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I was also very conscientious of that, but the general consensus of the HN community is that self-posts are completely acceptable (or even preferred). (see thr

I was also very conscientious of that, but the general consensus of the HN community is that self-posts are completely acceptable (or even preferred). (see thread http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1016713 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1016713) Concerning the content of the article, if people don't like it, they won't vote it up.

mhartl 17y ago
I think you mean s/contentious/conscious/. But you're right: self-posts are definitely acceptable. At least, given my submission history, they had better be. ;-)
- JangoSteve 17y ago
  Oops, actually I meant conscientious. Thanks though!
  - idlewords 17y ago
    It's /conscientious about/, which you seem to have confused with /conscious of/.
    - JangoSteve 17y ago
      Both "of" and "about" are correct in this case. See definitions (9) and (10) of the word, "of." http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/of http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/of In the English language, "of" and "about" can be used more or less as synonyms with only subtle differences. E.g. "I heard about the play," or, "I heard of the play." "The play was about peace and love," or "The play was of peace and love."
      - idlewords 17y ago
        Compare: You are wrong about English usage You are wrong of English usage
        JangoSteve 17y ago
        That is one example of improper use (hence the more or less). However, "conscientious of" is an example of proper use.
        pvg 17y ago
        Except it isn't. Google both. You'll see the proper use and a bunch of people confusing it with 'conscious of', just like you do. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conscientious http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conscientious Try it with the synonyms. You can't be meticulous or scrupulous of something - just like 'conscientious'.
        JangoSteve 17y ago
        Actually, you very well can be meticulous, scrupulous, or careful of something. Again, see definition (5a) of the word, "of." http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/of http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/of 5a: relating to: about <stories of her travels> That being said, I will probably say "conscientious about" from now on as a result of this conversation, just in case people really do have a problem with "conscientious of." However, "conscientious of" is an acceptable usage.
        pvg 17y ago
        No, you can't. You can link how 'of' can be used to construct a nonsensical phrase all day long. It's still nonsensical. That being said, learn the language. 'Conscientious of' is an acceptable usage in a stubborn imaginary world in which usage is subordinate to your preference.
        JangoSteve 17y ago
        At this point, I think this thread has gone way too far of course, but I'll give clarification one more attempt. I think the confusion here is in neglecting the various definitions of the word, "conscientious," in combination with the aforementioned definition of the word, "of." In terms of being guided by conscience, or of being thorough and assiduous (two possible definitions), I agree that being "conscientious of" something makes absolutely no sense. However, it can also mean to be careful (more along the lines of my intentions), in which case using "of" certainly makes sense, as you can be careful of some idea. Perhaps next time I comment, I'll just say "careful" to avoid the confusion. Furthermore, it's important to remember that English is an ambiguous language. Part of the beauty (and perhaps the downside) of the language is that there are no rules, only guidelines (this is a good article on the subject: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/01/books/01book.html http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/01/books/01book.html). The best we can do is to know our audience and tailor our language to most effectively communicate our message. If nothing else, this thread has at least taught me something of my audience (something I should have known: that we are all very detail-oriented and so care must be taken in our communication). Perhaps saying "conscientious of" was not the best and most effective use of the word, but to say it's "wrong" or unacceptable I think is quite naive.
bugs 17y ago
As long as we are on the subject of article content please please don't be one of those people who decides pictures are necessary in blog posts, especially in abundance. Pictures should only be used sparingly and if they actually illustrate your point and or subject.

mhartl 17y ago

I think you mean s/contentious/conscious/. But you're right: self-posts are definitely acceptable. At least, given my submission history, they had better be. ;-)

JangoSteve 17y ago
Oops, actually I meant conscientious. Thanks though!
- idlewords 17y ago
  It's /conscientious about/, which you seem to have confused with /conscious of/.
  - JangoSteve 17y ago
    Both "of" and "about" are correct in this case. See definitions (9) and (10) of the word, "of." http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/of http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/of In the English language, "of" and "about" can be used more or less as synonyms with only subtle differences. E.g. "I heard about the play," or, "I heard of the play." "The play was about peace and love," or "The play was of peace and love."
    - idlewords 17y ago
      Compare: You are wrong about English usage You are wrong of English usage
      - JangoSteve 17y ago
        That is one example of improper use (hence the more or less). However, "conscientious of" is an example of proper use.
        pvg 17y ago
        Except it isn't. Google both. You'll see the proper use and a bunch of people confusing it with 'conscious of', just like you do. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conscientious http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conscientious Try it with the synonyms. You can't be meticulous or scrupulous of something - just like 'conscientious'.
        JangoSteve 17y ago
        Actually, you very well can be meticulous, scrupulous, or careful of something. Again, see definition (5a) of the word, "of." http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/of http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/of 5a: relating to: about <stories of her travels> That being said, I will probably say "conscientious about" from now on as a result of this conversation, just in case people really do have a problem with "conscientious of." However, "conscientious of" is an acceptable usage.
        pvg 17y ago
        No, you can't. You can link how 'of' can be used to construct a nonsensical phrase all day long. It's still nonsensical. That being said, learn the language. 'Conscientious of' is an acceptable usage in a stubborn imaginary world in which usage is subordinate to your preference.
        JangoSteve 17y ago
        At this point, I think this thread has gone way too far of course, but I'll give clarification one more attempt. I think the confusion here is in neglecting the various definitions of the word, "conscientious," in combination with the aforementioned definition of the word, "of." In terms of being guided by conscience, or of being thorough and assiduous (two possible definitions), I agree that being "conscientious of" something makes absolutely no sense. However, it can also mean to be careful (more along the lines of my intentions), in which case using "of" certainly makes sense, as you can be careful of some idea. Perhaps next time I comment, I'll just say "careful" to avoid the confusion. Furthermore, it's important to remember that English is an ambiguous language. Part of the beauty (and perhaps the downside) of the language is that there are no rules, only guidelines (this is a good article on the subject: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/01/books/01book.html http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/01/books/01book.html). The best we can do is to know our audience and tailor our language to most effectively communicate our message. If nothing else, this thread has at least taught me something of my audience (something I should have known: that we are all very detail-oriented and so care must be taken in our communication). Perhaps saying "conscientious of" was not the best and most effective use of the word, but to say it's "wrong" or unacceptable I think is quite naive.

bugs 17y ago

As long as we are on the subject of article content please please don't be one of those people who decides pictures are necessary in blog posts, especially in abundance. Pictures should only be used sparingly and if they actually illustrate your point and or subject.