
Ask HN: Hacker News Person Of the Year - baby
Who is the HN POY for you? Since the Times selection is pretty limited.
======
Udo
Elon Musk - SpaceX and Tesla have been on HN pretty consistently this year,
and it's an inspiring option, too.

Snowden is not a bad choice, especially since he'll probably be snubbed by the
Times in favor of the politically safe Miley Cyrus, but he's not really in
tech. Satoshi Nakamoto should have been the HN POY last year (or next year
once BTC goes _really_ mainstream).

~~~
insickness
How can you say Snowden is not "in tech"? He revealed the entire global
internet to be something different than we thought it was. It is political but
that doesn't mean it's not technology.

~~~
Udo
There's no question that the information he leaked concerns technology, but at
the same time it's clear this is a throughly political problem. So that's how
I can say that Snowden is not in tech, because he's not and the whole NSA
storyline is only incidentally about tech. Believe me, I'm as pissed off about
the whole affair as anyone, but this is a world stage event and I was thinking
a HN POY could be, at least in principle, "one of our own", as poorly defined
as that concept might be.

~~~
rpdillon
On the flip side, getting a job working at the NSA and smuggling out hundreds
of Top Secret documents, talking to a bunch of reporters across the globe to
orchestrate a controlled release of the information, all while seeking asylum
and evading capture _is_ a pretty neat hack.

~~~
roderick3427
since you put it that way, I agree also.

------
david927
Nice idea, but let's clarify, it should be someone in technology, as opposed
to politics or entertainment.

I nominate Bret Victor.

~~~
pestaa
Bret Victor has been fantastic inspiration for me. I believed no programming
video can make my jaw drop any longer, but Bret pulled it off. Hugely
recommended: [http://vimeo.com/71278954](http://vimeo.com/71278954)

~~~
codeonfire
Aesthetics can be fun and entertaining, but a video has to have some new and
novel ideas before its called jaw dropping.

------
onion2k
Edward Snowden.

------
jaboutboul
It's a toss up between Snowden and Elon Musk. While I do believe Elon Musk
will change the world we live in tomorrow, Snowden has dramatically changed
our perception of the world we live in today.

------
mpclark
I don't feel comfortable voting unless you make me log in with Facebook or
Twitter...

~~~
netman21
That was a great way for Time to ensure that not a single vote would be cast
for Snowden.

~~~
phaus
He was still winning the other day, so I'm not sure how that was a great way
to keep people from voting for him.

------
baby
I'd personally go for Satoshi or/and Edward Snowden.

------
extaxa
Edward Snowden definitely, not for only personal acts but as an icon. This
year has definitely been a year of surveillance scandals and we can all thank
this man for taking the brave step and showing light on what governments
really do. Small step for a man, giant leap for mankind, no less.

------
devonbarrett
Aaron Swartz

------
rekenerd
I nominate Satoshi Nakamoto.

~~~
kul_
Satoshi Nakamoto is not a real person.

~~~
icebraining
Well, if this is modeled after the Times' POY, then it's perfectly fitting.
Former winners include You, The Protester, The American soldier, The Middle
Americans, The Computer, etc.

------
RyanMcGreal
The suggestions made here in an HN Poll:

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6801294](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6801294)

------
samweinberg
Satoshi couldn't be person of the year, he hasn't been heard from since '10!
/s

~~~
gtt
And there is a chance he is not person.

~~~
user24
That didn't stop TIME magazine in 2011 ("The Protestor"), or 2006 ("You").

------
davidw
Is this a HN person, or any person selected by HN? I think the former would be
more interesting.

------
wielebny
Richard Stallman

------
miriadis
Aaron Swartz

------
seivan
Michael O Church.

------
sidcool
Elon Musk, in my opinion. He is my modern day hero.

------
TeMPOraL
Edward Snowden / Bret Victor / Elon Musk.

------
cjfont
Someone with sufficient karma should take the results here and re-post this as
a poll.

~~~
RyanMcGreal
As requested:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6801294](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6801294)

------
GuerraEarth
POY: the nucleus group of Aaron Swartz, Edward Snowden, and someone we should
not forget to thank, Assange. Where, pray tell, would we be without them?

------
kushti
Edward Snowden, undoubtly

------
tobltobs
Edward Snowden

------
priyakanth024
Edward Snowden.

Lot's of Elon Musk's though. Let's vote him as Person of the Century.

------
danso
Lonnie Johnson [http://www.ajc.com/news/business/super-soaker-creator-
awarde...](http://www.ajc.com/news/business/super-soaker-creator-
awarded-729m-from-hasbro/nbjmm/)

------
bernatfp
DPR

~~~
D9u
I second the nomination of The Dread Pirate Roberts.

------
subsrim
[http://www.narendramodi.in/category/testimonials/](http://www.narendramodi.in/category/testimonials/)

------
mnml_
Edward Snowden

------
Pengu
Snowden isn't real, a 'Facebook Ghost Profile' is.

------
MrGando
John Carmack, leaving Id and join Oculus was awesome.

------
embro
Elon Musk for sure.

------
1angryhacker
Satoshi Nakamoto

let's drive BTC up to $10,000 before the crash!

~~~
Cthulhu_
I'm guessing you have a few you'd like to cash in on? ;)

~~~
1angryhacker
Unfortunately not. I just enjoy watching technology eclipse another aspect of
society.

------
wozniacki
Elon Musk, by far.

------
brudgers
Reg Braithwaite

------
slimbling
Edward Snowden

------
daragao
Aaron Swartz Edward Snowden

------
Bocker
Elon Musk.

------
pmcpinto
Elon Musk

------
wallzz
NSA

------
joeconway
Bill Gates

------
subsrim
Narendra Modi.

~~~
rekenerd
We are suggesting 'Hacker News Person Of the Year', not 'Politician of the
Year'. 'Narendra Modi' is nominated for 'TIME’s Person of the Year'.
[http://ti.me/1i3OkHT](http://ti.me/1i3OkHT)

------
wtpiu
Bitcoin. easy.

------
subsrim
Narendra Modi

------
leoplct
Jack Dorsey

------
mkramlich
1\. Elon Musk

2\. Satoshi Nakamoto

3\. Edward Snowden

------
contextual
The answers here expose the lack of gratitude and ethical backbone of certain
HN readers. Snowden risked his life to expose the surveillance programs of the
most powerful countries in the world. You could argue he did more for civil
liberties than any other human being thats ever lived.

No one else even comes close in terms of taking personal risk for the benefit
of the world.

Snowden FTW.

