Ask HN: Comment here about whatever you're passionate about at the moment
It has occurred to me that one of the crucial elements of the early internet was the feeling that there was somebody out there, _somewhere_ on the globe, that was actually responding to that particular thing you were putting out there. It was a special feeling, because it was a sense of connection. Just being online and being part of the few select communities that existed back then was a commitment, and I believe that's in part what made it feel special.
With all the world gaining access to the internet, I think we've gained a lot, but lost this sense of wonder: Since online interactions have now become commonplace to the point of para-social meaninglessness, any single post or message doesn't really feel all that _real_.
HN is still the closest thing I know to that primordial kind of internet, and so I'm putting this post out there. It might get buried instantly, or it might survive, and on the off chance that it does:
I encourage you to comment here about whatever you're passionate about at the moment, however niche it might be. It might let you find some likeminded people and maybe recapture a bit of the best aspects of the internet in those early days.
In any case, I sincerely wish you a great day, from one surprisingly-real-but-currently-text-based being to another :)
773 comments
[ 1.8 ms ] story [ 359 ms ] threadAre you passionate about pedantry? If so, you might be in the right place.
This post was nice to see. In addition to other things, I’m thinking about how to make simple tools/apps that bring back the sense of wonder we felt in earlier times on the internet. I made a little app (really just a function that i have mapped to a keyboard shortcut) that redirects you to a random website sourced from a handful of interesting are.na channels as well as from HN. It has brought me joy both making it and using it. The app is called moonjump and also has a minimal UI:
https://moonjump.app/
Yes I am and I am glad you noticed! I also like helping people follow the site guidelines; posts generally fare better when they do.
Sometimes people call me a stick in the mud. Which is fine. Without the stick, the mud might fly off. You don't want mud flying around, do you?
Currently studying for a chemistry and US history test on Monday. Also have an essay and Spanish test on Tuesday so it's going to be tough this weekend.
Wishing the internet a great day!
And get a good night's sleep before Monday, 8 hours minimum.
I’m here for the fall working on flight software for literal internet satellites and having the time of my life. Hope you’re enjoying life as much as I am!
Are we talking small gas thrusts, magnetorquer's, etc?
If it's mag torque, how much GMF modelling is involved?
( FWiW I can think of several other ways to twitch a sat )
My main hope for internet satellites and other massive constellations is they all shutdown over radio quiet zones and ideally do something about being so shiny in the sun .. I'm a fan of radio astronomy and the night sky.
Fingers crossed. :-)
High taxes are a lie and the seeds of destruction are planted the moment they are put in place. Developed countries like the UK are falling apart.
I'm still genuinely amused every time I see a Westerner living in a democratic country claim their government is dysfunctional, lying, stealing and bad. First, compared to what country? Second, can't you elect a different government? If enough people agree with you they would vote for it, and if not enough agree then perhaps you are in a minority. If unlike many people on this planet you have a mechanism for peaceful replacement of power it seems strange to call for a revolution.
China is an authoritarian godless dictatorship that will put a bullet in your head if you disagree with the dictator. This is the antithesis of freedom and the free will given to each of us.
Serious problems require serious efforts to understand and solve. Calling people names like “statists”, you sound like a toddler following some ideological talking points. Use the Internet and library to expand your perspective. Grow up.
In my view an increasing number of people are agreeing with me. You won’t see it in the mainstream media because they are also statists whose worldview is wrong and intolerant. You are witnessing them scream and cry and whine that democracy is failing, the climate is failing and the world is ending, basically the apocalypse is upon us and you need to be scared and afraid 24/7. Whereas the people I know don’t give a shit and don’t believe those lies. It’s like an alternate planet where hyper-online people actually think the world is ending and all the normal people stopped believing those lies.
If you want to see change, link up with other productive people. It takes one to get one. Those 40% are kind of a global standard. Instead of fighting big government, why not help to make it productive?
And believe me I am linked up with other productive people all dedicated to reducing the size and scope of the immoral and unsalvageable corrupt state.
Another thing we hear is that the modern world is in it's troublesome state because of the individualistic "me-first" selfish view of life. The rejection of Church is because people think they can have all the answers in themselves as an isolated individual for example.
