'Stupid,' 'shameful:' Tech workers on Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan's rant • Hacker News Board

Re: 'Stupid,' 'shameful:' Tech workers on Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan's rant

#161

Post by hnaccount_rng » Fri, Feb 02, 2024, 5:04 AM UTC

lcnPylGDnU4H9OF wrote: post #130

throwup238 wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would you charge a drunk CEO less ?

Nobody’s buying at $1000/month but “giving them half off” makes them think they’re getting a deal. What they don’t know is they could just have a file on their computer named “is this offensive (open when drunk).txt” with contents that read “yes”.

Um… there are liters lawyers and PR professionals that make their living with that kind of service. And for a certain personality type… I don’t see the 1k$/month being the relevant factor. I’d bet there would be buyers for that service. Though: Probably not enough to actually sustain the liability insurance that you’d need to deal with the complaints of a faulty product

Re: 'Stupid,' 'shameful:' Tech workers on Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan's rant

#162

Post by arduanika » Fri, Feb 02, 2024, 5:05 AM UTC

lxe wrote: post #51

This is more of a classic lesson in what effect can alcohol have on one's life and career.

Yeah. This is the most boring take on the story, but also probably the most correct, and definitely the most actionable for the rest of us.

Re: 'Stupid,' 'shameful:' Tech workers on Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan's rant

#163

Post by AlexandrB » Fri, Feb 02, 2024, 5:06 AM UTC

gfodor wrote: post #8

You'd never guess that this was a Tupac quote by the media coverage and wave after wave of forced outrage. The whole thing is so embarassing.

Does it really matter? It's terrible judgement to post something whose intended meaning hinges on whether you know an American rap song from ~30 years ago to a public venue like Twitter. There are plenty of voters who weren't even born when Tupac was still alive.

Re: 'Stupid,' 'shameful:' Tech workers on Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan's rant

#164

Post by apapapa » Fri, Feb 02, 2024, 5:08 AM UTC

cj wrote: post #44

As a YC alum who worked with Gary Tan directly, this is… odd. Anyone who knows Gary knows he’s a (relatively) gentle human being. I can’t imagine him hurting a fly. His tweets seem totally out of character compared to the Gary Tan I personally knew. Maybe he has changed? I’m inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt.

> I can’t imagine him hurting a fly.

A lot of people say they never thought their neighbor could hurt someone, after the fact.

Re: 'Stupid,' 'shameful:' Tech workers on Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan's rant

#165

Post by arduanika » Fri, Feb 02, 2024, 5:08 AM UTC

gfodor wrote: post #8

You'd never guess that this was a Tupac quote by the media coverage and wave after wave of forced outrage. The whole thing is so embarassing.

Oh. In that case it's no biggie.

Re: 'Stupid,' 'shameful:' Tech workers on Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan's rant

#166

Post by futtureboomr » Fri, Feb 02, 2024, 5:09 AM UTC

lxe wrote: post #51

This is more of a classic lesson in what effect can alcohol have on one's life and career.

[dead]

Re: 'Stupid,' 'shameful:' Tech workers on Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan's rant

#167

Post by tempsy » Fri, Feb 02, 2024, 5:10 AM UTC

Sabinus wrote: post #156

onepointsixC wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps I could interest you in some rent control too.

Ruins market mechanisms too much. Taxing vacancies doesn't ruin the supply and demand equations.

it unfairly punishes property owners in soft rental markets like the one we have now.

i’ve seen an unusual number of multifamily properties listed all over SF last few months.

Re: 'Stupid,' 'shameful:' Tech workers on Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan's rant

#168

Post by anigbrowl » Fri, Feb 02, 2024, 5:12 AM UTC

arcticbull wrote: post #141

tempsy wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Threatening to kill someone isn’t a “shitpost”. The fact it’s a Tupac lyric is not like common knowledge. I doubt a random poll of Twitter users would show most people would know the reference immediately.

Sure, and that was the misstep here. He clearly wasn't threatening to kill anyone, it was misinterpreted, he thought people would get a reference that they clearly did not. He's apologized, it's time to move on. There's better things to spend our outrage budget on IMO than someone who cares a little too much about city politics and has probably learned not to overestimate his audience's knowledge of Tupac.

They were probably waiting for him to slip up and say something like this.

This is a touch paranoid.

it was misinterpreted, he thought people would get a reference that they clearly did not

As a general matter, people should spend more time saying what they mean instead of engaging in meta-discourse of quoting cool references to each other for vibes. It's an unhealthy way to communicate; online discourse is totally irony-poisoned and (imho) this is partly why there's such a breakdown of social trust.

And really, don't you think throwing out lines like 'die slow motherfuckers' in public for cool points is a little...juvenile?

Re: 'Stupid,' 'shameful:' Tech workers on Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan's rant

#169

Post by anigbrowl » Fri, Feb 02, 2024, 5:14 AM UTC

tempsy wrote: post #167

Sabinus wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ruins market mechanisms too much. Taxing vacancies doesn't ruin the supply and demand equations.

it unfairly punishes property owners in soft rental markets like the one we have now. i’ve seen an unusual number of multifamily properties listed all over SF last few months.

The market is sending a price signal, wouldn't you say?

Re: 'Stupid,' 'shameful:' Tech workers on Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan's rant

#170

Post by rdtsc » Fri, Feb 02, 2024, 5:14 AM UTC

arcticbull wrote: post #119

cj wrote: post #44

As a YC alum who worked with Gary Tan directly, this is… odd. Anyone who knows Gary knows he’s a (relatively) gentle human being. I can’t imagine him hurting a fly. His tweets seem totally out of character compared to the Gary Tan I personally knew. Maybe he has changed? I’m inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt.

The reaction feels like pearl-clutching to be honest. This is the kind of shitpost most people would be able to get away with, but Tan is now too important -- and will have to curate his communications more. Especially if he's going to take such a strong position against incumbent politicians cautious of their own images. It also feels like a smart political play by his targets to discredit him. They were probably wa…

> Tan is now too important

How is he important? Would a person on the street know who he is?

I guess this goes with the idea that he can wish death on people and be an asshole but that’s ok, as long as it’s hidden.

Assuming he is so critical or important should the public then know better what his thoughts or attitudes are?

“Gosh, wish someone handed him a twitter account earlier so we knew before signing a contract or something…”

On the other hand one can take a more compassionate view and say maybe he had a mental breakdown or some trauma. Not knowing or caring about his importance, I’d default to that, as I would most strangers in that situation.