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The circus freaks of open source

drewdevault.com

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Re: The circus freaks of open source

#24

Post by serf »

bertman wrote: post #16
comex wrote: post #5

I worry that this post is itself the type of sensationalized gossip it condemns.

The author addresses exactly this in the postscript of his article.

"I did my best" comes across as exceedingly hollow when the post itself is :

1) : 'circus freaks of open source' isn't some clever pun or double entendre; it's just a jab.

and

2) : "Hey everyone , this list of folks have troubles, let's talk about them by name and make a gentleman's pact not to bother them while we analyze the meta situation of 'people with troubles' more broadly!"

"Let's not bother this , internet!" is about the most naive net take one could imagine. If you need to make an example, or use a person as an example, at least try to anonymize the premise and identity.

If your doctor got an ig nobel for his pioneering technique for removing cucumbers from patients' rectums you'd be damned sure you'd prefer a Bob and Jane style anecdote rather than full name credit and a press interview as a frontier patient.

Yeah, Terry is long gone. Other folks aren't. Let's not pretend we're all just unwitting spectators here, and let's not ascribe fault or reasons behind Terry's tragic end.

Re: The circus freaks of open source

#25

Post by SturgeonsLaw »

0xbadcafebee wrote: post #7

> I wish we had just left Terry well enough alone. That would help Drew, but not Terry. Terry would remain on his own to struggle in silence, but Drew could sleep soundly without noticing him. There've been many outsider artists over the years ("Artistry of the Mentally Ill", (c) 1922) whose schizophrenia has led them to lead tragic lives. But they also created amazing art that is celebrated around the world. I do wi…

Not just outsider artists either, Vincent van Gogh is one of the most widely known artists in history and he was dealing with increasingly severe mental health episodes over the years. A large amount of his art was produced while in varying states of psychosis. Starry Night was painted in an asylum.
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