justinj

When you look at a project’s code for the first time, what are the things you look for?

Tests.

how did that post even address its title? let alone warrant a single HN upvote?

pickadate is just as opinionated as jquery ui. why must component writers insist on hard-coded (and non-customisable) use-cases. there's simply no need to mandate an `input` element.

or, for a shorter read, try http://yehudakatz.com/2011/08/12/understanding-prototypes-in...

the implication that learning to code results in 10,000 viewers? please. it wasn't your coding skills that brought in those UVs. by your logic, all of the sites created by shit-hot coders like us should hit 10,000 views in the first two hours easy. you're propagating the kinds of myths that i debunk daily with friends and family, who grossly underestimate the difficulty of attracting eyeballs to their content (and whose motivation sadly erodes when said eyeballs don't instantly materialise).

if people have something to contribute, there are so many tools and services out there that negate the need for coding it isn't funny. i always advocate non-coders to test out their market theories using tumblr, wordpress, facebook, twitter, posterous, pinterest, et al before rushing off to pay someone to develop something. (in fact, i think us developers should bill ourselves for our own time on our own projects, but that's fodder for another post).

should the average person understand tech? definitely. understand the web? for sure. hypertext markup? why not. javascript? yea, you can skip that.

jeff atwood, you are right on the money.

thx. @neosavvy and i are running the event.

@thechut - i confess that's the first time i'd seen either of those concepts. they seem like intriguing concepts that are well suited to school environments.

however, tilt is about getting experts and creatives from different fields to work together in a novel way, with no one person in charge. personally, i'd err away from anything that promotes the student/teacher relationship in this particular context.

i think an afternoon is sufficient for a themed competition - anything longer may be less accessible to a number of our participants. this could change in future events, but we'll have to see.

@seltzered_ you make a good point. we do need to cast the net wider.

one of the problems is that other professionals are typically less likely than your average hacker to attend a new type of event. as such, the hope is that everyone invites a few of their professional friends from these other industries who are curious and open to the experience.

@neosavvy and i are actively inviting these types of people from our own networks, to augment the high hacker contingent.

if you have other suggestions of ways to get the concept out to those on the fringe of their professions, please let us know.

@exDM69, certainly there is a play on the word hackathon. the aim here is to take the hacking out of it and yet keep the fundamental brainstorming that is central to any group think. just because there isn't any code created, doesn't mean the ideas/concepts are less valid.

the attendees are investing real time - just not an entire weekend. both myself and @neosavvy - the creators of the event - are hackers who work full time. this event is aimed at people who are curious to work with others in more than just a hacking sense. the aim isn't just to involve developers, but also individuals who have skills in other industries, such as robotics, media and biotech.

what happens to the products is whatever the teams want to do with them.

@amirmc, it is a little vague. part of the idea is to shape it to the attendees but let me provide a little color [sic].

the idea behind tilt is an event that actually involves each any every participant. we are aiming at cross pollination between various disciplines in the hope that people learn to mingle outside their inner circle.

instead of simply "networking", the game element behind tilt gives attendees a way to determine if others are people they could actually work with. how do they think under duress? how well do they respond to changes in the environment? how creative are they.

compete with other teams over the course of an afternoon, honing an idea around a themed concept. each round will set valuations and present new challenges. teams can buyout others and have to pivot to stay ahead. winner takes all.

Public domain - fair game.

In terms of eye health, it's beneficial to get outside and look at things in the distance. Constantly focusing on something right in front of you sucks. doodling is awesome but doesn't provide the variety your eyes need.

while i think the cause is great, i can't help but feel a little sad that it has taken this event to spur everyone in the community to a more philanthropic direction. many of us here are looking to become rich and successful and forget that in many ways, we are already very wealthy.

honestly, i think it's a good time to think of all the positive things we can do with what we have - including using our technical knowhow to make the world a better place for those less fortunate.

> Why must one be poor to align with the protesters?

They're protesting against inequality of wealth distribution, and a multi millionaire represents said inequality. It's one thing to agree, it's another to be an icon.

agreed - there is a wasted opportunity and the potential for misuse (though in my experience there is only so much tolerance for manipulation).

what i find quite interesting about the entire debate is how it has engaged the workforce. while many don't agree with the protesters outright, they're at least talking about some of the issues and challenging some of the status quo, and i see value in us having those discussions.

You're stuck because you're demotivated, and you're demotivated because you are in unfamiliar territory. This is the cusp of learning. Take the leap and you'll discover the addiction of empowerment.

(Ok - that sounds like a load of crap ARobbins might spout.)

Stuck is the result of not knowing where to - and your reluctance to - begin.

Kim - he's clearly a jaded west-coaster.

they may be ahead with startups, but jesus, the banking system. they're still using checks [sic] over here. Can you believe that? it's 2011.

although i love VBox, i confess i've had serious issues with it on OSX running the Win8 Dev Preview.

(the amount of times i've now seen the apple lightbox of death is pretty ridic)

yes, that is incorrect.

he really doesn't polish up as well as old timberlake ;)

I hazard that one of the reasons founders are so helpful to each other is simple karma. Just like contributors to open source and developers who blog to share what they've learned.

2 year release cycles - you've got 12 months to sit tight my friend.

in consolation the iPad 3 (the real successor to the iPad) should be out within 6m.

I love this talk from the creator of Ruby on Rails (DHH) about the Fortune 5000000 (from 2008): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CDXJ6bMkMY

Should be able to consolidate most of those needs with an aggregator like About.me - wordpress/blogspot for the blog, flickr/picasa for the photos, and maybe posterous for the research/hobbies.

Saves time in the creation/maintenance of the site and spreads your presence across the web.

Regardless, shunning you surname definitely won't help if people try searching for you.

get wet (surf), get lost (travel), get warm (icehockey).

Seriously - four sections is not enough.

Guess he got what he wanted - there's no such thing as bad publicity.

Nick, the lack of a consolidated design ethic is difficult to overlook. The essential layout of the site is fine, however there are a few things you should take a look at:

- The fonts are inconsistent, especially look at fixing your sizing.

- The image resizing you've employed is ruining the quality of the posts. Try filling your pages with real images (like you use on the launch page) and you'll see how it feels.

- The voting buttons aren't working at all for me - can you smooth those guys out?

There is nothing wrong with the minimalist route (like HN for example), but you have to be consistent if you choose that direction.

Best of luck with the site.