Comments on: We have seen the enemy http://inoveryourhead.net/we-have-seen-the-enemy/ social capital, trust agents, all that jazz Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:27:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Evan http://inoveryourhead.net/we-have-seen-the-enemy/#comment-168498 Evan Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:02:43 +0000 http://inoveryourhead.net/we-have-seen-the-enemy/#comment-168498 Welcome to the US state of mind. Too many lawyers passing the bar expect to make obscene salaries and are willing to leave their morals at the door to make it a reality. Sometimes I really wish I didn't live in a service based economy. It's painful to see businesses run by bean counters who want to see the line on their graph move up a little, so they sell out all of their human assets in favor of cheap foreign labor. For being from a country that created a lot of the great technologies that are common today (computers, internet, etc...) we're going to a lot of effort to discourage people from creating newer, better tech. Welcome to the US state of mind. Too many lawyers passing the bar expect to make obscene salaries and are willing to leave their morals at the door to make it a reality.

Sometimes I really wish I didn’t live in a service based economy. It’s painful to see businesses run by bean counters who want to see the line on their graph move up a little, so they sell out all of their human assets in favor of cheap foreign labor.

For being from a country that created a lot of the great technologies that are common today (computers, internet, etc…) we’re going to a lot of effort to discourage people from creating newer, better tech.

]]> By: Julien http://inoveryourhead.net/we-have-seen-the-enemy/#comment-166552 Julien Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:58:31 +0000 http://inoveryourhead.net/we-have-seen-the-enemy/#comment-166552 Huh Sheldon, nice comment. I appreciate your intellectual rigor. :) You're right that in some cases it's perfectly reasonable to file a lawsuit to be filed based on reasonable claims, but I suppose what I'm saying is that an increasing number of these lawsuits are grounded in giving precedent to the past rather than the present. I have no problem with reasonable lawsuits. My concern is that the legal department is replacing R&D. Huh Sheldon, nice comment. I appreciate your intellectual rigor. :)

You’re right that in some cases it’s perfectly reasonable to file a lawsuit to be filed based on reasonable claims, but I suppose what I’m saying is that an increasing number of these lawsuits are grounded in giving precedent to the past rather than the present.

I have no problem with reasonable lawsuits. My concern is that the legal department is replacing R&D.

]]> By: Sheldon Rampton http://inoveryourhead.net/we-have-seen-the-enemy/#comment-166489 Sheldon Rampton Tue, 17 Feb 2009 03:51:06 +0000 http://inoveryourhead.net/we-have-seen-the-enemy/#comment-166489 This is a bogus argument. Web-based companies file lawsuits all the time on claims that someone else's technology infringes on their rights. You're taking one action by someone at the Author's Guild and generalizing from that into a declaration that book authors in general are enemies of progress. That's the equivalent of saying that the SCO vs. IBM lawsuit proves all software developers are opposed to open source. This is a bogus argument. Web-based companies file lawsuits all the time on claims that someone else’s technology infringes on their rights. You’re taking one action by someone at the Author’s Guild and generalizing from that into a declaration that book authors in general are enemies of progress. That’s the equivalent of saying that the SCO vs. IBM lawsuit proves all software developers are opposed to open source.

]]> By: brendan mitchell http://inoveryourhead.net/we-have-seen-the-enemy/#comment-166418 brendan mitchell Sun, 15 Feb 2009 14:49:07 +0000 http://inoveryourhead.net/we-have-seen-the-enemy/#comment-166418 I agree with you... I think Charles Darwin said it best “It’s not the strongest 
of the species that survive, 
nor the most intelligent, 
but the one most responsive to change.” So move with the times or move out of the way. As we said on twitter @nopaper The only problem with a talking Kindle 2, is the publishing industry actually believing it's a problem! http://tinyurl.com/ahjezu I agree with you… I think Charles Darwin said it best
“It’s not the strongest 
of the species that survive, 
nor the most intelligent, 
but the one most responsive to change.”

So move with the times or move out of the way.

As we said on twitter @nopaper The only problem with a talking Kindle 2, is the publishing industry actually believing it’s a problem! http://tinyurl.com/ahjezu

]]> By: Justin Kownacki http://inoveryourhead.net/we-have-seen-the-enemy/#comment-166260 Justin Kownacki Thu, 12 Feb 2009 20:32:15 +0000 http://inoveryourhead.net/we-have-seen-the-enemy/#comment-166260 Progress is the enemy of any business that made a profit yesterday by doing nothing it wasn't already doing. The moment it has to adjust anything, it must expend resources to find a new answer, and that threatens its survival. Unsexily lame, but true. Meanwhile, this entire argument could be transplanted to the world of copyright law. Like existing businesses, copyright holders are petrified of any suggestion that they may have to come up with a new idea or die. In the copyright holder's case, that copyright is essentially a cloak of invulnerability against ever having to work again. Innovation is only sexy until you've done it; then, suddenly, you become a protectionist. Progress is the enemy of any business that made a profit yesterday by doing nothing it wasn’t already doing. The moment it has to adjust anything, it must expend resources to find a new answer, and that threatens its survival. Unsexily lame, but true.

Meanwhile, this entire argument could be transplanted to the world of copyright law. Like existing businesses, copyright holders are petrified of any suggestion that they may have to come up with a new idea or die. In the copyright holder’s case, that copyright is essentially a cloak of invulnerability against ever having to work again.

Innovation is only sexy until you’ve done it; then, suddenly, you become a protectionist.

