If they asked me to describe RC in a single word, I’d probably choose to stay silent. I need a lot of words to convey RC’s intense socio-intellectual experience.
For me, the most striking part of RC has been meeting with new people and listening to what they have to say. Wandering from table to table as if in an RPG game, asking people questions, listening to their projects and what they’ve done in the past, sometimes sharing things that we’re sad about, making plans together… This must be the part of RC I still enjoy the most.
Part of this is that everyone at RC is eager to share. A question about something unrelated to software or technology can casually turn into an hour long conversation here. Good example is the other day I walked up to someone in the kitchen brewing coffee in a way I didn’t know and asked, “How do you brew this coffee?” They then spent an hour showing me in detail how they do it, then others joined us, we started talking about other brewing methods, and the conversation deepened and drifted into completely different topics. That’s the kind of interaction with people I have at RC pretty much every day.
Another truth I’ve come to realize here is how powerless a person is on their own, and conversely, the power of being together and the possibilities it offers. The RC staff put a lot of effort into everything that happens here, and I’m certainly not overlooking that, but RC has a self sustaining structure. Almost everything here is done on a volunteer basis. If someone can no longer keep something going, another person takes over the responsibility, and when that doesn’t happen, the project or event in question simply ends and new ones take its place.
Another matter is that, in a sense, every subject has infinite depth, and in reality nobody can go deep in everything. Seeing someone who is an expert in a highly technical subject turn out to be quite clumsy at something you’d consider very simple, and humbly admit they know nothing about it but are open to learning, is quite humbling. This means that, as long as you show interest and put in the effort, you can expand the boundaries of your knowledge as far as you like. Learning is hard and it takes effort for everyone.
Wherever there are people, chaos is inevitable. Here too, there are arguments between people and people running away from responsibility (including me). Most of the time these get quietly resolved. There are all kinds of people here, and getting along well with everyone isn’t possible, but you still have to be polite to the people you don’t get along with. This is a rule with clearly drawn boundaries set by the staff, and everyone follows it without exception.
So, let me get to what have I done in my first month and a half. First of all, I’ve been introduced to many new concepts in software, mathematics, and physics. My interest in physics, in particular, has been rekindled. I thought a great deal about circles…
On the software side, my journey toward becoming a contributor to a project called Servo continues, and here I’ve had the chance to chat with other people about it.
While building a costume of the HAL9000, I learned how to use a 3D printer and how to solder circuits. These were things that I’d always wanted to learn.
I tidied up my website and my CV for job applications. Now, I can start applying. I consulted plenty of people here about this too.
My interest in hardware has been rekindled, and I ordered a keyboard PCB for myself. It arrived last week, and I can’t wait to solder and program my first keyboard.
I explored New York City. I walked a lot around Downtown Brooklyn and Manhattan and discovered the area.
I realized I need to get better at listening to people.
And, most important of it all, I learned to ride a Ripstik.
In the other half of RC, I want to finish Servo’s WebHID implementation, launch a couple of community projects, solder and program my own keyboard, work on a subject that I encountered for the first time here and finally lay foundation for something I’ll be working on for many years to come.
See you at the end of the batch.