Jeff Davis wrote:
Do you ever get the feeling that just plain ol' luck is behind much of what
happens in life? Are the Bill Joys, Alfred Noyces, Bill Gateses, etc, really
supreme geniuses, or did they just win some kind of global lottery. No
question, that when opportunity knocks, you have to get up and answer the
door. But you also have to live in the right neighborhood, and be at home at
the time. You could add to that, your parents answering the irrespective
doors before you, and their parents before them. An amazing string of sevens
at the cosmic crap table leads to the founding of a Sun Microsystems, an
Intel, or a Microsoft.
(end)
Now why can't we all have a wife that inspires such billion-dollar making
ideas as eBay?
eBay history taken from official website:
eBay was conceived initially as a result of a conversation between Pierre
Omidyar and his wife, an avid Pez™ collector (she currently covets a
collection of more than 400 dispensers). She commented to Pierre how great
it would be if she were able to collect Pez dispensers and interact with
other collectors over the Internet.
As an early Internet enthusiast, Pierre knew that people needed a central
location to buy and sell unique items and to meet other users with similar
interests. He started eBay to fulfill this need.
Pierre launched eBay on Labor Day in September 1995.
(end)
It sounds to me like you need the brains, the education, and the luck and
foresight to be in the right place at the right time, not to mention in his
case his own personal muse! :) I bet every time he looks at his wife's Pez
collection his heart is warmed.
Jeff continues:
Enjoy this momentary return to the spotlight, Bill, cause it looks like
puffery to me, and not likely to last.
(end)
Considering Bill Joy's position, I think he will have continued access to
the mass media to share his thoughts. And I think he may have 'cleared the
way' for other leaders in high-tech to speak scarily of the future. As the
realization of AI, nanotech and bio-engineering comes closer to us I see
more Bill Joy-type people coming forth to give warning.
sincerely,
John Grigg
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