SGI files for Chapter 11

The company that made the computers used by Hollywood to generate Jurassick Park, and scientists used to map DNA, is now barely a shell of its former self.

And now Chapter 11

In favor of "me too" posts

I just realized why discussions on the internet are so full of flames. (Well, _one_ of the reasons).

If you agree, you just go to the next post. The only time you are going to post a reply (or type a reply in a chat room, etc.) is if you disagree. Therefore, the flames are all people see.

On the other hand, while the tradition of posting “me too” is annoying to those that are already suffering from information overload.

At Google we have a tradition of posting “+1” in reply to an email that we agree with. That means while your idea may receive 2-3 flames, it might also receive a few +1’s and if you are lucky a +2.

gmail.com makes this particularly non-annoying since all emails are viewed as threads, and the quoted material is obscured until you click on it (imagine if the “>” quoted parts of emails were displayed like LJ-cut links).

Thus, if someone posts on a mailing list, “I like sunny days”, and 2 people quickly reply “+1” and someone else replies, “I disagree” you see it all in one web page. Since the quoted material is obscured, visually it is very efficient and easy to read. One click and they are all archived (or deleted, if you delete your email). A different click and you can see the quoted material.

So, in an effort to make the internet a less flame-filled place, I now like “me too”s.

Interview advice

If you haven’t had any sleep in 3 days and the interviewer offers to reschedule, do it. Don’t take questions for 20 minutes then start insulting the interviewer.

Corollary: The next time someone doesn’t take my offer to reschedule, I will say that its policy that we reschedule and politely hang up.