Daring Fireball: Universe Dented, Grass Underfoot • Hacker News Board

Re: Daring Fireball: Universe Dented, Grass Underfoot

#41

Post by achompas » Thu, Oct 06, 2011, 3:36 PM UTC

Tyrannosaurs wrote: post #39

achompas wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Very surprising to read this. Was there anything in particular that bugged you about it? To me, Gruber captures Jobs as both a loving family man and a visionary who is selective with his attention to detail. This is a nice lesson, as I often spend time focusing on the wrong details. Even the structure of the article -- a vignette with a narrative device built from a small detail -- is a tribute to Jobs's legendary fo…

Personally I loved the observation about the grass stains and how they just weren't important enough to be something Steve cared about, but I thought the image of him walking hand in hand through the grass with his family was a bit saccharine. It's enough just to invoke the idea that Steve had found time to get outside - whatever he was doing and whoever he was doing it with and that he did so by focusing on what was…

I'd agree, that last part was a bit saccharine. On net though, I thought it was great too.

Re: Daring Fireball: Universe Dented, Grass Underfoot

#42

Post by jarek » Thu, Oct 06, 2011, 3:37 PM UTC

danilocampos wrote: post #28

jarek wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Look, I'll say it on my real account. I'm not that guy. I find the outpouring of grief repetitive at best and embarrassing at worst. It's the time of year for everyone to strut out their favourite Steve stories and anecdotes. Gotta tell everyone how you feel. Tell me you can read a comment like http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3078323 with a straight face.

Life is a lot more enjoyable when you accept, as I've just mentioned in a cousin, that people exist for their own purposes and not your pleasure. Some people express their feelings in saccharin ways. Okay. And? Does it make those feelings, or those people, less valid that they're more Hallmark than Bob Dylan? Death is difficult. Cut people a damn break.

I'm human. I judge people and form opinions based on their behaviour. I'm not denying them the right to those behaviours. Sometimes I can't resist voicing my opinions. If you don't, I'm really happy for you.

I'm confident 99% of commenters didn't know Steve Jobs personally. If his death is difficult for them, it's a problem they themselves have created.

Re: Daring Fireball: Universe Dented, Grass Underfoot

#43

Post by jarek » Thu, Oct 06, 2011, 3:39 PM UTC

swombat wrote: post #40

jarek wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn't say I went to Steve Jobs's funeral, unless you consider showing up on the internet today that.

Actually, given his influence, yeah, it kind of is. The fact that you bump into articles about him everywhere (even on my blog! http://swombat.com/2011/10/6/steve-jobs ) kind of demonstrates that.

Oh, sorry. I'll go hide in my house while the funeral takes place in my backyard.

edit: by the way, "If you read this far, you should follow me on twitter here" - classy.

Re: Daring Fireball: Universe Dented, Grass Underfoot

#44

Post by ethank » Thu, Oct 06, 2011, 3:43 PM UTC

PhrosTT wrote: post #29

juliano_q wrote: post #6

I am not a big Gruber fan. Actually, I disagree with most of his opinions. But this text is just beautiful.

Came here to make the same point. I kinda hate his fanboyism, but damn if he can't find the angle nobody else sees.

I hate this admonishment of fanboy-ism that permeates the discussion anytime MG or Gruber are mentioned.

We need fanaticism to counter balance apathy.

There is nothing more empowering than a belief in what you do, why you do it, or who you do it for.

*said as someone who ran a fan site for 16 years

Re: Daring Fireball: Universe Dented, Grass Underfoot

#45

Post by hugh3 » Thu, Oct 06, 2011, 3:44 PM UTC

pseuds_corner wrote: post #11

pseuds_corner wrote: post #3

A walk outside in nature: something I can heartily recommend all the folk stoking up their teenage emotion tsunami while swamping HN with endless Steve tributes.

Seriously. Princess Diana level craziness.

Not really. Look, Steve Jobs was an extremely important dude in the field of computers. If you go round reading a news site for and by people who work in the field of computers on the day he dies then yes, you're going to find a lot of tributes to the man. If you don't like it, go read something else for a while.

Some people are going too far, like whoever left the two bunches of flowers I noticed outside the door of my local Apple store last night. But hey, maybe they knew him personally. Death is hard, and I've got better things to do than look down my nose at other people for their reactions to it.

Re: Daring Fireball: Universe Dented, Grass Underfoot

#46

Post by runjake » Thu, Oct 06, 2011, 3:44 PM UTC

pseuds_corner wrote: post #3

A walk outside in nature: something I can heartily recommend all the folk stoking up their teenage emotion tsunami while swamping HN with endless Steve tributes.

You might want to spend the day reading a site that isn't full of people inspired by Steve Jobs, be it his products, his work ethics, or his ideas, then.

Re: Daring Fireball: Universe Dented, Grass Underfoot

#47

Post by tonetheman » Thu, Oct 06, 2011, 3:44 PM UTC

I am not a huge fan of daring fireball either but it was a good post. It is strange how we notice things about people and then remember them like that.

Re: Daring Fireball: Universe Dented, Grass Underfoot

#48

Post by FredBrach » Thu, Oct 06, 2011, 3:46 PM UTC

"Those grass stained sneakers were the product of limited time, well spent."

Re: Daring Fireball: Universe Dented, Grass Underfoot

#49

Post by greyish_water » Thu, Oct 06, 2011, 3:54 PM UTC

jarek wrote: post #43

swombat wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually, given his influence, yeah, it kind of is. The fact that you bump into articles about him everywhere (even on my blog! http://swombat.com/2011/10/6/steve-jobs ) kind of demonstrates that.

Oh, sorry. I'll go hide in my house while the funeral takes place in my backyard. edit: by the way, "If you read this far, you should follow me on twitter here" - classy.

"Gotta tell everyone how you feel."

Re: Daring Fireball: Universe Dented, Grass Underfoot

#50

Post by muhfuhkuh » Thu, Oct 06, 2011, 4:01 PM UTC

jarek wrote: post #42

danilocampos wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Life is a lot more enjoyable when you accept, as I've just mentioned in a cousin, that people exist for their own purposes and not your pleasure. Some people express their feelings in saccharin ways. Okay. And? Does it make those feelings, or those people, less valid that they're more Hallmark than Bob Dylan? Death is difficult. Cut people a damn break.

I'm human. I judge people and form opinions based on their behaviour. I'm not denying them the right to those behaviours. Sometimes I can't resist voicing my opinions. If you don't, I'm really happy for you. I'm confident 99% of commenters didn't know Steve Jobs personally. If his death is difficult for them, it's a problem they themselves have created.

"If his death is difficult for them, it's a problem they themselves have created."

He was a visible figure in people's lives. To attach emotion to someone present in your life, even if they aren't physically there, even if you don't know them in any intimate way, is natural. I recently saw a documentary where elephants walked by the skeletal remains of fallen elephants along their water migration path and touch their trunk to them in what observers deem a tribute. They likely don't even know the deceased. Would you call that a problem?

That's the vexing thing about celebrity: Their seemingly open-book lifestyle (I know, he was a supremely private individual but, hey, Steve could've let anyone else do those keynotes and demos) lets us connect to them in ways that the celebrities cannot even fathom.