

Hacking Homelessness - Raplh
http://www.well.com/user/xanthian/public/homeless/jail.txt

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param
other than the fact that the homeless guy in question is a programmer, the
article in question does not seem to be related to 'hacking'. I went in
looking for details on - how to find free space to sleep in, tips on avoiding
the police/getting out of jail easily, finding _healthy_ food etc...

The article focuses on other aspects that are important, but is not hacking.

~~~
Raplh
There are hints of it, how to deal with authority, even where to be homeless
(CSU campus good). Also, if you are interested you would start to explore the
directory tree this doc is in and see even more details.

It seems to me that homelessness IS a hack on the regular system. And the way
he writes about what happens is informed by his intelligence and his
programmer background. To me, the idea of a homeless guy running sims to
develop his solution to efficient routing of a traveling salesman while not
having a place to plug in his laptop which is his own is pretty hacky.

Maybe this article isn't EVERYTHING you would want in a clever and enjoyable
read from a homeless programmer, but it may be the best out there in this
genre. This was not a New York Times reporter playing a homeless person, this
is the real thing. BTW, I worked with this guy briefly, so I know he is the
real thing.

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prewett
The article complains a lot about how the homeless are treated, but I don't
think he is very representative of the homeless population in general. Maybe
in Fresno, but in Austin, many of the homeless you see out on the streets are
alcoholics or trying to make a living without working. One woman I knew who
worked with the homeless said that most of them are trying to avoid
responsibility, and a guy I know who used to give out sack lunches to the
homeless near campus eventually stopped because after talking to them he
realized they weren't just unlucky, they'd chosen that lifestyle. I assume
that those who don't want to be homeless have a tendency to go to the ARCH,
which has training programs and long-term residency.

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Raplh
I would consider that this guy, being actually homeless, is at least as
valuable a source on homelessness as a woman you knew who worked with them.

I suspect that more generally than being alcoholics, these are people who are
mentally ill to some extent. I liked this essay (and others from this writer)
because this is a homeless guy I could identify with. I could read his stuff
and not think this was some situation which could never come close to
happening to me or someone I would care about.

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mannicken
Not a surprise. I've lost my faith in humanity, belief in goodness of
anything, and trust into anything outside my own head long time ago.

"A previous arrest in which a policeman tried to _force_ my arm back there
despite my protests caused me injury and pain, and the policeman's supervisor
six months of paperwork, all of which I attempted to explain to a shouting,
tugging, and threatening Corporal Underwood to limited avail. "

Just proves how strangely fucked up our world is.

~~~
Raplh
I loved that even in the midst of being hassled by the police, he gives the
one policeman incredible credit for his approach to other humans. There is
beauty everywhere.

