46 people showed up. On the RSVP of attendees, we all written about ourselves. Everyone can see who is coming and what they are about. It is clearly written, I am homeless and coming!
6 pm: arrived. people milling around talking. Got my name tag. You put on a red sticker if you are looking for people to join you. A blue sticker if you want to join someone. I walked through the crowd and sat on a chair by myself and went through all the profiles. Looking for a developer or something. I noticed the co-host was a lawyer. A technical internet lawyer. Nice! And he's the guy at the front desk who gave me the name tag. I'm on it. Here I come Dan.
6:20
"Hi Dan, I"m Edwin. I'm homeless. I have a employment website i am developing....blah blah...I need help...blah blah..be a great experience...more conversation back and forth.
6:25 "So Dan, in a few months, you want to help me? It would only be an hour or 2 per month."
Dan "Well, I would need to see what you have and what its about"
me "Dan, its an employment website, I need someone to look over the legal stuff when people register. Can you give a hand?
Dan "Well, umm. I really don't know until I see what you have and what it is all about"
me"So you saying no."
Dan "I'm just saying I don't want to be involved until I know what its about"
me "its ok Dan. Its ok to say no. I've been to allot of these things and everyone says no."
Dan "silence"
me "Dan, what you should have said is....well you shouldnt have said no....what you should have said is - Yes, when the time comes, I be happy to take a look and see if its something you can help. Even if you don't want to help, you should have said yes. Because you don't know what you closed the door on. Always leave the door open. For you can always say no, later once you fully see the whole product"
6:30 I'm sitting in the back row.
650 people are asked to go up on stage and say who they are, what business they involved in. What they are looking for. There was no lacking of people lining up to go on stage to talk
6:55 Man talking about how great his interior design website will be and looking for technical guy
6:59 Man in crisp nice shirt and dark dress pants walks up rigidly. Chest out. Hair slicked back. Walking like robot. Not sure what he said. Mostly about new in town and how he did great things with startups and stuff
7:11 Tall white 50 year old white man says he is ex microsoft. A definite feeling of slick oil salesman here.
7:12-7-45 more people. 90% had red stickers. All looking people to join them. One after another someone looking for a technical founder. Come, help me create my thing I think it is so great and later on I will get the glory. ....Wait...isnt that what I am sounding like too? oh my.....I did not go up.....for around 7:10 pm..this was in my mind.....
7:10 pm This is a waste of time. What in the world am I doing here. All these men sitting in front of me. All rigid. One after another, full of ego. There is something odd about this whole thing. Just because these people applied for a business license of something, all of a sudden they think they are God-like. Everyone looking for people to join them...what am I doing here. I only say maybe 3 people with a blue sticker.
7:45 pm social networking time. Talked to the developer Indian young man sitting next to me. Whats your name, what you do...etc etc. .."Do you want to help me?"
reply "No, I think you have the user experience knowledge yourself"
ok thanks for your honesty
7:55 Waited to talke to brown short wearing person. The one person who got on stage and says he is new to seattle. Coder. Developer. Looking to get into with something on a part time basis. Used to help out with non-profits. I am going to talk to you buddy.
7:56 Gave 'brown shorts' guy a really good run down of the website and just looking for a one or 2 hours of help in a few months. "Will you please help?
reply "Sorry, I don't have enough bandwith at this moment"
I thanked him for his honesty. (Translation: I'm too busy but not busy enough to come to this meeting to find project but not for a homeless person)
btw- I"m in the tacoma public library writing this. Always bring over the ear headphones. Some guy on my left is moaning.
7:57 noticed a guy standing there while I was talking to 'brown shorts' man. When I was done, he talked to 'brown shorts' man. On the name tag of the new guy in our group, charity.com. Charity.com? Are you serious? ok I'm going to wait for this guy.
8 pm 'charity.com' man finished with 'brown shorts' man. I'm standing on his left, inches from him. He looks around. Looks left. looks straight. looks right...walks to his right direction. Walks 5 feet. Returns to my area. There is no one around that is not in an conversation except me. Now 1 foot from me. looks around. Back forth. Turns back to to his right walk away from me.
me "excuse me" got his attention "Hi, my name is Edwin..offered my hand" He walks over to me
"So i'm just curious. Why did you avoid me?"
charity.com "Oh I was looking for someone"
charity.com man then spends 15 minutes talking to me. And of course declined to help me in any capacity on my website.
I am now about to leave. I knew this was going to happen. I don't why I keep coming to these events. But on my way walking out...something else happend. But will have to save for next post. This computer keeps flashing. flashing. flashing. 4 minutes left on your session. Save your work. Flash. Public libraries. ..
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