Post by @matdevdug@c.im

2026-05-09 22:05 UTC

Someone posts something I wrote to Hacker News. It reaches the front page. And I feel that pull. That specific, stupid hunger to open the comments. I don’t. Because I’ve been around long enough to know exactly what’s in there. But it’s like standing outside a door while people talk shit about you. Some part of your brain, the same one that will randomly ask “what if this time we touched the stove?”, says “don’t you want to read the mean comments?”

Replies (9)

@tpfto@mathstodon.xyz 2026-05-09 22:07

@matdevdug@c.im ...and well, it's easier (and apparently more fun) to make mean comments than to make constructive observations/addenda.

Open ##2782790
@sortova@redwombat.social 2026-05-09 22:15

@matdevdug@c.im https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uMdV_OVlDko

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@philip@mastodon.mallegolhansen.com 2026-05-09 22:15

@matdevdug@c.im Good on you for managing to resist.

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@mainec@fromm.social 2026-05-09 22:57

@matdevdug@c.im except in this case it's people who don't even know you, in some cases not even people but bots and in some cases entities driving engagement by adding fuel

Open ##2782793
@JanMiksovsky@fosstodon.org 2026-05-10 01:44

@matdevdug@c.im If you're willing to use AI, I find it helpful to deploy it as a PR agent: don't read the page yourself, point the AI at the HN page, ask it to summarize the main points in neutral terms This lets you extract some potential value without flaying your emotions

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@slyborg@vmst.io 2026-05-10 06:17

@matdevdug@c.im Totally know this feel (well, commenting on HN, not reaching the front page lol) and I feel bad sometimes when I fire and forget, knowing I’m going against the grain there. But then I don’t.

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@wingo@mastodon.social 2026-05-10 08:05

@matdevdug@c.im i have reached the point of detached amusement. hard to get to but it is a good place to be, i recommend it

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@neoluddite@aus.social 2026-05-10 08:19

@matdevdug@c.im

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@tofuwabohu@subversive.zone 2026-05-10 10:03

@matdevdug@c.im is it the same with your post doing the rounds on Mastodon?

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