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I'm surprised that these topics about McCain are appearing and sticking around. From HN's guidelines: "Off-Topic: Most stories about politics, or crime, or spo
by cloakandswagger 8y ago
I'm surprised that these topics about McCain are appearing and sticking around. From HN's guidelines:
"Off-Topic: Most stories about politics, or crime, or sports, unless they're evidence of some interesting new phenomenon. [...] If they'd cover it on TV news, it's probably off-topic."
If this is the new standard then it's a worrying incursion of US politics into HN.
Can someone make a convincing argument as to how McCain's death is of particular interest to hacker culture? My feeling is these topics are sticking around because they're honoring a guy that seems beloved by both sides of the political spectrum (no dispute from me there), but it doesn't change the fact that this doesn't fit HN guidelines.
Edit: And before someone mentions it, I'm aware that I myself am breaking the guidelines by questioning the appropriateness of this topic. I think it's a fair discussion to be had when neither the flagging mechanism or HN's moderation staff are enforcing what should be the principal rule of the site.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- Herodotus38 8y agoI think the majority of the votes are not due to McCain but because the author is David Foster Wallace, who is fairly popular on HN. The article, albeit about McCain, is broad and at times focused on the realities people involved in political journalism, youth engagement in politics, why we try like certain candidates, etc... At least that's my opinion