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Comment by lefstathiou | Hacker News Reader

Before I clicked the comments button and without reading the article I made a mental bet with myself that the first comment would be something negative (a growing trend on HN I’ve observed). You did not disappoint (well kinda...).

@all: Is anyone aware of any sentiment analysis that’s been done on HN posts across time? I am fascinated by what may be digital equivalent of the Marxist proletariat uprising.

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It's a common trend but I don't believe it's a growing one. Indignation comes up as a fast reflex response. Thoughtful comments are reflective and come more slowly. That's all one needs to explain why negative comments show up first.

> what may be digital equivalent of the Marxist proletariat uprising.

What do you mean by this analogy?

I think he means the correction of a system with wealth inequality that leads to the people we love most suffering through no fault of their own. We can see the backsliding of quality of life for people who's output has been unchanging for decades. Many of us have friends and family who live "back home" and are not software engineers with healthy budgets. Many of us are married to or are related to people who come from different socio-economic, ethnic or racial backgrounds which have given us the uncommon knowledge (to privileged society) of what it is like to be stuck in a class of perpetually losing.

I see. I misunderstood then. IMO, that is not a good description of a Marxist uprising.

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