Typewriter haters at Gizmodo hate on Typewriter Insurgent at Starbucks

Philistines, hating on someone who’s enjoying a nice pleasant afternoon typing at Starbucks. Hope they get lots of computer viruses delivered to them by the People’s Revolutionary Army. :P

starbucktypist

I suppose they’d be happier if he succumbed to the omnipresent propaganda telling him to buy a $200 Chromebook that will last him a couple years before fritzing out.

Actually, what I really love is this one: check out her cell phone! :D

UPDATE:

The story continues, the Typewriter Insurgent contacted Gizmodo and they just did another article where he intelligently and humorously answers questions from the audience. Check it out:
http://gizmodo.com/5990402/starbucks-typewriter-guy-is-here-to-answer-all-your-burning-questions

Updated: March 13, 2013 — 2:07 pm

22 Comments

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  1. Yeah, I saw this and it ticked me off. My reply included this, more or less: “Look at this idiot writing for Gizmodo, a site devoted to perpetuating our addiction to devices that destroy our concentration, privacy, and self-reliance.”

    1. PS: Yes, I love her candlestick cell phone!! Never seen one of those. More power to her.

      PPS: The hipster-hating meme is annoying. I’m reaching the conclusion that “hipster” is a conformist’s way to try to label nonconformists as conformists.

  2. grr. Time for a type-in to blitz that place.
    p.s. I have got to get me a candlestick phone!

    1. Ha! Google-fu reveals that this candlestick cell phone is a pretty easily hackable mod, assuming you have the candlestick phone to hack on: http://www.geekosystem.com/wireless-candlestick-phone/.

      1. Good Gravy this dude’s webhosting is dog slow, but here’s the details:
        http://www.ben-dror.com/index.php/projects/cordless-candlestick/

  3. This article annoyed me so much, that I went to the Gizmodo site and responded to someone’s very good comment. Here is the comment and my response:

    I_Voyager 1 of 169 replies @Ashley Feinberg 20 hours ago
    Does anybody know this guy’s story as to why he’s in Starbucks with a typewriter? No. Is it any of your business? No. Should you care? No. Should you just let people get on with whatever they’re doing without yourself thinking you’ve got them all sussed out and know their story? Yes.
    Can you go anywhere and do anything you genuinely want to do anymore without being put on the internet and being judged by unnecessary journalism?
    Big up typewriter guy and anybody that do things differently because they want to.

    MY RESPONSE:

    Bravo, I_Voyager!
    Your first four sentences say it all.
    Typewriters are writing instruments that happen to be noisy.
    Therefore they CAN be annoying in public, but perhaps not always — it depends on the existing noise level of the Starbucks. I’ve been in pretty noisy ones without typewriters!
    No-one is talking about how annoying personal hand-held devices can be in public. Certainly quieter than typewriters, but people can be obnoxiously oblivious, especially when they’re glued to their devices at the cash register when they should be interacting with a real person. Or, more annoyingly, when they conduct their phone conversations at a high volume. At least when one uses a typewriter you don’t know what they’re saying!

  4. I’m reading all the comments on this article. Lots of people sticking up for him. Some are just saying “Let it be! Who cares?” Some are sticking up for typewriters. Here is my favorite comment so far: Yeah, look at that guy working… what a complete douchebag. I’d rather be the cool tech savvy guy checking his facebook on his smartphone.

  5. I saw it too, and I was shocked by this hating.

  6. What Ms. Fienberg said was just silly and completely in keeping with Gizmodo’s brand of “journalism.” Maybe she could write a real story about why the gent in the pic would want to use a typewriter.

  7. I love the candlestick cellphone. MaBell at her finest.

    I wonder what would happen if I could round up a few other typists and we show up at the one and only stand alone Starbucks in town.

    Who cares if someone is typing. It is less annoying than the loudmouths on their cellular phones.

    1. I have been dreaming for quite a while about a typewriter flash mob that would show up at a Starbuk$ or Aππlestore and start typing — one by one, slowly creating strength in numbers.

      I don’t know enough fellow insurgents around here to pull it off — yet.

      1. You know, we could do a Worldwide flash mob – where we pick a date/time and the entire typosphere heads to their local starbucks for a quick mini-type-in. Chances are, there’d be enough reports that we could collectively dominate a day’s coverage of weird news. :D

      2. If you are seriously considering it, you can count me in. I live in Lexington so I could be there! :-)

  8. im shocked at the passionate negativity about it, in our age of being so ambivalent to the point of being comatose.
    i suppose we are also in the age where people like to be haters, easy to do behind a the guise of computer, smart phone, tablet, etc and an internet alias.

    bravo to those who type in public simply because they enjoy it

  9. Did you guys see the follow up? http://gizmodo.com/5990402/starbucks-typewriter-guy-is-here-to-answer-all-your-burning-questions

    He seems like an alright guy. Read through the whole thing where he answers questions. He’s pretty funny.

    1. That Q&A was more palateable, but for the few commenters who need to take their meds.

    2. The followup is excellent!! Our guy (Zachary Schepis) is cool in every sense of the word. I love this exchange:

      Sam Biddle
      What’s it like looking like such a huge asshole in public?

      typewriterguy @Sam Biddle
      I imagine it doesn’t feel much different than your life. Except I probably get more attention from girls.

  10. Just wanted to take this moment to compliment you on the design of your website. I dig the choice of font style you’ve chosen and the overall design balances nicely between entries and blogroll menu.

    Great little article on typing in public. The sound level is probably my greatest fear in partaking in public typing. Most everyone now-a-days wear ear buds anyway, so don’t know why it should bother me. Anybody recall those office environments before desktop computers in which the noise level could have been used as a sound effect for a heavy metal song? I’m thinking police precinct or daily newspaper.

  11. This is exactly why I don’t like: 1. Gizmodo, 2. typing in public (although I’m very public about my typewriter hobby and 3. “hipster-haters”. Even if you are not a hipster, they find a reason to call you one and make fun of you. Since I have my typewriters, I’ve been called hipster a lot. People think it’s fun to call you a name. But if people want to call me a name, they can just use my actual (nick)name. It’s starting to be like calling a man gay because he likes something, cries during a movie or whatever. It’s not making sense..!

  12. This just in: haters be hatin’.

  13. Love it. Is it possible to have a Typosphere Award? I’d like our man Zach to be nominated for his humour, humility and honesty, yep, the three Hs.

  14. I’m loving the typewriters and the hybrid cell phone. I notice both patrons have beverages they paid for. In most coffee houses I’ve been to, half the tables are taken up by mobile office squatters with nothing purchased from the shop. It’s almost as annoying as people that don’t have food taking up tables in airport dining areas.

    If I pay Gizmodo, do you suppose I could contribute a rant about those people?

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