Technology – Page 54 – Steven Savage

In Silicon Valley, The Line Between Humor And Reality Is Thin

June 7, 2012 by Steven Savage

I work in Silicon Valley, and trust me there’s a lot of weird stuff here. That’s part of the charm. We get fish curry tacos, monuments to water towers, and people who make apps that were originally jokes – like those mentioned in this article. Yeah, you laugh at iPoo . . .

There’s many ways to look at this phenomena, but I’d actually like to add a different point of view – the insane stuff that becomes all to real is a good thing:

It reminds us that there is a market for almost anything.

It’s a demonstration of how fast something can be developed.

It’s a reminder that you CAN make it with a seemingly crazy idea.

It’s a reminder there’s still a lot of VC sloshing around.

It’s a celebration of the pure crazy that we can produce – and that means even if some of this crazy is, well, stupid, we can make the good kind too.

So let’s not decry iPoo, or the infamous Wesley Crusher sex novel, or any of this other stuff too easily. Let’s remember right now that we have the tools, technology, and often cash to go completely bugnutz in our technology, media, and more.

Now that you remember that, let’s go make it happen, because if someone can seriously discuss Tacocopter . . . .

– Steven Savage
Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach for professional and potentially professional geeks, fans, and otaku. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/

Facebook Fallout, Alarmism, and You

June 5, 2012 by Steven Savage

Yeah, you probably saw that Paul Graham of Y Combinator is predicting dismal times for startups. That is, until you read the content, and realize he’s simply noting that Facebook’s IPO decline could be bad for some startups and mean they have to focus differently.

Of course his rather rational statements (based indeed, on limited knowledge) are making headlines without being actually, well, discussed.

So first of all, I’d say it’s not a question of people being leery of startups, but more being more cautious with their VC. Fine. They should be and have been. This is a given and was probably going to happen anyway – I’d rather it happen after an IPO drop then some huge, insane, bubble.

Secondly, yes, startups shouldn’t do stupid stuff with money. That’s a really good thing to bring up, and it’s been said for about 13 years. Many have listened.

No, the Facebook IPO is not the doom of Silicon Valley, or your career, or anything else. Graham is making the point that caution is a watchword. That’s it.

Me, I say “good.”

– Steven Savage

Is It Time For Apple To Buy Facebook?

June 2, 2012 by Steven Savage

This article pretty much blew my mind. Go read it.

Of course when you consider it, it makes sense. Facebook is sort of flailing left and right but has a userbase. Apple knows they’re not good at social networks. Facebook has talked Phones, Apple made THE Phone. Facebook does a lot of integration – so does Apple. The article also notes Apple could turn this around to be part of the App store.

Really, just read the article.

Anyway, what’s mind-blowing about it is twofold:

First, that it’s entirely possible. The stock is down, it seems potentially win-win, and seriously, Apple is awash in cash.

Second, is that we’re even talking about this. It’s a good reminder of how much money is sloshing around tech right now, and a flashback to the whole MSNBC experience of times past. Just imagine if something like this does happen, it could easily be a trend.

Do I see it happening? I’d put the odds at less than 50%. But I see it as possible.

For us geekonomists, this is fascinating to be sure. But there’s another career takeaway here: we’re playing among behemoths. Some of them can very radically alter the course of technology and the economy. It may or may not be a good idea, or beneficial, or wise, but it can happen. In this case I see the sense to it, but you never know.