<rss version="2.0" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"><channel><title>Hacker News: tobtoh</title><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=tobtoh</link><description>Hacker News RSS</description><docs>https://hnrss.org/</docs><generator>hnrss v2.1.1</generator><lastBuildDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2026 01:10:58 +0000</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://hnrss.org/user?id=tobtoh" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"></atom:link><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by tobtoh in "America's new millionaire class: Plumbers and HVAC entrepreneurs"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Fly In Fly Out.<p>Typically, the workers fly out from a capital city to work/live at a remote mine site for several weeks, then they fly back for a couple of weeks rest, repeat.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 14 Oct 2024 00:23:13 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41832969</link><dc:creator>tobtoh</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41832969</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41832969</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reddit's new community points system]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Article URL: <a href="https://old.reddit.com/community-points/documentation/introduction">https://old.reddit.com/community-points/documentation/introduction</a></p>
<p>Comments URL: <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37072148">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37072148</a></p>
<p>Points: 1</p>
<p># Comments: 2</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 10 Aug 2023 04:58:59 +0000</pubDate><link>https://old.reddit.com/community-points/documentation/introduction</link><dc:creator>tobtoh</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37072148</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37072148</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by tobtoh in "Generate a Cover Letter by Pasting the Job Post and Your Resume"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>In Australia, to keep receiving unemployment benefits, you have to apply for 20 jobs a fortnight (or something like that). So you get a lot of unemployed people shot gunning their resume around to fulfil that requirement (<i>).<p>Requiring a cover letter becomes a neat shorthand way to filter those legitimately applying and those that aren't. Those seeking to fulfil their 20 applications/fortnight quota don't submit cover letters - they still met their requirement, and I don't waste my time reviewing their CV.<p>(</i>) Even people legitimately seeking jobs would do this. They would spam out their resume to 12-15 jobs, and then with the time saved, they would use that to 'properly' apply for the handful of jobs they were seriously considering.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 26 Mar 2023 01:51:24 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35309833</link><dc:creator>tobtoh</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35309833</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35309833</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by tobtoh in "How to lose $950 quickly on Airbnb"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>> 2. The reviews are heavily biased. Hosts will pester you to leave positive review, if you leave even a 4 star, they get really mad at you. I left a 4 star review and the host gave me a 1 star that almost got me banned.<p>I've always felt that reviews should be not be visible until both parties had 'blindly' submitted their reviews. Or if only one party submits a review, then after a set period of time, it is published and the other party does not have an ability to rate the other party anymore to prevent retaliation reviews.<p>This would ensure more honest reviews and stop revenge reviews.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 06 Mar 2023 02:45:50 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35036947</link><dc:creator>tobtoh</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35036947</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35036947</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by tobtoh in "Paul Graham is leaving Twitter for now"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>That whole Thai situation was when my opinion of Elon cratered. The pedo insult and subsequent lawsuits really gave insight into Elon's (lack of) character - the fact he would use that as an insult, the person he insulted, and the fact he wouldn't apologise and let it get to the stage of a lawsuit.<p>Whilst the 'submarine solution' he proposed shattered my belief that he was some engineering genius. It was plainly obvious to even a non-technical person that a cave system was not going to be suitable for a submarine - yet here was the 'genius' designing a solution without even checking the requirements. It was so fundamentally stupid that it's made me really believe that Tesla/SpaceX are a (technical) success in spite of Elon, not because.<p>Maybe the whole submarine thing was purely a marketing/publicity plot ... but trying to gain PR points off a live tragedy? Well that goes back to my point about his character.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 19 Dec 2022 00:49:56 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34046645</link><dc:creator>tobtoh</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34046645</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34046645</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by tobtoh in "Matrix-webcam displays your webcam video feed in the console"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I've been playing around with OBS and Zoom lately as well. Prior to a meeting, I pre-recorded a couple of minutes of me watching the screen. I used OBS to switch to this looped pre-recording whenever I wanted to eat/drink or get out of my chair to stretch etc during the meeting.<p>It was mostly just to satisfy my curiousity on how difficult it is to do (it's easy) and whether anyone noticed the looping (no one did). But what I did find interesting was that I found it immensely 'freeing' to be able to participate in the meeting without being observed - there is something about knowing I'm on camera that I find taxing that I don't get in a face to face meeting.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 03 Oct 2022 01:14:27 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33062272</link><dc:creator>tobtoh</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33062272</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33062272</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by tobtoh in "Why roller coaster loops aren’t circular anymore"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>If I remember my uni engineering/calculus maths class correctly, the third derivative of position is used in planning these sort of curves.