Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by bhauer 1332 days ago
Musk-hatred as a pop ideology is certainly one of the weirder ones. It's a baffling hybrid of conspiracy theorist, self-serving gatekeeping of engineering licensure, not-invented here extremism, technology "realism," billionaire rage/envy, angry politics, and a need to feel superior to the engineers who work at the Musk companies. Altogether, not a look becoming someone who is on a web site devoted to technology and innovation.

Look, it's fine if you don't like the guy or his companies. But some of the ridiculous talking points listed elsewhere in this thread are unhinged.

1 comments

Talked to a number of engineers leaving Tesla and SpaceX. All complained about harsh working conditions and low pay supposedly made up for by "inspiring" mission.

And once that effect of the worthwhile mission wears off, people seem to run away. Not walk. Run.

In other words, I don't think "Musk-hatred" is an ideology.

Of course that means that Musk's contribution is in fact not so much different from your average business blowhard. "Inspiring". Musk is just better at it, although a significant portion of it is simply in the mission itself, not musk. His nerd look and talk is entirely manufactured and an act (it's fake, as opposed to Larry Page. His nerd act is not an act, a fact he spent millions trying to get away from)

Both companies were effectively started by engineers, not by Elon Musk. There are no real technical accomplishments that are his doing.

I would say he has a good bullshit filter ... but there's a hyperloop in there, along with the boring company. Ahem.