11 ms·

While interesting speculation, I don't understand why we've frontpaged this story on a community site generally focused on technology, startups and hacker cultu

While interesting speculation, I don't understand why we've frontpaged this story on a community site generally focused on technology, startups and hacker culture. I'd love to see this on a community site called UnsolvedMysteryNews, but until one exists, flagging for relevance.

cema 17y ago
I think I saw another similar "unsolved mystery" posting about the Dyatlov Pass a few days ago. This one is at least related to current events, but how did the other one come up? And yet, it is possible to stretch it to make it look like it belongs to hackers news: trying to resolve a mystery is like hacking through the fog surrounding the mystery. (Not only is it a stretch but also a mixed metaphor. Oh well.)
- davidw 17y ago
  The "stretching it" is a game called "7 degrees of hacker news". Take any random page on the internet, and explain how it's really about hacker news. For example: http://reviews.roadbikereview.com/blog/why-you-should-be-riding-steel-and-not-carbon/ http://reviews.roadbikereview.com/blog/why-you-should-be-rid... Carbon vs Steel road bike frames. Bicycle frames are high tech, especially carbon fiber ones. Hackers are all about high tech. The hack is that for most people that aren't elite racers, steel is still better for the price/performance ratio than carbon fiber, despite the advertising and bandwagon effects pushing carbon. So, the article is perfectly at home on hacker news!
  - bluefish 17y ago
    Thank you. I'm glad I'm not the only one annoyed by the "7 degrees of hacker news" story stretch.
  - sho 17y ago
    I thought it was 6 degrees. Anyway, this is an interesting story, I don't see why you'd oppose it. Most "hackers" I know are also into this kind of thing.
cdr 17y ago
Because HN is optimized for churn (constantly getting new stuff on the front page), and it only takes as a little as a single upvote to get something on the front page.
andreyf 17y ago
I don't know about you, but speculation about the reality of international affairs certainly "gratifies [my] intellectual curiosity". See: http://ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html http://ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
- electromagnetic 17y ago
  Aliens, it's definitely aliens. Wait, it's called the Arctic Sea, penguins it's definitely penguins, emperor penguins! Wait, it was sailing too far south for penguins in a non-refrigerated vessel, Alien-Emperor Penguin Hybrids! Being, er delivered to North Korea, to, er, make counterfeit US One Dollar Bills! There, solved it. So now that's over and done with, can we find something else to satisfy your intellect, not mysteries that are only a mystery because the investigation isn't complete yet.
  - pyre 17y ago
    > Wait, it's called the Arctic Sea, penguins it's definitely penguins, emperor penguins! You forgot the 'intellectual' part. Penguins are in the Southern Hemisphere, unless you count zoos.
    - electromagnetic 17y ago
      You caught me, I have plans to release Emperor Penguins onto the Arctic glaciers, now you might want to forget this whole conversation . . . unless you want to fight a Mexican Snorkelling Kangaroo! Dammit I haven't made those yet either. Supervillanry is hard :( P.S. You pointed out the most logical flaw in an illogical conspiracy theorist dig, I feel quite honoured.

cema 17y ago

I think I saw another similar "unsolved mystery" posting about the Dyatlov Pass a few days ago. This one is at least related to current events, but how did the other one come up? And yet, it is possible to stretch it to make it look like it belongs to hackers news: trying to resolve a mystery is like hacking through the fog surrounding the mystery. (Not only is it a stretch but also a mixed metaphor. Oh well.)

davidw 17y ago
The "stretching it" is a game called "7 degrees of hacker news". Take any random page on the internet, and explain how it's really about hacker news. For example: http://reviews.roadbikereview.com/blog/why-you-should-be-riding-steel-and-not-carbon/ http://reviews.roadbikereview.com/blog/why-you-should-be-rid... Carbon vs Steel road bike frames. Bicycle frames are high tech, especially carbon fiber ones. Hackers are all about high tech. The hack is that for most people that aren't elite racers, steel is still better for the price/performance ratio than carbon fiber, despite the advertising and bandwagon effects pushing carbon. So, the article is perfectly at home on hacker news!
- bluefish 17y ago
  Thank you. I'm glad I'm not the only one annoyed by the "7 degrees of hacker news" story stretch.
- sho 17y ago
  I thought it was 6 degrees. Anyway, this is an interesting story, I don't see why you'd oppose it. Most "hackers" I know are also into this kind of thing.

cdr 17y ago

Because HN is optimized for churn (constantly getting new stuff on the front page), and it only takes as a little as a single upvote to get something on the front page.

andreyf 17y ago

I don't know about you, but speculation about the reality of international affairs certainly "gratifies [my] intellectual curiosity". See: http://ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html http://ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

electromagnetic 17y ago
Aliens, it's definitely aliens. Wait, it's called the Arctic Sea, penguins it's definitely penguins, emperor penguins! Wait, it was sailing too far south for penguins in a non-refrigerated vessel, Alien-Emperor Penguin Hybrids! Being, er delivered to North Korea, to, er, make counterfeit US One Dollar Bills! There, solved it. So now that's over and done with, can we find something else to satisfy your intellect, not mysteries that are only a mystery because the investigation isn't complete yet.
- pyre 17y ago
  > Wait, it's called the Arctic Sea, penguins it's definitely penguins, emperor penguins! You forgot the 'intellectual' part. Penguins are in the Southern Hemisphere, unless you count zoos.
  - electromagnetic 17y ago
    You caught me, I have plans to release Emperor Penguins onto the Arctic glaciers, now you might want to forget this whole conversation . . . unless you want to fight a Mexican Snorkelling Kangaroo! Dammit I haven't made those yet either. Supervillanry is hard :( P.S. You pointed out the most logical flaw in an illogical conspiracy theorist dig, I feel quite honoured.