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I just left 200 fake parking tickets at YC Demo Day...
81–90 of 110 posts
Re: I just left 200 fake parking tickets at YC Demo Day...
#82Personally, I would be rather peeved to be advertised to in this way. I wouldn't find it clever or cute--I would just find it annoying. I would not end up with a good impression of the company, and I wouldn't want to do business with it. One reason why I don't find it particularly clever, is that it's really not all that different from all the physical junk mail I receive that tries to visually mimic some sort of imp…
To me, this would work beautifully if the startup were actually involved in solving traffic or transportation problems. Ridejoy, for instance. If Ridejoy had pulled this stunt, it would have been very cute. That said, I'll give the man his props. This is ingenuity. Perhaps it's misdirected, to an extent. Perhaps it'll backfire. But it's something different. It is clever, regardless of whether we find it enjoyable or…
Funny, we considered flyering the entire auditorium during Startup School last year, but decided that was too annoying and ended up flyering just the bathrooms instead. No one got the fake grimlock references, sadly...
Re: I just left 200 fake parking tickets at YC Demo Day...
#83Earlier quoted context omitted.
Do you not have a smartphone? They're a very common way to install apps. Heck, I sometimes scan QR codes right off my monitor.
I've been in continuous ownership of at least one smartphone since the iPhone 1. I have yet to scan a QR code "in the wild" (i.e., while not testing software that's QR-code related). I'm willing to bet I can tap the install button for a given app faster than you can scan the equivalent QR code and hit install. The challenge is for iOS. The workflow for scanning and actioning on a QR code is tediously slow. Unlock you…
I think you'll agree that short URLs and names are hard to come by, and will be more so over time. Plus, the push for short names is getting out of control. I'm sorry, but a name like xzb.ly is retarded, whereas GoodCompanyName.com isn't.
Most of the time when I hear about an app, I'm at my computer. So I type in the full URL to get to that link or go to the App Store's slow search. Half the time there's several search result, and I'm fighting with iPhone's spell checker if it's a cutesy name or have to remember the company's naming scheme. (For example, I searched for "Flight Track" instead of "FlightTrack" and received tons of incorrect results.)
Another good use: connecting the physical world with digital when it's not practical to set up a short URL (think a church having a silent auction, with in-depth descriptions listed on the website)
Re: I just left 200 fake parking tickets at YC Demo Day...
#84I must admit -- it's an ingenious way to pitch your company.
Selling your product by putting flyers on people's cars: yes, totally original.
Re: I just left 200 fake parking tickets at YC Demo Day...
#85I probably wouldn't respond this way, but: if I see you touching my car, my personal property, and you're not wearing a law enforcement uniform, it would be well within my right to respond as if you're stealing or vandalizing my car. I can't speak to SF, but in many areas, when the police respond to the physical altercation, they'd be asking me if I want to press charges.
Re: I just left 200 fake parking tickets at YC Demo Day...
#86"You have illegally been subjected to make..." "Try the new app right now, its beautiful:" As clever as it is, it would have been far more effective if you had checked your grammar before printing two hundred flyers.
Because as humans we don't make mistakes, right? You probably mean well, but this is the kind of attitude that people are complaining about in the HN community right now. People being cynical and instead of giving positive criticism people (like yourself) are picking on a lot of peoples grammar. I understand grammar is important, but working in an industry that heavily relies on print I see far worse mistakes than th…
It is positive criticism. It takes a matter of seconds to spot these errors. Lighten up.
Re: I just left 200 fake parking tickets at YC Demo Day...
#87tl;dr for the flyer text:
"We weren't good enough to get into YC, but want to piggyback off of pitch day. Please please please visit our site! kthxbai"
Re: I just left 200 fake parking tickets at YC Demo Day...
#88Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've always wondered if there is a law you could invoke against someone messing with your vehicle like this. Is it legal for a random person (not law/parking enforcement) to pick up the wiper and but whatever garbage they want under there? Can I put my used McDonald's bag under someones wiper?
"California Vehicle Code 10852. No person shall either individually or in association with one or more other persons, willfully damage or tamper with any vehicle or break or remove any part of a vehicle without the consent of the owner." This is an all-purpose section that, for example, makes it possible to arrest someone who is walking down the street trying the handles on car doors to see if they are unlocked - eve…
Interesting. Thanks.
Re: I just left 200 fake parking tickets at YC Demo Day...
#89Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've always wondered if there is a law you could invoke against someone messing with your vehicle like this. Is it legal for a random person (not law/parking enforcement) to pick up the wiper and but whatever garbage they want under there? Can I put my used McDonald's bag under someones wiper?
"California Vehicle Code 10852. No person shall either individually or in association with one or more other persons, willfully damage or tamper with any vehicle or break or remove any part of a vehicle without the consent of the owner." This is an all-purpose section that, for example, makes it possible to arrest someone who is walking down the street trying the handles on car doors to see if they are unlocked - eve…
So any pitch day attendees who didn't like this, you know what to do: while they didn't get caught in the act, pretty sure posting on HN will allow you to press charges as they've confessed to the crime. My recommendation: the judge should order the culprit to work 6 months at a non-social-media startup with a real business model.
Re: I just left 200 fake parking tickets at YC Demo Day...
#90Earlier quoted context omitted.
Do you not have a smartphone? They're a very common way to install apps. Heck, I sometimes scan QR codes right off my monitor.
Why? Both Google and Apple let you push apps to your phone from their respective application stores.
Sure, if the app is in its respective store. It's awfully handy to be able to grab a new ROM download, or an APK that isn't in the Play store by just grabbing my phone and waving it at my screen. Saves me the steps of having to copy and shorten the URL, then type it in on my phone.