Hacker News: _archon_

New comment by _archon_ in "Guessing C for Every Answer Is Now Enough to Pass the NY State Algebra Exam"

_archon_ — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 11:00:36 +0000

Tests are easier to grade in a multiple choice format, since the grading problem is reduced to a set of circumstances that are friendly to being automated. Nowadays I'm sure it's possible to have a computer OCR the writing, check the algebra, and grade a problem... but it's a lot cheaper and easier to have the test taker choose the answer from a labeled subset and then check their choice against the correct label.

New comment by _archon_ in "Glassdoor not so anonymous"

_archon_ — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 10:40:46 +0000

The... remaining reviews may not look that bad. I imagine a scenario may exist where a fired employee has to sign an NDA and take down their review to receive severance or suchlike.

New comment by _archon_ in "The brain has a ‘low-power mode’ that blunts our senses"

_archon_ — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 11:45:55 +0000

Juice is a fast delivery method for sugars, and the prepackaged fruit juices you might find in a gas station convenience store almost certainly have added sugar as well as the innate fructose in the fruit juice component.

Also, if you're running low enough on nutrition that your eyes aren't working right, you're also likely to be dehydrated, which can also affect vision.

New comment by _archon_ in "Tell HN: Salary data is for sale"

_archon_ — Fri, 07 Jan 2022 15:27:21 +0000

When you applied for money from someone else, either as credit or in exchange for labor.

New comment by _archon_ in "Tell HN: Salary data is for sale"

_archon_ — Fri, 07 Jan 2022 15:23:23 +0000

People in salary ranges are not a protected class; sexual orientation is protected.

New comment by _archon_ in "A stochastic method to generate the Sierpinski triangle"

_archon_ — Mon, 27 Dec 2021 12:40:17 +0000

I thought I'd note that one of my favorite pages on the web pertains to exploring Sierpinski triangles [0]

"The sierpinski triangle page to end most sierpinski triangle pages ™"

[0]:http://www.oftenpaper.net/sierpinski.htm

New comment by _archon_ in "Our fridge just emailed us to say we opened its door too many times"

_archon_ — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 15:23:25 +0000

HDMI can pass-through communications. Wireless is also a possibility. "Thank you for plugging me in! Please enter network credentials so I can update myself!"

New comment by _archon_ in "Tech-savvy audiences block Google Analytics"

_archon_ — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 15:50:49 +0000

As an aside, next time, see if there's a silicone lubricant or other lube spray available. WD is good for what it was designed to do, and is barely acceptable as a lubricant. Better than nothing though!

New comment by _archon_ in "The Clickbaitification of Netflix"

_archon_ — Fri, 27 Aug 2021 13:53:24 +0000

You have described a Raspi media center with a remote and the wifi turned off. It may take a couple seconds longer to boot, but you get back VLC et al in exchange, and there are many good, free options to use it as an interface for your NAS.

What a time to be alive

New comment by _archon_ in "My business might have 32 days before it's shut down by NYC [video]"

_archon_ — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 12:56:31 +0000

It's a fee separate from state business income tax. Possibly deductible, but separate.

New comment by _archon_ in "An impersonator issued a fake Reddit take down notice against SaveVideo"

_archon_ — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 12:49:49 +0000

While old. is an improvement, mobile accessibility is horrendous by design. It increasingly seems like the site has entered a profit-driven tailspin.

New comment by _archon_ in "IRS records reveal how the wealthiest avoid income tax"

_archon_ — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 14:36:12 +0000

In your house example. this is only if the homeowner takes out a loan against the new increased value of the house, and then pays tax on a portion of that loan. If your house appreciates and you don't play financial games with it, the only increase in costs would come from a local tax reassessment.

New comment by _archon_ in "Bring back the station wagon"

_archon_ — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 12:19:18 +0000

I've been low-key searching for a country squire for a couple years now. If it's not in good condition, I'll put in a 3.5 Ecoboost, fully modern suspension, and a trailer hitch. Just a perfect vehicle.

New comment by _archon_ in "Bring back the station wagon"

_archon_ — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 12:15:25 +0000

Modern vehicles of similar weight to an old wagon have better suspension components, wider wheels and tires, and most importantly better tires. A modern refresh will have an old wagon cornering just as well, if not better than a "crossover".

The modern crossover/compact SUV trend is worthy of nothing kinder than active contempt.

New comment by _archon_ in "Academic acceleration in gifted youth: a 35-year longitudinal study"

_archon_ — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 13:17:31 +0000

I propose that a 20 year old phd will have many options open to them, including taking an easy job and spending their own time on an interesting hobby. If a person can be educated with the information and methods to succeed, they should be better able to interact with the world. Slowing down a person with the potential to finish formal education so that they can spend more time being spoonfed isn't going to improve their chances.

Also, if one chooses a grinding slog of a job, it's better to be a 20-year-old phd. Presumably, they're getting paid well, and they can start on their early retirement fund from better positions vis a vis a generic 20 year old.

I am unconvinced by your argument.

New comment by _archon_ in "ISS Docking Simulation"

_archon_ — Wed, 13 May 2020 11:55:16 +0000

I was thinking that the ends of the masts would be excellent places for a machine vision high-contrast target, and maybe also the bottom of the cupola for full 6 axis machine correction. I doubt we'll be taking a human out of the loop anytime soon, though.

New comment by _archon_ in "Modern submarine torpedo attacks are not like in the movies"

_archon_ — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 11:43:14 +0000

I would assume that we're talking about the physical location being sequential, like stages on a rocket.

New comment by _archon_ in "Apple store workers should be paid for time waiting to be searched, court rules"

_archon_ — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 13:29:31 +0000

I had been under the impression that it's a hemp/linen mix...

Nope. From [1]: Federal Reserve Notes are made of 75% cotton and 25% linen fibers.

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Reserve_Note

New comment by _archon_ in "California Auditor's Damning Report About Automated License Plate Readers"

_archon_ — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 13:23:45 +0000

I would like to know 3 things that license plate cameras can do that a police officer can't. From the perspective of a citizen who wants to live in a free and safe society, but also understands the importance of personal privacy. I'll start:

- Can locate the plate of a stolen car more rapidly than relying on human observers by reading and querying all plates

New comment by _archon_ in "Airbus unveils 'blended wing body' plane design after secret flight tests"

_archon_ — Tue, 11 Feb 2020 14:22:52 +0000

When you're aloft, you are safe unless the plane is depressurized or on fire. The key safety feature in aviation is the manner in which the plane returns to the earth. This is a job for humans to manage.

Some pilots stop paying attention on long, boring stretches where the autopilot is fully capable of following a vector and an altitude. However, if there's an alarm due to control issue or other emergency, the human is alerted and would take over amyway. That's why it's called an alarm. I don't mean to imply that I support this behavior, but it is an understandable human factor that's a lower priority to correct than other safety factors.