Ex-Google boss Eric Schmidt: US 'dropped the ball' on innovation

Post by ainiriand » Sun, Sep 13, 2020, 9:58 AM UTC

Aerroon wrote: post #232

matthewmacleod wrote: post #222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What metric are you basing this determination on? Is it purely about “big tech”? It seems from my perspective that most European countries are pretty decently innovative, in particular with a variety of companies offering advanced engineering and technology services. Is there actually a lack of innovation, or is it specifically a lack of “innovation” in the “there is no Airbnb so Europe sucks” sense?

I think it's more of a case of "most electronics and everything that runs on it is not made in Europe". I'm a European posting on an American company's forum using a browser made in the US running on an operating system made by an American company running on a phone designed and built in China with components made in a variety of countries that aren't in Europe. The same goes for using a desktop PC. Even most of the…

Post by username90 » Sun, Sep 13, 2020, 9:59 AM UTC

tomcam wrote: post #150

A reminder that Google's revenues come almost completely from ad technology that they bought (from Doubleclick, IIRC). Google has stuck its fingers into hundreds of pies since then, to its credit, and has found that innovation is difficult, unpredictable, and expensive.

Post by vin047 » Sun, Sep 13, 2020, 10:02 AM UTC

tpetry wrote: post #212

emsy wrote: post #195

Tangential, since this article is about the US and China. But if the US has dropped the ball, then Europe (or the EU specifically) didn't even bother to go to the game. The only thing we're innovative at is coming up with regulations. And I say this as someone who thinks the US tech sector should be under much heavier regulatory scrutiny.

There‘s not enough funding and risk money in europe to play the game with the big ones. Europe is sadly completely risk averse. You only get big money if it is sure you succeed.

Post by throwaway59054 » Sun, Sep 13, 2020, 10:03 AM UTC

redis_mlc wrote: post #205

thewarrior wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The United States balances innovation with ethics ? The people of Hiroshima or the victims of agent orange might have something to say about that.

The people of Hiroshima were building submarines and torpedos, supplying an Imperial Japan Naval base, and supporting a war that Japan declared on the United States. And wouldn't stop doing so until destroyed, whether with conventional or nuclear bombs.

Post by rjknight » Sun, Sep 13, 2020, 10:04 AM UTC

vin047 wrote: post #239

fvdessen wrote: post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There was still not that long ago an incredible amount of innovative companies and products in Europe. But at that time companies were still built for their home markets first and on that regard the USA is big and unified. Since software is mostly winner takes all it means that when the USA companies came to Europe they had already won the USA and could steamroll the local competition There is for example no way a sw…

I think the arguments for Europe being less innovative or risk taking is because these companies seem to start first in the US and then come to Europe, not the other way round.