One of my favorite blogs, Valleywag, sent a reporter to one of my favorite events, Burning Man.
While I love Valleywag, the person they sent out there to "report" is totally missing the point of the event. I think this bothers me a lot because there is so much to get out of the event. Plus, at least for me, the convergence of technology and community building is fascinating and very applicable to my day job.
This is what Burning Man feels like. No, that's not me. I took the picture.
What you would expect (for example):
- interviews with the founders and long term attendees of Burning Man
- interviews with people in the tech community in their real lives, talking about what Burning Man means to them and why the make an effort to get involved
- stories about new projects and people doing nifty things with technology at the event (ie, art projects using solar cells)
What you wouldn't be surprised by:
Valleywag is a gossipy kind of site, so you would expect that the writer would be chasing down the Google founders in a shameless drooling way. He said he was going to, but evidently forgot, and that's fine.
What is really annoying:
He doesn't understand what the event is about. He's not talking about technology, the people, the projects OR ANYTHING. He said that the event is a "barter economy" (it's not) and he keeps whining about the dust and the internet connection being flakey. It's the desert, get a grip. If you find it so awful, why not ask people why they endure the harsh conditions every year? What's driving them?
It's so complicated logistically to get to Burning Man that most of the people you meet are thrilled to be there. They are helpful, happy, reveling in self expression/freedom and fully engaged in the gift economy. Now that the playa has wireless, I wonder if the trend of "embedded reporters" and "tourists" (as opposed to participants) will become an epidemic.
I hope not. We don't need that kind of attitude in our city. Wish I was there, instead of in class!
