bros_are_people

Shit, more unsafe code in the wild.

Better get started on that Rust port ASAP

> That is a form of systems hacking

Yep, pretty much how I viewed it the entire time. I had no friends in a new town, and it bothered me (this doesn't bother everyone and that's fine). I needed a quick hack so I didn't have to worry about it for years to come. It worked great, but I'm sure there were other ways to tackle the problem.

> you could understand why I would think you could be a clown if you're wearing a red nose right?

While I think you've made a godawful argument from analogy, this part made me chuckle.

First of all, let me be clear. I was answering YOUR pointed question I had no intention of trying to sway you. I don't at all care about what other people do. I especially do not make harsh judgements about people because of their interests. I am well aware you can socialize outside of a structured system, so there was no need to condescend there.

Second, holy moly...a 10 paragraph rant, with videos! Over something you supposedly don't care about.

Wow, again, I find it odd that the mere existence of fraternities yields such an overt emotional response from some people. You really flipped out and overanalyzed a group that you decided you didn't want to be a part of, and therefore, shouldn't care about.

> They think that because they belonged to a social club for four years and nailed lots of girls that they know how to navigate every kind of social exchange.

Who is this collective they you refer to? How could you possibly know all of their thoughts? Clubs are still made up of individuals, you know. You sound like you're still in college, you're projecting a lot.

> But for some frat guys they think it doesn't end. They never want to leave the parties, the easy nightly fucking, the parties, and all the rest -- and oh yeah, the parties.

This is categorically false. Everyone grows up, eventually. A lot of successful people have been in fraternities. No one said anyone outside of fraternities can't also be successful or social.

There are merits to joining all sorts of social clubs. However all these merits are easily available to individuals as well. There is no need to be so affected by the interests of others! Even if its gasp partying, like you so cleverly pointed out.

See, you're wrong though. I attended Pokemon meetups at school while also being a member of a fraternity. I got shit for is but I just didn't really care. I gave people shit for other "weird" stuff they did all the time.

You're also wrong in saying someone who likes Pokemon is a specific kind of person. I know tons of "jocks" who played WoW and Pokemon with they're down time. In other words, your fleeting interests do not, and should not, define who you are.

Ok, but only since you asked. Keep in mind experiences will vary.

Honestly, they're great for making connections and serve as an easy mode for college social life. You never have to worry about having social options. There will always be something to do every single night (to your detriment if you're not responsible). You have access to tons of events with good looking sorority members every week which increases the likelihood that you'll get somewhere with someone. You meet so many different women your head spins, the odds are just in your favor.

Those are basically the main benefits. Greek culture actually varies quite a bit from campus to campus. For example, we consistently received the opposite of special treatment from the University. There are quite a few negative aspects too (like hazing) that I don't feel like delving into here. But overall, I don't regret it. I got what I wanted out of it (my wife).

I just find it strange that an extra curricular activity someone did in college could yield such a strong emotional response from some people. It's just a social club.

> the stereotype exists for a reason

That's a really poor argument. You could not use that same logic for any other group of people without being called ignorant or bigoted.

Please re-read my post. I clearly stated that I wasn't aware that these feeling persisted AFTER college. I knew what I was getting into.

Thanks for the response. I definitely see where you're coming from.

I do feel like there is a flip side to that where if you're into fantasy football and drinking on weekends you're somehow less intelligent. This is evident in terms like "brogrammer" or "bro-science" I see get tossed around HN.

I doubt much of the "bro" culture stays internalized for very long after graduation. Most of it just translates to severe immaturity in the adult world. Still, there's danger in stereotype-based hatred.

> For instance, my initial impulse is to regard people who have a "bro" or "frat" face with contempt before realizing how irrational that is.

I find this interesting. Do graduates seriously continue to resent people who were in fraternities that much? One would think these kinds of stereotypes didn't matter much after college.

Until I started reading HN, I wasn't aware that this kind of deep-seeded hatred existed. I see a lot of people using "bro-" as a negative prefix meaning "not adequate". This bothers me as someone who spent college loving CS and programming while very much participating in fraternity culture.

EDIT: I'm an introvert; I'm just not really shy. I do sometimes feel like I can't get along with other programmers for some reason.