4 ms·

scribd is "unable to display this document", and the download button doesn't even work. Just link the original. http://www.valvesoftware.com/publications/2009/

• DanBC 14y ago
  PDF submissions are automatically substituted for scribd links.
  • jfb 14y ago
    I had wondered why everybody else at HN seemed to love that garbage. What a terrible misfeature.
    • alexatkeplar 14y ago
      Scribd is a Y Combinator investment.
      • jfb 14y ago
        Yeah, I figured.
• fafner 14y ago
  The link is to the original. The scribd link is to the side and is automatically added by HN. (I never really liked scribd and with pdf.js it's clearly obsolete)
  • jfb 14y ago
    For PDFs at least, scribd seems purely parasitic.
    • zdw 14y ago
      I believe the intention of having the scribd links is to mirror the content if the original source goes down under the HN reader load, which has happened at times.
      • jfb 14y ago
        IME, HN readers will almost always post either a Google cache link or cache the original content. The scribd thing just slows everybody down.
      • alexatkeplar 14y ago
        Or, the intention of having Scribd links is to boost SEO for and awareness of Scribd, thus increasing the value of Y Combinator's equity stake.
        • regularfry 14y ago
          This is news.ycombinator.com. I don't begrudge that.
          • jfb 14y ago
            It wouldn't bug me if it didn't decrease the utility of the PDF links. EDIT: as pointed out below, it doesn't. Belay this comment.
            • corin_ 14y ago
              It doesn't. If you don't want to see Scribd then don't click on the "[Scribd]" - the rest of the title takes you straight to the PDF itself.
              • jfb 14y ago
                Well, blow me over. How did I miss that? Thanks.