Steve Jobs has died

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:His poor family. at 56 he still would have had years of innovations ahead of him, that we will never see. Truly, it is the world's loss.

I somehow doubt his family is even remoely poor. Please! His family is grieving but they are not now, nor will they ever be, poor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is so, so horrible. Why couldn't it have been Zuckerberg or Page/Brin? Facebook and Google have ruined everything. Job used his powers for good.

Let's not make him a saint, just yet. He denied paternity of his illegitimate child for a very long time. This isn't using your power for good.

Considering that he was an adoptee who was abandoned by his own parents who later married each other and had another child--I'd say he came by some serious rejection and abandonment issues pretty honestly. But sure he wasn't a saint. But overall his impact on the world was positive.

Then his own background should have made him more sensitive to this child. He swore in court that he was sterile. He was a genius with what he did but he was as much a flawed human being as the rest of us and he doesn't appear to have been much of an humanitarian.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is so, so horrible. Why couldn't it have been Zuckerberg or Page/Brin? Facebook and Google have ruined everything. Job used his powers for good.

Let's not make him a saint, just yet. He denied paternity of his illegitimate child for a very long time. This isn't using your power for good.

Considering that he was an adoptee who was abandoned by his own parents who later married each other and had another child--I'd say he came by some serious rejection and abandonment issues pretty honestly. But sure he wasn't a saint. But overall his impact on the world was positive.

Then his own background should have made him more sensitive to this child. He swore in court that he was sterile. He was a genius with what he did but he was as much a flawed human being as the rest of us and he doesn't appear to have been much of an humanitarian.

Is it really that much of a stretch to understand that a person who had been abandoned by their parents might be so damaged by that they would be rejecting of their own child? I don't know why anyone expects moral perfection of our geniuses. If he had lived longer who knows what humanitarian efforts he might have made? His products have enhanced the human experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:His poor family. at 56 he still would have had years of innovations ahead of him, that we will never see. Truly, it is the world's loss.

I somehow doubt his family is even remoely poor. Please! His family is grieving but they are not now, nor will they ever be, poor.

Oh, the word poor must only have one meaning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did he give most of his money away to charitable causes? That would be good especially when you think how much the few very rich people have and how little the masses of poor people have.

We'll probably see something after his estate is settled. There is no need to leave $6 billion to family.

[Anonymous]

He did a tremendous amount of advocacy for organ donation in California following his liver transplant. Let's not write him off or demand to see a big chunk to charity before we view him as anything other than a soulless tech titan just yet. He was apparently a very private person, so he may have done much more that we do not know about, but there was some press about his efforts regarding organ donation. I think he even got a law changed.

I also do not think people are ever all good or all bad. Part of what is wrong with this country is that we want to make everything black and white instead of understanding and appreciating that most things, and people, are more complex than that.

[Anonymous]

I'm not a techie at all and I don't know anything about Jobs's personal life, but I think you have to recognize that he was an extraordinary business leader who left his mark on the economy and culture in a profound way. I was astonished that my 12-y.o. (also not a big techie) knew who he was and asked, "Now who'll invent cool stuff?" Also, an interesting comment from my high school senior, who's in the throes of applying to colleges: "Do you know he dropped out of college after one semester?""

As far as philanthropy, I believe that Jobs started a foundation some time ago, but abandoned it because he felt he couldn't devote himself to it sufficiently. I think that's an indication of the kind of person he was -- he couldn't do something unless he was giving it his full attention and energy. It will be interesting to see what his will provides and what his family chooses to do in terms of charitable giving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

People who are as brilliant as he was are a gift to the world. I think it was a selfless act for him to spend his short time on this earth moving mankind forward. He has been compared to people like Thomas Edison -- people whose minds and actions will contribute to society for years to come. How could anyone possibly "regret" that? What, that he missed a few kids baseball games?

I have a hard time comparing Jobs to Edison. Quite a difference between inventing electric light and technology products. Yes, technology has affect society in many great ways, but is it necessary? No. There were other ways to communicate before the internet and computers and cell phones and tablets. People also had more in-person relationships and did more than stare a rectangular screens of various sizes all day.

My point is that it has bothered me for some time how much new coverage the iPod/iPhone has gotten over the past 10 years. Since when does a technology product make national news? It's so odd to me. There are so many more important things to humanity than technology. So much more. And this is from someone who works in IT.

Electricity is not necessary for survival.

[Anonymous]

I don't normally get sad when famous people die, but am sad about this death.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Considering that he was an adoptee who was abandoned by his own parents who later married each other and had another child--I'd say he came by some serious rejection and abandonment issues pretty honestly. But sure he wasn't a saint. But overall his impact on the world was positive.

abandoned at birth?
I thought adopted kids were given as a gift and promised a better home

[Anonymous]

People had to see this coming when he stepped down in August...RIP Steve Jobs...bad, bad cancer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did he give most of his money away to charitable causes? That would be good especially when you think how much the few very rich people have and how little the masses of poor people have.

We'll probably see something after his estate is settled. There is no need to leave $6 billion to family.

Says you. And who are you to decide what someone else's "needs" are?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did he give most of his money away to charitable causes? That would be good especially when you think how much the few very rich people have and how little the masses of poor people have.

We'll probably see something after his estate is settled. There is no need to leave $6 billion to family.

Says you. And who are you to decide what someone else's "needs" are?

If a human needs six billion dollars, then there are only 42 people in America who are not suffering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

People who are as brilliant as he was are a gift to the world. I think it was a selfless act for him to spend his short time on this earth moving mankind forward. He has been compared to people like Thomas Edison -- people whose minds and actions will contribute to society for years to come. How could anyone possibly "regret" that? What, that he missed a few kids baseball games?

I have a hard time comparing Jobs to Edison. Quite a difference between inventing electric light and technology products. Yes, technology has affect society in many great ways, but is it necessary? No. There were other ways to communicate before the internet and computers and cell phones and tablets. People also had more in-person relationships and did more than stare a rectangular screens of various sizes all day.

My point is that it has bothered me for some time how much new coverage the iPod/iPhone has gotten over the past 10 years. Since when does a technology product make national news? It's so odd to me. There are so many more important things to humanity than technology. So much more. And this is from someone who works in IT.

Types the anonymous internet poster. There were ways to light rooms before the lightbulb, as well. Candles work fine - Edison wasn't such a big deal.

[Anonymous]

I was surprised to see WaPo give more space on front page to a guy i never heard of die vs Steve Jobs!