1
The Machine Fired Me
It was 7am when my phone rang. Instead of an alarm, it was my recruiter disturbing me from a pleasant dream. It was too early for a phone call or to be caught off guard, so I did not answer. I went to
Ibrahim Diallo
A programming blog featuring insights, tutorials, and and clever tips to hack your code and daily life by Ibrahim Diallo
- Popular posts
- 24
- Total points
- 11,714
- HN comments
- 6,555
- Rank
- #66 personal
Visit idiallo.com → RSS feedOn Hacker News Oct 2013 – May 2026
Tech Industry & Business 10Career & Management 6Society, Policy & Culture 4Web & Frontend 3Tools & Productivity 3Security & Privacy 3
2
I Charged $18k for a Static HTML Page
Not too long ago, I made a living working as a contractor where I would hop from project to project. Some were short term where I would work for a week and quickly deliver my service. Others lasted a
3
Users only care about 20% of your application
I often destroyed our home computer when I was a kid. Armed with only 2GB of storage, I'd constantly hunt for files to delete to save space. But I learned the hard way that .ini files are actually imp
4
We installed a single turnstile to feel secure
After the acquisition by a much larger company, security became a top priority. Our company occupied three tall buildings, each at least 13 stories high. Key card readers were installed next to every
5
How I learned to charge my customers
After I completed my first programming class, I went straight to Craigslist. I advertised my programming services. I called myself an experienced programmer who could code anything. I posted a link to
6
The 40M dollar job
An extract from my book Just Fired. Still in progress...
7
Why Companies Don't Fix Bugs
A few years ago, a lone programmer named t0st did something extraordinary: he fixed an 8-year-old bug in GTA Online that had been driving players crazy. The bug? Painfully long load times, sometimes u
8
What does it mean that MP3 is free?
The MP3 format, once the gold standard for digital audio files, is now free. The licensing and patents on MP3 encoders have expired, meaning you can now include them in your applications without payin
9
We Never Paid for Journalism
In 2006 at around 4 am, a man appears at the door of a security booth in Downtown Los Angeles. He slowly opens the door, being careful not to be noticed. He grabs the key attached to a small crowbar h
10
The reality of working in tech: We're not hired to write code (2023)
"So, is everyone losing their minds yet?" My ex-coworker asked me over yahoo messenger. He quit after getting enraged by new work policies that specifically targeted him. I looked up from my screen,