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> Let's just be happy that you can get some of this information today ... When else have HN users adopted that approach?: 'Let's just be happy with what we hav

> Let's just be happy that you can get some of this information today ... When else have HN users adopted that approach?: 'Let's just be happy with what we have, and not criticize.' These are constructive, very informative points; in fact, they may be the most informative in this discussion.

ChuckMcM 9y ago
In the context of public spending data available anywhere, perhaps. As commentary on someone who just took $10M of their own money and created availability of data that didn't exist before? Not as useful. In re-reading both the USAFacts.org page and dandare's comment I really don't see how dandare's criticisms of what data USAFacts made available, what reports they made out of as _demonstrators_ of the data set, and its lack of data outside the US (it is 'USAfacts.org' not 'WorldFacts.org' after all) to be at all helpful or relevant to the USAFacts.org announcement. That said, I would love to see a 'Show HN:' page where the Wikibudgets folks took the USAFacts.org data and added wonderful visualizations and tools to provide additional insights into the data set.
- hackuser 9y ago
  > As commentary on someone who just took $10M of their own money and created availability of data that didn't exist before? Not as useful. Hmmm ... the comment doesn't criticize or even mention Ballmer at all; it was only about the website. I don't think we should be granting some projects special status, above criticism, and we never have (with the possible exception of the exalted one, Elon Musk). For example, plenty of FLOSS developers have sacrificed far more than Ballmer - Theo de Raadt has given his entire career and put his entire reputation on the line, as one immediate example - and their projects are criticized all the time. In fact, shielding the projects from criticism is a disservice to the project. I'll say that one could read an undercurrent of jealously into it, but that is strictly between the lines and could easily be in the eye of the beholder. > I really don't see how dandare's criticisms ... [are] at all helpful or relevant That seems like an unhelpful stretch.

ChuckMcM 9y ago

In the context of public spending data available anywhere, perhaps. As commentary on someone who just took $10M of their own money and created availability of data that didn't exist before? Not as useful. In re-reading both the USAFacts.org page and dandare's comment I really don't see how dandare's criticisms of what data USAFacts made available, what reports they made out of as _demonstrators_ of the data set, and its lack of data outside the US (it is 'USAfacts.org' not 'WorldFacts.org' after all) to be at all helpful or relevant to the USAFacts.org announcement. That said, I would love to see a 'Show HN:' page where the Wikibudgets folks took the USAFacts.org data and added wonderful visualizations and tools to provide additional insights into the data set.

hackuser 9y ago
> As commentary on someone who just took $10M of their own money and created availability of data that didn't exist before? Not as useful. Hmmm ... the comment doesn't criticize or even mention Ballmer at all; it was only about the website. I don't think we should be granting some projects special status, above criticism, and we never have (with the possible exception of the exalted one, Elon Musk). For example, plenty of FLOSS developers have sacrificed far more than Ballmer - Theo de Raadt has given his entire career and put his entire reputation on the line, as one immediate example - and their projects are criticized all the time. In fact, shielding the projects from criticism is a disservice to the project. I'll say that one could read an undercurrent of jealously into it, but that is strictly between the lines and could easily be in the eye of the beholder. > I really don't see how dandare's criticisms ... [are] at all helpful or relevant That seems like an unhelpful stretch.