Live data from Hacker News

Microsoft Coffee

microsoftcoffee.org

141–150 of 394 posts

Re: Microsoft Coffee

#141
post #136
post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a good example of how human language is ambiguous. You should read it as in the worst case in prison and in the best case fired.

No, we have tone and punctuation to disambiguate the two interpretations here. Parent commenter interpreted correctly. If the grandparent’s intention was otherwise, they should have used a comma.

It's a good example of how ambiguity can arise when humans use (or don't use) punctuation and other features of a language that's been evolving for centuries, to communicate across an instantaneous worldwide medium with little effort

Re: Microsoft Coffee

#142
post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good call, this definitely looks like the same guy: https://komonews.com/station/people/keith-eldridge

Has anyone contacted him and made him an offer on that box of Microsoft Coffee? He was right, it would be worth a lot now!

The real question should be, who is the news anchor woman that he gave it to at the end? Did she end up taking it home?

Re: Microsoft Coffee

#143
post #72
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are attempting to manipulate the stock price, likely for personal gain.

It is difficult to prove intent, especially if the press release is absurd, released on April 1st, and you’re attempting to prove it wasn’t intended as a prank. Having said that, I’m holding a bag of SO stock because I thought they really were going to start monetizing by charging for copy-paste. /s

Why do you think the SEC has to prove intent, or even that it being a prank, even if you prove that, protects you?

Re: Microsoft Coffee

#144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> its competitors more than caught up Not in the PC market that's for sure. I tried Mac and Linux few times for work and I always found Windows to be far better, at least as a desktop/laptop OS.

It depends so much on which native tools you use. Which is good and bad. Good that all three OS are good enough not to be the deciding issue, and bad that we haven't really solved portable native software well.

I find the PC hardware to be better too. Even dirt cheap PC laptops have touch screens with high quality pens included and are very easy to upgrade their RAM to 32/64 GB from Amazon.

Re: Microsoft Coffee

#145
post #56

Volkswagen would have benefited from reading this article> Bill Gate's comment that the prank makes Microsoft look stupid applies pretty well to the Voltswagen stunt.

I'm seriously confused by the backlash to the Voltswagen stunt. The first thing I thought when I read the headline was that this was obviously an early April fool's day joke. Perhaps people are just upset that they didn't get it and are blaming Volkswagen to avoid admitting that they were a bit too gullible around April 1st.

VW's main mistake is that their joke was something some people actually really liked. It burns a ton of goodwill. Many of their supporters may have even defended the idea. Now VW effectively told their supporters that VW thinks they are idiots.

Re: Microsoft Coffee

#146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The news footage is pretty convincing

I'm assuming Seattlites would be able to confirm. However as much discussion we've had about the internet remembering everything, I can't find anything in Google to confirm "Microsoft Coffee" except for this site, discussion of it on Reddit 13 hours ago.

I can't find anything to confirm the actual release advertisement of Turbo Pascal, either. There were later articles and those about later versions, but I guess Turbo Pascal never had a release advertisement. It's not indexed by Google.

Re: Microsoft Coffee

#148

This is why computers used to have that cup holder that would slide out and give you a place to put it. When you weren't using it you could even put a music CD in it and it would play music right through your computer speakers!

And if you used it, it would pour coffee right through your computer speakers! Magik!

Re: Microsoft Coffee

#149
post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Disappointing that your manager, who you liked and described as fun and effective, wanted to fire you for it.

I read it as the director is the fun one. He didn't specify about the manager, but it speaks well of the director that the manager couldn't get him fired, assuming the director had some sway over HR.

Right. I don't know how that played out exactly.

For the most part, that particular manager was fairly ok. I actually worked with him as a technical peer before he went into management, and he was super smart and effective. His personality was generally positive, and he was always pleasant to talk to.

But...he had a strong disciplinary streak to him. On the team he managed before my own, he got several people fired for making substantial, impacting but otherwise understandable technical errors. Those guys did goof up, and cause real problems, but the errors they made were within very technical, confusing and difficult processes. Specifically, related to the store relocation/renumbering flow, one where my team spent a quite a bit of time trying to smooth out and automate during and after.

Re: Microsoft Coffee

#150
post #34

Is there any reason to believe that this actually happened? Conveniently, it was published on April 1st. The story itself would be a great April Fools' prank. :)

Someone ought to ask Bill Gates next time he does an AMA on reddit
Post reply on HN