4 ms·

Really, in our industry, is it necessary to specify an upper age bound? It's not like we're nurturing new circuit court justices. Why not, "Top 25 over 25?" We

Really, in our industry, is it necessary to specify an upper age bound? It's not like we're nurturing new circuit court justices. Why not, "Top 25 over 25?" We all know what happens when the taurine receptor count starts to tank...

deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
wahnfrieden 13y ago
It's a journalistic hook. It doesn't come from within our industry.
- hyperbovine 13y ago
  I think The Onion put it best: http://www.theonion.com/articles/40-numbers-under-40,32809/ http://www.theonion.com/articles/40-numbers-under-40,32809/
- undoware 13y ago
  It is and it isn't. Here in Vancouver (Canada) I occasionally see meetups at GrowLab (our off-brand Canadian Y Combinator) for e.g. 'innovators under 30'. Presumably there is at least one such event being held elsewhere in the world, meaning it's not local to the Canadian tech scene. Moreover, if it's sculpting your networking opportunities, it's definitely more than a 'hook'. Journalistic hooks are a lot like API hooks. They point the ways to power.
kadabra9 13y ago
For me, these "Top X under Age X" articles always used to create these needless benchmarks and comparisons in my head, as if I had some expectations to live up to by a specific age. I'd read the "30 under 30" and think to myself, "Crap, I'll be thirty in a few years. I need to get on the ball". On one hand, reading about all these people doing great things is both inspiring and motivational for the reader to get out there and make something happen. On the other hand, its easy to look at yourself perhaps a bit too critically when you compare yourself to the folks listed in these articles. Focus on your own projects, career, business, etc not about whether you get there by 25,35 or 40. Back to the article... I've never met Gary, but have enjoyed his writing and he's always struck me as a class act. It's great to see him get some more recognition.
- moron4hire 13y ago
  Just quit interneting. I'm in the process of it. It's been making me happier and more productive.
  - tunesmith 13y ago
    How are you doing this? Where are you at in the process?
    - moron4hire 13y ago
      I kind of had a personal epiphany of an analogy: eating empty calories makes you fat, so having empty "friendships" on something like Facebook makes you socially inept. So, I deleted half of my Facebook friends--anyone I haven't talked to directly in the last 6 months got axed. Some of those people were even extended family members. There is nothing my redneck cousins have to say that I need to be reading. I'd quit completely but it has lately served a significant purpose for coordinating meat-space socializing; apparently most people have forgotten how to email. I only check HN once a day, and I only open technical articles now. No more news site trawling, and no more politics. No more Facebook and Tumblr on the phone, only on a real computer. It's helped a lot.
mathattack 13y ago
Don't aim so low. How about the "Top 4,000 over 40"?
- jeffbarr 13y ago
  At last, a list that I might qualify for (I'm 53).
  - mathattack 13y ago
    I'm also willing to toss in a 50,000 over 50 category too. Why not?
guelo 13y ago
I must have missed the memo that everyone must have gotten about taurine. I have no idea what you're referring to and Google isn't really helping. Care to share?

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]

wahnfrieden 13y ago

It's a journalistic hook. It doesn't come from within our industry.

hyperbovine 13y ago
I think The Onion put it best: http://www.theonion.com/articles/40-numbers-under-40,32809/ http://www.theonion.com/articles/40-numbers-under-40,32809/
undoware 13y ago
It is and it isn't. Here in Vancouver (Canada) I occasionally see meetups at GrowLab (our off-brand Canadian Y Combinator) for e.g. 'innovators under 30'. Presumably there is at least one such event being held elsewhere in the world, meaning it's not local to the Canadian tech scene. Moreover, if it's sculpting your networking opportunities, it's definitely more than a 'hook'. Journalistic hooks are a lot like API hooks. They point the ways to power.

kadabra9 13y ago

For me, these "Top X under Age X" articles always used to create these needless benchmarks and comparisons in my head, as if I had some expectations to live up to by a specific age. I'd read the "30 under 30" and think to myself, "Crap, I'll be thirty in a few years. I need to get on the ball". On one hand, reading about all these people doing great things is both inspiring and motivational for the reader to get out there and make something happen. On the other hand, its easy to look at yourself perhaps a bit too critically when you compare yourself to the folks listed in these articles. Focus on your own projects, career, business, etc not about whether you get there by 25,35 or 40. Back to the article... I've never met Gary, but have enjoyed his writing and he's always struck me as a class act. It's great to see him get some more recognition.

moron4hire 13y ago
Just quit interneting. I'm in the process of it. It's been making me happier and more productive.
- tunesmith 13y ago
  How are you doing this? Where are you at in the process?
  - moron4hire 13y ago
    I kind of had a personal epiphany of an analogy: eating empty calories makes you fat, so having empty "friendships" on something like Facebook makes you socially inept. So, I deleted half of my Facebook friends--anyone I haven't talked to directly in the last 6 months got axed. Some of those people were even extended family members. There is nothing my redneck cousins have to say that I need to be reading. I'd quit completely but it has lately served a significant purpose for coordinating meat-space socializing; apparently most people have forgotten how to email. I only check HN once a day, and I only open technical articles now. No more news site trawling, and no more politics. No more Facebook and Tumblr on the phone, only on a real computer. It's helped a lot.

mathattack 13y ago

Don't aim so low. How about the "Top 4,000 over 40"?

jeffbarr 13y ago
At last, a list that I might qualify for (I'm 53).
- mathattack 13y ago
  I'm also willing to toss in a 50,000 over 50 category too. Why not?

guelo 13y ago

I must have missed the memo that everyone must have gotten about taurine. I have no idea what you're referring to and Google isn't really helping. Care to share?