Your posts in support of Apple are so breathless. I don't want to go all ad hom, but this is a little...much.
In any case, as a long time Apple observer, you'll remember that the RDF was coined by Apple engineers (probably Bud Tribble, at least according to this story). It was both a characterization, an expression of admiration and, yes, of frank criticism.
"Your posts in support of Apple are so breathless. I don't want to go all ad hom, but this is a little...much."
At the time of writing, nirvana has written comments on this post totalling 3931 words, most of which defend either Apple or Jobs. Don't play chess with pigeons.
"Your posts in support of Apple are so breathless. I don't want to go all ad hom, but this is a little...much."
You're talking to the person, rather than to the point. I'm not the point.
"Steve Jobs was a man, and that's OK."
Translation: Whenever someone says something false about Steve Jobs, the only reason someone might correct them is because they're a koolaid drinking cultist who cannot tolerate the idea that Steve Jobs was anything other than the second coming of christ.
Yeah, I'm glad you didn't "go all ad hom".
Edit:
I'm sorry if this post feels like it is making you the point. It actually is not intended to be that way. I'm trying to illuminate the tactic. Just as I'm trying to illuminate a tactic in my original post, and Gruber is illuminating the tactic Issacson used to discredit Jobs. The fact that the RDF was coined during the Mac project by the Mac team was known to me, and is a very different use of the term than the popular one I'm addressing.
> Translation: Whenever someone says something false about Steve Jobs, the only reason someone might correct them is because they're a koolaid drinking cultist who cannot tolerate the idea that Steve Jobs was anything other than the second coming of christ.
Not only does that not even slightly resemble anything I wrote (let alone what I think), frankly it's a ridiculous strawman that you shouldn't even employ for rhetorical points. Do you really not see any irony in the stated purpose of your posts in this thread and the content you've filled them with?
My point was only that yes, there was a very real basis for the RDF talk, and that yes, it appears that Steve Jobs was definitely problematic to work with and for. I've had that impression for a long time, especially since reading all the Folklore stories (the treatment of Jef Raskin was particularly unfortunate, whether or not the Mac was a better product for the project changes).
My understanding is that lots of people still loved doing so.
You asked
> People claim that Jobs can make you believe things that aren't true by simple application of charisma. Is anyone here willing to admit to being swindled in this way?
They might not be here, but the stories are right there. If you have a point other than the fact that someone not me on the internet is wrong and you know because you've seen a lot of keynotes in your time, let's talk.
I'm a fan of the work of Steve Jobs. He was not a magician, though, because there's no such thing. Personally, I think lionizing him reduces his accomplishments.
As for Isaacson's book, I read a few of the excerpts as they came out and they seemed like terrible writing, so I haven't read any of it since. Same reason I skipped Twilight.
You made those points sufficiently with your citation of the origin of the term, which I didn't dispute. It is your comments about me that are problematic, and you've continued them here. Since you spend more time talking about me than the "only" point you wanted to make, I'm not ashamed of pointing it out.
"You're talking to the person, rather than to the point. I'm not the point."
You actually are an expression of the point though. Most of your posts in this topic are as exemplar of the resonance to the RDF as any I've ever seen.
In any case, as a long time Apple observer, you'll remember that the RDF was coined by Apple engineers (probably Bud Tribble, at least according to this story). It was both a characterization, an expression of admiration and, yes, of frank criticism.
Steve Jobs was a man, and that's OK.
http://folklore.org/StoryView.py?project=Macintosh&story...
more: http://folklore.org/ProjectView.py?topic=Reality%20Distortio...