Collectivism / socialism is the opposite to individualism and that's also a mistake obviously - so there's a middle ground which is more social but also respectful of each persons personhood.
I mean, have you thought about this deeply? Its something I've been pondering about - I can see it's right there in these new technologies.
Maybe there's a way to be actually social with the new tech? (where the old "social media" of the past drived us apart.) I don't see it though, just people going it alone more.
The Catholic Church is a supranational entity that will survive as nation states rise and fall. No one in 2022 puts a gun to your head to join nor stay inside it. There is no forced tithe. You are encouraged voluntarily to donate money and assist others but unlike the government not doing so is something you have to deal with yourself.
All churches and orders generally have to be self sustaining. The Vatican is not cutting checks - money flows up but doesn’t flow down and they will close churches if they aren’t cutting the mustard. This encourages self sufficiency and creativity. For example my church owns a lot of rental property and has other income generating assets.
Catholic schools are generally far superior to the local public schools. They charge reasonable rates. I live in an expensive city and the local Catholic elementary school is $10k per year which is a deal considering the public school spends $25k per student and you’d have to be out of options to send your child there because of the violence and awful nature of the education (basically ranked 1/10 nationally).
It’s hilarious that you think I haven’t thought about this deeply. What’s more shocking is that people go through life oblivious to human nature and reality. They think by taxing productive citizens and enterprises all of societal flaws can be solved. The true solution is to let all of us work communally to solve our issues and keep the greedy, evil, self serving, and venal politicians away from the wealth we earned with our own hands.
Also, see, I am not the same user(s) who replied to your original comment, but looking at their replies I can understand that you have, what appears to me to be written a defensive response. It was not the one that I was looking for. So I'm sorry. It's cool, brother. Sometimes I get worked up and reply to others still in a heated frame of mind based on something before someone else said, so I can understand when it happens, if it did.
I am curious about individualism and catholicism and these new technologies. I'm less interested in tech and government which is common here in HN, as evidenced by the other responses you got. Maybe you could provide me with the equivalent of some AOL keywords - if suitable. This might be better just to get me started than trying to parse my awkward questions!
It seems to me that individualism is the opposite of communitarianism - both extremes have their problems which Catholicism points out. What do you think? Do you see individualism and libertarianism occurring more often with Anarchist, atheism or neo-paganism or not, perhaps how is Christianity more suitable here? But really, it's this question and how it relates to new technologies. Do these technologies help us work communally, or just a tool like the stuff most of us use to be used one way or the other, or something else? How is it different from a self organising Anarchist community vision? Is it a really New Thing I guess I'm asking?
In terms of Catholicism I’m not sure there is a lot of writing specifically about how the tech industry and it intertwine. I believe that if you are a healthy individual and have nothing preventing you from working then it is your duty to be a productive member of society to help your family, friends, and those around you. The whole point of the teaching and faith is that it’s universal and timeless - doesn’t matter if we are peasants 1000 years ago or on a space ship 1000 years into the future. Just because I’m in technology doesn’t change anything or make me different from a janitor, doctor, or craftsmen.
In terms of technology for myself I see writing software as not dissimilar to constructing buildings or bridges - it’s an act of creativity that creates something out of nothing and I find beauty in the systems produced. If you are curious about Catholicism or something inside of you is seeking answers it may be worth reaching out to your local parish, they are always happy to chat.
I can see where you are coming from regarding tax and the state, and agree with you on the attack on the rich as a kind of naive resentful class warfare.
I'm currently working on an old fashioned website editing app, with a UI styled after today's note taking apps. I'm hoping that being able to work on my blog across devices without an internet connection - and without a like button or analytics script - will help me focus on what I want to write, instead of focusing on what will "sell". I'm thinking of putting an old fashioned "address book" page where I can list who I'm following, and manually publishing interesting emails I receive in response to my posts. It probably won't become big or earn me any money, but at least I'm having fun building it.
Thanks for reading, and wishing you all a great day too!
I think I'm passionate about making music that I like (the best I can produce with a single MIDI instrument haha) and building (coding) stuff that could help me and others with an overlap in interests.