<p>The first derivative of postion (with respect to time) is velocity. The second derivative is acceleration (ie rate of change of velocity). And the third derivative is jerk (rate of change of acceleration).<p>And 'jerk' has to be kept below a certain threshold for humans to find movement comfortable.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 09 Jul 2022 04:43:20 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32031776</link><dc:creator>tobtoh</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32031776</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32031776</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by tobtoh in "It's time to bring back the AIM away message"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I did that - my IM client was on permanent 'away' status. I was tired of being 'green' and people would send multiple messages if I didn't respond instantly to their IMs.<p>Being permanently 'away' meant people could still contact me and I could respond when convenient without disrupting my work.<p>I very much subscribe to the convention that proximity should determine how much communication should interrupt what you are doing. Face to Face > Phone/video Call > IM > Email</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 06 Jun 2022 04:51:12 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31637346</link><dc:creator>tobtoh</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31637346</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31637346</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by tobtoh in "Ask HN: Have you experienced decline in problem-solving skills? How to improve?"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>One thing to check: Your hearing<p>I went through a period of life in my late 30s where I felt I was getting stupider. I was struggling to pickup new concepts and get a handle on new situations quickly like I used to. I was made redundant during a 'restructure' and I strongly believe it was due to these issues I was dealing with.<p>Several months after being made redundant I got my hearing checked - I had moderate hearing loss in the higher frequencies (where speech occurs). After getting hearing aids, it changed my life.<p>HA made me realise I had been relying on lip reading and context to understand what was being said. When I encountered new technology/concepts, I didn't have pre-existing base knowledge or context to 'fill in the gaps' of my hearing.<p>HA reversed all of the issues I had previously been experiencing.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 01 Jun 2022 17:01:07 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31584779</link><dc:creator>tobtoh</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31584779</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31584779</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by tobtoh in "Why Jony Ive left Apple to the ‘accountants’"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>> but the battery lasts for several weeks if not months; i<p>In my experience, this is exactly why it's an issue.<p>All my less tech savvy family who use this mouse forget to charge it because "it never needs charging" ... and then it runs out of juice whilst they are in the midst of something and now they can't use the mouse.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 01 May 2022 16:30:24 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31226341</link><dc:creator>tobtoh</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31226341</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31226341</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by tobtoh in "The Economics of Broadway Shows"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Oh of course. I forgot about the difference between median and average!<p>For the purpose of the point the article was making in that section (about how the efforts to 'make Broadway more affordable and more democratic come up short.', the 'average' income seems particularly useless as a metric to gauge success.<p>As you point out, the median is a much better metric.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 28 Nov 2021 11:51:33 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29368159</link><dc:creator>tobtoh</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29368159</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29368159</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by tobtoh in "The Economics of Broadway Shows"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>As someone who moonlights in the theatre industry (as a theatre photographer), I'm vaguely familiar with the economics of putting on shows - the article is very interesting and tallies with my experience.<p>However, I do question one line in the article:<p>> The average income of Broadwaygoers in 2018-19 was $261k — roughly 4x the median household income in the US.<p>$261k?!? the <i>average</i> income of attendees?!? That's can't be right can it?</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 28 Nov 2021 11:41:30 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29368100</link><dc:creator>tobtoh</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29368100</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29368100</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by tobtoh in "Treating beef like coal would make a big dent in greenhouse-gas emissions"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>As someone in the Gen X demographic who has never smoked, I've watched the anti-smoking campaigns and shift in attitudes towards smoking with interest - particularly how resistant smokers were to initially giving up smoking.<p>I feel like eating meat is going to be my generations equivalent of smoking. Intellectually, I agree that eating meat is bad for the environment, cruel to animals (esp industrial farming) etc ... but I can't see myself giving up eating meat.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 01 Oct 2021 04:39:34 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28714623</link><dc:creator>tobtoh</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28714623</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28714623</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by tobtoh in "Why can’t I go faster than the speed of light?"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>So if I was in a space battle and the enemy 'jumps to light speed'(1) to make a quick escape ... they would actually be easier to target with a laser because they 'slow down' from my perspective?<p>(1) 'light speed' as in the speed of light, not as in a sci-fi context of hyperspace jump/FTL jump.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 13 Sep 2021 04:29:21 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28507860</link><dc:creator>tobtoh</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28507860</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28507860</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by tobtoh in "Predictors and effects of phubbing behaviour in friendships [pdf]"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>When I was an IT manager, I never answered my phone if I was talking to someone, and especially if they were one of my team (unless it was the incident response desk which would mean they were escalating a critical problem).