
Bland God: Notes on Mark Zuckerberg (2018) - maleno
https://stingingfly.org/2018/06/27/bland-god-notes-on-mark-zuckerberg/
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lessname
That link seems to be down -
[http://web.archive.org/web/20200603144637/https://stingingfl...](http://web.archive.org/web/20200603144637/https://stingingfly.org/2018/06/27/bland-
god-notes-on-mark-zuckerberg/)

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dang
This is a better article than the typical personality piece or character
assassination, but the thread here shows the problem with these things: there
just isn't that much to discuss. Once a public figure or celebrity has grown
beyond a certain size—I don't know what the threshold is, but it's lower than
1 Zuckerberg—they become a generic theme, and people mostly just repeat their
pre-existing feelings about them, as well as practicing the social rituals
that humans do on such occasions.

Public figures of this sort become cartoon characters [1]. The way we relate
to them reminds me of how the Greeks used to talk about their gods, and at
times also of the feces-hurling behavior in other primates. I don't mean that
dismissively, I mean it almost literally (e.g.
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23406290](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23406290)).
These discussions are fascinating because they're so repetitive and so
consistent. But their content is not interesting, because they're not about
content. They're deep social behavior.

It's always been a principle on HN to emphasize content over personalities
[2], and that principle has served well over the years. I think I've learned
something about why: it's because intellectual curiosity and social curiosity
are different things. Social curiosity is what lies behind gossip, fascination
with celebrities, and so on—the lives of others, if it's ok to adapt that
phrase. Intellectual curiosity has to do with expanding one's view of the
world. Both are deeply human, but HN is a site specifically for intellectual
curiosity. That explains why articles and threads like this invariably miss
the bullseye here.

[1]
[https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que...](https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&query=by%3Adang%20cartoon%20characters&sort=byDate&type=comment)
\- I recalled using this phrase further back, too, and found it here:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6429252](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6429252)
\- 7 years ago, and also about Zuckerberg.

[2]
[https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que...](https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&query=by%3Adang%20content%20persoinalit&sort=byDate&type=comment)

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bredren
This article specifically points out Zuckerberg's sweating at D8. This may
have been a different instance, or I may be wrong.

But I seem to recall a story that at this event the temperature was turned up
because Jobs was so sick. Can anyone else corroborate this? It may have been
in Issacson's book.

edit: found it, it was at a dinner with Obama in Feb 2011:
[https://books.google.com/books?id=6e4cDvhrKhgC&pg=PA545&lpg=...](https://books.google.com/books?id=6e4cDvhrKhgC&pg=PA545&lpg=PA545&dq=steve+jobs+walter+isaacson+%22sweating%22+zuckerberg&source=bl&ots=clyRxaT28d&sig=ACfU3U0G06g5zRsE1j5PHvDcd6Zw0XK4Xg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjah-
yznubpAhUEPH0KHcDgAr4Q6AEwAHoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=steve%20jobs%20walter%20isaacson%20%22sweating%22%20zuckerberg&f=false)

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hashberry
> Easier to conceive of Mark Zuckerberg as a machine.

The memes of Zuckerberg as Data from Star Trek always amuse me.[0] Sure, it's
teasing, but Data is a likable character! Data doesn't strive to be superior
but to be more human, even if this means being analytical instead of
emotional.

Mark Zuckerberg would be far more interesting if he were "evil"\--if he tried
to create new values, if he tried to replace God. But he isn't even an atheist
anymore and is embracing religion and Judaism[1].

And then of course we must separate the man from the corporation: Facebook is
a public company has an obligation to its shareholders to make money. Facebook
stopped being about Zuckerberg a long time ago... it is now about surveillance
capitalism.

[0] [https://i.kym-
cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/354/185/719...](https://i.kym-
cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/354/185/719.png)

[1] [https://www.timesofisrael.com/how-mark-zuckerberg-
embraced-h...](https://www.timesofisrael.com/how-mark-zuckerberg-embraced-his-
judaism/)

~~~
awa
Frankly, I would take a machine as an leader over a lot of other options we
have. Predictability and lack of emotional outbursts would be great qualities
to have in a leader.

~~~
mjayhn
But what do you do when it starts basing everything on statistics or something
less/not compassionate to life? And who determines what metrics and data it
uses to make its decisions?

Zorlot-19 has decided to end the lives of everyone over 90 and that drinks
mountain dew because its determined its a net negative on.. what, GDP,
mortality rate, fertility rates, tax rates..

Seems like a compassionate overlord would be great but we've fallen for that a
few thousand times in history.

edit: While I'm here, anyone have any interesting books on
robots/droids/overlords/whatever beginning to manage society?

edit2: Found this; [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sci-fi-
fantasy/a-reading...](https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sci-fi-
fantasy/a-reading-list-inspired-by-the-20th-anniversary-of-the-matrix-and-
that-sequel-announcement/)

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misiti3780
Does anyone really believe he could be elected president someday? (mentioned
in the article)

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jraines
Just those who will make it their business to believe it’s possible (politcal
consultants). Exhibit A: Bloomberg campaign

If they were eligible, Schwarzeneggar (years ago) or Musk (now), would have a
better shot —- still small —- because it would be a circus. And we have
evidence that a circus can get you elected.

~~~
toyg
Schwarzenegger would be a walk-in, regardless of which party he gets behind
him.

There is a parallel reality where Democrats pushed hard to change the
eligibility rules during Obama’s second term, selected Ahnold, and continued
the Obama legacy of slow-going, moderate social progress. Sadly we are in a
darker timeline.

~~~
threatofrain
Arnold took a political beating from both sides when he failed to accumulate
the capital to push any of his ideas through, and the experience appears to
have left the governor with no enthusiasm to continue.

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otterley
(2018)

~~~
dang
Added. Thanks!

