4 ms·

"The 4-color map theory is bunk," [0] a comment in which a user boldly refutes modern mathematics and, when faced with contradictory evidence, continues to doub

"The 4-color map theory is bunk," [0] a comment in which a user boldly refutes modern mathematics and, when faced with contradictory evidence, continues to double down on his assertions. [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16862553 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16862553

tptacek 8y ago
Sometimes I feel like the colored version of that map should be the official logo of all Internet message boards.
- po 8y ago
  …more like the un-colored one. :-D
xiii1408 8y ago
Quality entertainment. Unfortunately, the original post is flagged.
- umanwizard 8y ago
  You can change your user settings to see dead posts.
pbnjay 8y ago
This was definitely my favorite from the past year at least.
danso 8y ago
That is an amazing and amazingly amusing comment thread that I’m going to add to my favorites. It shouldn’t have been flag-killed IMHO. The user attempted to produce a counter-proof — it’s just that he was hilariously wrong.
- nkurz 8y ago
  Since you bring it up, and since I was just looking at your favorited comments, I wonder if you could clarify: Should we attach any significance to the fact that your 3 most recent saved favorites are all [dead]? It makes me think that your opinion of what a good comment is may not agree with the official position, and that you might have suggestions for how the moderation could be improved.
  - danso 8y ago
    I use the favorite-function for posts more than I do for comments, because generally great posts contain more than one great comment in the discussion anyway. I haven't really used it for comments, so I guess I've decided to use it for comments that shock/make me laugh :). For the aforementioned comment about 4-color-map theory, I thought it shouldn't be debunked because the person seemed to attempt to substantively debate (until he apparently gave up). I mean, the comment should have been downvoted to oblivion for being so definitively wrong. I just associate flag-killing with comments that are obviously abusive.
  - quickthrower2 8y ago
    There is no official position! Something can be dead because it is flagged, in which case a bunch of people didn't like it (for valid reasons or not...) or because the user is new and all their stuff is marked dead until someone comes along and vouches.
quickthrower2 8y ago
I think "The 4-color map theory is bunk" could become a movement, like flat earth.

tptacek 8y ago

Sometimes I feel like the colored version of that map should be the official logo of all Internet message boards.

po 8y ago
…more like the un-colored one. :-D

xiii1408 8y ago

Quality entertainment. Unfortunately, the original post is flagged.

umanwizard 8y ago
You can change your user settings to see dead posts.

pbnjay 8y ago

This was definitely my favorite from the past year at least.

danso 8y ago

That is an amazing and amazingly amusing comment thread that I’m going to add to my favorites. It shouldn’t have been flag-killed IMHO. The user attempted to produce a counter-proof — it’s just that he was hilariously wrong.

nkurz 8y ago
Since you bring it up, and since I was just looking at your favorited comments, I wonder if you could clarify: Should we attach any significance to the fact that your 3 most recent saved favorites are all [dead]? It makes me think that your opinion of what a good comment is may not agree with the official position, and that you might have suggestions for how the moderation could be improved.
- danso 8y ago
  I use the favorite-function for posts more than I do for comments, because generally great posts contain more than one great comment in the discussion anyway. I haven't really used it for comments, so I guess I've decided to use it for comments that shock/make me laugh :). For the aforementioned comment about 4-color-map theory, I thought it shouldn't be debunked because the person seemed to attempt to substantively debate (until he apparently gave up). I mean, the comment should have been downvoted to oblivion for being so definitively wrong. I just associate flag-killing with comments that are obviously abusive.
- quickthrower2 8y ago
  There is no official position! Something can be dead because it is flagged, in which case a bunch of people didn't like it (for valid reasons or not...) or because the user is new and all their stuff is marked dead until someone comes along and vouches.

quickthrower2 8y ago

I think "The 4-color map theory is bunk" could become a movement, like flat earth.