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Snark, agree not needed. But this: > Perhaps you don't owe billionaires any better (btw, is pg one? I had no idea) He means in a sense 'rich as croesus' is my

by gist 7y ago

Snark, agree not needed. But this: > Perhaps you don't owe billionaires any better (btw, is pg one? I had no idea) He means in a sense 'rich as croesus' is my guess not literally that he has more than a billion (arbitrary anyway, right?) amount of money. And for that matter even someone who owns a billion worth of stock is not like they have a billion of liquid cash but it's referred to (and has always been 'a billionaire'). That said I think the parent comment expresses some of the sentiment of other comments (including my own) that what PG says it taken as more important than the same thing said by a nobody. (And not in particular that HN votes it up or not but just this general sense in the world that a 'halo' is not merit based which is what many people want to think success should be based on.)

dang 7y ago
The simplest explanation is that HN users upvote PG's essays because they like them and find them interesting, and because they are interested in what he writes/thinks because of his history with this community. The idea that it has something to do with his bank account seems an invention of the rage-based comments which unfortunately have become a tedious fixture of these threads.
- gist 7y ago
  Well that is true sure. But he wouldn't be PG (in the context of my point) if he hadn't made money based on what he has done. I mean I'd never read what he said if he was just a guy who did Lisp and wrote essays. And if I wanted 'my aunt' to read what he said a hook wouldn't be 'he went to Harvard and is a programmer and wrote a book..'. But money? That attracts people and you know makes you popular and accepted by a much larger group of people. Just like Wozniak wouldn't be Woz if there was not money attached to what he has done. Now to support your point I could also point out many people who are revered on HN who are not associated with making money for sure. So it is (I agree) misplaced to tie my comment to having money maybe I should have said 'fame' was the currency. Taking it one step further let's say you and I meet on an airplane. I find out what you do and that you are tied into YC and HN etc and Graham. I know who Graham is. So sure I am going to be more impressed then if you are doing the same thing for someone who has not scored it big. Let's take it one step further for discussion. Let's say my aunt runs into you on an airplane. She has never heard of YC HN or Paul Graham. So you rattle off some YC companies she has heard of and even uses. All the sudden you are viewed in a different light. PG has a halo plain and simple. That halo can even be extended in a way by people surrounding him. Part of that halo is as a result of money plain and simple. Money is viewed as success and envied. Sure he's not a billionaire (maybe) but certainly is viewed as probably having a large amount of money (I do as well btw..)

by gist 7y ago

dang 7y ago

The simplest explanation is that HN users upvote PG's essays because they like them and find them interesting, and because they are interested in what he writes/thinks because of his history with this community. The idea that it has something to do with his bank account seems an invention of the rage-based comments which unfortunately have become a tedious fixture of these threads.

gist 7y ago
Well that is true sure. But he wouldn't be PG (in the context of my point) if he hadn't made money based on what he has done. I mean I'd never read what he said if he was just a guy who did Lisp and wrote essays. And if I wanted 'my aunt' to read what he said a hook wouldn't be 'he went to Harvard and is a programmer and wrote a book..'. But money? That attracts people and you know makes you popular and accepted by a much larger group of people. Just like Wozniak wouldn't be Woz if there was not money attached to what he has done. Now to support your point I could also point out many people who are revered on HN who are not associated with making money for sure. So it is (I agree) misplaced to tie my comment to having money maybe I should have said 'fame' was the currency. Taking it one step further let's say you and I meet on an airplane. I find out what you do and that you are tied into YC and HN etc and Graham. I know who Graham is. So sure I am going to be more impressed then if you are doing the same thing for someone who has not scored it big. Let's take it one step further for discussion. Let's say my aunt runs into you on an airplane. She has never heard of YC HN or Paul Graham. So you rattle off some YC companies she has heard of and even uses. All the sudden you are viewed in a different light. PG has a halo plain and simple. That halo can even be extended in a way by people surrounding him. Part of that halo is as a result of money plain and simple. Money is viewed as success and envied. Sure he's not a billionaire (maybe) but certainly is viewed as probably having a large amount of money (I do as well btw..)