reynolds | 15 years ago | on: Hacker Spoofs Cell Phone Tower to Intercept Calls
I have it on good authority that the U.S. military uses similar technology overseas for monitoring terrorists.
reynolds's comments
reynolds | 15 years ago | on: If You’re So Damn Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?
> after scores of weeks of silence, you'd start blanketing too.
Actually I wouldn't, but my situation is probably different than most people just looking for a job. I wouldn't let it get to weeks of silence. I'd just move on.
reynolds | 15 years ago | on: If You’re So Damn Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?
I don't get the mentality of sending out thousands of resumes. I sent out one to get my current job because I wanted to work there.
reynolds | 15 years ago | on: Why the Mythbusters won't do RFID (2008)
Some credit cards use RFID technology to transmit unencrypted data to merchants. I believe PayPass uses RFID tech. Anyone with an RFID scanner can grab your CC info.
reynolds | 15 years ago | on: Syntax highlighting, auto complete and more within Python interpreter
This is pretty neat. I turned off auto_display_list and arg_spec (the autocomplete features). I'm not sure if it will replace my normal usage of IDLE, but I definitely dig the syntax highlighting and session history.
reynolds | 15 years ago | on: Start Coding, People go Crazy
I think this is a good call on your part. There are a lot of people who know Django, and Python in general. In this phase it's good for you to use something that your immediate peers use.
reynolds | 15 years ago | on: Poll: Are you a software pirate?
True. I guess what I really meant is that if you're using a platform where most everything is free you don't really need to pirate software. Macs, in my opinion, could almost be lumped in with Windows.
reynolds | 15 years ago | on: Poll: Are you a software pirate?
I really only use free software. Outside of software development I don't really have any other software on my laptops. I have purchased tools and never pirate them. Is pirating more of a Windows user's thing?
reynolds | 15 years ago | on: Why Software Development is Different ...
The author mentions manufacturing processes in the article.
reynolds | 15 years ago | on: Ask HN: Version numbers in a REST API
I can't recall a single API I've seen or used that took the academic approach of using HTTP Accept headers. All of the major REST APIs I've seen have used API key X-* headers and most of them use versioned URIs.
It seems there are two REST camps: academics and those who actually write real-world APIs.
reynolds | 15 years ago | on: Ask HN: Version numbers in a REST API
Unless I'm mistaken, this basically tells me that I should put the same code for v1+json and v2+json in the same controller method, rather than actually dispatching to separate controllers. I'm not sure how it's done in Rails, but /v1/ and /v2/ are dispatched separately since they are different namespaces.
Also, how do you separate users accessing your API if not with X-* HTTP headers with an API key? (I'm referencing that link you posted). Would you not consider Gowalla (and hundreds of others who use X-* API key headers) as being RESTful?
reynolds | 15 years ago | on: Steve Yegge is a "non-notable programmer"
Isn't there a syndrome that describes people who try to exert as much control/authority over a small but unimportant aspect of life?
reynolds | 15 years ago | on: Ask HN: Non-coding, single founders?
I'm a programmer but I think I have a different take on this debate than most other programmers. I know quite a few people who aren't programmers but have started, and continue to run, successful businesses. The thing all of them have in common is that they don't necessarily choose tech-heavy niches. There are tons of problems that can be solved with a shitty web application written in broken PHP. These people all know basic PHP and outsource for parts of the apps they can't get right. If something sort of works they ship it anyway and refine it over time.
I think there's something very valuable in that mentality for hackers to learn from. There are a lot of businesses that start with a shitty product in a good market and refine it over time. We hear about it all the time: release early and often.
reynolds | 15 years ago | on: Ask HN: How much do you program?
I write code every day. Depending on the day, how I'm feeling, what I'm working on, etc, I'll spend more or less hours doing it. Every day I hit a wall where I'm done coding for the day and I've learned to embrace that. My brain and my body just say "stop working" and I do. Sometimes I hit that wall after 4 hours, sometimes I hit it after 12 or more. I've learned that if I try to push myself to work past that wall, my work becomes lower quality and I don't really pay attention to what I'm doing.
reynolds | 15 years ago | on: Membase a new NoSQL
memcached actually uses libevent.
Edit: oops, JoachimSchipper beat me to it
reynolds | 15 years ago | on: Why there will never be human-equivalent AI
The author's argument hinges on humans creating more intelligent AI, not humans genetically engineering beings capable of evolving greater intelligence than humans. I would also argue that humans engineering new species isn't exactly "natural" in an evolutionary sense. The author even points out that he isn't considering natural evolution in his argument.
reynolds | 16 years ago | on: Heroku for PHP - Private Beta Signup
Doesn't Google AppEngine solve this for Python?
reynolds | 16 years ago | on: Poll: What web server do you use?
nginx in front of cherrypy wsgi server. I don't use the cherrypy web framework, however.
reynolds | 16 years ago | on: 19 year old files S1 (IPO prospectus) to raise $12,500 for his beer pong company
IPOs are underwritten by investment banks. Filing to go public without being underwritten is called a direct public offering I believe.
reynolds | 16 years ago | on: Organic Startup Ideas
> 2. Jim Clark is the only person in the world to create three billion dollar companies.
Didn't Marc Andreesen do this too? Or maybe Ning shouldn't be counted until it exits.