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Do you criticize?	ErrantX: Is criticism a bad thing? If people are posting here just to get their ego stroked then there's no real point to it..If I post something here it would be for it to get torn apart by people experienced in stuff like that. Design decisions are the main area that needs outside help and this is the best place to ask for it IMO.
Do you criticize?	cgranade: Criticism, if kept in check, can be a valuable tool IMHO. Remember, to many eyes, all bugs are shallow. In a way, then, I think that criticism can provide a way of bug checking designs and modes of thought. Of course, criticism can turn nasty and destructive, but I don't think it has to. That's my 2¢, anyway.
Incorporate before launch?	satyajit: I generally think its good idea to inc if you are really serious about it, irrespective of whether your boss knows it or not. From tax perspective, you may end up paying less tax if you inc it - because initially you may not have a lot of revenue (as in most cases) and can show all that as loss to the company.
Do you criticize?	swombat: Criticism is extremely valuable. You can't improve without criticism.People who feel like criticism is a personal affront are somewhat foolish. If someone is taking the time to explain you why they think you're wrong about something, you should take the time to consider their opinion. They themselves may be wrong in their criticism, but the intent/result of criticism is to help you improve.I warmly encourage everyone to criticise me at all times.
Do you criticize?	RiderOfGiraffes: Criticism is not the problem. How you say it, is.Firstly, recognise that what you're about to hammer on is someone's child. Respect that, and respect the effort that's gone into it. Recognise that it's not perfect, and they will know it's not perfect, but also that it (probably) has merit.Recognise that the person who made this thing is (probably) not an idiot. They are, however, almost certainly not an expert in everything. But neither are you. Your criticism is intended to help.Make an effort to find that which is worth praising. Observe that other aspects need work/attention/deletion, but there will be things that are good. Be genuine in your praise of that which deserves it - there will be something.Express optinions as opinions. "That sucks" is an opinion that is most likely not shared by everyone. "Linked lists can be slow" is a fact, but it's easier to hear that when it's accompanied by "... but fast enough sometimes, and can be replaced by better data structures when necessary."Above all, remember that you are expressing opinions to a person who has feelings, who has invested effort, and who has been brave enough to invite criticism. When it's well intentioned and well expressed, opinions from others are incredibly valuable. When badly expressed, opinions can be of large negative value.Strive to be of positive value.
Do you criticize?	mooism2: There is a difference between criticising something so that it (and other things like it) can be improved, and criticising something as a means of tearing something (or someone) down.Good criticism means saying what is good about something as well as what is bad.
Do you criticize?	axod: It's not the critic that needs fixing, it's the person who takes criticism to heart, and doesn't learn from it.Criticism is vital feedback IMHO.
Do you criticize?	brk: Situationally dependent.If you ask for my opinion, you're going to generally get pretty direct feedback. Over the years I've managed to find the right balance (mostly) between tactfulness and directness. I don't generally sugar-coat things, nor do I like when people try to "phrase" their criticism TO me.For the last ~11 years I've been working with various startup or turnaround companies. You don't often have time to make sure that everyone leaves every meeting with their feelings and emotions fully intact. But that also doesn't mean that you can or should be a flaming asshole either.I do not believe that my critical assessment of things has ever hurt a relationship that I would have wanted to maintain. I have had situations where the person receiving the criticism was incapable of handling any negative feedback. But in those cases, that individual usually ends up with a stack of imagined enemies and has zero future value to me anyway.
About Cloudant	tdavis: No, they just inherited the name. It's an entirely different team.
Do you criticize?	DanielBMarkham: For some reason, we socialize people today that criticizing people means that you are smarter than them. I've had people pick apart parts of my comments that weren't even germane to the discussion at hand simply because I said something "wrong"This is why most journalists have a one-email rule: you can write and say hello or thanks for the article and get a reply, but very rarely can you continue a conversation past a couple of exchanges. There are simply too many people on the net who like to argue and criticize.How do you deal with coworkers doing/saying stupid thingsLearn the four magic words, "Help me to understand..."There are 3 possible conditions. 1) They are mixed up and you are correct, 2) You are mixed up and they are correct, and 3) You are both mixed up. Given equal weighting, 2/3rds of the time you're the person who is mixed up. So when somebody says something that doesn't sound right, ask them to explain it to you. Heck, you might learn something.In that same spirit (humility and learning), you may want to offer some education to somebody who is struggling. But that's only after you listen. Listening gives you the right to talk.To save time on the net, I usually try to restate what I think the other person is saying and then provide the way I understand the situation. "If I understand you correctly, you're saying that large weasels were the first inhabitants of the New World. That's very interesting, because as I understand it, there have been no large weasel fossils found here. Help me to understand. Is there something I might be missing?"Part of the problem with the net is that deep in our minds we view other posters as somehow just part of the machine and not real live humans, whether we acknowledge that or not. So we say things in comments we would never say face-to-face. Programmers are very analytical. When something appears in a program on in a thread that is "incorrect" we must jump in and stomp it out immediately! That little Mr. Spock in all of us turns on and immediately whips up a retort and criticism to show to others just how much more we know.
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	nixy: Sounds interesting... How do I change to the Colemak layout on Windows XP?
