Comments on: A Fine Line Between Arrogance and Innovation http://redmonk.com/sogrady/2005/10/09/a-fine-line-between-arrogance-and-innovation/ because technology is just another ecosystem Sun, 12 Oct 2008 16:53:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: stephen o'grady http://redmonk.com/sogrady/2005/10/09/a-fine-line-between-arrogance-and-innovation/#comment-1221 stephen o'grady Tue, 18 Oct 2005 16:53:54 +0000 http://redmonk.com/sogrady/wp/?p=616#comment-1221 James: i think what i'm debating is not whether or not Google as an org is arrogant or secretive, but whether or not their application development is. in my book, the answer is no. if pushing the limits of design is arrogance, i'm all for it. arrogance manifesting itself in areas outside of design, however, such as when a firm disdains open standards, is not something i can sanction. Dennis: agreed, and that's why i'm happy that Google's a player. like Microsoft, they can afford to take risks that few others can, and therefore have the ability to be innovative. as for their secretiveness, i think that's a different debate from the one here, but i do align with your thinking there. it's tremendously unhelpful, IMO. James: i think what i’m debating is not whether or not Google as an org is arrogant or secretive, but whether or not their application development is. in my book, the answer is no. if pushing the limits of design is arrogance, i’m all for it. arrogance manifesting itself in areas outside of design, however, such as when a firm disdains open standards, is not something i can sanction.

Dennis: agreed, and that’s why i’m happy that Google’s a player. like Microsoft, they can afford to take risks that few others can, and therefore have the ability to be innovative.

as for their secretiveness, i think that’s a different debate from the one here, but i do align with your thinking there. it’s tremendously unhelpful, IMO.

]]> By: Dennis Howlett http://redmonk.com/sogrady/2005/10/09/a-fine-line-between-arrogance-and-innovation/#comment-1220 Dennis Howlett Tue, 11 Oct 2005 01:45:00 +0000 http://redmonk.com/sogrady/wp/?p=616#comment-1220 There is another factor at play here. Innovation means putting a lot of work on the floor. Most inventors never see a payback for their efforts. That doesn't stop them being passionate. But you'll be hard pressed to find one idea in 50 making it out the door to commercial success. Google is in a unique position that few enjoy. It can afford to screw up big style and its ad revenue still pours in. They are so profitable they can bin millions of dollars and no-one would notice. They will get bigger for lots of reasons. One of them being this post. Does that makes them arrogant. No. But secretiveness jars with their 'Do No Evil' stance. I call it hypocrisy. There is another factor at play here. Innovation means putting a lot of work on the floor. Most inventors never see a payback for their efforts. That doesn’t stop them being passionate. But you’ll be hard pressed to find one idea in 50 making it out the door to commercial success.

Google is in a unique position that few enjoy. It can afford to screw up big style and its ad revenue still pours in. They are so profitable they can bin millions of dollars and no-one would notice. They will get bigger for lots of reasons. One of them being this post. Does that makes them arrogant. No.

But secretiveness jars with their ‘Do No Evil’ stance. I call it hypocrisy.

]]> By: james Governor http://redmonk.com/sogrady/2005/10/09/a-fine-line-between-arrogance-and-innovation/#comment-1219 james Governor Mon, 10 Oct 2005 10:59:42 +0000 http://redmonk.com/sogrady/wp/?p=616#comment-1219 given that Google, rather than the community, thinks "do no evil" is a policy instrument, i rather think that "arrogant" is the kind of term in which it should bu judged. is arrogance an evil? not in many people's mind. of course binary definition is often unhelpful, but given that google gives us so little in the way of clear policy or even dialogue on its choices how else are we supposed to address this. google may not be arrogant or evil but it certainly is secretive. and because we have no clues to what lay behind product, design and testing of course we'll speculate. that is human nature. is google's design intelligent? good question... given that Google, rather than the community, thinks “do no evil” is a policy instrument, i rather think that “arrogant” is the kind of term in which it should bu judged. is arrogance an evil? not in many people’s mind. of course binary definition is often unhelpful, but given that google gives us so little in the way of clear policy or even dialogue on its choices how else are we supposed to address this. google may not be arrogant or evil but it certainly is secretive.

and because we have no clues to what lay behind product, design and testing of course we’ll speculate. that is human nature. is google’s design intelligent? good question…

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