ticalc.org
Basics Archives Community Services Programming
Hardware Help About Search Your Account
   Home :: Archives :: News :: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude

Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
Posted by Nick on 10 July 2000, 20:07 GMT

Alright... I'm beginning this item at 12:37 AM. I just got home from a rather complete day. I don't know how many mistakes I'll make, but here goes nothing (everything?). Keep this in mind while I lambaste all you otherwise comfortably happy people with a very (very) bad rant that I've had festering in me since about last March.

I've always enjoyed my work at ticalc.org. The people I work with are great, they're friendly (even though there are people I rip on as a joke sometimes *g*), and I'd be hard pressed to find another team quite as talented, skilled, and devoted as the people I've worked with since my joining the staff last May.

I like posting news. I like making people smile at the news, to have a chuckle, and then to be entertained to boot. They have fun coming to the site. Inevitably, they come back for more. I enjoy what I do. I'm good at it, and I'm having fun at the same time. I really haven't found such a thing in my entire life.

For those of you who have just started visiting here (and I just know we get such an influx of visitors in mid-July), my name is Nick Disabato. I post news here at ticalc.org. It's what I do. I was initially hired to do screenshots, but problems with the system and a vacancy as news editor quickly found me at the helm of said section in question. I've been that way ever since. I'm getting close to posting my 250th news item (yay!), but that's not really a milestone that I care about much at the moment.

Since my beginnings as a completely inept, bumbling moron of a news editor who would insert many a grievous error into news items (destroying our page layout was a real fun one), I'd like to say that my practice has led to perfection... at least, technical perfection. Up until about late March of this year, I can honestly say that working at ticalc.org was one of the best things I've ever done.

Quite sadly, my current position and views on things have led me to think of my job as being far from the halcyon days of yore. I refuse to mention names, I refuse to link to email addresses or web sites. I don't want to start wars. I wasn't hired here to start wars with anyone. The only person I'm at war with right now is myself.

Let's start with the general immaturity and ignorance of most people who decide to visit me during my normal day. Requests have filled the news mailbox and my mailbox like clockwork that: think we're the epicenter of vast conspiracies headed by TI because our secondary DNS server is ns.ti.com, want me to post news about $1,000,000 contests if people can find two numbers that divide together to equal a number besides 1.41, want me to go F myself, want me to die, tell me that I'm going to die by their hand, etc. etc. etc. Mostly it's just people begging for news items, and the signal to noise ratio has gotten alarmingly low as of recent. I doubt it has much to do with the signal decreasing as it has to do with the noise increasing: people see a lack of news posts on the site to be their cue to flood my email box. I've gotten mailbombed before, too. With 2,000+ messages. That was really pleasant, especially for my friend who hosts my mail servers and web site for free.

It almost seems like, as far as my posting news goes, there's two camps: those who get along with me fine, who claim their files and participate actively, who put out good quality software, who get my news posts more often than anyone else. There eventually becomes an influx in that direction of news items pertaining to that person or people, and that irks me, because it always seems like I'm not giving enough focus to the people who have rising talent and potential to improve. On the other hand, if you're not intelligent and polite in your requests, and you don't seem to want to talk to me (I am an approachable person - most people should probably notice that by now); you want me to die, to fall off a large building (ironically, I do live in the city with the largest building in the world, heh), to be shot. I've had death threats before. I don't take things like that lightly, only because I've never really gotten serious death threats in real life prior to my working at ticalc.org. I hate to say that, but it's true.

Horribly Extreme Example of the Day(TM): Someone from the East Coast wanted to visit me. So much, in fact, that he decided to drive to Chicago to visit me. This involved stealing his parents' SUV and driving across five state lines. He did so, and was eventually caught at the Indiana/Ohio state border. Furthermore, he's fifteen years old and as a result has absolutely no driving experience.
All to see me. To top it all off, I still have NO idea what he would do if we actually met.
It's flattering, but... you get the idea.

