Comment by tptacek

10 years ago

Stop it. Patrick, Erin and I had dinner with Rayiner last year. He's a good guy, and also FOUR things HN can use a lot more of:

* A lawyer, ie, someone with real domain knowledge of how the law works, which is a topic that comes up a lot on HN and which generates about as much misinformed commentary here as crypto does,

* A compiler hacker --- in fact, he's part of a weird cabal of "people who graduated from law school and hack on compilers" on HN. Implicitly, he's also probably in the top 1% of programming ability among vocal commenters on the site,

* Someone who doesn't hold the modal political perspective of the vocal HN userbase, which means there's a point to discussing politically-tinged topics with him --- you might learn something surprising,

* A relentlessly, reliably civil commenter, despite being the routine target of a hailstorm of comments like yours upthread.

There are much cheaper ways to find shills than to source them from practicing lawyers with toddlers who hack on compilers in their spare time.

I'm not one of the "moderation lawyers" badgering Dan about you in private. I'm badgering you about it publicly. Please stop mistreating people on HN just because you don't agree with them.

3 comments

tptacek

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samstave  10 years ago

Thomas,

I really took this comment to heart:

Someone who doesn't hold the modal political perspective of the vocal HN userbase, which means there's a point to discussing politically-tinged topics with him --- you might learn something surprising,

A relentlessly, reliably civil commenter, despite being the routine target of a hailstorm of comments like yours upthread.

So for that I thank you and I shall lighten up.

Honestly, as we have disagreed in the past about several political/security/gov issues -- I appreciate you saying this. Mainly because I am always open to learning, and when you say I may learn more from Rayiner WRT politically-tinged topics - I will not shy away from that.

So based on this, I apologize to Rayiner for calling HIM a shill.

  • tptacek  10 years ago

    I don't know what this freaky message board power I seem to have acquired is but I promise only to wield it for good, and not evil.

samstave  10 years ago

Hmm. I have much to reply to this comment, but I have an appointment so I shall wait, but you and I have been in disagreement previously on this exact subect. First and foremost I apologigize for thinking Rayiner was a female.

But it's been nearly four years of reading their comments. I am not convinced that they are not pushing the totalitarian narrative.

I humbly ask you to prove me wrong, please show me how this person whom you claim to know personally is not pushing totalitarianism as j understand that HN is allergic to the word "shill"

Edit: I just want to point out that I really do respect what you have to say, as we have disagreed many times but I do respect your position.