¿Qué pasa cuando los geeks van a la cárcel? Probablemente no es un tema del que se hable en la oficina todos los días. Pero puede suceder. En Quora (el sitio web de preguntas y respuestas) hay un hilo que parece haber sido escrito enteramente por frikis de la tecnología que han pasado tiempo en prisión. En este artículo se recoge un resumen de lo más interesante.
#1 Pinchando el enlace que has puesto únicamente permite ver la primera respuesta, que es lo normal en ese sitio si no estás logueado. Pero pinchando el enlace desde el artículo al menos a mí me permite ver todas las respuestas sin loguearme.
Por si alguien tiene problemas las copio aquí:
Anonymous
Votes by Morgen Weilschmidt, Dylan Lacey, Mark Conway, Richard Hennick, and 617 more.
Before prison, I worked in IT consulting, so I definitely felt like a geek in prison. What's it like to be a geek in prison? I can only speak to how it was for me. It was scary, since I hadn't punched anyone since the 7th grade and most of the people I might have to fight were 20 years younger than me. It's humbling, since I found myself in an environment that was nothing like my prior life and where the traits that had made me successful outside had little value on the inside. For me, it was eye-opening. I learned so much about the flaws in our justice system: the police, the prosecutors, the adversarial trial process, the appellate process, and more. For me, it was an awakening of sorts. Everywhere you go, you have to be alert. There are so many dangers. You could be in danger if you bump into somebody, if you look at someone wrong, or for no reason at all. I am so much more vigilant of my surroundings, even years later. My ability to read people is greatly improved, because it was so important there.
The surprising thing to me is that it was also an opportunity. Before prison, I liked to play guitar. Inside prison, I got to play in the music program and got pretty good. It was a matter of putting in the time. I also had books sent in so I could study music theory. Before prison, I had 6 years of jr. high and high school Spanish. In prison, I made friends with many people from Spanish-speaking countries and got fluent. I didn't just talk with them, I watched TV with them, studied the Bible in Spanish with them, read novels in Spanish. In those 8 years I went from high school Spanish to fluent. I also found a job where I could program computers, creating databases used within the facility for things like tracking sports leagues or scheduling medical appointments. I then had books sent in to study new languages, design patterns, Xtreme and Agile methodologies, and more. I left knowing so much more than when I arrived.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of all was how I was able to form close friendships with such a diverse group of people. I had friends from Mexico and Honduras. I hung out with a murderer, as well as a guy who used to do home invasions. I got to be friends with drug dealers and a jewelry store robber. I still have pen pals who remain locked up.
I learned many things from inmates that I never learned in my prior life. I learned that you should go straight to the person you're upset with rather than go to authorities. I learned that giving and keeping your word is the ultimate measurement of character. I learned that loyalty is easy to promise, but few really deliver. Don't be that guy. Prison is really a learning crucible since the reactions are so quick and amplified. If you have annoying habits, you'll find out fast. If you are not respectful to others, you'll hear about it and you may get a "tune up" to teach you respect.
I also learned about true friends from those who supported me from outside of prison. They stood by me during the trial and all the appeals. They wrote me, took my calls, drove hours to visit me, and more. They really taught me about what true friends do for one another.
So for this geek, being in prison was a chance to learn about so many things.
11+ Comments • 13 Nov
Anonymous
555
Mark Conway, Former Inmate, FMC Devens, www.rsanalytics.co
Votes by Alex Roller, Vijay Varman, Stuti Datta, Tad Davis, and 550 more.
What is it like to be a geek in prison? Well, as my first cellmate used to say about me: "He kind of strange, but he cool." He got life for shooting a snitch in the head, and he was the one to greet me when I took that long walk across the floor, and yes there was laughter and snickering.
The first assumption that other inmates make is that an older white guy is a pedophile, so the first order of business is showing them your paperwork. Even then, they didn't believe me until I got sent to the camp a few weeks later. Then a doctor decided that camp was "vacation" for me, and I was recalled back inside the fence. So, when I returned from camp, there was my old cellie waiting for me.
