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Why I downvoted you (redux): starchy would-be HN exceptionalism and undergraduate pomposity ("we're so much better than Reddit, ...").

The grandparent post was a bit overheated, but not exactly an out-of-control polemic. Much of what he wrote is literally true. It might be "improved" by pumping it up with a pile of "of course, there are many points of view here" and "other companies also do bad things" and "let's remember all the awesome things that Google has done". But so what?

Your rewriting actually removes content. He is not "afraid that Google will start to monitor and try to control its users and content too closely". He's saying it's already happened.

What you're asking is that instead of concisely putting forth their point of view posters puff up what they're writing with pompous polysyllabic mini-essays on Every Goddamn Thing, with copious footnotes, links, etc. Same biases, more tl;dr.

Forcing everyone to furnish "pragmatic alternatives" is also another great way of turning every concise 4-line statement into a tedious mini-essay. It's actually OK to be against something without necessarily having to lay out an 8-step plan to substitute for it...

Finally, ad-hominem name-calling can be fun and brightens up everyone's day, as long as it's not bullying. The guy isn't exactly going to ruin Brin/Page/Schmidt's days by taking a swing at the goog, now, is he?



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