Over the years I've found writing on HackerNews, Reddit and other online sites has given me an outlet to get creative and engage with folks in a way that will shift discourse towards something I'm more interested in.

I regularly lie and pretend I know about topics and areas I have zero experience in. I began noticing I received more upvotes and engagement when I pandered to views or opinions that are either the direct opposite of what the original content suggests (through cherry-picked exceptions), or I'll find a tangentially related view that's either current and popular, or supports a topic or viewpoint I'd like to know more about - often pandered with some popular topic.

Often this results in a thread about stuff that I actually want to read about, or someone actually knowledgeable on the subject will correct me - and call me out, but will receive far less approval (and often be flamed for criticizing me). On the plus side, I get to learn from someone really knowledgeable about how something works! (EDIT: Later I'll often go back and reply to the person saying they are correct, I was wrong - and thank them for their reply.)

Here's one of the worst examples (which I regret) because it perpetuates a view about a place I've never been, I've never stepped foot in the continent of Africa - it's one of the few times I wish I could go back and "correct the record": https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9309170

I know nothing about IP law - >200+ upvotes: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27035901

I know nothing about, and have never been through Australia's ACCC courts - almost 200 upvotes: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26787289

I've never hosted any copyrighted media, ever: https://news.ycombinator.com/context?id=16955522

I know nothing about tax havens, I've never even submitted my own taxes: https://news.ycombinator.com/context?id=16809428

Does anyone else do this?

user:	fitba72
created:	August 8, 2021
karma:	5