Amiga.org
Amiga computer related discussion => General chat about Amiga topics => Topic started by: TheMagicM on May 09, 2007, 02:56:18 AM
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..to you about AI would you spill the beans and talk? I'm tempted to.
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..to you about AI would you spill the beans and talk? I'm tempted to.
In a heartbeat. My motto is, "Why lie when the truth hurts more?"
Dammy
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As long it could be done without inviting legal trouble then you bet I would!
-Jeff
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telling the truth doesnt bring any trouble. I replied to her so we'll see what happens.
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Okay good luck, but unless you can catagorically prove each and every statement, then stay anonymous...
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I think even to draw her attention to the discrepancies between reality and how Amiga, Inc. describes itself at amiga.com, in PR releases and in talking to the Kent people would be a good start.
Bill McEwen claims the current company is the same that produced the Commodore Amiga, for starters. Does buying/licensing the brand name and other IP really allow him to truthfully say "the company that did all that in the early days of computing and video is us"?
And it'd be great if somebody asked him to specify how exactly his company is the "world's premier provider of multimedia enabling technologies." I can't see a single product or service that even puts Amiga, Inc. in that market, let alone makes it the marker leader.
I think these are concepts that even a general reporter would be able to understand and communicate to readers. Then there are the asset shifts and failures to comply with court mandates and so on -- which took place in part right there in Washington state -- that would be a rich area to mine, but would take quite a bit of research to get up to speed on. I imagine the highlights could be conveyed, though, along with pointers to references.
One thing I'm curious about is how the Kent team (and their lawyers) missed the obvious fallacies. Didn't anyone think to pose the natural follow-up questions to Bill McEwen, "Oh, what would be an example of your multimedia enabling technologies? Where can I read up on them or see them in action?" Bill McEwen must have been very happy and relieved that no request for a demonstration was made. Seems to me these people simply didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth and so quietly accepted every claim at face value, probably in order to show state lawmakers and so on this big, important tech company getting on board (and paying twice the expected amount for naming rights) and thus build momentum toward the final approval of the arena.
Even a casual glance at Amiga, Inc.'s visible presence would immediately raise doubts about McEwen's claims. Clearly it was in the best interests of the Kent center project to not even glance casually or, if they did, to keep their observations to themselves.
-- gary_c
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There's no need to stay anonymous or to prove anything. The person being interviewed just says something like "to the best of my knowledge it's like this." If the reporter makes claims in the article, it's up to her to substantiate them if necessary. If the point of being interviewed is just to give personal observations or point the reporter to documentation, etc., I don't see how there would be any risk.
-- gary_c
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This saga could be turned into the next Tom Clancy Novel/Movie :-D
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ddniUK wrote:
This saga could be turned into the next Tom Clancy Novel/Movie :-D
How unfortunately right you are.
Well at least if this person digs enough we can possibly understand more the wacky things that have gone on in the past, and appear to still be going on today.
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she is more interested in finding out what I sent to Kent officials, what was their reaction etc.
Thats not really that important (they were amazed) but what I think would be better is to do the research like Gary_C suggested.. that would be a good read.
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TheMagicM wrote:
she is more interested in finding out what I sent to Kent officials, what was their reaction etc.
Thats not really that important (they were amazed) but what I think would be better is to do the research like Gary_C suggested.. that would be a good read.
So what did you send to the Kent people if you don't mind me asking? And you say they were amazed, can you share anything they said? I still think I am in some weird bizarro dream world with this mult-million dollar deal thing.
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The article just got published in the Seattle Times! You really should read this. Thanks to Gene Balk, Cara Solomon and Jim Brunner for this well-written article. Good to see that critical journalism is still possible in local news.
Kent arena's new benefactor has history of troubles (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003712151_kentarena18m.html)
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They did an excellent job with the article, it certainly exposes AInc. as the two-bit hucksters they really are. I love the part where McBill explains he got the blurb about AInc. being "the world's premiere multimedia company" years ago from some British magazine he can't remember the name of.
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I think this will end badly. On the up side this may just be the last stunt billy mcEwen will be able to pull.
As if releasing OS4 or OS5 and some random oldschool hardware has any impact today in 2007... LOL, funny, but sad also.
"Kent city officials say they knew about Amiga's troubled past but attributed it to the dot-com bust. They remain optimistic about the company's plans, which include bringing hundreds of new jobs to town and a partnership with local schools."
hundreds of jobs? interesting..... doing what?
"A visit to Amiga's Issaquah offices last week found just McEwen and one other employee in a suite of offices strewn with cardboard boxes and old computers. Although he was introduced by Kent officials as the president of Amiga, McEwen said he is really vice president. He later added that he had recently been named acting president."
sounds like high tech pros to me! "operators!" "movers and shakers for sure!"
"It seems like a company that is trying to make it look like they are larger than they are to attract investors."
gee you think so?
"But the potential upside, he said, is "tremendous.""
Ohh yeah, tell me more
I'm sorry but anybody hedging there bets on this is bound to get let down or hurt.
@Ben Wolters
if you would like to keep your job as Kent's economic-development director, you should be more carefull who you trust.
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McEwen stated that he was hurt also and didn't get paid the $747,000.
Wow, that is a chunk of change that he was paying himself, or trying to.
Actually, I have no personal bad feelings against Bill, other than that I don't believe everything he says and doubt his ability to run Amiga as a technology company, or his ability to produce any product for consumers that I am going to be interested in buying.
I hope he proves me wrong.
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SO they are trying to move back to Issaquah, WA now? Or is that a branch office or something. There was mention of them trying to come back to Kent too. Wow back and forth. Should be interesting. I'll have to drive up and check out their offices, I missed out the ones in Snoqualmie.
Well only time will tell. If they do release those new computers I will be amazed and happy. But I am definately not holding my breath on it!
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With all the energy conservation issues lately, maybe Hot Air may be of value one day. Bill could be a rich man.
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amigadave wrote:
Wow, that is a chunk of change that he was paying himself, or trying to.
Corporation boards say what the president of the company gets.
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weirdami wrote:
amigadave wrote:
Wow, that is a chunk of change that he was paying himself, or trying to.
Corporation boards say what the president of the company gets.
Only if said corporation has a board. :-)
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amiga92570 wrote:
With all the energy conservation issues lately, maybe Hot Air may be of value one day. Bill could be a rich man.
that is a fart compared to the one "produced" on Amiga forum!
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@TjLaZer
I'll have to drive up and check out their offices, I missed out the ones in Snoqualmie.
From the news article:
A visit to Amiga's Issaquah offices last week found just McEwen and one other employee in a suite of offices strewn with cardboard boxes and old computers.
Make sure to take some photos when you check out their new *cough* "headquarters".
:lol: