Ask HN: Has Jeff Atwood jumped the shark?

#1

Post by jbillmann » Thu, Nov 18, 2010, 5:44 PM UTC

http://blog.wekeroad.com/thoughts/open-id-is-a-party-that-happened

Scroll down and review his comments.

Re: Ask HN: Has Jeff Atwood jumped the shark?

#2

Post by devmonk » Thu, Nov 18, 2010, 6:32 PM UTC

"Payment just makes everything weird" - Jeff Atwood

That one stood out.

Here is a quote for Jeff: "In Soviet Russia, there would be no Twitter, only KeyLogger..."

Re: Ask HN: Has Jeff Atwood jumped the shark?

#3

Post by jbillmann » Thu, Nov 18, 2010, 7:06 PM UTC

devmonk wrote: post #2

"Payment just makes everything weird" - Jeff Atwood That one stood out. Here is a quote for Jeff: "In Soviet Russia, there would be no Twitter, only KeyLogger..."

This one did it for me:

"I just think selling software, with the exception of $0.99 and $2.99 type phone apps, is all but dead."

Re: Ask HN: Has Jeff Atwood jumped the shark?

#4

Post by bigwally » Thu, Nov 18, 2010, 8:44 PM UTC

There are a lot of peoples blogs that are quoted on Hacker News that have a lot better content than Jeff Atwood, but are not as well written or presented as Jeff Atwoods pieces. If something isn't well presented it tends to get mostly ignored.

The comment about selling software is a bit silly coming from someone who uses Microsoft Windows and Visual Studio (paid for software). He never jumped the shark, he has always made comments that haven't been well thought out.

Re: Ask HN: Has Jeff Atwood jumped the shark?

#5

Post by jbillmann » Thu, Nov 18, 2010, 9:06 PM UTC

bigwally wrote: post #4

There are a lot of peoples blogs that are quoted on Hacker News that have a lot better content than Jeff Atwood, but are not as well written or presented as Jeff Atwoods pieces. If something isn't well presented it tends to get mostly ignored. The comment about selling software is a bit silly coming from someone who uses Microsoft Windows and Visual Studio (paid for software). He never jumped the shark, he has always…

You make a very good point.

Re: Ask HN: Has Jeff Atwood jumped the shark?

#6

Post by bh42 » Thu, Nov 18, 2010, 9:43 PM UTC

bigwally wrote: post #4

There are a lot of peoples blogs that are quoted on Hacker News that have a lot better content than Jeff Atwood, but are not as well written or presented as Jeff Atwoods pieces. If something isn't well presented it tends to get mostly ignored. The comment about selling software is a bit silly coming from someone who uses Microsoft Windows and Visual Studio (paid for software). He never jumped the shark, he has always…

There are a lot of peoples blogs that are quoted on Hacker News that have a lot better content than Jeff Atwood, but are not as well written or presented as Jeff Atwoods pieces.

I would not say Atwood is a better writer. Better "presentation" is a better description.

I think he writes in a deliberate tabloid headline, slam down, almost troll style. And he very aggressively simplifies his topics, even the ones that should never be simplified like that.

And that makes him more accessible and thus more widely read.

But more popular is not the same thing as better.