Ask HN: Your Favourite HN Comment? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Your Favourite HN Comment?

#21

Post by combatentropy » Sun, Sep 20, 2020, 6:01 AM UTC

ivars wrote: post #13

User mikekchar on the value of ideas: My advice is to lower the value of ideas. A lot of time people think, "If only I had a good idea I would be successful". You will see other people saying things like, "Buy my good idea!". But really, good ideas are a dime a dozen. Good ideas, bad ideas... it actually doesn't make much difference. What makes the difference is execution and timing. For things that take a long time,…

I totally agree. It is similar to a post by Derek Sivers, "Ideas are just a multiplier of execution", https://sive.rs/multiply

Re: Ask HN: Your Favourite HN Comment?

#22

Post by hithere56 » Sun, Sep 20, 2020, 6:03 AM UTC

tkiley If I could go back five years and give myself some advice, I would say that "enough" is not durably satisfying. Purpose is durably satisfying. Purpose arises from constraints. Having "enough" means you lack a particular type of constraint. Thus, enough" can get in the way of developing purpose, particularly if you are somewhat undisciplined like me.

Re: Ask HN: Your Favourite HN Comment?

#23

Post by hliyan » Sun, Sep 20, 2020, 6:07 AM UTC

On indicators of employee happiness: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20571219

Re: Ask HN: Your Favourite HN Comment?

#24

Post by nullsense » Sun, Sep 20, 2020, 6:21 AM UTC

superasn wrote: post #8

My favourite HN comment was about burnout: Burnout is caused when you repeatedly make large amounts of sacrifice and or effort into high-risk problems that fail. It's the result of a negative prediction error in the nucleus accumbens. You effectively condition your brain to associate work with failure. Subconsciously, then eventually, consciously, you wonder if it's worth it. The best way to prevent burnout is to fol…

Wow. Thanks for sharing this.

Re: Ask HN: Your Favourite HN Comment?

#25

Post by surround » Sun, Sep 20, 2020, 6:22 AM UTC

List of most-favorited HN comments:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24360449

Re: Ask HN: Your Favourite HN Comment?

#26

Post by cpach » Sun, Sep 20, 2020, 6:24 AM UTC

combatentropy wrote: post #11

One of my favorites is a super-long one by a user named bane, about three solutions to speeding up computing: (1) "high" (more RAM, CPU), (2) "wide" (more machines), and (3) "deep" (refactoring), which is what he recommends first. More than once he has rewritten something that was running slowly even on the latest and greatest architectures (perhaps partially because of that), to running on a single machine, even an…

Very inspiring!

Re: Ask HN: Your Favourite HN Comment?

#27

Post by chaorace » Sun, Sep 20, 2020, 6:27 AM UTC

This one struck me for its tongue-in-cheek levity, credit to haroldgibbons:

My "aha" moment was realizing most of my ideas and most apps out there are complete garbage. Not needed. Damaging, even. 99.9% of all of it.

For example, most "cutting edge" web apps are better off as PHP monoliths. Facebook was a PHP file for a long time. But most apps in general should never make it past being shell scripts, which are better off staying as spreadsheets or better - text files which are better off as pieces of paper whenever possible. And all paper is better off left as thoughts whenever possible, and most thoughts should be forsaken.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24397272

Re: Ask HN: Your Favourite HN Comment?

#28

Post by ffpip » Sun, Sep 20, 2020, 6:30 AM UTC

Some comments that I will always remember -

On Catering to the privacy crowd- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24123463

Users of peanut butter shouldn't have to think about whether it contains glass and razors - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20634128

On Telegram seven years ago - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6949814

Indian Govt blocks a PHP project for terrorism and anti national content - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8820378

On Show HN:Dropbox - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9224

Did you win the putnam? - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35079

Re: Ask HN: Your Favourite HN Comment?

#29

Post by nullsense » Sun, Sep 20, 2020, 6:32 AM UTC

McKayDavis wrote: post #7

@dang recently (17 days ago) posted a list of the most favorited HN comments in this comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24360449

I remember that Oracle database one!

Re: Ask HN: Your Favourite HN Comment?

#30

Post by not_the_nsa » Sun, Sep 20, 2020, 6:37 AM UTC

superasn wrote: post #8

My favourite HN comment was about burnout: Burnout is caused when you repeatedly make large amounts of sacrifice and or effort into high-risk problems that fail. It's the result of a negative prediction error in the nucleus accumbens. You effectively condition your brain to associate work with failure. Subconsciously, then eventually, consciously, you wonder if it's worth it. The best way to prevent burnout is to fol…

Thanks for sharing this. Right now I'm burnt out beyond words, having delivered a phase of a huge project, followed by upper management actions that make me feel extremely devalued and dehumanized. I've already written a list of personal development tasks for the three weeks' leave ahead - I need to up-skill, then find a new employer - which I'll restructure into little wins.