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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.


I bow my head in reverence.
MarkHazard  Account Info

I bow my head in reverence to your patience. I am a junior sys admin and I can say I understand your pain. Obviously you have been much more mature about this than I would have been. Good luck with the war, I really hope it stops. It's a pity that programmers would program just for the fame. --shakes head--


Sickened and disgusted at the immaturity of some people--

Mark Hazard


The map to our subconcious is drawn on a dot matrix.--anon.

     10 July 2000, 21:51 GMT

Re: I bow my head in reverence.
SirNAOF Account Info
(Web Page)

I am also downright ashamed of some people's actions. I have nothing to do with it, but it still pisses me off. It will be a shame to see you leave ticalc, but if that is what you have to do, then go for it. We can only hope to get someone as talented to assume your position.

Good luck in all you do.

Jeremy Baumgartner

P.S.: Real programmers code for fun, not fame.

     11 July 2000, 00:08 GMT

Re: Re: I bow my head in reverence.
JaggedFlame Account Info

Well, you could argue that. _Everyone_'s a real programmer (unless you're that guy who faked that Gooey thing... I didn't have an 89 then but I was still pretty interested in it), but only real _good_ programmers program for fun, and not fame. :-)

And you could argue that too... only real good _pure-hearted_ programmers, and so on, but let's not get into that right now. :-)

     11 July 2000, 01:41 GMT


Re: Re: Re: I bow my head in reverence.
calcfreak901  Account Info
(Web Page)

It could also be argued that _real_programmers_ program in the following: C/C++, assembly, and/or machine code only.

Nick, its terrible to see you leave, but if you must, then do so. Your contributions will be much missed by the entire ti community. Good luck with your future endeavors.

     11 July 2000, 20:34 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: I bow my head in reverence.
calcfreak901  Account Info
(Web Page)

correction: _real_programmers_ program in a compiled language, assembly, or machine code

     14 July 2000, 21:15 GMT


Re: Re: I bow my head in reverence.
BaSe-2-oP  Account Info
(Web Page)

Hrm.. I would argue that real programmers program to get the damn code out of their dreams! (No Joke; I often wake up with headaches.)

-base2op

     12 July 2000, 17:47 GMT


Re: Re: Re: I bow my head in reverence.
calcfreak901  Account Info
(Web Page)

Does your brain crash from all the code in your head?

     12 July 2000, 22:27 GMT


Re: I bow my head in reverence.
calcfreak901  Account Info
(Web Page)

suggested modification:
The map to our subconcious is drawn on a TI-89 dot matrix.--anon.

     14 July 2000, 22:07 GMT

Nick? My Gosh?
Cpt.Ginyu

I knew there were some problems, however, I never realized just how serious the problem was. Nick I do not know what to say, but I can say you have kept this site clean and I as a regular user apreciate that

     10 July 2000, 22:20 GMT


Re: Nick? My Gosh?
monoman  Account Info
(Web Page)

I appreciate how clean this site is too.

     11 July 2000, 09:34 GMT


Re: Re: Nick? My Gosh?
calcfreak901  Account Info
(Web Page)

We all do (collective thought, not schizophrenia)

     15 July 2000, 08:06 GMT

Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
acr34  Account Info
(Web Page)

I am quite sad to see you leave, but I would like to share my opinion on a few points

-We will really miss the humor in the news

-With fame there comes the death threats, stupid flames etc. but you should know that you are NOT causing this by your behavior because most of these are coming from people with a minor psycotic disorder which kicks in at times

-As to the basic groups flaming each other, we are a Community and we should not fight, mabye a little healthy competition but the extent of this is rediculous and I hope that they mature enough to realize that by cooperating we can achieve a higher goal, write better calc software etc. wheras independtly we will each have to write through it all, Ion, Tse, Mirage etc and not benifit from each other's acheivements.

-Finally, I hope you keep in contact with the Community even if you cannot be as active as you once were.

     10 July 2000, 23:05 GMT

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

I think they have *major* psychotic disorders . . .

Seriously, I'm sorry to hear what's happening. I hope I didn't help cause any of it by posting your address. Even though anybody could check the WhoIS database, I may have opened the door for stupid people to bug you. Sorry.

I hope that you can drop in once and a while from college, we will all miss the long-hidden humor that calculators in fact have.

     11 July 2000, 01:23 GMT


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

Perhaps your replacement will be able to tap into this hidden asset as well, Nick.

     15 July 2000, 08:10 GMT


Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
Stuart Bergstrom  Account Info

How comforting to know that your death by a psycho is "not your fault". I had the chance to meet Nick once, and let me tell you, the rumors about his living in Chicago are all true. (read: /me is a psycho and stalks TI-Calculator news writers into submission)
We've gotta do this again sometime.

     11 July 2000, 05:06 GMT

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

Actually, as I _do_ remember, it was ME that stopped YOU in the Field Museum's lobby.

Hence, I would have been stalking you. But that wasn't the case. So there.

--BlueCalx

     11 July 2000, 19:11 GMT


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

ACKPTH! Don't prompt any more ticalc.org staff to leave! Didn't you notice that the news item posted after this one was that a bunch of the best programmers in the ti community left? We don't need to lose any more than we already have!

calcfreak901 and his $((2/5)^2)

     15 July 2000, 08:25 GMT

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

How long did it take you to type this message?

     11 July 2000, 02:17 GMT

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

I had to share this #ti quote with everyone. I just had to. If you don't get the Simpsons reference, don't bother trying to.

