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I agree about the vocal people being the ones that influence the conversation. I hope there can be some way to fix this problem. I’ve been reading Hacker News a

I agree about the vocal people being the ones that influence the conversation. I hope there can be some way to fix this problem. I’ve been reading Hacker News avidly since close to when it started, and I comment occasionally when I feel like I have something unusual to offer. But mostly I don’t influence the site even though I’ve spent multiple thousands of hours here, and I wish that could be better somehow.

ChrisMarshallNY 5y ago
I try to offer the types of things that I'd like to see. Basic modeling. I'm very much into encouraging folks to connect at a "human" level, and not treat each other as abstractions. I also like practicality and experience. I've found that I feel as if I'm contributing, by telling stories. I'm of "a certain age," so I have a lot of them; including embarrassing ones. "Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment." --Attributed to Nasrudin, but I read it from Will Rogers It's not "making it all about me," but it is about not projecting onto others, and trying to bring my own life experience into things. I have become a bit despairing of what has happened to the culture of the tech industry. I feel as if what used to be a fun, exploratory place has become a voracious, hyper-competitive gladiatorial arena; complete with lords on the sidelines, giving thumbs up and thumbs down. I know that it seems as if I may be looking back with rose-colored glasses, to those that have always known the industry as it is now, but I assure you. It was once quite different. We had fun, and we shared information, and we were pretty damn nerdy. When I was reading the various accolades about Dan Kaminsky, it actually choked me up. He was the type of person that seemed to be everywhere. The people who were really good at stuff didn't use it as a hammer to pound others; they shared their passion and exuberance. I try, in a rather awkward way, to do that, myself. I'm quite capable of being a super-negative "black hole," but I won't do that. I wouldn't want to live in a world like that, so I won't contribute it. Being negative is an easy way to get lots of clicks and shares, but it fouls everything it touches.

ChrisMarshallNY 5y ago

I try to offer the types of things that I'd like to see. Basic modeling. I'm very much into encouraging folks to connect at a "human" level, and not treat each other as abstractions. I also like practicality and experience. I've found that I feel as if I'm contributing, by telling stories. I'm of "a certain age," so I have a lot of them; including embarrassing ones. "Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment." --Attributed to Nasrudin, but I read it from Will Rogers It's not "making it all about me," but it is about not projecting onto others, and trying to bring my own life experience into things. I have become a bit despairing of what has happened to the culture of the tech industry. I feel as if what used to be a fun, exploratory place has become a voracious, hyper-competitive gladiatorial arena; complete with lords on the sidelines, giving thumbs up and thumbs down. I know that it seems as if I may be looking back with rose-colored glasses, to those that have always known the industry as it is now, but I assure you. It was once quite different. We had fun, and we shared information, and we were pretty damn nerdy. When I was reading the various accolades about Dan Kaminsky, it actually choked me up. He was the type of person that seemed to be everywhere. The people who were really good at stuff didn't use it as a hammer to pound others; they shared their passion and exuberance. I try, in a rather awkward way, to do that, myself. I'm quite capable of being a super-negative "black hole," but I won't do that. I wouldn't want to live in a world like that, so I won't contribute it. Being negative is an easy way to get lots of clicks and shares, but it fouls everything it touches.