Worldview: The List Issue
by craig newmark
Haters gonna hate, trolls gonna troll.
Okay, seriously, I’m a nerd, old-school.
Back in high school I really did wear a plastic pocket protector and thick black glasses, taped together. Serious and permanent outsider status.
These days, I’ve embraced my nerditude personally and professionally. Specifically, I’m helping out at the Department of Veterans Affairs as the “nerd-in-residence” at their Center for Innovation.
Me, writing for Flaunt, that’s a possible crime against nature, but anyway I can try something suitably nerdish. A nerd’s gotta do what a nerd’s gotta do.
I do feel that “brevity’s the soul of wit,” and agree with Oscar Wilde that if you want to tell people something they don’t want to hear, make them laugh, otherwise, they’ll kill you.
So what follows is a list of nerdly observations.
Fairness is more important than social norms.
Debate Club in high school was kinda fun, but perpetuated my delusion that logic and reason matter.
The country doesn’t need more guys chasing TV cameras, the country needs guys to get stuff done.
The only people complaining about class warfare are the people doing it.
Trust is the new black.
One of the best things you can do for another human being is create a job.
With craigslist, I’m on the board and I do customer service. So I’m simultaneously at the top and thebottom. Pretty unique in business anywhere.
The best work in journalism today is done by nonexistent characters—Stewart, Colbert, now McAvoy. I shouldn’t be surprised, I’m a fictional character.
If a group is good at nothing except telling a good story and cashing checks, especially if the story is a lie, that’s my idea of a scam.
I aspire to be like Mr. Ed. You know, the talking horse? He wouldn’t speak unless he had something to say.
Social media is nothing new. It’s people talking to each other. The Internet makes it easier, but this has been around for a long time.
Haters gonna hate, trolls gonna troll.
I’m not interested in being interesting, I’m interested in getting stuff done.
Written by Craig Newmark, Founder, Craigslist