I’ve seen plenty about what Bruce Schneier said recently along with the feedback. Rather than address the content directly, I just want to say that eventually, many experts become nearly an establishment in themselves. Eventually they can say big, extreme things, and rather than be pissed away like some angry kid, they instead influence. Or at least make a valid point in their extreme. They kinda become those half-senile curmudgeons that are important enough that people listen to everything they say. He can say big things and doesn’t mind if everyone else uses his words as a boilerplate.

Now, that’s not a criticism. I don’t think that is bad at all. But I think that when a lot of people my age get to be Bruce’s age with a similar long background in this field, we might also see new things or futility in old things and say stuff that might be seen by others as a bit far-fetched. But I think his extreme approach is just a direct relationship to his notoriety and influence.

For some reason, I really wanted to work a quote in here as my mind drifted from establishment to institution. Anyway, I’ll force the quote in anyway, “No, I want you to set a fire so goddamn big the gods will notice us again, that’s what I’m saying. I want all you boys to look me straight in the eye one more time and say, ‘Are we having fun or what?'”