[Tfug] pirates of silicon valley

Thu Sep 28 13:29:35 MST 2006

Well, I am interested in building an OS. In fact I have been. The only problem
with this is that I am an avowed luddite. I am still reinstalling windows,
getting the (home) network back up, updating the various windows programs, and
downloading other commonly used programs (such as Adobes). I have been at this
for perhaps 10+ hours, including considerable time on the phone with IBM's not
very competent technical support (they kept asking me to mail my computer to
them for updating - I couldn't believe it.)

The question you ask cannot be adequately answered with simple statements, or
even a book's worth. It can best be answered with experience.

I think that building a new propriatary OS would be a highly worthwhile and
successsful endeavor, should such a project get off the ground. It is amazing
that Linux has actually come as far as it has. Like any language, such as
English, ubiquity is the key to its adoption.

Quoting keith smith <klsmith2020 at yahoo.com>:

> I've seen some motivated people do not as good as some less motivated 
> people.  I think motivation does play a roll, but not as much as one 
> might think.
>
> William Stott <wstott at ventanamed.com> wrote: In one word: MOTIVATION.
>
>
> On 9/28/06 11:43 AM, "keith smith"  wrote:
>
>> I'm not interested in creating an O/S.
>>
>> Just wonder how someone can become the riches guy in the world while someone
>> possibly smarter and more talented might end up a clerk at circle K.
>>
>> It's my "hippie couch" where we sit and talk about questions like 
>> "Why are we
>> here?' or "What is the meaning of life?".
>>
>> Why did apple fall short with a better product while M$ rocketed 
>> with inferior
>> products.  M$ office is the only product I think they got right (in my
>> opinion).
>>
>> The only thing I can come up with is Bill sold vaporware to IBM who had the
>> clout to take a "toy" to the level of a business machine.
>>
>> Before IBM the PC was a toy that might get you laughed at if used in 
>> corporate
>> America.  After IBM the PC was a status symbol.
>>
>> I don't know..... just my thoughts.
>>
>> Keith
>>
>>
>> sitkaa at email.arizona.edu wrote: The movie is not available on Google Video,
>> but Netflix has it. We'll
>> be getting
>> it in about a week to see what the hullaballoo is all about.
>>
>> Using lessons from B. Gates to make money seems abit, Idunno, uh, not quite
>> right somehow...
>>
>> Perhaps a better train of consideration is why has Microsoft done so well in
>> developing its ubiquity, and conversely, why has Linux not developed 
>> ubiquity.
>>
>> If you want to develop an OS, I would think that these questions should be
>> always on the mind.
>>
>>
>> Quoting Tim Ottinger :
>>
>>> > I think the bill lesson is twofold:
>>> > "sell things you don't have"
>>> > and
>>> > "rule the distribution channels with an iron fist"
>>> >
>>> > The rest, I think, was luck.  But those two things were clearly hard-core
>>> > business practices.
>>> >
>>> > On 9/27/06, keith smith  wrote:
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Ever watch "pirates of silicon valley"?  I've watched it maybe 4 or 5
>>>> >> times.  Several months ago I watched it 3 times in 2 days.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> I do not know how accurate it is.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Bill Gates.  How does one become the riches man in the world?
>>>> >>
>>>> >> I would suggest:
>>>> >> - His father was lawyer : He saw things as legal not moral.
>>>> >> - He grew up with a corporate mentality and emulated it.
>>>> >> - Salesmanship.  He was corporate minded and forced the issue.
>>>> >> - Tenacity :  I think he put in long hours and was willing to 
>>>> do what it
>>>> >> took.
>>>> >> - He was better at the Watergate thing than Nixon.
>>>> >> - Was and is a slave driver.  However his slaves do get 
>>>> compensated well.
>>>> >> - Was good at taking others ideas and making them his own.
>>>> >> - most everything he did was backwardly compatible.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Steve Jobs while successfully was a hippie.
>>>> >> - He was a slave driver and probably still is.
>>>> >> - He was a little bazaar in how he pitted one group against another.
>>>> >> - I'm not sure he even knew about protecting his trade secrets.
>>>> >> - Far Superior superior product.
>>>> >> - At 3 or more points his product was not backwardly compatible.
>>>> >> - Failed to align himself with a big conservative company.
