There's a number of things at play with Clockwork, and why people hate him. In no real specific order
1) Clockwork is a hobgoblin. This is a simple statement, untill you look a bit further into it. A) Hobgoblins are a Middle Eastern Meta-varient of the Orc Metatype. This isn't a huge deal for most people, but it -was- a hugge deal for the people in the middle east. The Hobgoblins were by and large slaughtered by most of the middle eastern countries. Entire villages put to the torch. Clockwork himself has made comment about soldiers using kids or babies for target practice, just for kicks.
That's alot of hate towards Hobgoblins, where hobgoblin's are from. With out trying to ruffle too many feathers, the Middle East isn't exactly well known for it's sedate people and open-mindedness when it comes to things that are 'different'. I forget where the comment was from Clockwork but the indication was he was there, and had hate for those people killing hobgoblins. Not just a "Well on the other side of the world my people are facing horrors" but more of a "I was THERE Man!!" type of thing.
B) Hobgoblins, as a metavariant are distinguished by their physical differences, (( Skinny, green skin, sharp teeth, etc)), and their Psychological traits. Those being two major points. First: They tend to be assholes. Describe it in what ever words you want, but that's the long and short of it and two.. and this is a bit bizarre for a manifestation of a metatype, and not cultural.. but they have a firm view of personal honor, and will go to great extents to avenge any slight they --perceive-- against their personal honor. (( Their view of their honor being their own, not anyone elses))
These are two important factors in Clockwork. The first part, the intense racism against his people at the hand of ... his other people and the whole sale slaughter that was engaged on Hobgoblin's by the Middle east. Part two, that inborn trait of seeing to avenge slights against them.
Now.. clearly Clockwork can't avenge all the slights against hobs that were perpetrated in the middle east, and by all accounts he's not working out of the middle east. So he 'got out'. He's still got all that hatred from that youth in him. All that hate that's built up in a orc... a hobgoblin meta-variant that we're told, as a biological expression, is driven to avenge slights.
2) We see his instant fear and racism against Technomancers. It could initially appear from a very common source. The "Fear of the unknown." Alot if not most people were afraid of Techno's. Now.. take that innate "Fear of the unknown" add in the "Memory of the Second Crash" and how bad it hurt people. Now add in a huuuge heaping dose of "Hobgoblins by and large, tend to be assholes" then add in "Some people are just bigger assholes than others." ( You know it's true in life. Some people are really nice. Most people are some where in the middle but you all know those few people that you just wanna punch in the throat they're such big jerks). Put Clockwork on that end. Even among Hobgoblins, he's an exceptional jerk. This adds up to alot of emotion that comes pouring out...
Then add in all that racism against his people. It's sad but true. Those that have suffered intense racism often are intensely racist themselves. Often against those who perpetrated the hate upon them but not always. And not logically. Just like abused children often abuse THEIR children, even when they should know better, even when you think they'd be the LAST ones to ever do it, the numbers are shockingly high.
I imagine that this aspect of his personality manifests as a load.. a heaping load of self hate. He has had (( Up till the techno Emergence)) no 'outlet' for all that piled up hate and emotion.
Now here's something new... something scary... something that's linked (( correctly or incorrectly)) To the Crash. Here's something that is 'smaller' than him. That he can fixate on. He's scared, and as we know, there are two main reactions to fear. Fight or flight. Clockwork has chosen Fight. He's taken all that fear and self hate and he's thrown it fully at Technomancers. His innate jerkyness, all the prejudiced that he's been through, all that want to lash out has finally given him a target.
Why did he choose them? Could just be that fear, or it could be the other aspect of hobgoblin biology, that 'revenge slights' aspect. He sees Technomancers getting for free, what he had to work his entire life for. Sees it as an affront. Could be even more base. Hobgoblins are from the middle east. And while there are plenty of middle eastern people OUT SIDE The middle east. The comments that Clock work has dropped indicate he grew up there and fled the murders and stuff there. It could be..... that Clockwork some how sees Technomancers against his 'version' of god. The meshing of man and machine in that way. Again. Not everyone from the Middle East are Religious Zealots. Most are NOT..... but.. there's a reason you think of Religious Zealots when you think of the middle east.
You look at all these aspects and they easily add up to 'who/what' Clockwork is.
I hate the fraker.
He took that fear, he ascribed to it, and he performed some actions. I've read all 22 pages of this thread and even though it's mentioned more than once some people seem to miss it. For a number of pages there, a number of people say something to the extent of "Ok he threatened the kid, but didn't do anything. And everyone is dogpiling on poor Clockwork."
