4 ms·

This must be the fourth or fifth article/discussion against cars that I've seen on HN in the last couple days, and the second on the front page right now. Is so

This must be the fourth or fifth article/discussion against cars that I've seen on HN in the last couple days, and the second on the front page right now. Is someone trying to push something here?

gherkinnn 7y ago
You might be on to something. http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html
- tonyedgecombe 7y ago
  Where is the commercial gain from these articles? What product is being sold?
  - Razengan 7y ago
    Just to guess possible answers to your question: Electric, self-driving cars? Reduction of parking lots to make room for something more lucrative? Generating support for getting cities to pay for new mass transit systems? New taxes on vehicle ownership?
    - tonyedgecombe 7y ago
      That seems a stretch to me. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of submarine articles posted here, I just don't see this being one of them.
fouc 7y ago
I wouldn't read too much into it. It is a common pattern in HN that a popular post on a topic will cause a spate of postings on the same topic by other HN readers. That's simply because HN readers will often do some additional web surfing on that topic, and then share back some HN worthy discoveries. It's a virtuous cycle.
Lio 7y ago
Cars are very dangerous things. They are used to kill an awful lot of people every day without much comment at all. I've read a lot of articles about agressive or dangerously incompetant drivers in the UK, I have never once seen someone given a lifetime driving ban. Drivers no mater if they were serving a temporary ban, were uninsured, on drugs, on the pavement (sidewalk) or reading their phones they always get the chance to get their licence back once they've paid a small fine or occationally got out of prison. That goes for repeat offenders too. Maybe startups using technology to provide alternatives such as electric bikes, scooters, self-driving cars would have some value to society.
- Razengan 7y ago
  > Cars are very dangerous things. They are used to kill an awful lot of people every day without much comment at all. I'm not saying it's a topic that should not be talked about. I'm against the proliferation of cars and all else that comes with them as well. The frequency of a single topic being repeatedly posted, however, should be viewed with healthy skepticism.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
blue_devil 7y ago
May I suggest this reading: The origin of bursts and heavy tails in human dynamics https://www.nature.com/articles/nature03459 https://www.nature.com/articles/nature03459
- carapace 7y ago
  Ooo! Very nice, cheers!
throwawaysea 7y ago
In my opinion, yes. There are activists who understand it is valuable to influence the HN crowd, and continually post 'urbanist' articles from CityLab or the like in order to push one particular view above all others. I've seen a pattern on comments in such articles too, where anything defending the benefits of cars gets a swift train of downvotes (the votes sometimes reverse later, but the lack of visibility for the comment following the initial downvotes hurts).

This must be the fourth or fifth article/discussion against cars that I've seen on HN in the last couple days, and the second on the front page right now. Is someone trying to push something here?

gherkinnn 7y ago

You might be on to something. http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html

tonyedgecombe 7y ago
Where is the commercial gain from these articles? What product is being sold?
- Razengan 7y ago
  Just to guess possible answers to your question: Electric, self-driving cars? Reduction of parking lots to make room for something more lucrative? Generating support for getting cities to pay for new mass transit systems? New taxes on vehicle ownership?
  - tonyedgecombe 7y ago
    That seems a stretch to me. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of submarine articles posted here, I just don't see this being one of them.

fouc 7y ago

I wouldn't read too much into it. It is a common pattern in HN that a popular post on a topic will cause a spate of postings on the same topic by other HN readers. That's simply because HN readers will often do some additional web surfing on that topic, and then share back some HN worthy discoveries. It's a virtuous cycle.

Lio 7y ago

Cars are very dangerous things. They are used to kill an awful lot of people every day without much comment at all. I've read a lot of articles about agressive or dangerously incompetant drivers in the UK, I have never once seen someone given a lifetime driving ban. Drivers no mater if they were serving a temporary ban, were uninsured, on drugs, on the pavement (sidewalk) or reading their phones they always get the chance to get their licence back once they've paid a small fine or occationally got out of prison. That goes for repeat offenders too. Maybe startups using technology to provide alternatives such as electric bikes, scooters, self-driving cars would have some value to society.

Razengan 7y ago
> Cars are very dangerous things. They are used to kill an awful lot of people every day without much comment at all. I'm not saying it's a topic that should not be talked about. I'm against the proliferation of cars and all else that comes with them as well. The frequency of a single topic being repeatedly posted, however, should be viewed with healthy skepticism.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

blue_devil 7y ago

May I suggest this reading: The origin of bursts and heavy tails in human dynamics https://www.nature.com/articles/nature03459 https://www.nature.com/articles/nature03459

carapace 7y ago
Ooo! Very nice, cheers!

throwawaysea 7y ago

In my opinion, yes. There are activists who understand it is valuable to influence the HN crowd, and continually post 'urbanist' articles from CityLab or the like in order to push one particular view above all others. I've seen a pattern on comments in such articles too, where anything defending the benefits of cars gets a swift train of downvotes (the votes sometimes reverse later, but the lack of visibility for the comment following the initial downvotes hurts).