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Really? It seems like a glowing appraisal. He seems to think that Sam is devestatingly effective at what he does.
by lhnz 3y ago
Really? It seems like a glowing appraisal. He seems to think that Sam is devestatingly effective at what he does.
- tom_ 3y agoIf I didn't know Graham was English, perhaps I would take them at face value - and, indeed, perhaps I should anyway. (And my characterisation was an extreme one!) But: they do just all sound rather coldly backhanded, if you ask me.
- skilled 3y agoI like your way of seeing it and I see the same now. If this is true (the article) then for sure it’s a nice inside jab that only Sam would get. Also, I doubt pg would hold a grudge for years on end. You learn many lessons in life and some you are bound to repeat because of stubbornness or whatever.
- itronitron 3y agoI think with some of pg's tweets he definitely seems to be laying it bare, but only for those people that know what to watch out for.
- turzmo 3y agoAmerican, but I read PG's tweets as someone who absolutely does not want to piss off Sam but is willing to come close to the edge of plausible deniability in damning him, e.g.: > The most alarming thing I've read about AI in recent memory. And if Sam thinks this, it's probably true, because he's an expert in both AI and persuasion. There certainly isn't the paternal warmth you might expect from a proud mentor.
- lhnz 3y agoWell, I'm also English and I didn't read them that way. However, I do think that Paul is telling people that competing with Sam in certain domains would be extraordinarily difficult. The other thing is that if you take a look at Paul Graham's blog posts, he used to regularly thank Sam at the bottom of these -- this isn't something you do if you don't like or respect someone. However, on the other hand, perhaps they fell out at some point? I can't personally make out that signal from the little data there is.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- lupire 3y agoGraham moved to the US at age 14. He's as American as he is British.
- eddtries 3y agoHe lives in England nowadays too
- thatguysaguy 3y agoThey all say he's good at what he does, but none of them actually sound like he likes the guy.
- adastra22 3y agoGraham is English. The English have a wonderful talent for making backhanded “complements.” E.g. “you’re a truly unique individual” or “I always feel more intelligent after speaking with you.” The American convention is to look for the positive and assume that was intended. The English convention is to look for the negative and assume that was the real meaning. E.g. “Sam is going better than you. Do better.” Could mean “Even that incompetent dipshit Sam is going to do better than you can, that’s how much of a hole you’re in.”
- lhnz 3y agoI am also English. :)
- specialist 3y agoPer Guy Kawasaki (The Macintosh Way), the sincerity of Jean-Louis Gassée's feedback was inversely proportional to the level of praise. That anecdote prompted me to do the same (in corporate battlefields). Works great.
- VeejayRampay 3y agoGassée is French though, very different feedback culture
- jacquesm 3y ago'Interesting' -> 'you're barking mad'.
- hef19898 3y agoOne example, sorry for the bad translation from Bavarian, would be: "You can see it that way (as well)". Which can basically mean, a) you might actually have a point or b) you are dead wrong.
- FeepingCreature 3y agoYeah that one's funny, it's either "that's a legitimate point of view" or "amazing that somebody can manage to hold such a ridiculous point of view", depending on tone.