I've been working mostly on a project (for the past few months). I open-sourced it today, psyched for its future. https://github.com/devclad-inc/devclad
Have a great day!
Also getting strong "go dog go" vibes, if you have kids you may know that one.
Joking aside, the Beatles may almost be like xkcd. In that they just might have a song for most if not all of the most basic human interactions and emotions.
Here, "Hello, Goodbye".
You say, "Yes", I say, "No" You say, "Stop" and I say, "Go, go, go" Oh no
You say, "Goodbye" and I say, "Hello, hello, hello" I don't know why you say, "Goodbye", I say, "Hello, hello, hello" I don't know why you say, "Goodbye", I say, "Hello"
https://ganguli-gang.stanford.edu/pdf/20.Pruning.pdf
I thought it tackles a very important problem and really got me into the topic of pruning.
Currently passionate about rock climbing, I wonder if there are any other climbers on HN? I’m looking to take a class on lead belaying soon and start sport climbing!
Sadly, I don't do any rock climbing. It's one of those things that I've always thought looked interesting, but I somehow never found time / energy / money / whatever to pursue. My big things outdoor activity wise are cycling (MTB, road, and BMX) and fishing.
Where do you upload your current vids? Are they long form? Could be lots of factors in play.
We already have a business and would like to expand a bit more on electronic side of things like IoT/hardware stuffs.
Have a good day or night or whatever time you're happening to have around.
Also your English is excellent!
The hard part is going to be a certification, I guess.
An ecg device saved my dad's life, it caught a weird heart murmur he was having and alerted the doctors to an issue with his heart. He's now better becuase we detected it early, its so wonderful there are people like you working on these devices that makes modern medicine do its thing. Thank you!
Also, how do you prepare your coffee?
In the past I extensively used Bialetti moka pot. Recently I discovered Aeropress and using it almost exclusively now. I’m not very much coffee gourmand, I just need caffeine to convert it to code, lol.
PS Good to hear about your project, sounds like a great aspiration and could help so many.
All hail Pylus the creator of GHI, and his custom scripting environment :)
Sometimes, like tonight, I do know what I want for myself. It's impossible, but it's my greatest desire for my life.
I want to be "uplifted". I want my brain capacity to be expanded by orders of magnitude. I want to understand, I want to comprehend, I want to see it all and fully understand the shape and implications of all things in my sight. I want to be more than a human mind. I want to be far, far wiser. It's not power I want. It's knowledge. It's understanding.
Yet, there's this piece inside me that tells me that "the only way out, is through".
Yearning for a bigger brain only made me feel worse.
The secret to this is lots of exercise (and maybe good sleep hygiene).
IME insomnia is mostly a result of being sedentary all day.
Never had insomnia when camping and hiking multiple hours each day.
Cheers!
EDIT: I want to emphasize one point which might interest people. As I said the speed helps me feel safe as I move with the flow of traffic. I run my bike at 1500 watts. This is twice the legal limit of 750 watts, but this isn’t well enforced. In the UK, the legal limit is just 250 watts. I think policy makers assume that a smaller number is safer, but I’m not convinced this is true. While higher speed means more risk of high speed collisions, lower speed means more risk of being hit from behind. It’s worth looking at raising the legal power limits, and whether this would increase safety for bike riders. I think it might.
The guys at that bike shop said that for example if I want to ride to Lake Merritt and walk around for a while, I could lock it near the boat house and leave it for a couple hours as long as it’s daytime. They said don’t leave it overnight which I would never do. If I’m going to the grocery store, there’s so many people coming in and out, it’s just not the kind of environment where a bike thief is super likely to come in with an angle grinder and start attacking my chain lock. It’s interesting because we imagine this place to be high theft and I guess on some level it is, but having a lot of people around does feel like a decent deterrent, along with a good lock. I’m more worried about my panniers, which aren’t locked to my bike and lift right off with no tools. I wouldn’t use those if I was leaving my bike for a while, but again at the grocery store people are coming and going so often it would be pretty risky for a thief to come and mess with bikes.
