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So first thing this morning I scanned HN. Then I scanned the rest of my 30 startup tabs in my browser. Coming back to HN, and wanting to get some work done, I

So first thing this morning I scanned HN. Then I scanned the rest of my 30 startup tabs in my browser. Coming back to HN, and wanting to get some work done, I finally forced myself to close the tab. Two hours later I succumb to my inner demons and open HN back up, and there's JacquesM saying he's bailing. Yay Jacques! Boo Jacques! I respect the hell out of you and I'm going to miss you. I even at one point thought about coming by and visiting, and then it occurred to me: what would we do? Sit in a coffee shop and post comments back and forth on HN? Something wrong with this picture. So I think you are doing the right thing. My current strategy is to use stopwatches and such to limit my participation -- so far with very mixed results. I am able to use HN as sort of a reverse productivity indicator: the longer I stay on HN any one day the less likely I am to feel like the day was well spent. That's not HN's fault by any means: I think there's just something naturally addictive about interacting with lots of other people who have the same skills and interests as you do. HN is my watercooler. And that's a good thing and a bad thing. Remember that if you come back we will all forget the fact that you left. Kind of like your friends at the bar forgetting that you went to rehab. :)

Jun8 16y ago
This may come out as selfish, but what about the rest of us? What if all the high-karma uber-commenters leave? I think you guys have a responsibility to the community to at least dedicate a little time to HN. Please, please don't stop contributing altogether.
- swombat 16y ago
  I upvoted you, because it's an interesting, if misguided, point. Nobody gets paid for posting on HN or having a high karma. We sure as hell don't have a responsibility to keep donating our time to post interesting stuff... any more than an avid networker has a responsibility to turn up at all the networking events!
  - Jun8 16y ago
    That you're not paid for commenting on HN is certain; that people sometimes do things out of charity is equally obvious :-) I wasn't intending to imply an obligation, so perhaps "responsibility" is the wrong word. A crude analogy (since it's the first one that pops to mind) is how sad the Ruby community way when _why left.
- charlief 16y ago
  I understand what you are worried about, but we can do something about it. How about we non-uber-high-karma-types strive to be better contributors. HN attracts some of the most insightful and eloquent commentary around, but there are enough resources here and enough trial-and-error opportunities for aspiring contributors to thrive.
  - Jun8 16y ago
    My point, whichb probably didn't come across clearly, was not that HN will go haywire if jacquesm leaves, you're right there are many more good commentors. And the thing about karma is, lacking any other measure, I take karma ~ knowleagability. My points were (1) the good commenters have a big influence on us noobs, who learn a lot from them; 2) each society has ratios of different members, which when they hit a certain level, can bring about nonlinear changes in the society; I thought that if jacquesm's leave becomes an exodus, that can have a substantial effect on HN.

Jun8 16y ago

This may come out as selfish, but what about the rest of us? What if all the high-karma uber-commenters leave? I think you guys have a responsibility to the community to at least dedicate a little time to HN. Please, please don't stop contributing altogether.

swombat 16y ago
I upvoted you, because it's an interesting, if misguided, point. Nobody gets paid for posting on HN or having a high karma. We sure as hell don't have a responsibility to keep donating our time to post interesting stuff... any more than an avid networker has a responsibility to turn up at all the networking events!
- Jun8 16y ago
  That you're not paid for commenting on HN is certain; that people sometimes do things out of charity is equally obvious :-) I wasn't intending to imply an obligation, so perhaps "responsibility" is the wrong word. A crude analogy (since it's the first one that pops to mind) is how sad the Ruby community way when _why left.
charlief 16y ago
I understand what you are worried about, but we can do something about it. How about we non-uber-high-karma-types strive to be better contributors. HN attracts some of the most insightful and eloquent commentary around, but there are enough resources here and enough trial-and-error opportunities for aspiring contributors to thrive.
- Jun8 16y ago
  My point, whichb probably didn't come across clearly, was not that HN will go haywire if jacquesm leaves, you're right there are many more good commentors. And the thing about karma is, lacking any other measure, I take karma ~ knowleagability. My points were (1) the good commenters have a big influence on us noobs, who learn a lot from them; 2) each society has ratios of different members, which when they hit a certain level, can bring about nonlinear changes in the society; I thought that if jacquesm's leave becomes an exodus, that can have a substantial effect on HN.