Quoting "Dr. Ed Morbius" <dredmorbius at gmail.com>: > on 16:34 Tue 08 Feb, Raymond Lillard (ryl at sonic.net) wrote: >> On 02/08/2011 03:28 PM, Dr. Ed Morbius wrote: >> > on 17:02 Tue 08 Feb, Les Mikesell (lesmikesell at gmail.com) wrote: >> >> On 2/8/2011 4:40 PM, Johnny H wrote: >> >>> Thanks Mark, for this and your previous email. >> >> >> Unfortunately, the thing he will probably be most remembered for is the >> >> 1977 quote: "There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in >> >> his home." >> >> I respectfully disagree. One mis-statement in a public speech >> does not come close to defining the man. >> >> The statement is generally quoted without context as it is >> here. He was actually speaking of computer controlled homes, >> (temperature, lighting, etc...) rather than the PC (entertainment >> and communication) found in most homes today. We are of course, >> sneaking up on the home control thing (energy management), so in >> time he will have been mistaken in the context he intended. >> >> Ironically, in those years my well appointed apartment was >> furnished with a surplus PDP-8, an air mattress, stereo system >> and a Mr Coffee. This was of course prior to wife and family. :-) >> I did get to keep the stereo system. >> >> > In fairness, Olsen wasn't the only one to make a comically understated >> > estimate of future widespread computer use. Ed Yourdon proclaimed in >> > 1975 (the year Apple Computer was founded): "unless you're very rich >> > or very eccentric, you'll never have your own computer". In fairness, he >> > fessed up to it in a later book: http://bit.ly/hlIO1v >> >> Others have made similarly short-sighted remarks in public places. >> Most of us make them on less exalted stages and so are not called >> to account. > > Most of us aren't CEOs of leading tech firms, with a core professional > competency being to sort which way the wind blows (or self-proclaimed > tech visionaries in Yourdon's case). > > That said: in tech, the wind changes direction often, and there are > many examples of the one-time pack leader making what are seen to be > highly inaccurate dismissals of an upstart technology or products. > Usually in the midst of trying to turn back the tide. > > I'm just wracking my brains right now to think if there might possibly > be some examples involving Linux, but I can't for the life of me think > of one. How about, "this will be the year of Linux on the desktop!" > > -- > Dr. Ed Morbius > Chief Scientist / Robot Wrangler When you seek unlimited power > Krell Power Systems Unlimited Go to Krell! > _______________________________________________ > CentOS mailing list > CentOS at centos.org > http://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos > -- "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." Krishnamurti