5 ms·

Agreed. The growing levels of envy and cynicism on hn is unhealthy. Trashing other people's efforts doesn't make your own more successful.

by paul 14y ago

nextstep 14y ago
I agree. Nearly every mention in HN comments of a newly-successful tech company (Groupon, Zynga, Instagram, etc.) includes regurgitation of the same bullshit anecdotes used to perpetuate the narrative assigned to each company. I have always felt that envy plays a big role in which companies we choose to hate.
- corford 14y ago
  As a post above me points out, don't confuse envy with cynicism. Groupon and Zynga are both awful companies (in terms of furthering the cause of humanity at least) and both are currently trading at under their initial IPO price. Hate is a strong word but forgive me if I (and others) don't choose to point to Zynga and Groupon as paragons of success.
- beedogs 14y ago
  Every one of the companies you just named are horrible. There's more to it than "envy". It's naive to kneejerk like that.
larrys 14y ago
"cynicism" Because it's a boatload of money. Over twice the value of HP and almost half the value of Walmart. Slightly higher market cap than Amazon. It's absurd. I think there is plenty of reason for cynicism. And I didn't know that HN readers were supposed to all be cut from the same bolt of cloth.
- f45s8g2 14y ago
  Well said.
- maigret 14y ago
  Agree with your first statement. But there is quite a reason for that - Zuck succeeded at making FB a brand people like and are emotionally bound to. Every entrepreneur should aim at that. Hackers are often low on emotion (so is said to be Zuck also), but they succeeded at that. That's why everyone is so crazy at that IPO and letting all reasonnable calculations go.
vibrunazo 14y ago
Do you also believe the consumer right activists trying to stop snake oil salesmen, are only doing so because they're envy of all the money the snake oil salesmen are doing? Do you think the "right" thing for the activists to do would be to support snake oil sales, so that they, the activists could have a better shot at selling their own snake oil as well? Not all entrepreneurs are the same. Some of us are actually not trying to sell snake oil, and wouldn't even if we had the chance.

Agreed. The growing levels of envy and cynicism on hn is unhealthy. Trashing other people's efforts doesn't make your own more successful.

by paul 14y ago

Agreed. The growing levels of envy and cynicism on hn is unhealthy. Trashing other people's efforts doesn't make your own more successful.

nextstep 14y ago

I agree. Nearly every mention in HN comments of a newly-successful tech company (Groupon, Zynga, Instagram, etc.) includes regurgitation of the same bullshit anecdotes used to perpetuate the narrative assigned to each company. I have always felt that envy plays a big role in which companies we choose to hate.

corford 14y ago
As a post above me points out, don't confuse envy with cynicism. Groupon and Zynga are both awful companies (in terms of furthering the cause of humanity at least) and both are currently trading at under their initial IPO price. Hate is a strong word but forgive me if I (and others) don't choose to point to Zynga and Groupon as paragons of success.
beedogs 14y ago
Every one of the companies you just named are horrible. There's more to it than "envy". It's naive to kneejerk like that.

larrys 14y ago

"cynicism" Because it's a boatload of money. Over twice the value of HP and almost half the value of Walmart. Slightly higher market cap than Amazon. It's absurd. I think there is plenty of reason for cynicism. And I didn't know that HN readers were supposed to all be cut from the same bolt of cloth.

f45s8g2 14y ago
Well said.
maigret 14y ago
Agree with your first statement. But there is quite a reason for that - Zuck succeeded at making FB a brand people like and are emotionally bound to. Every entrepreneur should aim at that. Hackers are often low on emotion (so is said to be Zuck also), but they succeeded at that. That's why everyone is so crazy at that IPO and letting all reasonnable calculations go.

vibrunazo 14y ago

Do you also believe the consumer right activists trying to stop snake oil salesmen, are only doing so because they're envy of all the money the snake oil salesmen are doing? Do you think the "right" thing for the activists to do would be to support snake oil sales, so that they, the activists could have a better shot at selling their own snake oil as well? Not all entrepreneurs are the same. Some of us are actually not trying to sell snake oil, and wouldn't even if we had the chance.