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	trickjarrett: In college I ran across a guy who used genetic algorithms to shift the keyboard around based on his own typing patterns. He took code he typed, blog posts, emails, IMs, everything and logged it and after two weeks of collecting he then ran it through as the data source for genetic algorithms, assigning numeric values determining the viability of the arrangements based on distance a hand has to travel, etc.He found DVORAK was a very good layout, but he came up with another one which was extremely odd and unusual. I played around with it but found that I never had the time to retrain my hands, I was always in the middle of a semester and thus not really free to be less productive.This is a good blog post but not what I specifically discovered: http://bit.ly/17e6G
Do you criticize?	michaelkeenan: Criticism can be motivated by a desire to communicate useful information and/or motivated by status-seeking/dominance. Criticism that repels even secure people is the kind that appears to have that self-promoting agenda.I like the way Ben Franklin put it in his autobiography:"I wish well-meaning, sensible men would not lessen their power of doing good by a positive, assuming manner, that seldom fails to disgust, tends to create opposition, and to defeat everyone of those purposes for which speech was given to us, to wit, giving or receiving information or pleasure. For, if you would inform, a positive and dogmatical manner in advancing your sentiments may provoke contradiction and prevent a candid attention."He describes how he cultivated "the habit of expressing myself in terms of modest diffidence; never using, when I advanced any thing that may possibly be disputed, the words certainly, undoubtedly, or any others that give the air of positiveness to an opinion; but rather say, I conceive or apprehend a thing to be so and so; it appears to me, or I should think it so or so, for such and such reasons; or I imagine it to be so; or it is so, if I am not mistaken. ... When another asserted something that I thought an error, I deny'd myself the pleasure of contradicting him abruptly, and of showing immediately some absurdity in his proposition; and in answering I began by observing that in certain cases or circumstances his opinion would be right, but in the present case there appear'd or seem'd to me some difference, etc. I soon found the advantage of this change in my manner; the conversations I engag'd in went on more pleasantly. The modest way in which I propos'd my opinions procur'd them a readier reception and less contradiction; I had less mortification when I was found to be in the wrong, and I more easily prevail'd with others to give up their mistakes and join with me when I happened to be in the right."
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	snowboardbum: It took me about two weeks to learn Dvorak well enough to type at a reasonable pace. I don't think I type any faster, but it's much more comfortable than QWERTY so I enjoy typing more.OS X has a Dvorak keyboard map that switches back to QWERTY while you're holding down the command key. I don't know if there's an equivalent for Windows.
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	3pt14159: I really tried using DVORAK layout in 2003. The short cut keys and the punctuation were bad, but the worst part was that I would lose about a month's worth of progress if I took a week to two weeks vacation from DVORAK (when stuff we due in University). Also, I hated having to remap FPS games all the time, so I eventually just decided 60 wpm with QWERTY was good enough.
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	gommm: I've been using colemak for the last 3 months and the result has been very positive: - The wrist pains I used to have disappeared (since that was the main reason to switch, the switch is a definite succes) - It took me about 1 month and an half to regain my normal speed (my biggest problem was the inversion of 'r' and 's')I never really managed to type in a proper way (though I did touch type with 7 fingers, I didn't have my fingers in the proper row and the proper position), since starting colemak I started having a correct finger position since it just feels more natural to keep your finger in the home row when so many letters are there.
Do you criticize?	FleursDuMal: 'I criticise by creation, not by finding fault.' - Michelangelo
Do you criticize?	dhotson: I think it's ok to criticize as long as it's constructive.I can't speak for others, but I really appreciate good criticism. I'm talking about the kind that is brutally honest.It still pays to be polite, I don't take shit from people who are rude.I think it's great that Hacker News has the 'Rate my Startup' style threads. One of the things that stands out is the quality and honesty of the criticism, there's always some interesting points brought up.. and everyone here so damn nice too!
Do you criticize?	edw519: Dale Carnegie never used Vista.
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	a-priori: I have used Dvorak full-time for 5-6 years now. Back in high school, a friend of mine discovered Dvorak and a few of us switched cold-turkey; everyone else switched back within a week, but I'm still going! It took about two weeks for me to be comfortable with it. If you're like me, it's the punctuation that will screw you up the most when switching.I'm an Emacs user, but I learned Emacs after I learned Dvorak, so I don't find the keybindings to be awkward. I do some strange things, such as using Escape as the Meta key (with my left thumb on the chord letter).Vim, however, is hard to use (e.g. "HJKL" are in the "JCVP" positions), which may be part of the reason I gravitated to Emacs. For games, I either rebind the in-game commands, or I switch to QWERTY while I'm playing (e.g. "WASD" being in the ",A;H" positions is just no good).
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	jules: I use colemak and it feels a lot better.
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	Tichy: I've found that Yoga is more effective in preventing wrist pain. Also I don't think typing speed is typically the limiting factor in coding speed. Even if it was, maybe switching to a less verbose language would be more useful than switching keyboard layouts, in my opinion.
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	jdknezek: I've been using the Dvorak layout for at least 9 years, and with the right hardware I've been able to get around the weird ZXCV placement. I currently use a 2030 from http://www.typematrix.com . It has function key mappings that place cut, copy, and paste directly below the ZXCV portion.Also, you may want to try the Capewell-Dvorak layout by Michael Capewell at http://www.geocities.com/smozoma/projects/keyboard/layout_ca... . Mr. Capewell has an evolved layout as mentioned by trickjarrett, but the Capewell-Dvorak layout attempts to be a simple correction to some glaring issues in Dvorak like the inconvenience of the ZXCV placement, typing G and H on the same finger, placing A under the pinky and O under the ring finger, etc. I haven't had the time to spend to learn it, but I think it would be well worth the endeavor for someone just learning their second layout.
