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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.


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

I made a small observation after visiting Nick's site. He got an OLD Nintendo and was talking about how he loves it. (Nothing wrong with that, I have one too.) But I think that this might be the reason that he is leaving. Everything else is made up. It's all about the Nintendo.

Just a thought.

PS: ZELDA ROCKS

     11 July 2000, 19:29 GMT


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

It's true. I want to leave ticalc.org so I can have more time to beat the fourth dungeon on the first game of Zelda.

*sob*

--BlueCalx

     13 July 2000, 09:02 GMT


Re: Re: Re: Rant: On Asbestos, Hacking, and Ineptitude
ˆ²³  Account Info

In that case you should be back in no time flat. Zelda isn't even remotly hard untill you get to the 7th dungen.

Et23

     14 July 2000, 20:20 GMT

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

I know you won't read this Nick, as there are loaaaaaaaaaaaads of posts above it, but what the hell.

I'm sorry. I shouldn't have helped drag you into this.

More in the email - I'm not baring my soul to the /whole/ world ;)

     11 July 2000, 20:42 GMT


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

Werd. Read the email.
No reason to apologize.

--BlueCalx

     11 July 2000, 21:37 GMT


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

As i said above, your speach even made me sorry for light flamming... ouch...
---
Cd_Slayer

     11 July 2000, 22:50 GMT

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

I guess Nick /does/ read all the posts... ;)

     12 July 2000, 19:33 GMT


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

No he doesn't.
YOU LIE!

--BlueCalx

     13 July 2000, 08:56 GMT


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

Uh oh. No smiley. I'VE PUSHED HIM OVER THE EDGE!!!!

Arghhhh!

I will spend my days meditating on my guilt...

     13 July 2000, 19:20 GMT


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

But can you pull him back up before he passes the point of no return?

     15 July 2000, 21:58 GMT


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

I think lots of people are victim to that.

     12 July 2000, 23:37 GMT

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

Nick, what do your parents have to say about all that is going on? I mean they have to know don't they?

Don't people have better things to do than stalk a calculator news writer? If everything that you said is truthfull, you have a very serious problem on your hands and hopefully the threats and stalking will come to an end when you leave for college.

     11 July 2000, 22:35 GMT


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

'fraid not, some people TRIVE off of stalking news writers, especially calculator news writers.

     13 July 2000, 00:00 GMT

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

Okay......

So we'll have to find someone new to send death threats to for no apparent reason at all. I can see things with similar sense coming: "MUST KILL INSPECTOR #12!!"

~Robert

     11 July 2000, 23:36 GMT

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

Nick, please take into consideration who you are dealing with. Many of these people aren't even teens yet. Their maturity level is low, yes, but no amount of telling anyone, even them, will change it. People mature with time, not external environments. You should make it more clear to people that news items are an enourmous honor and not to be expected. Why someone would treaten to kill you, I don't know. You never made that clear in your message. You did make it clear that some people get a long with you and too many want to kill you. You need to deal with this problem in other ways than expoding out to loyal fans of this site and you. You need to think about how this is going to go accross. Your fans will have sympathy for you, and try and help or even just ignore this message. Those that what you miserable, now know that you're miserable and might keep at it. I really wish I knew how not posting a news item on someones game or whatever could possibly make them mad enough to want to kill you. You might what to talk to these people individually if you what to solve your problem. Figure out why these people hate you so bad. I can't imagine hundreds of people after you, wanting to kill you JUST for not posting a news item about there game. Annoyed, sure, frustrated, maybe, wanting to kill you, probably not unless it was one hell of an accumulation of crap or mental instibility. If those people don't want to talk, discontinue their membership and make sure they can't come back. Don't read e-mails from ass holes and especially don't get your featers ruffled about them. Nick, I really am sorry about the crap your taking and have been taking. I'd like to help you but I'm afraid you can only help yourself in this situation. Don't let this crap get to you, you're a great person, hate to see you go, but let what time is left be pleasent. For everyone. It is not fair that you take it out on us, I really feel there is a MUCH better way you could have told us what has been going on than just exploding. I'm not sure how many I speak for here, but many people would like to help you, just guide us in the right direction. You just cannot let this shit get to you. Oh, and sorry that message was so disorganized. Different sections of that post made me want to say different things. I'm pretty sure I got most of it out just not in the right order. Sorry.

     12 July 2000, 23:34 GMT

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

Man, that was pretty disorganized, huh?

     12 July 2000, 23:57 GMT

COULD YOU MAKE IT ANY LONGER!!!!?
Cpt.Ginyu

First, Nick has to deal with psycho stalkers, then email threghts and spam, now he has to deal with an insanely long and boring message. HASN'T THE MAN SUFFERED ENOUGH!!!!?

     13 July 2000, 00:59 GMT

Re: COULD YOU MAKE IT ANY LONGER!!!!?
Paulo Marques  Account Info

:) man, he's serious, don't joke about that...

     13 July 2000, 15:52 GMT


This is why I don't have a site.
Cpt.Ginyu

I know he is serious. This is why I am trying to lighten th mood. When I get upset, which is often, I apreciate when people lighten the mood.

     13 July 2000, 16:27 GMT


Re: COULD YOU MAKE IT ANY LONGER!!!!?
luke195rs  Account Info

Hehe, I never said he HAD to read it.

     14 July 2000, 19:51 GMT


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

Not that I disagree with what you said, but I can't believe you said it. Just a few posts up you flamed me for suggesting that he speak to these people, and now you have the gaul to suggest the SAME DAMN THING! Were you kidding before?!?!

Anyhow,
Tip DS

     13 July 2000, 05:36 GMT

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

I'm pretty sure he said IGNORE

     13 July 2000, 15:51 GMT


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

Well, I could be taking this out of context, but here's a quote:

"You might what to talk to these people individually if you what to solve your problem. Figure out why these people hate you so bad." - luke195rs

Maybe he was kidding, but this doesn't say "ignore" to me.

Just a discussion,
Tip DS

     13 July 2000, 18:35 GMT


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

"Don't read e-mails from ass holes and especially don't get your featers ruffled about them."

ok, it's a big post, sue me. i just got the wrong general impression then
---
Cd_Slayer

     14 July 2000, 01:12 GMT


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

No, that's not what I ment. All I ment by that earier was that I don't think that METHOD would work. He should work it out with them... just not quite like that. Sorry =).

     14 July 2000, 19:56 GMT

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