First, make me care

Hooks vs. Getting to the Point

• Many agree the core idea—“first, make me care”—is valid, but differ on how to do it.
• Some want a strong narrative hook; others prefer “start with the interesting part” or BLUF/inverted-pyramid style: state the thesis or conclusion up front, then elaborate.
• Several argue that technical audiences often already care (they have a preexisting question), so overlong narrative setups feel like padding or manipulation.
• There’s concern that “make me care” easily drifts into clickbait, burying the lede and rewarding attention-gaming over clarity.

Writing Goals: For Yourself vs. For Readers

• One camp insists writing’s primary goal is communication: if you want to be read, you must think about hooks and reader motivation.
• Another camp says you should write for yourself first; chasing hooks and retention degrades authenticity and turns writing into salesmanship.
• Some nuance: there’s “acquisition content” (to attract new readers) vs. “retention content” (for people who already like your voice); over-optimizing for the former can burn writers out.

Hooks, Clickbait, and the Attention Economy

• TikTok and similar platforms are cited as extreme versions of “make me care in seconds,” with millions of creators running a de facto genetic algorithm on human attention.
• Multiple commenters find this psychologically destructive: constant short hooks train people to skip anything that doesn’t instantly reward, eroding depth and focus.
• Others note that short-form feeds and YouTube thumbnails already embody the same hook logic Gwern describes; the difference between “good hook” and “one weird trick” clickbait is mostly degree and honesty.

Reactions to Gwern’s Style

• Some praise the article as a clear, useful demonstration of framing the same material with and without a hook.
• Others criticize Gwern’s broader writing as dense, over-hyperlinked “hypermedia,” or emotionally thin; they see irony in him advocating “make me care.”
• A counterview is that many HN readers already care because of the author’s reputation; his site is valued as a deep reference, not as polished narrative.

The Venice Example

• Several readers say the Venice hook worked so well they mostly wanted the actual Venice essay.
• A few sketch quick answers (naval power, trade networks, fish, salt and spice monopolies), while others note the article never resolves its own “hook,” which they see as violating its own advice.