I sometimes use an old gimmick to help me get started evaluating talent in areas where I do not have expertise.
I establish a baseline getting a candidate's own judgement on an established control. Then I use what I've learned from that to make my own judgements about other things.
For example, I may ask you to discuss the pros and cons of tables vs. css, or hash tables vs. 3rd normal form. Then, once I understand a little bit about how you think and judge, I approach subjects outside my domain.
Since you have just established a -180 degree baseline by explicitly stating a 100% falsehood ("the Steelers Suck"), I must now invert all of your answers to any future questions.
(I sure hope this discussion doesn't discourage you from voicing your opinion here at hacker news. Neither should the fact that the yc evaluation committee has added 2 new members: Jack Lambert and Mean Joe Greene.)
I establish a baseline getting a candidate's own judgement on an established control. Then I use what I've learned from that to make my own judgements about other things.
For example, I may ask you to discuss the pros and cons of tables vs. css, or hash tables vs. 3rd normal form. Then, once I understand a little bit about how you think and judge, I approach subjects outside my domain.
Since you have just established a -180 degree baseline by explicitly stating a 100% falsehood ("the Steelers Suck"), I must now invert all of your answers to any future questions.
(I sure hope this discussion doesn't discourage you from voicing your opinion here at hacker news. Neither should the fact that the yc evaluation committee has added 2 new members: Jack Lambert and Mean Joe Greene.)