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>The general zeitgeist of Y Combinator's Hacker News forum site (at least to many of its detractors) is one of nonspecific libertarian laissez-faire capitalism

>The general zeitgeist of Y Combinator's Hacker News forum site (at least to many of its detractors) is one of nonspecific libertarian laissez-faire capitalism Hardly, not anytime recently anyway. Dang will straight up ban you for being ancap on here.

mindcrime 9y ago
Dang will straight up ban you for being ancap on here. I'm an ancap and I haven't been banned, so I'm not sure about that. But I certainly don't find the prevailing zeitgeist here to be particularly libertarian as of late.
KirinDave 9y ago
Nonsense. Dan will do a lot of things, but he almost never straight up bans people who participate in good faith.
- Danihan 9y ago
  Keep telling yourself that. I didn't even have to go back 24 hours to find an example.. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14755236 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14755236 He simply calls anything politically right-of-center an "ideological flamewar" and removes / bans as he sees fit. Another easy example. He's so hypersensitive to any perceived "nationalism" he sees it everywhere. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14535633 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14535633
  - kazinator 9y ago
    The user in question created a throwaway account to make the posting. That can only be because that person anticipated a flame war, and therefore armed against it with a "heat shield" that would absorb the downvotes. Possibly, their main account has enough points to downvote others, so they can use the throaway account to bait replies and then downvote the replies using their regular account (something you can't do to your own replies). Sock-puppet accounts should be identified and banned; and threatening repeat offenders with a main ban is part of the game.
    - Danihan 9y ago
      Perhaps the user simply didn't want right-leaning statements posted on his primary account, as so many people are obviously and openly bigoted against conservatives in Silicon Valley. Trust me, if you debate against socialism / large government on here, a mod WILL show up and accuse you (but not whomever you are arguing with, the user who endlessly supports larger government is immune) of flame-baiting / being inflammatory / trolling / being nationalistic / etc.
      - KirinDave 9y ago
        This depends very much on your definition of "right-wing." My experience is that folks who told me I deserve to have my kids taken away from me for being genderqueer didn't get banned, so YMMV. But also: throwaway accounts with the word throwaway? No one should feel bad when they're banned. No one should feel bad for banning them. That is the actual social contract of throwaway accounts, and they're tolerated insomuch as people just use userscripts to mute them out most of the time.
        Danihan 9y ago
        Again, you seem to constantly be projecting your opinions as being the opinions of everyone. >That is the actual social contract of throwaway accounts, and they're tolerated insomuch as people just use userscripts to mute them out most of the time. I love reading comments from throwaway accounts because I feel like you're getting a genuine opinion that someone is too afraid to share on their main account. And those opinions are the most interesting to me. >No one should feel bad when they're banned. I bet this sort of casual dismissiveness wouldn't fly with you if the authors were anonymous genderqueers.
        KirinDave 9y ago
        > I love reading comments from throwaway accounts because I feel like you're getting a genuine opinion that someone is too afraid to share on their main account. And those opinions are the most interesting to me. I hate them because they're often people spewing ideas they're too cowardly to own. If you feel discriminated against for being slightly conservative, imagine how I feel being an atheist genderqueer. We are unpopular creatures. > I bet this sort of casual dismissiveness wouldn't fly with you if the authors were anonymous genderqueers. It happens all the time. I challenge you to find me complaining about it even once. Throwaway accounts are throwaway.
  - KirinDave 9y ago
    Also: that second post is shitty and deserved a warning. It has 0 content, 0 value, and is 99% designed to flamebait.
    - Danihan 9y ago
      I'd completely disagree, I thought it was an interesting perspective from someone outside of the US. It's telling to me that you believe you can tell someone's intentions (99% designed to flamebait.) And that you seem to think just because a comment doesn't have value to you personally, it's worthless (0 value).
      - KirinDave 9y ago
        I do not care about reading the tea leaves of someone's intentions. Their english was crisp and well-delivered, it was quite clear there was no miscommunication. People who participate in bad faith deserve to be warned, rate limited, then banned. Those are the rules of this community and while I don't always agree with the interpretations therein, I think it's important we recognize them and respect the boundaries that are drawn while within this infrastructure. We can attempt to undermine it externally if we feel the need.

mindcrime 9y ago

Dang will straight up ban you for being ancap on here. I'm an ancap and I haven't been banned, so I'm not sure about that. But I certainly don't find the prevailing zeitgeist here to be particularly libertarian as of late.

