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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.

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dgerard@awful.systems

this seemed harsh ten years ago, but in 2025? it's quite calm and measured (deadspin.com)

submitted 21 hours ago by dgerard@awful.systems to c/techtakes@awful.systems

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[–] ryven@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 16 hours 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.

[–] dgerard@awful.systems 6 points 11 hours ago

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

[–] swlabr@awful.systems 13 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours 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.