What you call 'unsubstantive' and 'flamebait' are sincerely held opinions. If you want to express how a comment is unsubstantive or wrong, feel free to respond to that comment - I always endeavour to respond - and if I have it wrong I will thank you for any corrections.
My position is that everyone is 'on the take' - and as that appears to be the truth I don't want to pretend otherwise - let's just be honest about the state of the world. What is the value of pretending - as if our jobs depended on it (which for most, they do) - that there is some great moral cause in play, or that the future will be wonderful? "We", on this site, code the dystopia. Fine, take the money but then don't also try to tell me how this is a good thing and for the benefit of humanity. With the corporate and governance structure, we are dealing with the manipulation and manoeuvring of the masses into doing things that someone, somewhere has decided will be of personal benefit. I think the notion that they are 'there to help' and are 'fair authorities' of how we proceed, needs to be disabused, if there is genuine human progress to be made.
Part of the issue is that there is a massive excess of trust in the institutions and corporations, despite it being clear that they are socially engineering the masses to want what they have to sell. The scale of what they have achieved is remarkable.
That these institutions are taken seriously - despite their obviously self-serving and nefarious nature - is problematic for everyone, even those who want nothing to do with it, like myself. Amazingly, most high flying people who have been through the propagandising system, seem incapable of recognising how much trust they are placing in these institutions, and are unaware of how little personal discernment they apply. I am addressing that.
WRT your point that I am making unsubstantive comments - take a moment to reflect on the other comments on the site. When they are cheerleading the military, or liberal causes (unsubstantively, like me on occasion) or whatever other media promoted causes - is that ok? If you agree with the thrust of the lightweight comment, are you also capable of telling them they are insubstantial, or do you reserve your judgements (as above) only for those who express views against what you hold?
PS I genuinely appreciate the opportunity to discuss the way HN is run with you. I have previously been banned here (2 years ago?), my comments are frequently downvoted, or upvoted and then massively downvoted, my posts flagged, etc - ie it seems that I am quietly supressed despite my making an effort to express a sincere view. I do not understand the value of the low level de-platforming I have experienced - all that occurs is that you create a corporate echo chamber. I can only conclude that it is likely that this is what is desired.
However, in the name of truth, as I believe I have valid, considered opinions that happen to challenge accepted convention, and as I also value the platform and the information submitted here, with respect, I will be entirely ignoring your request as it seems unreasonable to me. Thanks again.
From an HN guidelines point of view it's not so relevant whether your opinions are sincere or not, or even whether you're right or not. HN isn't an anything-goes website—there's a particular type of game we're trying to play, which can be summed up as curious conversation. Flamebait and unsubstantive comments destroy that; so do grandiose rhetoric, ideological battle, snark, fulmination, and various other things the site guidelines ask you not to do. If you want to post here, we need you to play by those rules.
My position is that everyone is 'on the take' - and as that appears to be the truth I don't want to pretend otherwise - let's just be honest about the state of the world. What is the value of pretending - as if our jobs depended on it (which for most, they do) - that there is some great moral cause in play, or that the future will be wonderful? "We", on this site, code the dystopia. Fine, take the money but then don't also try to tell me how this is a good thing and for the benefit of humanity. With the corporate and governance structure, we are dealing with the manipulation and manoeuvring of the masses into doing things that someone, somewhere has decided will be of personal benefit. I think the notion that they are 'there to help' and are 'fair authorities' of how we proceed, needs to be disabused, if there is genuine human progress to be made.
Part of the issue is that there is a massive excess of trust in the institutions and corporations, despite it being clear that they are socially engineering the masses to want what they have to sell. The scale of what they have achieved is remarkable.
That these institutions are taken seriously - despite their obviously self-serving and nefarious nature - is problematic for everyone, even those who want nothing to do with it, like myself. Amazingly, most high flying people who have been through the propagandising system, seem incapable of recognising how much trust they are placing in these institutions, and are unaware of how little personal discernment they apply. I am addressing that.
WRT your point that I am making unsubstantive comments - take a moment to reflect on the other comments on the site. When they are cheerleading the military, or liberal causes (unsubstantively, like me on occasion) or whatever other media promoted causes - is that ok? If you agree with the thrust of the lightweight comment, are you also capable of telling them they are insubstantial, or do you reserve your judgements (as above) only for those who express views against what you hold?
PS I genuinely appreciate the opportunity to discuss the way HN is run with you. I have previously been banned here (2 years ago?), my comments are frequently downvoted, or upvoted and then massively downvoted, my posts flagged, etc - ie it seems that I am quietly supressed despite my making an effort to express a sincere view. I do not understand the value of the low level de-platforming I have experienced - all that occurs is that you create a corporate echo chamber. I can only conclude that it is likely that this is what is desired.
However, in the name of truth, as I believe I have valid, considered opinions that happen to challenge accepted convention, and as I also value the platform and the information submitted here, with respect, I will be entirely ignoring your request as it seems unreasonable to me. Thanks again.