1) You're allowed to curse on the internet. HN doesn't have a content filter. Saying "f*cking" reduces the impact the curse is supposed to have. If you feel it's appropriate to curse then just fucking do it.
2) Not everyone does well in a formal school environment. This site shows people that self-taught can still earn good money.
3) Even if a CS degree would increase the Austrian's earnings, how much would it increase it by? Would it offset the cost of the education? Would it offset the wages earned during the years he was in school?
4) People don't always upvote something to the front page because they agree with it. Sometimes people do it to encourage discussion around a topic.
regarding 2 and 3. My complaint isn't about having or not having a CS degree, I didn't even get that far.
It's about the Taboola-like quality of the headline. They're an insult to one's intelligence. If I want to be insulted on the Internet, I'd go elsewhere.
Which part is insulting? That he's young? That he's writing PHP or he makes a shitload of money? I'm envious, I admit it, but I don't find it insulting.
Regarding 2, I'd like to point out this is both 100% true and somewhat misleading. You certainly can be successful with no degree, but I think anyone without one will tell you it's a significantly more difficult path than a CS grad takes. If you are driven enough to pass some of the most difficult interviews in the industry, I'd argue you probably could have done well in a formal school environment, since the interviews are largely borrowed from it.
2) Not everyone does well in a formal school environment. This site shows people that self-taught can still earn good money.
3) Even if a CS degree would increase the Austrian's earnings, how much would it increase it by? Would it offset the cost of the education? Would it offset the wages earned during the years he was in school?
4) People don't always upvote something to the front page because they agree with it. Sometimes people do it to encourage discussion around a topic.