an hour. Bring pad and pen. No phone or computer allowed. D5. Immediately after your visit there, log it: date, time and place.

Follow-up: F1. Repeat this everyday this week. F2. Next Monday, check back with one/all of us.

Hint: The goal is accomplishing the action, not having a feeling ("Happy!" "Fulfilled").

I look forward to hearing from you.

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