So some CalTech folks showed up at MIT prefrosh weekend and hacked us. They put up a website describing their effort and a good-natured request for a hacking rivalry. Some of the hacks were somewhat half-assed, but of course these people were on foreign territory and probably had little time to organize anything more impressive. The laser thing was very cool, and the banner (while executed rather poorly) was inspired.

I like the idea of there being an actual rivalry between tech schools with good-natured fun like this instead of the pathetic one-way "rivalries" that exist now. For some reason MIT has a complex about Harvard, CIT about MIT, Harvey Mudd about CIT, etc. At least Harvard and Yale actually pay attention to each other...

I'm really impressed that the CalTech people flew across the country on their own dime for this. What I'm not impressed with is the response. MIT's general hacking mailing list exploded into a huge display of asshatitude. Then the whole thing got Slashdotted and complete tools on both coasts chimed in on the biggest nerd dick-waving event I have ever witnessed. How pathetic.

It could have been something cool, but people took it personally and couldn't put their egos aside.