Do you criticize?	revorad: I know exactly what you mean about the habit of criticizing being like a drug. I don't know if I can completely give up criticizing; it may not even be a good idea to do so for reasons that others have mentioned here.But after reading the Carnegie book recently, I am trying to be more tactful. Whether I change my behaviour in the long run or not, I find it is a good social experiment to carry out. Now when I disagree with someone or am tempted to criticize them for some reason, I have to think about it carefully. I don't just blurt out my first thoughts. I have definitely seen that it helps to start with a compliment or merely stating the things that we do agree upon. And then I politely pose the differences as questions, similar to what Ben Franklin suggests. It's too early for me to make any big inferences, but one thing I can say is that it certainly feels better to have pleasant conversations than heated abrupt arguments.
Do you criticize?	davidw: The guidelines of this site contain a useful rule: act as if you were saying something to someone's face. If you're more or less normal, that means that sure, you can criticize things, but you won't be a jerk about it.
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	xmilestegx: I switched over to the Dvorak layout about 2 months ago and I'm getting pretty good with it, but still am not up to speed mostly because when trying to 'think' type I end up making alot of mistakes. I'll do really well with a little concentration on typing but as I focus on the thinking I tend to make what I'll call mistake streaks where I'll get the same letter wrong 3-5 times before getting it right.My Qwerty fingers are completely gone and I find it a pain to use since I learned to touch type in the early 90s and now have to lift my hands and look at the keyboard all the time when using that layout on someone elses computer.Keyboard shortcuts and punctuation have been my least favorite parts of the switch. I still get them wrong all the time and not having the shortcut keys on the left hand is a bit of a pain.I'm going to stick with Dvorak in the hopes that I things get better as I move forward. I switched mostly as a preventative measure to avoid the RSI issues I see in this industry alot, but I can't yet recommend switching to others.
Are social content aggregators ruining your ability to read a book?	BigCanOfTuna: err...that should read... "... most anything NOT projected by my 24"...".
Are social content aggregators ruining your ability to read a book?	tokenadult: I find that I cherish books even more for their carefully constructed long-form arguments after reading online.
UNIX / Command Line tutorial for non-dummies	tebeka: For bash have a look at http://tldp.org/LDP/abs/html/
Do you criticize?	wallflower: Public criticism is very bad. I once criticized a fellow team member in a fairly loud, emotionally heated public tiff saying stuff like 'If I have to implement that feature that way, I'll quit' (I really did feel like I would have). I was called into the carpet on my manager's office and made very well aware that I had disrupted the team dynamic (because I had surfaced conflict and more importantly other teams had overheard what I had said (which hurts our team's image). Among other things, one of the quieter members of our team expressed concern to our manager (which she had never done ever before). I had to apologize and repair the rift (which took months).
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	patrickg-zill: They are great if you only use a few systems. However if you are working on other people's systems or some other case where you are not the sole user of the machine, it is difficult to deal with switching between QWERTY and Dvorak; which is the main reason I do not use Dvorak. A friend uses Dvorak exclusively and it works well for him - he only touches his own systems.
Are social content aggregators ruining your ability to read a book?	runevault: Not really, I probably don't read as much because I find myself devouring so much online content, but just last night I sat down and spent 3-4 or so hours devouring a new book I'd been waiting to be delivered (and have 3 more like it waiting to be read).
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	anthony_barker: An interesting post comparing piano playing and typinghttp://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=35481&cid=3832754
Do you criticize?	danw: Personal criticism is harsh and a bit rude.However criticism of code or architecture should be encouraged and seen as a constructive thing as it lets you discuss different approaches and why the current approach was taken and how it can be changed or improved.Criticism and debate in Math, Engineering and Science should be encouraged.Related: http://micromath.wordpress.com/2008/12/26/women-and-mathemat...
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	justinchen: I haven't tried an alternative layout, but I do use a Kinesis countoured keyboard and that has made typing less painful for me. My hands rest very naturally on the keyboard and there's less distance to travel when tapping the keys. http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/advantage_pro.htm
Do you criticize?	ahoyhere: > How do you deal with coworkers doing/saying stupid things, especially in programming and science?I think the real question you have to answer for yourself is, who died and appointed you the arbiter of stupid? Why do you think you should go around and share your opinion on what other people want to do and say?The fundamental problem is not how you present criticism, as other commentors have suggested. That is a techie "hacks" approach to the issue.It's your attitude towards other people on the whole. You want to critize because of the way it makes you feel, not because you want to help them grow as human beings.I don't know you personally, but a lot of people with the kinds of criticizing problems you describe look at being correct as being righteous, and being incorrect as sinful, unvirtuous and contemptible.Just biting your tongue's not going to solve this underlying view.What you need to cultivate is respect and empathy for everyone's humanity and their complete otherness from you.(And some gentleness for yourself, too.) I'd recommend some vipashyana mediation.Note: I'm aware of the irony. But you asked.
How do you read? (And Yellowstone is a supervolcano)	Harkins: I've also read that book and had a similarly spotty recollection until last week. The Yellowstone supervolcano is irrelevant to my life and I can't do anything to prevent it. If it erupts in my lifetime, then I'll care a lot, but I can't predict that so it's not worth worrying about it. I was reminded of it last week when I saw my little sister for the holidays: she's a geologist and was wearing a t-shirt that referenced it. Family asked and she went on at length about it, more than Bryson does in that excerpt. It's relevant to her life in a way it isn't (and hopefully never will be) to mine.Don't feel bad about not remembering unimportant things.
