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That’s not a very useful frame. One could just as easily claim that everything is philosophical, that everything is scientific, that everything is artistic, or

That’s not a very useful frame. One could just as easily claim that everything is philosophical, that everything is scientific, that everything is artistic, or that everything is mathematical. If you squint hard enough, sure, you can apply the adjective you want to just about anything you want. That doesn’t mean that the adjective has no meaning.

bryanrasmussen 5y ago
I don't think you can say that everything is maniacal without a lot of explanation afterwards and most people not getting whatever point you're trying to make, but sure, for the broader adjectives used to describe core parts of the human experience, everything that humans do or perceive will in some way relate to these.
buro9 5y ago
It's not trying to be disingenuous. I ran a cycling forum and thought it could be without politics, but cyclists died in road traffic incident in London that turned out to be predominantly female cyclists due to heavy goods vehicles, and over time I had to relent... it is policies that shape the city planning, the construction industry regulations (trucks with significant blind spots)... and that these deaths were preventable, people were right to be angry, and that a cycling forum couldn't exist without a political element. I ran a music forum and thought it could be without politics, but music is art and art reflects the feelings of those on council estates and in poverty, with hard backgrounds, and addictions. They are shaped by their environment and through the art attempt to document and also shape those environments. Even for a mostly apolitical band a single song touched upon rape and opened the door to debates on rape culture and the low prosecution rate and the even lower reporting rate. A music forum that tried it's best to avoid politics couldn't exist without a political element. And here on hacker news, that new app that is in the YC batch that allows someone to sofa surf... that's political but you just didn't know it at the time. AirBnB and so many other companies, apps, tools... have leveraged the gaps in local policies and law to fuel their margins and stock value. It is very difficult to say that even this site could exist without a political element when a lot of the technology and companies that have come about it impact so many people globally in ways that only political and legal tools can protect. I don't really believe this site can exist without a political element. The only question (IMHO) is whether those discussions can be conducted civilly, with respect and openness, non-adversarially, and with empathy as much as possible.
roenxi 5y ago
Tech is currently intensely political. I use Google Docs in the workplace, and Google has apparently just announced they are going to be challenging my use of language and pressuring me to conform to their values. I've never been coerced that way by an art, science or mathematical consultancy. Even the police have never tried something like that! Now I haven't read the announcement or looked into this feature myself so hopefully I'm misinformed, but the idea is so reasonable and in line with the sort of thing Google would attempt to do that it is easy to believe. They've already made active attempts to swing elections with their YouTube censorship programs; their actions around the Hunter Biden thing look terrible in hindsight. This is politics in a way that most other domains aren't. It is up there with newspapers and news media for having a political slant.
- AlchemistCamp 5y ago
  There are many other, less inflammatory topics about Google Docs that could be discussed, though. In fact, I could easily see one forum discussing the product's language policing and another one discussing its engineering. Yet a different forum might focus on its various successes and failures in gaining market share.
FollowingTheDao 5y ago
> One could just as easily claim that everything is philosophical, that everything is scientific, that everything is artistic, or that everything is mathematical. No you get it! You know, in Buddhism, while progressing on the path, they say, first when you see mountains, they are just mountains. Then suddenly you see mountains and they are not mountains anymore. Then slowly you see mountains as mountains again. Squinting! Yes good word, more squinting! Hey Siri, define squinting: to look at someone or something with one or both eyes partly closed in an attempt to see more clearly or as a reaction to strong light.

bryanrasmussen 5y ago

I don't think you can say that everything is maniacal without a lot of explanation afterwards and most people not getting whatever point you're trying to make, but sure, for the broader adjectives used to describe core parts of the human experience, everything that humans do or perceive will in some way relate to these.

buro9 5y ago

It's not trying to be disingenuous. I ran a cycling forum and thought it could be without politics, but cyclists died in road traffic incident in London that turned out to be predominantly female cyclists due to heavy goods vehicles, and over time I had to relent... it is policies that shape the city planning, the construction industry regulations (trucks with significant blind spots)... and that these deaths were preventable, people were right to be angry, and that a cycling forum couldn't exist without a political element. I ran a music forum and thought it could be without politics, but music is art and art reflects the feelings of those on council estates and in poverty, with hard backgrounds, and addictions. They are shaped by their environment and through the art attempt to document and also shape those environments. Even for a mostly apolitical band a single song touched upon rape and opened the door to debates on rape culture and the low prosecution rate and the even lower reporting rate. A music forum that tried it's best to avoid politics couldn't exist without a political element. And here on hacker news, that new app that is in the YC batch that allows someone to sofa surf... that's political but you just didn't know it at the time. AirBnB and so many other companies, apps, tools... have leveraged the gaps in local policies and law to fuel their margins and stock value. It is very difficult to say that even this site could exist without a political element when a lot of the technology and companies that have come about it impact so many people globally in ways that only political and legal tools can protect. I don't really believe this site can exist without a political element. The only question (IMHO) is whether those discussions can be conducted civilly, with respect and openness, non-adversarially, and with empathy as much as possible.

roenxi 5y ago

Tech is currently intensely political. I use Google Docs in the workplace, and Google has apparently just announced they are going to be challenging my use of language and pressuring me to conform to their values. I've never been coerced that way by an art, science or mathematical consultancy. Even the police have never tried something like that! Now I haven't read the announcement or looked into this feature myself so hopefully I'm misinformed, but the idea is so reasonable and in line with the sort of thing Google would attempt to do that it is easy to believe. They've already made active attempts to swing elections with their YouTube censorship programs; their actions around the Hunter Biden thing look terrible in hindsight. This is politics in a way that most other domains aren't. It is up there with newspapers and news media for having a political slant.

AlchemistCamp 5y ago
There are many other, less inflammatory topics about Google Docs that could be discussed, though. In fact, I could easily see one forum discussing the product's language policing and another one discussing its engineering. Yet a different forum might focus on its various successes and failures in gaining market share.

FollowingTheDao 5y ago

> One could just as easily claim that everything is philosophical, that everything is scientific, that everything is artistic, or that everything is mathematical. No you get it! You know, in Buddhism, while progressing on the path, they say, first when you see mountains, they are just mountains. Then suddenly you see mountains and they are not mountains anymore. Then slowly you see mountains as mountains again. Squinting! Yes good word, more squinting! Hey Siri, define squinting: to look at someone or something with one or both eyes partly closed in an attempt to see more clearly or as a reaction to strong light.