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Comment by CPLX | Hacker News Reader

I am sure they have thought of this but why don’t they “just” divert the Columbia river.

Hats off for a genuine demonstration of peak HN comment excellence.

Once upon a time commenters here used to refrain. The “I’m sure they have thought” or “I have no experience but” or “Can anyone” is a reddit spillover. It’s not peak, this is post-peak decline unless we improve the discourse.

Also sarcasm and cynicism is cheap karma. It’s better to only comment constructively.

I say all this because you me and GP have been around here a while.

Being around here a while isn't an excuse to ignore your own suggestions.

> The “I’m sure they have thought” or “I have no experience but” or “Can anyone” is a reddit spillover

This tendency has been around since at least 2007. There was no HN golden age; it has always been like this.

I’d say that

> why don’t they just divert the Columbia river.

Is very different from the actual comment,

> I am sure they have thought of this but why don’t they “just” divert the Columbia river.

I think it’s an interesting hypothetical question that’s worth asking in good faith, just to understand more.

HN is supposed to be curious, no?

This “shut up so you seem smarter” attitude is so annoying, especially online. You are not allowed to be curious about something without becoming an expert on the subject. People too wrapped up in their own egos.

Simply rephrasing the question would get better responses.

"I'm sure they thought of this, but could someone explain why they don't just divert...?"

Why don’t they divert the Columbia River is a probably obvious but potentially interesting question.

It’s the addition of “just” that gives it its present hilarious form.

The Columbia River is massive - think the Siene, or Danube, or Rhine.

And the topology there is far from flat - it’s at the bottom of a valley. Trying to get that much water going anywhere it isn’t already going to go will require a project similar in scale to the Hoover Dam or California Aquaduct system.

It’s a bit like asking why we can’t ‘just’ build some walls to stop hurricanes from screwing over Florida. It sounds simple enough, right?

I think framing the “just” with quotes was supposed to do the work of showing an understanding that this is not an easy solution.

And unlike your example, rivers have indeed been diverted. The question can then be reasonably interpreted as, why not this one?

And, of course, you answered that question. Thanks!

Those kind of questions themselves suck -- but generally here on HN the reply chain is interesting, and even such basic questions produce such interesting and sometimes 'expert' responses that I end up learning something from them.

so, I guess I mean to say that without the dumb questions I wouldn't get to enjoy the expert answers, so I appreciate them for that.

I didn't say it sucked, I singled it out as an example of excellence.

Oh, apologies. I guess I mistook it for sarcasm.

Thanks, I'm stealing this :)

It is genuine in that some techy solution was suggested for some problem. This is very HN.

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