Ask HN: Why the Microsoft hate? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Why the Microsoft hate?

#121

Post by chimeracoder » Wed, Oct 23, 2013, 2:42 AM UTC

cjfont wrote: post #118

chimeracoder wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If you see a comment you think is ridiculous click "link" and you should be able to flag them. This option isn't available to everyone - I, for one, don't have flagging privileges. I'd assume that this is probably a karma threshold, but it appears I actually have slightly more karma than you do, so they must be using some other metric.

So when you click "link", you don't actually see the "flag" link at all? With my low karma it's appearing for me. FWIW, I've never flagged anyone before.

Nope. I can downvote people, but I can't flag them.

I don't remember ever having this privilege, on either comments or on stories.

Re: Ask HN: Why the Microsoft hate?

#122

Post by lessnonymous » Wed, Oct 23, 2013, 2:42 AM UTC

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #116

lessnonymous wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which is kind of my point. Flagging stories just because you don't like Microsoft is counter to the site's purpose. Even downvoting because you don't like Microsoft doesn't improve the site. If I'm building something, and I'd benefit hugely from some Microsoft news, your disdain for the company has just hurt my project. Flag or downvote a cat picture. But not because you happen to dislike the camera the picture was t…

Then we are in agreement. Is it possible to downvote articles? Maybe I haven't reached that karma threshold yet.

I dunno. I haven't either. :-D

Re: Ask HN: Why the Microsoft hate?

#123

Post by seanmcdirmid » Wed, Oct 23, 2013, 2:46 AM UTC

4hthth4 wrote: post #103

imsofuture wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same here. With the caveat that C# + F# are crazy awesome, not that I'm jumping at the bit to work with them again...

You could just use OCaml, of which it is an obvious copy. You wouldn't get the whole MS stack, for better or worse.

Don Syme has added some interesting features to F# like type providers, so I think it is OK to say that F# has transcended its OCaml roots to become an interesting language in its own right.

Re: Ask HN: Why the Microsoft hate?

#124

Post by sillysaurus2 » Wed, Oct 23, 2013, 2:47 AM UTC

pg wrote: post #81

iamshs wrote: post #40

In that particular thread, I was accused of being a shill and an astroturfer by 3 members. All of the accusers had karma greater than 1500, and atleast two of them were on HN since at least 2 years. Why? Because I posted the spec list of the tablet. And I do not have allegiance to any of the tech companies at all, except having used their products one time or another. MS hate is vicious on here. I remember recoiledsn…

That article was not flagged off the frontpage. It set off the flamewar detector. As for recoiledsnake, that is one of many accounts created by a group or individual who is either an astroturfer or indistinguishable from one. Part of his/her/their m.o. is to talk constantly about there being an anti-Microsoft conspiracy on HN. Sometimes he/she/they would use multiple, separate accounts in the same thread.

Sometimes he/she/they would use multiple, separate accounts in the same thread.

Is it possible they post from work, and hence share the same IP address with other HN posters? Microsoft is a big place.

Re: Ask HN: Why the Microsoft hate?

#125

Post by jayturley » Wed, Oct 23, 2013, 2:47 AM UTC

As someone who has all of 1 karma and that's only because something made me stop lurking, my take is that if enough members of an online community think something is not relevant to that community, then perhaps it isn't.

Specifically regarding MS v. Apple - because of Apple's position in the marketplace and the timing of their product releases, I think it entirely reasonable that discussion of their new tablet trumps discussion of one of the host of new Windows tablets.

Re: Ask HN: Why the Microsoft hate?

#126

Post by rpenm » Wed, Oct 23, 2013, 2:48 AM UTC

pg wrote: post #81

iamshs wrote: post #40

In that particular thread, I was accused of being a shill and an astroturfer by 3 members. All of the accusers had karma greater than 1500, and atleast two of them were on HN since at least 2 years. Why? Because I posted the spec list of the tablet. And I do not have allegiance to any of the tech companies at all, except having used their products one time or another. MS hate is vicious on here. I remember recoiledsn…

That article was not flagged off the frontpage. It set off the flamewar detector. As for recoiledsnake, that is one of many accounts created by a group or individual who is either an astroturfer or indistinguishable from one. Part of his/her/their m.o. is to talk constantly about there being an anti-Microsoft conspiracy on HN. Sometimes he/she/they would use multiple, separate accounts in the same thread.

There is a perverse incentive here. If commenters can push an article off the front page by flaming, the flamewar detector would actually encourage flaming.

Re: Ask HN: Why the Microsoft hate?

#127

Post by sandGorgon » Wed, Oct 23, 2013, 2:49 AM UTC

I am personally rooting for Microsoft because, hey, you're the underdog. But the seriously botched up release process of Windows 8.1 brought me back to hate.

I can't download an ISO - I have two computers in my house and I'm in India with 2mbps,30 gb bandwidth (which is not cheap). Seriously, why would you do that?

I could not ask my friends for a CD.

The second problem - I can't do a clean install of 8.1 using a windows 8 key. Because Windows 8.1 is supposed to be "an upgrade from Windows 8, if you have a 8 key". So the only way to clean install 8.1 is to clean install 8 and THEN launch the upgrade installer. Combining with the above issue, Im looking at about 12-15 gb of download to install two computers. All because some sales suit thought it was a bad idea. Again, seriously? Look at how Apple did the Mavericks release - the bar is much higher.

I want to like Microsoft - I really think you guys innovated with Windows Mobile (although Win 8 Metro sucks) , but your business practices soon turns that into hate.

Re: Ask HN: Why the Microsoft hate?

#128

Post by ern » Wed, Oct 23, 2013, 2:50 AM UTC

I've seen more hate directed against Oracle than Microsoft, and I don't see much hate against products like .NET, C# or Xbox, when they are discussed.

I guess that Microsoft-related topics are not regarded as supremely interesting to most of the startup scene, which still drives this site in many ways. MS aren't high growth, haven't been a startup for decades, and their stack doesn't seem popular with startups. Even if a few people hate Microsoft, I'd characterize the overall tone I've observed on HN regarding Microsoft as largely indifferent.

Re: Ask HN: Why the Microsoft hate?

#129

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Oct 23, 2013, 2:51 AM UTC

Mikeb85 wrote: post #97

> Why the Microsoft hate? Because of Microsoft's shady business practices over the years (including Elop killing Nokia's most promising phone OS, Meego, and driving the share price down so MS could scoop it up) and the fact their software is just plain bad. No one actually wants to use MS Windows. Microsoft ruined/killed some of their most beloved franchises (Age of Empires, Flight Simulator, Combat Flight Simulator)…

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Why the Microsoft hate?

#130

Post by einhverfr » Wed, Oct 23, 2013, 2:51 AM UTC

I don't hate Microsoft (I used to work at Microsoft Product Support Services). At the same time, I think after watching Microsoft try to break into the consumer smartphone market for the last 14 years, I think there is a point when one wonders if they should just give up. The only people I know using Microsoft phones and tablets are Microsoft employees.