How to write a business plan for an Internet startup?	Skeletor: I just took a 10 week entrepreneur course called FastTrac, there are many local versions of the course throughout the US. I took a version in NYC. The course met once a week for 3 hours and was a great networking and social gathering. It was taught by a Professor at Fordham University who has his own startup company and used to be a VC.The goal of the course was to teach you how to run a business and complete a working business plan after 10 weeks. Each class had a guest speaker and round table discussions. They focused on a different topic every week: market research, sales, accounting, legal needs, financial projections. I highly recommend the course if you want a crash course in how to write a business plan.
How to write a business plan for an Internet startup?	justinchen: I think that depends on if you need the salary for the timeframe in your plan. The investors want to make sure you'll be around to see the startup succeed so unless you're independently wealthy (or at least have enough to cover yourself for a few years) I'd include it.
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	lliiffee: There is quite a bit of evidence that Dvorak superiority is a myth:http://www.reason.com/news/show/29944.html http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/221/was-the-qwerty-...
How do you read? (And Yellowstone is a supervolcano)	superkarn: I think a lot of it has to do with your interests. For example, you're a HN reader and you come away with "Yellowstone == supervolcano." A new mom would probably read the quoted text and think "Yellowstone is dangerous, don't take the family there." A kid who is into fireworks and explosions might remember "TNT the size of Rhode Island, cool!"When I read, I usually just remember the big picture plus the small details that I personally find fascinating.
Do you criticize?	diN0bot: > "doing/saying stupid things"if you think something is stupid slow down. stop. try and understand the other person's perspective and the root of their concerns.be respectful. i find this easier when i'm in a good mood and my mind is actually being respectful, rather than simply watching what i say. the latter is important, too, because emotions, stress and frustrations cannot always be avoided or ignored.1. their perspective and concerns are likely valid, even if they don't have the background to properly express their concerns or come up with a smart solution.2. no one is stupid, we just have different backgrounds and are in different places of development. sometimes it is appropriate (and useful) to teach or mentor others; other times the group needs to stick to a process that permits communication and specialized expertise.
How to write a business plan for an Internet startup?	axod: A related question, how much is a reasonable salary for a startup founder? Do investors usually assume the founders will be living in squalor, eating noodles and paying themselves nothing until profitability, or are investors usually open to founders that have existing financial commitments - family, mortgage etc.Probably varies massively, but I've often assumed that investment often requires you don't take a salary, or very much at all anyway.
How do you read? (And Yellowstone is a supervolcano)	theblackbox: Hi, I was on the Bryson train....there are a good many techniques to enhance memory, most usually deal with some form of visual imagery. I'm pretty sure this hinges on the idea that a very large proportion of the brain is given over to visual processing, so one would assume that capturing a visual image of an idea would better help one to recall that idea many years in the future. And the image of the gaping maw of a spewing super-volcano, is pretty hard hitting. That's probably why it eclipsed the details and left you with the "bigger picture" as you so unconsciously put it ;)for instance, do you remember what Coprolites are? probably not, and probably for a good reason, they are Fosillised Dino turds.... not a worthwhile image for association, methinks;)but they are also esoteric, so I wouldn't get caught up about not remembering what you consciously don't attend to. Association is a powerful tool, and you would probably surprise yourself if you could see everything you _can_ recall about things that hold your attention well.
How to write a business plan for an Internet startup?	Mystalic: Good business plans are tough. I was taught at Northwestern by a very successful entrepreneur how to build the presentation, business plan, and financial model.You need to cover the basics. Here's what my last one covered:- Executive Summary- Project Information- Company Description- Market and Industry Analysis- Marketing and Sales- Operations- Management- Capitalization and Structure- Development and Milestones- Financial Projections and Models- Summary and ConclusionIt's no easy matter. This was a 30 page plan. I'd love to talk about the breakdown via IM or skype; it's just too much information to put into one comment.
Do you criticize?	lpgauth: My girlfriend at that same resolution last year, I think it lasted a good 48 hours before she started talking in other people's back.
How to write a business plan for an Internet startup?	mattmaroon: While I realize much of the capitalist world still operates this way, I'd be hesitant about anyone who asked for a business plan. While a business plan isn't entirely a waste of time, there's just so much of it dedicated to pulling meaningless numbers out of your ass as to be an exercise in futility, and it gives them something to be pissed at you about later if you miss your fictional quotas.And if I even heard the phrase "pro forma" I'd run.
How to write a business plan for an Internet startup?	mixmax: I've written more business plans than I care to think about. This is my experience:1) A business plan is a marketing document. Usually you are using it to sell your business to banks, investors or partners. You have to think of your audience when you write it. An investor likes to see projected revenues that are high and don't mind that there's a risk - banks are the other way around.2) Don't use business plans as a plan of how to run your company, write a one page strategy note instead. I have never seen a businessplan that was followed 100% and turned into a successful business. Everything changes fast in a startup, and you have to adapt accordingly.3) Make sure you don't write something in your businessplan you can't honor. Investors and banks will look at it and blame you if they invested money and you don't live up to what you have written. Make sure to have escape routes. (If this and this market condition is true we will do such and such, if it isn't we can't do jack shit, we expect to do such and such but require this or that to reach these lofty goals) This will give you leverage and deniability in later negotiations.4) Make sure you use a lot of sources to underpin and validate your assumptions (Gartner projects that within the next five years this trend will do something, making it inevitable that we will make loads of money since we're currently the only ones in this business) This will lend you credibility.5) Make good budgets, and talk about your assumptions in the business plan. Budgets are the first thing investors look at. Particularly the assumptions behind the numbers.6) Beware of investors that think everything in your business plan is a road map that simply needs to be followed in order to attain fame, glory and fuck-you money: They don't know what they're talking about.