The so-called geeks hung out at the prison library, and real cons were loathe to step foot in the place, even though their behavior was ignorant. This attitude stems from their school days when any signs of intelligence were perceived as being part of the "system".
But geeks have real value in prison because if you can read, write, type, or research (especially legal work), then you can possibly help them. So, it was a good idea to be cool with me because I helped a lot of people with their motions and communications with the courts. And as long as you showed respect for their life on the streets, then you usually got the same respect in return.
Generally, the way prison works is that when you first get there, you sit back and observe. For example, don't sit in the wrong chair, and move when someone politely asks you to give up the seat. Any signs of hostility will be countered with hostility. Keep it moving, and keep it friendly. Be wary of people who approach you, and let it happen naturally.
As Michael Douglas said in the sequel to Wall Street, "prison is the best thing that ever happened to me". Given my crime, I always thought about Robert DeNiro's character in Cape Fear when he got out of prison and approached Nick Nolte in his car: "You gonna learn about loss". Exactly right. Loss of freedom, loss of friends, etc.
MC
5+ Comments • 5 Nov
Mark Conway
22
Anonymous
Votes by Anonymous, Alex Roller, Stuti Datta, Marcus Ford, and 17 more.
No matter who you are on the outside, on the inside you are an inmate. You can be a geek, nerd, a sheep, a thug it doesn't really matter. You will make friends of all sorts and those friends will likely last as long as your sentence, or theirs if they leave before you.l Prison doesn't get easier or harder because of the type of work you did on the outside. Nerds and geeks sometimes get clerk jobs based on their knowledge of computer programs or familiarity with office jobs. That's about the only difference. No matter how smart you are, you are still in prison and there isn't anything smart, geeky or cool about that.
Comment • 6 Feb
Anonymous
7
Anonymous
Votes by Anonymous, Bubba Ham, Christopher Wood, Suzanne Holczer, and 2 more.
Depending on the Prison you will likely be away from much technology, but you can find the time to do much reading you have not had time before and being that Prisons are the prime example of a bureaucracy you can learn how to engineer the system to work with you instead of against you and with little to make due with you will become more of a lifehacker.
Comment • 12 Nov
Anonymous
1
Anonymous
" I am so much more vigilant of my surroundings, even years later. My ability to read people is greatly improved, because it was so important there. "
Not a bigtime geek more of a advanced novice but ... was in for five years and this is the key when you are doing time . This really does happen to you !!!
Comment • 7h ago
Anonymous
1
Marcus Thompson, Former tech worker and current OTR truck driver
Prison is an intensely scary place, you are never further than a micron removed from astonishing violence. I was the only person wearing glasses and also the only one without any tattoos. It is a life-changing experience, perhaps unsurprisingly not for the better. Although I never had any problems during my three years I saw brutal, horrifying violence and stabbings at least weekly, often 'car wrecks' (your "car" is the racial group you ride with, and woe be unto you if you interact inappropriately with the other cars). Ten years removed from that hell and I still have nightmares about it. Wake-up-screaming nightmares that leave me unwilling to go back to sleep lest it continue. Ever.
Comment • 4h ago
Marcus Thompson
9
Mike Aguilar, Web writer in tech, automotive and home improvement. Published automotive author (http://www.automotivedynamic.com/)
Votes by Mark Conway, Kwon Pan, Ashish Gupta, Bill Bell, and 4 more.
It really sucks when it's magazine delivery day and your copy of PC Magazine shows up.
And then there's the fact that there's very few people to hold an intelligent conversation with: "So, what are you in for? "Meth. There's a cockroach on the floor." "Were you selling it?" "Yes. And using it. Now the cockroach is burrowing into my skin. KILLITKILLIT!"
And then there's the: "Hey, what are you in for?" "Strongarm robbery. What car do you ride in? Are you a Norteno or Scrap?"
Me ha parecido muy interesante el artículo y las experiencias personales, pero no puedo más que pensar que las prisiones de EEUU probablemente tengan un ambiente distinto al de las prisiones españolas.