KirinDave 9y ago

Nonsense. Dan will do a lot of things, but he almost never straight up bans people who participate in good faith.

Danihan 9y ago
Keep telling yourself that. I didn't even have to go back 24 hours to find an example.. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14755236 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14755236 He simply calls anything politically right-of-center an "ideological flamewar" and removes / bans as he sees fit. Another easy example. He's so hypersensitive to any perceived "nationalism" he sees it everywhere. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14535633 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14535633
- kazinator 9y ago
  The user in question created a throwaway account to make the posting. That can only be because that person anticipated a flame war, and therefore armed against it with a "heat shield" that would absorb the downvotes. Possibly, their main account has enough points to downvote others, so they can use the throaway account to bait replies and then downvote the replies using their regular account (something you can't do to your own replies). Sock-puppet accounts should be identified and banned; and threatening repeat offenders with a main ban is part of the game.
  - Danihan 9y ago
    Perhaps the user simply didn't want right-leaning statements posted on his primary account, as so many people are obviously and openly bigoted against conservatives in Silicon Valley. Trust me, if you debate against socialism / large government on here, a mod WILL show up and accuse you (but not whomever you are arguing with, the user who endlessly supports larger government is immune) of flame-baiting / being inflammatory / trolling / being nationalistic / etc.
    - KirinDave 9y ago
      This depends very much on your definition of "right-wing." My experience is that folks who told me I deserve to have my kids taken away from me for being genderqueer didn't get banned, so YMMV. But also: throwaway accounts with the word throwaway? No one should feel bad when they're banned. No one should feel bad for banning them. That is the actual social contract of throwaway accounts, and they're tolerated insomuch as people just use userscripts to mute them out most of the time.
      - Danihan 9y ago
        Again, you seem to constantly be projecting your opinions as being the opinions of everyone. >That is the actual social contract of throwaway accounts, and they're tolerated insomuch as people just use userscripts to mute them out most of the time. I love reading comments from throwaway accounts because I feel like you're getting a genuine opinion that someone is too afraid to share on their main account. And those opinions are the most interesting to me. >No one should feel bad when they're banned. I bet this sort of casual dismissiveness wouldn't fly with you if the authors were anonymous genderqueers.
        KirinDave 9y ago
        > I love reading comments from throwaway accounts because I feel like you're getting a genuine opinion that someone is too afraid to share on their main account. And those opinions are the most interesting to me. I hate them because they're often people spewing ideas they're too cowardly to own. If you feel discriminated against for being slightly conservative, imagine how I feel being an atheist genderqueer. We are unpopular creatures. > I bet this sort of casual dismissiveness wouldn't fly with you if the authors were anonymous genderqueers. It happens all the time. I challenge you to find me complaining about it even once. Throwaway accounts are throwaway.
- KirinDave 9y ago
  Also: that second post is shitty and deserved a warning. It has 0 content, 0 value, and is 99% designed to flamebait.
  - Danihan 9y ago
    I'd completely disagree, I thought it was an interesting perspective from someone outside of the US. It's telling to me that you believe you can tell someone's intentions (99% designed to flamebait.) And that you seem to think just because a comment doesn't have value to you personally, it's worthless (0 value).
    - KirinDave 9y ago
      I do not care about reading the tea leaves of someone's intentions. Their english was crisp and well-delivered, it was quite clear there was no miscommunication. People who participate in bad faith deserve to be warned, rate limited, then banned. Those are the rules of this community and while I don't always agree with the interpretations therein, I think it's important we recognize them and respect the boundaries that are drawn while within this infrastructure. We can attempt to undermine it externally if we feel the need.