7 ms·

How is Chinese "self-media" being gossip blogs needing salt different from all the jobs, elon musk, paul graham and other kind of hero worship this place is nor

How is Chinese "self-media" being gossip blogs needing salt different from all the jobs, elon musk, paul graham and other kind of hero worship this place is normally overflowing with? Don't get me wrong, I'm generally against Hero worship in general, and I have my fair share of beefs with ALL these different hero worship things, but I grew up on Bill Gates hero worship only to later find out that he sold the whole thing before writing a single line of code thanks to his moms connections and that the garage sale was a lot of money when you account for inflation. Why is one ok, and the other one is Chinese "self-media". How are all those "Steve Jobs was a godly human being I was once in a meeting with him" not all "self-media" and why do we suddenly need the Chinese prefix?

est 6y ago
> How is Chinese "self-media" being gossip blogs needing salt different OP meant the quotation mark should be placed on the word "Chinese"
nomay 6y ago
Coz Chinese people have been conditioned by a level censorship and media control unseen elsewhere, the resulting susceptibility to yummy and palatble disinformation is quite deep and prevalent, you may have read news about strong reaction about strange things from the west, you guessed it right there's alway legions of "self-media" behind it, it’s unfettered and state sanctioned algorithm-driven circlejerk machine, and the reason ByteDance's platforms make so much money. Why do I need to point out it being "Chinese"? Coz these self-media platforms are the predominant way of getting information there, nobody but old people watch TVs and read newspapers, even stated-owned news orgs have to get on it to make money. >The “Post-Truth” Publication Where Chinese Students in America Get Their News" https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-post-truth-publication-where-chinese-students-in-america-get-their-news https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-post-trut...
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- tehjoker 6y ago
  Buddy, if you watch American news media with any level of knowledge about material reality you will be blown away by the level of deception, sensationalism, and servility to power. We all need to chill out when talking about foreign countries.
  - minhazm 6y ago
    The difference is the access to information. In China the media you have access to is state-controlled so they control the narrative exactly how they want. You have very limited access to external news sources and media in general[1]. In the US at least you have a variety of different news channels that are everywhere from far left to far right. You can also access news sources from outside of the US that report on the US. Imagine if Fox News was the only news available in the US while Trump was president? [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_websites_blocked_in_mainland_China https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_websites_blocked_in_ma...
    - tehjoker 6y ago
      The mainstream media in the US are all owned by capitalist corporations and are pro-capitalist. They represent a spectrum spanning from the far-right* (OANN) to the world right-of-center (MSNBC). The socialist and communist left nearly exclusively uses alternative distribution channels. Even centrist to social-democrats like Bernie Sanders are treated with scorn in US media. US news is broadcast to the world as widely as possible to support the American empire's soft power projection. It also helps that they report on some news too. * There are further right outlets in the world, but we're really getting up there these days. At least they're not outright monarchists (though supporting a presidential dictatorship by Donald Trump is getting close).
      - monkeypizza 6y ago
        1. China has prior restraint on everything associated with working in the media - purchase of materials required for publication of newspapers, licenses to publish media, licenses for journalists, all requiring heavy inspection of political views. 2. The US doesn't. Your other points stand, but this core difference still matters. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prior_restraint https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prior_restraint
- shitpostbot 6y ago
  I mean, we did just have an attempted coup here in America driven by social media brainwashing...
- justicezyx 6y ago
  This is a classic example of the self-imposed limitations. Chinese are viewing Americans as lunatic as the opposite direction, and with the equal amount of sincerity and disdain. The same applies to almost any nations and people's group.
  - 1123581321 6y ago
    Not all countries behave equally, morally. Western media is, all considered, more open, and China spends much more and enacts stricter laws to achieve the opposite reaction you speak of. Chinese people would not have that reaction without that strict shaping of information by the state.
    - justicezyx 6y ago
      Equally is a wrong word, one should say they do not behave samely. Equally is meaningless for such a large object, I.e. nations. Of course Western is more open, os they are more radical. Like covid, propaganda results into Asian people get attacked or even close to be killed. The more controlled method in China results into more moderate reaction towards Americans.
      - 1123581321 6y ago
        Appreciate the concession.
eloff 6y ago
There no question that Bill Gates had a lot of luck. But if you had his luck could you have been as successful? I doubt it. Because here is also a skill, perseverance, and effort component that most people who spend time on HN probably lack, myself included. I don't think "hero worship" is great, but I have tremendous respect for Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, etc who are better men than me in so many ways. I look up to them and wish to emulate their better features.

