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The world needs more heroes like this couple. Their lighthearted trip reflects an admirable form of hacking.

by gumby 3y ago

ornornor 3y ago
Sounds more reckless than anything. What happens when the boat sinks and they have no raft or life vests? What happens when they can’t avoid other traffic because their engine doesn’t work? What about the chickens that were sent to the slaughter because of their carelessness?
- gumby 3y ago
  The world is a little too safe. Part of hacking is using things in ways "incompatible with their labeling". Sure, they took on some risks, but so what? They didn't hurt others, except I suppose the chickens. They are their risks to take. Do you disapprove of people who hotrod chainsaws? Read the comment by the coast guard officer. They didn't appear to be particularly upset by activities like this. Exception: if you are an animal rights activist I can understand your objection (you specifically mentioned the chooks).
  - ornornor 3y ago
    It wouldn’t bother me if they were the only ones taking a risk. But that’s not the case, people will have to come bail them out when something goes wrong, risking their own safety because these two couldn’t be bothered to observe safety rules, and whatever boat they would collide into being unable to control theirs would also be impacted (safety, financially for repairs) I’m all for hacking, experimenting etc. Not when it comes as the expense of others or animals.
    - gumby 3y ago
      I eat animals so don’t share that concern, but respect it. I don’t think the burden of this behavior is a waste of my tax money. Yes, it irritates me when people go into the wilderness unprepared but I’m glad when they are rescued. This is similar; the failure modes imposed upon third parties are pretty minimal and we see from the post by he coast guard officer it’s no big deal. Another parallel is seatbelts: we all should wear them but the first responders should still help motorists who don’t. I would not say the same thing if someone were doing home biohacking and didn’t dispose of their bio and chemical waste properly. That has a large and asymmetric impact on third parties.
- krisoft 3y ago
  > What about the chickens that were sent to the slaughter because of their carelessness? I might be with you on all the other points, but that is kind of the story of almost all chicken's life. In fact what do you think would have happened with the chicken if they are not reckless?
- kwhitefoot 3y ago
  > What about the chickens that were sent to the slaughter because of their carelessness? They had a better life than the chickens sent to slaughter from factory farms.
- HeyLaughingBoy 3y ago
  If it makes you feel better, they probably weren't sent to slaughter. My wife runs a horse rescue; it's typical for the farm that animals in this predicament are sent to to be some kind of rescue or sanctuary facility.
JKCalhoun 3y ago
> Boucher and Gratz still have a few people rooting for them. Yes, I too am still rooting for them. I'm rooting for everyone that want to find magic and adventure in this otherwise (often) mundane world. Edit: ha ha, I had no idea who "Grimes" was, my wife had to tell me. It's still cool though.
MerelyMortal 3y ago
What did they hack? The materials not meant to be used in marine conditions? That couple sounds reckless, dangerous, and without regard to the consequences of their actions. Not exactly people I would picture as hackers.
- kerkeslager 3y ago
  Bro, hacker culture literally started with kids going to jail because they didn't regard the consequences of their actions. The people you are thinking of are people who appropriated hacker culture because it was cool.
  - MerelyMortal 3y ago
    Tinkering with model railroads or exploring phone systems are not along the same levels. Who did you have in mind?
    - kerkeslager 3y ago
      If you really don't think hacker culture can be life-and-death, consider the case of Aaron Swartz. Most hackers I'd consider quintessential hackers don't have names for, because anonymity/pseudonymity is a big part of hacker culture as it originated. Now, I'm not here to gatekeep (as you are) and I'm not here to fight back against the trend of every mildly-nerdy intellectual pursuit being lumped into "hacking"--if it makes you feel good, feel free to call yourself a hacker. But if we're coming up with examples of hackers, I'd definitely call using a houseboat to travel more hacker-y than tinkering with model trains. What is a model train enthusiast repurposing for their own goals, exactly?
      - MerelyMortal 3y ago
        I guess any culture could be life-and-death then, including knitting, if you take into account suicide. It seems like you have a bone to pick since you are claiming things about me that aren't true, and I don't care to waste my time with that. Whether you reply or not, I won't reply again.

