Time's top ten tech failures of the last decade

Started by Caliga, May 15, 2009, 08:24:22 AM

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Caliga

Quote from: MadImmortalMan on May 15, 2009, 10:33:49 AM
Quote from: Caliga on May 15, 2009, 08:26:02 AM
Quote from: Berkut on May 15, 2009, 08:25:06 AM
Youtube is a failure?

I was surprised by that, but in reading the article the reason given is that it has failed to find a way to make money.... by that logic, I would think Facebook should be listed as well (maybe it's "too new" for inclusion, though).


Both you and Slargos are right, of course.  But (obviously, I think) the criticism is that YouTube's not found a way it can generate money via its core functioning.  Any company can make money for its founders by getting bought, but that won't keep it going in perpetuity.
They found a great way to make money: Sell it to Google.
0 Ed Anger Disapproval Points

Caliga

Quote from: Caliga on May 15, 2009, 10:36:40 AM
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on May 15, 2009, 10:33:49 AM
Quote from: Caliga on May 15, 2009, 08:26:02 AM
Quote from: Berkut on May 15, 2009, 08:25:06 AM
Youtube is a failure?

I was surprised by that, but in reading the article the reason given is that it has failed to find a way to make money.... by that logic, I would think Facebook should be listed as well (maybe it's "too new" for inclusion, though).


Both you and Slargos are right, of course.  But (obviously, I think) the criticism is that YouTube's not found a way it can generate money via its core functioning.  Any company can make money for its founders by getting bought, but that won't keep it going in perpetuity.
They found a great way to make money: Sell it to Google.
edit: ARGH.  Stupid board.
0 Ed Anger Disapproval Points

HVC

Quote from: Caliga on May 15, 2009, 10:36:40 AM
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on May 15, 2009, 10:33:49 AM
Quote from: Caliga on May 15, 2009, 08:26:02 AM
Quote from: Berkut on May 15, 2009, 08:25:06 AM
Youtube is a failure?

I was surprised by that, but in reading the article the reason given is that it has failed to find a way to make money.... by that logic, I would think Facebook should be listed as well (maybe it's "too new" for inclusion, though).


Both you and Slargos are right, of course.  But (obviously, I think) the criticism is that YouTube's not found a way it can generate money via its core functioning.  Any company can make money for its founders by getting bought, but that won't keep it going in perpetuity.
They found a great way to make money: Sell it to Google.
edit: ARGH.  Stupid board.
:lol: you fail at teh internets

*edit* your extra quote line was messing me up :P
Being lazy is bad; unless you still get what you want, then it's called "patience".
Hubris must be punished. Severely.

Slargos

Quote from: HVC on May 15, 2009, 10:40:30 AM
Quote from: Caliga on May 15, 2009, 10:36:40 AM
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on May 15, 2009, 10:33:49 AM
Quote from: Caliga on May 15, 2009, 08:26:02 AM
Quote from: Berkut on May 15, 2009, 08:25:06 AM
Youtube is a failure?

I was surprised by that, but in reading the article the reason given is that it has failed to find a way to make money.... by that logic, I would think Facebook should be listed as well (maybe it's "too new" for inclusion, though).


Both you and Slargos are right, of course.  But (obviously, I think) the criticism is that YouTube's not found a way it can generate money via its core functioning.  Any company can make money for its founders by getting bought, but that won't keep it going in perpetuity.
They found a great way to make money: Sell it to Google.
edit: ARGH.  Stupid board.
:lol: you fail at teh internets

So do you.  :P

Edit: Crap, you updated it.  :lol:

Slargos

Anyway, I think listing youtube was nigh on retarded.

With 100 million users, they will find some way to turn a profit eventually.

HVC

Quote from: Slargos on May 15, 2009, 10:41:12 AM
Quote from: HVC on May 15, 2009, 10:40:30 AM
Quote from: Caliga on May 15, 2009, 10:36:40 AM
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on May 15, 2009, 10:33:49 AM
Quote from: Caliga on May 15, 2009, 08:26:02 AM
Quote from: Berkut on May 15, 2009, 08:25:06 AM
Youtube is a failure?

I was surprised by that, but in reading the article the reason given is that it has failed to find a way to make money.... by that logic, I would think Facebook should be listed as well (maybe it's "too new" for inclusion, though).


Both you and Slargos are right, of course.  But (obviously, I think) the criticism is that YouTube's not found a way it can generate money via its core functioning.  Any company can make money for its founders by getting bought, but that won't keep it going in perpetuity.
They found a great way to make money: Sell it to Google.
edit: ARGH.  Stupid board.
:lol: you fail at teh internets

So do you.  :P

Edit: Crap, you updated it.  :lol:
See my edit :Embarrass:
Being lazy is bad; unless you still get what you want, then it's called "patience".
Hubris must be punished. Severely.

HVC

lol you updated just as i was quoting so i quoted your new post. This forum is haunted!
Being lazy is bad; unless you still get what you want, then it's called "patience".
Hubris must be punished. Severely.

DGuller

Quote from: Slargos on May 15, 2009, 10:42:40 AM
Anyway, I think listing youtube was nigh on retarded.

With 100 million users, they will find some way to turn a profit eventually.
I agree.  Having the network effect work for you is essential in the tech business.  If you've got that, then you have a potential monopoly.

alfred russel

Quote from: Slargos on May 15, 2009, 10:42:40 AM
Anyway, I think listing youtube was nigh on retarded.

With 100 million users, they will find some way to turn a profit eventually.


There was a story of an analyst that estimated youtube is losing $500 million a year for Google. Google disputed the numbers, but the actual results are not public. If youtube is losing that much, it is a problem.
They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

There's a fine line between salvation and drinking poison in the jungle.

I'm embarrassed. I've been making the mistake of associating with you. It won't happen again. :)
-garbon, February 23, 2014

Josquius

At first I thought Segway was a flop too, I remember all the 'IT' hype and the big 'Oh...' but it is surviving quite nicely with people actually using them. Obviously not the run away success it was hyped as (how could it possibly be) but not a total disaster.
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Syt

I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein's brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops.
—Stephen Jay Gould

Proud owner of 42 Zoupa Points.

Grey Fox

Facebook is a massive success. They might be cheap knock off ads but they're still ads.
Colonel Caliga is Awesome.

garbon

Quote from: Grey Fox on May 15, 2009, 11:59:42 AM
Facebook is a massive success. They might be cheap knock off ads but they're still ads.

As far as the media reports, facebook doesn't have great profits though.
"I've never been quite sure what the point of a eunuch is, if truth be told. It seems to me they're only men with the useful bits cut off."
I drank because I wanted to drown my sorrows, but now the damned things have learned to swim.

The Minsky Moment

Quote from: Caliga on May 15, 2009, 08:53:01 AM
*shrug* Guess so.  Never in a million years would I invest in a concern that takes four years to figure out a business model that generates reliable revenue.

How much money did MSFT make in its first 4 years as a company?
The purpose of studying economics is not to acquire a set of ready-made answers to economic questions, but to learn how to avoid being deceived by economists.
--Joan Robinson

ulmont

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on May 15, 2009, 12:06:55 PM
How much money did MSFT make in its first 4 years as a company?

Can't have been that much...that's 1976-80, when Microsoft was just doing BASIC and some other things, not even selling their Unix variant.  Windows wasn't released until 1985.