2003: Paul Graham, millionaire not yet a billionaire, writes a bloviating article arguing that ‘hacking’ (by which he means to construct a mystified form of computer programming, practiced by an intellectual elite of programmers which includes himself) is comparable to painting as an expressive activity.
2007: Paul Graham, on his way from millionaire to billionaire, starts a news aggregator for ‘hackers’ with the real goal of promoting the investment firm which will make him a billionaire.
2026: Users of Hacker News flag @glyph’s piece arguing that programming is a kind of art, making his case by arguing that making art shouldn’t be viewed as a mystified activity which is the exclusive province of an exceptionally skilled elite. Flagging means it gets automoderated off the site.
