Hacker News Reader

Comment by 0x8BADF00D | Hacker News Reader

> The Autonomous Driving hype train is slowing down, so this is the perfect opportunity for this move.

Zoox in particular was a LARP of an autonomous driving company. Until any of these companies start manufacturing, they’re literally LARPing. At least Tesla shipped an actual product.

View on HN

Tangentially, it seems like calling people LARPers has very rapidly become a universally-used cliche. Has anyone else noticed that? I've seen it used for months, sparingly, but in the last couple of weeks it's everywhere (I've seen it literally three times this morning, on different fora about vastly different topics).

It’s particularly applicable to startups that burn through a bunch of cash and then exit for a pittance.

Sure, I wasn't trying to make any point about your comment. I just thought it was a really fascinating example of how language spreads and evolves,slowly at first then all at once. Please excuse the musing haha

You point is interesting how speech patterns catch on and become the phrase 'du jour'. I think the internet has changed that dynamic, it used to be only withing people you saw face to face. Now we're exposed to a much wider range of people and styles.

Anyhow, I haven't seen the trend of calling out an entity as being a LARPer. But I have to admit, it's kind of funny. It does make me giggle :)

It has mostly hit the internet mind-brain because of tacticool cops larping has gun toting heros.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com