Godin: the end of dumb software

[Paul Keith]

Yeah mouser but don't you think those categories/this word is/are just too contradicting to even make sense as a single category?

Maybe it's just me but I've never heard of people specifically using the words "smarter" when complaining about a software.

Even intuitive is not a word with a pre-set model that can be explained in two words that you can suddenly start producing something intuitive. It's an adjective that makes unanimous sense because we have the benefit of hindsight.

[40hz]

Maybe it's just me but I've never heard of people specifically using the words "smarter" when complaining about a software.

-Paul Keith (September 28, 2009, 07:38 PM)

I can be your first! I say "stupid program" all the time. Does that count?

Even intuitive is not a word with a pre-set model that can be explained in two words that you can suddenly start producing something intuitive. It's an adjective that makes unanimous sense because we have the benefit of hindsight.

-Paul Keith (September 28, 2009, 07:38 PM)

I think what Seth means by "smart" is what I think of as predictive or preemptive behaviors.


And you're right. Seth's choice of words is inaccurate at best. But I think that's unavoidable since he's attempting to give a name to something that doesn't doesn't yet exist. There's no good word for IT because there's no IT to begin with. It's more like a feeling he has. And with something as fuzzy as that, the best he can hope for is to come up with an evocative metaphor.

Too bad he picked the word 'smart.' He's usually a lot more clever than that.  

[Paul Keith]

Haha, no it doesn't count! 

...but see? You agree too. The word smart doesn't really sound like it fits a specific concept even if it is a new word.

...yet everyone besides me here seems to know what Seth is talking about, I just had to ask.

[40hz]

...but see? You agree too.

-Paul Keith (September 28, 2009, 11:17 PM)

Of course I do. Never said otherwise.

I've been doing nothing but pooh-poohing Seth's article starting with my first comment on page one.

..yet everyone besides me here seems to know what Seth is talking about

-Paul Keith (September 28, 2009, 11:17 PM)

No we don't. Nobody ever completely knows what Seth Godin is talking about. We just get a feel for what he's feeling courtesy of an evocative metaphor or two. But that's Seth for you. He's made a career out of doing that. I'm amazed he never worked for Apple. I'm guessing he didn't because Steve Jobs didn't want any competition in the mystical techno-blather department. Especially since everybody (including Steve) knows Godin would have done it better.
 

[Paul Keith]

I've been doing nothing but pooh-poohing Seth's article starting with my first comment on page one.

Oh sorry. I missed that.

But that's Seth for you. He's made a career out of doing that. I'm amazed he never worked for Apple. I'm guessing he didn't because Steve Jobs didn't want any competition in the mystical techno-blather department. Especially since everybody (including Steve) knows Godin would have done it better.

Lol, thanks for this.

I never knew that was what Seth's reputation was. I just thought he was one of those pioneer "idea guys" that tech experts respect because he spouts some super secret articles that seem vague and weird to newbs like me.

In fairness to Steve though, Seth IMO does a better job of sounding simple and less in delivering something simple.

Ex.

As far as I know Squidoo was more exposed to Seth's name but no one truly got it. Or at least I didn't.

Compare this to Hubpages whose name made it much easier to grasp the whole concept behind it. (Even if it was mainly a similar service to Squidoo)

Compare this to AllTop who, even if it's something that can be done on IGoogle and Netvibes and had a weird name, still defeated Squidoo because it was much less ambitious.

Compare this to Diigo who, even with a weird name that many thought represented the tooth of a sabertooth tiger, won a niche because it beat Squidoo in delivering the simplicity of it's advanced features.

Sure it's just one example and it is unfair to the guy because I never read his works, only praises of him, but I don't think Jobs ever screwed up an ambitious project like that to so many other competitors.

Then again, it could just be attributed to Jobs taking less risk and being the Jay Leno of tech marketing. I know I've seen videos of "How to be like Steve Jobs" parodying how Jobs just repeat the same marketing trick over and over again with his products.