Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category

WRITE A NOVEL ALREADY, WHY DON’T YOU?

March 2, 2010

“After the events of the past several weeks, I have been in touch with many of you. It has become clear to me that there is far too little accurate information available in this time of unprecedented change. The issues we all face together are complex, and no news story or 140-character snippet can adequately address them. Therefore, I propose to write you occasionally, when I get a sense that there is a need for direct information.”

Macmillan CEO John Sargent, on taking to the blogosphere to press his case for more expensive e-books, Macmillan.com, 2 March 2010

THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BING

March 2, 2010

“The biggest opportunity is really to help people get done what they need to get done. I mean, it’s a marketing campaign, but it’s really true.”

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, on Bing’s destiny as a sort of Web-based Clippy,  Seattlepi.com, 2 March 2010

AND THAT’S JUST THE PARTIES

March 1, 2010

“We’ll be the first to admit that, by conventional standards, Yelp can seem weird.”

Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman, referring obliquely to the freakazoid culture of obsessive business reviewers on his site, Official Yelp Blog, 1 March 2010

THE DAY THE MUSIC SIGHED

August 21, 2007

“With RealNetworks and Verizon Wireless, we’re creating a unique and engaging experience that also reflects our own strategy of allowing fans to go narrow and deep into the musical genres they love.”

MTV Networks CEO Judy McGrath, introducing a new online music service while failing to understand that her company is all about being shallow, RealNetworks.com, 21 August 2007

LOVE IS IN THE ERROR

August 17, 2007

“The Skype system has not crashed or been victim of a cyber attack. We love our customers too much to let that happen.”

Skype employee Villu Arak, on how the eBay-owned Internet phone service hated its customers so much that it let a software glitch prevent them from using it, Skype Heartbeat blog, 16 August 2007