Do you criticize?	puns: Just practice a softer delivery. Instead of saying "I don't like how this is..." or "This sucks because..." say: "This is good and it would be even better if ...". This way you're not saying anything negative at all, but at the same time voicing the things you believe should be improved.
Fireball in the sky	daftdani: I've seen these things in the sky over Stockport about 6 times now, they're never falling, always travelling as a plane would. On new years eve four of us saw one going along as usual but then split into 3 and go in different directions. Whatever these things are they seem to have a flight path over our house as we've only been there 6 months and seen them 6 times! I've seen mereorites falling before and they're definately not those and I live near Manchester airport and know for a fact they're nothing to do with planes. They are definately big balls of fire travelling through the sky. Weird!!!!!
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	macco: I used a different layout based on dvorak optimized for the german language. You get very, but it sucks if you have to use a different computer, then you hack with two fingers. I switched back. If you only use your own computer go for it. Otherwise I wouldn't do it.Rockin Regards, Marco
Do you criticize?	msg: That's a stupid resolution! 5 cents please.Seriously though, I prefer to go Socratic when I disagree on a technical question. I don't want to prove to myself or anyone else that I'm right. I do want to draw someone else into my way of thinking.If my partner in argument manages to answer the questions I thought were subtle and revealing, maybe my understanding was incomplete. In that case, I should have been asking questions all along anyway. Depending on how sarcastic your questions sound at the beginning, you can probably change stance from know-it-all to ignoramus without anyone noticing.If a problem has a settled answer in the public record, send a link. Not everyone considers the same sources authoritative, though.
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	cooldude127: i've been using colemak for about a year and a half, and i'm very happy with it. the few times i'm forced to go without it, i can feel how much more my fingers are moving. emacs is quite usable with it, but vim requires some remapping (i'm an emacs guy so i haven't put too much effort it).
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	icey: For the people who have made the switch: Is there a real benefit to be had for people who are currently fast to very fast typists in QWERTY (say.. 80wpm+)?Mostly I'm curious about typing performance more than RSI type issues.
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	sh1mmer: I used Dvorak for a while but I wasn't really happy with it and went back to QUERTY because it was different enough that I found it annoying switching a lot. That was when I had to use a number of different desktop machines though.Now I mostly use a primary laptop and I've been playing with Colemak which I've found surprisingly easy to get into. I would advice doing a typing tutor for a while though before you take the jump to use it for work related stuff. This means you can train your hands to a decent speed in "game" mode.
How to write a business plan for an Internet startup?	blender: I'll second mattmaroon's comments and say that you're probably barking up the wrong tree. You should try to self-finance or go after love-money (family and friends) first. Once you have traction and revenue a commercial or short-form business plan might make more sense - until then it's all wishful thinking.With that said I have found SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis to be a useful tool...Cheers
How to write a business plan for an Internet startup?	pedalpete: I'd start by getting the budget and forecast together, and then write the executive review. Get some feedback on it, and then pass it to the investors.Go from there. You'll get an idea from the feedback and from what the investors say to know if you should proceed writing the entire plan, maybe they will find some holes in it, etc. etc. Then if they still want the full plan in writing, go write it. You'll probably learn a ton just in the process of writing the executive review.
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	jerf: I've been using Dvorak for about three years (+ Caps Lock -> Backspace for about six months).I find complaints about keystrokes in emacs to be overrated. I think the problem people have is that even though the keystroke for, say, "go to beginning of the line" may be "CTRL-a", in your brain it manifests as a separate keystroke and will require distinct time to re-learn, even after you've mastered a. Not a lot of time, but time.I play Angband sometimes (in the laptop keyboard configuration), and for that I always go back to QWERTY, because I don't "press the letter p to pray", I "press the Pray key", and having that remapped and trying to relearn everything is just silly.Personally, I'm not sure I recommend switching. But if you do switch, I do recommend keeping it. The anecdotal wrist pain mitigation evidence is anecdotal, but since nobody's done a study, it's all we have to go on.
How to write a business plan for an Internet startup?	puzzle-out: Your in an interesting, slightly unusual position here. That is, the investors have approached you, rather than vice versea. Business plans are normally written for a more general audience - I would find out more about these guys' other investments and see what makes them tick, and weight the business plan towards those interests. This may sound a little manipulative, but as some of the other posts have pointed out, a business plan is a fundamentally an investment-raising document, and in the medium term often has little relevance for the running of the company. But of course you should take a salary, it would seem unprofessional not to.
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	ambition: I switched to Dvorak until I was good at it, and then switched back to QWERTY. It was just too difficult to mentally switch to QWERTY when using keyboards not under my control.
Do you criticize?	pg: While most people's behavior would be net improved by following Carnegie's recipe, I don't think it's optimal. There are cases when you want to criticize something, even if it doesn't make you liked.
