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The article also brings up the difference between two types of comments, the "let me know how I can be helpful" comment versus "I will connect you to five poten

The article also brings up the difference between two types of comments, the "let me know how I can be helpful" comment versus "I will connect you to five potential customers tomorrow" which is the more helpful one. Commentary can be valuable if it's been thought out more, or if it the commenter invests something themselves, both of which this example shows. Academic advising is also extremely valuable even though it fits the definition of commentary, because they have put reputation and funding on the line, and spend long periods of time thinking about the work. It's not always just because the advising comes from an "expert" in the field, but just that they have invested in the work. The type of commentary that I find less useful, is the vague notions of "there is a serious problem here" comments that I hear sometimes on Hacker News. Like "I find this problematic, [and then some outrage]" or "I have some concerns about the security/privacy of this" or "I am concerned about HIPAA here..." It demands a response, and usually the maker has already thought through this in more specific terms, but can't rebut because the comment is vague.

jonahx 6y ago
> The type of commentary that I find less useful, is the vague notions of "there is a serious problem here" comments that I hear sometimes on Hacker News. In creative writing workshops, a common quip about the feedback of non-writers (eg, friends and family) is: "If they don't like something, they're probably right. But when they tell you how to fix it, ignore them." Which is to say, in this context of this thread, vague complaints usually are a reliable indicator of something wrong. But knowing exactly what is wrong and how to fix it is a much bigger ask, and even if they spent the time and effort most people wouldn't be able to help you here. But that doesn't mean the signal they're giving you isn't useful. > but can't rebut because the comment is vague. Don't rebut it. Don't take it personally. Just take it as a data point and say thanks, or don't respond.
- kthejoker2 6y ago
  In our tech consulting onboarding guide it says (paraphrasing Jeff Patton's User Story Mapping), "Be doctors, not waiters. Where does it hurt? is the only question you should need."
skybrian 6y ago
These kinds of comments are probably better worded as questions. Many questions are simple. Others are difficult and not immediately answerable, but perhaps worth pondering.

jonahx 6y ago

> The type of commentary that I find less useful, is the vague notions of "there is a serious problem here" comments that I hear sometimes on Hacker News. In creative writing workshops, a common quip about the feedback of non-writers (eg, friends and family) is: "If they don't like something, they're probably right. But when they tell you how to fix it, ignore them." Which is to say, in this context of this thread, vague complaints usually are a reliable indicator of something wrong. But knowing exactly what is wrong and how to fix it is a much bigger ask, and even if they spent the time and effort most people wouldn't be able to help you here. But that doesn't mean the signal they're giving you isn't useful. > but can't rebut because the comment is vague. Don't rebut it. Don't take it personally. Just take it as a data point and say thanks, or don't respond.

kthejoker2 6y ago
In our tech consulting onboarding guide it says (paraphrasing Jeff Patton's User Story Mapping), "Be doctors, not waiters. Where does it hurt? is the only question you should need."

skybrian 6y ago

These kinds of comments are probably better worded as questions. Many questions are simple. Others are difficult and not immediately answerable, but perhaps worth pondering.