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Ugh. Here we go again. I'm really beginning to become tired of the constant tension associated with being in the tech industry (and, by proxy, its rung on the
by lolwutf 13y ago
Ugh. Here we go again.
I'm really beginning to become tired of the constant tension associated with being in the tech industry (and, by proxy, its rung on the economic ladder):
-we're driving up rent and destroying culture in San Francisco
-we're ruining Burning Man
-we blow big money at yuppie places on yuppie things
Can't we all just keep a low profile?
If Dustin really wanted to talk about his encounter with the Winklevii, did he really need to write a blog about the nature and economies of Burning Man, or couldn't he have just focused specifically on the nuances of his encounter?
The horrible PR we all collectively maintain for ourselves is a definite NEGATIVE in this industry, sometimes.
For the record, I'm an average dude, went with a camp of other average, well-balanced people, setup my own damn tent, had a average amount of average gear, spent an average amount of time and money on preparation, and didn't have an extravagant time above and beyond most people there. And it was enormously satisfying.
I also work in the tech industry, have done well for myself, make a crazy salary, and generally didn't make a big deal about it.
EDIT - Not saying there weren't parts of this post that didn't need to be said (the encounter and it's ramifications are incredible!), but a large part felt like ripping open a scab and just rubbing salt on the wound that is our presence.
- rms 13y agoI thought this was an exceptionally well-written, nuanced article and your comment, to me, just reads like typical Hacker News complaining.
- Helianthus 13y agoIt's worse than that; it's a weird attempt to exonerate the tech industry that I don't understand. It reads very much to me like: "Leave me alone, I have mine."
- alttab 13y agoWhy can't both positions be valid? Onlookers overblow it for sure, and a vast majority of valley programmers are just out of school for the first time and can come off entitled or still hold earte Blanche attitudes at otherS perspectives, even if they have been to burning man 5 times.
- Helianthus 13y ago>The horrible PR we all collectively maintain for ourselves is a definite NEGATIVE in this industry, sometimes. Doesn't occur to you that the tech industry deserves it, does it.
- csallen 13y agoI believe I understand your point, but I most whole-heartedly disagree. Rarely is it advisable to avoid acknowledging/discussing a problem merely because doing so is uncomfortable. MLK Jr. wrote an amazing letter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_from_Birmingham_Jail http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_from_Birmingham_Jail) that expressed a similar sentiment. In it, he asserted that overtly-racist whites were better for the civil rights movement than those who were against racism and yet remained silent because conflict made them too uncomfortable. (Not that class divisions at Burning Man are as important as civil rights, by any means. But you get my point.)
- fixxer 13y agoI don't get your point. How can I while still on the floor laughing at how anyone could compare a hippie revival with the civil rights movement? If you started chanting hari krishna right now this wouldn't be any more strange.
- csallen 13y agoFor your edification: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analogy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analogy