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	axiom: Check out http://www.datahand.com
How to write a business plan for an Internet startup?	Flemlord: John Nesheim sells an Excel spreadsheet ($25) for creating financial projections. My background doesn't include accounting so it was a big help, factoring in many things I wouldn't have thought to put in our plan. I used it successfully to raise my first round of funding.http://www.nesheimgroup.com/quickup_model(The financial projections are just one component of your business plan, of course.)
Do you criticize?	markessien: What I've found after many years is this: If you have something negative to say, and don't have any idea what would be better, then just shut up. If you see an ugly flower, do you rip it up and leave nothing in it's place? If something sucks and you don't have any idea how it could be better, keep your mouth shut.If you have a better idea, then tell the person straightforward - I think this could be better like this, that could be better like that, then let the person take what he wants of your suggestions. Don't defend your points, don't argue it. Just give your opinion and leave.If your opinion is strong, and this particular part of the item affects you DIRECTLY, then first of all make it clear that you would like to argue a point, then make sure that the other person understands that this is not personal. Then lay out the points you dislike with suggestions on how they would be better, and then try to come to a middle ground on which items should go your way and which items should go the other way.Keep the primary rule in mind - finding an error and pointing it out does not show you are clever. If the thing you see is not relevant to you and you cannot play any difference in getting it fixed, then don't say anything. Just let it be.
How to write a business plan for an Internet startup?	whyleyc: I wonder if Chad and Steve from YouTube had a business plan, or Craig Newmark, or Steve Jobs ?Don't write a business plan.Instead spend the time you would have spent on the plan putting together a kickass demo, or working on the product.Having been approached, you're operating from a position of strength already. You should work that to your advantage - if you don't need the money then you can afford to negotiate more on your own terms.If some documentation is required put together a Powerpoint of 5-10 slides explaining:- Your product, and why it is unique (and defensible to competition)- Your team's credentials and experience- Your market, it's size- Your competitors (including SWOT analysis)- Your funding requirements (including salary)- Your best and worst case scenarios for growth
How to write a business plan for an Internet startup?	KLAW: Your salary should be basic, covering your costs and giving you a bit of spending money. This assumes you're working full time for the startup. Remember that the bigger picture is equity.Some good tips here: http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2007/07/how-to-write-a-.htmlWhatever you do don't spend a month writing a 60 page document. Keep it short and sweet. Use lots of bullet points / bold highlighting to ease readability. No complex multi-idea paragraphs. And most of all, just answer the key questions.Good luck.
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	pavelludiq: I love dvorak, cant live without it. When i switched i bought the cheapest keyboard i could find and i rearranged the keys. I still have a spare qwerty keyboard if someone wants to use my pc.
Do you criticize?	foulmouthboy: I'm an analyst and strategist, so the answer is yes. Otherwise, I'm not doing my job.
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	jballanc: Well, let's see here, I've been using Dvorak fooooorrrrrr... 12 years now. I think I've got everyone else beat! ;-)I even remember having to write my own custom key layout files for Unix and DOS...those were the days!
Am I the only one tired of Twitter apps?	bbgm: There are probably too many Twitter apps, esp in the "me too" category, but Twitter is worth that effort in general. It's rare that any web-based service platform changes the way you function and Twitter has definitely done that not only for me, but for a lot of people I know and not just the tech crowd.
How to write a business plan for an Internet startup?	matt1: Is your website http://www.sendible.com/ (your first HN submission and the only one that isn't a question)?
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	nihilocrat: One of the main reasons I stick with QWERTY is because it is not uncommon that I will switch to a German keyboard layout when talking with German friends. Dvorak and Colemak are English-optimized and so switching to or from them has a much higher mental cost than switching from English QWERTY to German, which closely resembles QWERTY.I think I'll try it out, anyways. There's already a bit of re-learning that has to be done when switching from English to German, so maybe in practice it will be easy. I already notice that I sort of context-switch, so maybe my brain will seperate the layouts sufficiently so that it's no harder than switching like I already do.
How to write a business plan for an Internet startup?	tptacek: Instead of writing a full-on business plan, which is a huge waste of time, consider coming back to them with a set of spreadsheets. I've had to do business planning work for products I managed, and what the CEOs wanted was Excel. You might look more professional for not coming to them with a three-ring binder.With that said, and with the huge caveat that while I've done this before, my advice might not be the current hotness:(.) You need a table for revenue growth, quarter by quarter, in your case probably based on users and conversion rate scenarios.(.) You might consider a seperate table for pricing; of all the things you write in the plan, pricing is the most likely to change, but do a couple scenarios, keep conversion/close rate in mind.(.) If it makes sense for your product, segment the market and get that in a table; you might do, "home office", "small business", "enterprise", and have a pricing/phase-1/phase-2 revenue scenario for each model customer based on your pricing. Include a SWAG total addressable market size (there are, say, 2000-4000 "enterprises" to sell to).(.) You can do a schedule table, quarter by quarter, and use it to set a conversion rate for each market segment, to chart featuresets in your product, when they'll be released, and what releasing them will do to your cash flow.(.) If you have significant marketing expenses, break them down into line items quarter by quarter, showing some things kicking in later. You can break this down by outreach mechanism (direct mail, blogging, AdWords, research).(.) You need a table for headcount; we just SWAG a common (somewhat lowball) fully loaded cost for everyone from management to QA; remember fully loaded adds (say) 30% for taxes, health insurance, and equipment/office/overhead.(.) You need a table for all your expenses, quarter by quarter, which should include headcount, a line item for hosting/bandwidth/server/etc, marketing,(.) I'm probably missing something, but with all that, you should be able to do a final seperate sheet, call it "use of proceeds", broken down by engineering, opex (hosting etc), sales, and administrative costs, quarter by quarter, against revenue.Of all the things you "plan" now, pricing is the most likely to change, so don't get too hung up.Lowball your headcount. Don't include anything you could reasonably outsource (like accounting, HR, graphic design).Do you want to take a salary? What I think is, lots and lots of people pitch investors saying they'll forego salary; it's a cliche. You might look more serious if you're up front.This is all going to sound over the top, and that's because it is, but on the other hand you're not going to do any of these things (price a product, figure out how many people to hire next month, allocate dollars to anything but AdWords) without these spreadsheets. A bunch of this stuff is optional (don't do a marketing plan if your marketing plan isn't crucial; maybe don't do a product schedule if long term product vision isn't a huge part of your pitch --- the schedule will embarass you 2 months from now).
