“But lo! Men have become the tools of their tools." - Henry David Thoreau

I have written many times of the profound passion that I have had for technology since the age of 13. Unfortunately, I have observed less and less of the craftsmanship and ingenuity that endeared me to the field as time has gone on. That early spirit has largely been replaced with a deeply extractive attitude towards the working class from the industry at large, alongside a deep entanglement between the megacorporations that run the industry more than they ever have and those with immense cultural influence who deliberately use these platforms to deepen division amongst the populace.

Before making the decision to leave, I attempted to fundamentally change my personal relationship with technology. I left social media platforms entirely and eventually parted with my gaming PC in order to fully disconnect from the ecosystem that had dampened my passion so much. Observing the broader landscape, I realized that lending my professional labor to this space would mean building the very infrastructure that I saw turning my neighbors against each other and worsening their material circumstances.

With a heavy heart, I have made the decision to pivot to a career in manufacturing. This transition has brought me great happiness in being able to see the tangible benefits that my work has for my community.

While I will make minor alterations to the repositories that are involved with my running of my personal workstation, all projects made for the sake of education or professional development have been archived.

I continue to wish the best for those in the industry who concern themselves with improving their society, most of whom are in the FOSS ecosystem.

One last time,

Jacob Niemeir