[k-mcgrady]

So unless you're a software developer don't use software?

[stefantalpalaru]

Unless you're a software developer, don't call yourself a "hacker" and don't waste your time on Hacker News.

[dang]

> Unless you're a software developer, [...] don't waste your time on Hacker News.

That is both wrong and mean. Non-programmers are 100% welcome on Hacker News. The only criterion is willingness to follow the site guidelines.

The mandate of HN is "stories for the intellectually curious", not "exclusive programmer tribe".

[stefantalpalaru]

You know what's wrong and mean? Getting "You're submitting too fast. Please slow down. Thanks." the moment you fall under the radar of the same moderator who encourages users to downvote dissenting opinions.

I kid, I kid. Down with the toxic, up with the awesome (with the definitions up to the people in power)!

[grubles]

"Hacking" isn't exclusive to computers and software.

Also, at the time of writing this, the #1 article on Hacker News is "Most types of cancer not due to “bad luck” [pdf]" which has little to do with computers or software.

[stefantalpalaru]

You're right. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go hack dinner.

[threeseed]

I'm a developer of 20+ years and have no idea how to patch most open source software and have it "just work".

Software has progressed to the point where the complexity and interconnectedness is far beyond what any one developer can do. Everyone just knows a few subsections.

[Gurkenmaster]

Some projects also have terrible project layouts. I have to poke around for several minutes just to find the source folder.

[stefantalpalaru]

I just created the third, forth and fifth patches here to make vmware-modules compile and work on the 3.19.0 Linux kernel: https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=539972

I write Python for a living.