Comment by Symbiote

4 years ago

It is strange how many people will sacrifice so much for free speech and the right to bear arms (like tolerating school shootings and foreign interference in elections), but offer them the "freedom OS" and they'll pick the slightly better trackpad.

Does no one here have principles?

Fuck yes I'll pick the slightly better trackpad. To a point anyway. Sitting for upwards of 8 hours a day typing code can be a depressing life trap to find yourself in. If every time I touched my trackpad I cringed because it feels like sandpaper, works like shit, and might not even have good first party driver support, only to be consoled by the the thought that I could install Windows on it if I wanted to, I'd probably not be too satisfied.

I have an expensive chair, that I could only really get fixed by the company that made it. I could have a shitty chair that hurts my ass, messes with my posture, costs 1/12th the price, that I could sit in and re-assure myself that I'm free to get commodity parts anywhere I want, but I'd prefer not to do that unless I had no choice.

I didn't say I was that kind of people.

Your description of them was also not exactly flattering.

  • Defending fundamental (in the USA, constitutional) rights is a generalization of people on HN.

    I thought your reply to a "Stallman was right" comment with "but trackpad!" had the most contrast between principles and minor convenience.

    • Haha my principles are few but those I do hold up.

      For things like computers though, I don't tend to hold a big grudge - I do whatever is the most comfortable and productive.

      I have the opinion that if someone have too many principles, either they'll suffer an unhappy life or they will end up violating many of it.