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Ask HN: Cool Things You've Done (Brag Thread)

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Re: Ask HN: Cool Things You've Done (Brag Thread)

#41

Post by petervandijck »

I remember having a list of things I wanted to achieve when I was younger. Let's see:

- Win the nobel prize. (not yet)

- Write a book. (done)

- Travel the world (not totally done, but I live in South America now)

- Be Time magazine's man of the year (it's a bit of a cop-out, but done: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1569514,00....)

- Have my face on a stamp (not done, but that's easy these days)

Looking back, I was probably lacking ambition there, too focused on achievements that display what others think of me. Maybe I should make a new list.

Re: Ask HN: Cool Things You've Done (Brag Thread)

#43

Post by philh »

When I was thirteen or so, I got a job offer for independently inventing AJAX. Everywhere I looked at the time said you couldn't read data from the server using Javascript, but I realised that if you opened a new window to a separate page it could be done.

I didn't take it anywhere, and later (after people discovered xmlhttprequest) I learned that even at the time I could have used an iframe, which would have been nicer. I assume people were doing that before I made my discovery, but I don't know for sure.

Re: Ask HN: Cool Things You've Done (Brag Thread)

#44

Post by Freebytes »

It is sad that when thinking of my own achievements, I first tend to evaluate my 'virtual accomplishments'. These are tasks related to programming, design, etc. that have no actual existence in the real world. These are related to creativity. However, when referring to real life, I have nothing to mention that is not common. There is nothing real that makes me anything more than normal. I guess that is what draws me to the creative world that exists in my own mind... because there I can accomplish a lot without interference from the real world.

Re: Ask HN: Cool Things You've Done (Brag Thread)

#45

Post by jk4930 »

buro9 wrote: post #17
tome wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you don't mind me asking, how did you end up on the streets, and how did you end up off them?

Rough family, poverty. I grew up in council housing in West London, there was physical violence and there was crime everywhere around. I put myself on the streets to get myself away from the immediate physical danger and to prevent myself from continuing the vicious cycle of being nurtured in crime having that define my own life. Whilst on the streets I hitch-hiked around, and as I did so I discovered that you slept…

Initially I wanted to post a silly comment to the original question, but after I read your answer, I can't. You have my full respect, man. Your ghetto story is way more awesome than mine. :)

Re: Ask HN: Cool Things You've Done (Brag Thread)

#46

Post by petervandijck »

ErrantX wrote: post #39
petervandijck wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

ok the "you people wouldn't believe" part soured me on this one. Loving all the other achievements though, find them inspiring (or that may just be my mid-life crisis kicking in)

It's a quote from Bladerunner. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tannhauser_Gate#Blade_Runner

I stand corrected.

Re: Ask HN: Cool Things You've Done (Brag Thread)

#47

Post by mrduncan »

medecau wrote: post #19
gommm wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

42-45C is the temperature of the very hot onsens in Japan (at least according to the thermometer reading at an onsen I visited there)... So no I don't think it'd cause injuries...

just to put in perspective for the non-metric aware in here: human body temperature ~37C water freezes at 0C and boils at 100C

45 degrees Celsius = 113 degrees Fahrenheit

Re: Ask HN: Cool Things You've Done (Brag Thread)

#48

Post by buro9 »

jk4930 wrote: post #45
buro9 wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Rough family, poverty. I grew up in council housing in West London, there was physical violence and there was crime everywhere around. I put myself on the streets to get myself away from the immediate physical danger and to prevent myself from continuing the vicious cycle of being nurtured in crime having that define my own life. Whilst on the streets I hitch-hiked around, and as I did so I discovered that you slept…

Initially I wanted to post a silly comment to the original question, but after I read your answer, I can't. You have my full respect, man. Your ghetto story is way more awesome than mine. :)

I'll admit something... my story hampers my present.

The problem with such a dark background and fighting out of it is that once out, not going back dominates everything you do. This translates to, "Don't risk what you have".

And therein lies a problem, if I have little but can't risk it then I'm risk averse and cannot gamble on high risk opportunities. I desperately want to do a start-up and to do something new, but what could possibly encourage me to risk what I now have, I've earned a normal life and I have no plan B were I to jeopardise it.

So I fight to never go back, which isn't the same as fighting to get somewhere in the future.

The real achievement, if I ever manage it, will be to get out of that predicament and to be free to take risk without fearing too greatly the repercussions. I probably won't ever be back on the street, but it's very hard to shake the fear of it. If someone else's tale can tell me how to do that I'd be grateful.

Re: Ask HN: Cool Things You've Done (Brag Thread)

#49

Post by raganwald »

wdewind wrote: post #29
paraschopra wrote: post #23

* I don't brag

Except to brag that you aren't bragging? Thanks chief

Raymond Smullyan (my favourite guy to quote around here) told the following story in one of his books.

A particular fellow was famous for his modesty. One day he started signing all of his correspondence "He who is modest." This irked one of his detractors, who wrote back to ask, "How you be modest if you sign your correspondence so flamboyantly?" The result came back swiftly: "I no longer think of my modesty as a virtue."

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