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Comment by nickff | Hacker News Reader

Please don't take HN threads further into flamewar.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

I simply said I liked the guy, and I disagree with him on something specific. I am sure he believed what he said. I simply disagree with it.

Your original comment:

>"Ryan Petersen is a very smart person and is fun to listen to. It was sad to see him spewing BS on Twitter against taxing the rich. But he's got to protect his money I guess."

You didn't actually "[say] you liked the guy", and you didn't "disagree with him on something specific". You said he is "a very smart person" and that he was "spewing BS... to protect his money".

First sentence sounds like a compliment, so I can imply that he likes the guy. And the second one is specific enough about him tweeting about taxing the rich. You might need to block *ycombinator.com in your hosts file for the day.

If I said it's fun to listen to him, it means I find him likable. And I did mention one specific issue I didn't like/disagreed with him on, which was him spewing BS against taxing the rich.

Spewing BS doesn't in this context seem to imply either lying or shilling for somebody else. It's a devaluing the opinion of no taxing the rich, and being disappointed at the expression of that opinion.

"Spewing BS" is name-calling and therefore against the HN guidelines.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Parent said Petersen was "spewing BS... to protect his money", I suppose that may not quite be shilling, it's more being deceptive and greedy/crass? I am happy to accept clearer wording if you've got any ideas.

It’s having an opinion. An opinion that you just disagree with. We don’t need accusations of astroturfing based on a single comment.

To be clear, I never accused anyone of astroturfing, am just clarifying the top-level comment's remark.

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