Short version: alcohol.
Lincoln, Hitler, Cobain, Lennon.
Short version: bullet.
In seems a person's whole life can be summed up by the one thing that killed them. I never really thought of it that way before. Interesting insight.
The short, tormented life of computer genius Phil Katz (2000)
21–30 of 134 posts
Re: The short, tormented life of computer genius Phil Katz (2000)
#22Because this is an old post and not someone who is recently deceased, I do not feel what I am about to say is in poor taste. I don't want to see the idea of the loner computer hacker be idealized any longer. Mr Robot, while a clever and more accurate representation of tech than its predecessors, still leans on the troubled genius trope. My main gripe is how software developers are dehumanized into masochistic agents…
Katz's story is perhaps actually an antidote to that: he worked crazy hours much of the time, and ended up dead at 37.
What's interesting for me is that many geeks I've worked with have real issues in some regard, in a way that non-geeks seem to find a way to make entertaining (IT Crowd, Big Bang Theory), or simply think is disturbingly sad (the loner in the basement stereotype).
The truth is the things that make us great geeks can also make us a little self-destructive, and we should probably as a community talk about that some more.
Spending your formative years as an outsider and then finding yourself as an adult a highly in-demand insider is potentially damaging. It's compounded when - as many of us do - we realise that social anxiety can dissipate with alcohol and use of other drugs.
We've all watched it. Some of us have done it. We need to be a bit more open about discussing it, I think.
Thinking about going first and writing a blog this weekend, but man, it'll be emotionally raw for me, and possibly cringe-inducing for others...
Re: The short, tormented life of computer genius Phil Katz (2000)
#23Because this is an old post and not someone who is recently deceased, I do not feel what I am about to say is in poor taste. I don't want to see the idea of the loner computer hacker be idealized any longer. Mr Robot, while a clever and more accurate representation of tech than its predecessors, still leans on the troubled genius trope. My main gripe is how software developers are dehumanized into masochistic agents…
strongly agree. i think we should replace the trope with that of a master craftsmen. sure they work long hours, but i think what stands out is their wisdom, dedication, pacing, far-sightedness, and mastery. i think the best engineers i know resemble the best craftsmen, rather than indulgent narcissistic fanatics.
Re: The short, tormented life of computer genius Phil Katz (2000)
#24I wonder how he would have reacted if he had lived to see the integration of his ZIP file format into Windows itself, starting with Windows XP in 2001.
Re: The short, tormented life of computer genius Phil Katz (2000)
#25Short version: alcohol.
Lincoln, Hitler, Cobain, Lennon. Short version: bullet. In seems a person's whole life can be summed up by the one thing that killed them. I never really thought of it that way before. Interesting insight.
I'm so happy that none of us - not even you - are merely our 'cause of death'.
Re: The short, tormented life of computer genius Phil Katz (2000)
#26Because this is an old post and not someone who is recently deceased, I do not feel what I am about to say is in poor taste. I don't want to see the idea of the loner computer hacker be idealized any longer. Mr Robot, while a clever and more accurate representation of tech than its predecessors, still leans on the troubled genius trope. My main gripe is how software developers are dehumanized into masochistic agents…
[deleted]
Re: The short, tormented life of computer genius Phil Katz (2000)
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
Lincoln, Hitler, Cobain, Lennon. Short version: bullet. In seems a person's whole life can be summed up by the one thing that killed them. I never really thought of it that way before. Interesting insight.
I'm so happy that none of us - not even you - are merely our 'cause of death'.
Hmm. I thought my condescension was over the top. Guess i was too subtle.
Re: The short, tormented life of computer genius Phil Katz (2000)
#28A tragic tale, and a reminder that intelligence and business success are no replacement for mental health. Even in the BBC's account, the tone of the writing seems to present a lot of warning signs and developing problems as just a genius' wacky eccentricities. If you require substances in order to function, can't maintain social relationships or struggle with harmful lifestyles, these aren't mere character traits, t…
The article is not affiliated with the BBC -- it's published on bbsdocumentaries.com.
Oops, good catch- one letter makes a substantial difference!
Should have wondered why a BBC documentary was being presented in plaintext format, anyway...
Re: The short, tormented life of computer genius Phil Katz (2000)
#29Off topic, but what was so special about the "zip" file over a ".tar.Z" file, especially that it already existed when ZIP came out?
Re: The short, tormented life of computer genius Phil Katz (2000)
#30One of the most heartbreaking stories of of the tech world, and one that comes with a lot of bad blood. Be sure to watch Jason Scott's documentary clip on the ARC vs PKARC battle:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiaM5MT1Ok8
I admit that I've always wondered what a dramatic film based on this story would look like. It has all of the highs and lows of a movie, and it would be worth retelling for both the lessons it has to teach but also the important role in computer history Katz held.