[GaryBluto]

While I admire his commitment to his ideals, I find some of this veers into an uncomfortable fanaticism, especially the remarks praising the savage acts of violence committed by the Sentinelese (which I find particularly odd considering the author's professed religion). I doubt the Amish (who apply technology selectively and intelligently) would appreciate being compared to them either; the Sentinelese are not preserving a valuable way of life, they're primitive hunter-gathering barbarians, and anybody can "return" to that way of life any time they want by taking a one-way plane ticket and camping out somewhere where they cannot be found.

Additionally, the fact that this announcement is a scan of a typewritten letter, despite the fact that he has communicated in text-form on BlueSky since the letter's authoring, feels a tad performative to me.

[tclancy]

>praising the savage acts of violence committed by the Sentinelese (which I find particularly odd considering the author's professed religion). I doubt the Amish (who apply technology selectively and intelligently) would appreciate being compared to them either

This feels like a purposeful misreading. The author is using hyperbole to vent about their feelings on where we are right now in tech. The idea being there will still be some vestiges of humanity left who can live without any of the advancements from the Industrial Revolution onward because it may all disappear in a calamity.

>taking a one-way plane ticket and camping out somewhere where they cannot be found.

Camping isn't building a sustainable human community. Trust me. We go camping in the White Mountains every summer and I can tell you based on the campground bathrooms alone that is not a society.

[GaryBluto]

> Camping isn't building a sustainable human community. Trust me.

My point is that if the Sentinelese were gone, the primitive lifestyle would not forever be lost to time. If somebody finds enough people willing to join them, it would be possible to found an off-grid commune somewhere.

> We go camping in the White Mountains every summer and I can tell you based on the campground bathrooms alone that is not a society.

I doubt anybody going camping in the White Mountains intends to found a society.

[tclancy]

May I introduce you to the Free State Project.

Also, I don’t think the Sentinelese intended to found a society, given they most likely lack the concept for the concept for that.

[andai]

My reading was that the calamity is already in progress.

[elicash]

I took it as rhetorical, not a literal call for violence.

That said, I appreciate you noting their name as it gave me something to google/learn.

[GaryBluto]

Regardless whether or not it was rhetorical, I found it off-putting, especially when the Amish (a far superior example of the point he is trying to convey) are mentioned in the same article.

[elicash]

If I were more -- or even at all -- versed in the geopolitics of the Andaman Islands, I may have found it more off-putting than I did. That's a fair enough point. If you're offended by this, that's understandable and I don't blame you.

What I was speaking about was more the claim that the author had veered into fanaticism. That doesn't seem true. He's working at Home Depot not becoming a hunter-gatherer let alone murdering anybody.

[djeastm]

>barbarians

I didn't realize people still used this word to apply to human beings.

[GaryBluto]

Can you think of an appropriate application of the word "barbarian" that doesn't refer to humans?

[dilyevsky]

> friendly neighborhood murderers

[booleandilemma]

What word would you use for parents who sell their own children? Or people who engage in cannibalism? Or people who practice infanticide? "Barbaric", perhaps? I'm not talking about the Sentinelese, I'm talking about other, well, barbarians.

[booleandilemma]

despite the fact that he has communicated in text-form on BlueSky since the letter's authoring

Lol thanks, that answers my question. Whenever these "I'm leaving tech" posts come up I'm amused that the website is still online, they're still tweeting, and there's no indication that they've left anything at all. Our society rewards speaking out too much. It's especially difficult to stop if a big part of your existence is networking, and this guy seems to be all about networking.

Just look at all those socials:

https://chadwhitacre.com/