8 ms·

I agree- I stopped going back after I realized it was a homogeneous group (read: white dudes connected to VCs) patting each other on the back for releasing hal

I agree- I stopped going back after I realized it was a homogeneous group (read: white dudes connected to VCs) patting each other on the back for releasing half-baked MVPs. I was really turned-off by that. That said, I think it's slowly changing for the better (rigging allegations aside) since I last took a look a year or so ago. I received a small amount of traction after submitting a stupid iMessage sticker pack I built. I was still pretty salty when I submitted it, but was curious to see if the exclusivity had loosened up a little bit. It had! As someone who occasionally builds silly apps it's cool to share them with a community of makers, but I don't think PH fits the bill anymore. Maybe the acquisition will allow them to re-focus?

telemele 10y ago
"white dudes connected to VCs" It's not about race. It's about class. The "connected" part is what matters, not the "white dude" part. Your average 99%er white dude does not get funded in Silicon Valley. He gets asked where he "summers" and then walks out confused. What matters in Silicon Valley is being wealthy and having attended the right school. Being connected matters more than anything. The only thing that makes it somewhat meritocratic is that real success is undeniable and even unconnected people can find ways to succeed without help.
- Cbeck527 10y ago
  I see your point, but don't necessarily agree 100%. Regardless, I was calling it as I saw it at the time. Checking out the comment section of a few posts on PH's front page today, it looks like my evaluation still stands. Though my classification may be hyper-specific, my main point is it's a microcosm (stereotype?) of the echo chamber.
- jondubois 10y ago
  Maybe race and gender play a small part but I agree that it has a lot more to do with class and connections. I don't know what it takes to get into the Silicon Valley upper class, but hard, quality work isn't it. My best guess is that you have to be great at kissing ass. SV hates jerks, but loves hypocrites. It's not about what you are, it's about how you come across (in a very primitive, superficial way).
  - lacampbell 10y ago
    I don't know why many people operate under the delusion that the value of their work is the same as how valuable you are perceived. Not to say that there's no correlation, but it's just part of the equation. People pay a premium for doing business with other people that they like. It's perfectly logical - we all want our daily interactions to be pleasant ones, and would much rather work with people we like than people we find distasteful. It's completely counter-productive to frame this as everyone else just being superficial ass-kissing hypocrites.
    - brazzledazzle 10y ago
      You're right, it's less about ass kissing and more about cultural fit which is kind of a dog whistle but not exactly since you can hang if you're a "cool" Indian dude who drinks beer and plays ping pong, beer pong or foosball and doesn't smell funny.
DonHopkins 10y ago
I think there's a much more accurate metaphor about what they're doing to each other than "patting each other on the back". [1] [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMeqEDEfniA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMeqEDEfniA
birracerveza 10y ago
>white dudes connected to VCs Stop being racist. What does being white have to do with any of it?
- jyriand 10y ago
  I don't think every statement that mentions 'white' or 'black' should be considered racist.
  - birracerveza 10y ago
    It should be considered racist in the context of the post. Why bring it up at all? He is explaining the reason that he stopped going, and bringing race into the mix. That is racism. As he himself stated, the real problem is the circlejerking nature of the community, and that would be the same were it a homogeneous group of white, black, green people or even a heterogeneous one. Sorry for the rant, especially since telemele explained this better than me, but it seriously irked me.
  - DonHopkins 10y ago
    I totally agree with you, but in birracerveza's dead comment he strongly disagrees without offering any explanation: "He is explaining the reason that he stopped going, and bringing race into the mix. That is racism." No, that is not racism, but "many people" think that way because they have been wrongly taught to believe that any mention of race is racism, which is incorrect. And birracerveza is one of those "many people" who really need to educate themselves by reading up on the topic of racism, starting with "Mentioning Race Doesn't Make You a Racist [1]", and continuing on to wikipedia [2] to learn what racism really is. Hint: Ask yourself if Cbeck527 systematically oppressed anyone by "stopping going" or "bringing race into the mix"? [1] https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sex-dawn/201001/mentioning-race-doesnt-make-you-racist https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sex-dawn/201001/mention... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism

telemele 10y ago

"white dudes connected to VCs" It's not about race. It's about class. The "connected" part is what matters, not the "white dude" part. Your average 99%er white dude does not get funded in Silicon Valley. He gets asked where he "summers" and then walks out confused. What matters in Silicon Valley is being wealthy and having attended the right school. Being connected matters more than anything. The only thing that makes it somewhat meritocratic is that real success is undeniable and even unconnected people can find ways to succeed without help.

Cbeck527 10y ago
I see your point, but don't necessarily agree 100%. Regardless, I was calling it as I saw it at the time. Checking out the comment section of a few posts on PH's front page today, it looks like my evaluation still stands. Though my classification may be hyper-specific, my main point is it's a microcosm (stereotype?) of the echo chamber.
jondubois 10y ago
Maybe race and gender play a small part but I agree that it has a lot more to do with class and connections. I don't know what it takes to get into the Silicon Valley upper class, but hard, quality work isn't it. My best guess is that you have to be great at kissing ass. SV hates jerks, but loves hypocrites. It's not about what you are, it's about how you come across (in a very primitive, superficial way).
- lacampbell 10y ago
  I don't know why many people operate under the delusion that the value of their work is the same as how valuable you are perceived. Not to say that there's no correlation, but it's just part of the equation. People pay a premium for doing business with other people that they like. It's perfectly logical - we all want our daily interactions to be pleasant ones, and would much rather work with people we like than people we find distasteful. It's completely counter-productive to frame this as everyone else just being superficial ass-kissing hypocrites.
  - brazzledazzle 10y ago
    You're right, it's less about ass kissing and more about cultural fit which is kind of a dog whistle but not exactly since you can hang if you're a "cool" Indian dude who drinks beer and plays ping pong, beer pong or foosball and doesn't smell funny.

DonHopkins 10y ago

I think there's a much more accurate metaphor about what they're doing to each other than "patting each other on the back". [1] [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMeqEDEfniA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMeqEDEfniA

birracerveza 10y ago

>white dudes connected to VCs Stop being racist. What does being white have to do with any of it?

jyriand 10y ago
I don't think every statement that mentions 'white' or 'black' should be considered racist.
- birracerveza 10y ago
  It should be considered racist in the context of the post. Why bring it up at all? He is explaining the reason that he stopped going, and bringing race into the mix. That is racism. As he himself stated, the real problem is the circlejerking nature of the community, and that would be the same were it a homogeneous group of white, black, green people or even a heterogeneous one. Sorry for the rant, especially since telemele explained this better than me, but it seriously irked me.
- DonHopkins 10y ago
  I totally agree with you, but in birracerveza's dead comment he strongly disagrees without offering any explanation: "He is explaining the reason that he stopped going, and bringing race into the mix. That is racism." No, that is not racism, but "many people" think that way because they have been wrongly taught to believe that any mention of race is racism, which is incorrect. And birracerveza is one of those "many people" who really need to educate themselves by reading up on the topic of racism, starting with "Mentioning Race Doesn't Make You a Racist [1]", and continuing on to wikipedia [2] to learn what racism really is. Hint: Ask yourself if Cbeck527 systematically oppressed anyone by "stopping going" or "bringing race into the mix"? [1] https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sex-dawn/201001/mentioning-race-doesnt-make-you-racist https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sex-dawn/201001/mention... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism