Why “Xanadu” is being discussed
The most recent Hacker News stories and comments contributing to this topic's mentions.
I read the quoted text as "Xanadu's 'transclusion' can't work in the real world because of copyright and legal issues." But neither of those are issues for popular existing tech…
by wwfn · Sep 5, 2026
I don't understand what's your point. How does the existence of copyright breach bears on the fact that Xanadu was a fever dream and not a real solution to real problems and hen…
by huurtehoog · Sep 5, 2026
Xanadu principle have outlined important problems. This does not mean that Xanadu created practical solution, though: it seems they were focused on text transclusions UI for som…
by killerstorm · Sep 4, 2026
Excellent points. When Nelson was building Xanadu in the 60s-80s there was no expectation that the user would be the product. Which we have today, things like Google workspace,…
by techteach00 · Sep 4, 2026
Can you not think in first, second or third derivative actions with a system that bakes in micropayments at the deepest infrastructure level? Should people be able to get paid f…
by nekusar · Sep 4, 2026
The Xanadu proposal dates from the mid-20th century so it includes a quaint assumption from that era: people expect to be paid for the work they do. What, people are supposed to…
by jonjacky · Sep 4, 2026
Interest
Proportion of Hacker News items mentioning "xanadu" over time.
Mentions
Total number of Hacker News items mentioning "xanadu" over time.
Xanadu may refer to:Shangdu, the summer capital of the Yuan dynasty ruled by Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan A metaphor for opulence or an idyllic place, based upon Samuel Taylor Coleridge's description of Shangdu in his 1816 poem Kubla Khan Read more on Wikipedia