Why tuition is dead (and how teachers could invest in YOU instead) 🎓
Here is this week's digest:
Ask HN: Why does Google word privacy settings like you agree even when off?
Google's privacy settings are often designed with confusing language, such as an introductory statement implying consent to data use even before users choose to enable or disable features. This practice is widely seen as a deliberate 'dark pattern' aimed at securing blanket agreement, despite documentation suggesting data is only used when features are active. Users commonly encounter similar coercive patterns across various services, where clear 'no' or 'never' options are absent, replaced by limited 'yes' or 'ask me later' choices. Being aware of these intentional ambiguities and understanding that such language is often legally reviewed, not careless, is key to managing your digital privacy. Some users advocate for migrating to alternative, more privacy-respecting providers or exploring self-hosting solutions to regain control over their data.
Ask HN: Difficult Interview Question
Many interviewers find candidates struggle with practical, open-ended questions like "How do you transfer a file?" This isn't just about knowing commands; it's a test of real-world problem-solving and critical thinking.
- For Interviewers: The vagueness is often intentional, designed to prompt candidates to ask clarifying questions (e.e.g., file size, security, frequency, network conditions). It helps filter for practical skills beyond algorithm memorization. Consider rephrasing to "Tell me about a time you moved a file..." or offer sub-optimal options to stimulate deeper discussion.
- For Candidates: Don't freeze. Offer common methods (sftp, scp, rsync, cloud storage, USB, email) and immediately follow up with clarifying questions to demonstrate an understanding of real-world trade-offs (performance, security, scale). This shows a valuable, context-aware approach to solving technical challenges.
Ask HN: When was the last time you visited Stack Overflow?
The way developers find solutions is rapidly changing, with many now using AI/LLMs (like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) as their primary resource for programming queries, often replacing traditional search engines and Stack Overflow. Direct use of Stack Overflow has declined due to criticisms like outdated answers, difficulty finding the best solution, and perceived hostile moderation.
However, Stack Overflow still serves a valuable role for some:
- Verifying AI output: Asking AI to source its answers often leads back to Stack Overflow.
- Niche technical issues: For very specific, obscure, or capricious errors that AI might struggle with, Stack Overflow can still provide precise solutions.
- Supplementing AI: When AI gets stuck, traditional searches leading to Stack Overflow or GitHub issues are often the next step.
This suggests that while AI streamlines much of the problem-solving, the vast human-generated knowledge on sites like Stack Overflow remains a crucial, albeit often indirect, resource.
Ask HN: What if teachers invested in students instead of charging tuition?
This discussion explores a novel educational model where teachers invest capital and training in students for future equity stakes, rather than collecting tuition. This approach proposes that students could avoid debt, even receiving funds to learn, while teachers would be deeply incentivized for long-term student success and forced to adapt their teaching to real-world relevance. The concept leverages "personal tokens" representing a student's potential, with equity payouts tied only to significant capital gains (e.g., company exits), not regular income, ensuring students retain most of their earnings and full personal agency. This model, likened to Paul Graham's approach of investing in founders he inspired, aims to foster free knowledge sharing and better align education with the "power law" outcomes amplified by AI in many fields. While concerns about complexity and "indentured servitude" were raised, the core idea champions a risk-sharing model where teachers only profit if students truly succeed, contrasting sharply with the current debt-laden system.
Ask HN: Is there a desire for an AI summary friendly version of Hacker News?
A discussion explored the interest in a separate site offering AI summaries of online articles, without comments. The idea faced strong opposition, with participants highlighting that generative AI summaries are often seen as noise or spam in discussion forums. Key arguments included:
- Such summaries undermine the purpose of discussion platforms, which prioritize engagement and deep reading.
- Users can generate summaries themselves if desired, making a dedicated service redundant.
- Automatically generated content can divert traffic from original publishers, negatively impacting the web ecosystem.
- Community norms often prioritize human-authored content and thoughtful engagement over automated brevity, even if explicit rules are evolving. Transparency about AI use is crucial if attempting to integrate such content into discussions.
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