Or if I'm going to a coffee shop, I'm always within 20 feet of it and I can see it, and it’s locked. That’s fine. If I’m riding to a friends house, I leave the bike inside their house when we go do stuff. At the bike shop, I just bring the bike inside the shop with me.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to start with a cheap bike, and use the cheaper BBS02 motor and a cheaper battery. Then if it gets stolen, as much as that sucks, it’s easier to recover. Though cheap batteries present a fire risk. A lot of people on Reddit stand by the the UPP batteries, but Louis Rossmann had his catch fire so opted for the EM3EV battery at twice the price. I also got a big battery which isn’t strictly necessary, though it’s nice.
[1] https://youtu.be/SpVOTEOMRuE
If you don't use something like an ABUS 37/80 + 14KS, your shit is going to get jacked in Oakland because of zillions of thieves with portable angle grinders in backpacks and teams riding around in vans looking for easy marks.
Don't leave anything valuable outside in Oakland unless you want it to disappear because people on drugs are always looking for property to convert into their next fix.
[1] https://www.kryptonitelock.com/en/products/product-informati..., note the big final ring that the whole chain fits through to get more reach.
#12 https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/the-most-dangerous-cities-i...
I have a 4kW standing scooter that I use in another city that goes 50 mph easily. The concept of a power limit is nanny state government control: to hell with that. Scooters have no power restrictions and no limits. I wouldn't take one out on a highway, but anything short of that is fine.
Statistically, helmet wearing in the US encourages drivers to pass wearers at an unsafe distance (too close). They also provide a false sense of security and look stupid. If they were useful, the Dutch would be all over them. Experienced riders with coordination in good urban planning areas don't need them.
I’ve been a cyclist my whole life and I would never ride without a helmet. This isn’t the Netherlands. My bike goes 30 MPH and as experienced as I am, accidents still happen.
Your comment was particularly condescending and I don’t think it fits the tone of this discussion. You didn’t have to comment, and you didn’t have to be rude if you wanted to participate.
You'll probably experience less of these if you stop calling people "naive foreigners".
/s (sadly needed)
Then lately I've started to think: Why don't more people use bikes? Cars in my city are noisy, the big and fast roads makes it more miserable to walk around etc. At the same time StrongTowns, NotJustBikes, r/fuckcars etc have grown big, and it has become more of a movement. Make the cities for the people, not cars.
I'm now spending lots of time as a bicycle advocate. Going to public meetings, making sure bicyclists' points of view are included in new infrastructure plans, reporting cars parked in the bicycle lane, videotaping and putting things on Twitter to now quite a big following, talking to media etc.
So my goal would rather be that you don't need what's basically an electric motorbike to cycle safely as you do, instead more dedicated infrastructure and lower speeds on the roads in the city. But end goal is the same, make it safer to bike.
Powered assistance has a lot of value, and using electric power on a bicycle is orders of magnitude more energy efficient than anything in a car. I think there’s a lot more people interested in cycling now that e-bikes are more popular, and this means more support for that improved bike infrastructure and more people willing to travel by ultra low emissions means.
So yes, better safety is absolutely important. But I still think e-bikes and in particular 1500 watt e-bikes have a lot of value.
I'm finally ditching the Javascript/Typescript ecosystem and giving a Flutter/Dart (client-side) & Swift (server-side using SwiftWASM on Cloudflare Workers / Fastly C@E) stack a try.
I'm doing this experiment with a project I've been working on to build a connections/communities app that has a few tricks up its sleeve to try to solve the problems of online dating (Tinder/Bumble/Hinge).
I'm also experimenting with a project that's a mix between podcasting and replying to other people.
Very interested in alternate/niche takes on social networking (very different from "alt social networks")
Banging my head for whole day because of somehow nodejs does not behave like I wanted to. Maybe I need to take a break, clearing my mind. Thanks for this post.
I successfully made it through tonight and will hopefully have many more successful nights. Love and strength to anyone else out there in a similar boat.
You may greatly enjoy this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ3v2oGm6Sk.
> it was the thing that took my crushing anxiety away.
Paradoxically it's also the thing that creates the crushing anxiety when abused. One day at a time, be kind to yourself, life is a journey.
Starting drinking every night is so easy, but stopping altogether is so hard. very commendable to those who decide to stop.
