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The smartest and dumbest tech moves of 2007 - and why they matter
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Comments (16)
I also get annoyed at the narrow view that must reduce everything to a money value. But Microsoft did fork over $240 mil for a share in Facebook, so in context the question makes sense. MS never does anything just because it's cool, and even their charities aren't all that charitable.
$240 million -- that's lint in Ballmer's pocket.
BTW, my vote for 'coolest nick of the year' goes to ColonelPanik :)
Wow, talk about dense, I didn't even notice that play on words until you mentioned it TC. Colonel is one of the words that doesn't click my speech center when I read it.
TC, Thanks, w00t!
Someone BSODed me one time, of course I was 100% Linux (just had dumped that other osb)
which I promptly told him. Said he: "Well then kernel panic".
azerthoth: @"Colonel is one of the words that doesn't click my speech center when I read it." Good! Good for you! I am the most anti-military person I know but damn the name was just a natural for my twisted mind. If we had avatars you would see the true "inner me".
And the only salute I expect is the rigid digit extended.
azerthoth: @"Colonel is one of the words that doesn't click my speech center when I read it." Good! Good for you! I am the most anti-military person I know but damn the name was just a natural for my twisted mind. If we had avatars you would see the true "inner me".
And the only salute I expect is the rigid digit extended.
TC> MS never does anything just because it's cool
Then how, pray tell, do you explain "Microsoft Bob"?
Then how, pray tell, do you explain "Microsoft Bob"?
woa, what a name for the LXer country-punk band- the Rigid Digits.
Poor gus3, you need to get out more!
Poor gus3, you need to get out more!
The only explanation I could ever come up with for Microsoft Bob, was that some stuffed shirt in the M$ labs said, "Hey, let's put a dumb face on the computer, and then the great unwashed masses will think computers are cool instead of geeky!"
Of course, when that bombed, they turned Bob into Clippy.
Of course, when that bombed, they turned Bob into Clippy.
>Hey, let's put a dumb face on the computer
Wait - I'm not following this. Are we talking Bob or Ballmer?
Wait - I'm not following this. Are we talking Bob or Ballmer?
>Are we talking Bob or Ballmer?
Bob. In Ballmer's case, it would be putting the computer on a dumb face.
Bob. In Ballmer's case, it would be putting the computer on a dumb face.
Oh wait, I can't follow this thread anymore... The computer needed a face, and they could choose between Steve Ballmer, Bob and a paperclip. I feel really sorry for them, cause that must have been a tough choice choosing between those three losers.
Wait, now I get it: Steve Ballmer is responsible for a company that makes things fall apart - like falling into pieces, Microsoft Bob ran on systems that fell apart, and a paperclip is supposed to hold things together. Wow, that's just genius!
Wait, now I get it: Steve Ballmer is responsible for a company that makes things fall apart - like falling into pieces, Microsoft Bob ran on systems that fell apart, and a paperclip is supposed to hold things together. Wow, that's just genius!
> Wow, that's just genius!
You scare me, Hans. You really do.
For some reason, you make me think of my Dutch boss, Jan, nearly 25 years ago, when I spent a few months working in Rotterdam.
He knew I wanted to learn some Dutch so I wouldn't be too much of an "ugly American", so he would help me. Of course, sometimes his help would be along the lines of (and please excuse the spelling because it is, well, terrible) :
OK, Dean, now say this -
Ik been a stoma kaas kopf.
Eventually I learned to substitute for the ik...
You scare me, Hans. You really do.
For some reason, you make me think of my Dutch boss, Jan, nearly 25 years ago, when I spent a few months working in Rotterdam.
He knew I wanted to learn some Dutch so I wouldn't be too much of an "ugly American", so he would help me. Of course, sometimes his help would be along the lines of (and please excuse the spelling because it is, well, terrible) :
OK, Dean, now say this -
Ik been a stoma kaas kopf.
Eventually I learned to substitute for the ik...
Don't be afraid to be an ugly American, Dutch like can be ugly too! We shall not discuss the busses anymore, but you probably know what I'm referring too. I just found out a few week ago the Grand Canyon was in Arizona, thought it was in the Rocky Mountains. So Americans are not the only ones bad in geography at other continents. OK, I never been outside Europe, so that may serve as an excuse. I understood traveling by air is bad, so now I travel by car across Europe (or I could just confess I can't afford flying to Tuvalu and back maybe?).
Moreover, you are one of the few Americans who know the difference between Belgium and Netherlands etc. and you know a few Dutch words, so you can't be an ugly American. You know, those European people always complain about the ugly Americans, but nonetheless they wouldn't want to live without them on the other hand. They can't live with them, neither without them, just like with parents, man and woman, and so on.
Please be aware, stoma means the same in Dutch as in English; meaning "artificial outlet"; so I hope you didn't pronounce it that way :)
Back to the smartest and dumbest tech move of 2007 (trying to keep it on topic a bit); I believe the US patent reform act still didn't make it - because of the pharmacy lobby and 'small inventors' were against it? That's probably a 'dumb move', even Microsoft is in favour of it, and patents like they are enforced at this moment is bad for the economy in the US, and the patent system in the EU suffers from the same. Lucky, a bit less, but still. Now, both the US and the EU are trying to enforce their IP in China, so I wonder what the future will bring.
Moreover, you are one of the few Americans who know the difference between Belgium and Netherlands etc. and you know a few Dutch words, so you can't be an ugly American. You know, those European people always complain about the ugly Americans, but nonetheless they wouldn't want to live without them on the other hand. They can't live with them, neither without them, just like with parents, man and woman, and so on.
Please be aware, stoma means the same in Dutch as in English; meaning "artificial outlet"; so I hope you didn't pronounce it that way :)
Back to the smartest and dumbest tech move of 2007 (trying to keep it on topic a bit); I believe the US patent reform act still didn't make it - because of the pharmacy lobby and 'small inventors' were against it? That's probably a 'dumb move', even Microsoft is in favour of it, and patents like they are enforced at this moment is bad for the economy in the US, and the patent system in the EU suffers from the same. Lucky, a bit less, but still. Now, both the US and the EU are trying to enforce their IP in China, so I wonder what the future will bring.
>Please be aware, stoma means the same in Dutch as in English; meaning "artificial outlet"; so I hope you didn't pronounce it that way :)
Hmmm. Am I remembering it wrong, or is there a similar word (all those dutch sounds that are not a part of the English language) that I should be using? Jan said it meant something like "stupid".
Hmmm. Am I remembering it wrong, or is there a similar word (all those dutch sounds that are not a part of the English language) that I should be using? Jan said it meant something like "stupid".
Started learning a second language when I was 37
Good thing I have a sense of humor. Better thing
the people of Latin America have a sense of humor.
Major Faux Pas reporting for duty!
Major Faux Pas reporting for duty!
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That was a typical bean-counter reply. It must always be quantitative! Doh, the title is SOCIAL. Google that. Ask Kevin Rose about return. I would bet that Digg gets more hits than Network World by about a jillion times.
Worth the read.