Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Mark Zuckerberg Interviews Patrick Collison and Tyler Cowen

conversationswithtyler.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

101–110 of 141 posts

Re: Mark Zuckerberg Interviews Patrick Collison and Tyler Cowen

#101

Post by ramzyo »

minblaster wrote: post #94
kelnos wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn't call Gates "beloved", at least not in all circles. I consider his work with his foundation as basically table stakes in society for someone who has made his fortune from illegal, anti-competitive practices that damaged an entire industry. Beyond that, while I'll certainly admit that government has a ton of problems, I'm not sure that the best model for funding -- for example -- research into various diseas…

I agree. It’s amazing how easily people slip into the ends justifying the means. Yes, he’s contributing now. Doesn’t excuse the practices that got him there.

It's a tough thing you're hitting on - definitely something I wrestle with personally with respect to people who follow career arcs similar to Gates'. Personally, I don't believe the ends ever justify the means, although in admiring Gates today for the work he does I don't feel that I'm doing that nor excusing him for his past. Would I ever look to young Gates as a role model? No. Gates of today, yes. I imagine I could think of Zuckerberg the same way one day if he has a long enough career.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg Interviews Patrick Collison and Tyler Cowen

#102

Post by ramzyo »

kelnos wrote: post #89
ramzyo wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting point, although I hesitate to see this as an effective counterpoint. People change, perceptions of people change, and those who were once maligned can become beloved, while those who were once beloved can become maligned. Bill Gates has followed the maligned to beloved arch over the last 25 years - it's easy for me to see how Mark could follow this same trajectory given that he's relatively early in his c…

I wouldn't call Gates "beloved", at least not in all circles. I consider his work with his foundation as basically table stakes in society for someone who has made his fortune from illegal, anti-competitive practices that damaged an entire industry. Beyond that, while I'll certainly admit that government has a ton of problems, I'm not sure that the best model for funding -- for example -- research into various diseas…

Yeah, good points. With regards to having a praised philanthropic legacy at odds with massive wealth accumulation earlier in a career at the expense of income inequality and unfair markets - I don't see those as needing to be mutually exclusive. I personally don't see one's legacy as a singular thing, there can be good parts and bad parts (whatever one's definition of "good" and "bad" are), some worth admiring and some worth detesting. Gates has done things on both sides over the course of a career, I'm hopeful that Zuckerberg will model himself more after Gates over a similar length of time.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg Interviews Patrick Collison and Tyler Cowen

#104

Post by dluan »

> Collison: But even if technology solved that, I guess my worry would be that the socio-institutional dynamics that have ruined cities or made them less effective or whatever, probably also generalized and applied to other domains.

Reminder that Stripe as a company put out a position opposing Prop C. The hypocrisy, I guess.

Someone needs to update pg's 'founders should live in the future' to specifically include FAGSLC as the future, because otherwise we're just wasting heat.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg Interviews Patrick Collison and Tyler Cowen

#105

Post by thundergolfer »

svachalek wrote: post #103
thundergolfer wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What’s the “P word”?

Privacy I assume. Or maybe politics.

Thanks. They really should have just stated it. The "P-word" ain't a thing like the "F-word" is.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg Interviews Patrick Collison and Tyler Cowen

#106

Post by hogFeast »

dang wrote: post #61
hogFeast wrote: post #53

The self-importance of pretty much everything in this interview is literally unbearable. I will give you the precis: I think X is important, why doesn't everyone think X is important (usually about five sentences of escalating grandeur about the importance of X), because I think X is important and "no-one is talking about X" you know that I am a real genius...on and on. Cowen is also an utter ignoramus. He seems to c…

Thoughtful critique is fine, but please don't post petty personal attacks to HN. It poisons the well regardless of how right you are. Also, please omit the name-calling. If you'd please review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and take the spirit of this site more to heart, we'd appreciate it.

It isn't a petty personal attack. You believe it is petty but I explained my reasons. Ignoramous isn't a "name", it is a noun describing someone with the attributes that Cowen has (I specifically say that, as he is doing throughout the interview, he pontificates endlessly on subjects in which he has no expertise).

Just to be clear, whether he has those attributes or not, people like that exist. It isn't unacceptable to say something negative...ironically, as you yourself show by calling my comment "petty". One rule for us, amirite comrade?

Re: Mark Zuckerberg Interviews Patrick Collison and Tyler Cowen

#107

Post by uoaei »

dluan wrote: post #104

> Collison: But even if technology solved that, I guess my worry would be that the socio-institutional dynamics that have ruined cities or made them less effective or whatever, probably also generalized and applied to other domains. Reminder that Stripe as a company put out a position opposing Prop C. The hypocrisy, I guess. Someone needs to update pg's 'founders should live in the future' to specifically include FAG…

>Fully Automated Gay Space Luxury Communism

For those having trouble parsing that acronym.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg Interviews Patrick Collison and Tyler Cowen

#108

Post by hogFeast »

yellowstuff wrote: post #72
hogFeast wrote: post #53

The self-importance of pretty much everything in this interview is literally unbearable. I will give you the precis: I think X is important, why doesn't everyone think X is important (usually about five sentences of escalating grandeur about the importance of X), because I think X is important and "no-one is talking about X" you know that I am a real genius...on and on. Cowen is also an utter ignoramus. He seems to c…

> He seems to confuse being an economist with having knowledge about literally everything. Cowen does have knowledge on almost literally everything. If you listen to his podcast he will get into the weeds with experts in a diverse array of fields. When he interviewed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar he asked about specifics of his basketball career and also his writing and political work, when he interviewed an Asian food writer…

I am sure that Cowen prepares for those interviews. But he doesn't have knowledge "on almost literally" (this isn't a phrase that makes sense btw) everything.

I am not going to do a line-by-line but several things he says in the interview are just inaccurate. That is fine, I am specifically saying that no-one knows everything. The issue is that he goes on to make other points based on stuff he doesn't understand.

As I pointed out too, his career is somewhat chequered. And he has a history of writing grand papers on subjects which he knows nothing about.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg Interviews Patrick Collison and Tyler Cowen

#109

Post by t_serpico »

jonmc12 wrote: post #88
pyb wrote: post #38

"What’s interesting and, anyway should be concerning, is that for almost every conceivable applied measure we seem to be getting at best constant returns. But that’s really bad because we see exponentially increasing inputs and constant return outputs." Ironically, in terms of innovation, the yearly output of companies such as Facebook and Stripe has seemed somewhat constant, despite those companies getting many orde…

I had been listening to some "Game A" vs "Game B" podcasts - Schmachtenberger, Hall (Greenhall), Rutt, etc, just before listening to this podcast. For example: https://soundcloud.com/venturestories/game-b-in-a-silicon-va... These thinkers propose a common constraint for stagnant growth in education and medicine: a philosophy of science. There is much more to it, and unfortunately it's not a concise explanation. Howev…

What exactly does it mean to invest in a 'philosophy of science'? I broadly interpret that as efforts geared towards gaining a big picture understanding of a problem, its subproblems, and interdependencies.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg Interviews Patrick Collison and Tyler Cowen

#110

Post by buboard »

laingc wrote: post #60

I loved this interview, and generally have a lot of time for Tyler Cowen’s podcasts and blog. This topic is one that Peter Thiel has been talking about for over a decade. I have a general theory that whatever smart people are talking about now, Thiel was discussing 10 years before. This is why I always try to find out everything I can about what Thiel is talking about today - it’s like getting a glimpse into the futu…

it's likely Thiel influenced both of them (is invested in both)

> what Thiel is talking about today

what he said 10 years ago is more actionable

Post reply on HN