>>>> >> - While Superior his company is a distant 2nd at best.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Now here is the million dollar question :
>>>> >>
>>>> >> What can I learn from this that will make me a better businessman
>>>> >> today?  (Make more Money ETC)
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Keith
>>>> >>
>>>> >> PS : I'm going to post this to several lists so you might see it
>>>> somewhere
>>>> >> else.
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >> sitkaa at email.arizona.edu wrote: Whether or not the angry wildcat is
>>>> >> piloting the hovercraft matters far less
>>>> >> than the its crafty feral ways. A wildcat needs no hovercraft to be
>>>> >> crazed,
>>>> >> setting off a storm of excitement, rather than letting sleeping 
>>>> dogs lie
>>>> >> (and
>>>> >> lie, and lie, and lie). The hovercraft is only useful in destroying
>>>> >> infrastructure, about which any wildcat would care less. This 
>>>> cat is just
>>>> >> pissed.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> As I sat in class tonight, supposedly learning, and attempting to take
>>>> >> notes on
>>>> >> my Microsoft based laptop, I just got angrier and angrier at Bill
>>>> >> Gates, not to
>>>> >> mention the people behind him. Not only does he enforce a monopoly at
>>>> >> every
>>>> >> chance, buy politicians like all the major corporate elite, and quash
>>>> >> innovative ideas lest they compete, not only that but his programs just
>>>> >> suck.
>>>> >> They are expensive, don't work right, are loaded with bugs, spyware,
>>>> >> backdoors,
>>>> >> and they just suck.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> I just wish everyone used a Unix based system so I could too. 
>>>> Yes, thank
>>>> >> goodness for Bill Gates, the man who most exemplifies this century of
>>>> >> unchecked
>>>> >> competitive greed.
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Quoting "Bowie J. Poag" :
>>>> >>
>>>>> >> > You know, i'm not sure. Feral or not, they're still a formidable
>>>>> threat.
>>>>> >> >
>>>>> >> > I would imagine that any bobcat behind the wheel/stick/yoke of a
>>>>> >> > hovercraft is either angry, or frightened. The way I picture it, the
>>>>> >> > "angry" version sort of knows in a weird non-human but 
>>>>> feline way that
>>>>> >> > what it's doing amounts to an act of agression, and as such, is
>>>>> capable
>>>>> >> > of guiding or controlling the hovercraft albeit in a 
>>>>> haphazard manner,
>>>>> >> > guiding it toward it's target--my home.. You know, bouncing off of
>>>>> trees
>>>>> >> > and stuff, hissing and meowing, but still capable of minimal 
>>>>> control.
> In
>>>>> >> > the other version, the bobcat is totally freaked out since it's
>>>>> totally
>>>>> >> > out of it's element. To a bobcat, there's nothing natural about a
>>>>> >> > neighborhood, or homes, a hovercraft, or controls..So, it's just
>>>>> >> > flailing around on the controls, hissing, meowing, and randomly
>>>>> hitting
>>>>> >> > things and turning in different directions..including toward 
>>>>> my house,
>>>>> >> > up onto my lawn and hitting my house.
>>>>> >> >
>>>>> >> > I think we have stumbled upon one of the most frightening 
>>>>> "feral >>>>
> animal
>>>>> >> > + special-purpose vehicle" scenarios we are likely to ever 
>>>>> encounter.
>>>>> >> > I've thought about it....Bear + Blimp, Walrus + Ornithopter, 
>>>>> even >>>>
> Bruin
>>>>> >> > + Space Shuttle.....but nothing terrifies me more than Bobcat +
>>>>> >> > Hovercraft. Nothing.
>>>>> >> >
>>>>> >> > Have the FreeBSD folks ever had to deal with this scenario? :)
>>>>> >> >
>>>>> >> > Cheers,
>>>>> >> > Bowie
>>>>> >> >
>>>>> >> >
>>>>> >> >
>>>>> >> >
>>>>> >> > John Gruenenfelder wrote:
>>>>> >> >
>>>>>> >> >> Are bobcats still considered feral when piloting hovercraft?  That
>>>>>> >> >> would seem
>>>>>> >> >> to indicate a certain amount of domestication.  When you 
>>>>>> help them,
>>>> >> that
>>>>>> >> >> doesn't involve vehicle training, right?
>>>>>> >> >>
>>>>>> >> >> (Not to belittle you very good point, it's just that, 
>>>>>> well, bobcats
> +
>>>>>> >> >> hovercraft = funny)
>>>>>> >> >>
>>>>>> >> >>
>>>>>> >> >>
>>>>>> >> >>
>>>>> >> >
>>>>> >> >
>>>>> >> > _______________________________________________
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>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
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>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >> - - - - - - -
>>>> >> Keith Smith
>>>> >> - - - - - - -
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
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