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Memories of Steve

donmelton.com

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Re: Memories of Steve

#11

Post by throwaway7548 »

lightyrs wrote: post #9
throwaway7548 wrote: post #8

According to Wozniak, Jobs told him that Atari gave them only $700 (instead of the offered $5,000), and that Wozniak's share was thus $350.[65] Wozniak did not learn about the actual bonus until ten years later, but said that if Jobs had told him about it and had said he needed the money, Wozniak would have given it to him.[66] --- End of story. Before continuing celebrating Jobs, ask yourself a question, do you want…

I agree with you on principle, however, the story does not end here. Woz himself said the following: "What Steve does on the good side — like the music scenario [in which] we didn't bring just a music device called the iPod, we brought a whole music system: a store that sells it, a computer that manages and organizes it. And an iPod is just a satellite to your computer. Plug it in and it works. You don't have to do a…

I agree with you absolutely. If you are yourself encountering lies and nastiness from your partners, an enlightened way would be trying to understand them. And forgive.

But my point was different. We just can't afford to celebrate lies. It is very very very harmful.

Re: Memories of Steve

#13

Post by salgernon »

donmelton wrote: post #10
salgernon wrote: post #7

Back in 1999 or 2000, shortly after Steve had rejiggered the cafeteria staff, I was walking back to my office in another building with an "afternoon doughnut" - that is, one that hadn't sold in the morning at the coffee place in the main lobby, and probably sold at a discount. I passed Steve in the hall and he glared at me as I walked with my doughnut. Steve was in great health in those days while I was pasty and obe…

That's a great damn story. And I'm certain it wasn't a coincidence.

My only other story would be walking around a pillar in the cafeteria and smacking him face to face as he came around the other side. He said excuse me and moved aside!

Re: Memories of Steve

#14

Post by lightyrs »

throwaway7548 wrote: post #11
lightyrs wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with you on principle, however, the story does not end here. Woz himself said the following: "What Steve does on the good side — like the music scenario [in which] we didn't bring just a music device called the iPod, we brought a whole music system: a store that sells it, a computer that manages and organizes it. And an iPod is just a satellite to your computer. Plug it in and it works. You don't have to do a…

I agree with you absolutely. If you are yourself encountering lies and nastiness from your partners, an enlightened way would be trying to understand them. And forgive. But my point was different. We just can't afford to celebrate lies. It is very very very harmful.

Agreed.

Re: Memories of Steve

#15

Post by trevelyan »

salgernon wrote: post #7

Back in 1999 or 2000, shortly after Steve had rejiggered the cafeteria staff, I was walking back to my office in another building with an "afternoon doughnut" - that is, one that hadn't sold in the morning at the coffee place in the main lobby, and probably sold at a discount. I passed Steve in the hall and he glared at me as I walked with my doughnut. Steve was in great health in those days while I was pasty and obe…

I'm confused. You suspect he stopped donut service for staff fitness reasons, or because there was no point to subsidizing them on-campus if people preferred to buy them elsewhere.

Re: Memories of Steve

#16

Post by jballanc »

throwaway7548 wrote: post #11
lightyrs wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with you on principle, however, the story does not end here. Woz himself said the following: "What Steve does on the good side — like the music scenario [in which] we didn't bring just a music device called the iPod, we brought a whole music system: a store that sells it, a computer that manages and organizes it. And an iPod is just a satellite to your computer. Plug it in and it works. You don't have to do a…

I agree with you absolutely. If you are yourself encountering lies and nastiness from your partners, an enlightened way would be trying to understand them. And forgive. But my point was different. We just can't afford to celebrate lies. It is very very very harmful.

If you think Steve is the only person in the Valley to have lied to a business partner...I have a bridge that might interest you.

As for the specific event in question (the Atari money), do we know what Steve did with the extra money? Seems to me, maybe he really did need it (for rent/food/etc.) and was too ashamed to ask Woz for the extra. Maybe he figured he would re-invest it, and that it was easier to do behind Woz's back than to try and explain his plans.

Steve was no saint, but in my experience he was generally a nice guy. He also thought he knew better than everyone else, and so it would not be unusual for him to leave out explanations, make snap judgements, and be rather brusque in general (when dealing with business decisions). Why should he have to explain himself when he was obviously right?

I'm sure it didn't help that the world so often (especially toward the end) only reinforced the notion that he knew better than everyone else...

Re: Memories of Steve

#17

Post by jholman »

jmnicolas wrote: post #12

Am I the only one fed-up with Steve Jobs stories ?

I am absolutely bored of Steve Jobs stories in general, and I'm quite surprised at myself that I bothered to read this one.

This one in particular, though, was a human enough perspective that it would have been interesting to read if every single mention of the particular terrifying-and-respected-CEO were redacted. So I'm glad I read it.

Re: Memories of Steve

#18

Post by thejosh »

salgernon wrote: post #7

Back in 1999 or 2000, shortly after Steve had rejiggered the cafeteria staff, I was walking back to my office in another building with an "afternoon doughnut" - that is, one that hadn't sold in the morning at the coffee place in the main lobby, and probably sold at a discount. I passed Steve in the hall and he glared at me as I walked with my doughnut. Steve was in great health in those days while I was pasty and obe…

Do you think 14 years later is a safe time to admit it was you who causes the donuts to disappear?

Re: Memories of Steve

#19

Post by aaronem »

throwaway7548 wrote: post #11
lightyrs wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with you on principle, however, the story does not end here. Woz himself said the following: "What Steve does on the good side — like the music scenario [in which] we didn't bring just a music device called the iPod, we brought a whole music system: a store that sells it, a computer that manages and organizes it. And an iPod is just a satellite to your computer. Plug it in and it works. You don't have to do a…

I agree with you absolutely. If you are yourself encountering lies and nastiness from your partners, an enlightened way would be trying to understand them. And forgive. But my point was different. We just can't afford to celebrate lies. It is very very very harmful.

I don't believe I have seen anyone, now or previously, saying anything like "Oh, and talk about business acumen -- look at the way Jobs soaked his old buddy Wozniak out of four and a half grand that one time!"

There's a vast difference between what you call "celebrating lies", and celebrating the life and work of a man who, while every bit as human as anyone else and with feet of clay to match, was nevertheless possessed of the sort of visionary genius which comes along perhaps half a dozen times in a generation. Certainly Steve Jobs could be, and was, a real revolving bastard from time to time. But so can everyone; people are complicated and they don't always behave in ways which others regard as preferable, sensible, or nice. If you're going to require sainthood as a prerequisite for honoring the accomplishments of a historical figure, I suppose that's your prerogative, but I suspect you'll find it a lonely stance to take, and I think it's strange you should utter it in the same breath as a word like "enlightened". Have you heard the one about the blind men and the elephant?

Re: Memories of Steve

#20

Post by [deleted] »

jballanc wrote: post #16
throwaway7548 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with you absolutely. If you are yourself encountering lies and nastiness from your partners, an enlightened way would be trying to understand them. And forgive. But my point was different. We just can't afford to celebrate lies. It is very very very harmful.

If you think Steve is the only person in the Valley to have lied to a business partner...I have a bridge that might interest you. As for the specific event in question (the Atari money), do we know what Steve did with the extra money? Seems to me, maybe he really did need it (for rent/food/etc.) and was too ashamed to ask Woz for the extra. Maybe he figured he would re-invest it, and that it was easier to do behind W…

[deleted]
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