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Comment by mikece | Hacker News Reader

When I was a student in the nuclear propulsion program in the US Navy there was a category of incorrect answer called “gross conceptual error” (GCE) which meant the student not only had no idea what the answer was but was guessing in the wrong direction. This title deserves a GCE designation because a phone is not an app. Elon wants to create the WeChat of the western world: an “everything app” for all needs, all scenarios. App, not a device.

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The title isn't literally saying they're equivalent. It's pointing out the pointlessness in having an 'everything app' - our phones can already do all these things and cramming it all into one app isn't a significant benefit.

And you're not putting all the functions that everything app can perform under one company's umbrella. That centralizes too much control into one set of hands. And I wouldn't trust Musk (or anyone, really) with that kind of control.

Isn't odd how the Muskovites are almost all adamantly opposed to Googles consolidation behaviors yet fully supports Musks?

Because it's OK if their guy does it. According to them, he's working on the side of the angels and to better humanity. Whatever that means.

In my opinion, there’s certainly a GCE here, but the title was not the first thing that came to my mind.

When it happens in an article like this it's more commonly called a strawman.

Another secret of the nuclear navy: giving someone a GCE is the polite way of saying “you’re a dumbass and a danger to those around you.” This applies to journalists looking for clickbait titles without regard for the truth as well.

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