7 ms·

Wow, didn't expect to see this here. I'd love to see Pinboard go through YC.

by knd775 11y ago

idlewords 11y ago
I will go through YC like a bowling ball through a python
- YuriNiyazov 11y ago
  You are very hard to understand. You have many times criticized HN and YC for many different things (the most memorable examples being objecting to how HN uses the word "startup", and to PG hellbanning you), and yet here you are, cleverly using "Apply HN" to raise awareness about Pinboard in the community you dislike while having no intention of being part of YC.
  - deleted 11y ago
    [deleted]
    - deleted 11y ago
      [deleted]
  - idlewords 11y ago
    I am hoping to attract a certain protest vote of the silent majority who enjoy this community, but are uneasy about the values of its founders and more broadly, Silicon Valley. As far as HN proper, I don't dislike this community at all, particularly since dang took the reins. It's an interesting place and I've tried to contribute in good faith for many years now, besides just making fun of it.
    - tombrossman 11y ago
      Let's say you attain this goal and the protest votes are in, signalling to YC that a (no longer) silent majority feel this way. Now they get the message that the community is "uneasy about the values of its founders and more broadly, Silicon Valley". What's next? I imagine reading posts by the community here does not play a huge role in day-to-day operations at the company, they still have day jobs and financial pressures to deal with whether we like them or not. Is there a plan or end game or is this pure trolling (or maybe I put it more kindly and call it 'performance art' or something like that)? I'm pretty sure Silicon Valley are quite well aware that privacy is an issue and a growing number of users are uncomfortable with the surveillance-as-a-service business model, but it pays the bills so why would they change? How can you create this demand so that the pro-privacy business model works? I'm curious to see what you can make of the opportunity, if one even exists here.
      - idlewords 11y ago
        I understand your point, but established Silicon Valley investors are not the audience I'm trying to reach, or persuade. I would call what I do 'impure trolling', since I run an actual business, and have given an earnest series of talks calling for regulations on mass surveillance. Following in this earnest vein, I live a life of independence and fun, and would like to encourage young technical people to live that life too, rather than wasting their youth in pursuit of a one-in-ten-thousand shot at plutocracy.
        tedmiston 11y ago
        As a 20-something startup engineer, I'd love to hear you write a blog post with more on that last bit.
        idlewords 11y ago
        I gave a talk called "Barely Succeed - it's easier!" where I tried to make the case. There's a video version here [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Vt8zqhHe_c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Vt8zqhHe_c], unfortunately I haven't transcribed it yet.
      - thaumaturgy 11y ago
        Every court needs its clown and I've been grateful to Maciej for being that clown for years. He's been the only one -- the only one -- that has consistently managed to make me feel less crazy and make Silicon Valley look a little bit more crazy. The startup scene hasn't been content with "paying the bills". They've been chasing demand even when that demand doesn't bring actual money along with it. It's completely nuts, and maybe it should change a little. I mean, you sort of imply that the pro-privacy business model doesn't work, but Pinboard is more profitable than Twitter. Does that mean profitability is no longer the measure of whether a business model "works"?
        pascient 11y ago
        > the _only_ one The folks at Basecamp (formerly 37signals) have been pretty consistent too at criticizing the Silicon Valley rhetoric, and their company is undeniably profitable. They write at https://signalvnoise.com https://signalvnoise.com and I also recommend their books.
    - mrbill 11y ago
      I get so much use out of pinboard (and laughing at your tweet snark) that I would gladly pay $5/month instead of the one-time fee of whatever I paid when I signed up. It Just Works, and that's all it does, and that's all I need it to do.
- knd775 11y ago
  A big python or a little python? edit It may also be useful to know the size and weight of the bowling ball.

Wow, didn't expect to see this here. I'd love to see Pinboard go through YC.

by knd775 11y ago

Wow, didn't expect to see this here. I'd love to see Pinboard go through YC.

idlewords 11y ago

I will go through YC like a bowling ball through a python

YuriNiyazov 11y ago
You are very hard to understand. You have many times criticized HN and YC for many different things (the most memorable examples being objecting to how HN uses the word "startup", and to PG hellbanning you), and yet here you are, cleverly using "Apply HN" to raise awareness about Pinboard in the community you dislike while having no intention of being part of YC.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
  - deleted 11y ago
    [deleted]
- idlewords 11y ago
  I am hoping to attract a certain protest vote of the silent majority who enjoy this community, but are uneasy about the values of its founders and more broadly, Silicon Valley. As far as HN proper, I don't dislike this community at all, particularly since dang took the reins. It's an interesting place and I've tried to contribute in good faith for many years now, besides just making fun of it.
  - tombrossman 11y ago
    Let's say you attain this goal and the protest votes are in, signalling to YC that a (no longer) silent majority feel this way. Now they get the message that the community is "uneasy about the values of its founders and more broadly, Silicon Valley". What's next? I imagine reading posts by the community here does not play a huge role in day-to-day operations at the company, they still have day jobs and financial pressures to deal with whether we like them or not. Is there a plan or end game or is this pure trolling (or maybe I put it more kindly and call it 'performance art' or something like that)? I'm pretty sure Silicon Valley are quite well aware that privacy is an issue and a growing number of users are uncomfortable with the surveillance-as-a-service business model, but it pays the bills so why would they change? How can you create this demand so that the pro-privacy business model works? I'm curious to see what you can make of the opportunity, if one even exists here.
    - idlewords 11y ago
      I understand your point, but established Silicon Valley investors are not the audience I'm trying to reach, or persuade. I would call what I do 'impure trolling', since I run an actual business, and have given an earnest series of talks calling for regulations on mass surveillance. Following in this earnest vein, I live a life of independence and fun, and would like to encourage young technical people to live that life too, rather than wasting their youth in pursuit of a one-in-ten-thousand shot at plutocracy.
      - tedmiston 11y ago
        As a 20-something startup engineer, I'd love to hear you write a blog post with more on that last bit.
        idlewords 11y ago
        I gave a talk called "Barely Succeed - it's easier!" where I tried to make the case. There's a video version here [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Vt8zqhHe_c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Vt8zqhHe_c], unfortunately I haven't transcribed it yet.
    - thaumaturgy 11y ago
      Every court needs its clown and I've been grateful to Maciej for being that clown for years. He's been the only one -- the only one -- that has consistently managed to make me feel less crazy and make Silicon Valley look a little bit more crazy. The startup scene hasn't been content with "paying the bills". They've been chasing demand even when that demand doesn't bring actual money along with it. It's completely nuts, and maybe it should change a little. I mean, you sort of imply that the pro-privacy business model doesn't work, but Pinboard is more profitable than Twitter. Does that mean profitability is no longer the measure of whether a business model "works"?
      - pascient 11y ago
        > the _only_ one The folks at Basecamp (formerly 37signals) have been pretty consistent too at criticizing the Silicon Valley rhetoric, and their company is undeniably profitable. They write at https://signalvnoise.com https://signalvnoise.com and I also recommend their books.
  - mrbill 11y ago
    I get so much use out of pinboard (and laughing at your tweet snark) that I would gladly pay $5/month instead of the one-time fee of whatever I paid when I signed up. It Just Works, and that's all it does, and that's all I need it to do.
knd775 11y ago
A big python or a little python? edit It may also be useful to know the size and weight of the bowling ball.