Actually only the first screenshot is a review of my application, I asked some friends for their credentials to test the information disclosure out. (you would only get 1 review per application)
Admittedly, "passion and interest don't really come across" might've been a valid impression, since the post after sounds like it wasn't the top priority:
> I decided to apply even though I was pretty busy that weekend, hoping my schedule would clear by the time the hackathon came around.
However, this could be yet another instance of gatekeeping that has sprung up, now that there's tons of money involved, and a whole lot of petty posturing and maneuvering.
When I was a kid, from a non-affluent family, who was fortunate to be able to start programming computers, I could just do things.
I'm not aware of anyone ever being appointed arbiter of whether I had enough "passion and interest" to participate in some activity or venue.
You'd just show up, and other enthusiasts would be reasonably encouraging and supportive.
Too much nowadays in our field has a whiff of being about classism and collusion, to create barriers to joining the clique.
Don't get me started on the obviously frat-pledging interviews that Google popularized, and then way too many newcomers mimicked that gatekeeping baggery, as if it was good and reasonable, rather than bro snobbery.
A recent highly advertised hackathon rejected my application.
I DM'd an organizer and got told there was no space at the venue.
I showed up anyways and security was checking names before allowing entrants in.
Walk in with a box of "stuff" and shuffle over with a look of friendly inconvenience, and as they're scouring the list for my name: "Oh uh sorry I was a really late application so I might be towards the end or something".
"Ah thanks for letting me know!", and after some half hearted searching security pens in my name, and off I go. My team ended up being finalists.
The room was probably half empty btw. I get fire codes are a thing but as someone who's helped organize hackathons, organizers are notorious for overestimating the conversion rate from "accepted" to "actually shows up"
Tbh, if I could go to a conference that guaranteed all signs of passion and interest would be banned, it would be depressing.... but far more useful. Passion is something best saved for happy hour. The best advice I've received is not from passionate people but rather people who have resigned themselves to the work.
Very grateful I'm nowhere near conferences or academia, but equally grateful others are doing the work filtering the bullshit out for me.
Sorry if that wasn’t clear in the blog post!