]]> By: Mark Rauterkus http://inoveryourhead.net/we-have-seen-the-enemy/#comment-166259 Mark Rauterkus Thu, 12 Feb 2009 20:31:27 +0000 http://inoveryourhead.net/we-have-seen-the-enemy/#comment-166259 In life, you are either playing offense or defense. Sorta like football. Each move either is to grow equity or to protect it. Well, sure... there are some times when you 'punt' or 'cash in' -- or play special teams and gather in huddles. But that's football too. Chris Brogan types are offensive wizards. You'll take the field and figure out ways to grow, advance, roll with the sacks. Others, not so much. Perhaps they are on defense. Defense wins championships, so they say. In life, you are either playing offense or defense. Sorta like football. Each move either is to grow equity or to protect it.

Well, sure… there are some times when you ‘punt’ or ‘cash in’ — or play special teams and gather in huddles. But that’s football too.

Chris Brogan types are offensive wizards. You’ll take the field and figure out ways to grow, advance, roll with the sacks.

Others, not so much. Perhaps they are on defense.

Defense wins championships, so they say.

]]> By: Jay Moonah http://inoveryourhead.net/we-have-seen-the-enemy/#comment-166255 Jay Moonah Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:36:34 +0000 http://inoveryourhead.net/we-have-seen-the-enemy/#comment-166255 Hah! It reminds me of the old arguments by musicians unions when the Mellotron (which is essentially an early analog sampler playback device, using tape loops) first came out, saying arrangers would use the Mellotron instead of hiring a string section. It retrospect it seems silly, but it was a serious controversy at the time. Now it's simply a footnote in history. In the end, those who oppose progress usually end up looking foolish. I think this is probably one of those cases. Hah! It reminds me of the old arguments by musicians unions when the Mellotron (which is essentially an early analog sampler playback device, using tape loops) first came out, saying arrangers would use the Mellotron instead of hiring a string section. It retrospect it seems silly, but it was a serious controversy at the time. Now it’s simply a footnote in history.

In the end, those who oppose progress usually end up looking foolish. I think this is probably one of those cases.

]]> By: Jon Lebensold http://inoveryourhead.net/we-have-seen-the-enemy/#comment-166248 Jon Lebensold Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:16:45 +0000 http://inoveryourhead.net/we-have-seen-the-enemy/#comment-166248 well put. I don't think patents will stop anyone in the future either... e.g. It would be rediculous for Apple to be the only vendor of multitouch devices. well put. I don’t think patents will stop anyone in the future either… e.g. It would be rediculous for Apple to be the only vendor of multitouch devices.

]]> By: CT Moore http://inoveryourhead.net/we-have-seen-the-enemy/#comment-166247 CT Moore Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:47:38 +0000 http://inoveryourhead.net/we-have-seen-the-enemy/#comment-166247 At first I read that it was the ACTOR's guild that was up in arms (not the author's guild), and somehow that made more sense to me. Kind of like how blogs completely depreciated the written word by over-saturating the marketplace, I assumed that Kindle-2 could eventually end up doing things with scripts or books that become screenplays. Either way, the Author's guild is insane. As for progress, what's happening to mainstream business, especially the MSM, just underscores the import of the 48th Law of Power, Assume Formlessness: "Accept the fact that nothing is certain and no law is fixed. The best way to protect yourself is to be as fluid and formless as water; never bet on stability or lasting order. Everything changes." At first I read that it was the ACTOR’s guild that was up in arms (not the author’s guild), and somehow that made more sense to me. Kind of like how blogs completely depreciated the written word by over-saturating the marketplace, I assumed that Kindle-2 could eventually end up doing things with scripts or books that become screenplays. Either way, the Author’s guild is insane.

As for progress, what’s happening to mainstream business, especially the MSM, just underscores the import of the 48th Law of Power, Assume Formlessness: “Accept the fact that nothing is certain and no law is fixed. The best way to protect yourself is to be as fluid and formless as water; never bet on stability or lasting order. Everything changes.”

]]> By: CT Moore http://inoveryourhead.net/we-have-seen-the-enemy/#comment-166246 CT Moore Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:46:55 +0000 http://inoveryourhead.net/we-have-seen-the-enemy/#comment-166246 At first I read that it was the ACTOR's guild that was up in arms (not the author's guild), and somehow that made more sense to me. Kind of like how blogs completely depreciated the written word by over-saturating the marketplace, I assumed that Kindle-2 could eventually end up doing things with scripts or books that become screenplays. Either way, the Author's guild is insane. As for progress, what's happening to mainstream business, especially the MSM, just underscores the import of the 48th Law of Power, Assume Formlessness: <blockquote>"Accept the fact that nothing is certain and no law is fixed. The best way to protect yourself is to be as fluid and formless as water; never bet on stability or lasting order. Everything changes."</blockquote> At first I read that it was the ACTOR’s guild that was up in arms (not the author’s guild), and somehow that made more sense to me. Kind of like how blogs completely depreciated the written word by over-saturating the marketplace, I assumed that Kindle-2 could eventually end up doing things with scripts or books that become screenplays. Either way, the Author’s guild is insane.

As for progress, what’s happening to mainstream business, especially the MSM, just underscores the import of the 48th Law of Power, Assume Formlessness:

“Accept the fact that nothing is certain and no law is fixed. The best way to protect yourself is to be as fluid and formless as water; never bet on stability or lasting order. Everything changes.”

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