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Poll: Would you like to see this site become CS/Startup related only?

news.ycombinator.com

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Re: Poll: Would you like to see this site become CS/Startup related only?

#71

Post by mattmaroon »

meredydd wrote: post #66
mattmaroon wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I didn't put that in because as a guideline it's unenforceable. But given the current guidelines, it does seem to create what we have now (which I too like). I only posted this poll because the only thing I'm 100% sure is valueless and off-topic is the "this is off-topic" comment that invariably ends up on anything not overtly CS/startup related.

the only thing I'm 100% sure is valueless and off-topic is the "this is off-topic" comment that Actually, I'm not even sure about that. It seems to me that the average opinion here is in favour of most posts being about technical/startup topics, but that it's good to have a few interesting posts that fall outside that category - provided they don't overwhelm the 'normal' content of the site. In that case, then, the c…

Your average opinion seems to suggest the opposite of the poll results.

Re: Poll: Would you like to see this site become CS/Startup related only?

#72

Post by mattmaroon »

DanielBMarkham wrote: post #60

Seems like every one of the "this is off-topic" comments would be a vote again #2 I'm okay with #2, but I think #1 is in the best interests of the board. Anybody can run a #2 board. People who are saying 'this is off-topic" are actually customers providing feedback that the content not only sucks, but shouldn't even be part of the offering. And they feel that way enough to write a comment and not simply down-vote and…

You're wrong because they're usually wrong. Again it comes down to the guidelines. If they quoted the guidelines and then explained why it's off-topic, it might be useful.

Re: Poll: Would you like to see this site become CS/Startup related only?

#73

Post by DanielBMarkham »

mattmaroon wrote: post #72
DanielBMarkham wrote: post #60

Seems like every one of the "this is off-topic" comments would be a vote again #2 I'm okay with #2, but I think #1 is in the best interests of the board. Anybody can run a #2 board. People who are saying 'this is off-topic" are actually customers providing feedback that the content not only sucks, but shouldn't even be part of the offering. And they feel that way enough to write a comment and not simply down-vote and…

You're wrong because they're usually wrong. Again it comes down to the guidelines. If they quoted the guidelines and then explained why it's off-topic, it might be useful.

If you are asking what the rules to the site should be, then it's a circular argument to expect commenters to use the guidelines as a reason for things to belong or not.

The question was: what sorts of things would you like to see? I made the observation that the current customers repeatedly don't like the things they are seeing -- to the point of making comments that they feel the articles are out of place.

The question isn't whether they should have made an observation about how the articles meet the guidelines. The question you asked is whether or not topics should be accepted or not as _part_ of the guidelines. In that context, of course we should consider those customers that speak up. Whether they realize it or not, they're basically saying screw the guidelines -- it doesn't look right to me.

I look at commenters as customers. Obviously, some significant percentage of customers are going to be unhappy with any sort of system.

Re: Poll: Would you like to see this site become CS/Startup related only?

#74

Post by meredydd »

mattmaroon wrote: post #71
meredydd wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

the only thing I'm 100% sure is valueless and off-topic is the "this is off-topic" comment that Actually, I'm not even sure about that. It seems to me that the average opinion here is in favour of most posts being about technical/startup topics, but that it's good to have a few interesting posts that fall outside that category - provided they don't overwhelm the 'normal' content of the site. In that case, then, the c…

Your average opinion seems to suggest the opposite of the poll results.

Damn data. How dare it not conform to my preconceptions?

That said, what I was trying to express was my feeling that the poll options you chose don't tell the whole story, because you only offered "Startups and CS, no exceptions" and "anything goes".

My contention is that if there were an option for "I like seeing other interesting articles, but keep a pretty strong CS/startup focus", it would be the clear winner. I could be wrong, but the poll as stands doesn't tell us one way or the other.

Re: Poll: Would you like to see this site become CS/Startup related only?

#75

Post by rokhayakebe »

swombat wrote: post #58
rokhayakebe wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

news.ycombinator.com is less interesting to me now than when it was known as Startup News aka Evolution. EDIT: And for every single person who find HN less interesting, there are 100 new users who love what you have helped built. Be happy.

