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>promotes the language extensively >relentless self-promotion When and how did that happen?
by asdflkj 19y ago
>promotes the language extensively
>relentless self-promotion
When and how did that happen?
- deleted 19y ago[deleted]
- bdr 19y agoSeriously, what self-promotion?
- pg 19y agoI was thinking that too. I can't think of any cases recently where I've engaged in relentless self-promotion. I mean, I write essays, and since I believe the things I say in them, I am in a technical sense writing things that promote my own ideas, and thus me. But that's true of anyone who writes. He can't have meant anything so complicated. Here's my theory of what he meant, based on his use of Matz as an example: relentlessly skipping the self-effacing remarks that most people surround their ideas with to help make the medicine go down. If that's what he means, he's right. I don't do it out of arrogance, though. I skip that kind of stuff partly because it seems too much like a deliberate trick, and partly because it makes sentences longer than they need to be.
- raganwald 19y agoI was actually quoting what several people have said, which perhaps is a description of their perception and not of reality. I will edit the post, a clarification would strengthen the argument, thanks.
- mynameishere 19y agoA lot of your essays praise "hackers" relentlessly, with the understanding that you are talking largely about yourself and your circle.
- mixmax 19y agoAnd herein lies the grudge. by praising hackers to the point of being demi-gods capable of feats that mere mortals can only dream of you put yourself (and all hackers) on a piedestal. As the parent states this will de facto also include yourself. most people, being rather small-minded, don't like someone on a piedestal and naturally want to bring them down. It is very hard to avoid if you are (semi)famous. Especially so if you are also smart. Tragic but true.
- pg 19y agoI don't know about this argument. What I'm praising is a way of approaching life. It seems natural that one would oneself approach life in a way one praised. That seems different from praising something one is merely born with, like being English or white or male. You don't find me doing that.
- raganwald 19y agoThis is exactly the way I've always taken your description of hacking. And your praise for the YCombinator startups usually talks about how hard they work, for example talking about how much code they write in a short period of time while living on Ramen noodles.
- 1gor 19y ago>self-effacing remarks In Matz' case that may be due to him being Japanese. That's the way they generally speak, a kind of etiquette.
- icky 19y ago> Seriously, what self-promotion? Well, he did write about it on paulgraham.com, the #1 site for anything, ever.