5 ms·

Everything that's abnormal isn't a "hack."

by jacobbijani 18y ago

rantfoil 18y ago
No, but everything that is novel and clever is a "hack."
- DougBTX 18y ago
  Novel, clever, and breaks an accepted rule or convention, there-by doing something previously thought impossible or impractical. The idea that a hack breaks an accepted rule is what gives hacking its social significance, imo.
  - jfornear 18y ago
    Contrary to what this article might state, this offense is in no way novel, clever, or rule-breaking. This might be novel in SF, but it's nothing short of gimmicky in other areas, sorry.
    - DougBTX 18y ago
      Sounds like it doesn't qualify as a hack then, though the article certainly presents it as if it is. (I've never watched a game of American football, so don't ask me.) As always, the greatness of a hack is in the eye of the beholder. A joke is never as funny the second time you hear it.
    - jimbokun 18y ago
      "gimmicky" is simply the pejorative form of "novel, clever, or rule-breaking."
mattmaroon 18y ago
This really is a hack though. It only works in high school rules by exploiting a formation designed for kicks, but using that formation for passing plays. Since it doesn't work at higher levels, it's actually a disservice to any players who will want to play college ball afterward. It's clever, for sure, but I'm fairly certain it will be eliminated quickly.
- wallflower 18y ago
  I don't know much about football (and my friends corroborate), and you may be surprised to learn that the forward pass itself was actually an innovation that was introduced into American football over 100 years ago. Before the forward pass, teams simply brute-forced the ball forward. “John Heisman, a noted historian, wrote 30 years later that, indeed, the Tar Heels had given birth to the forward pass against the Bulldogs (UGA). It was conceived to break a scoreless deadlock and give UNC a 6-0 win. The Carolinians were in a punting situation and a Georgia rush seemed destined to block the ball. The punter, with an impromptu dash to his right, tossed the ball and it was caught by George Stephens, who ran 70 yards for a touchdown. Heisman wrote he was at the game standing near the action on the sidelines. He is emphatic that Pop Warner, who was coaching Georgia, protested to the referee to no avail. And he adds that he personally wrote Walter Camp, the final authority on football, of the possibilities of the ‘forward pass’ making football a new and more exciting game.” http://tarheelmania.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/unc-invented-the-forward-pass/ http://tarheelmania.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/unc-invented-th... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forward_pass http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forward_pass
thaumaturgy 18y ago
Yeah. I got bored of seeing so many things on News.YC described as a "hack". Then I had a few minutes this morning during breakfast, and decided to check out News.YC for the first time in about a week. This was the second story I clicked on, hoping to read something that was actually, y'know, revolutionary. Even if it was football. This "hack" nonsense has got to go. Using it indiscriminately -- no matter how much you justify it afterward -- doesn't make you look cool or sexy or clever.

Everything that's abnormal isn't a "hack."

rantfoil 18y ago

No, but everything that is novel and clever is a "hack."

DougBTX 18y ago
Novel, clever, and breaks an accepted rule or convention, there-by doing something previously thought impossible or impractical. The idea that a hack breaks an accepted rule is what gives hacking its social significance, imo.
- jfornear 18y ago
  Contrary to what this article might state, this offense is in no way novel, clever, or rule-breaking. This might be novel in SF, but it's nothing short of gimmicky in other areas, sorry.
  - DougBTX 18y ago
    Sounds like it doesn't qualify as a hack then, though the article certainly presents it as if it is. (I've never watched a game of American football, so don't ask me.) As always, the greatness of a hack is in the eye of the beholder. A joke is never as funny the second time you hear it.
  - jimbokun 18y ago
    "gimmicky" is simply the pejorative form of "novel, clever, or rule-breaking."

mattmaroon 18y ago

This really is a hack though. It only works in high school rules by exploiting a formation designed for kicks, but using that formation for passing plays. Since it doesn't work at higher levels, it's actually a disservice to any players who will want to play college ball afterward. It's clever, for sure, but I'm fairly certain it will be eliminated quickly.

wallflower 18y ago
I don't know much about football (and my friends corroborate), and you may be surprised to learn that the forward pass itself was actually an innovation that was introduced into American football over 100 years ago. Before the forward pass, teams simply brute-forced the ball forward. “John Heisman, a noted historian, wrote 30 years later that, indeed, the Tar Heels had given birth to the forward pass against the Bulldogs (UGA). It was conceived to break a scoreless deadlock and give UNC a 6-0 win. The Carolinians were in a punting situation and a Georgia rush seemed destined to block the ball. The punter, with an impromptu dash to his right, tossed the ball and it was caught by George Stephens, who ran 70 yards for a touchdown. Heisman wrote he was at the game standing near the action on the sidelines. He is emphatic that Pop Warner, who was coaching Georgia, protested to the referee to no avail. And he adds that he personally wrote Walter Camp, the final authority on football, of the possibilities of the ‘forward pass’ making football a new and more exciting game.” http://tarheelmania.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/unc-invented-the-forward-pass/ http://tarheelmania.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/unc-invented-th... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forward_pass http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forward_pass

thaumaturgy 18y ago

Yeah. I got bored of seeing so many things on News.YC described as a "hack". Then I had a few minutes this morning during breakfast, and decided to check out News.YC for the first time in about a week. This was the second story I clicked on, hoping to read something that was actually, y'know, revolutionary. Even if it was football. This "hack" nonsense has got to go. Using it indiscriminately -- no matter how much you justify it afterward -- doesn't make you look cool or sexy or clever.