Don't Delegate Understanding | Hacker News Reader

Don't Delegate Understanding

stephango.com

27 pointsherbertl10 comments

This essay was originally written in cuneiform script on a clay tablet by Conan the Cimmerian.

That’s why I aspire to live in the hills by the might of my thews. I shall catch the swift hare and eat it raw. I shall drink the rain water as it tumbles from Old Man Oak leaf.

I shall be strong and never depend on the vicissitudes of other men!

I like how he never mentioned what it is about but we all know what it is about.

AI? Social media?

If it's AI, it went a little too far IMHO.

It's also from August 2023 ago, which is an eternity in the AI space.

AI definitely came first to mind, but it really fits the broader ethos of modern Big Tech. They claim to offer "innovation," "productivity," "connection," and all those good things. But they design their products for self-serving purposes. They don't offer tools that only serve one master: the user.

Plausible accusation, but I don't think those are mutually-exclusive. I think there is a non-zero-sum space where both sides benefit. But yeah, "The Social Dilemma (2020)" is a perfect example of suggesting that things may have gone too far.

Such a space exists, but it's crowded out in the current economics of tech. If I buy a hammer at Home Depot, then I benefit and the hammer manufacturer benefits. And when I take the hammer home, it's entirely mine to use entirely on my terms in perpetuity, regardless of the manufacturer's desires. The hammer company is incentivized to sell me a product that serves me well.

That's not how it works in tech. Vendors and manufacturers always have a way to claw back features, value, and data from the user. Even for paid products and services. Unlike in the hammer industry, tech users are resources to extract, not necessarily customers to serve.

Rorschach Test

"The Man"

Most certainly it's about prepping for the zombie apocalypse.

If there's one thing I've done in the past decades is always try to at least have a basic understanding of a situation. Even if I have no fundamental knowledge, ask questions, read and educate yourself.

It may have other sources but I remember reading about Japanese management essentially saying "go see the problem".

If anyone younger reads this - be curious and challenge knowledge appropriately and you'll build an impressive log book of experience sometimes with minimal effort.

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