Moving away from the people who hate me with a passion and/or are obsessed with me, let's go on to the immature and ignorant ones. People have done things that really, REALLY chafe me - I don't want to say what they've done, because that gives their name(s) away, and furthermore - this is what really gets to me - they don't understand that they've even done something wrong in the first place! Doesn't that seem just a little wrong to at least some of you? Please? Anyone?

Another example. Two programming groups - both of which code BASIC programs (you know who you are) - have gotten themselves into a war because one of them is full of power-hungry, pre-pubescent, twelve-year-old control freaks. They both come to my email box pleading to post news items validating their respective existences. They bug me through AIM. They invite me to Buddy Chats with them. I oblige. They spew "I hate this group! I hate this person!" over and over again, not giving *ANY* reasons as to why: or even HOW it happened! And you think this would simmer down after a few weeks? No! They have to be painfully persistent about it. They deface each other's web pages in only the most moronic and blatantly obvious of ways. I tried to make some humor out of the situation at my personal site a few days ago, but none of them noticed. They chose not to view that page. They blocked that out of their collective consciousness.

You know what? Ignorance is bliss, and they're in euphoria right now. Life is inherently unpleasant. None of them understand that. None of them ever WILL understand that, it seems.

But wait, there's more! A highly esteemed, respectable programming group - all of its members I have a great deal of respect for - has been at the forefront of what seems to be Nick Disabato's Evil Bad Few Months(TM) for the past week. One of their projects, which they've been working on for five months, was prematurely leaked to the public by what seems to be an unknown person. It's been traced back to another TI site, and essentially what happened in the past day or two was a lot of people were added to my AIM block list. By now, I've refused to deal with this anymore. Can you tell?

I posted to nickd.org six weeks ago that, come college this fall, I won't have any more time to work at ticalc.org. I mean that: I really won't. After September 15, I honestly won't know what to do. I love my job, I love the people I'm around, but there are just those bad points that really, really do irk and chafe me. None of you have any idea the kind of world of terror one goes through when people call you up at 3:00 AM repeatedly with death threats. Or when they drive across four state lines in an effort to stalk me. Or...

I hope at least a few of you can reflect on what I'm saying, and really do act upon it, without blindly sending flames to my inbox. I doubt it'll happen, though. After all... ignorance is bliss. Enjoy your ride.

 


The comments below are written by ticalc.org visitors. Their views are not necessarily those of ticalc.org, and ticalc.org takes no responsibility for their content.


Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
Mark Fairpo  Account Info
(Web Page)

The crap happening during Nick's normal, off-line life, and simmering programming groups is aLaRmInG.

I enjoy Nick's news announcements, as the public face of ticalc.org, they are its character. I think its character will not look as good after September.

I'm glad Nick acknowledges that his announcements discriminate against "people who have rising talent and potential to improve". I'll resist blowing my own trumpet. I finally asked another TI-83 programmer and was advised, "[ticalc] never accept anything that is written by an unknown programmer ... they really should have put it but hey you got to get noticed, make a lot of garbage programs and then you might get their attention". But this is trivial...

Nick, I'll phone your parent's home, before breakfast, and you can names-drop these weirdo's. <G>

     11 July 2000, 12:50 GMT

Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
Mark Fairpo  Account Info
(Web Page)

I should add when I say, "I finally asked", that I mean after each silence -- and not a surge of emails. I'm not walking on egg-shells... I just want to prevent curiosity.

'ikle twelve-year-olds look away now.

     11 July 2000, 13:23 GMT

Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
jestbsemple  Account Info

You said that new programmers are discriminated against? Well, my first program made the news here.

     12 July 2000, 02:48 GMT


Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
Nathan Haines  Account Info
(Web Page)

Gee, as the senior news editor (meaning only that I've been doing it longer than Nick--I've always held us to be co-equal), who will be doing news whenever he doesn't have time to do so, I'm not sure I'm flattered about that "character" remark. Actually, Nick has brought a wonderful flair to the news articles that I will miss. But I hope people won't mind it if I become the one posting news items primarily again.

