Question: "So, why haven't these people been sucked into the pervasive evil nastiness that is Black Rock City, you paranoid freak?"
Answer: How kind of you to ask. 
For one thing, as
noted in the last aside, for
their social circles to develop in that direction would be to go against
the grain, by the very nature of the kind of these people they need to be
to get their jobs done. They will find, both in real life and in Black
Rock City, that the society they encounter will tend to reinforce their
natural tendencies in this area. In the former case, this is probably why
the West maintains its technical supremacy; as for the latter ...
BMORG, even at its most reaching, knows that if these people stop coming, Burning Man will be over. The reply reportedly given to PlayaPhone in response to its concerns about a BMORG takeover was telling : not "we don't do that sort of thing", but a statement that BMORG wouldn't have the expertise needed to do their jobs. Without a doubt, one can be sure that some will resent the relative aloofness of these people who will exchange pleasantries with those who pass, but stand apart from the community infighting. Some, with the usual anger management problems, will probably try to make trouble for them because of it. But BMORG, who a hard core burner will follow like a rabid (but loyal) dog, won't be having any of that, and so these professionals are free to think of other things, and enjoy their stay. Learn from them.
If you stick with those people, focusing on the kind of projects they do, which is probably the kind of project you'd enjoy the most if that's the kind of person you are, anyway - you'll probably have a good time. Isn't that what you were really going there to do, anyway ? So, why let yourself be sidetracked? Do as they do. Come with your friends, take advantage of the opportunity to do your thing and have your fun, and depart - and leave it at that. Don't try to become part of the larger "community". You wouldn't try to hang out with a collection of day laborers at home, so why would you think that doing so would be a good idea here? The quickest way to get in trouble is to forget who it is that your people are, and try to be the regular guy you never were. This is trouble that will not go away as long as you associate yourself with Burnerdom, because psychotics just won't let go.
"And if you're not that kind of person? What is somebody isn't bright or talented enough to take part in any of these things?" As in, can't do anything artistic or technical, and yet still want to go to an interactive, participatory arts festival? OK, ask yourself what that leaves open to you. You can watch any number of fairly attractive members of the sex you prefer walking around naked, by people who very often will appreciate you right back if you wear as little as they do, even if your body is pretty average. There couldn't possibly be more opportunities to dance or listen to music, and there are no cover charges above what you paid to get in. If you're looking for alcohol and drugs, I found both to be readily available and cheerfully offered. You can do any number of bizarre things and take any number of really stupid dares. And you can go out and look at, listen to or watch the things other people are doing.
What you have left to you are the defining elements of the bar culture - what barflies would be looking for, if only the bouncers and police would not get in their way, for better and for worse. This is especially true because most of the tasks you'll find available will be menial, solitary work that will give you no stories to tell. ("Man, I was pulling up this tent, and you should see the rebar gash I got". "Um, cool. So, let's hear more about that opera somebody put on". Just doesn't work). Small wonder, then that the bar culture is so visible at night at the event. (During the day, a lot of these people were sleeping off the previous night's dancing, which tended to continue until about 2-3 am, and drinking and drug use, which continued well past that). If that's what you're seeking, you'll have a good time. If you're seeking more than that, though, you may find yourself feeling a little lost and bored after a while.
But then, if you have $200 to spend on an arts festival, just how likely is it that you're the bag boy in the local supermarket? If you can take a week off to drop by this thing, and how many days setting up a project, how likely are you to be a corporate drone? This event, however unintentional the result might be, tends to automatically select either for those who are up to contributing in a positive way or for those with so little in the way of lives that they'll make due with candy bar lunches for a month or two just to have this week, and are such visibly unpleasant, losing individuals that one will easily know to avoid them. A strange mix, of both the best and worst that contemporary society has to offer, but not a very explosive one in real life (as opposed to online).
At least, not yet. Yes, there have been some reports of some unfortunate incidents involving theft and out of control DPW members. ("Department of Public Works", the people who take off a few months and build the "city"). In time, they'll probably get worse, given BMORG's own collective mentality, which doesn't seem much more pleasant and is setting an example which these people seem to be following - "give us what we want, or we'll make you wish you had". But isn't that a fair description of what most social settings are like these days? One just has to deal and make the most of the opportunities that come by. What's the alternative?
