Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: Why has the comment section become so pessimistic?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 24 posts

Re: Ask HN: Why has the comment section become so pessimistic?

#11

Post by NoboruWataya »

bell-cot wrote: post #3

Partly, what you're noticing is a reaction to the vast quantity of baloney that the tech industry generates. (Which baloney might be interesting to taxonomize into techno-utopianism, marketing hype, DilbertCo PHBism, ...) Partly, it's because HN's stereotypical user is an engineer. Engineers are supposed to tend critical / cynical / pessimistic - otherwise stuff just doesn't work, and Sales gets away with pre-selling…

I think these are broadly accurate and I would just add the obvious, namely that the economy is slowing down, with knock-on effects on the growth (and in some cases even the viability) of businesses and in particular tech companies.

Re: Ask HN: Why has the comment section become so pessimistic?

#12

Post by goolz »

DeathArrow wrote: post #9

Maybe it's because people had delusions and realized they believed in false gods and false religions whose promises never came true.

Could you please explain this further? It almost seems like you are trying to be edgy or something but perhaps this is just sarcasm or something and I am just daft?

Re: Ask HN: Why has the comment section become so pessimistic?

#15

Post by rayiner »

errantmind wrote: post #2

It is easier to criticise than actually do anything constructive.

Criticism is constructive. 90% of everything is crap, but it’s not always immediately apparent what that is. Society depends on people to filter out all the bad ideas being generated constantly before they can do too much damage.

Re: Ask HN: Why has the comment section become so pessimistic?

#16

Post by aliswe »

goolz wrote: post #12
DeathArrow wrote: post #9

Maybe it's because people had delusions and realized they believed in false gods and false religions whose promises never came true.

Could you please explain this further? It almost seems like you are trying to be edgy or something but perhaps this is just sarcasm or something and I am just daft?

Maybe this is simply an example of the pessimistic tone at HN?

Re: Ask HN: Why has the comment section become so pessimistic?

#17

Post by bell-cot »

NoboruWataya wrote: post #11
bell-cot wrote: post #3

Partly, what you're noticing is a reaction to the vast quantity of baloney that the tech industry generates. (Which baloney might be interesting to taxonomize into techno-utopianism, marketing hype, DilbertCo PHBism, ...) Partly, it's because HN's stereotypical user is an engineer. Engineers are supposed to tend critical / cynical / pessimistic - otherwise stuff just doesn't work, and Sales gets away with pre-selling…

I think these are broadly accurate and I would just add the obvious, namely that the economy is slowing down, with knock-on effects on the growth (and in some cases even the viability) of businesses and in particular tech companies.

Yes...though I'd suspect that a fair number of folks here feel that their situation - job- and budget-wise - is pretty good. But that does not keep them from feeling bad about "the 99%", many of whose economic situations are going from not-so-great to ungood.

Re: Ask HN: Why has the comment section become so pessimistic?

#18

Post by bell-cot »

atoav wrote: post #7
bell-cot wrote: post #3

Partly, what you're noticing is a reaction to the vast quantity of baloney that the tech industry generates. (Which baloney might be interesting to taxonomize into techno-utopianism, marketing hype, DilbertCo PHBism, ...) Partly, it's because HN's stereotypical user is an engineer. Engineers are supposed to tend critical / cynical / pessimistic - otherwise stuff just doesn't work, and Sales gets away with pre-selling…

As you said, being critical to a certain degree is what allows is to make things that work . And there is enough stuff happening to be mad about. I wonder whether those who feel the place has become too critical are not actually in dire need to face that cricism instead of finding some exuse why they would rather not.

Some, probably yes. BUT - engineers are also humans, HN is not (99.9%) their job, and humans have social needs. If they are [stuck] trying to meet their human social needs on HN (& similar platforms)...then the oft-cynical/critical/pessimistic atmosphere here is really not gonna be good for their emotional health.

Back in the day, western society offered humans a far richer social life - neighborhoods, churches, formal & informal social & service clubs, etc. Now - those are, mostly, dying or gone, thanks to relentless capitalism and mass media. Families are far smaller and more fragmented. But the human needs which they met are still with us.

Re: Ask HN: Why has the comment section become so pessimistic?

#20

Post by errantmind »

rayiner wrote: post #15
errantmind wrote: post #2

It is easier to criticise than actually do anything constructive.

Criticism is constructive. 90% of everything is crap, but it’s not always immediately apparent what that is. Society depends on people to filter out all the bad ideas being generated constantly before they can do too much damage.

Not always. 90% of criticism is crap too, and that is what I'm referring to.
Post reply on HN