Tell HN: Political Detox Week – No politics on HN for one week • Hacker News Board

Re: Tell HN: Political Detox Week – No politics on HN for one week

#491

Post by markharris99 » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 9:52 PM UTC

Honestly not surprised about this. I'm a long time reader, short time commentator.

HN is a left liberal leaning website. They believe in a borderless world, where all countries should take regugees and have their native society be diluted. Too big to fail government and regulation, except when they can come in and disrupt something. It's ok for them and their investors to reap the rewards where the little guy suffers losing his job.

Sure the little guy can retrain in STEM, doesn't matter if he racks up masses of debt and takes 10+ years. Oh, he can't do that, well there's always basic income.

I expect to be downvoted here, but lets just say. If you are against everything I said. You'd fit well here. Nevermind that America just voted and said a big NO to NY and CA.

Oh and consider this account abandoned. Looks like I've been warned by dang with my last post. Which was sarcasm. But because I attacked his beloved Hillary Cliton, Nancy Pelosi, Jill Stein.

Seriously CA cannot go bankrupt fast enough! A pox on your house.

Re: Tell HN: Political Detox Week – No politics on HN for one week

#492

Post by sillysaurus3 » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 9:52 PM UTC

idlewords wrote: post #380

This is a terrible decision. The tech industry has built powerful tools of social control, and runs vast databases of private data on pretty much everyone in the country. We have a golden period of forty-some days before a new administration comes to power that has shown every intent of using that information to deport people and create a national Muslim registry. We need to be talking about the political implication…

It doesn't seem like most people on HN want to be politically active here. I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm here to learn new things.

And yet, teaching people new things tends to affect the world more than political discussion ever could. I'm happy that HN exists as a solace from the political storm the rest of the world is wrapped up in.

Of course politics will affect each of us. But as tptacek is fond of saying, HN can't be all things to all people. It's more important to preserve the spirit of the site than to affect change. (In fact, it seems like one comes at the cost of the other.)

Re: Tell HN: Political Detox Week – No politics on HN for one week

#493

Post by 6stringmerc » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 9:53 PM UTC

TrevorJ wrote: post #131

Given that ycombinator does specifically involve themselves in issues of policy such as universal basic income and others, I find this move to be at odds with what ycombinator actually is. Once some ideas are too 'dangerous' or too contentions to be discussed, there is little hope of ever moving forward in solving the very real problems we have in this world. Characterizing values as fragile things which cannot withs…

Or, to take an even more cynical position, "While we totally can moderate discussion to keep things within our standards of conduct, we find it's too much work, and would rather just not have to deal with it."

...then go write another political policy blog post about how a board member's politics aren't representative of a company's mission, etc, rinse, repeat.

Re: Tell HN: Political Detox Week – No politics on HN for one week

#494

Post by irickt » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 9:53 PM UTC

dang wrote: post #349

minimuffins wrote: post #264

The idea that we can carve out a space that exists outside of politics and ideology is delusional. Ideology is present everywhere. It's built in to the ways we relate to each other, to our employers, to the public and private institutions and technologies we interact with all the time, and especially the way we work and conceive of work. Ideology is often tacit, baked into our assumptions even in "non-political" area…

Of course it's delusional. The concepts can't be defined to begin with, nor can they be separated in any consistent way. And still we have to moderate this site. > the world is upside down, but think happy thoughts, folks! Here's a TED talk! It's sort of a peeve of mine that people project this onto us because I can't say how I really feel about it without breaking our own rules.

> people project this onto us

You might be suggesting an unconscious and in a sense innocent psychological bias.

I also allow that a comment like the GP is in a style intended to twist and inflame. In this context the motivation could be to keep HN on the trajecory of more noise.

Re: Tell HN: Political Detox Week – No politics on HN for one week

#495

Post by Analemma_ » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 9:54 PM UTC

dang wrote: post #349

minimuffins wrote: post #264

The idea that we can carve out a space that exists outside of politics and ideology is delusional. Ideology is present everywhere. It's built in to the ways we relate to each other, to our employers, to the public and private institutions and technologies we interact with all the time, and especially the way we work and conceive of work. Ideology is often tacit, baked into our assumptions even in "non-political" area…

Of course it's delusional. The concepts can't be defined to begin with, nor can they be separated in any consistent way. And still we have to moderate this site. > the world is upside down, but think happy thoughts, folks! Here's a TED talk! It's sort of a peeve of mine that people project this onto us because I can't say how I really feel about it without breaking our own rules.

