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A real person, a lot like you

Derek Sivers
Talks
YouTube
3 HN users recommended this talk3 months2011–2013 score 3.5
Years with an HN recommendation, 2007–2026

Recommended in threads about online hostility as a short reminder to treat strangers as human beings.

A three-minute video from Derek Sivers, based on his book Anything You Want, about remembering that the people you deal with online are real people. It contrasts how we treat people face to face with how we treat them online.

“This is the video, I want everyone on internet to watch” (HN, 2012)

1 strong recommendations · 2 recommendations · 1 citations · Talks

4 Hacker News comments

From the HN archive; up to 20 kept per video, favoring different commenters. Recommendations first.

@luckymurari Jun 2012 Strongly recommends
on HN thread How to beta test your mobile apps
Feedback is awesome. But, I guess you could've reduced a bit of causticness in it. This is the video, I want everyone on internet to watch - "A real person, a lot like you" - [this video] PS/Disclaimer: Not directly affiliated to them. Founders are my friends!
A video everyone online should watch
@patio11 Aug 2011 Recommends
on HN thread Bassnectar responds regarding music piracy
Read more
Hiya Slowpoke. You seem to be new to HN. That's cool. We're very much unlike some other Internet communities which you've spent time on. In particular, we place a wee bit of emphasis on treating people like they are people, even when interacting with them over HTTP. My name is Patrick. Pleased to meet you. I run a business which helps teach little kids to read, and spend a lot of time on HN as my hobby. A lot of HNers know me, have spoken to me, or have shaken my hand in person, because I'm a fairly personable guy. Most do not say "Hello Patrick, pleased to meet you, I don't give half a fuck whether you starve to death." That would be a wee bit uncouth. We have guidelines here for the community's consensus on talking to each other: [link] I'd also like to leave you with a video from Derek Sivers, who also happens to be a HNer. I think the lesson is rather important. [this video]
Reminds viewers that online strangers are real people
@networked Mar 2013 Recommends
on HN thread Hello, I'm a Human Being
Derek Sivers makes a somewhat more extensive comment on the same point in "Anything You Want". There's a nice three-and-a-half-minute video based on it [1]. [1] [this video]
A short video on treating online people as human

Citations, criticism and jokes

Video list and Hacker News comment labels from HackerTube (prompted by @karpathy), released under ODC-By 1.0, built on the open-index/hacker-news archive. Hacker News data is provided by Y Combinator; comments remain the work of their authors. Video titles, channel names and thumbnails belong to their creators and are shown via YouTube. HackerTube Watch is an unofficial edition. Data export of 2026-10-31.

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