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by arjie 18 days ago
Boy, the game of telephone on the way to HN is really amazing.

Paper: We make a stylized model that uses observed social networks in Honduran gangs and varies some parameters to match the US to see and it aligns with some things regarding how we exceed the socially optimal balance (based on the params).

PR release: The researchers describe in Science Advances how individual incentives to buy firearms can lead to a phenomenon they call “overarming.”

PR title: How Fear and Social Pressure Are ‘Overarming’ the U.S.

HN title: Fear and Social Pressure Are ‘Overarming’ the U.S.

Come on, guys.
2 comments
john_strinlai 18 days ago
>PR title: How Fear and Social Pressure Are ‘Overarming’ the U.S.

>HN title: Fear and Social Pressure Are ‘Overarming’ the U.S

the discrepancy between these two is because HN automatically strips "how" from the beginning of titles.

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elpocko 18 days ago
It's baffling how almost no one here ever speaks out against it. Everybody just puts up with it even though we all know what a sign of arrogance and incompetence it is to attempt to alter post titles in this clumsy, embarrassingly broken way. Everyone is just silently looking at their feet in second hand embarrassment and doesn't want to speak up. And the funniest thing is: there is an official rule that says not to edit the original titles. Amazingly bizarre.
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john_strinlai 18 days ago
i have mentioned that i dont like it. dang said i was wrong.

however, the submitter is able to edit the title for a short window after posting to add the 'how' back in for cases where removing it materially alters the meaning.

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krapp 18 days ago
People have. The mods have made it clear they consider it necessary to maintain the quality of conversation and they have no intention of changing it.
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elpocko 18 days ago
The mods are obviously wrong and there should be way more pushback from the users. It's embarrassing.
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krapp 18 days ago
You can try, but the only thing "pushback" will likely achieve is getting your account filtered for posting "unsubstantive content."
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lazyasciiart 18 days ago
Which is usually reasonable, because if you are describing “how x happens” you are claiming that x happens. It doesn’t make a real difference here.
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Terr_ 18 days ago
Comic: "The Science News Cycle"

https://phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1174

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