Quotable Quotes: Pronouncements on Innovation
by Miki Saxon
Have you ever wondered what was said at the time about the game-changing inventions we take for granted?
Wonder no more; here is a selection for your amusement and erudition. Some are funny, some are true, all are interesting.
In 1878 and internal memo at Western Union described the future of the telephone—or not.
“This `telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a practical form of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.”
This next one proves that even those whose careers are tightly bound with the course of innovation can be short-sighted, if not totally blind. In 1899 Charles H. Duell, US Commissioner of Patents, proclaimed for all to hear that the Patent Office was out of a job.
“Everything that can be invented, has been invented.”
Obviously, Duell was a tad off-base in his prediction, but then so were our next three experts.
In 1913 the American Railroad Congress pronounced the fate of the automobile.
“It is an idle dream to imagine that automobiles will take the place of railways in the long distance movement of passengers.”
Everyone knows, or should know, who Thomas J. Watson Sr. was, but in case you aren’t aware he was Chairman of IBM. In 1943 he shared his view on the size of the market for computers.
“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.”
Television was amazing technology when it first appeared, but not everybody was impressed. In 1946 Darryl Zanuck, Head of 20th Century-Fox, predicted a short life-span for the new technology.
“Television won’t be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night.”
My last two offerings not only bring things up to date, but are also the only two that are accurate.
The first is from the mid-nineties. I can’t find attribution for, but, anonymous or not, it hits the nail on the head and people would be wise to take it to heart.
“You can’t take something off the Internet – it’s like taking pee out of a pool.”
Finally, what would comments about inventions be without something on Twitter? In 2007 Bruce Sterling offered a definitive comment on the possibility of quality tweets.
“Using Twitter for literate communication is about as likely as firing up a CB radio and hearing some guy recite ‘The Iliad.’”
Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/spullara/1926198/
