[HN Gopher] Without Deeds, Without Names
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       Without Deeds, Without Names
        
       Author : toomuchtodo
       Score  : 26 points
       Date   : 2025-10-05 18:38 UTC (4 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.laphamsquarterly.org)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.laphamsquarterly.org)
        
       | keiferski wrote:
       | This article reminds me of medieval cathedrals, which (from what
       | I understand) were basically built by craftsmen that were
       | functionally anonymous. These incredible achievements were made
       | without any real desire for fame or desire to be remembered
       | posthumously, by name.
       | 
       | It made me wonder if there are any analogous projects in the
       | modern world. Doesn't seem like there is anything in the
       | architectural realm, but maybe we could consider things like
       | subway systems and infrastructure to be along the same lines,
       | just with modern industrial values and not medieval ones.
       | 
       | Wikipedia sort of counts, in the software world.
        
         | brazukadev wrote:
         | Yes. git is a gift Linus gave to humanity.
        
           | wizzwizz4 wrote:
           | Linus Torvalds started the Git project, but soon handed it
           | over to another developer. Pop quiz: what was this
           | developer's name?
        
         | WJW wrote:
         | Isn't pretty much everything in the world like this? I have no
         | idea who built my house, designed the road network in my city,
         | programmed the driver for the keyboard I'm typing this comment
         | on. Even for "big" projects, I don't think anyone except for a
         | small group of people would know (without looking it up) the
         | name of the lead engineer of the A380 project, or the person
         | who was in charge of designing the ISS. Even less people will
         | know the names of the people who actually built those things.
         | Almost everyone in the modern world is functionally anonymous.
        
       | titanomachy wrote:
       | Title should have (~1330 CE)?
        
       | txrx0000 wrote:
       | Reality over propriety.
       | 
       | ...seems to be the sentiment expressed here: there is so much
       | more of everything else to care about than money and fame.
       | 
       | But there is also value in caring about those things a little
       | bit. Propriety is a part of reality after all. We just have to be
       | careful not to delude ourselves into thinking that it's the other
       | way around.
        
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       (page generated 2025-10-05 23:01 UTC)