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What's with the indignation over this on HN? I didn't see them suggesting anyone/everyone would be able to do it, or that it was practical. It was just a funny

by tbrake 3y ago

What's with the indignation over this on HN? I didn't see them suggesting anyone/everyone would be able to do it, or that it was practical. It was just a funny set of cirucmstances that allowed for an attention catching headline and a mildly amusing tale. Yeeeesh.

atleastoptimal 3y ago
I think some people on here default to a highly comparative/competitive mindset. When they see titles like the one here, they assume there's a subline reading And because I found this hack and executed on it, I'm more resourceful, capable, and smarter than you, and if you can't keep up with me its your fault if you don't succeed Not saying everyone here thinks it but the emotional reaction to these kinds of things makes it seem this is how it feels to some people.
- prepend 3y ago
  I agree with part of your assumption, but, for me, the second half is more “and here’s how I can learn from it, internalize, and improve my processes to be better.” So it’s not so much competitive to exceed others but competitive to improve methods to improve self.
  - CactusOnFire 3y ago
    Yeah. The title is a misdirect. The unspoken promise of the article that this is about a more cost-effective/practical/efficient process of commuting.
usui 3y ago
Exactly, what's with the critical and defensive reactionary response here? This story is hilarious! And the amount of effort it took to execute and maintain it. And to keep full track of commute time and expenses on a spreadsheet no less? Bravo.
- uoaei 3y ago
  It's also a grand waste of resources, not to mention quite a tasteless flaunt of the enjoyment of a level of privilege that very few have access to. If you saw an article about how Bezos bragged openly on the internet about how much he spent a day on gourmet food flown in on private jets from faraway countries, do you think you'd respond any differently? Why or why not?
  - khazhoux 3y ago
    Yes, the elite, priviledged lifestyle of waking up at 3:30 three days a week, to spend 8-10 hours on a plane and public transport, because you can’t afford housing on campus. Just rich kid things!
    - uoaei 3y ago
      Clearly they could have afforded housing on campus if they just saved all the money they had spent on that credit card. The luxury of affording your credit card bill every month as a college student, and living a lush life on all the things that money affords, then attending a prestigious school with a near guarantee of stable high income in perpetuity, is not a chance many get. By definition, privilege is the enjoyment of things that many others cannot enjoy. Do you have a point to make or is this just a kneejerk reaction from a "temporarily embarrassed millionaire"?
      - khazhoux 3y ago
        > Do you have a point to make Yes. It's ridiculous to accuse somehow who put themselves through this insane, sleep-depriving, patience-punishing, tarmac-sitting schedule, of flaunting their privilege. He has more money than many, but (evidently) not enough to live in the same city as his classmates. Just enjoy a crazy-hilarious story, man.
        uoaei 3y ago
        That's exactly it. He put himself through it. It was completely unnecessary and it was his choice to do it this way. That doesn't justify any of what he did, if anything, it points out the absurdity of your response. If someone had no choice but to do this your defense would make more sense, but this dude just planned his life poorly and used capital to make up for his mistakes. Rent is free, that means he has parents who own a home and let him live there after reaching adulthood. He has a good credit card, that means he had parents who helped him with financial literacy and likely paid his bills for the first few years to help him build his credit score. Exploiting the people and resources (especially carbon emissions) around you for such cockamammie plans is dumb and antisocial and this person deserves to be ridiculed. Remarkable, the sycophancy on this site. In what world is wasting a massive amount of other people's resources to save a couple thousand dollars in your pocket anywhere related to the "hacker spirit"?
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
ynniv 3y ago
It's a cool story, but the headline is bullshit since they didn't include the value of 576k frequent flier miles. That more than doubles the cost.
- j7ake 3y ago
  While you’re at it, why don’t you throw in the real cost of living “rent free”, which is a huge reason why it works.
sfmike 3y ago
agreed the true hacker spirit is to sometimes do something completely overzealous and over the top just in the spirit of what if or I can. This person was essentially load balancing their life to play with time and finance variables a true hacker spirit.
akiselev 3y ago
I guess predictable HN click bait leads to predictable HN criticism leads to predictable HN meta-comment leads to predictable HN meta-rebuttal. It's the circle of life :-)
prepend 3y ago
It’s just not very remarkable. The same day change part is clever but otherwise was just “here’s how I spent a bunch of money” and not very interesting or useful to me. So as equally amusing as “my parents paid for my gap years where I visited many cool locations using routine and typical methods.”
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]

by tbrake 3y ago

atleastoptimal 3y ago

I think some people on here default to a highly comparative/competitive mindset. When they see titles like the one here, they assume there's a subline reading And because I found this hack and executed on it, I'm more resourceful, capable, and smarter than you, and if you can't keep up with me its your fault if you don't succeed Not saying everyone here thinks it but the emotional reaction to these kinds of things makes it seem this is how it feels to some people.

