Hacker News: paulorlando

New comment by paulorlando in "Ask HN: What Are You Working On? (April 2026)"

paulorlando — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 21:31:49 +0000

Yes. I while back I posted an initial list (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1M_UjOPxpbKMYes5CcWRW...) but have gone way beyond this now.

For me this is an example of when you become aware of something you see it all around.

I'll writeup a fuller list and what I learned along the way.

New comment by paulorlando in "Ask HN: What Are You Working On? (April 2026)"

paulorlando — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 20:31:30 +0000

I'm researching Luddite-style examples from around the world. That is, examples of when people rebel against new technology that they see as harming their livelihoods.

New comment by paulorlando in "AI Will Be Met with Violence, and Nothing Good Will Come of It"

paulorlando — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 16:52:53 +0000

I've been research Luddite movements around the world. Agreed that the topic is timely.

A closer comparison to Sam Altman might be Edmund Cartwright (inventor of the power loom that automated weaving). The Horsfall and Altman situations differ in that Horsfall was a factory owner but didn't create or organize the teams that built the stocking frames. There was also an attempt on Cartwright's life as he was out riding. But like Altman and unlike Horsfall, he wasn't killed.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Grading

paulorlando — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 01:15:10 +0000

Article URL: https://unintendedconsequenc.es/what-i-talk-about-when-i-talk-about-grading/

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47581653

Points: 2

# Comments: 0

A Visit to the Library

paulorlando — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 18:52:31 +0000

Article URL: https://unintendedconsequenc.es/a-visit-to-the-library/

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47458949

Points: 2

# Comments: 0

The Self-Defeating Prophecy (and How It Works)

paulorlando — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 01:23:26 +0000

Article URL: https://unintendedconsequenc.es/the-self-defeating-prophecy/

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47407443

Points: 1

# Comments: 0

New comment by paulorlando in "Ask HN: How to be alone?"

paulorlando — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 04:10:38 +0000

Yes, that's right. You work your way up to bigger and bigger potential rejections all while realizing that maybe you're asking too little.

New comment by paulorlando in "Ask HN: How to be alone?"

paulorlando — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 01:32:54 +0000

Forgive me because I'm maybe reading in too much, but it doesn't seem like you're asking how to be alone. It sounds like you might be asking how to deal with your new situation, which must be very difficult. If that's not out of bounds, one suggestion is to try what's called "rejection therapy." That is, make it a daily goal to go out and get rejected at something. It shifts something mentally and I hope it might be helpful for you.

New comment by paulorlando in "The Misuses of the University"

paulorlando — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 17:20:54 +0000

"Giant donations, he’s come to realize, often increase the university’s bills, generating new operating expenses for projects that may have only tenuous links to the university’s core mission. The new fixed costs cannibalize existing funding streams, increasing pressure to grow revenue."

New comment by paulorlando in "Communities are not fungible"

paulorlando — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 19:38:50 +0000

Best quote: "When Alice doesn't need "a neighbour" but needs that neighbour, the one who watched her kids that time, the one who knows she's allergic to peanuts. The relationship is specific, and specificity is the enemy of fungibility."

The memory of what the community was or had eventually vanishes. Jane Jacobs (referenced in the article) was the reason that I learned that the sidewalks in NYC's West Village weren't always so narrow. They were made narrow to accommodate more cars, which in some ways don't help geographic community strength.

New comment by paulorlando in "The Singularity will occur on a Tuesday"

paulorlando — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 00:27:38 +0000

This is great news, knowing that I have until 2034 instead of just 2027.

New comment by paulorlando in "The AI boom is causing shortages everywhere else"

paulorlando — Sat, 07 Feb 2026 21:33:26 +0000

The chart you listed is for the years before the CCP won the civil war in 1949. But agreed that many of the problems overcome were also problems that were created after the war.

New comment by paulorlando in "Ask HN: Share your personal website"

paulorlando — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 20:10:20 +0000

On unintended consequences: https://unintendedconsequenc.es/

New comment by paulorlando in "Ask HN: What are you working on? (January 2026)"

paulorlando — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 23:25:31 +0000

Working on a list of examples and by extension, a greater understanding of the appeal to Ludditism: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1M_UjOPxpbKMYes5CcWRW...

New comment by paulorlando in "Baffling purple honey found only in North Carolina"

paulorlando — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 05:07:54 +0000

Reminds me of the story about the red (and not great tasting) honey bees were making in Brooklyn... from sipping up liquid from the local maraschino cherry factory.

New comment by paulorlando in "Approaching 50 Years of String Theory"

paulorlando — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 04:10:01 +0000

30 years ago in college, at a physics club talk, I got my first intro to string theory. I didn't understand it but was intrigued enough to go to a small one-off seminar led by Prof. Greene. About 15 people around a table while he spoke. I kept thinking I was too ignorant of the subject matter to be able to ask a question. But nobody asked any questions.

New comment by paulorlando in "Luddite List"

paulorlando — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 06:18:14 +0000

Hey, I was just planning a blog post. I write about a mix of this kind of thing and for the first time am soliciting input before writing the post.

Luddite List

paulorlando — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 04:31:37 +0000

Article URL: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1M_UjOPxpbKMYes5CcWRWXNXRq4ZOAAwDgQ08CIN3pec/edit?gid=749408265#gid=749408265

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46308915

Points: 4

# Comments: 4

New comment by paulorlando in "How elites could shape mass preferences as AI reduces persuasion costs"

paulorlando — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 06:13:57 +0000

One of the best opening sentences, from the book Propaganda by Edward Bernays: "The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society."

New comment by paulorlando in "Are we repeating the telecoms crash with AI datacenters?"

paulorlando — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 18:46:50 +0000

The 2001 telecoms crash drove benefits for companies that came later in the availability of inexpensive dark fiber after the bubble popped. WorldCom, ICG, Williams sold off to Verizon, Level 3, Teleglobe, and others. That in turn helped future Internet companies gain access to plentiful and inexpensive bandwidth. Cable telephony companies such as Cablevision Systems, Comcast, Cox Communications, and Time Warner, used the existing coaxial connections into the home to launch voice services.