That didn't stop us from launching on HN though :-P https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32266086
Ah, yes, it’s because I tangentially pointed out exactly how much power YC has, and that’s bad for business. Got it. I’ll keep my head down before one of the powerful people reading this decides I need to get my account permanently penalized again until I learn my lesson and stop ever mentioning it.
You know what? I take it back. Please succeed without applying to YC. I wish there was a way to help you directly. And if you win, please try to help others win via the same route, or at least let people know that it’s possible. Best of luck.
I’m pretty bitter today for personal reasons, but not a single word of that comment was off topic, or dare I say mistaken. HN is inexorably linked to YC’s stranglehold on Silicon Valley, and moderation policy is not an off topic point. I don’t give a damn if you drag every one of my comments down to the very bottom for all eternity for saying this must because it’s true, because that’s just some small evil person exercising their power when someone else says a thing that worried them.
I’m logging out for a week while I figure out my life. Whoever is the person behind that flag button that you pretend the community controls when in fact it’s you personally, please, stop and consider for one moment that you’ve already won, and there’s no reason to cull voices just because you want to. It’s scary, and smart people do exist who see what’s happening. It might take 20 years for your power to finally crumble, but stuff like this is exactly how it’ll slip away.
Forget it. I put so much of my heart and soul into every one of my comments, and all of my effort into actually writing substantive, interesting, on-topic, entertaining commments, and the one time I say something laced with a little bit of (directly on-topic) truth, one specific person clicks a button to disable it ostensibly for the community’s benefit. The whole thing is just creepy, especially since the goal is to hypnotize as many programmers as possible without directly saying so.
Am I wrong? If I’m mistaken, I am 100% okay with being mistaken. I’m fine with downvotes, I’m fine with seeming a little strange. My goal here is to speak to the community. I even tried to figure out these questions privately via email with you, and then one day you publicly accused me of abusing hn@ycombinator.com when I was literally just trying to figure out what you want me to say vs not say.
You got the power man, you’ve won. Congratulations. I hope startups like Parsnip show that the world can do it without you.
FWIW, the reason we started Parsnip wasn't any of the ones you listed. I actually wrote about it here: https://parsnip.substack.com/p/why-we-started-parsnip
Your followup comment here also seems to break that rule. In general the combativeness you've added to your previous and current comment make for nonproductive discussions.
My life’s crumbling, and I’m sure that has at least a little bit to do with the lack of kindness.
I have a therapy appointment later this evening, and maybe that’ll do something. Money didn’t change a damn thing either. I’ll just bow out and let the world go.
Thank you for speaking to me directly. I hope you have a nice week, and life.