est 6y ago

> How is Chinese "self-media" being gossip blogs needing salt different OP meant the quotation mark should be placed on the word "Chinese"

nomay 6y ago

Coz Chinese people have been conditioned by a level censorship and media control unseen elsewhere, the resulting susceptibility to yummy and palatble disinformation is quite deep and prevalent, you may have read news about strong reaction about strange things from the west, you guessed it right there's alway legions of "self-media" behind it, it’s unfettered and state sanctioned algorithm-driven circlejerk machine, and the reason ByteDance's platforms make so much money. Why do I need to point out it being "Chinese"? Coz these self-media platforms are the predominant way of getting information there, nobody but old people watch TVs and read newspapers, even stated-owned news orgs have to get on it to make money. >The “Post-Truth” Publication Where Chinese Students in America Get Their News" https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-post-truth-publication-where-chinese-students-in-america-get-their-news https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-post-trut...

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
tehjoker 6y ago
Buddy, if you watch American news media with any level of knowledge about material reality you will be blown away by the level of deception, sensationalism, and servility to power. We all need to chill out when talking about foreign countries.
- minhazm 6y ago
  The difference is the access to information. In China the media you have access to is state-controlled so they control the narrative exactly how they want. You have very limited access to external news sources and media in general[1]. In the US at least you have a variety of different news channels that are everywhere from far left to far right. You can also access news sources from outside of the US that report on the US. Imagine if Fox News was the only news available in the US while Trump was president? [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_websites_blocked_in_mainland_China https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_websites_blocked_in_ma...
  - tehjoker 6y ago
    The mainstream media in the US are all owned by capitalist corporations and are pro-capitalist. They represent a spectrum spanning from the far-right* (OANN) to the world right-of-center (MSNBC). The socialist and communist left nearly exclusively uses alternative distribution channels. Even centrist to social-democrats like Bernie Sanders are treated with scorn in US media. US news is broadcast to the world as widely as possible to support the American empire's soft power projection. It also helps that they report on some news too. * There are further right outlets in the world, but we're really getting up there these days. At least they're not outright monarchists (though supporting a presidential dictatorship by Donald Trump is getting close).
    - monkeypizza 6y ago
      1. China has prior restraint on everything associated with working in the media - purchase of materials required for publication of newspapers, licenses to publish media, licenses for journalists, all requiring heavy inspection of political views. 2. The US doesn't. Your other points stand, but this core difference still matters. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prior_restraint https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prior_restraint
shitpostbot 6y ago
I mean, we did just have an attempted coup here in America driven by social media brainwashing...
justicezyx 6y ago
This is a classic example of the self-imposed limitations. Chinese are viewing Americans as lunatic as the opposite direction, and with the equal amount of sincerity and disdain. The same applies to almost any nations and people's group.
- 1123581321 6y ago
  Not all countries behave equally, morally. Western media is, all considered, more open, and China spends much more and enacts stricter laws to achieve the opposite reaction you speak of. Chinese people would not have that reaction without that strict shaping of information by the state.
  - justicezyx 6y ago
    Equally is a wrong word, one should say they do not behave samely. Equally is meaningless for such a large object, I.e. nations. Of course Western is more open, os they are more radical. Like covid, propaganda results into Asian people get attacked or even close to be killed. The more controlled method in China results into more moderate reaction towards Americans.
    - 1123581321 6y ago
      Appreciate the concession.

eloff 6y ago

There no question that Bill Gates had a lot of luck. But if you had his luck could you have been as successful? I doubt it. Because here is also a skill, perseverance, and effort component that most people who spend time on HN probably lack, myself included. I don't think "hero worship" is great, but I have tremendous respect for Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, etc who are better men than me in so many ways. I look up to them and wish to emulate their better features.