The Dying Art of Being a Bum

(shagbark.substack.com)

5 points | by bookofjoe 8 hours ago ago

2 comments

  • metadope 5 hours ago ago

    Too many words.

    Be forewarned: this piece is purple prose that takes a long time to get to its point. Lots of adjectives and adverbs to climb over within the hills and valleys of each sentence.

    I've been guilty of this crime myself, on a smaller scale. I seek to critique, not condemn.

    Halfway through I found myself wondering if the composition was AI assisted. That thought may have been influenced by the context in which I discovered this essay (i.e. finding it here on HN), or it may have been the result of simple fatigue, but I had to push myself to finish.

    I'd be interested in reading a less verbose version.

    Usefully, the article includes a reference to https://ideas.ted.com/the-rise-of-the-useless-class/

    • vitaelabitur an hour ago ago

      I beg to disagree.

      I believe in the Orwellian rules religiously, but I like indulging in maximalism from time to time. It felt apt that the article uses a dense, historical style to help it evoke a part of cultural history bygone.

      That said, it might be objectively bad writing or AI, and perhaps I just don't know any better.