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0 pointsKarrot_Kream2y ago0 comments

I'm curious at this perspective. Even from the Slashdot days (my age limit) techie types have hated Jobs, and showered Woz as the true genius. Tech culture has claimed this for a long time. Is your argument that tech people need more broad acclaim? And if so, does this come from a sense of being put down?

I used to broadly believe that Jobs-types were over-fluffed charismatic magnets myself by hanging out in these places until I started working and found out how useful they were at doing things I couldn't or didn't want to do. I don't think they deserve more praise than the underlying technical folks, but that they deserve equal praise. Sort of like how in a two-parent households, different parents often end up shouldering different responsibilities but that doesn't make one parent with certain responsibilities the true parent.

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cmrdporcupine2y ago

I guess it depends on what things you want to do, and how you define success, doesn't it?

If we're stuck with the definitions of success and excellence that are dominant right now, then, sure, someone like a Jobs or a Zuck or whatever, I see why people would be enamored with them.

But as an engineer I know I have different motivations than these people. And I think that's what people who make these kinds of arguments are drawing on.

There is a class of person whose success comes from finding creative and smart people and finding ways to exploit and direct them for their own ends. There's a genius in that, for sure. I am just not sure I want to celebrate it.

I just want to make things and help other people who make these things.

To put it another way, I'd take, say, Smalltalk over MacOS, if I have to make the choice.

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