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Comment by macspoofing | Hacker News Reader

Come on, you're carrying around a Newton for the attention.

I hate this attitude. It's one of the ways conservative people rationalize their fear of difference and shame people into conformity.

I like how not carrying a Newton is considered conservative.

It's the hipster passive-aggressive rebuke: go around in public places using an old-ass typewriter, get offended at people that point out you are weird.

Conservative means supporting the status quo.

Which isn't necessarily a bad thing all the time.

When you start assuming that anyone who behaves differently is just doing it for attention, then yeah, that's a bad thing.

Of course. I never said anything close to that.

"Conservative" is more than just a synonym for the Republican Party.

Do you ever 'roll your eyes' at anything? Because I (metaphorically) 'rolled my eyes' as I was reading the post. Couldn't help it. Here was a grown man seriously espousing the benefits of the Newton over modern smartphones. I mean, come on. Don't get me wrong, I say that with all the gravity and seriousness that this issue deserves. He's welcome to do it. But again, come on, be serious.

On a tangent, what's wrong with shaming people into conformity as a general concept. Is it wrong everytime and every circumstance?

You're being down voted for the shaming part but I thought I'd expand on your other points. Speaking as someone who is interested in vintage computing, I find it futile to try to justify that interest to others. Hell, my friends think I'm a bit off-kilter for even trying to run my website on Internet Explorer 4 [1]. That doesn't bother me. People find me weird already, so if I'm not going to conform I should embrace the weird instead of trying to convert "the mainstream".

The norms around computers are funny. While we accept the enthusiast who might show off a 1959 El Camino or vintage Les Paul guitar, we needlessly question one who cherishes an Amiga 3000 [2]. Rather than espouse the technical merits of a piece of vintage computing (which will inevitably be obsolete), we should be able to articulate our appreciation for the aesthetic and historical qualities of that technology as well. As computers are judged almost entirely by utilitarian value, this is not easy to do without sounding pretentious.

[1] [redacted]

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXrM97yhbM8

>You're being down voted for the shaming part but I thought I'd expand on your other points.

I figured, but in my defense, it's supposed to be a benign statement. We're a social species and being 'shamed' and 'pressured' into conforming is part of the contract (obviously within reason). Nobody runs around naked yelling obscenities partly because of social 'shaming'. That's all I meant, and I thought I qualified it sufficiently. Guess not.

>I find it futile to try to justify that interest to others.

I don't think you need to justify it. It's a quirky hobby but completely benign and seems fun and interesting. I don't have a problem with OP loving his Newton either, though if you put up a blog post extolling the virtues of the Newton over modern smartphones you HAVE to expect some eye-rolls.

>this is not easy to do without sounding pretentious.

Yeah, though that's subject to individual interpretation. For some, someone using certain words will be pretentious.

> On a tangent, what's wrong with shaming people into conformity as a general concept. Is it wrong every time and every circumstance?

No. Not always. But often. If someone goes around doing things that might hurt others, shaming them into conformity may be a good idea. Example: smoking in a crowded movie theater deserves some shaming. (How could you do such a thing!? The person next to you might have asthma for all you know!)

But mocking someone for their fashion choices (clothing fashion, tech fashion, slang fashion, etc.) is not helpful.

I thought much of the point of fashion was that older people disapprove. You're ruining it for them.

Thank you! I never did quite get the point of fashion. Now I know it's just another one of those things that I'll understand when I'm older.

>No. Not always. But often. If someone goes around doing things that might hurt others, shaming them into conformity may be a good idea.

And that's all I meant. It was just pedantry.

> On a tangent, what's wrong with shaming people into conformity as a general concept.

rolls eyes

And what's wrong with that? As long as the attention-seeking is not hurting anyone, then this is probably a great way to find and meet like-minded people. He's not hurting anyone. If he truly enjoys the Newton, then he's not even hurting himself.

The universe is terribly lonely as is. I'm not going to fault anyone for their harmless attempts to reduce the loneliness.

> And what's wrong with that?

Nothing.

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