How to write a business plan for an Internet startup?	ryuio: Business plan is the biggest piece of bull crap. You should know your business or do whatever it takes to learn it and persist - that is the only thing that is required and a smart investor will get that and ask the right questions.Still, write it if you think that it will get you the money and then promptly discard it, or better still ask them to write it - obviously if they understand enough they should rely on their numbers more than anyone elses.If they say that your business plan is not good enough, ask them to shove it up their sorry ass.
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	aoeu: I taught myself Dvorak many years ago during lunch breaks using this tutor (I think the webpage was much simpler back then, though the content looks the same).. http://www.gigliwood.com/abcd/lessons/Although I could type quite well from an early age (despite the ZX Spectrum's rubber keys) I never learnt to touch type Qwerty. Learning Dvorak forced me to touch type and rest on the home keys properly. Using a "normal" keyboard also meant I couldn't cheat and look at the keys when using Dvorak.Probably due to now touch typing, Dvorak is faster for me (and more comfy). I'm forced to use Qwerty often enough however that I can switch between the two fairly easily.I'm in the UK but use the US-Dvorak layout as that is standard with Windows. I'm therefore missing the pound sign but ALT-156 gets me through the odd occasions I need it. I have tried the UK version on Linux but couldn't find the exact same layout for Windows and am too lazy to re-create it myself. The US version is good enough for me.I tend to use the old DOS style keys for cut/copy/paste (Shift-Delete, Ctrl-Insert, Shift-Insert) due to the odd xcv layout others have mentioned. I learnt emacs after the switch so the layout seems fine to me. I haven't taken the time to learn VI.Windows is a little awkward as switching layout with the taskbar icon only changes the active window and changing the default input language seems to miss things like the start menu.I think an ergo keyboard is the next step (I can feel my wrists are pushed into a slightly unnatural position) but am yet to try one. This makes a lot of sense to me also but again I'm yet to try it.. http://www.tlb.org/keyboardchop.html
Do you criticize?	hs: "Exposition, criticism, appreciation, is work for second-rate minds.” -G H Hardy, the opening lines of A Mathematician’s apology
How important is Posix?	th0ma5: i thought windows' command.com was posix (some version) compliant? posix != unix compatible, per se, i don't think
How important is Posix?	bayareaguy: I think it only matters for developers who work with mainstream open source.That's me most of the time and my switch from a dual-boot windows/linux configuration to an OSX laptop several years ago has saved me many hours (although I still have to work around odd OSX weirdness here or there but that is pretty easy to work out). I'm not likely to do Windows-only stuff anytime soon so I don't expect I'll be paying Microsoft anything until their POSIX support is superior to what OSX offers.However if you're not a developer or if you and your customers mainly work with Microsoft-only proprietary stuff then POSIX won't really matter.
How do you read? (And Yellowstone is a supervolcano)	cchooper: If you want to learn from a book (as opposed to memorising a shopping list or something) then the advice is always the same: get an overview first, then notice the details. Facts seem to need an overall framework in which they can "live". Without it, they get lost.A standard technique goes like this: read just the first and last paragraphs of each chapter. Then read the first sentence of each paragraph of the first chapter. Then read the actual chapter as fast as you can (don't focus on details or bits you don't understand). Finally, go through it one last time and make notes. Now go on to the next chapter.However, if you truly want to memorise an astounding number of facts (e.g. a list of a thousand pieces of information, or all the common words in a foreign language), then you need to use sophisticated mnemonic techniques. It takes a little practice, but you get surprising results very quickly. For example, after about 15 minutes practising the techniques in this book, http://www.amazon.co.uk/Use-Your-Memory-Understand-Improve/d..., I was able to memorise the order of a shuffled deck of cards with about 95% accuracy. It wouldn't have taken more than a few days to learn to memorise several decks at once with 100% accuracy.
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	quellhorst: I have been using dvorak since 2005 and wouldn't go back. I had trouble with my hands with qwerty but don't now.
How important is Posix?	arockwell: I think this has less to do with lack of POSIX compliance and more to do with how unfriendly windows is to hacking in general. The command line is completely crippled. If the command line had a similar feature set to Linux I don't think POSIX complaince would matter much.So between a crappy command line and the registry, hacking windows never seems worth the trouble.
Do you criticize?	steveplace: What a dumb question
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	level2: I use a DataHand keyboard where the layout you use would not make a big difference because every key is easy to hit. Unfortunately they just stopped producing these things...
