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vdoma's comments

vdoma | 13 years ago | on: Opera sends 90 out the door

Just curious, how do browser-only companies like Opera or Mozilla make money? I know Opera Mini used to be shipped with phones, but what other sources of revenue do they have?

vdoma | 14 years ago | on: Don’t work. Be hated. Love someone. (2008)

Making a living out of doing what you love will only work if you're exceptionally good at it or if there's plenty of demand for it. For example, there's plenty of people who love to play chess, but if you can't break into the top 100 in the world, forget about living off it. I know plenty of IMs and GMs who struggle to making a living. I think it's important to find a balance between doing what you love and doing what's practical. And if you develop the discipline to manage your non-work hours, there will be plenty of time for play.

By being hated, I guess the author wants us to stay true to our convictions. It's okay to be hated, as long as there are supporters as well. It's very difficult to stand alone, though sometimes we must. Even so, if we can be accommodating but still stay true to our convictions most of the time, that's the way to go.

vdoma | 14 years ago | on: Best of Vim Tips

Most of these are very useful and definitely real-world examples. I agree it's not for total beginners, but the page never makes such a claim.

vdoma | 14 years ago | on: Linux Mint: The new Ubuntu?

What's wrong with sticking to an older version of Ubuntu - 11.04 or earlier where you're not forced to use Unity? That's what I do. And I get a lot more work done without having to worry with the latest shiny new toys in town.

vdoma | 15 years ago | on: Confessions of a Used-Book Salesman

I go to plenty of used book sales at libraries and these guys are annoying as hell. They scan and hoard a lot of the books irrespective of the topic, and later spend time looking at each one to check its resale prospects. What they don't want, they dump back, not necessarily where they were supposed to be, and head out.

My library has even started posting flyers saying hoarding is disallowed. Libraries have also started not bringing out all the books at once, so that once these guys have done their "business", there's more quality books left for the rest. As for me, I think they should just ban the use of these devices at these sales.

vdoma | 15 years ago | on: Falling in love will cost you two close friends

I call bullshit. The very definition of close friends is that they are close, whether you spend less time with them or not. I've got friends across the country and we're very close even though we meet a only few times a year.

vdoma | 15 years ago | on: Art of Computer Programming, Volumes 1-4A Boxed Set

Well, they're difficult books to read to begin with. Knuth himself would be surprised if someone has read and understood them all. At the same time, I find they're hyped up a bit (like SICP). There are plenty of other really good algorithms books IMHO.

vdoma | 15 years ago | on: Ask HN: Suggestions for mastering vim?

I've been using it for many years and still learn something new frequently. Don't worry about mastering it quickly. Subscribe to the vim mailing lists, read other peoples vimrcs, and over time it'll come to you.

On the similar note, read the book 'Mastery' by George Leonard, and he'll tell you that in order to achieve mastery, you'll have to go through periods of long plateaus before you get to the next level.

vdoma | 16 years ago | on: Ask HN: Why do I lose interest in every project after 6 months?

Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Yes, not all times are going to be interesting, you may lose motivation, get tired or bored, have setbacks, and want to give up, but it is only when you keep going on, that you complete the race.

A clear idea of goals and self-discipline are what separate the extra-ordinary people from the rest.

But since you're working on a startup, sometimes it's important to know when to give up rather than pursue an unsuccessful idea. But I'm sure enough people have talked about this.

vdoma | 16 years ago | on: Tips for launching a startup while holding a day job

On a related note, is it okay to pick up skills related to your side project at work? For example, if my side project is building a application in Clojure, is it okay to learn about Clojure at work? Of course, not at the expense of getting actual work work done, but there's always time between builds, etc. So instead of playing Foosball or surfing the internet, can one actually do something more productive, even though it's unrelated to the current work you are doing?

vdoma | 16 years ago | on: Interview with Magnus Carlsen, the current #1 chess player

I'd think what Magnus says he does is more of the exception rather than the norm. Most chess grandmasters, like successful writers, are extremely disciplined, so I believe following a schedule definitely helps. I wouldn't be surprised if in a few years, Magnus wouldn't rather prefer a timetable. Just my two cents.

vdoma | 16 years ago | on: Ask HN: How to become a better programmer?

I'd say focus on the basics - learn more about algorithms, operating system internals, data structures, concurrency, human-computer interaction, general OO/Functional/Procedural programming principles, etc. Languages are dime a dozen - once you're strong in fundamentals, picking up a new technology/language/framework becomes a lot more easier.

vdoma | 16 years ago | on: Mind the Tools

I mostly second that. The only thing I learnt was that there is a programming language called Ur. Maybe if we had the audio, it would be different.
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