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Hacking The City
Luddite Joe writes: "All you geeks should feel empowered and important after reading this story at Stating the Obvious about the young IPO rich changing the world. The example focused on is Jamie Zawinski, former Netscape coder turned critic. Although the guy's just opening a nightclub, stick with the article for the point."
The article says Jamie was 29 on April Fools Day 1999, but now he's 32?
Did we slip through some cosmic wormhole while I was on the sauce last night???
these individuals have suddenly become imbued with omniscience because they are not only hackers, but rich hackers?
...and start issuing ultimatums to world governments!!
Insightfull comment. Why?
If we take the media image of the geek (someone who forgets to wash and shuns society), and then try to figure out what happens when they make $$$$, why the hell would we conclude that they will try to save the world?
Much more likely they will:
further shun society
buy a small Polynesian Island
build a huge laser gun
get the obligitary white cat
Install massive alarm/self-destruct system
MY GOD! Take their money away now!!
According to the article this guy moved to SF after spending most of his adolesence coding, only to spend the next 6 years doing more coding. So, by virtue of Netscape's former success, he is now uniquely able to not only understand, but also solve very large scale urban sociological problems.
I can't wait until geeks start branching out into areas other than urban planning. Just think of how successful Linus will be when he decides to tackle AIDS. I hear Alan Cox has a really workable plan for a Mid-East peace agreement, too.
I've got to go anonymous, too. I'm wrapping up my IPO stint. I'm already a cash-money millionaire, and I'll probably have a few more before its all over (you never know, with this market). But Jamie and his ilk are few and far between. People with real skills, and a take-no-shit attitude, and innovate thinking, are awfully hard to come by. If brains and innovation are sought in the corporate zone, it sure as hell doesn't seem to be as sought as 'team players'.
The tale isn't a big surprise to people who are excellent and have suffered through corporate disillusionment: companies don't tend to value good technical contribution, because the people making the valuations don't understand true technical competence, as opposed to the endless pale-imitation MCSE-bearing losers that have flooded the industry (in my case, the networking/IT industry).
Selling out? I imagine, like me, he is only pissed because the system is so pathetic. There are plenty of elite technologists (hackerz, d00d), that have experienced small-company entrepreneurism, and its no wonder they can't believe what happens when a company gets big. Jamie is so right about the 'working to make a company successful' vs 'working for a successful company' dichotomy, it's scary. And its true in the whole industry -- the number of wannabe dipshits piling in for the cash and just flooding the industry with stupidity is mind-boggling. Even more mind-boggling, the idiots who throw money at them at horrendous rates while going out of business; it seems like no one is left to discern the wannabes from the elite any more.
Of course, Jamie's club probably WILL fail. Businesses born of passion are often the most catastrophic failures (restaurants being the best example).
I will say, though, you've got one thing damn right: if you're one of those people with imagination, skill, and competence, don't go out, looking for a job, think bigger, take some risks. The jobs will always be there if you need them, and you will never make what you're worth just getting one.
The only difference between jwz and all the other nonconformist attitudinal gothic hackers out there is that Jamie was lucky enough to ride the Netscape rocket early on, and this gave him enough money so that he would never again have to care what anybody thought. This appears to have made him a demigod in the eyes of mere mortals who have to rely on their paychecks and bow down to the people who sign them. If back in 1994 Jamie had gone to work for, say, NCD (back when putting an X terminal on every desk still looked like the wave of the future), would he still have the same attitude today with a pile of stock trading at 3/8?
By milking this media circus for all it's worth, and happily accepting his image as an underground icon, is he selling out to the very system he thumbs his nose at?
Moral of the story: Don't worship people who do radical things you've always dreamed of doing, be one of those people. Think biggerent. You've got the same number of hours in your day as anyone else, and probably more imagination, skill, and/or competence than most. Money isn't half as important as dreams; you can do accomplish a lot without a lot of money, but you can't do anything without an idea.
Signed anonymously because I'm one of those people who is "flailing about hopelessly, my self-image so connected to reaching success that I have no idea what to do now that I actually got there."
