Burning Man Journal
journal.burningman.org · Company blog · on HN since 2016
The official journal of the Burning Man organization, covering the event, its community, its leadership, and its Black Rock City operations.
What HN saysHN links it for official statements and event news. Commenters cite it on what being a Burner means and on cleanup problems like lag bolts.
31HN people shared it
15linked it in comments
16stories submitted
624story points
5 months agolast shared
2016people per year2026
Most-shared posts
- 1A Brief History of Who Ruined Burning Man8 people · 443 points · first shared 2016 · 241 comments on HN
- 2Theres a black dot in the middle of everything i see3 people · first shared 2019
- 3Cultural Course Correcting: Black Rock City 20192 people · 78 points · first shared 2019 · 40 comments on HN
- 4Burning Man cancelled this year, will move online2 people · 32 points · first shared 2020 · 12 comments on HN
- 5Burningman’s Founder Larry Harvey Passed2 people · 10 points · first shared 2018 · discussion on HN
- 6We Bought Fly Ranch – Burning Man Journal2 people · 6 points · first shared 2016 · discussion on HN
- 7Leaving No Trace: MOOP Map 2025, BLM Inspection and Solving Our Lag Bolt Problem2 people · 3 points · first shared 2026 · discussion on HN
- 8Statement on Police Activity on the Road to Black Rock City1 people · 36 points · first shared 2018 · 8 comments on HN
- 9How the West Was Won: Anarchy vs. Civic Responsibility at Burning Man (2013)1 people · 3 points · first shared 2017 · discussion on HN
- 10Burning Man Founder Larry Harvey Hospitalized1 people · 2 points · first shared 2018 · discussion on HN
- 11Burning Man 2024: Curiouser and Curiouser1 people · 2 points · first shared 2023 · discussion on HN
- 12(Non) Newsflash: Burning Man Is Not a Backdrop for Your Product1 people · 2 points · first shared 2019 · discussion on HN
- 13In Memoriam: Larry Harvey 1948-2018 (Burning Man leader)1 people · 2 points · first shared 2018 · discussion on HN
- 14Burning Man (Black Rock City) 2021 Cancelled1 people · 2 points · first shared 2021 · 2 comments on HN
- 15The Three Laws of Robotics Can’t Save Us1 people · 2 points · first shared 2018 · discussion on HN
What HN people wrote when they linked it
TaylorAlexander · 2018-08-23
I recall reading an article a few years ago about how every year, people declare burning man “dead” or dying. People write articles about how it’s not how it used to be. How the message is lost. Every year.
When I talk to people who go, most of them seem to suggest it’s still an amazing place. I guess it largely depends on who you are. I really dislike the society we’ve built. It feels too focused on work (I live in the Bay Area) and not enough on community. So burning man sounds ideal for me, it’s just been scheduling issues that have so far prevented me from going.
Anyway, I just wanted to point out that apparently these articles come up every year. Take them with a grain of salt.
Edit: here’s the article.
https://journal.burningman.org/2016/10/philosophical-center/tenprincip…
toomuchtodo · 2017-03-22
I believe pugworthy meant something like this:
http://journal.burningman.org/2008/06/opinion/serious-stuff/what-is-a-…
"Still, the majority consensus appears to be something more broadly defined; it seems like maybe being a Burner is not about where you’ve been, or what you’ve attended, but what you do, and how you live."
fontain · 2026-05-07
> In 2025, lag bolts were by far the biggest problem. They anchor tents, art pieces, and other infrastructure into the ground, and can easily disappear beneath the dust.
I thought of a few potential solutions but then clicked through to the journal entry for last year and it turns out they're way ahead, the journal article is very interesting with some ideas: https://journal.burningman.org/2026/03/black-rock-city/leaving-no-trac…
sonzohan · 2026-05-07
> in the name of entertainment.
Does the purpose change how the act should be interpreted?
> A place of pristine nature is literally destroyed by humans with zero fks given
Burners give so many fucks that we willingly do a thing historically reserved for punishment in the military (de-mooping)
> in a manner where it can never be recovered from.
Environmental sustainability is an actual goal not just greenwashing.
I encourage you too look into Playa Resto https://journal.burningman.org/2022/10/black-rock-city/leaving-no-trac… and note that the term volunteer is used meaning these people don't get paid.
CaliforniaKarl · 2020-04-11
The current URL is: https://idle.slashdot.org/story/20/04/11/0240256/burning-man-festival-…
I suggest changing the URL to that of the BM post: https://journal.burningman.org/2020/04/news/official-announcements/brc…
Although the Slashdot post also quotes from SFGate, the quote selected is all quoting the BM post.
tlrobinson · 2019-08-07
I was referring to the 1W lasers the parent commenter mentioned, but yes of course.
A volunteer at Burning Man was blinded in one eye a few years ago: https://journal.burningman.org/2015/03/black-rock-city/tales-from-the-…
rsanheim · 2019-05-23
A Black Rock ranger, Kelli Hoversten, was partially blinded in one eye at Burning Man 2014 (my first burn) when someone in the crowd pointed a laser at her while she working [1]. This was a handheld laser from five years ago, so I'm sure the lasers you can buy for cheap, portable use have only gotten more powerful and dangerous.
Since 2014, the org has banned the use of all lasers by any attendee, and any lasers used by art cars are heavily regulated. These things are no joke, and it doesn't take much to permanently blind someone.
[1] - https://journal.burningman.org/2015/03/black-rock-city/tales-from-the-…
makomk · 2019-02-15
It wasn't so long ago that they were mocking the idea that these camps were "ruining" Burning Man, was it?
http://journal.burningman.org/2016/10/philosophical-center/tenprincipl…
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12660468
Edit: Boing Boing says something interesting about this at https://boingboing.net/2019/02/13/radical-participation.html
"As noted, some of this was clearly related to the Borg's own divided sensibilities: founder Larry Harvey (who died last year) defended the idea of the super-rich attending amid a certain amount of luxury, on the basis that everyone experiences Burning Man in their own way."
beefman · 2019-02-12
This is a decent source but the original blog post would probably be better
https://journal.burningman.org/2019/02/philosophical-center/tenprincip…
mattnewton · 2018-10-25
I was always better last year :D
I am reminded of this article, “A brief history of who ruined burning man”
https://journal.burningman.org/2016/10/philosophical-center/tenprincip…
radley · 2018-08-23
Straight from the BM blog: A Brief History of Who Ruined Burning Man. (TLDR: nobody).
https://journal.burningman.org/2016/10/philosophical-center/tenprincip…
_jal · 2018-04-29
Official org announcement: https://journal.burningman.org/2018/04/news/official-announcements/lar…
Theodores · 2017-10-06
I think I am 'Group 3'. My account is 4 1/2 years old and I was a 'read only' site visitor for a while before that.
So there were the people who got here first, then the people who discovered the site in 2008, which was a long time ago, and have fair claim to being 'group 2'.
So I think 'Group 3' is me. A defining characteristic of 'Group 3' is that goes back to pre-Snowden times, before the truth was known. Kids today must be 'Group 4'.
This reminds me of A Brief History of Who Ruined Burning Man:
https://journal.burningman.org/2016/10/philosophical-center/tenprincip…
bunderbunder · 2017-04-05
This seems semi-related:
http://journal.burningman.org/2016/10/philosophical-center/tenprincipl…