Si alguien puede aportar su visión respecto a esto sería de agradecer.
Comentarios
Tienes que estar logueado (o darte de alta) pero ahí va la fuente
http://www.quora.com/Prisons-and-Prison-Life/What-is-it-like-to-be-a-geek-in-a-prison
#1 Pinchando el enlace que has puesto únicamente permite ver la primera respuesta, que es lo normal en ese sitio si no estás logueado. Pero pinchando el enlace desde el artículo al menos a mí me permite ver todas las respuestas sin loguearme.
Por si alguien tiene problemas las copio aquí:
Anonymous
Votes by Morgen Weilschmidt, Dylan Lacey, Mark Conway, Richard Hennick, and 617 more.
Before prison, I worked in IT consulting, so I definitely felt like a geek in prison. What's it like to be a geek in prison? I can only speak to how it was for me. It was scary, since I hadn't punched anyone since the 7th grade and most of the people I might have to fight were 20 years younger than me. It's humbling, since I found myself in an environment that was nothing like my prior life and where the traits that had made me successful outside had little value on the inside. For me, it was eye-opening. I learned so much about the flaws in our justice system: the police, the prosecutors, the adversarial trial process, the appellate process, and more. For me, it was an awakening of sorts. Everywhere you go, you have to be alert. There are so many dangers. You could be in danger if you bump into somebody, if you look at someone wrong, or for no reason at all. I am so much more vigilant of my surroundings, even years later. My ability to read people is greatly improved, because it was so important there.
The surprising thing to me is that it was also an opportunity. Before prison, I liked to play guitar. Inside prison, I got to play in the music program and got pretty good. It was a matter of putting in the time. I also had books sent in so I could study music theory. Before prison, I had 6 years of jr. high and high school Spanish. In prison, I made friends with many people from Spanish-speaking countries and got fluent. I didn't just talk with them, I watched TV with them, studied the Bible in Spanish with them, read novels in Spanish. In those 8 years I went from high school Spanish to fluent. I also found a job where I could program computers, creating databases used within the facility for things like tracking sports leagues or scheduling medical appointments. I then had books sent in to study new languages, design patterns, Xtreme and Agile methodologies, and more. I left knowing so much more than when I arrived.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of all was how I was able to form close friendships with such a diverse group of people. I had friends from Mexico and Honduras. I hung out with a murderer, as well as a guy who used to do home invasions. I got to be friends with drug dealers and a jewelry store robber. I still have pen pals who remain locked up.
I learned many things from inmates that I never learned in my prior life. I learned that you should go straight to the person you're upset with rather than go to authorities. I learned that giving and keeping your word is the ultimate measurement of character. I learned that loyalty is easy to promise, but few really deliver. Don't be that guy. Prison is really a learning crucible since the reactions are so quick and amplified. If you have annoying habits, you'll find out fast. If you are not respectful to others, you'll hear about it and you may get a "tune up" to teach you respect.
I also learned about true friends from those who supported me from outside of prison. They stood by me during the trial and all the appeals. They wrote me, took my calls, drove hours to visit me, and more. They really taught me about what true friends do for one another.
So for this geek, being in prison was a chance to learn about so many things.
11+ Comments • 13 Nov
Anonymous
555
Mark Conway, Former Inmate, FMC Devens, www.rsanalytics.co
Votes by Alex Roller, Vijay Varman, Stuti Datta, Tad Davis, and 550 more.
What is it like to be a geek in prison? Well, as my first cellmate used to say about me: "He kind of strange, but he cool." He got life for shooting a snitch in the head, and he was the one to greet me when I took that long walk across the floor, and yes there was laughter and snickering.
The first assumption that other inmates make is that an older white guy is a pedophile, so the first order of business is showing them your paperwork. Even then, they didn't believe me until I got sent to the camp a few weeks later. Then a doctor decided that camp was "vacation" for me, and I was recalled back inside the fence. So, when I returned from camp, there was my old cellie waiting for me.
The so-called geeks hung out at the prison library, and real cons were loathe to step foot in the place, even though their behavior was ignorant. This attitude stems from their school days when any signs of intelligence were perceived as being part of the "system".
