What's this all about, then?

I'm Rachel Stone, and I'm a pseudonym.

I went to an Ivy League undergrad school, where I studied Computer Science. Then I skipped across a few Big Tech jobs, at least one of which supports the device or medium through which you're reading this right now. I've lived mainly in New York City and the Atlantic Northeast, with some Los Angeles sprinkled on top. At the cusp of nearly a decade since school, I've finally decided to pivot to an M7 Business School. I'm aware that absolutely none of these credentials make me unique or even, interesting.

As someone who does occupy some position of privilege in American Society circa 2023, I am expected to use these accomplishments and my labor to contribute towards the betterment of society. The late anthropologist David Graeber dedicated his book, Bullshit Jobs: A Theory, to "anyone who would rather be doing something useful with themselves". Deriving purpose from usefulness, being useful and figuring out what actually is a useful job is the primary purpose of this blog. To say that I'm a career woman who values her work and career is reductionist. To say that I care about being useful and being of service is sentimental. To say that I am "some girl on the internet" trying to bridge the two ideas together is accurate.

Expressing views about the state of the society at large, how technology has been woven into and disrupted our society, and how we are living in the time of understanding meaning, labor and a well-lived life have become inherently political. Politics cannot be understood without nuance and reasoning, and perhaps a more dedicated study of history than I have been able to thus far. This blog is a space for me to figure those views and values out, without worrying about which Linkedin recruiter might see it.

As of Dec 2023, this blog is my homage to long-form writing, my tribute to the lost art of critical reasoning, and my humble offering to First Principles Problem Solving. All of which, like habitation spaces or the untarnished environment, appear to be vanishing skills. I hope that in writing this, I am able to arrive at an answer of what all of this is for.

This blog is not meant to "provide value" or "value-driven" answers. If you’ve read this far, I hope it’s apparent to you why. If you end up deriving “value” from this blog, that is an accidental (but hopefully pleasant?) side-effect. Though I've been sparse in providing a character-study of myself or ways to access me through the internet, I welcome replies to my blog posts or emails to rachelstonewriter@gmail.com. I may not always reply, but I am a huge fan of dialectical methods of learning.

Thank you for signing up, strap-in, and make sure you've got your headphones on. It's going to get loud.