Phil Greenspun is the master of a very narrow range of technologies that are good for very completing some very lucrative work. However, Ars acolytes beware. Remember this was the man who said to learn one thing and do it well. He is not circumspect, and his arrogance is far more impressive than his credentials or his work. The part of Phil I like is the part that encourages innovation and social consciousness in technological endeavor. But when he starts ignoring people who are (naturally) skeptical of AOLServer and Tcl, he starts to make me think he has become the thing business produces: insecure boosters who cling to a single idea because they are tired and have only minimal patience for open-mindedness. I also think Phil must be hanging around with Tufte, the most overrated writer ever. In 20 years, when the real work of information theory has been done, we will look back on Tufte as we look back on Newton today, someone who was a brilliant and foundational innovator, but who's mania for all-encompassing theories and absolute schemas was not very circumspect. Greenspun has become a little tin Tufte; he has 1 great idea for every 5, and because this is a far better ratio than the rest of us, he seems like someone to follow. But my God, Phil, every time I go on photo.net, I feel like it's forced fellatio or something. Do us all a favor, see a shrink, and start confronting your insecure-geek angst; you're dangerously close to getting the Bill Gates personality award.
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Phil Greenspun is the master of a very narrow range of technologies that are good for very completing some very lucrative work. However, Ars acolytes beware. Remember this was the man who said to learn one thing and do it well. He is not circumspect, and his arrogance is far more impressive than his credentials or his work. The part of Phil I like is the part that encourages innovation and social consciousness in technological endeavor. But when he starts ignoring people who are (naturally) skeptical of AOLServer and Tcl, he starts to make me think he has become the thing business produces: insecure boosters who cling to a single idea because they are tired and have only minimal patience for open-mindedness. I also think Phil must be hanging around with Tufte, the most overrated writer ever. In 20 years, when the real work of information theory has been done, we will look back on Tufte as we look back on Newton today, someone who was a brilliant and foundational innovator, but who's mania for all-encompassing theories and absolute schemas was not very circumspect. Greenspun has become a little tin Tufte; he has 1 great idea for every 5, and because this is a far better ratio than the rest of us, he seems like someone to follow. But my God, Phil, every time I go on photo.net, I feel like it's forced fellatio or something. Do us all a favor, see a shrink, and start confronting your insecure-geek angst; you're dangerously close to getting the Bill Gates personality award.