EssayKKN : Taste in Technology

Taste is a killer feature in technology.

I'll give only two prominent examples from Silicon Valley.

The first is what Joel Spolsky says about complex, clever standards. One of his and my favourite examples is REST vs WS* for web services. WS* standards are so complex that even those companies who proposed them first eventually switched to REST standards. Joel encourages us not to be intimidated by super-complex stuffs any more.

1. If something is so complicated, not many will understand it. 
2. Among those who do understand, not many will have stomach and stamina to implement it.
3. Among those who do implement it, not many will be cautious, methodical, disciplined enough to succeed. 
4. Among those who do succeed, not many will be able to modify, enhance it. 
5. Gradually, that complicated stuff will fail to gain enough traction to become a standard.

The second example is Steve Jobs. Jobs loved technology, any technology. But he seemed to hate any technology that was not ready for him. His taste, his nose seemed very developed in this regard. Microsoft may love brick-shape, brick-size mobile phone. But Jobs waited. Years.

Jobs is famous for and he himself said he's proud of his "waiting" "for the next big thing." Though he called them "next" things, they were actually "ready" things for him. Developing a product with un-ready technologies is a very ugly thing for Jobs.

Do you find any unnecessarily complicated stuff attractive?

Do you find any unreliable stuff tempting?

Do you find any harmful idea inviting?

Maybe it's time to train your taste at essaykkn!