I have to admit, I have been following the Hans Reiser trial. As a sysadmin/programmer involved with file systems, albeit multisystem FSes, with a xSoviet wife it struck me as spooky as all get out. I have been following the trial through SF Gate's live blogging of the event. I won't call it a pleasure, but there's a little bit of guilt for my morbid curiosity, truthfully.
Reiser, if anyone knew about him before this post, was a very, very, very undersocialized as a kid, overly bright guy. Most of the actions that they've brought up, so far, in the trial as circumstantial evidence of his guilt can easily be interpreted as his too damned smart and under empathetic nerd self to the extreme (had roommates like this guy, but milder). It's also entirely consistent with his personality from before: note, I am NOT saying his innocent, but rather the prosecutor's case sucks. However, I'm interpreting this based on my own delving into the computer nerd/geek world[1], so I have my own biases[2]. I think it really matters more what the jury thinks than what I do.
My guess about what's going to happen is that Reiser is going to be found guilty unless the defense makes a very good case. Reiser's just plain unappealing to the extreme and his actions in court can't help but influence the jury as well. He needs to sit down, shut up and let his lawyer do his job. If he keeps sabotaging his lawyer as he has been, he's screwed.
1. I am a card carrying puter geek, truthfully, if a bit more empathetic than some. And clean. And have successfully reproduced once.
2. I think the whole damned thing is frakked up beyond extreme. I am not so sure that I buy what's being presented by either side. Reiser's an ass. His behavior is terrible and inexcusable: this is the mother of his kids and his actions wrt his kids is nuts. However, I am not so sure Nina was the saint that she's being painted as either. Reiser, while really out there makes the claim she ran off with gobs of dinero. That ought to be easy to check based on bank records, spending behavior and accounting. My wife has doubts about both of them! Sturgeon ought to be examined very, very carefully too. This really needs a finer toothed comb than what I've seen so far. oy.
Reiser, if anyone knew about him before this post, was a very, very, very undersocialized as a kid, overly bright guy. Most of the actions that they've brought up, so far, in the trial as circumstantial evidence of his guilt can easily be interpreted as his too damned smart and under empathetic nerd self to the extreme (had roommates like this guy, but milder). It's also entirely consistent with his personality from before: note, I am NOT saying his innocent, but rather the prosecutor's case sucks. However, I'm interpreting this based on my own delving into the computer nerd/geek world[1], so I have my own biases[2]. I think it really matters more what the jury thinks than what I do.
My guess about what's going to happen is that Reiser is going to be found guilty unless the defense makes a very good case. Reiser's just plain unappealing to the extreme and his actions in court can't help but influence the jury as well. He needs to sit down, shut up and let his lawyer do his job. If he keeps sabotaging his lawyer as he has been, he's screwed.
1. I am a card carrying puter geek, truthfully, if a bit more empathetic than some. And clean. And have successfully reproduced once.
2. I think the whole damned thing is frakked up beyond extreme. I am not so sure that I buy what's being presented by either side. Reiser's an ass. His behavior is terrible and inexcusable: this is the mother of his kids and his actions wrt his kids is nuts. However, I am not so sure Nina was the saint that she's being painted as either. Reiser, while really out there makes the claim she ran off with gobs of dinero. That ought to be easy to check based on bank records, spending behavior and accounting. My wife has doubts about both of them! Sturgeon ought to be examined very, very carefully too. This really needs a finer toothed comb than what I've seen so far. oy.
