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Culture War Roundup for the week of February 19, 2024

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I can’t see the thread so I am guessing it is now deleted/blocked but would be interesting to hear the story.

I can still see it. But I'll paste it here:

Yishan:

In 2006, reddit was sold to Conde Nast. It was soon obvious to many that the sale had been premature, the site was unmanaged and under-resourced under the old-media giant who simply didn't understand it and could never realize its full potential, so the founders and their allies in Y-Combinator (where reddit had been born) hatched an audacious plan to re-extract reddit from the clutches of the 100-year-old media conglomerate.

Together with Sam Altman, they recruited a young up-and-coming technology manager with social media credentials. Alexis, who was on the interview panel for the new reddit CEO, would reject all other candidates except this one. The manager was to insist as a condition of taking the job that Conde Nast would have to give up significant ownership of the company, first to employees by justifying the need for equity to be able to hire top talent, bringing in Silicon Valley insiders to help run the company. After continuing to grow the company, he would then further dilute Conde Nast's ownership by raising money from a syndicate of Silicon Valley investors led by Sam Altman, now the President of Y-Combinator itself, who in the process would take a seat on the board.

Once this was done, he and his team would manufacture a series of otherwise-improbable leadership crises, forcing the new board to scramble to find a new CEO, allowing Altman to use his position on the board to advocate for the re-introduction of the old founders, installing them on the board and as CEO, thus returning the company to their control and relegating Conde Nast to a position as minority shareholder.

JUST KIDDING. There's no way that could happen.

Sam Altman:

Cool story bro.

Except I could never have predicted the part where you resigned on the spot :)

Other than that, child's play for me.

Thanks for the help. I mean, thanks for your service as CEO.

He really does sound like the most annoying kid at your high school.

My question with Sam has always been whether he fucked Thiel to get what he has, or whether Thiel gave it to him for ‘free’ and saw him merely as a kindred spirit.

If you were a guy, you'd know.

Explain as best you can.

Men are far more promiscuous than women for very obvious reasons.

And Altman seems somewhat psychopathic to me based on his past exploits so he'd do it if it was needed.

Also Thiel is an impressive guy, and is probably way out of Sam's league.

I can't really tell with men who is good looking and who isn't instinctively, but Altman has a weird face and bit bulging eyes. Thiel looks fit and way more near median male face.

I’m sure Altman would do it if necessary. Altman is kind of weird looking but he has a big-headed appearance that a lot of gay guys ime seem to like. Thiel is a bottom so it probably depends on Altman’s proclivity. Always interesting to speculate about.

This is not interesting to speculate about at all. I did not consent to imagining Altman and Thiel fucking.

Neither did I, but now the cat is out of the bag, so let's have a look.

By the images of him online, Altman is okay looking. I wouldn't say he's super handsome, but he's at least high average. Thiel is okay-looking too. While I don't want to imagine any exchange of favours for favours, hypothetically let us say that if Altman offered a foot rub, so to speak, I don't see why Thiel would refuse on grounds of looks.

Probably it was more traditional currying favour with the boss and being the kind of guy that is "I like you, you're not a yes man!" "Thanks boss, that's your innate good sense and amazing instinct for making the right choice at work once more" that got him any positive attention and support.