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Comment by lizluna | Hacker News Reader

I agree that Chez JJ was highly misrepresented. To compare to college dorms is superficial, it completely lacked the real essence of what makes the boarding at Chez JJ really special, the family-like atmosphere that creates emotional support for everyone in the hacking industry, and a great atmosphere to bounce ideas off each other. I felt that the article was written to laugh at people and their sub-par living conditions and start-up failures. It sorely diminishes the hard work and achievements that are continuously produced through the residence and the genuine care that is put in by the captains. It made Sasha sound like a callus bitch and the boarding sound filthy. Makes you feel that journalism cannot be trusted. LL

Keyword: New York Times, Crammed Into Cheap Bunks, Dreaming of Future Digital Glory

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You're still making it sound like college dorms. They too are designed exactly to promote 'family-like atmosphere that creates emotional support' and one to 'bounce ideas off each other.' That's why they're such a unique and memorable experience. You are just choosing to list the positive things aspects of dorm living and ignore those brought up in the article.

I hope it didn't sound like I'm callous. The fact that Chez JJ is selective is a big part of what makes us so special. If I let in just anyone, the house might be full of partying fratboys and boring tourists. Instead, I bring together a group of people who share ideas, form lasting friendships, and even hire each other. Even if I accept a non-tech person, it's always because I feel he/she meshes well with the house, brings positive energy, and contributes to the family atmosphere. I literally look forward to seeing all my residents in the living/dining rooms every night.

I think the article was a great introduction. This is coming from someone who knows nothing about it but we run similar programs in Atlanta (tasteless plug - www.juniorengineer.us). These things are not well understood by the mainstream. The culture needed to create stellar developers and awesome startupx and products is a conundrum to some and is only recently being analyzed because of the success of accelerators like Y-combinator and Tech stars. People who are unfamiliar with these concepts need points of reference so don't beat them up too bad

Faruq Hunter

The problem with the misrepresentation in the article is that unlike other hacker houses, Chez JJ is pretty damn close to spotlessly clean. It's why we pay professionals to do it. And one of our houses was actually 50% female.

It's hard to make people envision something else, once the words are out there, but we really aim to make life as frictionless as possible for our guests.

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