As far as recognizing programmers, well, we get a ton of letters from people who think their dinky TI-BASIC game is 3l33t. Signal-to-noise ratio is very bad there, so unless a programmer is polite and presents himself well (and most don't), a program that is otherwise worthy might go unnoticed.

No, not fair, but the way it is.

     12 July 2000, 09:41 GMT

Re: Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
Akira_of_HLC  Account Info
(Web Page)

YES WE MIND! WE DON'T LIKE YOU!!!
GRRRRRRR!

(all hail Nick!)

     12 July 2000, 19:28 GMT

Re: Re: Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
luke195rs  Account Info

damn straight

     12 July 2000, 23:55 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
Nick Disabato  Account Info
(Web Page)

You, sir, need to re-evaluate the situation at hand here.

I am a member of ticalc.org's staff. So is Nathan. Therefore, since I am a good news editor, and I am on the ticalc.org staff, then Nathan is also a good news editor.

Please give him the same level of respect you would give me or anyone else. He doesn't deserve your mindless idiocy.

Thank you.

--BlueCalx

     13 July 2000, 08:58 GMT

Re: Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
Mark Fairpo  Account Info
(Web Page)

I'm falling, on down, again... (The Bluebells '84).

Nick has a certain hilarious, and yet, in a strange way, interesting flair - he also recites lyrics in #TI for no obvious reason other than keeping his connection alive. I am sure Nathan will keep ticalc our No. 1 site during its road ahead.

As the 3.5% of users aged "23 or above", I am senior too. A senior citizen! :) I am also a quality-motivated career programmer. I wanted that off my chest. I have uploaded a work pic of me. The curious can click on my Web Page link. It was a bad hair day :(

Libra: Your lucky ice-cream this week is Coconut flavour.
Capricorn: Your lucky over-clocking speed is 1 GHz.
Virgo: A news writer, who's surname you can pronounce, will be appearing soooon.

(Not the Nine-o-Clock News)

     13 July 2000, 01:59 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
Nick Disabato  Account Info
(Web Page)

WE'RE MONEY MAKIN
MONEY MONEY MAKIN'
SUPER DISCO, DISCO BREAKIN'

Who says I don't do it on the comment boards too? :D

--BlueCalx

     13 July 2000, 08:59 GMT


You're not alone
calcfreak901  Account Info
(Web Page)

can anybody recognize these lyrics:

Spam in the place where I live
Think about nutrition
Wonder what's inside it

     15 July 2000, 21:10 GMT


Re: You're not alone
ASimPerson
(Web Page)

"Weird Al" Yankovic
"Spam" from UHF: Official Movie Soundtrack and Other Stuff

     15 July 2000, 23:30 GMT


Re: Re: You're not alone
calcfreak901  Account Info
(Web Page)

Artist and song: correct
album: I have no idea

     21 July 2000, 03:49 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
calcfreak901  Account Info
(Web Page)

Despite the inherent difficulty of this, it might help programmers get noticed if POTM nominations and possibly even votes were open to all programs posted that month.

It also might help to have programmer of the month polls, which could be divided into two classes: master programmers and amateur programmers. I realize that there are no professional TI programmers unless they work for TI. The master programmers would be the legendary TI programmers like Jimmy Mardell and Xavier Vassor. The amateur programmers would be everyone who is not a master programmer. Those two categories could also be subdivided into the various languages, and possibly to calculator classes or models.

Just a suggestion, but should help reunite the TI community as it would create largely objective rankings and end arguments such as the one between the basic coding groups that tried to drag Nick into their war.

