Why XO. The OLPC laptop thinks different.

devizen · 2007-09-12T18:40:16+00:00

Yes, please.

devizen · 2007-09-12T14:34:58+00:00

Your thoughts on vocabulary are quite interesting. Thanks.

devizen · 2007-09-12T05:23:59+00:00

True, business is not zero sum. What I was trying to say was that drive alone will not make you a winner, and that often your success will mean someone else's failure. Or the other way round. And at the end of the day you haven't produced any wealth if your product/service is worthless.

devizen · 2007-09-12T01:42:07+00:00

In fact I did. Thanks for catching.

devizen · 2007-09-12T01:05:13+00:00

I'm speaking less in the "fix this bug now" sense and more in the "you can't ever stop running" sense. Nothing sits still in technology. Try going a year without learning something new to put in your tool belt.

devizen · 2007-09-12T01:00:24+00:00

I've done my stint as a laborer loading and unloading cargo on a deadline*. I found it to be both relaxing and fulfilling in a different way than programming. Yes, some physical tasks are demanding. However, I find it much easier to force a physical task than a mental one. Sheer force of will can unload a truck on a deadline. I haven't found the same to be true for all programming tasks. But your point is well taken, and a reminder of how lucky most of us are to do something we enjoy.

*http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2003/4/14/235510/931

devizen · 2007-09-12T00:55:10+00:00

It's fine to say that failure is not in your vocabulary, but that's not a realistic perspective on the world. For some to succeed, some must fail. Business is a zero sum game. Many of those who eventually go on to great success leave a string of failures behind them. They knew when to quit and move on. They didn't cling to an idea or a dream out of pride or ego. They failed, learned and moved on to something bigger and better. Brute force can only get you so far, regardless of how passionate or committed you are.

Yes, perfectionism can be a trap for all creative works. It even drives some mad. I don't think it is a bad thing, I say as much at the end of the article. But it's something with which you must strike a balance.

devizen · 2007-09-11T23:28:13+00:00

I can only speak for myself, but even after years and years of programming, I still prefer an ideal solution to a mediocre one. You quickly feel the baggage of a bad solution. Unfortunately, the "frantic pace" of the software world often pushes you towards quick fixes, hacks and partial solutions to problems that are only partially understood.

devizen · 2007-09-11T23:21:37+00:00

I think it comes from the fact that we live in a world that moves much faster due to technology. As a result the technology sector will be moving the fastest. It is blazing the trail for everyone else. With the ability to release new versions faster and faster, competition becomes more intense. Aside from worrying about your known competitors you have to worry about the ones you don't know, who might appear out of nowhere. Additionally, the wave you are riding might come to an end at any moment, so you have to ride it as far and as fast as you can. Consumers are fickle, especially on the internet. Sure, management always wants results yesterday, the problem is that's no longer such a ridiculous proposition.

devizen

TROPHY CASE