site banner

Culture War Roundup for the week of July 13, 2026

This weekly roundup thread is intended for all culture war posts. 'Culture war' is vaguely defined, but it basically means controversial issues that fall along set tribal lines. Arguments over culture war issues generate a lot of heat and little light, and few deeply entrenched people ever change their minds. This thread is for voicing opinions and analyzing the state of the discussion while trying to optimize for light over heat.

Optimistically, we think that engaging with people you disagree with is worth your time, and so is being nice! Pessimistically, there are many dynamics that can lead discussions on Culture War topics to become unproductive. There's a human tendency to divide along tribal lines, praising your ingroup and vilifying your outgroup - and if you think you find it easy to criticize your ingroup, then it may be that your outgroup is not who you think it is. Extremists with opposing positions can feed off each other, highlighting each other's worst points to justify their own angry rhetoric, which becomes in turn a new example of bad behavior for the other side to highlight.

We would like to avoid these negative dynamics. Accordingly, we ask that you do not use this thread for waging the Culture War. Examples of waging the Culture War:

  • Shaming.

  • Attempting to 'build consensus' or enforce ideological conformity.

  • Making sweeping generalizations to vilify a group you dislike.

  • Recruiting for a cause.

  • Posting links that could be summarized as 'Boo outgroup!' Basically, if your content is 'Can you believe what Those People did this week?' then you should either refrain from posting, or do some very patient work to contextualize and/or steel-man the relevant viewpoint.

In general, you should argue to understand, not to win. This thread is not territory to be claimed by one group or another; indeed, the aim is to have many different viewpoints represented here. Thus, we also ask that you follow some guidelines:

  • Speak plainly. Avoid sarcasm and mockery. When disagreeing with someone, state your objections explicitly.

  • Be as precise and charitable as you can. Don't paraphrase unflatteringly.

  • Don't imply that someone said something they did not say, even if you think it follows from what they said.

  • Write like everyone is reading and you want them to be included in the discussion.

On an ad hoc basis, the mods will try to compile a list of the best posts/comments from the previous week, posted in Quality Contribution threads and archived at /r/TheThread. You may nominate a comment for this list by clicking on 'report' at the bottom of the post and typing 'Actually a quality contribution' as the report reason.

4
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

To many, including me.

Of course. But does that makes it presently unclear, in a general sense, or just unclear to you and people like you? What if it is clear to me?

But does that makes it presently unclear, in a general sense, or just unclear to you and people like you?

It does make it presently unclear in a general sense.

What if it is clear to me?

Then nothing. Do you want a cookie?

Why is it that if something is unclear to you, it is unclear, while if it is clear to me, all I get is a cookie? Are you superior to me?

Because I hold the consensus position on this question.

Two things. First, truth. How do you know that? Maybe it's the consensus among self-anointed seniors at your firm, but is it the consensus? Do you have data on that? A lot of consensuses are illusions.

Second, validity. Even if yours is the majority/consensus view, does that imply your view is correct? Is it well thought out? Is there evidence for it? Or ought a marginal view also be listened to? Is there any reason consensus views must be superior? What if they are the result of bias?

If it's clear to you, you can hire a bunch of junior engineers for your project and have them become greybeards for half the wage. Then you get more than a cookie.

Otherwise you only get a cookie, which is still more than being unclear (a whole cookie), so I don't know what injustice you see here.

If it's clear to you, you can hire a bunch of junior engineers for your project and have them become greybeards for half the wage. Then you get more than a cookie.

  1. this assumes that seed funding is growing on a tree in my back yard. How about you just start a payment processor, for example? Even if you have a better alternative to Stripe, it's silly to believe there aren't structural reasons as to why competition isn't infinite.

  2. regardless, there are many firms doing this. I have worked for several. it works. I have never worked with anybody with more than 4 years of experience at any firm. If by senior you mean 3+ years of experience then I am one, but usually it means 8+.