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? I don’t know what you’re trying to say if only furthering his point. Not everyone wants to be a cryptobro or a VC pet Emerging markets are emerging because t

? I don’t know what you’re trying to say if only furthering his point. Not everyone wants to be a cryptobro or a VC pet Emerging markets are emerging because they’re doing something right no need to offer them something “better”

recuter 5y ago
No problem, I'll spell it out for you: Calling a person who is dedicating his life and actually spending time in Africa a "digital colonist who is doing it wrong" based on some vague gut feeling is somewhat unhinged. Not providing even a whiff of a suggestion as to "the right way" is not constructive. And doing all this whilst likely contributing absolutely diddlqysquat of value yourself is, to use your parlance, problematic. Topping it off with pointing out his alleged western origins is flat out bigoted. As for yourself, Star Trek-esque non interference is the morally superior path? You've tried nothing and you're all out of ideas? Certainly an interesting approach. Perhaps more of a peanut gallery ethos than a hacker one. You could explain how on earth cryptobros factor into all this or offer any shred of specific concerns and criticisms you have with regards to the OP but that would involve actually reading the article and making an effort and that's not in keeping with your moral philosophy of doing nothing.
- camillomiller 5y ago
  The only unhinged thing here is the tone of your comments. I’m posing what I consider a reasonable doubt, especially due to the way the linked post is written. There is not one single bit of ethical thinking, just a sheer celebration of how easy it is to make money in countries you wouldn’t think of as profitable markets. You, on the other hand, have decided already that a white man’s proactiveness and alacrity is all it takes to free him from whatever colonial baggage we all INEVITABLY carry when we dab as Westerners into African affairs.
  - recuter 5y ago
    Sure bud, we are all white men with colonial baggage on this website. I'm slowly backing away now.
    - camillomiller 5y ago
      You can be whatever, but you haven't declared yourself. Based on the general demographic of this website, it's fair to assume that you are both a man and a Westerner, or in some way a high-skilled privileged English native or near-native from a Western country, or Western-adjacent country.
    - bobkazamakis 5y ago
      >unhinged >Sure bud, we are all white men with colonial baggage on this website. I guess some people live for the sigma but die from the ligma.
      - drekipus 5y ago
        I love this comment, straight bussin'.
- camillomiller 5y ago
  Also, please learn how to properly quote your opponent in an online debate. I never said anything along the lines of "digital colonist who is doing it wrong". That is your (wrong) assumption about what I wrote. I asked if what's described in the original post can't somehow be considered a form of digital colonialism. It's a rather important point for me, because when I discuss a systemic problem I'm strongly convinced we should avoid to call out individual behaviors, Twitter-storm style.
- ramraj07 5y ago
  My friend is a VC in Africa and she says there’s a huge issue there with many VCs funding foreign entrepreneurs more than the folks who grew up there. Pretty much every entrepreneur I know establishing shop in Africa from the west has come with the “this is what’s left, also cheap labor” attitude so yeah, I’m totally for the Star Trek method.
  - recuter 5y ago
    You haven't watched enough Star Trek in that case. The Prime Directive has been violated countless times. And we aren't an advanced alien civilization with a warp drive making contact with primitive proto-humanoids. I don't have a special insight into OP, perhaps he too is an asshole with a bad attitude like the people you happen to know. But suppose not? There are always exceptions. It would be one thing to put up specific criticism of his efforts, it is quite another to just assume the worst because he happens to be from "the west" and automatically dismiss him as part of the very real issue that you mention. To me, in my opinion, it is absolutely incredible to just throw up your hands in exasperation and argue with a straight face that it is somehow better to not even tackle the problem and that nobody else should either. Rome wasn't built in a day.

recuter 5y ago

No problem, I'll spell it out for you: Calling a person who is dedicating his life and actually spending time in Africa a "digital colonist who is doing it wrong" based on some vague gut feeling is somewhat unhinged. Not providing even a whiff of a suggestion as to "the right way" is not constructive. And doing all this whilst likely contributing absolutely diddlqysquat of value yourself is, to use your parlance, problematic. Topping it off with pointing out his alleged western origins is flat out bigoted. As for yourself, Star Trek-esque non interference is the morally superior path? You've tried nothing and you're all out of ideas? Certainly an interesting approach. Perhaps more of a peanut gallery ethos than a hacker one. You could explain how on earth cryptobros factor into all this or offer any shred of specific concerns and criticisms you have with regards to the OP but that would involve actually reading the article and making an effort and that's not in keeping with your moral philosophy of doing nothing.

camillomiller 5y ago
The only unhinged thing here is the tone of your comments. I’m posing what I consider a reasonable doubt, especially due to the way the linked post is written. There is not one single bit of ethical thinking, just a sheer celebration of how easy it is to make money in countries you wouldn’t think of as profitable markets. You, on the other hand, have decided already that a white man’s proactiveness and alacrity is all it takes to free him from whatever colonial baggage we all INEVITABLY carry when we dab as Westerners into African affairs.
- recuter 5y ago
  Sure bud, we are all white men with colonial baggage on this website. I'm slowly backing away now.
  - camillomiller 5y ago
    You can be whatever, but you haven't declared yourself. Based on the general demographic of this website, it's fair to assume that you are both a man and a Westerner, or in some way a high-skilled privileged English native or near-native from a Western country, or Western-adjacent country.
  - bobkazamakis 5y ago
    >unhinged >Sure bud, we are all white men with colonial baggage on this website. I guess some people live for the sigma but die from the ligma.
    - drekipus 5y ago
      I love this comment, straight bussin'.
camillomiller 5y ago
Also, please learn how to properly quote your opponent in an online debate. I never said anything along the lines of "digital colonist who is doing it wrong". That is your (wrong) assumption about what I wrote. I asked if what's described in the original post can't somehow be considered a form of digital colonialism. It's a rather important point for me, because when I discuss a systemic problem I'm strongly convinced we should avoid to call out individual behaviors, Twitter-storm style.
ramraj07 5y ago
My friend is a VC in Africa and she says there’s a huge issue there with many VCs funding foreign entrepreneurs more than the folks who grew up there. Pretty much every entrepreneur I know establishing shop in Africa from the west has come with the “this is what’s left, also cheap labor” attitude so yeah, I’m totally for the Star Trek method.
- recuter 5y ago
  You haven't watched enough Star Trek in that case. The Prime Directive has been violated countless times. And we aren't an advanced alien civilization with a warp drive making contact with primitive proto-humanoids. I don't have a special insight into OP, perhaps he too is an asshole with a bad attitude like the people you happen to know. But suppose not? There are always exceptions. It would be one thing to put up specific criticism of his efforts, it is quite another to just assume the worst because he happens to be from "the west" and automatically dismiss him as part of the very real issue that you mention. To me, in my opinion, it is absolutely incredible to just throw up your hands in exasperation and argue with a straight face that it is somehow better to not even tackle the problem and that nobody else should either. Rome wasn't built in a day.