The USA has a reality game show called Survivor that has been going on for a few years. The point of the game is to take a number of people from different walks of life, strand them in an isolated location with nothing but themselves to provide food and shelter. Frequently they players had to vote someone to send out of the competition. The last person in the game wins.
I quit watching it the first season because I didn’t feel it was played fairly. In order to win this game you have to make alliances with the other players. Then at some point, you break those alliances, because only one person can win the competition.
So, the stronger or more useful individuals are voted out of the game because the weaker players fear their capability, and the fact that based on their contributions, they may be the more desirable person to keep in the game. Ultimately, the individuals that win the game are often the weaker player, with less to offer in regards to survival, but have had the best alliances.
Sometimes it feels like information technology is like a game of survivor. There are many great designs in hardware and software that have not won to right to be a survivor. For example, the Commodore Amiga was a machine well ahead of its competitors. But it came from a company known for making game consoles, and didn’t gain traction.
What’s your favorite loser? Are the products or inventions you wish had made it through the game? Get into the conversation by sharing your favorite here online. Or share your thoughts by sending an email to btaylor@sswug.org.
Cheers,
Ben