[ethelward]

> However, modern HN just feels so deeply cynical, angry, and negative with much less of the entrepreneurial tech optimism of the older posts

Isn't that a direct reflection of the current state of the tech world? Since the 00's, it has morphed from a rather hacker-friendly, digital far-west into a locked-down plutocracy dominated by a handful of gigantic corporations, whose end-goal are quite often to squeeze every single last bit of personal information or other valuable commodity they can out of, typically, misinformed users.

E.g., despite all the folklore, I feel much better toward 00's ‶Linux is cancer″ MS and their Windows 2000 than toward 2020's ‶We <3 Linux″ MS that just spy on me through Windows 10 and put ads in my start menu.

Similarly, I prefer the 90's ‶we're making expensive and original computers″ Apple to the 2020's ‶we will scan all the photos on your device″ Apple.

And it's not to single these two out, they're just the first examples I'm thinking of. All in all, I just believe the whole digital world is much more hostile now than it used to be, which would, at least partially, account for the growing apathy, cynicism and defiance in the community – it's hard to feel any different when every other week brings a new personal data leak, spyware scandal or privacy-infringement affair, be it corporate- or state-sponsored.

[systemvoltage]

Startup life is considered slavery by HN demographics, so the possibility of upending Big Tech is not even up for discussion anymore.

It's difficult to not feel resentful.

[eitland]

I don't think this is completely true.

What HNers often complain about is companies that run "cargo cult" start ups, pretend to be "family" but only one way.

I've been here since at least 2009 according to ny profile.

[ethelward]

I'd say that life at startups paying peanuts and expecting rockstars is considered slavery, not startup life in general.