I did.
> That blight will soil your reputation forever more
Okay dude, now you're being silly. This is why people can't have reasonable discussions on the internet - I take a moment to respectfully acknowledge your points, think through them, and explain why I disagree, and you keep melodramatic ranting.
You don't like how I handled it? Okay, noted. But this is why people just ignore criticism - I respond with my thinking to you in good faith, and you keep ranting about "dumb" "blight will soil your reputation forever more", "Cheap, cynical", "dumb" - and you're attributing malicious intent where it isn't there.
Before you reply, stop and reflect - I've addressed all of your points and then some, and I disagree with you, but I've tried to be reasonable and respectful. If you want to insult people that do that, you won't get anyone responding to your discussions any more. Indeed, that's what happens on most internet forums eventually - people who do things publicly just stop responding to anonymous critics, because they don't tend to lead to reasonable discussions.
Of course it's impolite to use someone's name like that without clearing it first, but otherwise your greater message was spot on.
I'm still partially mired in executing below my potential, but I'm working on it, and your piece provided me with more inspirational kick. Thank you.
Also, I've lived the Japanese salaryman life, so I know how it tends to shape you and blind your ambition.
I don't know anything about this whole controversy, but as far as I can see it, he's right about Patrick.
Also, I couldn't find anything offensive or malicious, so I don't really get your problem here..
After all, Patrick owes Sebastian exactly nothing, Sebastian writing this piece does not oblige Patrick to ask for a removal or even to communicate with him on the subject.
It basically says "I will create a clever little boundary that I know will never be met so I get my way".
If you already realize you were out of line then why can't you act on it?
Is being the third hit for 'Patrick McKenzie' in google worth the continued damage to your reputation?
The only controversial bit in your posting was the fact that you used a well known HN'er with an extremely good reputation and a nice guy to boot and attempted to use his reputation for your own gain, in the process turning what would have been a possibly interesting piece into the low point of HN over the time of its existence.
That blight will soil your reputation forever more and it will cause me and people like me (no idea how many of those there are, maybe they'e a minority, maybe not) to remember as long as that piece is up. Its continued presence on the web shows that you have not learned yet.
You go on and on about philosophy and appreciation, if you really had some class you'd realize how silly this discussion is and that it should have never gotten this far. You can't build your reputation by kicking others or dragging their personal life in to the spotlight. Your points should stand on their own without reference to other people.
You could have made your points just as effectively without naming Patrick, but then that would not have gotten you the eyeballs that it did.
Cheap, cynical.
Standing by that is just dumb.
But keep at it, time will tell if you're right or not in persisting in doing this.