this post was submitted on 01 Sep 2025
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TechTakes

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Big brain tech dude got yet another clueless take over at HackerNews etc? Here's the place to vent. Orange site, VC foolishness, all welcome.

This is not debate club. Unless it’s amusing debate.

For actually-good tech, you want our NotAwfulTech community

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this seemed harsh ten years ago, but in 2025? it's quite calm and measured (deadspin.com)
submitted 3 weeks ago by dgerard@awful.systems to c/techtakes@awful.systems
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[–] ryven@lemmy.dbzer0.com 23 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

This writer seems to be missing the point. The point was not what HitchBOT was. By creating HitchBOT, its makers invited the world to play pretend with them: to pretend (for entertainment purposes!) that HitchBOT was a whimsical hitchhiker in need of aid, and to collectively see how far the participants in this game could get it. Destroying HitchBOT selfishly ended the game for everyone else.

[–] swlabr@awful.systems 16 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

If Hillary were president HitchBot would still be alive

E: followup, from wikipedia:

Smith and Zeller recreated their invention as hitchBOT 2.0 in 2019. The robot was sent to Paris, France, where it was touring about and appearing in a play, Killing Robots, by Linda Blanchet. That tour was put on hold indefinitely due to COVID-19.

As a metaphor for liberal fantasy and optimism, hitchbot was doomed to die, one way or another.

[–] dgerard@awful.systems 8 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

This commenter seems to be missing the point about the point.

[–] ryven@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

It's true, I don't get it.

[–] NotSafeForWorld@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I'm also still waiting for an explanation. I thought asking nicely would net an explanation, but I only got a snarky response. I feel like I'm in the wrong place if I genuinely want to understand it

[–] self@awful.systems 4 points 3 weeks ago

you have 16 posts on Lemmy and most of them are you Genuinely Curiously JAQing off about shit you already damn well knew before going into the thread so lol no nobody owes you a fucking explanation

[–] NotSafeForWorld@lemmy.dbzer0.com -2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I'm sorry, I'm afraid it also flies over my head. Can you explain it to me? Is it sarcasm I failed to pick up?