Hacker News: fiaz

I am most definitely arguing for forced obsolescence. The prime motivating factor being the fact that it is perfectly acceptable and "normal" to go through all of the hoops and ladders of inoculating your computer against viruses. And then when those programs fail, users have to go to take their computer to get their digital machine to be cleaned out as though it was a poorly built car in need of maintenance.

I'm not advocating that the API is cleaned out merely on the technical level, I'm advocating (with a lack of clarity on my behalf) that Microsoft needs to encourage an ecosystem of development creativity. Instead, we get a UI that is abstractly "optimized" for usage but is far removed from providing a pleasant experience for their users.

New comment by fiaz in "Microsoft opines: Vista was 'cheesy'; drops Aero"

fiaz — Mon, 21 May 2012 04:22:59 +0000

Re-vamping the API and removing the insistence on backwards compatibility are just the start. The bigger picture is that Microsoft needs to influence a revolution with their OS by allowing developers to bring human culture into the OS, much the same way Apple does. What I mean by "culture" is a melding of art and technology: it's cool to use a Macbook Pro (AND you can get shit done with it), but it's merely utilitarian to use any of the faceless PC laptops out there. Microsoft seems to think that they can accomplish a such change by applying different makeup to their OS, or by mimicking the Apple store. No, the real change will come when the tool makers can bridge the gap between the need to get something done and getting something done beautifully. This is a task that is beyond the larger development shops but is well within reach of the smaller developers. Perhaps Microsoft has a bias towards enabling larger developers, but this is clearly 80s/90s thinking.

At best what they've done since Windows XP is change the rat maze for their users by forcing them into a different cognitive "map" of how their PC is to function (ever try using the ironically named "ribbon" in Office?).

New comment by fiaz in "Microsoft opines: Vista was 'cheesy'; drops Aero"

fiaz — Mon, 21 May 2012 03:07:24 +0000

What the Windows ecosystem needs isn't a focus on UI, what it needs is a new set of APIs that obliterate older software and removes this insistence on backwards compatibility. I think that such a move could potentially be leveraged by Microsoft towards a massive development gold rush for new applications.

New comment by fiaz in "Too Hot for TED: Income Inequality"

fiaz — Thu, 17 May 2012 01:28:25 +0000

Shame on the news media for not asking meaningful questions to people who make claims on either side of the US political spectrum. I feel as though a culture of timidity to ask questions that lead to clarifying answers is turning into a culture that politicizes the truth.

New comment by fiaz in "Why we moved from NodeJS to Ruby on Rails"

fiaz — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:11:53 +0000

The important point in posts such as these is that execution matters, not the tool you use. If the tool you decide to develop with fits, then use it. If you find out later it doesn't work, then switch. Sure, the tool you use can affect your execution, but that only means you have to understand how you want to execute before even selecting a tool.

I think it would be a big mistake to read such a post and come to the conclusion that Rails is somehow superior to node.js.

New comment by fiaz in "Data Engineer in Google Case Is Identified - author of NetStumbler"

fiaz — Tue, 01 May 2012 04:59:00 +0000

I'm surprised that you think the smelling analogy is valid. There is nothing really at stake with letting the aroma from my kitchen waft onto the street aside from maybe what's in the meal I've prepared.

Personal information is a different matter. It's perfectly reasonable to take issue with Google for taking people's data without their knowledge about it.

Jimmy Wales Says Irrelevance, Not Piracy, Will Doom Hollywood

fiaz — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:15:07 +0000

Article URL: http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20120423/10432918611/jimmy-wales-says-irrelevance-not-piracy-will-doom-hollywood.shtml

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3896788

Points: 5

# Comments: 1

Turing was right: Two proteins fit decades-old prediction

fiaz — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 04:03:00 +0000

Article URL: http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2012/04/turing-was-right/

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3882357

Points: 6

# Comments: 0

New comment by fiaz in "Anonymous to shut down The Internet on Saturday to protest SOPA "

fiaz — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:12:23 +0000

Even if they could do this, I find it difficult to take them seriously as a positive force for change.

For Women Under 30, Most Births Occur Outside Marriage

fiaz — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 16:32:54 +0000

Article URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/18/us/for-women-under-30-most-births-occur-outside-marriage.html?_r=1&pagewanted=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3606908

Points: 1

# Comments: 1

New comment by fiaz in "AudioGL: 3D Modular Software Synthesizer & Sequencer"

fiaz — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:52:58 +0000

Very cool video. I am clueless when it comes to music and music theory, so the interface seems a bit overwhelming to me. However, I'm sure there are people that could master this and make something worthwhile.

Btw, I've been finding a lot more music from independent artists. For example:

http://soundcloud.com/crystalfighters/champion-sound-regal-s...

http://soundcloud.com/strobehypnoticz/deadmau5-bleed-strobeh...

I hope software such as this will help flatten out the music industry some more.