4 ms·

If you have any legitimate criticisms of Peter Thiel, or the essay mentioned in that gawker article ( http://www.cato-unbound.org/2009/04/13/peter-thiel/the-edu

If you have any legitimate criticisms of Peter Thiel, or the essay mentioned in that gawker article ( http://www.cato-unbound.org/2009/04/13/peter-thiel/the-education-of-a-libertarian/ http://www.cato-unbound.org/2009/04/13/peter-thiel/the-educa... ), please consider elaborating on them in a new post. I'm sure many here would be interested. But linking to gawker in the comments of an unrelated story probably isn't the best way to express your concerns.

factorizer 14y ago
Why would anyone want to discuss the ideas of uneducated people? What next? Ayn Rand?!?
chrismealy 14y ago
My legitimate criticism of Thiel is that he's a sexist creep.
- patricklynch 14y ago
  That's not what I meant by legitimate criticism. Go write a compelling, well-cited account of all the things he's done to upset you or--even better--all the ways he's discriminated against women. Publish it somewhere. On a blog, in a municipal paper, on TechCrunch, whatever. If you can actually write that story, do it. Make it good enough that people care.
javajosh 14y ago
>But linking to gawker in the comments of an unrelated story probably isn't the best way to express your concerns. I agree that the concern should be expressed differently, but the concern sounds genuine. The OP is a lay-history of Silicon Valley of the 90's and it's very interesting history at that. Concerns about the historian's background are not ad hominem attacks; they are relevant to understanding the narrative. For example, I was personally unaware that Thiel is a die-hard libertarian, and agree or disagree, surely that colors his narrative and affects my interpretation of it to some extent. To use Thiel's own (quite wonderful) metaphor that culture is like a dinner conversation, it's important to know who these people are that are at the table.

4 ms·

If you have any legitimate criticisms of Peter Thiel, or the essay mentioned in that gawker article ( http://www.cato-unbound.org/2009/04/13/peter-thiel/the-edu

by patricklynch 14y ago

factorizer 14y ago
Why would anyone want to discuss the ideas of uneducated people? What next? Ayn Rand?!?
chrismealy 14y ago
My legitimate criticism of Thiel is that he's a sexist creep.
- patricklynch 14y ago
  That's not what I meant by legitimate criticism. Go write a compelling, well-cited account of all the things he's done to upset you or--even better--all the ways he's discriminated against women. Publish it somewhere. On a blog, in a municipal paper, on TechCrunch, whatever. If you can actually write that story, do it. Make it good enough that people care.
javajosh 14y ago
>But linking to gawker in the comments of an unrelated story probably isn't the best way to express your concerns. I agree that the concern should be expressed differently, but the concern sounds genuine. The OP is a lay-history of Silicon Valley of the 90's and it's very interesting history at that. Concerns about the historian's background are not ad hominem attacks; they are relevant to understanding the narrative. For example, I was personally unaware that Thiel is a die-hard libertarian, and agree or disagree, surely that colors his narrative and affects my interpretation of it to some extent. To use Thiel's own (quite wonderful) metaphor that culture is like a dinner conversation, it's important to know who these people are that are at the table.