yankeeracer73

I'm sure for someone in this position it could get pretty frustrating to work at a place like Apple. On the one hand, you could invent something that could end up being used on a device used by hundreds of millions of people. On the other hand, that bar, purposely, is insanely high, so the likelihood that will happen is low. Corporate security aside, that just seems like the nature of the game at a company that values (and delivers) on a world class user experience.

If you still want this style of map and want to go completely analog, sign up for AAA and use their "TripTik" service (I think they still offer this on paper vs. only online.) You get a custom booklet with LineDrive type door to door directions on one side of the paper, and a 25 sq. mile map on the other side to give you context of where you are. The charming thing is you used to have to order this up about a week in advance of your trip, but I remember sitting in the front of the car with my Dad on family trips demanding to hold the TripTik and call out things we'd pass on the map.

I've used AirBnB a couple times in DC and it worked out really well. Go with the people who have been heavily reviewed/starred the first time you use the service and you shouldn't go wrong. Also maybe try going with places where you're getting the entire apartment and not just a room or couch. A bit more expensive, but again for your first time it may give you a little more peace of mind.

How was swoopo "outright lying" about their product? Did you ever actually visit or use Swoopo? They explained the rules clearly on the site and with a dozen or more auctions running on the front page of the site, I think this qualifies as showing how it works right on the front of the bottle.

I think you're also misunderstanding what qualifies as gambling, at least in the U.S. (international law I'm not as familiar with) Look no further than bigdeal.com, a site that operates exactly like Swoopo and is based in the U.S. It is venture backed with a few million dollars. I suspect before making that investment there was some due diligence in this auction mechanism and it was found to be legal. People in this thread are throwing around "gambling" and "scam" but I'd still challenge anyone to cite any portion of the law which specifically makes a penny auction "gambling."

Do people lose money if they don't win, yes. Does that piss people off? Of course. But that still doesn't mean it's gambling or a scam.

If it's not for you, don't play it. Simple as that.

I'm not sure I understand your point: what prevented you from watching the numerous auctions they had going at any one time to see how it worked? What also prevented you from revisiting the hundreds of closed auctions they made available for review to see what final selling prices were? Or reading their help/FAQ's, all provided in the open? Seems like this was all in plain site. Also you use the term "gambling" - can you cite where the law explicitly states this auction model is gambling or even why the mechanics of it make it "gambling?"

I think this is one of the primary religious debates between Airbus and Boeing pilots - Airbus is a much more highly computerized experience inside the cockpit vs. Boeing which is still a more mechanical/tactile experience. For some fascinating background, see the NOAA on the recent AirFrance crash. They cover this issue specifically and essentially concluded that the pilots were likely overwhelmed with the number of error messages and warnings coming at them from the plane's computers and it became paralysis by analysis which they ultimately couldn't recover from.

He has a very close relationship with the largest investor, he won't be getting the axe anytime soon. They also have a "President" who in reality is the one running the company.

Yes, but it's getting burned by these borderline deceptive tactics that drive small software companies to begin to take harder stances on things like this. I can't tell you how many times we've been run around the ringer for discounts, extra support, customizations, etc. only to suddenly not hear from the person anymore, or find out they went with someone else with absolutely no explanation. That is all of course within the customer's rights, but experiencing this many times on the vendor side, you begin to grow cynical, and a policy of trying to be as supportive and helpful to everyone begins to slowly turn in to a more guarded and defensive posture and your first inclination is to look for someone trying to do an end-run around your pricing vs. someone simply looking for help for "his daughter's video editing project."

Great comment. I've noticed that the procurement guys typically need to show their bosses they've gotten the company a discount. So now I just price the "standard" price column artificially high, show a 20 or 30% discount to get to the real price, and everyone is happy.

Wow, I had no idea these were available to be purchased as private homes/land. I now have my new f-you money goal! :)

We sell enterprise software - LinkedIn is a great resource to 1) look for the right people in larger companies we want to sell to and contact them, and 2) join interest groups that are related to our software product to query people in those groups about stuff we're working on and hear about the kinds of problems they're having or what the issues du jour are. It's also a great resource when you're about to talk to a potential client to see what they're currently doing, where they've been, etc.