Does anyone know his stance on cryonics? He seems like the kind of person that would have some sort of plan in place to see the future.
Paul Allen has died
201–210 of 308 posts
Re: Paul Allen has died
#202It doesn't detract from his greatness but I didn't like his hypocrisy in giving millions to gun control initiatives while personally owning a Panzer tank, SCUD missile launcher, MiG fighter jet, etc.
If someone spends millions to lobby for tighter aviation safety rules, but owns a Cessna, does that make them a hypocrite in your eyes?
Let's not get into the weeds of nitpicking bad analogies. Guns are a Constitutional right. Lobbying to make it harder for the poors to exercise that right while being heavily armed yourself is not only hypocritical, but immoral. It's that simple for me.
Re: Paul Allen has died
#203I read his book Idea Man, a few years back. I still remember the parts where he travelled the world with his family. Beautiful journey. Most books of people so successful are too inclined towards their work or general advice. It was refreshing to read about somebody you could relate to just like Shoe Dog by Phil Knight. That they had lives outside of their work and went through worse days than most of us will ever face. And yet, he made a difference in the world he lived.
Re: Paul Allen has died
#204Interesting to see the many initial attempts to edit Allen's Wikipedia page were reverted as possible vandalism. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_Allen&action...
Adding a death date on the page on a well-known individual without any source is the easiest way to get quickly reverted.
As it should be.
Re: Paul Allen has died
#205Many here have noted his many large-scale philanthropic efforts, which are fantastic, and often benefit our whole species. But my personal favorite, even if it doesn't benefit large swaths of humanity in the same way as a cell research insitute: https://livingcomputers.org/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_Computers:_Museum_%2B_L... It's a computer museum, but they work. They're turned on, and you can use them! Y…
I didn't realize this was his work. I've visited that museum and it truly is amazing. You can play with working NeXT boxes, a working Alto (the screen resolution for that time is amazing to see in person), TI9As, tons of old HP-UX machines ... If you're ever in Seattle it is totally worth checking out .. that and the smaller (though less interactive) museum at Recycle PC.
Re: Paul Allen has died
#206Earlier quoted context omitted.
If someone spends millions to lobby for tighter aviation safety rules, but owns a Cessna, does that make them a hypocrite in your eyes?
Let's not get into the weeds of nitpicking bad analogies. Guns are a Constitutional right. Lobbying to make it harder for the poors to exercise that right while being heavily armed yourself is not only hypocritical, but immoral. It's that simple for me.
Well, looks like you could have said that you consider any gun control advocates as hypocrites, then. (Shrug)
Re: Paul Allen has died
#207Many here have noted his many large-scale philanthropic efforts, which are fantastic, and often benefit our whole species. But my personal favorite, even if it doesn't benefit large swaths of humanity in the same way as a cell research insitute: https://livingcomputers.org/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_Computers:_Museum_%2B_L... It's a computer museum, but they work. They're turned on, and you can use them! Y…
It's a great museum. I gotta say even as a 80's programmer kid, those old computers are extremely hard to get to do anything. It had tens of old working computers I had never seen before, many from decades before I was born still running. Pretty incredible.
Re: Paul Allen has died
#208Many here have noted his many large-scale philanthropic efforts, which are fantastic, and often benefit our whole species. But my personal favorite, even if it doesn't benefit large swaths of humanity in the same way as a cell research insitute: https://livingcomputers.org/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_Computers:_Museum_%2B_L... It's a computer museum, but they work. They're turned on, and you can use them! Y…
It's by far my favorite museum. I always go every time I go to Seattle and there is always a new machine to play with.
You learn many things of how computers evolved by using them. Like seeing your terminal session printed and how the display is actually some sort of never-ending paper. Also making your own punch cards or hearing the noise of mainframes cooling systems.
Damn, it hurts to see Paul Allen go. Hope they keep the museum intact.
Re: Paul Allen has died
#209Earlier quoted context omitted.
Let's not get into the weeds of nitpicking bad analogies. Guns are a Constitutional right. Lobbying to make it harder for the poors to exercise that right while being heavily armed yourself is not only hypocritical, but immoral. It's that simple for me.
Well, looks like you could have said that you consider any gun control advocates as hypocrites, then. (Shrug)
Any gun control advocate who is already armed to the teeth, yes. That's the definition of pulling the ladder up behind yourself.
Re: Paul Allen has died
#210Earlier quoted context omitted.
And to qualify, you usually have to be extremely rich and well-connected, thus enforcing the idea that there are two sets of laws - one for hoi polloi and one for the exalted elite. I think it's better when there's just one, and your rights do not depend on who you know.
That's just straight-up wrong. Legal ownership of a gun in Japan requires an extreme amount of bureaucracy, but it's entirely possible and most legal gun owners in Japan are (non-rich, non-well-connected) farmers. https://www.businessinsider.com.au/gun-control-how-japan-has...
I don't know how it works in Japan, but I do know how it works in some places in e.g. California.