4 ms·

I could not finish this article. Why does he write like that?

mahmud 16y ago
It's a "fuck you and your grammar" style of writing. It might come off as ghetto at times, but I think it's a deliberate decision to write that way, as a way to rebel-against or reject whatever that's considered standard. I personally identify with his writing, in a sort of "game recognizes game" way.
- davidw 16y ago
  What with all the things to read and learn out there, I think I'll stick to writers who are able to wield the English (or Italian) language to make their point, rather than those whose web pages look like something from 1998 recounting how their space-brother told them the secret of how to construct a perpetual motion machine that they cannot build because of the Icelandic government's mind control rays. Edit: I'll add that I think Fred Wilson's reasoning is convincing, and written for the people of planet Earth to boot. Even the original article states that some of the people were just there to see what's up. If they're already spilling beans to Techcrunch, the likelihood of managing to get everyone on board with anything really damaging for any significant duration is small.
  - mahmud 16y ago
    Some of the more creative literary figures have taken great liberties with language, as a whole, and convention specifically. You might not like it, but I think the juxtaposition of hard-nodes business insight and MySpace typography is jarring, in a positive sense. He routinely craps all over the industry. But what do I know. I am a 30 year old with a mohawk.
    - davidw 16y ago
      > Some of the more creative literary figures have taken great liberties with language, as a whole, and convention specifically. Certainly. Is he aiming for "great literary figure" status, though? My guess is that in 50 years, people will still read the work of "great authors". A rant about a silicon valley "conspiracy"? My guess is no.
      - mahmud 16y ago
        The entire thread has been about Dave and his writing. How many other investors can you recognize by their prose and style? how many do you talk about afterward? I think the point has been made.
        davidw 16y ago
        > How many other investors can you recognize by their prose and style? how many do you talk about afterward? Paul Graham comes to mind:-)
- charlief 16y ago
  I always thought of swearing as some kind of instinctual or emotional entity, I doubt it was deliberate, but more likely he's been drinking the haterade.
- JoelMcCracken 16y ago
  I don't mind non-standard grammar; the problem is that I found it difficult to understand. Breaking rules _for the sake of breaking them_ is extremely childish. " "Rebellion is almost as stupid as obedience. In either case you let yourself be defined by what they tell you to do. The best plan, I think, is to step onto an orthogonal vector. Don't just do what they tell you, and don't just refuse to."
  - vijaydev 16y ago
    That quote struck a chord. Just the right one for me to be better at work. Did a google for that quote to find out that it's pg in this article http://www.paulgraham.com/hs.html http://www.paulgraham.com/hs.html
- jmm 16y ago
  I like what Tom Wolfe called it, the "fuck patois." Though he was at the time parodying lax boys, etc., at elite institutions.
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]

It's a "fuck you and your grammar" style of writing. It might come off as ghetto at times, but I think it's a deliberate decision to write that way, as a way to rebel-against or reject whatever that's considered standard. I personally identify with his writing, in a sort of "game recognizes game" way.

davidw 16y ago
What with all the things to read and learn out there, I think I'll stick to writers who are able to wield the English (or Italian) language to make their point, rather than those whose web pages look like something from 1998 recounting how their space-brother told them the secret of how to construct a perpetual motion machine that they cannot build because of the Icelandic government's mind control rays. Edit: I'll add that I think Fred Wilson's reasoning is convincing, and written for the people of planet Earth to boot. Even the original article states that some of the people were just there to see what's up. If they're already spilling beans to Techcrunch, the likelihood of managing to get everyone on board with anything really damaging for any significant duration is small.
- mahmud 16y ago
  Some of the more creative literary figures have taken great liberties with language, as a whole, and convention specifically. You might not like it, but I think the juxtaposition of hard-nodes business insight and MySpace typography is jarring, in a positive sense. He routinely craps all over the industry. But what do I know. I am a 30 year old with a mohawk.
  - davidw 16y ago
    > Some of the more creative literary figures have taken great liberties with language, as a whole, and convention specifically. Certainly. Is he aiming for "great literary figure" status, though? My guess is that in 50 years, people will still read the work of "great authors". A rant about a silicon valley "conspiracy"? My guess is no.
    - mahmud 16y ago
      The entire thread has been about Dave and his writing. How many other investors can you recognize by their prose and style? how many do you talk about afterward? I think the point has been made.
      - davidw 16y ago
        > How many other investors can you recognize by their prose and style? how many do you talk about afterward? Paul Graham comes to mind:-)
charlief 16y ago
I always thought of swearing as some kind of instinctual or emotional entity, I doubt it was deliberate, but more likely he's been drinking the haterade.
JoelMcCracken 16y ago
I don't mind non-standard grammar; the problem is that I found it difficult to understand. Breaking rules _for the sake of breaking them_ is extremely childish. " "Rebellion is almost as stupid as obedience. In either case you let yourself be defined by what they tell you to do. The best plan, I think, is to step onto an orthogonal vector. Don't just do what they tell you, and don't just refuse to."
- vijaydev 16y ago
  That quote struck a chord. Just the right one for me to be better at work. Did a google for that quote to find out that it's pg in this article http://www.paulgraham.com/hs.html http://www.paulgraham.com/hs.html
jmm 16y ago
I like what Tom Wolfe called it, the "fuck patois." Though he was at the time parodying lax boys, etc., at elite institutions.
deleted 16y ago
[deleted]