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Comment by iugtmkbdfil834 | Hacker News Reader

FWIW, it isn't just CCC. Most previously relatively private events/groups have now acquired professional influencers ( including more recent dashcam shaming trend ), snake oil peddlers or clout chasers. We just had midwest vintage computer expo here and while some things did get better, some things parent said immediately triggered the comparison.

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I don’t really understand what you’re saying, could you expand on it? MWVCE is a private event, the organizers can set the policy at the door - are you saying that folks were not willing to comply with the policies?

What triggered the comparison, specifically?

What I am saying that the cultural zeitgeist has changed sufficiently that it is very, very different from the one of only 20-30 back. Way back when I was but a wee lad, we didn't go around taking pictures of strangers for public entertainment almost regardless of public facing policies regarding said strangers. It is a very different frame of mind. I think I can officially say farewell to that world.

Do you believe in the preservation of history and culture for the benefit of the future?

I don’t take pictures of random strangers for entertainment - I take pictures of the beautiful, open, public spaces I visit, which happen to have people in them.

The notion that a society should not be free and open in this regard is, frankly, repressive.

You know, I kinda used to be with you until about few years ago we went to a park in Utah, where, and I swear this is true, a line of influencers were waiting to pose for a specific landmark to preen at camera for their allotted time. In other words, I no longer care about repressive. I will even go as far as to say that some of this silliness has to be repressed.

Couldn’t disagree with you more. Do you want to live in a free and open society or not?

Where does your march to the bottom end? We are no longer allowed to take photo’s of our government without permission, perhaps?

I want the freedom to not be surveilled for daring to go out in public. Get off your high horse.

Well in so doing you’re impinging on others freedoms, and your horse is just as uppity.

It’s in the name: public. You cannot prevent me from looking at you, nor memorizing every single detail about you, no matter how you whine.

If you want privacy, create it. The public world belongs to everyone..

It seems like you were born in the wrong era. You would have made for a wonderful Stasi agent, comrade.

panopticon == free and open society?

These days we automatically blur people faces so there is no reason we can't have both

As someone who also attended (both as a table and speaker) this last VCF Midwest. The biggest problem that event has is the base mercantilism.

If I'm attending that event, I want to see cool machines doing cool things and hear the stories and things people love about them.

I don't wanna see a bunch of AI slop coffee mugs and tee shirts of various old video game consoles taking up an entire fucking wall

As for mercantilism, I must confess I did buy some of those.. for my kid I swear!

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