

Don't waste time on problem that haven't occurred yet; focus on the best solution to the main problem - michjeanty

When working on a project, don't solve problem that haven't arrived yet. It doesn't mean we don't know them, but we need to focus on the main problem first. The youtube guys didn't think of copyright videos before they started youtube. They were set to solve the web video sharing problem, and that's what they did. Stay focus; that's the reason we're working on the project in the first place. We're not working on a prject to look for future problem; we're working on a project to get the best solution to a main problem.
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amour
I have to disagree. There is a main goal, there are implications. We need to
solve both of them to deliver good/great product or at least have proper
precaution. Every now and then I remind myself about vista problem and how
they got class action lawsuit.

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Electro
I completely disagree. It's shoddy and inefficient to wait for a problem to
arrive. Imagine if the guys at Google just sat around waiting for their server
to kick the bucket before they fixed it; they'd be out of business.

Problems aren't mutually exclusive, I can fix more than one at once. If my
server is bust, it doesn't matter if my ISP is cutting me off in a week, but
if all it takes is a call to another ISP to get another connection before the
deadline then I'm not going to turn 1 week of having a downed server into two
weeks with no useable service.

Only solving problems as they arrive is the work of the mediocre, the good fix
things before they arrive. By your own example, the YouTube guys -didn't-
think of copyrighted videos and they got a $1 billion lawsuit! That isn't a
smart thing to allow to happen, if precident gets set against YouTube in one
single case, they're broke and gone because they didn't think ahead.

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michjeanty
Obviously you're missing the point. In google's case a server problem is a
main problem. It's a software company. I didn't say only solve problems as
they arrive. I said don't waste time on problem that haven't occurred yet.
What that means is stop making excuses; look for reasons instead. In youtube
case, it was still acquired for $1.65 billion. Youtube revolutionize the way
people share and watch videos online. That $1 billion lawsuit probably will be
dismissed. Worst case scenario, it still won't kill youtube. By the way, name
me one succesful company that haven't been sued yet? goole, microsoft recently
iphone from apple.. all them. "If you haven't been sued, you haven't made it".
The point is start your project now, stop worried about employee health
insurance. Deal with problems you have today, don't worry about problems you
will have in 5-10 years. Stop making excuses; find reasons.

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Electro
I think the point is to be a successful company and not get sued.

Getting sued is patently moronic, and being proud of it is more so. Wal-Mart
is being sued for 11 billion (and growing), and they make 11 billion profit.
If Wal-Mart doesn't get profit for a year it will have to sacrifice 11 billion
of assets and put every company around it into a better position. Thus
shareholder/stock decrease and a vast loss of capital meaning it'll be harder
to recover from.

Wal-Mart can suffer it, probably with some dire consiquences, but it won't
disappear, now YouTube:

So far YouTube isn't worth shit. It is yet to turn a profit, and a $1 billion
lawsuit means that around 60% of YouTube's capital has to go. Capital =
Equipment. YouTube is gone if it loses 60% of itself, not to mention there'll
likely be multiple and far larger suits on the way from Sony, Disney, News
Corporation and everyone else who wants a chunk and all of those three have a
much bigger grivance than $1 billion; precedent means a Judge basically stamps
these approved. I'd say easily it would amount to $20 billion as Sony owns
Colombia, Tristar and MGM as well as Sony Pictures; that's easily $8 billion
right there.

Now you do the math on that, how can youtube even exist when it's about -$19
billion? I'm serious, where does your belief come from that worst case youtube
still won't be killed. It'll be a 404 if it loses.

Whilst merely thinking about the future will get you nowhere, never thinking
about the future will jeopordize your company to no end. YouTube should have
thought ahead, Wal-Mart shouldn't have been sexist pigs... and perhaps you
should worry your ass off about Employee Health Insurance, cause I bet Wal-
Mart didn't expect a Class Action worth an entire years profit. I don't think
you want to lose an entire years profit either, especially when it's your
ownly take home money.

So I'm serious, and I'm not missing any point. Think or your company won't
last long. The creators of YouTube likely got lucky... if they're not still
with the company. And if they are with the company, well Karma is a bitch now
isn't it.

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michjeanty
If you're going to solve a problem that's not an issue yet, you'll never
create anything of value. You'll just be in a looping of solving problem that
doesn't exist. Because of youtube, the video copyright law will change. We
start startups to make the world a better place: change laws, change the way
we do things; not staying on the same corrupted path we're on. When goog
started, people were concern on how goog could make sure not to index webpages
without webmasters permission. That was an issue; but goog didn't think it was
important. Now webmasters pays $1000 of dollars for their link to be listed on
goog first page search. Sometimes an issue appears because the mass population
hasn't adopt to it yet. I truly believe ones can break any law or disregard a
problem as long as he/she has a purpose reason. If you don't agree, ask the US
commander-in-chief.

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bprater
In general, I agree. But was there a huge demand for online video before
YouTube launched? They were smart because they made it super simple, but they
were a chicken chasing an egg in the beginning.

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bmaier
Thanks for the tip bud.

