Being educated isn't really representative of Hacker News. There are very clear dynamics here where being more knowledgeable makes the discussions irrelevant.
There are generally two ways of doing hard things. Either you are knowledgeable enough to be aware of the challenges and work around, or overcome, them. Or you are unaware, or shameless, enough to do it anyway. The later is much easier than the former. (Then you also have those who believe they could do something but never does because they can't). (Also not entirely mutually exclusive).
Sometimes this is a feature of education, but most of the time it is just a feature of ignorance. Being educated doesn't also prevent you from being ignorant. It is very much expected that most willing to do something hard are smart enough to do it, but not smart enough to do it well. Unless it's been made easier, but then it is no longer as hard.
It is also perception. Knowing both software and hardware would make you a technologist, or when talking about hardware someone who knows hardware but also knows software. Not knowing hardware but talking about it would more likely make you perceived as someone who knows software. And going back to the beginning, it is easier to think you know software than to actually know it.
You don't need the same space. That is the point. Yes, if I lived in a suburb I would also want more space because everything else would be harder to do.
I'm not arguing against their assumption. I said most, that isn't them. This is exactly why I didn't want to elaborate, so I won't.
That is still affordability. When cities are expensive you get more for you money in a suburb. A hobby room, home office or cooking space. But the cost of suburbs are inherently expensive. So when cities are affordable you get more for your money in a city. Because you get some space but also better access to things like offices, makerspaces or restaurants.
I don't want to rant to much, but most people don't like woodworking. They even less like doing woodworking on their own. It is something they conclude they should do because they can and don't have many alternatives. I'm sure it is covered somewhere online.
It isn't illogical. Americans move to suburbs because there aren't enough affordable cities. Then they complain about the cost of gas, energy, housing and taxes which are inherently worse with lower density.
Suburbs aren't for standard of living, but affordability. You take the most available labour, the most available construction, and connect it with the most available transportation and you get suburbs. All without the need for much effective planning, organization or innovation.
But eventually someone else does those things. And then suburbs are expensive in comparison.
I'm not asking startups to change politics. The opposite. It is often literally like I said. You ask someone do you support startups? Yes. Do you support innovation? Yes. Do you support education? Yes.
So where in your region can I live to have runway to start a business? Where can I find a space to do some manufacturing? How can I attend the local college? Well, actually... *excuses*.
Most just blatantly doesn't support their local community. They complain that the business are closing then defund and sell everything local, lower taxes and spend the money elsewhere.
I wish it was more complex than that, but in most cases it isn't. In many cases the local car dealership and contractors are doing well. Because that is what they actually prioritize and spend money on in those communities.
> Almost everyone except politicians is critical of big corporations, yet they're ever growing like a tumor, leaving small mom-and-pop businesses by the wayside.
Unfortunately that isn't really true. Many might think the idea of being local is reasonable, but they don't really support it.
It's the same with startups. Many like they idea but ask them how to get affordable housing, healthcare and transportation so you can actually make ramen profitability, burn rate and opportunity cost work and they will at best ramble about zoning, taxes and bureaucracy.
Most of the time it isn't someone else doing it. Not the politicians, not the corporations, but the local population themselves. They are the ones lowering taxes, defunding colleges, buying cars, going to big box stores and supporting their local mini real estate tycoons. Until everyone who can leave for a bigger place. Which while not local have enough verity that you can carve out your own space.
People are even going to Thailand, Argentina, Portugal, China and other places to get a different lifestyle. They would go just about anywhere there was actual support for the local community. And sure, it isn't like other bigger developments doesn't affect the situation, but it is 'on the ground' that the changes are happening.
Unsafe air travel has been regulated out of existence in the best regions. Piloting a small airplane in a random country is still dangerous though. Unfortunately it is hard to avoid doing the equivalent in a car.
In theory it would be possible to create a safe driving car that would avoid unsafe roads, conditions, mental state, amount of driving, driving practices, speeds, distances etc. But a lot of the time it would just end up not being compatible with the road system and owning a car. And it still wouldn't totally prevent an accident, especially not caused by anyone else.
I've seen that many times over by now, sort of done it myself. It doesn't really work. You end up replacing one problem for another. There is also a heavy dose of procrastination and escapism related to it. Think about how many could, and does, do it and but how few results there are.
Surely you have already seen it, but for anyone else that finds this interesting there is "No Maps for These Territories". A close to 25 year old documentary with Gibson talking that is still enjoyable. Can be found on The Internet Archive and YouTube.