>> Ross was a techie, but he didn't act like one. He seemed eloquent, optimistic, down-to-earth.
One of the main reasons I got into software development in the 90's was the fact that software engineers were (largely) eloquent, optimistic, and down-to-earth.
It's sad that a vocal minority has sullied the image of an entire industry.
If you read what the author wrote, he implied that as outside observer he found software engineer eloquent, optimistic and down-to-earth. So he wasn't just reflecting group bias.
I got into software engineer by finding software engineer down-to-earth at least in the sense that it seemed you didn't have to engage in the posturing implicit in finance, say.
That seems to be gone in Silicone Valley but that might be only a small sample of the whole software world.
It's like just because someone slapped a label on a thing we're not allowed to do the thing anymore. We need an "Anti-Godwin's Law" that states no mention of Nazis or Hitler can be made on the internet without someone inevitably invoking Godwin's Law.
It just seems nonsensically reductive to go 'the nazis did it! therefore its bad!'
The first poster essentially said "this is so normal, even Nazis do it".
We consider Nazis to be abnormal, so if a behavior is common many groups inclusive of Nazis it can be used to imply that the behavior is something inherent to human beings or human governments or human societies.
"As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Corvairs approaches 1"
This law, as best as I can determine, is rubbish.
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As it turns out, the person I quoted said exactly what I wanted to say. It doesn't need elaboration.
>It's a complaint at people being lazy in making arguments.
Godwin's law is a very lazy way to make that argument, I would expect.