4 ms·

Sorry for the asside, perhaps we could add a rule that single name tools need a short description in the thread title. The top two threads are titled "Clock" an

by ehnto 4y ago

Sorry for the asside, perhaps we could add a rule that single name tools need a short description in the thread title. The top two threads are titled "Clock" and "Astral" and you don't know what they are going to be until I click out to the external site or try to guess from comments.

Aeolun 4y ago
To be fair, “Clock” is extremely descriptive for this particular post.
- swores 4y ago
  No it isn't, it's extremely accurate but it's minimally (or concisely) descriptive. To be "extremely descriptive" it would need to describe it in enough detail to consider extreme (what kind of clock, what does it look like, how is it made, etc). The current title is like calling a Rembrandt painting "Picture"; completely accurate, but hardly capturing its essence (nor "extremely descriptive").
  - Aeolun 4y ago
    I see your point, bit I think it depends on what you are comparing it to. I think the problem is that a lot of titles are neither accurate nor descriptive, and in that comparison “Clock” beats a lot of them as well as covering the essence of 75% of what you are going to be looking at. If this had been described as “Time” that would’ve left you wondering.
nine_k 4y ago
I think the author of the clock might want to keep the name enigmatic while factually correct. There are many interpretations, images, and connotations which the animation may invoke in a viewer, and the author might not want to force any particular one. So staying enigmatic here is the right move, I think. The Astral thing is different: it's about announcing a commercial company, and not having spent time on crafting a good description that would appear in link aggregators like HN is their loss of opportunity and outreach. Good thing that posting and discussing it here uncovered the issue.
- fsckboy 4y ago
  staying enigmatic might be the right move for the author, but that doesn't mean the cost should be borne by us. The reason that we have traffic jams at rush hour is that it is in each person's self interest to enter the highway, but as a collective it creates a greater negative for all than the benefit to the one (see economic negative externality). When you merge into a crowded highway, 1000 people behind you move back one car length; if you had the choice of waiting 1000 cars to enter (and for each of all the people in front of you and behind you) would you do it? on HN people are endlessly interested in daylight savings, processor clock speeds, UTC, the year 2038 problem, etc. A whimsical clock could be considered a waste... of time, and would it really spoil the whimsy all that much for the whimsical minority?
  - alt227 4y ago
    Is clicking on a link, seeing a clock, and clicking the back button that much of a hassle? Im sure it took way longer to write your post!
    - ehnto 4y ago
      I did pick the wrong post for this comment I think, of course this isn't so bad. It's ambiguous tools and startups that I wish would put more info in the title. In 2023 though there is more to a click than a simple HTML request, and while I do, not everyone has cheap and fast internet, or fast devices.
gus_massa 4y ago
The other is easy, because the page has some text: "Astral: Next-Gen Python Tooling". If you send an email to the mods, they may agree and fix it. This one is difficult because the page has no text and the mods usually don't want to make a title from thin air. "3D animated clock" may be good, but it may be hard to convince the mods to change it. The guidelines ask to use the original title. The tag line or the subtitle is many times a good alternative. If the title is too bad, sometimes a representative sentence is OK, but not cherry picking too much.
sdwr 4y ago
[flagged]
- boredemployee 4y ago
  Let's all remember that it also spent energy/power and internet bandwith.
- ehnto 4y ago
  It would just make it easier to know if you are about to waste your time and get a facefull of tracking JS, subscription popups and marketing BS for no reason or if you might actually gain something for the click.
TrapLord_Rhodo 4y ago
I enjoy that. When i see some minimal descriptor with a ton of upvotes, I enjoy the suprise of what it's going to be. Also, as the creator posting it I feel you should be able to describe it how you please as long as it's accurate.

by ehnto 4y ago

Aeolun 4y ago

To be fair, “Clock” is extremely descriptive for this particular post.

swores 4y ago
No it isn't, it's extremely accurate but it's minimally (or concisely) descriptive. To be "extremely descriptive" it would need to describe it in enough detail to consider extreme (what kind of clock, what does it look like, how is it made, etc). The current title is like calling a Rembrandt painting "Picture"; completely accurate, but hardly capturing its essence (nor "extremely descriptive").
- Aeolun 4y ago
  I see your point, bit I think it depends on what you are comparing it to. I think the problem is that a lot of titles are neither accurate nor descriptive, and in that comparison “Clock” beats a lot of them as well as covering the essence of 75% of what you are going to be looking at. If this had been described as “Time” that would’ve left you wondering.

nine_k 4y ago

I think the author of the clock might want to keep the name enigmatic while factually correct. There are many interpretations, images, and connotations which the animation may invoke in a viewer, and the author might not want to force any particular one. So staying enigmatic here is the right move, I think. The Astral thing is different: it's about announcing a commercial company, and not having spent time on crafting a good description that would appear in link aggregators like HN is their loss of opportunity and outreach. Good thing that posting and discussing it here uncovered the issue.

fsckboy 4y ago
staying enigmatic might be the right move for the author, but that doesn't mean the cost should be borne by us. The reason that we have traffic jams at rush hour is that it is in each person's self interest to enter the highway, but as a collective it creates a greater negative for all than the benefit to the one (see economic negative externality). When you merge into a crowded highway, 1000 people behind you move back one car length; if you had the choice of waiting 1000 cars to enter (and for each of all the people in front of you and behind you) would you do it? on HN people are endlessly interested in daylight savings, processor clock speeds, UTC, the year 2038 problem, etc. A whimsical clock could be considered a waste... of time, and would it really spoil the whimsy all that much for the whimsical minority?
- alt227 4y ago
  Is clicking on a link, seeing a clock, and clicking the back button that much of a hassle? Im sure it took way longer to write your post!
  - ehnto 4y ago
    I did pick the wrong post for this comment I think, of course this isn't so bad. It's ambiguous tools and startups that I wish would put more info in the title. In 2023 though there is more to a click than a simple HTML request, and while I do, not everyone has cheap and fast internet, or fast devices.

gus_massa 4y ago

The other is easy, because the page has some text: "Astral: Next-Gen Python Tooling". If you send an email to the mods, they may agree and fix it. This one is difficult because the page has no text and the mods usually don't want to make a title from thin air. "3D animated clock" may be good, but it may be hard to convince the mods to change it. The guidelines ask to use the original title. The tag line or the subtitle is many times a good alternative. If the title is too bad, sometimes a representative sentence is OK, but not cherry picking too much.

sdwr 4y ago

[flagged]

boredemployee 4y ago
Let's all remember that it also spent energy/power and internet bandwith.
ehnto 4y ago
It would just make it easier to know if you are about to waste your time and get a facefull of tracking JS, subscription popups and marketing BS for no reason or if you might actually gain something for the click.

TrapLord_Rhodo 4y ago

I enjoy that. When i see some minimal descriptor with a ton of upvotes, I enjoy the suprise of what it's going to be. Also, as the creator posting it I feel you should be able to describe it how you please as long as it's accurate.