Do you really think it "gratifies one's intellectual curiosity." ??
Honestly??
I think it's a cheap joke with no intellectual value. Some people find it funny, and they will upvote it. I'll happily believe that 50, 100, possibly 1000 people here find it funny to think about how to insult computer scientists.
After you've read it - what have you really learned?
Upvotes do not of themselves mean an item meets the guidelines.
You are, of course, correct that upvotes do not "define" what belongs in this community. However if you will not accept that evidence, look at the other comments in this thread.
I see people having fun and satisfying their creative curiosity by making and building upon jokes inspired by this link. Links which link intellect and curiosity are quite often posted to HN.
To answer your question on what have I really learned... well that's not a question you want to start asking. I can point out quite a few articles that don't belong upon HN when held against that criteria. Take for example almost everything related to the NYT. I usually don't click on those and just wait for the blog post that explains the same thing with more information and less filler.
As for another argument that you will find quite easy to strike down, this is not somewhere where I go do to market research, it is somewhere where I go to entertain myself and find things, preferably about hacking, that I may read. This link does a brilliant job of being related to hacking while also being entertaining.
> this is ... somewhere where
> I go to entertain myself
And there's the difference between my purpose for being here and yours. I entertain myself in other ways on other sites. I come here for information about hacking, startups, and things that satisfy my intellectual curiosity.
This submission does none of those. I don't think it's even especially funny or clever, but I've seen it all before.
Thank you for your reply - it has taught me something. There was a time when I would've upvoted you to show that you added value, but these days votes seem to be used mostly to express agreement or disagreement, so I'm disinclined. But I value your comment - thanks.
Well, it's not "my" community, and never has been - I've just hung around and tried to add value in accordance with the guidelines. It's been that way since PG suggested I submit something. I'm just continuing to see how much value there is, how much I can add, and gauging when it's time to move on ...
After you've read it - what have you really learned?
I've not come across the "Theorists Favor Sophistication, Experimentalists Favor Simplicity" idiom before, and thinking about those people in my life that exhibit one or the other, I see that there's a kernel of truth there.
Though the article is intended to be humourous, I've added a little bit to my understanding of the human condition by reading it. And I got a smile or two while doing so.
Honestly??
I think it's a cheap joke with no intellectual value. Some people find it funny, and they will upvote it. I'll happily believe that 50, 100, possibly 1000 people here find it funny to think about how to insult computer scientists.
After you've read it - what have you really learned?
Upvotes do not of themselves mean an item meets the guidelines.