You've already pissed everyone off with this bad decision, it's not like you can make it much worse. Might as well get it out there and at least try to defend yourself.

Re: Tell HN: Political Detox Week – No politics on HN for one week

#496

Post by dang » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 9:54 PM UTC

drzaiusapelord wrote: post #96

tunesmith wrote: post #61

I'm not really a fan of this move. I don't see it as an addiction that reduces its power over us by abstaining for a period of time. I also don't agree with applying system effects to individuals - while political discussion can appear to create a dulling or muting effect overall it doesn't mean that individual people aren't being positively influenced, in ways that might have even larger positive effects on the syst…

I'm also concered that the timing of this can be partisan. Clearly Trump is still appointing high level cabinet members and discussing those things has merit. Yet during many of Obama's controversies, this site was allowed to chug away endlessly with an anti-Democratic, anti-Obama narrative. I think HN goes zero politics entirely or lets us continue as is. This move could be interpreted as pro-Trump especially if we'…

> this site was allowed to chug away endlessly with an anti-Democratic, anti-Obama narrative [...] This move could be interpreted as pro-Trump

The opposite people feel the opposite:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13108689

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13108834

Re: Tell HN: Political Detox Week – No politics on HN for one week

#497

Post by idlewords » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 9:54 PM UTC

sillysaurus3 wrote: post #492

idlewords wrote: post #380

This is a terrible decision. The tech industry has built powerful tools of social control, and runs vast databases of private data on pretty much everyone in the country. We have a golden period of forty-some days before a new administration comes to power that has shown every intent of using that information to deport people and create a national Muslim registry. We need to be talking about the political implication…

It doesn't seem like most people on HN want to be politically active here. I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm here to learn new things. And yet, teaching people new things tends to affect the world more than political discussion ever could. I'm happy that HN exists as a solace from the political storm the rest of the world is wrapped up in. Of course politics will affect each of us. But as tptacek is fond of sayi…

It's weird to talk about the technical aspects of the Zeppelin if you're not allowed to mention the swastika painted on the tail.

Re: Tell HN: Political Detox Week – No politics on HN for one week

#498

Post by thegrandwizard » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 9:55 PM UTC

The values of Hacker News are intellectual curiosity and thoughtful conversation.

Thank you for reminding us here about that. Let's make it a month? A year? :-)

Re: Tell HN: Political Detox Week – No politics on HN for one week

#499

Post by bargl » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 9:55 PM UTC

pdx wrote: post #459

idlewords wrote: post #380

This is a terrible decision. The tech industry has built powerful tools of social control, and runs vast databases of private data on pretty much everyone in the country. We have a golden period of forty-some days before a new administration comes to power that has shown every intent of using that information to deport people and create a national Muslim registry. We need to be talking about the political implication…

Back when I was a kid, there was a saying. "I disagree with what you say, but I'll defend to the death, your right to say it". Of course, now many on the left rejoice in the censoring of all sorts of speech. I find the prevalence and acceptance of these 'crybully' tactics to be much more frightening then the terrible atrocity of actually enforcing existing immigration laws which you appear to fear so much.

I agree with much of what you said, but the use of the word 'crybully' is why I'd have downvoted you. Also the comment on the -3 points being against the guidelines.

If you clean out some of the more inflammatory words, you make a decent point. I agree that censorship should be avoided, and I see a push on the left for censorship.

EDIT: I initially said I agree with the tone but that was poor editing on my part.

Re: Tell HN: Political Detox Week – No politics on HN for one week

#500

Post by 6stringmerc » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 9:55 PM UTC

dragonwriter wrote: post #487

6stringmerc wrote: post #472

Considering the consistent nature of at least one very prominent YCombinator staff member (leader) inserting themselves into political and/or low-rent gossipy slap-fights, I can both appreciate the "sentiment" or "rationale" behind a Detox Week on HN, and concurrently derisively laugh at the ignorant hypocrisy deploying such an edict reflects in practice. I mean, yeah I get it's probably a lot of work to moderate all…

> If this is the first of a series of "experiments" I wonder which other "conflicts" might "cause harm here" - Identity Discussions? Health care in the US? Aren't those just subset off politics?

Not from a technology perspective - if Health Care research like Stem Cells or Generic Drugs can be wielded like political discussion weapons, in spite of their STEM roots, then does that make them off limits now too? Or finding a genetic marker which might have Sexual Orientation implications. Controversy and discussion are bedfellows, and wanting the latter devoid of the former is childish.