Ask PG: Black bar for Neil Armstrong

#1

Post by gnok » Sat, Aug 25, 2012, 9:28 PM UTC

Could we get out the HN black bar for Neil Armstrong?

Re: Ask PG: Black bar for Neil Armstrong

#2

Post by ChrisNorstrom » Sat, Aug 25, 2012, 9:51 PM UTC

I've been on HN for so many years as a lurker and finally member. I don't recall what a "black bar" is? From what I've Googled I guess its some sort of solute to a fallen hero of tech or science? What does it look like?

Re: Ask PG: Black bar for Neil Armstrong

#3

Post by dcope » Sat, Aug 25, 2012, 9:54 PM UTC

ChrisNorstrom wrote: post #2

I've been on HN for so many years as a lurker and finally member. I don't recall what a "black bar" is? From what I've Googled I guess its some sort of solute to a fallen hero of tech or science? What does it look like?

Yes, that is correct. The orange header bar is usually replaced with a black one when someone of importance to the technology & science field passes.

Re: Ask PG: Black bar for Neil Armstrong

#4

Post by nrb » Sat, Aug 25, 2012, 9:54 PM UTC

ChrisNorstrom wrote: post #2

I've been on HN for so many years as a lurker and finally member. I don't recall what a "black bar" is? From what I've Googled I guess its some sort of solute to a fallen hero of tech or science? What does it look like?

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=644954

Re: Ask PG: Black bar for Neil Armstrong

#5

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Aug 25, 2012, 9:54 PM UTC

ChrisNorstrom wrote: post #2

I've been on HN for so many years as a lurker and finally member. I don't recall what a "black bar" is? From what I've Googled I guess its some sort of solute to a fallen hero of tech or science? What does it look like?

[deleted]

Re: Ask PG: Black bar for Neil Armstrong

#6

Post by TobbenTM » Sat, Aug 25, 2012, 9:54 PM UTC

ChrisNorstrom wrote: post #2

I've been on HN for so many years as a lurker and finally member. I don't recall what a "black bar" is? From what I've Googled I guess its some sort of solute to a fallen hero of tech or science? What does it look like?

It looks like a black bar. At the top of the screen.

Re: Ask PG: Black bar for Neil Armstrong

#7

Post by jiggy2011 » Sat, Aug 25, 2012, 9:57 PM UTC

Whilst I have huge respect and awe for Neil, his life will be celebrated by the people at large.

I think the Black HN bar is best reserved for more obscure but important characters who will have particular meaning for people in this site.

Re: Ask PG: Black bar for Neil Armstrong

#8

Post by _sentient » Sat, Aug 25, 2012, 9:59 PM UTC

I don't know, but this question just strikes me as more than a little entitled. If PG wanted to change the color scheme, I imagine he would choose to do so without the pressure.

Neil Armstrong was a great man, but there are many great men and women who leave us. Where do you draw the line?

Re: Ask PG: Black bar for Neil Armstrong

#9

Post by whalesalad » Sat, Aug 25, 2012, 10:02 PM UTC

This feels tacky. Discussion of the black bar. It's like fight club. You don't talk about it. Look what's happening here: people are actually debating whether or not someone's death deserves the black bar. Can we please stop this?

Re: Ask PG: Black bar for Neil Armstrong

#10

Post by anigbrowl » Sat, Aug 25, 2012, 10:04 PM UTC

jiggy2011 wrote: post #7

Whilst I have huge respect and awe for Neil, his life will be celebrated by the people at large. I think the Black HN bar is best reserved for more obscure but important characters who will have particular meaning for people in this site.

A valid view, (so no downvote) but I disagree. Armstrong faced many life-threatening failures as a test pilot and improvised his way out of them. A stuck thruster on a prototype lander sent it into a spin, and Armstrong offset it with an auxiliary thruster; another prototype rolled onto its side and he had to eject at 200 feet. No matter how much training one has had, the ability to diagnose and improvise under pressure gives him hacker status in my eyes.