4 ms·

Why is this article even on the front page (#1 even) of HN? Is this guy famous? His article is pure ramblings and defies common sense.

DanBC 11y ago
Charles Stross is an author, and has written some (really good) SF that covers some stuff in a way that HN appreciates. He's also a member here, and sometimes comments. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Charles-Stross/e/B001H6IW0Q/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1459176293&sr=8-2-ent http://www.amazon.co.uk/Charles-Stross/e/B001H6IW0Q/ref=sr_t... http://www.amazon.com/Charles-Stross/e/B001H6IW0Q/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1459176293&sr=8-2-ent http://www.amazon.com/Charles-Stross/e/B001H6IW0Q/ref=sr_tc_...
- dredmorbius 11y ago
  He submitted this item himself. Sneaky bastard.
pythonistic 11y ago
Stross is a well-known and popular science fiction author and former system administrator. Pundits and SF authors don't need to be accurate to project what may happen in the future (e.g., Clarke assumed we'd have manned communications space stations in geosynchronous orbit rather than automated robots).
- slindz 11y ago
  To me, your comment read as though he was a San Francisco author. It took another comment to figure out you meant Science Fiction. I read entirely too much HN.
  - sjs7007 11y ago
    Haha, same happened to me!
    - patrickmclaren 11y ago
      Just upvote, in this case, no need for 'me too' or +1s.
devy 11y ago
He probably is famous in hard sci-fi genre. He's got a wikipedia page[1]! I didn't know until this post. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Stross https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Stross
lisper 11y ago
What difference does it make if the author is famous or not? Famous people get things just as wrong as non-famous people. (And I have no idea why you think the article defies common sense. It seems like a perfectly cogent argument to me.)
- kbenson 11y ago
  I agree that fame should not be a sole qualifying attribute for getting on the front page here, but I think fame can be a qualifying factor, if used appropriately. That is, if a person is famous for being prescient in items relevant to the post, or if they are well known or respected in that sphere, that can help carry some legitimacy to their views to those that aren't entirely capable of assessing the merits of the argument, and would rather not spend time researching claims from someone that turns out to be a rambling idiot. There are also pieces by those famous that are less arguments, and more calls to action, in which the person't fame, or reputation, helps push the message, and as such it can be factored in as part of the message. It becomes useful for assessing how widespread the reach of the message will be. E.g. Brad Pitt speaking our against a social injustice vs Kim Kardashian commenting on fiscal policy. In one the fame helps spread the message (even if it doesn't, or at least shouldn't change the merits of the message itself), in the other the fame is irrelevant. For Stross, he's a fairly famous hard Science Fiction author, he's commented on the future and fiscal issues before, and has written books regarding interstellar money systems (haven't read yet) and possible problems with them. His fame in this area makes me want to see what he has to say, we'll see if I agree after I finish reading it...
  - marincounty 11y ago
    The late Christopher Reeve said it perfectecly. It never got any coverage, but it made me instantly like him more. Basically he got tired of reporters asking his opinion--on everything. It was right after Superman. He said in a tired voice, "Why are you asking for my opinion? Why us actors? Why not the Janitor down the hall. Guess what--that Janitor probally knows more? We read lines other people wrote?" The reporter walked away, like Superman didn't save the day?
- 11y ago
mercurial 11y ago
It's on the front page because people often find what Charlie Stross' writes to be of interest (even if they don't necessarily agree). It's democracy at work, basically.
anothermouse 11y ago
A CPAN author, former tech journalist, hugo award winner. His works are so on the intersection of economics and scifi that apparenly even Paul Krugman has reads him. http://crookedtimber.org/2009/01/27/stross-on-development-economics/ http://crookedtimber.org/2009/01/27/stross-on-development-ec...

DanBC 11y ago

Charles Stross is an author, and has written some (really good) SF that covers some stuff in a way that HN appreciates. He's also a member here, and sometimes comments. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Charles-Stross/e/B001H6IW0Q/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1459176293&sr=8-2-ent http://www.amazon.co.uk/Charles-Stross/e/B001H6IW0Q/ref=sr_t... http://www.amazon.com/Charles-Stross/e/B001H6IW0Q/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1459176293&sr=8-2-ent http://www.amazon.com/Charles-Stross/e/B001H6IW0Q/ref=sr_tc_...

dredmorbius 11y ago
He submitted this item himself. Sneaky bastard.

pythonistic 11y ago

Stross is a well-known and popular science fiction author and former system administrator. Pundits and SF authors don't need to be accurate to project what may happen in the future (e.g., Clarke assumed we'd have manned communications space stations in geosynchronous orbit rather than automated robots).

slindz 11y ago
To me, your comment read as though he was a San Francisco author. It took another comment to figure out you meant Science Fiction. I read entirely too much HN.
- sjs7007 11y ago
  Haha, same happened to me!
  - patrickmclaren 11y ago
    Just upvote, in this case, no need for 'me too' or +1s.

devy 11y ago

He probably is famous in hard sci-fi genre. He's got a wikipedia page[1]! I didn't know until this post. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Stross https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Stross

lisper 11y ago

What difference does it make if the author is famous or not? Famous people get things just as wrong as non-famous people. (And I have no idea why you think the article defies common sense. It seems like a perfectly cogent argument to me.)

kbenson 11y ago
I agree that fame should not be a sole qualifying attribute for getting on the front page here, but I think fame can be a qualifying factor, if used appropriately. That is, if a person is famous for being prescient in items relevant to the post, or if they are well known or respected in that sphere, that can help carry some legitimacy to their views to those that aren't entirely capable of assessing the merits of the argument, and would rather not spend time researching claims from someone that turns out to be a rambling idiot. There are also pieces by those famous that are less arguments, and more calls to action, in which the person't fame, or reputation, helps push the message, and as such it can be factored in as part of the message. It becomes useful for assessing how widespread the reach of the message will be. E.g. Brad Pitt speaking our against a social injustice vs Kim Kardashian commenting on fiscal policy. In one the fame helps spread the message (even if it doesn't, or at least shouldn't change the merits of the message itself), in the other the fame is irrelevant. For Stross, he's a fairly famous hard Science Fiction author, he's commented on the future and fiscal issues before, and has written books regarding interstellar money systems (haven't read yet) and possible problems with them. His fame in this area makes me want to see what he has to say, we'll see if I agree after I finish reading it...
- marincounty 11y ago
  The late Christopher Reeve said it perfectecly. It never got any coverage, but it made me instantly like him more. Basically he got tired of reporters asking his opinion--on everything. It was right after Superman. He said in a tired voice, "Why are you asking for my opinion? Why us actors? Why not the Janitor down the hall. Guess what--that Janitor probally knows more? We read lines other people wrote?" The reporter walked away, like Superman didn't save the day?
11y ago

mercurial 11y ago

It's on the front page because people often find what Charlie Stross' writes to be of interest (even if they don't necessarily agree). It's democracy at work, basically.

anothermouse 11y ago

A CPAN author, former tech journalist, hugo award winner. His works are so on the intersection of economics and scifi that apparenly even Paul Krugman has reads him. http://crookedtimber.org/2009/01/27/stross-on-development-economics/ http://crookedtimber.org/2009/01/27/stross-on-development-ec...