Do you criticize?	Eliezer: Criticism from people I respect tends to have a large impact on me. Criticism that is clearly technically right can make me say "Oops" and correct it. Criticism that is vague and ad hominem gets flushed out the window.Just think of what kind of criticism you want to get and actually impacts you; make that the kind of criticism you deliver. That's if you want to help other people.To the extent you want to help yourself, flattery has always been a favored method.
Are social content aggregators ruining your ability to read a book?	pasbesoin: I misread your comment at first as describing reading a book or magazine on your monitor. And to that I can relate: I have difficulty reading long-format content off of my screen.When I sit down with an actual paper-based book or magazine, I find my focus and attentiveness are about the same as they've been for years. Not great, but neither are they greatly changed.
How important is Posix?	ken: Not very. Most Linux distros aren't POSIX (but oddballs like A/UX, Minix, and VxWorks are). The /etc tree isn't in POSIX, nor is less(1). POSIX doesn't even say that useful config data must be stored in text files.It sounds like what you really mean is that you want Windows to be more like the other Unix-like systems you use. There's no standard for that.
How important is Posix?	tptacek: Everyone I know that does dev work on Win32 just installs cygwin and runs an xterm. It works fine. Personally, despite being a Unix user since 386bsd, I think the Registry is a major win over the sprawl of incompatible picky config files in /etc, /var, /usr/share, and /usr/local. I also think SVCHOST.EXE is a win over inetd.conf and inittab.
Do you criticize?	redrobot5050: Go to reddit and just fight the trolls. Nobody feels bad about criticizing Mr. "It was an inside job" conspiracy nutbag.
Are social content aggregators ruining your ability to read a book?	nradov: The toddler jumping into my lap is ruining my ability to read a book. :-)
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	euccastro: I've been using a modified Dvorak for about 5 years.http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=351137I had never been a great typist with QWERTY, so while I noticed obvious performance gains after some time, I can't attribute them to the layout switch. I got proficiency faster, but if you are already good at QWERTY this is irrelevant to you.It did feel more comfortable from very early on, and this I do attribute to intrinsic advantages of Dvorak.My error rate with parens/brackets/braces used to be high until I put them in matching fingers of the opposite hand, in the numbers row, unshifted. Even though this makes numbers harder to type, it's a net gain since I don't type in many numbers when programming. And I make less mistakes with them too.
Do you criticize?	bayareaguy: It's unfortunate that TdR and others like him are remembered more for their internet comments and less for their contributions. Some of the lamest people I've ever worked with were the ones who were unable to criticize anything and some of the best and most effective people I've ever worked with were also the most critical (and sometimes the most obnoxious) and I've always preferred to work with the latter.
How to make something awesome out of Motion Detection	vinalk: try billboards, capture people's faces. project them into the ad running on the billboard. Kind of scary tho.
Do you criticize?	thingsilearned: Strange when you get that realization isn't it? How could we (and so many others) go so long not realizing that criticism usually has opposite effects? Why do we continue to do so? I still don't know.Don't be hard on yourself that you haven't changed after just 6 days. Making a major change to your personality takes some time. I suggest re-reading the book every once in a while to keep the goal fresh in your thoughts.Also I recommend Erich Fromm's "The Art of Loving" which briefly discusses Carnegie's book and gives more of a "why" than a "how" on dealing with people.
How important is Posix?	hapless: Windows has had a first party UNIX solution for a very long time: Microsoft SFU/SUA. It's bundled with Windows 2003R2. On all earlier versions, you have to go download SFU 3.5 separately.http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc779522.aspxIt incurs no additional license cost. It's POSIX conformant. It comes with both GCC and an MSVC wrapper for use with traditional UNIX build tools.In my experience, it's considerably faster than cygwin, but software compatibility isn't as good.
How to write a business plan for an Internet startup?	fallentimes: TicketStumbler is my third business and the closest thing I've ever done to a business plan is the YC application form. Know what problem you're solving, why you're solving it, who has this problem, how you're going to solve it and (maybe) monetization options.I think a business plan could be important if you're looking to take gobs of money, but your query makes it sound like the investors are angels. Maybe providing more details would help everyone provide further feedback?
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	snowstorm: This is off topic. But I use Microsoft ergonomic keyboard. My hands are positioned much more naturally when I type.
Rate my microapp	pedalpete: You'll get much more feedback if you make the site open without a login, or due a demo video, screenshots or something else.Just the front-page telling me what it does and asking me to sign-in isn't going to get you very far (unless you really answer the question as to why I would do this).
Review my holiday side-project (clipclipsave.com)	callmeed: I wanted to also mention that I used the SaaS RailsKit to build this. It was extremely nice not having to mess with any of the account/signup legwork. http://railskits.com/
Using alternative keyboard layouts?	silentbicycle: I use Dvorak, and have for about two and a half years. At this point, the benefits seem sufficiently obvious that I wouldn't go back to Qwerty. It took me maybe two or three weeks to get reasonably proficient with it, and after a month or so it was a non-issue. (It's a completely different matter if your primary keyboard layout is German or something, though.)FWIW, I use Emacs (heavily), and Dvorak works quite well with it -- all the C-x C-v C-c C-s etc. stuff isn't all clustered on the left hand, which is usually also the hand pressing Control.Also, as a data point: I don't have any problem switching between Qwerty and Dvorak as necessary, though now the former feels like a parody of a good keyboard layout. (Seriously. Semicolon, home row. J, home row. Why?)
How to write a business plan for an Internet startup?	benn: 1. Use rails and ajax 2. Get on techcrunch 3. ???? 4. Profit!!

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