5 ms·

Nerds geeks and dorks like me have never had an easy time in life. Now we have mobs to consider.

by ohiovr 7y ago

kilo_bravo_3 7y ago
“I think it is morally absurd to define “rape” in a way that depends on minor details such as which country it was in or whether the victim was 18 years old or 17.” If an employee at a major company sent out the previous sentence in a "company-all" email would he still be employed, after having been given a "talking to" regarding comments he made about pedophilia several years earlier? If nerds, geeks, and dorks think that the following series of events is evidence of a "mob mentality", they need to retreat from public discourse: 1. A student posts a link promoting an upcoming event protesting the way that donations from Epstein were covered up by MIT administrators and calling for their resignation. 2. Richard Stallman chimes in defending Minsky. Saying, among other things, that rape and sexual assault require force (they don't). 3. Several commenters take offense to that. 4. Instead of shutting up, Stallman DOUBLES DOWN. 5. Commenters rightly point out that discussing matters like this in a public forum is unprofessional and may tarnish the reputation of CSAIL. 6. Stallman resigns when people start looking into the matter and find all of the pedophile stuff on his website.
- diffeomorphism 7y ago
  > (they don't) He seems to be complaining about terminology (it is Stallman after all). To give an analogous example: Person A: Minsky downloaded some music and is thus a pirate and robber. Stallman: "robbing" requires force and this did not happen on the high seas. You are only using these words to make Minsky seem violent and dangerous in addition to describing the allegation. I think that word choice is not okay. Stallman has very strong "opinions" about what words should mean and which ones should be used, even if the rest of the world disagrees, and always doubles down.
strikelaserclaw 7y ago
We are living in the easiest timeline for nerds, geeks, and dorks. Once nerds became associated with $$$, things have looked up immensely. In many cases now, it is the nerds, geeks, dorks who are the bullies in society.
- ohiovr 7y ago
  We work for free https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20995273 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20995273
  - strikelaserclaw 7y ago
    No one is forcing anyone to maintain, contribute or create open source projects.
  - Daishiman 7y ago
    I sure as hell don't.
Daishiman 7y ago
When I was young I'd get beat up and called names for being a nerd. I was a social pariah, and intellectual interest was something children literally looked down upon. The vast majority of my equally-nerdy friends eventually grew out of their social quirkiness and became hugely successful and functional adults, and their curiosity is respected and regarded, and when it's not, their profitable profession and social standing is. There have always been mobs to consider because you just _can't_ say whatever you want without considering the consequences, and because we strive towards a world where we're more aware of the hurt we cause by what we say and do. It is in fact the best period in the history of humanity to be a nerd.
GaryNumanVevo 7y ago
Nerds aren't a monolith. Generally having friends with diverse viewpoints will round out one's problematic takes. Maybe it's best to try out ideas in a smaller setting with people who care about your growth, rather than posting to an echo chamber in the first place.

Nerds geeks and dorks like me have never had an easy time in life. Now we have mobs to consider.

by ohiovr 7y ago

Nerds geeks and dorks like me have never had an easy time in life. Now we have mobs to consider.

“I think it is morally absurd to define “rape” in a way that depends on minor details such as which country it was in or whether the victim was 18 years old or 17.” If an employee at a major company sent out the previous sentence in a "company-all" email would he still be employed, after having been given a "talking to" regarding comments he made about pedophilia several years earlier? If nerds, geeks, and dorks think that the following series of events is evidence of a "mob mentality", they need to retreat from public discourse: 1. A student posts a link promoting an upcoming event protesting the way that donations from Epstein were covered up by MIT administrators and calling for their resignation. 2. Richard Stallman chimes in defending Minsky. Saying, among other things, that rape and sexual assault require force (they don't). 3. Several commenters take offense to that. 4. Instead of shutting up, Stallman DOUBLES DOWN. 5. Commenters rightly point out that discussing matters like this in a public forum is unprofessional and may tarnish the reputation of CSAIL. 6. Stallman resigns when people start looking into the matter and find all of the pedophile stuff on his website.

diffeomorphism 7y ago
> (they don't) He seems to be complaining about terminology (it is Stallman after all). To give an analogous example: Person A: Minsky downloaded some music and is thus a pirate and robber. Stallman: "robbing" requires force and this did not happen on the high seas. You are only using these words to make Minsky seem violent and dangerous in addition to describing the allegation. I think that word choice is not okay. Stallman has very strong "opinions" about what words should mean and which ones should be used, even if the rest of the world disagrees, and always doubles down.

strikelaserclaw 7y ago

We are living in the easiest timeline for nerds, geeks, and dorks. Once nerds became associated with $$$, things have looked up immensely. In many cases now, it is the nerds, geeks, dorks who are the bullies in society.

ohiovr 7y ago
We work for free https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20995273 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20995273
- strikelaserclaw 7y ago
  No one is forcing anyone to maintain, contribute or create open source projects.
- Daishiman 7y ago
  I sure as hell don't.

Daishiman 7y ago

When I was young I'd get beat up and called names for being a nerd. I was a social pariah, and intellectual interest was something children literally looked down upon. The vast majority of my equally-nerdy friends eventually grew out of their social quirkiness and became hugely successful and functional adults, and their curiosity is respected and regarded, and when it's not, their profitable profession and social standing is. There have always been mobs to consider because you just _can't_ say whatever you want without considering the consequences, and because we strive towards a world where we're more aware of the hurt we cause by what we say and do. It is in fact the best period in the history of humanity to be a nerd.

GaryNumanVevo 7y ago

Nerds aren't a monolith. Generally having friends with diverse viewpoints will round out one's problematic takes. Maybe it's best to try out ideas in a smaller setting with people who care about your growth, rather than posting to an echo chamber in the first place.