Genuis by Association

Through no fault of his own, and by all accounts in express discordance with his wishes a recently deceased technologist is being lionized in the press and new media. I was struck by the news as much as the next person but among the myriad of articles written about the man I find a similar thread  reappearing.  The thread of association.

I find it one of the odder aspects of public mourning.  What does it matter that you - the reporter - had a previous interaction with the deceased?  I don't understand it.  So you had coffee with the guy back in the early days.  How does that make you a worthy chronicler of his passing?  Perhaps If I'd had met the man I'd have felt the same need to tell the story.  I didn't however.

My niggling feeling goes beyond that level of association however.  It extends to the fan-boy.  I have news for them: liking the product of a genius does not require genius of its own.  I too am a convert but I don't hold myself in better regard because of it.  I'm simply a leaf on the wind of technology.

My little rant should not be construed to impinge on the power of emulation.  I realize imitation and emulation can fuel the spirit of future inventors.  I get that.  He's a worthy icon for the next generation of technologists.  

Anyway, those are my thoughts on the subject. By the by, I have no idea why I needed to write this in language that sounds like I was raised a century earlier than I was but that's the way it came out.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Running roughshod or ripshod

Axis, Axes, Axii?

Gay Cowboys