[TheCowboy]

I think items like this are probably not useful or worthwhile as targets for upmodding on HN. We're basically just clicking up-arrow because we like the outcome and see the post here.

We will all hear about this, unless we live under a rock. And for those of us under a rock, it's probably for a good reason.

News items like this and a lack of community discipline to disregard them are how I remember reddit beginning its slide in quality.

The comments this story will attract on HN will not likely add anything to the discussion that's been going on across the Interwebs.

[btilly]

I see you your personal observations of Reddit and raise you my 20 years of online discussions in many different kinds of forums, from usenet to email to a variety of websites.

In that time I've consistently found that people who try to set meta rules are a bigger drag on communities like this than occasional offbeat stories with no strong tie to the community. The remit of this site is supposed to be things of interest to hackers. Clearly a lot of hackers find this story interesting, and are interested to hear the end of it.

Speaking personally, I don't follow a lot of news aggregators at the moment, and so am glad that it appeared here.

[TheCowboy]

HN has clearly defined 'meta rules' that have been casually and sometimes not so casually enforced since its inception.

It seems like we have an equal number of decades of experience, and it also doesn't matter either way. It's irrelevant and a logical fallacy in itself.

[mrobataille]

So, where's your rules list?

[davidw]

http://ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html is pretty good.

[btilly]

Those rules I happily agree with. I also think that the original article fits within those rules. And, "Sparks conversation that cannot be found elsewhere on the Internet" is not among those rules.

And that is enough navel gazing for me tonight.

[mwexler]

I'll just point out that some people rely on the crowd at HN to help them find good and interesting news that gets lost in the crowds. If one does this long enough, one decides not to spend as much time at other sites, finding deep and enjoyable conversation among folks here.

For those folks, it's possible they won't hear much about this story elsewhere, and certainly not the interesting opinions of the HN folks.

The reddit point is appropriate, but still, I'm actually interested in the spin HN folks put on these types of non-startuppy stories.

[guynamedloren]

> The comments this story will attract on HN will not likely add anything to the discussion that's been going on across the Interwebs.

Please share where these magical communities can be found and I'll leave Hacker News. As far as I'm concerned, the HN community as a whole is extremely diverse, intellectual, and inquisitive - something I have yet to find elsewhere. That's why I'm still here. The quality discussions are exactly why I stick around.

[balloot]

The reason I know about this case and its updates is precisely because of HN. You make it sound like this is a mainstream news story. It's not. It belongs here.

[TheCowboy]

I don't think I'm going out on a limb here for thinking it's common and mainstream news for the Internet. It's also been covered multiple times.

If this isn't mainstream, then very few things are. Trending on Twitter, frontpage of reddit, it's had coverage in many newspapers, and so on. I think a weak test of it being 'mainstream' on the Internet, assuming that is the optimal way to determine, has been met.

[geuis]

I respect your opinion and agree with the viewpoint in regards to many other pieces of contet being submitted to HN these days, but not in respect to this.

While there has been an almost farcical air around this whole case, there are important legal matters underlying it. Those matters, relating to freedoms of speech and copyright, are very important to our audience here on HN. I submit the argument that this particular posting is valid based on those terms.

I am happy that there are still those of us who wish to continue the high quality of content and commentary we have grown to expect on HN, so I do salute you for your opinion and shared ethics.

[hyperbovine]

Know what bugs me? Sanctimonious meta-analysis of the content of HN. Guess we all have our bone to pick...

[emeraldd]

The moment a community loses its sense of humor is the point at which it is little more than someone's hype machine. There has to be something to break the mood every so often or the community will burn itself out! Especially in a high tension environment like the startup world.

[TheCowboy]

In this instance, not covering yet another current event piece like this doesn't constitute a community 'losing its sense of humor'. This story has been here before, and humor has been present since the start of HN. That's not really a concern.

[ascendant]

This case, had it gone to trial, would have had very grave repercussions for anyone who makes a living on the Internet. The fact that it is being dropped is (A) good news for the people that like Oatmeal and (B) good news for anyone who tries to make a dime online. Since I would wager the bulk of the people that frequent Hacker News fall into one or both of those camps, I would think that this story would be relevant.

[billpatrianakos]

Back in the old days your comment would've been in the top spot here (despite what my profile says, I lurked for far longer so I do remember). Now, as of this writing you're at 3. You are totally right and your position in these comments can only support your view.