"Instead of cures for cancer we got Angry Birds" • Hacker News Board

Re: "Instead of cures for cancer we got Angry Birds"

#161

Post by eli_gottlieb » Wed, Jul 31, 2013, 8:07 AM UTC

cheez wrote: post #150

Everything is working as it should. "A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in." The key word here is old . Society cannot conjure up a solution for cancer, that takes dedication which only a few people who are interested in the topic can provide. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=cuc... "(Money) gives you a position in time when you're at that…

This assumes that it's possible for everyone, or even everyone deserving, to have enough money that they can afford to spend it charitably.

Re: "Instead of cures for cancer we got Angry Birds"

#162

Post by easytiger » Wed, Jul 31, 2013, 8:43 AM UTC

napoleoncomplex wrote: post #43

I don't think the people who work on these "useless" apps are to blame, rather it's the system in which they are brought up in and in case of start-ups, are taught entrepreneurship in. Paul Graham himself says he advises every start-up to "work on something for which they are the initial market"[0], so every YC cycle you get numerous companies which solve the problems of young San Francisco residents ([1] for comic r…

> Meanwhile, your doctor in the hospital is stuck using some 1980's software, which drains the very life-force out of him by the amount of pain it inflicts with every use

This isn't exactly true but the truth that it hints at is largely about mass standardisation, accountability and global purchasing rules for large organisations.

The same applies at telcos, banks etc. You can turn an oil tanker around quickly.

Re: "Instead of cures for cancer we got Angry Birds"

#163

Post by cheez » Wed, Jul 31, 2013, 4:24 PM UTC

eli_gottlieb wrote: post #161

cheez wrote: post #150

Everything is working as it should. "A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in." The key word here is old . Society cannot conjure up a solution for cancer, that takes dedication which only a few people who are interested in the topic can provide. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=cuc... "(Money) gives you a position in time when you're at that…

This assumes that it's possible for everyone, or even everyone deserving , to have enough money that they can afford to spend it charitably.

Anyone who claims they can't afford to be charitable should be on the receiving end of it. You can be charitable with time or money. There is an infamous quote:

"A man who, beyond the age of 26, finds himself on a bus can count himself as a failure."

At a certain point, you don't get special treatment if you came up poor. I know a guy who has been to jail a couple of times, never finished university and still makes six figures.

Re: "Instead of cures for cancer we got Angry Birds"

#164

Post by eli_gottlieb » Thu, Aug 01, 2013, 12:29 PM UTC

cheez wrote: post #163

eli_gottlieb wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This assumes that it's possible for everyone, or even everyone deserving , to have enough money that they can afford to spend it charitably.

Anyone who claims they can't afford to be charitable should be on the receiving end of it. You can be charitable with time or money. There is an infamous quote: "A man who, beyond the age of 26, finds himself on a bus can count himself as a failure." At a certain point, you don't get special treatment if you came up poor. I know a guy who has been to jail a couple of times, never finished university and still makes s…

Wait, what's so bad about buses?

Also, "anyone" != "everyone".