<p>I had constant looks of surprise that I would let calls go to voicemail, even if it was my boss. The feedback I would often get later (via 360 reviews, or even just during casual conversation) was that it was a huge positive tick in their opinion of me as a manager (and person). They felt they were being listened to and that I was paying attention to them.<p>I remember reading an etiquette guide once where 'proximity' (temporal and spatial) should be the deciding factor in prioritizing your attention. Someone standing in front of you is closer than a phone call or an email - that should always be #1 (and phone > chat > email). It's generally what I try to follow.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 06 Sep 2021 18:32:39 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28436593</link><dc:creator>tobtoh</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28436593</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28436593</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by tobtoh in "Vertical turbines are more efficient in large-scale wind farms: study"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Don't quote me on this, but I recall reading that there is a layer of air at ground level that is very turbulent/choppy due to it's interaction with the ground which makes it terrible for wind power generation.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 28 Apr 2021 13:45:51 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26969279</link><dc:creator>tobtoh</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26969279</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26969279</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by tobtoh in "The survival of the airlines depends on frequent flyer programs"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I don't fit into any of those categories, but I feel I received real value. I had an AMEX card - there was an annual fee, but it also came with a 'free' return domestic flight. Since I went to visit my parents (interstate) at least once a year, that 'free' flight meant my card was effectively 'fee-free'.<p>With a reasonably generous point scheme - and more importantly, one I could transfer to about 8 different airlines, I just accumulated points for a decade.<p>In 2015, I cashed in 2/3 of my points balance for a round-the-world trip on Singapore Airlines in Suite Class (where you get your own cabin).<p>I wasn't getting free flights each year like a business traveller, but for an effectively cost-neutral card that didn't require me to change my spending habits, I feel like a Suite Class RTW flight every 6-7 years is a decent reward.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 01 Oct 2020 17:09:46 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24653474</link><dc:creator>tobtoh</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24653474</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24653474</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by tobtoh in "$1 hearing aid could treat millions with hearing loss"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p><a href="https://support.apple.com/en-in/HT211218" rel="nofollow">https://support.apple.com/en-in/HT211218</a><p>I'm not sure ... i was under the understanding the that EQ function on iOS only applied to music. I guess the other advantage is that audiogram function makes it a one-click accurate configuration of the 'EQ' based on a hearing test.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2020 16:50:55 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24580668</link><dc:creator>tobtoh</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24580668</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24580668</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by tobtoh in "$1 hearing aid could treat millions with hearing loss"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I'm about to trial a replacement for my current HA (about 5 years old) for the Phonak Paradise (the just released successor to the Marvel). The bluetooth connectivity has been a big reason why I want to upgrade - the work from home situation this year with constant phone calls and Zoom meeting requiring headsets has been a constant annoyance.<p>I use an Airpod in my right ear and leave one HA in my left for those situations - but its fiddly and annoying to keep switching things in and out. The new IOS14 feature where I can tailor the Airpod audio response to my hearing frequency loss is simply amazing! However, being able to connect/stream audio directly to my HA will be even better.<p>They are seriously pricey though - cheapest model is Aus$2700 (US$2000) and the top line model is Aus$8400 (US$5900). However, given I feel I got made redundant from a previous job five years ago due to my hearing loss (1), I'll basically spend 'whatever' to ensure I can hear as easily as possible.<p>(1) In that job, I was wondering why as the years went on, I felt like I was struggling to pickup new concepts or get a handle on projects as fast as I used to. I seriously felt like I was getting stupider. After I got my hearing aids, I realised how much speech I was missing - I was heavily relying on lip reading and also using the context of conversation to fill in the gaps of words I couldn't hear. Which is passable in general conversation - but when managing new projects or new technology concepts, you don't have the experience to generate the context that fills in the gaps. It was literally life-changing when I got my HA. Go an get your hearing tested if you ever feel you are even remotely struggling with your hearing!</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2020 15:55:11 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24579859</link><dc:creator>tobtoh</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24579859</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24579859</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by tobtoh in "SoftBank unmasked as ‘Nasdaq whale’ that stoked tech rally"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>So that would imply that for Softbank, high gamma stocks are desirable for this scheme? As in they want the maximum 'reaction' from each purchase they make?<p>Also, this works in reverse right? So Softbank is literally just creating a stock market bubble since the price rises are not built on anything fundamental?</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2020 16:51:08 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24376631</link><dc:creator>tobtoh</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24376631</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24376631</guid></item></channel></rss>