The first thing he did was contract out an op, to try and deliver Netcat to one of the Mega's. To be cut open and vivisected upon. Not just kill. Not even just 'betray'. He purposefully orginised a shadowrun against one of their own. Cut a deal with a 'common enemy'.
He didn't do it for money. He didn't do it for some deep set ideology. he did it for the simple point of overwhelming racism/fear, and wanting her to be captured, tortured, cut open, experimented on, and eventually killed.
For something she had zero control over, and she had committed no crimes against any of the Jackpointers.
That was his first action. People freaked out. He basically just started ranting and raving against Techno's. For a while everyone was scared... ok... he's taking it to extreme. Then he keeps throttling up up up. Then suddenly, he sells one of them out to be vivisected. Based on that fear and hatred.
That was bad. he was unrepentant. At this point he made what I think was the second mistake. His "Hobgoblinish" aspect comes out and he tells them all, "Frak you. I did it. I'm proud of it. I'd do it again. And I'd sell out all you too!"
So not only did he betray one of their own, he tells the rest of them that he'd do them just as easy.
Fastjack doesn't kick him out, because he didn't use Jackpoints resources to do it. And there's no 'rules' against taking runs at one another. This outrages people too.
Then Jack points out that they are a self regulating sort of group. And while taking contracts against one another isn't 'forbidden'.... if you do... and you screw it up..... someone's going to come after you for it... HINT HINT EVERYBODY!!! HINT HINT!! IF YOU WANNA KILL HIM, HINT... HINT.. *Cough*.
Things quite down a bit after that then comes big mistake number three. Not the write up against SlammO. That's just pure Matrix-trolling. When Slamm-O set off that honor/pride thing again Clock work makes his fourth mistake.
The Third mistake was giving detailed description of Netcat's baby. Hair color. Skin. Ears, and eyes. I think Netcat and Slammo would surely look twice at any Hobgoblin coming near their kid, so chances are he didn't look into a stroller or anything. So Clockwork has very likely hired out another shadow run against them, to gather information. Why would he gather information (( All the information on SlammO and apparently the kid))? Because you're going to sell or use said data. So Mistake Three was targeting the kid ( And Netcat/SlammO again with shadow action)
Mistake four comes at the end of the File when SlammO basicly laughs and pats Clockwork on the head and goes "Thanks man. Your observations just made me better. Have a nice day!" Clockwork's Honor/Pride is insulted, the Hobgoblin jerkyness and honor thing kick in and Clockwork threatens to sell the baby to a lab to be cut up and vivisected too. (And through this, either netcat with him, or killing Netcat and SlammO to do it)
So by this point Clockwork has betrayed one of their own to be cut open and dissected, experimented on etc.
FAILED at it
Was called out, and was unrepentant.
While he was being called out, said he'd do it again
Also said he'd betray ANY one of the jackpointers for a cheeseburger
Then through his knowledge of SlammO, and mostly the detailed description of the baby, has tipped his hand that he's hired out another shadow run against Netcat/SlammO/Baby. (Again this is presumed, because Hobgoblin's stand out, and if you see a skinny green shark toothed orc walking towards your baby and a skinny green shark toothed orc had tried to have you cut open and your brain tore out and worse, you're going to take a hell of alot of notice and very likely shoot him before asking to see his ID.))
Lastly, after that run where he's got the description of the baby, has threatened the baby directly (Not just indirectly through the knowledge of the description and how repugnant he found the baby)), saying he'd sell the baby to a lab.
His list of transgressions are pretty deep by this point. He's also targeted, "Some of their own" and more over has gone against a huge human/Meta-human taboo of threatening/harming/targeting children. The kicker is he didn't do this out of anything deserving. he did it souly out of fear and racism. Which people don't tend to like openly.
Sure if you're racist against the same thing THEY are racist against you might sit around and talk about that. but some guy at work, just suddenly going on a hate filled tirade on a racist bint, then out of nowhere starts trying to kill co-workers/ colleges.. .that's something else all together. Add in that the guy is targeting babies, and has openly said he'd do the exact same thing to you...
Well, it's pretty easy to hate the guy. One might understand how you get from A to B to C to D... but 'understanding the motivation' isn't forgiveness for the actions.
He's a bigoted racist jerk that made the mistake of turning on his own, --FAILING--, getting caught. Threatening --everyone--, and then going back, trying again, and then threatening the baby/mascot of the group.
I hope he dies. I hope Netcat does it. I hope it's horrible. And I hope that washes off some of the "Shining image of gleaming light and all that's good" some seem to ascribe to her.
You don't mess with a tiger's cub.
