Ski resort mocks techies, then acts like one of them

There's a certain sense that those who work at Google, Twitter, and Facebook aren't entirely welcome in the Bay Area.

Their alleged wealth and callousness toward the rest of humanity makes them unappealing neighbors or even drinking companions.

The folks at North Lake Tahoe thought they would educate them on human behavior, should these numbskulled ingrates wander toward its snowy slopes.

As Skift reports, North Lake Tahoe's Tourist Board decided to release an Apres-Ski e-book in order to help those who might not be used to behaving appropriately when among mountain folk.

Skift tells me that this no doubt fine guide offers hearty mockery of techies. It suggests that any tech employee who happens to have just enjoyed a successful IPO shouldn't wear only Patagonia, just to "rub it in."

It also prods anyone who works at Google to buy a round of drinks. Yes, for everyone in the bar presumably.

The guide explains: "Don't be the aloof rich tech guy from Palo Alto with a superiority complex. Buy some drinks. Make some friends. You can't take that tech money into the afterlife."

This all sounded both wise and amusing. So I clicked on the Facebook link to view this forward-thinking, sensitive, tech mockery.

I expected it to be posted in all its glory, so that with just one click I could delight in more amusement.

Instead, I was greeted by: "You Must Be A Fan To View The Apres-Ski EBook."

"That's exactly the sort of ploy a rich, aloof Facebooker would think of," I hiccuped.

How odd to have to "like" something before you even get a "look." That didn't seem like the open, welcoming attitude one might expect from a tourist board.

Still, I clicked the "Like" button, even though I have no idea whether I like North Lake Tahoe or not. I confess I did meet some quite unstable people there who lived in an extremely odd connubial arrangement.

But having clicked "Like," now I could read the e-book, yes? Yes, in the rarer interpretation of "yes" that means "no."

I was greeted by another demand: "Enter Your Name And Email Address To View The Ebook."

Did the nice people at North Lake Tahoe realize that they had been sucked into the horror of techie heaven? Did they not see that this arrant data-scraping was the equivalent of wearing Patagonia and refusing to even buy your friends a drink?

Apparently not. I entered my name and e-mail address and clicked submit. Finally, finally I would get to see this very fine e-book, which mercilessly mocks the tech world and those who salute it daily.

I would indeed get to see this very fine e-book. However, I would first have to agree to give North Lake Tahoe my public profile and friend list.

This was a gate too far in this absurdist slalom. I clicked cancel and began to snort uncontrollably.

You will tell me that everyone has descended down the black slope of the data grab. But if you're mocking techies and believe in the traditional values of warmth, openness and brotherhood, why not just let everyone read your terribly enjoyable e-book?

Instead, North Lake Tahoe went for another hoary techie trick. Beneath the demand for name and e-mail address was a request: "Hashtag YOUR PHOTOS #APRESHERO TO BE ENTERED TO WIN SKI-THEMED PRIZES."

You might wonder, as I did, how you can find out more about this fine promotion. North Lake Tahoe is very helpful: "(see ebook for details)."

A tiny part of me wishes that all this social encouragement and data-grabbing is a tiny part of the joke.

A larger part of me fears that it isn't.