[mtowle]

Apparently WaPo's key demo is imbeciles.

>You can play around with the graph here, and the trends don’t change substantially if you try “NSA” instead of “National Security Agency” or look at how the whole world is searching rather than just Americans.

Oh yeah? What if you combine the two?

Further, Brad Plumer, you may want to put yourself in the position of someone doing a Google search before you announce what people are trying to find info on. If I search NSA, what happens? I get results that don't have anything to do with the PRISM story. Same goes for the word 'prism'. 'Snowden', on the other hand, will bring me exactly what I need, so that's what I'm going to search for. Or don't they teach you how to Google at the Post?

I'll stop there. Anybody with half a brain could think of another dozen mundane ways to call Brad Plumer stupid. Except, of course, for Blad Plumer, who is stupid.

[nitrogen]

The name calling ("imbecile", "stupid") is unnecessary.

[mtowle]

When writers get on soapboxes, they open themselves up to this category of response. Mere question-asking ("Is there a disparity? If so, why?") on Brad's part would be one thing, but his article is accusatory; he condescends to everyone but himself. And if he were right, again, that would be different, but he's not. He's just being a dick. Fuck him.

[nitrogen]

The name calling is also unwelcome on HN, per local norms of civility and the site guidelines:

When disagreeing, please reply to the argument instead of calling names. E.g. "That is an idiotic thing to say; 1 + 1 is 2, not 3" can be shortened to "1 + 1 is 2, not 3." (http://ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html)

[sliverstorm]

No, you're being a dick. Fuck you.

There, see how helpful and constructive that was? Or rather wasn't?

That's why such comments are in no way whatsoever welcome on HN.