I think perhaps the reason why people outside of the creators put so much emphasis on firsts is because they're not intimately tied into the process and the evolution of it. What they see is a final end product that's completely new to them; they weren't privvy to all the steps involved or, more importantly, to what went on when the creator was building on a foundation.
And with an end product that builds on several different foundations, it's harder to see its roots when it's been revealed for the first time if you weren't there behind the curtain during its creation. Therefore, it looks like a first.
Slashdot Mirror
I think perhaps the reason why people outside of the creators put so much emphasis on firsts is because they're not intimately tied into the process and the evolution of it. What they see is a final end product that's completely new to them; they weren't privvy to all the steps involved or, more importantly, to what went on when the creator was building on a foundation.
And with an end product that builds on several different foundations, it's harder to see its roots when it's been revealed for the first time if you weren't there behind the curtain during its creation. Therefore, it looks like a first.