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i have one question: why expend some much energy on unearthing obscure stuff that has relevance only to a very small subset of a very small industry and litera

i have one question: why expend some much energy on unearthing obscure stuff that has relevance only to a very small subset of a very small industry and literally nobody else? seems like a waste of effort.

jlgaddis 8y ago
Because it's interesting to someone. I don't understand why my girlfriend likes to watch Youtube videos of other girls doing their make-up and hair but, then again, she doesn't understand why I need all the computers that I have.
- vasilipupkin 8y ago
  sure, that's a trivial response that doesn't really address my point. I am suggesting that the authors could expend the same energy and find or create something that's much more interesting to many more people.
joezydeco 8y ago
Perhaps because that very small subset of a very small industry can have a major impact on the entire global economy when something goes off plan? It also hints at how much money is actually in play with these "very small" companies. If they're spending hundreds of millions to get an edge (sometimes in picoseconds) on the competition, what does that say about the magnitude of the money they are working with and willing to risk?
- vasilipupkin 8y ago
  "Perhaps because that very small subset of a very small industry can have a major impact on the entire global economy when something goes off plan?" this is a red herring. this specific article in no way discusses or addresses how this would happen, nor does it tie in relevance of shortwave to this specific point
FearNotDaniel 8y ago
Short answer: because this is Hacker News, not Middle Manager In A Large Organization Serving A Well Established Market News. The author went to the effort simply because he himself found it interesting. He published it on a hunch that at least a few other people would find it as interesting as he did, even if they are not working in that industry, just because technology is interesting in its own right. He was right.
- vasilipupkin 8y ago
  that's obviously a tautological answer. I am saying, he is doing a lot of work, if he redirected this work towards something more relevant to more people, he would produce more results for himself and for everyone else.
  - nickynickell 8y ago
    Why does it need to be relevant for more people? It looks as if you're treating it as a means to an end. I would say that it was more of an end in itself. Sure, something else might have been more impactful to a larger number of people, but having an impact isn't the point.

jlgaddis 8y ago

Because it's interesting to someone. I don't understand why my girlfriend likes to watch Youtube videos of other girls doing their make-up and hair but, then again, she doesn't understand why I need all the computers that I have.

vasilipupkin 8y ago
sure, that's a trivial response that doesn't really address my point. I am suggesting that the authors could expend the same energy and find or create something that's much more interesting to many more people.

joezydeco 8y ago

Perhaps because that very small subset of a very small industry can have a major impact on the entire global economy when something goes off plan? It also hints at how much money is actually in play with these "very small" companies. If they're spending hundreds of millions to get an edge (sometimes in picoseconds) on the competition, what does that say about the magnitude of the money they are working with and willing to risk?

vasilipupkin 8y ago
"Perhaps because that very small subset of a very small industry can have a major impact on the entire global economy when something goes off plan?" this is a red herring. this specific article in no way discusses or addresses how this would happen, nor does it tie in relevance of shortwave to this specific point

FearNotDaniel 8y ago

Short answer: because this is Hacker News, not Middle Manager In A Large Organization Serving A Well Established Market News. The author went to the effort simply because he himself found it interesting. He published it on a hunch that at least a few other people would find it as interesting as he did, even if they are not working in that industry, just because technology is interesting in its own right. He was right.

vasilipupkin 8y ago
that's obviously a tautological answer. I am saying, he is doing a lot of work, if he redirected this work towards something more relevant to more people, he would produce more results for himself and for everyone else.
- nickynickell 8y ago
  Why does it need to be relevant for more people? It looks as if you're treating it as a means to an end. I would say that it was more of an end in itself. Sure, something else might have been more impactful to a larger number of people, but having an impact isn't the point.