These are two of the most depressing comment I've ever read, not just on Hackernews, but on the whole internet. So much so that I wonder if they were written with sarcasm that escapes me.
They represent a philosophy that is referenced often but always before as an unintentional consequence of our internal laziness -- a laziness that should be fought against. However here it is being presented as a conscious choice. Indeed a right, proper, and good, choice.
The commenters seem to be arguing that reading is only worth the time if the content has been distilled to its basic facts, and further that that facts need to be immediately actionable. Have we no room for soul? Do we lack the energy to take general concepts and apply them to new areas in new ways?
When we break a larger writing down and extract just the main theses, we make it easier and quicker to under understand, but we also neuter and even change the meaning. Sometimes what we learn or what we experience is subtle. Sometimes writing doesn't give us a todo list, but instead it ever-so-gently shades and nudges all our todo lists.
> The commenters seem to be arguing that reading is only worth the time if the content has been distilled to its basic facts, and further that that facts need to be immediately actionable. Have we no room for soul? Do we lack the energy to take general concepts and apply them to new areas in new ways?
You are reading too much into it. I (and probably the person you replied to) have nothing against long-form articles, as a matter of fact I prefer them.
On a typical day, I will spend 1-2 hours on a book, I will read many smaller articles here on HN and on Reddit, I will also check out my RSS reader, I will read work-related email, I will do actual work, I will train for my marathon (alternate day running and weights) which takes about 2 hours, spend time with my family, socialize, and hopefully get some sleep too. Its all about how you manage your time, not about distilling long-forms into bite-size chunks.
If given a choice between reading a long-form article online or reading a book, I will read a book.
There is only so much time in a day. There is so much to do. I save long article like this for my lazy or slow days to read.
Fair enough. Obviously I don't know your situation and I directed my rant too much at your specific comment and not the general issue that I really wanted to speak to.
The first comment suggests that the reason there aren't a lot of comments is because people save the article to read later. That really has nothing to do with the philosophy you're talking about.
As for the second, there's nothing wrong coming to HN for a certain kind of article, and overlooking others kinds. Do I have to read every article, on the chance that it affects me in a positive way, in order to avoid criticism?
They represent a philosophy that is referenced often but always before as an unintentional consequence of our internal laziness -- a laziness that should be fought against. However here it is being presented as a conscious choice. Indeed a right, proper, and good, choice.
The commenters seem to be arguing that reading is only worth the time if the content has been distilled to its basic facts, and further that that facts need to be immediately actionable. Have we no room for soul? Do we lack the energy to take general concepts and apply them to new areas in new ways?
When we break a larger writing down and extract just the main theses, we make it easier and quicker to under understand, but we also neuter and even change the meaning. Sometimes what we learn or what we experience is subtle. Sometimes writing doesn't give us a todo list, but instead it ever-so-gently shades and nudges all our todo lists.