I couldn't have put it better. You described my childhood. Although I have paid the pirates to get the tapes and later disks I don't feel guilty as they did some collateral good too by driving me towards IT. You have to get to know the environment before judging someone. Back in the early 90s there was absolutely NO software market and you got no access to any information whatsoever as from a 100$/month/household there is not much money to be made for a publisher. Now I buy games even if I don't play some but the developer strikes a chord in me and I just end up liking his/her attitude and the support I can I will give him. I buy the special games and that extends to music as well. Thanks to piracy I learned English and opened my eyes and mind and now I am happy to give back and I'm pretty sure if it wouldn't be for my savings spent on pirates I couldn't write this and couldn't have gone to see my favourite bands playing live and I feel I can give back.
Just note that paying for a single pirated Z80 game I paid high prices...but it was worth it.
You might be old but not always right...and here's why
1. If one wants to create a world per his imagination why not let him and let him share it? Why listen to the radio when you can read the book or the script and leave your imagination do the rest. Even debates are better on screen as body language tells way more than the grunts and sighs that can only be heard.
2. It adds a lot to the experience. You will be seeing someone else's imagination and that can be different than yours.
4. Yes it can. You still have radio if you experience this. Height can give you nausea too and that's why it needed a bunch of people without these "affections" to erect the first skyscrapers which you can benefit from and marvel at.
6. If no money is being made of a technological advancement then it gets forgotten and abandoned. Radio was a big business too and still is.
I'm really curious how people reacted when sound was introduced...then color.
Nowadays everyone seems to be a critic and anything you give them they see a drawback to it and sometimes this behavior feels just too forced.
It is turning into: back in the days thing...
When actors were actors not animated characters etc. Remember back in the days the frame-rate was given by the projector fellow's hand steadiness and now we can control it. It has to start from somewhere.
As for me, Sony did some cool engineering to make Avatar possible and Cameron financed this awesome project. For me that is a winner. I enjoyed the 3D experience a lot.
I would say giving information to Facebook is giving information to the world.
No profile means no information for anyone to refer to you which means no one can bother screwing you in any way.
Oh...and you also realize that there is a sun out there and the grass is green and actually it does have a smell.
In case you have profiles up on the internet (not just FB) share only what you are comfortable to loose. Once in different hands it is not yours anymore.
In my experience in a startup people have no labels/titles associated to them.
They are the directors and they have to take out the trash too.
Tthe author claims he has much experience in the "startup organization domain" but he misses the point of hard, smart work on turning an idea into business regardless of the labels each member has.
These are all interesting but don't prove you're a good software guy. I don't like the way how some companies try to look "cool" and do the opposite of corporates where you have to get your certifications and grades right opposed to your Brain Academy or the like highscore.
It's an interesting exercise but I think the questions should be focused around what the company's needs are for that role in particular not to test your "genius". f you're a genius and have the good attitude you already created something great that speaks for you.
You missed the message. That's the whole message, to do what YOU want and not what someone else tells you or make you think you have to. Do more of what gives you pleasure and fulfilment. Be it watching a sunset or chasing storms or whatever unless pleasure is to hurt someone...
But there is the fear of failure because of your insights which could stop you from succeeding. Some can't overcome the fear to face the consumers with an imperfect product/service even when it is more than perfect from the consumers' point.
Many great things never got to see the light because of this I would imagine.
What about game programming? Nobody mentioned it. It's the ultimate test. Try to hack together a simple pool game. You'll be amazed of how much maths and physics go into a simple game that millions use and enjoy.
It is unbelievable how things can change in a few days.
I did the same and now I'm going to be a father (wanted) but the thing is I found balance, got a new contract with a different company which will start next week for double the money and normal hours and above everything got a new perspective and more time to think/work on my stuff.
Take them gradually and you'll see how things are chained together.
You could spend more time with your kids which make up tenfolds for the missing fancy stuff. Kids love attention and entourage. YOU should be their idol and YOU can compensate the "poor" education. I disagree that money buys good education. Between terms the parents are responsible for the education and development of the offspring and spending more time with your kids gives you better chances to pass on your values. You can't pay someone to do that for you while you're working for that money.
Follow your heart! I did that and led me to a low maintenance but very happy life. The less you have to more you gain.
I thought coffee was an excuse for breaks. I drink when I'm bored or need a short break. I have never ever felt that a coffee can give me a kick not even when I had to drive for 2 days or learn for exams.
On the other hand if I find something really interesting and/or exciting it can keep me awake till morning and I can't wait to get it solved not needing any stimulant food or even going to the bathroom.
Bitching about IE6 is becoming trendy. I don't even bother optimizing for IE6 cause the sites I work on will be blocked by corporate firewalls as soon as someone accesses it from inside and flagged as frivolous anyhow.
Adding funny and even harsh stuff to your messages will alienate people but on the other hand will also create a following. Sometimes this is how people chose to be "different" or "original". Look at me...even I spent time to comment on this which means that he arose above the anonimity in my world.
It's a fashion statement to have an iSomething.
Even here on HN you never (or rarely) read I have booted up my Asus or Dell or whatever BUT there's always "my Macbook" or similar.
I like the underdog companies and I appreciate their effort and technology and I'm not buying into the iXXX hysteria. Apple was clever as it is being paid for being advertised. People pay sh%%loads for their products and they never ever forget to mention it in their discussions that they have one.
Geeks are a very small percentage of the market so unless the phone is not a "fashion accessory" there won't be massive commercial success with it...but it will be a great thing I hope.
That also depends on the problem you're trying to solve.
In a year or two there might be multiple solutions already and yours will be "yet another" one even if good but commercially not as successful.
It's good to have these calming posts but deep inside there will always be anxiety and a fear of "missing the boat".
Timing your product/service well is one of the many things you have to get right to be successful.
And to get a head start by releasing early won't trigger the sleeping competition to overtake you in the early stages. You'll be the first and you can change along the way...it might be the wrong approach to solve the problem and you can have invaluable feedback along the way.