rodney o lain

g3macboy · July 14, 2003 9:09AM

i recall reading about the mac/apple columnist Rodney O Lain and had a a bookmark to www.ibrotha.com. that site no longer points to anything mac-related. does anyone know what happened? i assume no one renewed the domain...

buonrotto · July 14, 2003 9:21AM

Rodney O. Lain committed suicide a year or so ago.

g3macboy · July 14, 2003 9:38AM

yeah June 16th 2002 and then on June 29 Gene Kan (whose blog is still active)

http://thisplacesucks.blogspot.com/2...s_archive.html

also took his own life. i never think i ll understand suicide. is the rate of suicide higher than average inside the tech industry? i know that is a leap, but i ve spent some time thinking about these two cases.

gardenofearthlydelights · July 14, 2003 2:55PM

Quote:

Originally posted by g3macboy

i recall reading about the mac/apple columnist Rodney O Lain and had a a bookmark to www.ibrotha.com. that site no longer points to anything mac-related. does anyone know what happened? i assume no one renewed the domain...

He was a provocative writer. He inspired my writing at a time I needed it, too. It's too bad...

eugene · July 14, 2003 6:40PM

Quote:

Originally posted by g3macboy

...on June 29 Gene Kan (whose blog is still active)

http://thisplacesucks.blogspot.com/2...s_archive.html

also took his own life. i never think i ll understand suicide. is the rate of suicide higher than average inside the tech industry? i know that is a leap, but i ve spent some time thinking about these two cases.

Wow, that's the first time I've seen Kan's blog...seems he had lots of issues...

I'd guess the rate of tech industry suicides doesn't deviate much from the norm. Writers, on the other hand, usually have tons of things they want to get off their mind. I'd guess I'd lump bloggers into that category too. Bloggers typically rant aimlessly about anything they can think of. That seems like an unhealthy practice to me.

scott · July 14, 2003 6:56PM

I didn't always read his stuff but it was often fun to read.

g3macboy · July 14, 2003 7:57PM

Eugene - I have to disagree with you. Blogging is catharsis Ranting (artistically even) does no harm.

torifile · July 14, 2003 8:24PM

Quote:

Originally posted by g3macboy

Eugene - I have to disagree with you. Blogging is catharsis Ranting (artistically even) does no harm.

Not really true. Often, things like journaling (when you're in a depressed state) can become like ruminating, making the depression even worse. Trust me, I've seen it. If the journaling has a point or the person writing also talks about what is going well, it can be better, but that doesn't usually happen.

buonrotto · July 14, 2003 9:09PM

Yeah, it's like people who throw things to "blow off steam." It really just makes them angrier.

keyboardf12 · July 14, 2003 9:23PM

Something struck me on a slashdot story yesterday. AOL is including a new features called "journals" (blogs) and it just hit me (duh i know) why i hate the term blog. its just a fancy name for "journal" even worse its a fancy name for ...

"Dear Diary..."

Ewwwww.... i look at all bloggers in a different light now...

\

blah blah i know someone will say this person's journal is top notch. and you would be correct. but they make up a very few percent and most are electofied versions of "Dear diary..."

scott · July 14, 2003 9:47PM

This one of my favorite blogs and it doesn't strike me as "dear diary".

http://www.overlawyered.com/

keyboardf12 · July 15, 2003 10:15AM

Quote:

i know someone will say this person's journal is top notch

See i told you.

Of course there are quality blogs.

But most are "dear diaries" whose first six letters all happen to begin with "<html>"

ghost_user_name · July 15, 2003 11:54AM

Quote:

Originally posted by g3macboy

i never think i ll understand suicide. is the rate of suicide higher than average inside the tech industry? i know that is a leap, but i ve spent some time thinking about these two cases.

Well, unfortunately, I think to really understand it you have to of been there. I made attempts on my own life when I was younger, so I can understand why somebody would want to. When people I know of do, I feel I can really relate to why they did, and in turn, accept it. Only because I was there.

It is, admittedly, something I do not think I will ever seriously consider again.

If you are genuinely interested in the topic, and would like to try and understand suicide better, I would like to recommend a book. Night Falls Fast by Dr. Kay Redfield Jameson. It's probably one of the best books I have ever read about suicide, and I highly recommend it. It is just an all around excellent read.

ghost_user_name · July 15, 2003 11:57AM

Quote:

Originally posted by torifile

Not really true. Often, things like journaling (when you're in a depressed state) can become like ruminating, making the depression even worse. Trust me, I've seen it. If the journaling has a point or the person writing also talks about what is going well, it can be better, but that doesn't usually happen.

I think combined with regular therapy, a journal can be a healthy thing.

eugene · July 15, 2003 4:38PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LoCash

I think combined with regular therapy, a journal can be a healthy thing.

That's expensive!

torifile · July 15, 2003 5:41PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LoCash

I think combined with regular therapy, a journal can be a healthy thing.

Yup, it can. I've used it with my clients. Something more structured is generally better, but some people don't really like that.

jante99 · July 15, 2003 6:09PM

Quote:

Originally posted by torifile

Yup, it can. I've used it with my clients. Something more structured is generally better, but some people don't really like that.

So people pay you to tell them to write in a diary?

torifile · July 15, 2003 8:01PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jante99

So people pay you to tell them to write in a diary?

Well, not me directly. I'm still "in training" so they pay my supervisors. $150/hr. Not too bad, eh?

rodney o lain

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