Dawn of the Geeks

Robot Wisdom on the Street

A bum in a Google cap. Now there’s a sign of the times, I think as he shambles toward me. He looks pretty much like any other tattered street person in San Francisco - long, windblown dirty-blond hair with a beard to match. Unbuttoned shirttails flapping in the afternoon breeze.

But he’s walking with someone I recognize - Andrew, a dapper writer I’ve known for years. We stop on the sidewalk, and Andrew introduces me to the guy in the Google cap: “This is Jorn Barger,” he begins. “Another homeless blogger,” his companion finishes.

Jorn Barger. It takes me a moment to recognize the name. Barger is an online legend I’ve been following for a decade. He was the unstoppable Usenet poster who could carry on simultaneous debates about Ibsen, Chomsky, artificial intelligence, and Kate Bush. He was the keeper of the James Joyce FAQ. Barger’s prolific posting made him famous, if not popular, in the proto­blogosphere.

…

He says he avoids the need for a job by living on less than a dollar a day. “I was carrying a cardboard sign when we met that day,” he tells me. “I wasn’t sure if I should show it to you. I figured if things didn’t work out with Andrew I could pick up some change.” On his panhandler sign, Barger had written:

Coined the term ‘weblog,’ never made a dime.

With all that information he’s assembled he could put Google AdSense on his site easily make $1.00 per day. I can just imagine him sitting on the street tapping his *Google* hat wondering how to get some money for the day. Hmmmm…that’s a tough one. That’s the problem with people who are far too into their misguided ideals that information should be free or something. “But Thomas Jefferson himself said that information needs to be free.” they retort. Yeah, well TJ lived in an age where anyone could build anything they needed. Thomas Jefferson also wrote and sold books. Not exactly free information now is it? These so called “progressives” need to get with the 21st century and realize that information is a valuable resource.

Apparently this guy decided to run himself into the ground rather than find a way to make money off of his talent. And he still hasn’t figured out how to make money off his stuff. Even though it’s right there on top of his head.