Compared to reddit, you're 100% on the money. At least here, I'm looking at the news/writings I'd be looking at elsewhere, but the discussion is much closer to humane than some things I've seen elsewhere on this internet.

We'll all in this game together, learning how to be a single mind. Be nice to your fellow human-cells no matter their goal, if their goal is for the greater good. The thing is - we can save the dolphins && live on Mars, not mutually exclusive goals.

If somebody told Elon "don't go Mars, do something like cure cancers first" what would he say? Thye're missing the point altogether, right? People are curing cancer, saving dolphins, working on hunger. The reason Musk is so successful and iconic is because specifically he followed things that interested and mattered to him, i.e. energy and colonization.

If someone is following their passion and investing enough energy to be recognized on the level of these people, they're assuredly more cognizant of what's in the realm of reality in their scope than the average journalist/internet commentator. I can glean so much from just listening to the man react to the audience's question.. the one about the Funny or Die video, he's sending "you're wasting our time" body language... I get it, though, this is a pointed, focused thing they're working on; grandiose and monumental indeed, focused nonetheless.

In past there was "Why Explore Space?" letter from 1970 linked on HN:

http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/08/why-explore-space.html

Considering progress humanity made this letter is more actual than ever. So I wish more people understand that it's super important to work on what you like and can do the best since there always chance that space exploration help to solve other problems too.

You can't cure cancer because that would kill the whole "find cure" industry /s

Anyway success of people as species is through specialisation. Side effect is that we also have specialist naysayers

> What would you prefer? Rolling applause for every idea anyone presents?

Skepticism is a good thing but it's unevenly applied in the weirdest way. Solar Roadways, it seems like the smallest amount of skepticism would have dismantled the entire idea. Two nobody snake oil salesmen from out of their garage were roundly applauded by everyone to such a degree that competitors opened up.

When Musk presents a design on a much larger scale following a career of related success, it's called down?

Therefore I appreciate criticism but I'm skeptical of its sources.

Exactly. HN is not a fanboy driven community usually, so it's where rational and educated conversation can take place. On the contrary I find criticism helpful in this kind of context.

As engineers (or hackers, whatever) we are supposed to be naturally skeptical, in the words of someone wiser than me, "good programmers look both ways when crossing a one way street."

Biking in New York City taught me that. I know it wasn't the programming, because that came second. Funny how many pedestrians look the wrong way when crossing a two way street...maybe they're going with 50/50 chances?

It's helpful when the critic poses at least a fraction of expertise and experience as related to the subject of the people who's idea is being criticised.

Thats precisely why HN is not reddit.

Well I still have serious doubts that majority of critics in this thread are aerospace engineers.

Why should that matter? Should we exclude all but subject matter experts in all discussions?

You don't need to be an expert to understand the limitations of rockets as a means of getting to space.

No but it would be cool if critics would adjust the language based on their realistic understanding of their level of expertise in the subject matter. Posting very arrogant and dismissive comments just because one had read a semi scientific book on the subject or watched a documentary is not very helpful.

For sure, agree with you here, and I just scroll past those comments that come off as arrogant and dismissive, maybe I down vote them. Definitely do a lot of up voting of those comments that are more in-depth critiques, in the hope they rise to the top and help sink the arrogance.

I have 100% certainty that Musk is not.

From the formal standpoint he is not, given his knowledge and expertise he pretty much is at least according to Space X engineers I know or that publicly spoke about it. There is obviously a very talented team at Space X and the things he presents are obviously a result of team effort.

And the negative comments help wipe out a great bit of future competition. If you kill an idea before it gets started, you reduce the risk of it actually working.

Here to the crazy ones.

I encourage people to not say, "This won't work, and here's why."

I encourage people to say, "This won't work, here's why, but here's how it could."

In the stock market you play against others. In human development, you play alongside others. Bringing others up also beings up.

I completely agree with you. The frustration I feel, in the case of SpaceX, is that I am perceiving most of the criticism to be "It's hard, so don't try". That's not helpful or constructive.

so those are the only two choices? automatic cynical criticism or rolling applause? sounds logical. personally i see many other options.