Beyond the western borders of this little town, the tech gold rush has both expanded to epic proportions, affecting all the economies in the world, and also gone through enough booms and busts that the phrase "gold rush" seems somehow off.
As more and more young'uns join and jaded veterans return to throng the tavern alike, it often seems to be on the brink of either exploding with the largest gun fight in history, or jumping the shark.
And yet, against all odds, it retains its original magnetism - drawing throngs that grow in number and diversity while seers like [https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=patio11](https://news.y... and [https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=tptacek](https://new... continue to return - dispensing worldly wisdom worth its weight in gold from corner tables.
The secret is the man at the corner of the bar @dang, always around with a friendly smile and a towel on his shoulder. The only sheriff in the west who still doubles as the friendly bartender: always polite, always willing to break up a fight with kind words and clean up messes himself.
Yes a cold-hard look from him is all it takes to get most outlaws to back down, yes, his Colt-45 "moderator" edition is feared by all men, but the real secret to his success: his earnest passion (some call it an obsession) for the seemingly sisyphean task of sustaining good conflict - letting it simmer but keeping it all times below the boiling point based on "the code":
"Conflict is essential to human life, whether between different aspects of oneself, between oneself and the environment, between different individuals or between different groups. It follows that the aim of healthy living is not the direct elimination of conflict, which is possible only by forcible suppression of one or other of its antagonistic components, but the toleration of it—the capacity to bear the tensions of doubt and of unsatisfied need and the willingness to hold judgement in suspense until finer and finer solutions can be discovered which integrate more and more the claims of both sides. It is the psychologist's job to make possible the acceptance of such an idea so that the richness of the varieties of experience, whether within the unit of the single personality or in the wider unit of the group, can come to expression."
May the last great tavern in the West and it's friendly bartender-sheriff live long and prosper.
To OP, wishing you the best on a successful recovery and happy times ahead.
Thank you, stranger, and I wish you well on your journey.
"Alcohol is the only drug on earth you have to justify not taking."
[1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32714527
Is there any truth to this or am I stuck in my head?
Coffee on the other hand. coffee is life. coffee is purpose. all hail the elixir of the dark lord!
in all seriousness though, I drink like a whole pot just to take up in the mornings. black
I find this quote really interesting. Growing up in a western country where people drink a lot of alcohol, not necessarily for the enjoyment of it but to get "hammered". I've countless times defended myself for both friends, family and new and existing co-workers for why I don't drink, and these people look at me like I'm some sort of alien. According to "these people" I am in fact a weirdo, because I've spoken about the affects of caffeine, taking cold showers/baths, fasting etc etc.
I'm not sure where I'm going with this, however, I hope there'll be a time where it's "acceptable" to go out with your friends, family or co-workers, and not be expected to drink alcohol or excluded just because you won't inject your body with legal "poison".
Note: I have nothing against people who drinks alcohol, but let's just enjoy each other's company and don't force it on me. Thanks.
Passion is an awesome word in this context. Meaning: irresistible motive, intensely emotional heat, rage, or love. That is love for you (yourself) - the good non-narcissistic kind of self care. And you're getting a reward. Abstinence does not have to be suffering. Thanks for sharing this. Carry on.
The anxiety cycle led to some existential problems.
I'm trying to reconfigure my relationship with booze. If I can't, I'll drop it altogether.
Good luck to you.
My local friends are all moderate to heavy drinkers, but they also respect my choice and it’s not awkward to be the only one not drinking. If you don’t have a friend group which respects your choice, try to find social groups based around an activity. Otherwise it could be very difficult.
Best of luck on your journey.
My extra two cents: generally refuse to answer "why" and the "how long" questions. My personal responses are "because I won the drinking game" and "not long enough". I find these to be more far more truthful and useful of answers anyway.
But I think I would be remiss if I didn’t leave this here. Victories are nice but it a long journey…
If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are halfway through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self- seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook on life will change. Fear of people and economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that A higher power is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us - sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.
Written by an anonymous recovering drunk…
I've recently decided that I can't deal with hangovers when I over-indulge or even the negative impacts on my sleep of a single beer.
It's a real societal struggle to be completely dry, but when I break it down logically the pros to having a drink or two don't outweigh the cons.