<whimsy> i have this vision of this crazy kid ganking an suv
<whimsy> "must..kill...bluecalx...WHEE! must..kill..bluecalx...whee!"

--BlueCalx

     11 July 2000, 02:40 GMT

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

The simpsons are FUNNY!

     11 July 2000, 03:24 GMT


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

WOW, really? ;-)

     11 July 2000, 05:00 GMT

Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
mattc2345  Account Info

as long as we are posting simpsons quotes
(from the same episode)
chief wiggum: he moe isn't that your car up there with the giant rubber hippy daisy on it?
moe: whats it doing up there it was supposed to be on the railroad tracks?
moe: homer you idiot
homer: homer you genious
(car goes in the river)
chief wiggum: that car theif has got to come up sometime he can't hold his breath forever
lou: and if he can chief?
chief wiggum: may god help us all



(thats also the episode where home sings the song
stealing stealing stealing a car from moe da da da da da da insurance fraud today)

     11 July 2000, 04:22 GMT


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

I hope i didn't brain my damage

     11 July 2000, 06:31 GMT


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

If you think about it for a second the Simpsons is the greatest show in the world they have gone trough almost every problem in life and managed to make it funny and educational at the same time now thats what i call T.V.

Random Homer Quote:

Homer: "Um yes could I aslo have one of them Skittlebrews?
Apu: "What is a Skittlebrew?
Homer: "You know that beer with the skittles in it?
Apu: "Im sorry but such a product does not exist you must of seen it in a dream once.
Homer: "Ok then give me a 6-pack and a couple bags of skittles.

     11 July 2000, 07:28 GMT

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

"Skittlesbrau"...
I probably know more about The Simpsons than most visitors to the site. :)

--BlueCalx

     11 July 2000, 08:42 GMT


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

I get an hour of simpsons a night for 6 nights a week (on Sundays, only 1/2 hour).

     11 July 2000, 09:51 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
Matt Hockenheimer  Account Info

Lucky. My fox station replaced the second simpsons with Drew Carey last year :(

     11 July 2000, 19:23 GMT

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

Drew Carey's funny but it's definitely not worth taking away a Simpsons episode. I feel sorry for you.

     11 July 2000, 20:47 GMT


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

UPN dropped Dilbert again in midJune:[

     15 July 2000, 08:40 GMT


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

Marge: "Grandpa, are you sitting on the pie?"
Grandpa: "I hope so..."

     11 July 2000, 14:32 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
lanceclevenger
(Web Page)

Grandpa: "I'm goin to the outhouse."
Lisa: "We don't have an outhouse."
Homer: "MY TOOLSHED!"

     14 July 2000, 23:07 GMT

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

There, there . . . shutup boy. (Homer at a failed attempt to comfort Bart)

Ree-cyyy-cliing?

Little Bart reminds me of me, before the weight of the world crushed my shoulders.

Trying is the first step to failure.

No one snuggles with Max Powers . . . they strap in and feel the G's.

     11 July 2000, 09:45 GMT

Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
Jeff Meister  Account Info

Time for my favorite Simpsons quote:

Homer: "To alcohol, the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems."

- one[2]

     11 July 2000, 16:27 GMT


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

Not sure who has seen or knows more about the Simpsons then me never really wanted to take time out of my day to find out but I do know that ive seen evern show of the simpson at LEAST! 3 times, so there is a chance that someone does know more then me but Ive knowen all the trivia that ive come across so I feel like I know enough.

Random Homer Quote:

Homer: "No TV No BEER make Homer go something something"
Marge: "Go crazy?"
Homer: "Dont mind if I do"

     12 July 2000, 05:15 GMT


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

Heh. That sounds like a challenge to me...
I'm willing to bet that _nobody_ here can answer this simple question:

When Homer travels to the third dimension, among the scenery that scolls by in the background is an encrypted message. What does it say?

I'll be very impressed if anyone can answer this without watching the episode again.

Random Homer quote:
"You and your crazy stories, Lisa. 'Mr. Burns is a vampire!' 'Beer kills brain cells!' Now let's go back to the...building...thingie...where our...bedsandTV...is."

     12 July 2000, 19:09 GMT


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

I do know what your talking about but dont remember what it said because I really didnt pay attention to it.

And since I really dont want to keep posting on this subect im going to close with more then one Homer Quote.

Homer: Are you saying you're never going to eat any animal
again? What about bacon?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Ham?
Lisa: No!
Homer: Pork chops?
Lisa: Dad, those all come from the same animal!
Homer: Heh heh heh... ooh... yeah... right, Lisa.
A wonderful... magical animal.

Lisa: Dad, we did something very bad!
Homer: Did you wreck the car?
Bart: No.
Homer: Did you raise the dead?
Lisa: Yes.
Homer: But the car's okay?
Bart & Lisa: Uh-huh.
Homer: All right then.

Homer: Son, when you participate in sporting events, it's not whether you win or lose... it's how drunk you get.

Well thats all I can think of thats worth posting and im getting tierd so im going to go sleep for a while.

     12 July 2000, 23:28 GMT


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

Then I must share this Far Side quote:

<St. Peter>Welcome to Heaven. Here's your harp.
<frame break>
<demon>Welcome to hell. Here's your accordion.

For those of you with daily Far Side calendars, its July 22/23.

     14 July 2000, 04:13 GMT

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