Submission timeline
2007–2026One slot for every year since HN launched. Height is that year's peak points; orange marks a 100+ point or 50+ comment breakout. Select a bar to open its strongest thread.
First comments on top threads
HN comment orderProtocol buffers suck but so does everything else. Name another serialization declaration format that both (a) defines which changes can be make backwards-compatibly, and (b) has a linter that enforces backwards compatible changes. Just with those two criteria you’re down to, like, six formats at most, of which Protocol Buffers is the most widely used. And I know the article says no one uses the backwards compatible stuff but that’s bizarre to me – setting up N clients and a…
Protobuf is the worst serialization format and schema IDL, except for all the others. The truth is, a lot of these critiques are valid. You could redesign protobuf from the ground up and improve it greatly. However, I think this article is bad. Firstly, it repeatedly implies that protobuf was designed by amateurs because of its design pitfalls, ignoring the fact that it's also clear that protobuf grew organically into what it is today rather than deliberately. Secondly, I do…
The first top-level comment from each of the four biggest threads, in HN’s own order. Excerpts are shortened; open a comment for full context.
- Breakout years
- 2
- Total points
- 328
- Total comments
- 366
100+ points or 50+ comments
reference only — not used in Hall rules or ranking
reference only — not used in Hall rules or ranking
Every submission
| Date | Title as submitted | By | Points | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-02-04 | Protos-Are-Wrong | jgarzon | 2 | 0 |
| 2023-03-23 | Protobuffers Are Wrong (2018)First breakout | alihm | 82 | 59 |
| 2025-09-05 | Protobuffers Are Wrong (2018)Best thread · Latest 20+ point return | b-man | 244 | 307 |