Fear and self-loathing: getting old in tech

It's a good piece Michael, you put time into a structure and great supporting quotes. I hear what you say from others about that feeling from inside tech, "Fear and Loathing" of having been to immersed in the Hotel California too long - the brilliant Wilfred Owen line that I can't help but hear; "Like a devil sick of sin".

One of the best essays that specifically addresses your thoughts on the Bay Area was passed on to me here by another HN reader, it's on the "Californian Ideology", and traces the line from counter-culture to tech-bros [1]. Another interesting video series you might like is Adam Curtis "All watched over..." and "Hypernormalisation". [2]. FWIW I wrote a book [3] vaguely apropos (ping me if you want a free copy).

With regard to "getting it off you chest" - no worries with public writing as private therapy, I think it's half of what all writers do these days. I am finding it helps formulate ideas and aids my more serious projects (even while being a distraction).

[1] https://www.metamute.org/editorial/articles/californian-ideo...

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Curtis

[3] https://digitalvegan.net