     15 July 2000, 21:24 GMT

Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
TipDS

"Life is inherently unpleasant." - Nick

You wrote it.
Now, I hope I won't be classified with the "nuts" you mentioned. I am trying to present this in a "mature" and logical way. You wrote of people who's names you won't mention, and who's actions you won't divulge. How would you expect them to change their ways, if they don't know that you are talking about them? "Somebody did something I don't like, and I wish they'd stop!" Hmmmm. As for the action you call for... what action would you have us take?

Here is a possible cause of problem for you:

"I enjoy what I do. I'm good at it..." - Nick
"I'd like to say that my practice has led to perfection..." - Nick

I would say two things to these quotes:
*1) Do you think an arrogant attitude might contribute you people's dislike of you? I personally don't have a problem with you, even though I do find some articles childishly written and pompus.
*2) There are many famous quotes dealing with this issue, and here's one: "Me thinks you protest too much." If you feel you have to tell everyone you're good, perfect, etc., it's probably because you know, deep inside, that they won't see it themselves. On the other hand, people that are really good don't have to state it... People see it, and recognize them.

Like I said, I don't have a personal problem with you. I'm sure you're a great guy. I believe that people won't change their (bad) ways if nobody ever points it out. I know I have lots of problems, and I try to be responsive to (constructive) criticism. I hope you can take the same attitude, and I also hope you will read this as it's intended. When I was a wee young lad, and I came home to my mother after a fight, she would always ask, "What did you do to antagonize them?" Even if I didn't start the problem, I knew I must have contributed to it. I still try to ask myself the same question, and I think it's a good approach to take to solving personal problems.

I'm sure I'll get plenty of flames for this, and that's fine. Good day.

Flame throwers ready,
Tip DS

     11 July 2000, 17:26 GMT

Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
Nick Disabato  Account Info
(Web Page)

Argh! Too early in the morning (12:15 PM) to write a rebuttal. But I'm going to do so anyway.

- I don't think I have an arrogant attitude, but I do think that a lot of people HAVE seen me as a good news editor. That's why I wrote the first line you put up there. As for the second, it's completely out of context:

"I'd like to say that my practice has led to perfection... at least, technical perfection."

I wrote that any errors I make in grammar, spelling, syntax (bolded links, etc) are almost nonexistent right now. That doesn't mean the quality of my writing is any better. It's largely not.

- I don't care if people think I'm good or perfect. I don't want to tell them that, or to give them that impression, because I'm really not. I've said this a million times before, and I'm going to say it again: If you met me in real life, you would find a very, very, very NOT perfect person. A real socially inept dork. Trust me here. Ask Chris or Stuart Bergstrom or Mike Knapp or anyone else who's met me in meatspace. I'm screwy in the brain. :)

I hope this wasn't really a blind, mindless flame, but I do feel I have a need to explain myself on some things in that post. You brought up a really good one.

--BlueCalx

     11 July 2000, 19:19 GMT

Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
Adam Palmer  Account Info
(Web Page)

I only wish I could remember to ask myself that quesion everytime somebody get's pissed at me. ;-)

Adam

     11 July 2000, 19:24 GMT

Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
Paulo Marques  Account Info

"You wrote of people who's names you won't mention, and who's actions you won't divulge. How would you expect them to change their ways, if they don't know that you are talking about them?"

Think about it... would it really make a difference? would they get it trough their thick heads just by that?
thought so...
---
Cd_Slayer

     11 July 2000, 22:48 GMT

Re: Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
TipDS

"Think about it... would it really make a difference? would they get it trough their thick heads just by that?" - Paulo Marques

Well, it depends on the kind of person we are talking about. I'll admit that I'm not perfect. (Yes, that's right, you heard it here first!) Please don't tell anyone I said that, though.<G> Despite my best efforts, I sometimes do stupid stuff. If someone will point it out to me, I'll take an honest evaluation of the criticisim and try to act on it. Let's just say, for example, that I eat with my mouth open. If that bothered you, and you said, "I'm not gonna tell that dumb guy he's an irritation. He wouldn't get it anyway." Then I might keep doing it, and bothering you forever. (Or a near approximation of forever<G>) On the other hand, if you told me, I might realize that it could be gross and disturbing to others. I MIGHT even stop doing it. You gotta give people the bennifit of the doubt. If you tell them, and they still act like an ass, then it's their fault. If you don't try to help solve the problem, then you are only contributing to it. You have to at least try to fix the problem.

