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This item was flagged and I vouched for it when it was half-way down the new page, and it seems to have done OK. The monstorous secret cabal has failed again.

kevin_thibedeau 1y ago
The cabal is eventually going to deploy AI bots that get themselves enough karma to flag everything. Then HN goes the way of /. as the corporate overlords decide what can be seen in public.
- dang 1y ago
  HN has always been an actively curated site, so (in case it's comforting I guess?) the overlords (though I prefer the word janitor) have been at it for awhile. Here's me explaining this the day after I was outed as a moderator: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7494621 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7494621 (March 2014) Lots more along similar lines: https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&query=by%3Adang%20curated&sort=byDate&type=comment https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&qu...
  - throwanem 1y ago
    I wouldn't really want to call myself a "janitor," these days. Not that you asked, but the name connotes badly of late, and it's as I often say about fathers: I think the genuinely good and decent people among the cohort find it very hard to appreciate just how otherwise anything else can become. Back before I joined the area of the industry containing companies anyone ever heard of, I liked to call myself a "computer plumber," and came eventually to enjoy that very much in all its implications. And hey, if you think about it, plumbers collectively really do save more lives in a year than most doctors I think would be too comfortable thinking too much about.
    - dang 1y ago
      What's wrong with janitors?
      - throwanem 1y ago
        Nothing in the general case. Just lately or since some time last week, I think they are 'a drug on the market' of widely variable quality, and it isn't really a role in which I would expect or wish to see someone cast himself who has incontrovertibly worthy accomplishments he can own under his own name. What accomplishments? For one thing you have, if I correctly recall the history of HN's lead moderator role, put up with me for nearly some ten years now! If you think this is some small or mean accomplishment, I think I might still be able to put you in touch with my ex-wife who, if answering the phone this decade, I confide remains still very prepared to disabuse you. Oh, we were neither of us any great prize in those days, but what can you do? In any case, I hate to see you sell yourself so short.
        throwanem 1y ago
        Excuse me, I should have said 'some time a couple weeks ago.'

kevin_thibedeau 1y ago

The cabal is eventually going to deploy AI bots that get themselves enough karma to flag everything. Then HN goes the way of /. as the corporate overlords decide what can be seen in public.

dang 1y ago
HN has always been an actively curated site, so (in case it's comforting I guess?) the overlords (though I prefer the word janitor) have been at it for awhile. Here's me explaining this the day after I was outed as a moderator: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7494621 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7494621 (March 2014) Lots more along similar lines: https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&query=by%3Adang%20curated&sort=byDate&type=comment https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&qu...
- throwanem 1y ago
  I wouldn't really want to call myself a "janitor," these days. Not that you asked, but the name connotes badly of late, and it's as I often say about fathers: I think the genuinely good and decent people among the cohort find it very hard to appreciate just how otherwise anything else can become. Back before I joined the area of the industry containing companies anyone ever heard of, I liked to call myself a "computer plumber," and came eventually to enjoy that very much in all its implications. And hey, if you think about it, plumbers collectively really do save more lives in a year than most doctors I think would be too comfortable thinking too much about.
  - dang 1y ago
    What's wrong with janitors?
    - throwanem 1y ago
      Nothing in the general case. Just lately or since some time last week, I think they are 'a drug on the market' of widely variable quality, and it isn't really a role in which I would expect or wish to see someone cast himself who has incontrovertibly worthy accomplishments he can own under his own name. What accomplishments? For one thing you have, if I correctly recall the history of HN's lead moderator role, put up with me for nearly some ten years now! If you think this is some small or mean accomplishment, I think I might still be able to put you in touch with my ex-wife who, if answering the phone this decade, I confide remains still very prepared to disabuse you. Oh, we were neither of us any great prize in those days, but what can you do? In any case, I hate to see you sell yourself so short.
      - throwanem 1y ago
        Excuse me, I should have said 'some time a couple weeks ago.'