Seems a basic inability to use adjectives properly. Maybe most people weren't paying attention in 3rd grade.
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Time Magazine Names Steve Jobs Among 20 Most Influential Americans of All Time
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Well, the personal computer has been a major technological achievement (perhaps as influential to society as the invention of the printing press) ... you have to give someone the recognition for that ... one could argue who best deserves that recognition ... Gordon Moore for the microprocessor ... Bill Gates for the Operating System ... or Steve Jobs and Wozniak for the personal computer ... pick your poison
That's a tough one.
Of course, Moore did not invent the microprocessor, Gates did not invent OSes, and Jobs and Wozniak did not invent the personal computer, but they all had a large influence on history.
I don't think we can give any single person the recognition. As with so many computer-related things, it took the synergy of many contributors.
We'd also have to define "personal computer". I've always enjoyed reading Blinkenlight's list that goes back to the 1940s. Read here, although they wouldn't all fit the name of "modern personal computers".
one has to remember that this is Time magazine and they still have sell magazines... so by just including the same old presidents and social activists would be boring for sales.
They probably included Jobs because he's a modern figure, his death made recent headlines, he's controversial/colorful (make for a good article) and of course, his impact on the Personal Computer, Music, Motion picture/animation, Phone and Mobile computing industries.
They probably included Jobs because he's a modern figure, his death made recent headlines, he's controversial/colorful (make for a good article) and of course, his impact on the Personal Computer, Music, Motion picture/animation, Phone and Mobile computing industries.
My entire memory of the third grade consists of melting crayons on the radiators. I never quite recovered from third grade.
Kidding aside, I think most Americans would agree with Henry Ford's opinion of history, even if they've never heard it before. (A google exercise for the curious.) That's how Time can get away with naming someone who died only last year as one of the 20 most influential people in all of American history.
I'm still unsure why Ali is on the list. Gates, however, deserved to be on dead OR alive. They guy created the company that has products in dang near every single business/house in the US. Business was made easier because of microsoft. People make a lot of money off Microsoft as well. Then, you get into the whole eradication of polio in certain countries that he had his hand in. I just saw a topic on Reddit that states that Bill Gates has given more money to charity than the 8th richest person in America has in his bank accounts.
Gates put his money into the polio eradication effort, but he does not deserve any special credit for it beyond joining into a successful program that was started decades earlier by others. Those others won't make any of Time's lists, but they gave more of themselves than Bill Gates ever did.
See Henry Ford reference, above.
Well that is always the ultimate question ... do we reward the first item ... or the item that makes the thing part of the consciousness ... with Gutenberg it is easier because he made several paradigm shifts at the same time ... he used his movable print printing press to print a very popular book (the Bible) in a publically accessible language (German) ... prior to that time Bibles would have been in Latin only ... and thereby ushered in a new age of communication
The various PC incarnations that came prior to the 1970's were all interesting technical achievements and were definitely the motivation of the various people that invented the modern computer age ... however it wasn't until the Personal Computer became user friendly enough for the average consumer who knew nothing about electronics and programming that it became a true game changing product ... for me the TRS 80 was my first exposure to a computer ... the Apple II+ my first sophisticated computer ... and the Compaq my first work computer ... I have a soft spot in my heart for all three because of that.
Since these lists are by their nature subjective there can't be a right or wrong answer ... does Jobs belong on a list of most influential Americans ... depends on how long the list is ... top 20 is probably somewhat high ... ultimately I think Gates, because of his foundation, is going to end up at the top of the lists of influential businessmen - right up there with Alfred Nobel (probably the most influential businessman of all time because of HIS foundation) ... at least that is MY opinion
Of course he just fronted the money for eradication. Still, that is 100% more than 99.99999% of the population did. Through his philanthropy, he has made a world of difference in many different countries. He has made peoples lives better. He didn't just invent a cool mp3 player.
That's why it's impossible. No one can say with certainty what would have happened had person x not been born or not did what they did with their life. And with hindsight being 20/20 it's easy to look at something and say it's inevitable someone would have done X if Y had never been around.
And of course Time magazine isn't going to put some tech geek on there the average joe probably has never heard of so we get Steve Jobs. I mean if you walked up to someone on the street and asked them who Doug Engelbart was how many would be able to tell you?
No, it's just that 'we people' realize that money HAS to be a factor when getting things done. Do you think all of those kids in Africa and other poor countries would have gotten help without Gates, Buffets, and other incredible people? Absolutely not.
I'd much rather a filthy rich person to actually help someone (Gates, Buffet) than someone who didn't do anything to help (Jobs) make a list of this magnitude. That said, it's PERFECTLY fine for someone not to give to charity. It's just a no-brainer as to which was/is the better person.
If you look into it you will find that literally millions of people contributed both money and time to this effort long before Gates came on the scene. Hundreds of millions were raised from people around the world with nothing like his means, and lots of them also travelled to places like India and Nigeria to administer the doses themselves. Don't mistake this for a lack of gratitude for the Gates Foundation support, it certainly helped put the effort over the top, but it is a bit galling to hear him getting all the credit when he was a relative latecomer to the cause. He has lots of money, and that's fine, but others had the vision, and that was essential.
I'm just saying that Gates money was also essential. Without his billions, the help wouldn't have been near as much.
King, Jr. accomplished his contributions without money being a factor. Teresa, same. Pulling examples out of our asses isn't going to solve anything. You put too much emphasis on the cash, I can tell just from these few posts.
Answer this: Say there's a kid helped to beat polio 2 years ago. What's happening to his life now? Is he well fed? Is he still alive? Did the myriad other problems in these countries go away for him?
We need far more than these foundations can accomplish, I don't care how much cash is infused.
This is such a stretch. Jobs had an amazing 10 year run or so but many others have greater pull and power in this country than Jobs. One could say Gates holds way more influence due to his Social involvement. Many still see Jobs as a egotistical, self centered, and money hungry. He is one of the greatest Tech influences, but total Americans of all time??? BS.
MLK
Elvis Pressley
Bill Gates
Warren Buffet
FDR
George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
Nicola Tesla (getting his props decades later!)
Abraham Lincoln
Henry Ford
Wright Brothers
Howard Hughes
Albert Einstein
Alexander Graham Bell
... just to name a few.
MLK
Elvis Pressley
Bill Gates
Warren Buffet
FDR
George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
Nicola Tesla (getting his props decades later!)
Abraham Lincoln
Henry Ford
Wright Brothers
Howard Hughes
Albert Einstein
Alexander Graham Bell
... just to name a few.
Important in the latter stages of the campaign, but not essential. Hundreds of millions had already been raised over the twenty years before he became involved, and polio had already been defeated in all but three countries. The Gates contributions were challenge grants, incidentally. He was matching contributions made by the relatively small donors who were already actively involved. But we can see how this works now, can't we? One rich person is automatically more essential than millions of not rich people.