O.K. I just got yelled at for skipping classes. I gotta go back.

Later,
Tip DS

     12 July 2000, 02:20 GMT

Re: Re: Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
luke195rs  Account Info

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, that is the funniest crap I've seen on this entire post. Do you belive that if a person that wanted to kill someone else was simply pointed out that that was a no no, that that would help? Mr Killer person, I don't think it's right that you want to kill people, maybe you should stop. Yeah, that'd do it. Not only that but people that DO want to kill other people, obviously have thick heads or else they would have gotten the message a *LONG* time ago. Oh, man, what is this?

     13 July 2000, 00:10 GMT

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
TipDS

I'm not sure if you are trying to insult me or not, but I suppose it doesn't really matter. It seems you have taken my message out of context. It was not in reference to the "killer", but instead, to the other people mentioned (rather, unmention<G>.) Thanks for your input just the same.

Respectfully,
Tip DS

     13 July 2000, 05:19 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
luke195rs  Account Info

By "killer" I was only making an example of what you were suggesting. Sorry, I didn't mean to get carried away and offend anyone. Sorry =).

     14 July 2000, 20:03 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
calcfreak901  Account Info
(Web Page)

Homicidal maniacs and hyperactive basic coders are *usually* quite different, although their reactions to criticisms are often not far apart...

     15 July 2000, 21:34 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
Paulo Marques  Account Info

I also do stupid stuff, and i also like people to tell me. But i think stalking and death threats and, well, even boring to death with ICQ are either right away seen as bad things or not until it happens to them. It's just smtg way to personal and bad to do to someone YOU DON'T KNOW, which is another point.
---
Cd_Slayer

(btw, took a while to reply cause i'm sick... snif...)

     13 July 2000, 15:42 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
luke195rs  Account Info

Exactly, they know who they are. I would hope a 12 year old would know what they were doing with themselves.

     13 July 2000, 00:13 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
luke195rs  Account Info

(good lord, I can't get anthing right today) *that 12-year-olds know*

     13 July 2000, 00:21 GMT

Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
calcfreak901  Account Info
(Web Page)

darn! I ran out of napalm last week and FedEx, UPS, and USPS refuse to ship it. j/k

Will fireworks do instead of a flame thrower?

     12 July 2000, 03:12 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
TipDS

Ah, someone with a REAL sense of humor. I can appreciate that.

Thanks,
Tip DS

     13 July 2000, 05:21 GMT


Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
luke195rs  Account Info

Well, I'll have to admit that if Nick HAD let everyone know the names of the shitheads that where bugging him, it would be easier for people to help. It's like a person beating you up, asking for them to please stop, and then getting really mad that they didn't stop even AFTER you said please.

     12 July 2000, 23:45 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
Paulo Marques  Account Info

help... there would be extremists on the other line too... and that wouldn't really solve much, i think
---
Cd_Slayer

     13 July 2000, 15:45 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
luke195rs  Account Info

Huh, are there really that many people that are against Nick? I'd think they'd just not come back to the site. Oh well.

     14 July 2000, 20:07 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
calcfreak901  Account Info
(Web Page)

If there are that many Sheistkopfs against Nick, there must be at least as many on Nick's side, which sounds like it would be quite a cyberbattle...

     15 July 2000, 21:47 GMT

1  2  3  4  5  6  

You can change the number of comments per page in Account Preferences.

  Copyright © 1996-2012, the ticalc.org project. All rights reserved. | Contact Us | Disclaimer