4 ms·

This post makes a third incorrect assumption too. That the "greatest minds of our generation" work at Google, Facebook and Apple.

by pud 14y ago

jfb 14y ago
Perhaps the most laughable assumption of all.
- justsee 14y ago
  It also assumes those terrible choices aren't stepping stones, enabling these great minds to undertake the meaningful work Raganwald demands, once they have acquired more capabilities and capital.
  - dev1n 14y ago
    Stepping stones akin to Elon Musk and Paypal. He's now commercializing the electric car (Tesla Motors), running a solar company (SolarCity) and the most grandiose, SpaceX.
    - jholman 14y ago
      Well, it's worth noting that Musk claims that PayPal was also a major move to improve the world, and I think the claim is credible. And before that he did Zip2, which is about as impactful as Google. Which, btw, is fucking impactful.
rquantz 14y ago
I could be mistaken, but I think that line is a reference to an interview with Jeff Hammerbacher: Hammerbacher looked around Silicon Valley at companies like his own, Google (GOOG), and Twitter, and saw his peers wasting their talents. "The best minds of my generation are thinking about how to make people click ads," he says. "That sucks." http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_17/b4225060960537.htm http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_17/b42250609... Which, I hope not coincidentally, echoes Allen Ginsberg's Howl.
- mikeash 14y ago
  It strikes me as a self-contradictory statement. If these minds are so great, why are they working on such mundane things? There's more to this equation than raw intelligence. Being one of the "best minds" also requires experience, drive, and the wisdom to apply one's talents usefully.
  - rquantz 14y ago
    And that's been discussed here earlier today: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5087065 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5087065 However, I would be willing to forgive even the best minds for taking a high paying job with good benefits at Google or Facebook. These are hard decisions to make, and a hard world to live in with ideals. That being said, I'd rather the energy and treasure of our society go towards things other than consumerism.
- phil 14y ago
  It's also a reference to the opening line of Howl, of course: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/179381 http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/179381 I don't know if that's what Jeff intended or not, but a lot of readers are going to have a strong association with the phrase "the best minds of my generation."
bitcartel 14y ago
To attract new blood, it's a useful myth to perpetuate. Repeat the mantra enough times and people start believing it. Reminds me of investment bankers who thought that shuffling pieces of paper made them 'Masters of the Universe'.

This post makes a third incorrect assumption too. That the "greatest minds of our generation" work at Google, Facebook and Apple.

by pud 14y ago

This post makes a third incorrect assumption too. That the "greatest minds of our generation" work at Google, Facebook and Apple.

jfb 14y ago

Perhaps the most laughable assumption of all.

justsee 14y ago
It also assumes those terrible choices aren't stepping stones, enabling these great minds to undertake the meaningful work Raganwald demands, once they have acquired more capabilities and capital.
- dev1n 14y ago
  Stepping stones akin to Elon Musk and Paypal. He's now commercializing the electric car (Tesla Motors), running a solar company (SolarCity) and the most grandiose, SpaceX.
  - jholman 14y ago
    Well, it's worth noting that Musk claims that PayPal was also a major move to improve the world, and I think the claim is credible. And before that he did Zip2, which is about as impactful as Google. Which, btw, is fucking impactful.

rquantz 14y ago

I could be mistaken, but I think that line is a reference to an interview with Jeff Hammerbacher: Hammerbacher looked around Silicon Valley at companies like his own, Google (GOOG), and Twitter, and saw his peers wasting their talents. "The best minds of my generation are thinking about how to make people click ads," he says. "That sucks." http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_17/b4225060960537.htm http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_17/b42250609... Which, I hope not coincidentally, echoes Allen Ginsberg's Howl.

mikeash 14y ago
It strikes me as a self-contradictory statement. If these minds are so great, why are they working on such mundane things? There's more to this equation than raw intelligence. Being one of the "best minds" also requires experience, drive, and the wisdom to apply one's talents usefully.
- rquantz 14y ago
  And that's been discussed here earlier today: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5087065 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5087065 However, I would be willing to forgive even the best minds for taking a high paying job with good benefits at Google or Facebook. These are hard decisions to make, and a hard world to live in with ideals. That being said, I'd rather the energy and treasure of our society go towards things other than consumerism.
phil 14y ago
It's also a reference to the opening line of Howl, of course: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/179381 http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/179381 I don't know if that's what Jeff intended or not, but a lot of readers are going to have a strong association with the phrase "the best minds of my generation."

bitcartel 14y ago

To attract new blood, it's a useful myth to perpetuate. Repeat the mantra enough times and people start believing it. Reminds me of investment bankers who thought that shuffling pieces of paper made them 'Masters of the Universe'.