Paul Allen has died • Hacker News Board

Re: Paul Allen has died

#241

Post by martinpw » Tue, Oct 16, 2018, 7:27 AM UTC

joe_the_user wrote: post #148

I have to mention an article by Allen which I think is the single best critique of the idea fo the "singularity" which I have seen. Paul Allen: The Singularity Isn't Near https://www.technologyreview.com/s/425733/paul-allen-the-sin...

There is Kurzweil's reponse to this piece linked at the bottom of that article. Since 7 years have passed, there is some opportunity to reflect on the two positions.

Kurzweil makes this comment:

IBM is now working with Nuance (a company I originally founded as Kurzweil Computer Products) to have Watson read tens of thousands of medical articles to create a medical diagnostician.

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/425818/kurzweil-responds-...

Given the history of Watson since these articles were written, I think it lends more weight to Allen's side of the argument.

Re: Paul Allen has died

#242

Post by KnightOfWords » Tue, Oct 16, 2018, 7:32 AM UTC

jodrellblank wrote: post #199

etatoby wrote: post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There’s even exponential growth in the rate of exponential growth. When you know somebody didn't take calculus or didn't "get" it. Either that, or he didn't explain what he meant. (Not Paul Allen, just another interviewee.)

Interviewee? That's a quote from Google Director of Engineering Ray Kurzweil - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Kurzweil

Kurzweil really is the hand-waver of all hand-wavers. Exponential progress is the exception rather than the rule, due to hard physical limits.

Re: Paul Allen has died

#243

Post by kulu2002 » Tue, Oct 16, 2018, 8:21 AM UTC

One more amongst 'Pirates of Silicon Valley' passed away. RIP Paul Allen. :(

Re: Paul Allen has died

#244

Post by brian_herman » Tue, Oct 16, 2018, 8:25 AM UTC

:(

Re: Paul Allen has died

#245

Post by textread » Tue, Oct 16, 2018, 8:32 AM UTC

https://goo.gl/pbXjwN

^ "We (almost) have BASIC" Allen calls MITS

Re: Paul Allen has died

#246

Post by hereiskkb » Tue, Oct 16, 2018, 8:40 AM UTC

Simply reading the wonderful comments you guys makes me a bit teary. This is what marks a great human being, someone who is remembered by the work they have done.

Re: Paul Allen has died

#247

Post by delidumrul » Tue, Oct 16, 2018, 8:43 AM UTC

Life is transient, death is instant. Farewell, Paul Allen.

Re: Paul Allen has died

#248

Post by EnderMB » Tue, Oct 16, 2018, 8:43 AM UTC

Outside of his work at Microsoft, I was mainly aware of him through his ownership of the Seattle Sounders in MLS. I live in the UK, where we have world-class football teams aplenty, but I think the Sounders were the first team in MLS that I saw that had the ownership and the facilities to be taken seriously in any league around the world. It's a shame CNBC missed his ownership of that team, because he's done as great a job with them as he had done with the Seahawks.

I searched him up on Sunday while at the Seahawks game in London, and I saw that he was undergoing treatment, but his Twitter post made it seem like things were going well and that he'd pull through, so it's been a real shock to see that he's died.

He sounded like a great guy, and it's always nice to see the successful ones be great guys. Co-founder of Microsoft, a set of successful sports teams, numerous philanthropic donations and organisations. RIP.

Re: Paul Allen has died

#249

Post by throwaway160940 » Tue, Oct 16, 2018, 8:48 AM UTC

scop wrote: post #91

minimaxir wrote: post #11

2 weeks ago: https://twitter.com/PaulGAllen/status/1046864324310982668 > Some personal news: Recently, I learned the non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma I battled in 2009 has returned. I’ve begun treatment & my doctors are optimistic that I will see a good result. Appreciate the support I’ve received & count on it as I fight this challenge Just now: https://twitter.com/PaulGAllen/status/1051958128885940226

I must admit that this news has shaken me quite a bit. I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma six months ago. I'm a young guy, married, and with toddlers at home. The initial tumor was removed and I am now in the "waiting period" to see if it spread and if additional tumors present themselves. It's a very good prognosis, but hot dog if this news hasn't hit close to home, especially considering this fun fact: My…

I was diagnosed in 2016 with NHL - just as you, have two children (4 and 10). I am in remission now. Treatments have improved a lot over the years. I would not read too much into survival stats you'll find online. Do keep yourself fit and stress-free as much as you can - exercise, avoid sugar, healthy food, etc. I cannot overstate how important cutting down on sugar is.

You are not alone. Joining a online forum of survivors will be useful as long as you pick a good forum. I am regular at https://lymphomasurvival.com

Re: Paul Allen has died

#250

Post by cyborgx7 » Tue, Oct 16, 2018, 9:07 AM UTC

toomanybeersies wrote: post #110

gist wrote: post #67

I am guessing that most people here have apparently forgotten about the patent troll aspect of Paul Allen: https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100827/12001710802.shtml Now I am sure there are those that will think it's in bad taste to bring this up. However I am not saying this to family or friends at a funeral. I am merely raising it so people can stop lionizing him because he was a co-founder of Microsoft. https://…

Most comments here seem to be remembering him for his philanthropy and contributions to science and humanity, rather than for being a co-founder of Microsoft. It's an interesting contrast to the thread from 7 years ago about the death of Steve Jobs [1]. Steve Jobs was a visionary, but he wasn't a philanthropist. His legacy is Apple, Allen's legacy is his contributions to charity. Gates will be the same, he will be re…

phillantropy is a marketing ploy by rich people

you don't amass this much wealth without profiting off of the work of others by exploiting a position of power, usually gained through ownership