The world needs more heroes like this couple. Their lighthearted trip reflects an admirable form of hacking.

by gumby 3y ago

The world needs more heroes like this couple. Their lighthearted trip reflects an admirable form of hacking.

Sounds more reckless than anything. What happens when the boat sinks and they have no raft or life vests? What happens when they can’t avoid other traffic because their engine doesn’t work? What about the chickens that were sent to the slaughter because of their carelessness?

gumby 3y ago
The world is a little too safe. Part of hacking is using things in ways "incompatible with their labeling". Sure, they took on some risks, but so what? They didn't hurt others, except I suppose the chickens. They are their risks to take. Do you disapprove of people who hotrod chainsaws? Read the comment by the coast guard officer. They didn't appear to be particularly upset by activities like this. Exception: if you are an animal rights activist I can understand your objection (you specifically mentioned the chooks).
- ornornor 3y ago
  It wouldn’t bother me if they were the only ones taking a risk. But that’s not the case, people will have to come bail them out when something goes wrong, risking their own safety because these two couldn’t be bothered to observe safety rules, and whatever boat they would collide into being unable to control theirs would also be impacted (safety, financially for repairs) I’m all for hacking, experimenting etc. Not when it comes as the expense of others or animals.
  - gumby 3y ago
    I eat animals so don’t share that concern, but respect it. I don’t think the burden of this behavior is a waste of my tax money. Yes, it irritates me when people go into the wilderness unprepared but I’m glad when they are rescued. This is similar; the failure modes imposed upon third parties are pretty minimal and we see from the post by he coast guard officer it’s no big deal. Another parallel is seatbelts: we all should wear them but the first responders should still help motorists who don’t. I would not say the same thing if someone were doing home biohacking and didn’t dispose of their bio and chemical waste properly. That has a large and asymmetric impact on third parties.
krisoft 3y ago
> What about the chickens that were sent to the slaughter because of their carelessness? I might be with you on all the other points, but that is kind of the story of almost all chicken's life. In fact what do you think would have happened with the chicken if they are not reckless?
kwhitefoot 3y ago
> What about the chickens that were sent to the slaughter because of their carelessness? They had a better life than the chickens sent to slaughter from factory farms.
HeyLaughingBoy 3y ago
If it makes you feel better, they probably weren't sent to slaughter. My wife runs a horse rescue; it's typical for the farm that animals in this predicament are sent to to be some kind of rescue or sanctuary facility.

JKCalhoun 3y ago

> Boucher and Gratz still have a few people rooting for them. Yes, I too am still rooting for them. I'm rooting for everyone that want to find magic and adventure in this otherwise (often) mundane world. Edit: ha ha, I had no idea who "Grimes" was, my wife had to tell me. It's still cool though.

MerelyMortal 3y ago

What did they hack? The materials not meant to be used in marine conditions? That couple sounds reckless, dangerous, and without regard to the consequences of their actions. Not exactly people I would picture as hackers.

kerkeslager 3y ago
Bro, hacker culture literally started with kids going to jail because they didn't regard the consequences of their actions. The people you are thinking of are people who appropriated hacker culture because it was cool.
- MerelyMortal 3y ago
  Tinkering with model railroads or exploring phone systems are not along the same levels. Who did you have in mind?
  - kerkeslager 3y ago
    If you really don't think hacker culture can be life-and-death, consider the case of Aaron Swartz. Most hackers I'd consider quintessential hackers don't have names for, because anonymity/pseudonymity is a big part of hacker culture as it originated. Now, I'm not here to gatekeep (as you are) and I'm not here to fight back against the trend of every mildly-nerdy intellectual pursuit being lumped into "hacking"--if it makes you feel good, feel free to call yourself a hacker. But if we're coming up with examples of hackers, I'd definitely call using a houseboat to travel more hacker-y than tinkering with model trains. What is a model train enthusiast repurposing for their own goals, exactly?
    - MerelyMortal 3y ago
      I guess any culture could be life-and-death then, including knitting, if you take into account suicide. It seems like you have a bone to pick since you are claiming things about me that aren't true, and I don't care to waste my time with that. Whether you reply or not, I won't reply again.