
Tesla Electric Cars: Revved Up, but Far to Go - robg
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/25/business/25elon.html?hpw=&pagewanted=all
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baguasquirrel
This article has its fair dose of FUD, as NYTimes pertaining to tech usually
are. The title sets the tone, and quoting Jalopnik as if they are credible
journalism raises some serious eyebrows.

You can typically read the bias in these articles by simply looking at the
spin of the first sentence of each paragraph, because it's the pauses between
the paragraphs that set the poise and direction of the monologue.

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hugh3
Would you like to take issue with any specific points, or just attack the
source?

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neonfunk
For me, it's the NYT's habit of referencing noise that they helped to create
(the "soap opera") as if they were a completely impartial 3rd party; it's like
they're blind to their own influence. Reminds me of a Tom Tomorrow cartoon
(which I'm too lazy to find).

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baguasquirrel
That more or less nails one major class of attacks. We should try not to feed
the trolls (the NYTimes, in this example), so I won't address any points
specifically.

There are some common patterns though, and these are worth thinking about
because they come straight out of drama and literature. Poise the character as
a charismatic, ambitious person. Then start whittling him down. The common
themes here are his moments of naivete, the femme fatale, the awful reality of
the situation, what others now think of him.

Note that none of these plot elements actually have much (if anything) to do
with the economic viability of Tesla, and as such, the title is inappropriate.
It does however, make for great rhetoric. Great narratives are rarely, if
ever, the bare truth of such specific situations.

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quizbiz
Great profile of Elon Musk. The article is about him more than his car
company. I would do anything to meet this guy one day.

    
    
       “He’s one of these just unboundedly ambitious people; 
       that’s probably the single most important thing about him, 
       and he’s an eternal optimist, to a fault sometimes,”

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mgw
It's also inspiring, and scary, to see that he's been broke before the Tesla
IPO because he completely believes in the success of the companies he's
involved with. That is unconditional faith in ability.

