4 ms·

Tempted to flag on principal. I have no idea who this person is, yet he's front-paged in the same year that every post concerning Kobe Bryant's passing was dead

by bsanr2 6y ago

Tempted to flag on principal. I have no idea who this person is, yet he's front-paged in the same year that every post concerning Kobe Bryant's passing was dead-modded in some weird way (search his name and there are dozens of posts with zero comments, and the few with them were forced to mention it obliquely).

fsloth 6y ago
I don't think a US sports professional is as interesting to an international audience as an author. Enthusiasm for a specific sport is not as international as literature. I had to google who Kobe Bryant was. May both Kobe and James rest in piece - but 150 000 people die each day. This forum surely cannot fit obituaries for all of them - have to draw a line somewhere.
- sam1r 6y ago
  >> Enthusiasm for a specific sport is not as international as literature. Brilliant.
- jfthoi 6y ago
  While we’re on the subject, let’s wish the dead some peace (not piece) please.
  - fsloth 6y ago
    Yes. Excuse my autocorrectlesness.
- bsanr2 6y ago
  Kobe Bryant's death is arguably the most infamous of a year defined by death. This is the only HN post mourning Gunn; again, there were dozens of attempts to give HN readers a place to mourn Bryant's death in a venue they found comfortable. Each of them were either flagged or modded so that they would not show up on the front page. It's interesting that you're unaware who one of the most famous people on the planet was (he was the third most searched topic of the year[1]), but for what it's worth, he was much more than simply a sports professional, and his influence was certainly felt in tech as well as elsewhere.[2] There was no need to "draw a line." HN users could have been allowed to decide for themselves who and how they wanted to talk about things that are meaningful to them and the tech/hacker community. 1: https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/12/09/googles-top-trending-searches-election-coronavirus-dominate-2020/6500878002/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/12/09/googles-top-t... 2: https://techcrunch.com/2020/01/27/daily-crunch-kobe-bryant/ https://techcrunch.com/2020/01/27/daily-crunch-kobe-bryant/
  - fsloth 6y ago
    I don’t think it’s interesting I was unaware who he was. I am not located in US and Kobe was not an internatinal celebrity before his death. I remebered reading about the accident but could not link the name to the event. I sense he was important to you. We all have to let go of those who leave us behind. Go in peace.
    - bsanr2 6y ago
      Bryant was, in fact, a major international celebrity. He was among the most popular players in a sport with global reach - his jersey was the highest-selling for many years - and represented the US in 2 Olympic gold medal runs, including when the games were hosted by the nation that represents the largest market for basketball outside the US (China). I suspect, as is common in the tech and venture capital scene worldwide, his race had something to do with the appraisal a limited number of influential people on HN had of him. What's important to me is that people in this community start to recognize the blindspots and, in unfortunate cases, biases which contribute to the schism between the makers and the people whose lives their creations are supposed to be making better. Step one would be taking this criticism seriously and with humility.
      - fsloth 6y ago
        Your analysis of ethnic biases sounds plausible in the general case, but in my specific case I'm fairly ignorant of all athletes and sports - I find them all equally unexciting regardless of ethnicity. I realize this puts me in the minority as rest of humankind is concerned.
staz 6y ago
hackers are more interested in SciFi than sport, shouldn't really come as a surprise. As a non American, no idea who both were. edit: but James Gunn look more interesting to me I would say. Also Kobe Bryant was apparently major news in the US, and this site is more about alternative, more obscure or specific news. Authors don't get celebrated enough compared to sport celebrities in my opinion

by bsanr2 6y ago

fsloth 6y ago

I don't think a US sports professional is as interesting to an international audience as an author. Enthusiasm for a specific sport is not as international as literature. I had to google who Kobe Bryant was. May both Kobe and James rest in piece - but 150 000 people die each day. This forum surely cannot fit obituaries for all of them - have to draw a line somewhere.

sam1r 6y ago
>> Enthusiasm for a specific sport is not as international as literature. Brilliant.
jfthoi 6y ago
While we’re on the subject, let’s wish the dead some peace (not piece) please.
- fsloth 6y ago
  Yes. Excuse my autocorrectlesness.
bsanr2 6y ago
Kobe Bryant's death is arguably the most infamous of a year defined by death. This is the only HN post mourning Gunn; again, there were dozens of attempts to give HN readers a place to mourn Bryant's death in a venue they found comfortable. Each of them were either flagged or modded so that they would not show up on the front page. It's interesting that you're unaware who one of the most famous people on the planet was (he was the third most searched topic of the year[1]), but for what it's worth, he was much more than simply a sports professional, and his influence was certainly felt in tech as well as elsewhere.[2] There was no need to "draw a line." HN users could have been allowed to decide for themselves who and how they wanted to talk about things that are meaningful to them and the tech/hacker community. 1: https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/12/09/googles-top-trending-searches-election-coronavirus-dominate-2020/6500878002/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/12/09/googles-top-t... 2: https://techcrunch.com/2020/01/27/daily-crunch-kobe-bryant/ https://techcrunch.com/2020/01/27/daily-crunch-kobe-bryant/
- fsloth 6y ago
  I don’t think it’s interesting I was unaware who he was. I am not located in US and Kobe was not an internatinal celebrity before his death. I remebered reading about the accident but could not link the name to the event. I sense he was important to you. We all have to let go of those who leave us behind. Go in peace.
  - bsanr2 6y ago
    Bryant was, in fact, a major international celebrity. He was among the most popular players in a sport with global reach - his jersey was the highest-selling for many years - and represented the US in 2 Olympic gold medal runs, including when the games were hosted by the nation that represents the largest market for basketball outside the US (China). I suspect, as is common in the tech and venture capital scene worldwide, his race had something to do with the appraisal a limited number of influential people on HN had of him. What's important to me is that people in this community start to recognize the blindspots and, in unfortunate cases, biases which contribute to the schism between the makers and the people whose lives their creations are supposed to be making better. Step one would be taking this criticism seriously and with humility.
    - fsloth 6y ago
      Your analysis of ethnic biases sounds plausible in the general case, but in my specific case I'm fairly ignorant of all athletes and sports - I find them all equally unexciting regardless of ethnicity. I realize this puts me in the minority as rest of humankind is concerned.

staz 6y ago

hackers are more interested in SciFi than sport, shouldn't really come as a surprise. As a non American, no idea who both were. edit: but James Gunn look more interesting to me I would say. Also Kobe Bryant was apparently major news in the US, and this site is more about alternative, more obscure or specific news. Authors don't get celebrated enough compared to sport celebrities in my opinion