But geeks have real value in prison because if you can read, write, type, or research (especially legal work), then you can possibly help them. So, it was a good idea to be cool with me because I helped a lot of people with their motions and communications with the courts. And as long as you showed respect for their life on the streets, then you usually got the same respect in return.
Generally, the way prison works is that when you first get there, you sit back and observe. For example, don't sit in the wrong chair, and move when someone politely asks you to give up the seat. Any signs of hostility will be countered with hostility. Keep it moving, and keep it friendly. Be wary of people who approach you, and let it happen naturally.
As Michael Douglas said in the sequel to Wall Street, "prison is the best thing that ever happened to me". Given my crime, I always thought about Robert DeNiro's character in Cape Fear when he got out of prison and approached Nick Nolte in his car: "You gonna learn about loss". Exactly right. Loss of freedom, loss of friends, etc.
MC
5+ Comments • 5 Nov
Mark Conway
22
Anonymous
Votes by Anonymous, Alex Roller, Stuti Datta, Marcus Ford, and 17 more.
No matter who you are on the outside, on the inside you are an inmate. You can be a geek, nerd, a sheep, a thug it doesn't really matter. You will make friends of all sorts and those friends will likely last as long as your sentence, or theirs if they leave before you.l Prison doesn't get easier or harder because of the type of work you did on the outside. Nerds and geeks sometimes get clerk jobs based on their knowledge of computer programs or familiarity with office jobs. That's about the only difference. No matter how smart you are, you are still in prison and there isn't anything smart, geeky or cool about that.
Comment • 6 Feb
Anonymous
7
Anonymous
Votes by Anonymous, Bubba Ham, Christopher Wood, Suzanne Holczer, and 2 more.
Depending on the Prison you will likely be away from much technology, but you can find the time to do much reading you have not had time before and being that Prisons are the prime example of a bureaucracy you can learn how to engineer the system to work with you instead of against you and with little to make due with you will become more of a lifehacker.
Comment • 12 Nov
Anonymous
1
Anonymous
" I am so much more vigilant of my surroundings, even years later. My ability to read people is greatly improved, because it was so important there. "
Not a bigtime geek more of a advanced novice but ... was in for five years and this is the key when you are doing time . This really does happen to you !!!
Comment • 7h ago
Anonymous
1
Marcus Thompson, Former tech worker and current OTR truck driver
Prison is an intensely scary place, you are never further than a micron removed from astonishing violence. I was the only person wearing glasses and also the only one without any tattoos. It is a life-changing experience, perhaps unsurprisingly not for the better. Although I never had any problems during my three years I saw brutal, horrifying violence and stabbings at least weekly, often 'car wrecks' (your "car" is the racial group you ride with, and woe be unto you if you interact inappropriately with the other cars). Ten years removed from that hell and I still have nightmares about it. Wake-up-screaming nightmares that leave me unwilling to go back to sleep lest it continue. Ever.
Comment • 4h ago
Marcus Thompson
9
Mike Aguilar, Web writer in tech, automotive and home improvement. Published automotive author (http://www.automotivedynamic.com/)
Votes by Mark Conway, Kwon Pan, Ashish Gupta, Bill Bell, and 4 more.
It really sucks when it's magazine delivery day and your copy of PC Magazine shows up.
And then there's the fact that there's very few people to hold an intelligent conversation with: "So, what are you in for? "Meth. There's a cockroach on the floor." "Were you selling it?" "Yes. And using it. Now the cockroach is burrowing into my skin. KILLITKILLIT!"
And then there's the: "Hey, what are you in for?" "Strongarm robbery. What car do you ride in? Are you a Norteno or Scrap?"
Wasn't fun.
Comment • 13 Nov
Mike Aguilar
Me ha parecido muy interesante el artículo y las experiencias personales, pero no puedo más que pensar que las prisiones de EEUU probablemente tengan un ambiente distinto al de las prisiones españolas.
Si alguien puede aportar su visión respecto a esto sería de agradecer.