I really hate to say this, but the guy's opening a nightclub. End of story. This seeming need to put a messiah spin on someone's business venture after they quit what made them famous, when their next venture is just plain mundane.....it's silly. I actually laughed most of the way through that article. (sarcasm) OMG! He's opening a bar! HOW REVOLUTIONARY OF HIM! (/sarcasm)
We've got lots of solid framework to go by, some of it dating back to the Greeks and beyond. Problem is we're not very good at understanding it, and even worse at practicing what we do understand.
...we just elected an Internet millionaire to the State Board of Education.
He had enough money to pour millions into his campaign and enough ideas that he didn't get invisible-handed out of his money like Steve Forbes. He also backed an initiative (or maybe it was an amendment to the state constitution) which will increase state spending on education.
I haven't figured out whether it would have been more cost-effective to donate the campaign money to schools. But it's an interesting alternative to burnout.
Eternal vigilance only works if you look in every direction.
Well, the point seems to be, if you are one of the lucky few who struck it rich, what are you going to do?
everyone pisses and moans about the things wrong in a city, or a society, or something. They bitch alot. Now what happens when you find that you might be able to something about at least something. not everything, but something.
all the not so lucky folks in the internet lottery moan cause they lost out, and because they don't have the money to party with. and maybe they are jealous (just a small chance, maybe)
sometimes what a city might need would be a good club, or an art scene or something. After all, you do not want to have a city like SF with all of the cultural resources of Midland Texas (the onetime small town home of George W. Bush).
Not to disrepect small towns, but there is a reason why folks often want to leave a small town. often there is just plain nothing to do.
Now why would anyone bother trying to do something about it?
I think this is a good thing(tm) and they certainly have my respect, not that they need it or that it matters....
"It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
Now shooting those morons on site [sic] WOULD be benifictial [sic] to society. Opening another place for them to get drugs, is not.
Hmm. They smoke dope. You're endorsing the outright murder of people without giving them any benefit of fair trial, any chance at rehab, any... etcetera.
For someone whose lament seems to be "I don't have an opportunity", you sure seem pretty keen on denying other people opportunities.
I cannot stand people with money...
According to St. Paul, love of money is the root of all evil. By extension, so is the hatred.
I HATE the middle and upper-class...
See the above.
its [sic] quite ironic that my hope is to become one of them
For your own sake, I hope you never do. It's a bad thing to turn into someone you hate. Take it from an expert in the self-loathing department (since recovered): it sucks.
What will *I* spend my money on? Simple, I will FINALY [sic] be able to AFFORD to read books.
Funny, I wasn't aware that it cost a lot of money to go down to the public library. If the library doesn't have books that you want, ask it to buy them--that's why libraries have funds for acquisitions.
Sad isn't it, all this money going around, and I can barly [sic] afford books to read, while this guy goes and blows millions on a club to play music about sex, drugs, and violence.
Two things:
1. His success is not your problem. Stop thinking that it is.
2. He's not "blowing millions". Even people who have a million dollars don't have a million dollars to throw away. JWZ is doing this because he thinks he can make money off it. He invests a million, he gets a million and a quarter back--that's how business works. Or he'll lose his shirt. Doesn't matter to me either way.
Relax. Calm down. The world's not out to get you. And you might want to stop hating people with money before you turn into one of them, because otherwise you're going to air-condition your skull before you turn 30.
Jamie is pretty much right on. The double edged sword that created "the city's" recent boon is also killing off many of the same things that attracted the 'new economy' in the first place. San Jose and the rest of silicon valley (to me) is a suburban sprawl. The closest thing to a city here in the bay area is San Francisco. The same clubs and micro brews that made up soma are disappearing---turning into loft/studios. Thing is...if all there is left are office spaces and living quarters because all the small cool places are gone because they cant afford the rent, the inspiration that fuels SF will be gone and so will the talent. Many are already spreading outward to east bay (houses in the ghetto areas of west oakland are around $300k+ now). If it keeps this trend, many including myself, will take the money and run. It is sad that the money we bring to this city doesnt close the cultural gap between ourselves and New York (a city that never really sleeps). It would really suk if all we had left were places like the Metreon to go to (sony can afford any city!)