Ask HN: Can we agree to a ceasefire about the NSA?
Could we please try to not mention the NSA on topics that are only related by about six degrees of separation? I'm not asking for changes to the Hacker News forum, just that we only talk about it if it's directly relevant.
I believe the NSA needs reform as much as the next guy. But it's kind of really annoying to read legitimate tech news and have sprawling arguments in half-page-long threads about the NSA, and privacy, and how America-is-going-to-hell-in-a-handbasket, and etc. etc. etc.
I respect those that believe everyone should be aware of the ever-looming NSA, just as I respect those that respond with skepticism. But the resulting arguments are equal parts religious fervor and skeptical backlash where nobody benefits.
I'm not saying it's not an important topic. I'm not saying the NSA is squeaky clean. Go ahead and keep submitting stories about it; I'm just saying, mentioning the NSA on an unrelated topic, and then arguing about it, is like repeatedly quoting that really dark movie everyone saw that won a bunch of Academy awards while we're all trying to watch that cool new comedy.
We get it. The NSA sucks. But not everything has to be about the NSA. It's getting obsessive - and I mean that in the most polite way possible. Could we just reserve it for all the Guardian articles that come in every day? And not on, y'know, Apple's new iPhone announcement?
Thanks. That's all.