prepend 3y ago
I agree with part of your assumption, but, for me, the second half is more “and here’s how I can learn from it, internalize, and improve my processes to be better.” So it’s not so much competitive to exceed others but competitive to improve methods to improve self.
- CactusOnFire 3y ago
  Yeah. The title is a misdirect. The unspoken promise of the article that this is about a more cost-effective/practical/efficient process of commuting.

usui 3y ago

Exactly, what's with the critical and defensive reactionary response here? This story is hilarious! And the amount of effort it took to execute and maintain it. And to keep full track of commute time and expenses on a spreadsheet no less? Bravo.

uoaei 3y ago
It's also a grand waste of resources, not to mention quite a tasteless flaunt of the enjoyment of a level of privilege that very few have access to. If you saw an article about how Bezos bragged openly on the internet about how much he spent a day on gourmet food flown in on private jets from faraway countries, do you think you'd respond any differently? Why or why not?
- khazhoux 3y ago
  Yes, the elite, priviledged lifestyle of waking up at 3:30 three days a week, to spend 8-10 hours on a plane and public transport, because you can’t afford housing on campus. Just rich kid things!
  - uoaei 3y ago
    Clearly they could have afforded housing on campus if they just saved all the money they had spent on that credit card. The luxury of affording your credit card bill every month as a college student, and living a lush life on all the things that money affords, then attending a prestigious school with a near guarantee of stable high income in perpetuity, is not a chance many get. By definition, privilege is the enjoyment of things that many others cannot enjoy. Do you have a point to make or is this just a kneejerk reaction from a "temporarily embarrassed millionaire"?
    - khazhoux 3y ago
      > Do you have a point to make Yes. It's ridiculous to accuse somehow who put themselves through this insane, sleep-depriving, patience-punishing, tarmac-sitting schedule, of flaunting their privilege. He has more money than many, but (evidently) not enough to live in the same city as his classmates. Just enjoy a crazy-hilarious story, man.
      - uoaei 3y ago
        That's exactly it. He put himself through it. It was completely unnecessary and it was his choice to do it this way. That doesn't justify any of what he did, if anything, it points out the absurdity of your response. If someone had no choice but to do this your defense would make more sense, but this dude just planned his life poorly and used capital to make up for his mistakes. Rent is free, that means he has parents who own a home and let him live there after reaching adulthood. He has a good credit card, that means he had parents who helped him with financial literacy and likely paid his bills for the first few years to help him build his credit score. Exploiting the people and resources (especially carbon emissions) around you for such cockamammie plans is dumb and antisocial and this person deserves to be ridiculed. Remarkable, the sycophancy on this site. In what world is wasting a massive amount of other people's resources to save a couple thousand dollars in your pocket anywhere related to the "hacker spirit"?

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

ynniv 3y ago

It's a cool story, but the headline is bullshit since they didn't include the value of 576k frequent flier miles. That more than doubles the cost.

j7ake 3y ago
While you’re at it, why don’t you throw in the real cost of living “rent free”, which is a huge reason why it works.

sfmike 3y ago

agreed the true hacker spirit is to sometimes do something completely overzealous and over the top just in the spirit of what if or I can. This person was essentially load balancing their life to play with time and finance variables a true hacker spirit.

akiselev 3y ago

I guess predictable HN click bait leads to predictable HN criticism leads to predictable HN meta-comment leads to predictable HN meta-rebuttal. It's the circle of life :-)

prepend 3y ago

It’s just not very remarkable. The same day change part is clever but otherwise was just “here’s how I spent a bunch of money” and not very interesting or useful to me. So as equally amusing as “my parents paid for my gap years where I visited many cool locations using routine and typical methods.”

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]