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

Poll: Which Generation Are You?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

61–70 of 74 posts

Re: Poll: Which Generation Are You?

#61

Post by psnajder »

In Strauss and Howe's book Generations (I highly recommend reading it, if not visiting this Wiki explanation on their theories of social cycles: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generations_(book)), they say very simply that whatever Generation you believe is yours, is yours. That is, if you were born in 1981 and felt that Nirvana and Reality Bites and Microserfs were items that you feel define you and your peers, then you are Gen X. If you were born in 1981 and are/were more interested in Hanson/Britney and Varsity Blues and not reading books (I keed!), then you are a Millenial (Gen Y). I was born in 1977, an unrepentant Gen Xer.

I think most of the comments here support this general self-assessment. (God knows that anyone in Gen X was all-too aware of the fact.)

P.S. Obama, born in 1961, is on the X/Baby Boomer cusp. But given his single-parent upbringing and general awesomeness, I have always considered him our first Gen X big-time leader. The biggest unspoken issue of the 2008 campaign is our movement away from a Baby Boomer or GI Generation president in a very very long time (Eisenhower was our last Pres not from GI/Boomer Generations). McCain, born in 1936, would be the FIRST member of the Silent Generation to become President, ever (Bush II: Boomer; Clinton: Boomer, Bush I: GI; Reagan: GI; Carter: GI; Ford: GI; Nixon: GI; LBJ: GI; JFK: GI; etc.). The real question of this election is: do you want someone from the old school that can't logon to a computer leading us in the 21st Century, or would you give that task to one of the do-nothing, lazy, slackers that you have come to know and love?

Re: Poll: Which Generation Are You?

#63

Post by jyothi »

rman666 wrote: post #52

I'm six, why is there no generation for me?

Very surprising to know that kids of your age read HN too. If you are really 6 I am bowled.

Saw this in your profile - experienced entrepreneur. :) amusing. Did you start something in your backyard for the toddlers when you were 2 or 3 ?

Re: Poll: Which Generation Are You?

#68

Post by rms »

timr wrote: post #55
YuriNiyazov wrote: post #5

Annoying - I keep on seeing different standards for X and Y, and never know which one I belong to, because I was born at the end of 1981. I am XY I guess.

Someone below made a comment that they can't remember not having a computer at home. If you ask me, that should be the litmus test. I didn't have a computer until I was in the third or fourth grade.

My favored litmus test is if you can remember the Berlin Wall.

Re: Poll: Which Generation Are You?

#69

Post by rms »

moonriver wrote: post #53
nex3 wrote: post #20

1990, so solidly Gen Y. I remember not having internet access, but I don't remember not having a computer at home. Some of my earliest memories involve playing DOS games. I think 9/11 is a pretty defining moment. I was in 6th grade that year, so I was old enough to understand what was going on but not old enough to really be interested in politics, so I became politically aware in a world with a war on terror and pat…

Wow, seeing someone born in 1990 made me feel old and I'm only a year older. Weird. Wikipedia seems to refer to Gen Y and Gen M though for some reason? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generations#Generation_Table

The reference to Gen M shouldn't be there... that table is not the Wikipedia canonical order of generations. This one is better. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_generations Feel free to switch the tables if you're feeling so motivated.

Re: Poll: Which Generation Are You?

#70

Post by rms »

I was proud to defend the Generation Y article when it was up for deletion on Wikipedia. Any other names for my generation annoy me. The reason is because if the singularity occurs in the near future, it will be incredibly cool if Generation Z isthe last generation of humanity before the first generation of post-humans (Generation Alpha?).
Post reply on HN