Hardly. Not to sound rude or anything, but I don't give a crap about the other 100 users. I care about what news I read. Ultimately this is pg's site and he can do whatever the heck he wants with it. Whenever I state my dislike of a specific article, I'm not making some grand statement about what YCNews should be to fulfill the purpose of the universe, only about what I personally would prefer to see (or not) on this…

Sure and HN revolves around username swombat. I do like your energy but you are wasting it for the wrong purpose. HN will go where the majority drives it.

And nobody said anything about PG owning it or his authority over it. And even He said that sometimes he is surprised to see some post make it to the top, but overall he was satisfied with the content.

Re: Poll: Would you like to see this site become CS/Startup related only?

#76

Post by mattmaroon »

DanielBMarkham wrote: post #73
mattmaroon wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're wrong because they're usually wrong. Again it comes down to the guidelines. If they quoted the guidelines and then explained why it's off-topic, it might be useful.

If you are asking what the rules to the site should be, then it's a circular argument to expect commenters to use the guidelines as a reason for things to belong or not. The question was: what sorts of things would you like to see? I made the observation that the current customers repeatedly don't like the things they are seeing -- to the point of making comments that they feel the articles are out of place. The ques…

I see what you mean. I'd guess the problem is that it accounts for very few votes for #1, but the same people casting the same vote over and over again. I know every time I dig through the comments of someone who says that something is off-topic, I find multiple instances of it.

Either way, I'd have less problem if they said "I wish this were off-topic" because then they'd at least be factually accurate.

Re: Poll: Would you like to see this site become CS/Startup related only?

#77

Post by stcredzero »

astine wrote: post #65
stcredzero wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The USA has inclusiveness in its charter. A social news site is free to be as inclusive or exclusive as it cares to be. If the mix of topics on HN is not to someone's liking, then moving elsewhere is a valid suggestion. For me, it wouldn't be a good one, though.

The USA has inclusiveness in its charter. A social news site is free to be as inclusive or exclusive as it cares to be. Sure, but that attitude still makes you an asshole.

Really? What is name calling supposed to make you?

Re: Poll: Would you like to see this site become CS/Startup related only?

#78

Post by greendestiny »

meredydd wrote: post #67
greendestiny wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Surely its not a CS/politics dichotomy? Really the voting system works quite well except for those articles where we vote to show our support. I think staying away from American politics is a good rule of thumb - there is little chance that articles will be rated on their quality or relevance.

...staying away from American politics... Good gracious. Might I suggest that America does not have a monopoly on political controversy (nor on visitors to this site)? It may be an election year, and the country fairly heavily polarised at the moment, but fierce partisanship is no more exclusively American than apple pie is. (For an immediate example, take a peek at the proportion of reddit currently obsessed with th…

I didn't mean to suggest there is anything special about American politics but Americans do form the largest proportion of visitors to this site.

Georgia and Russia were at war, its nothing like the minutia of American politics that gets discussed on reddit.

Re: Poll: Would you like to see this site become CS/Startup related only?

#79

Post by astine »

stcredzero wrote: post #77
astine wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The USA has inclusiveness in its charter. A social news site is free to be as inclusive or exclusive as it cares to be. Sure, but that attitude still makes you an asshole.

Really? What is name calling supposed to make you?

Would it help if I explained that by 'asshole,' I meant 'anti-social jerk,' and was applying it to the flippancy of a 'love it or leave it attitude,' which, irrespective of any legality thereof, still makes one an asshole?

Re: Poll: Would you like to see this site become CS/Startup related only?

#80

Post by swombat »

rokhayakebe wrote: post #75
swombat wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hardly. Not to sound rude or anything, but I don't give a crap about the other 100 users. I care about what news I read. Ultimately this is pg's site and he can do whatever the heck he wants with it. Whenever I state my dislike of a specific article, I'm not making some grand statement about what YCNews should be to fulfill the purpose of the universe, only about what I personally would prefer to see (or not) on this…

Sure and HN revolves around username swombat. I do like your energy but you are wasting it for the wrong purpose. HN will go where the majority drives it. And nobody said anything about PG owning it or his authority over it. And even He said that sometimes he is surprised to see some post make it to the top, but overall he was satisfied with the content.

HN will go where the majority drives it.

I hope not... I believe, perhaps foolishly, that pg will take measures to ensure that this doesn't happen.

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