> In general, politics is almost always off-topic here This attitude is one of the most damaging flaws in tech culture. There is this idea that engineering, de

> In general, politics is almost always off-topic here This attitude is one of the most damaging flaws in tech culture. There is this idea that engineering, design, and sometimes even business are somehow outside of politics, which is absolutely incorrect. Politics is simply how humans interact to negotiate the mechanics of society. Creating a good or service has political consequences. Often these consequences are small, but modern technology has had an amplifying affect on political consequences that has grown rapidly. Silicon Valley culture even has a word that recognizes this: "disruption". As politics is increasingly important in technology, traditional powers have started to fight back. A good example is the current drama over encryption (Apple/FBI, WhatsApp/India, etc); giving people the ability to communicate without government (or other) eavesdropping is not only a political act, it's also a significant shift in power that upsets the traditional political equilibrium. Local tax law is merely the current battlefield. When you create something that affects people - even in small ways - you are taking a political position. Pretending that your work is somehow outside of politics doesn't make technology and engineering politically neutral. Ignoring politics is still a political statement; you're saying you don't care about the political consequences, which is irresponsible. > there are many other places to discuss politics HN is exactly the place that the politics of technology should be discussed. > reduce the quality ... of the discussion While I agree that rudeness, personal attacks, and other low-quality rhetoric should be discouraged, remember that attempting to silence political discussion is itself a political statement. You aren't removing politics completely; you're de facto stating that any point of view outside the status quo shouldn't be heard. -- There is "no neutral ground in a burning world"[1]. Please consider and discuss (politely) the political consequences of technology as we integrate it into our lives. If you don't, someone else will. [1] https://media.ccc.de/v/30C3_-_5491_-_en_-_saal_1_-_201312272300_-_no_neutral_ground_in_a_burning_world_-_quinn_norton_-_eleanor_saitta https://media.ccc.de/v/30C3_-_5491_-_en_-_saal_1_-_201312272... (transcript: http://opentranscripts.org/transcript/no-neutral-ground-burning-world/ http://opentranscripts.org/transcript/no-neutral-ground-burn... )