Sometimes you think you’ve been accused of everything you could be accused of. Wonders never cease!
> The "moderation by less", as well as the guidelines, are both farcical in nature. They've given way to ruination of an otherwise decent tech discussion forum
The guidelines have been constant (with minor updates) for most of the two decades HN has existed. Dan’s a moderator for 14 years and I’ve been one for several. Both of us have been active participants almost since the beginning. When did the ruination begin?
Your comment seems a generic vent, largely unrelated to the parent comment but if you have any actionable suggestions you’re welcome to email us.
There it is, the "off topic" play. Well done, Tom.
If you'd put anywhere near the amount of attention in moderating the site for over all quality that you put into my "largely unrelated" comment, this entire comment thread would not exist. Think it over.
That neither of you are at the very least bothering to steer the greater discourse towards some higher ground is a lack of balance that I am highlighting.
To remark my comment as off topic in the context of the thread opener is to dismiss what I am saying using a very lazy tactic that I've seen used countless times before. No, it is not off topic. It is very much on topic and relevant.
And if you have a problem with my comment, feel free to email me.
But one of your central complaints was about the guidelines, which have been constant for nearly two decades, so we’re just not having a serious conversation here. We’re always looking for signs that indicate if and how we can be doing better, but this interaction has nothing to grab onto.
Never been invited, but I've also never felt smart enough for that community. I'm glad I can read it though!
I actually think it's a bit dangerous to try and understand SV from HN comments, in the same way that trying to learn about an event by watching a fictional adaptation of it can often confuse more than educate. The goal of the comments here aren't for SV to chat anymore and it hasn't been for a very long time, for better or for worse.
Twitter is closer to what you'll get among founder and hype circles in silicon valley, but even that isn't a good pulse of what engineers here actually think. The public web is just too adversarial a place for most folks to want to hang out anymore and silicon valley has been so deeply politicized in the news that a lot of people just don't want to air their opinions in public anymore. My suggestion is to save up some money and just come here and visit for a week or two, go to events, rant to a few graybeards, that kind of thing. You'll get a much more authentic look.