I don't think there's a name for this concept but I think of it as like, anti-pretentious pretentiousness. The place I first saw it well described was in a novel where tennis players who spend a lot of time on the court picking up balls develop a fluid motion to launch the ball off the ground with their racket and so avoid bending over to pick it up. It becomes a signal that a player is serious. But then less serious players see that, see that it looks smooth and cool, understand what it signals, and so practice that motion for its own sake.
In response the really elite players just go back to bending over to pick up the ball with their hand, signaling that they're too skilled to bother signaling how skilled they are.
HN falls hard into this in general. But then combine it with the disdain or even contempt it's fashionable to show towards subjective pursuits like aesthetics, and it gets dialed way up.
Like you said it's very predictable. Any time I see a link that has any sort of distinctive design, unique typographic style, or especially authorial tone, I know instantly what a handful of comments are going to be.
> In response the really elite players just go back to bending over to pick up the ball with their hand, signaling that they're too skilled to bother signaling how skilled they are.
Truly elite players have ball boys and girls pick up balls for them.
Your point, though, reminds me of the Sneetches by Dr. Seuss
In response the really elite players just go back to bending over to pick up the ball with their hand, signaling that they're too skilled to bother signaling how skilled they are.
HN falls hard into this in general. But then combine it with the disdain or even contempt it's fashionable to show towards subjective pursuits like aesthetics, and it gets dialed way up.
Like you said it's very predictable. Any time I see a link that has any sort of distinctive design, unique typographic style, or especially authorial tone, I know instantly what a handful of comments are going to be.