Ask HN: Why are people in real life so different? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Why are people in real life so different?

#261

Post by hunter2_ » Wed, May 18, 2022, 8:11 PM UTC

lazide wrote: post #164

annyeonghada wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Unsolicited advice is generally offensive. If they wanted your advice on how to fix their problems they would ask you. It is not generally offensive to offer a suggestion about how to solve a problem, what's offensive is abusing people time by rehearsing the same complaints over and over again while ignoring any kind of solution. If they whine constantly about a problem but never seek any way to solve it, it is just…

I've generally found the interpretation you espouse to be looked upon quite favorably among engineers, and quite disliked among the general population. FYI.

Yes, although I think the set of professions that attracts fans of problem-solving is a bit larger than just engineers. I suspect many academic types (doctors, scientists, etc.) and many in construction fields (tradespeople, architects, etc.) tend to appreciate impromptu brainstorming as much as engineers. While this set doesn't constitute a majority of the general population, one might often find themselves in situations where it's a local majority more often than not, leading to a biased worldview.

Re: Ask HN: Why are people in real life so different?

#262

Post by lazide » Thu, May 19, 2022, 5:16 PM UTC

hunter2_ wrote: post #261

lazide wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've generally found the interpretation you espouse to be looked upon quite favorably among engineers, and quite disliked among the general population. FYI.

Yes, although I think the set of professions that attracts fans of problem-solving is a bit larger than just engineers. I suspect many academic types (doctors, scientists, etc.) and many in construction fields (tradespeople, architects, etc.) tend to appreciate impromptu brainstorming as much as engineers. While this set doesn't constitute a majority of the general population, one might often find themselves in situa…

There is a big difference between impromptu brainstorming on the job and turning every conversation about it into said brainstorming.

I know a lot of construction workers and lawyers (for some reason), and while lawyers like a good argument (and backstabbing) off client time, neither of the groups likes problem solving or doing the professional version outside of being paid for it. Well, except for some (usually broke) newbies anyway.

Re: Ask HN: Why are people in real life so different?

#263

Post by hunter2_ » Sat, May 21, 2022, 4:26 PM UTC

lazide wrote: post #262

hunter2_ wrote: post #261

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, although I think the set of professions that attracts fans of problem-solving is a bit larger than just engineers. I suspect many academic types (doctors, scientists, etc.) and many in construction fields (tradespeople, architects, etc.) tend to appreciate impromptu brainstorming as much as engineers. While this set doesn't constitute a majority of the general population, one might often find themselves in situa…

There is a big difference between impromptu brainstorming on the job and turning every conversation about it into said brainstorming. I know a lot of construction workers and lawyers (for some reason), and while lawyers like a good argument (and backstabbing) off client time, neither of the groups likes problem solving or doing the professional version outside of being paid for it. Well, except for some (usually brok…

I wasn't even thinking about on the job, just the situation when someone at a party/gathering mentions a problem they're facing (personal or professional) and the recipients of this information can either limit their response to commiseration or let it expand into solving the problem. While appreciation for the latter isn't universal, I think it goes well beyond engineers.

Re: Ask HN: Why are people in real life so different?

#264

Post by hqdo » Mon, May 30, 2022, 12:37 AM UTC

otterley wrote: post #224

dang wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I fear that a reply like this can come across as dismissive, but you have to understand that people have been saying that the quality of HN has been falling ever since HN started 15 years ago. There's a strong bias (if not several biases combining) to feel like it's always getting worse. Since people are saying this all the time, it's hard to give much weight to a bare statement along those lines. Positive generaliza…

> people have been saying that the quality of HN has been falling ever since HN started 15 years ago I agree with them. I’ve been sticking with it for these 15 years, but I’m sure you’re aware of a certain site that does a pretty good job characterizing how the comments on many of the most popular stories have devolved. > Internet forums are super weird and there are limits to what one can do about it. I wish it were…

> Respectfully, this is a cop-out. This is your site. You can do anything you want to make it fit your vision, from making it members-only, to making every post subject to review. I’m not trying to tell you how to run your business or anything, but to throw your hands up in the air and say (paraphrasing), “Internet forums are hard, what can you do” strikes me as forfeiting responsibility.

I would argue that the way HN is at the moment is the best fit for the vision of the people who own/run it.

The fact that everyone is "sticking" with it for over 15 years seems to suggest that whatever dang and the team are doing is "still" working.