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DXL

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Alfred App 16 years ago

Launchy is a similar app for Windows and Linux. It's not super great for finding and opening files, but it's a great timesaver for opening websites and applications, especially if you use your keyboard more than your muse (as I presume most hackers do).

http://www.launchy.net/

Build a comparison site or two: look for a market where affiliate programs are ubiquitous, structure the data and write a small application that helps customers decide. Get traffic using some basic SEO. Then pocket the commission from sales.

I did this for the personal savings market and "sim-only" mobile telephony subscriptions market in the Netherlands. It brings in a couple of hundred euros a month with only 1-2 hours of maintenance.

I wrote a script sometime ago, which sells about 4 copies a month for $25 each. The only way I marketed was by adding it to directories such as HotScripts. That will you give you some traffic if you're providing a solution in a field that's not highly competitive (a niche). You could try that.

I always thought Google had a browser for the masses in mind with Chrome. Something that is easy to use, stable and fast: a good alternative for IE.

User scripts are something for power users, who will always prefer Firefox. Won't this create the risk that average users will accept installing all kinds of scripts without much regard for security implications? User scripts are a powerful yet low-threshold tool which could easily lend itself to purposes such as identity theft.

The redesigns look great, way to go ;)

If this gains a little traction, you might find your inbox full of requests for your services. (Edit: I missed the dark gray bar at the top of the page and now see that you're aiming for that. Good luck!)

Additionally - I am not certain about the mentioned scientists' exact definition of loss - you might argue that since the damage was already done (Joe had already been charged), the 11 dollars was a gain rather than an adverted loss.

While "20% of the activity is responsible for 80% of the problem," I doubt if "dialing the wrong number," "opening the wrong document" and "making spelling mistakes" are the kind of problems you should be spending lots of attention on.

Introspection and self-improvement can both be powerful tools, but it is best used against much larger problems, many of which will not become apparent by keeping track of writing down every little stupid mistake.

[dead] 17 years ago

Hearing this, I changed my password and opened a ticket to have my account closed. About 15 minutes later, I got an email asking this:

May I have your username along with the first and third character of your password?

That is pretty much how the dominant payment system in the Neterlands works (iDEAL):

1. The merchant shows a list of banks that support iDEAL (all major banks, currently 8)

2. You pick yours, the merchant sends you to your online banking environment

3. You log into to your bank account (with your username and password)

4. You review the proposed transaction

5. A transaction code is sent to your mobile phone which you have to enter (alternatively, a list with numbered transaction codes is sent to you using snail mail in advance, the website gives you the transaction code it wants which you'll have to offer; transaction codes are used only one time)

6. The transaction is made instantly and confirmed with the merchant. To the merchant's advantage, the transaction is irreversible.

The total cost can be as low as 45 cents for the merchant, with no fixed or upfront costs.

Tim Berners Lee, the creator of the Web and of URLs, wrote some time ago that he regretted the double slash in URLs, saying that one would suffice.

When my IP was blocked I could connect but the HTTP server wouldn't respond. The ban was caused by a userscript posted here a couple of days ago that was poorly scripted and would thus trigger anti-DDOS/anti-scraping protection. I emailed PG about it and he unbanned me. The same thing happened to at least one other person.

See http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=781918

"Have you tried your same PC/browser but going through a proxy? Have you tried your same account on the same PC in a different browser? Tried logging in from a free/unsecured wifi somewhere? Tried deleting cookies in your browser? Tried a different PC (library, friend, other family member, etc.)."

I used a web proxy to post this and as I noted in my original post (see paragraph 2) I tried Google Chrome as well as curl. I have also tried accessing the site using a different computer on the same network/IP. I did not mention this in my original post and in hindsight I see that I should have.

Perhaps this question should have been just addressed to PG (and an email would have been sufficient), but on the other hand when I realized that the userscript might have been the cause a few minutes after posting, ashleyw's and jacquesm's comments were valuable.

So please excuse me if I wasted your or anyone else's time.

"I considered requiring Ogg Theora support in the spec, since we do have three implementations that are willing to implement it, but it wouldn't help get us true interoperabiliy, since the people who are willing to implement it are willing to do so regardless of the spec, and the people who aren't are not going to be swayed by what the spec says. "

That appears to be the permanent fate of the World Wide Web Consortium and its specs, unfortunately.

I think reality has catched up with a lot of what RDPD is about, namely buying real estate properties and then letting others rent them, when the housing and credit markets crashed. The one good lesson from the book now seems to be that you cannot expect high returns without high risks.

[dead] 17 years ago

Can someone explain the purpose or joke of this site to me?

[dead] 17 years ago

Kind of like how very religious people see images of the Virgin Mary in rotten pieces of cheese.