YC/SV rumor that that Michael O. Church died - eviltoast

Since the thread was flagged and marked dead, here’s what it says if you don’t have showdead on:

I was working late and half my company is in California so I was still at work when that rumour hit. My boss is former YC. Anyway, I don’t want to fan something that might not be true, but it doesn’t matter because the way people reacted really affected me. It’s almost 2 and I can’t stop thinking about it and just the gloating. I obviously knew who he was back when he posted here and I remembered he got some BS ban but nothing that justified people saying they hoped it was true, they hoped they “finally got him.” Maybe that’s normal in the Valley but I come from a more traditional culture where it’s not normal to root for someone to get sick or die.

I was supposed to move to the west coast in December for my company but now I’m having my doubts. I don’t think all Americans are like that, because half my family is American so I know they’re not, or even all programmers, but what I learned about venture capital tech, this community, is really bothering me.

I think I want out. I wouldn’t mind living in the States but not if I’m going to be working for people I can’t trust. And I’m having issues of conscience too because I remember when Dan and the others went after MOC and I obviously knew what they were trying to make happen and now that it seems they may have, I just don’t want to be part of this industry or community anymore.

Thoughts? Anyone in the same space about all this?

This dead HN comment says:

There’s a rumour going around Silicon Valley that MOC died today. As far as I know it’s still completely unsubstantiated, but the reactions I’ve heard have been sickening. And I feel bad because I should have stood up for him against you know who.

This dead comment links to this thread.

Here’s some comments about it from the dead man himself.

  • washingtoncom@awful.systems
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    Sounds like a normal person dropped into the narcisssistic hellscape of SV. Judging from the average orange poster he probably was smarter than the rest of them lol.

    • corbin@awful.systems
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      1 year ago

      Without disclosing anything specific from my time at Google, I want to emphasize that he’s a narcissist. Most of his posts were dripping with delusions about himself, the industry, the nature of software engineering, and the metaphysics of computing. It is a minor surprise that he is not a cult leader like Yudkowsky or a right-wing talking head like Damore. From the inside, Googlers might say “he lacks impact;” out here, we say that he lacks focus.