Mailwatch(ed) Forum

I like The Economist, even if I don't always agree with it. But this is quite amusing.

In what sense? It's paywalled.

Malcolm Armsteen wrote: ↑Thu Apr 13, 2023 1:30 pm In what sense? It's paywalled.

What's gone wrong? Oh, that daring government we liked.

Anybody wanting to know about the curse of Hewlett Packard - I'm yer bloke.

Bones McCoy wrote: ↑Fri Apr 14, 2023 8:49 pm Anybody wanting to know about the curse of Hewlett Packard - I'm yer bloke.

I do, what is the curse? Last I knew they were frantically catching up with their competitors to transition to services as margins on manufacturing PCs and printers became wafer thin. The CEO then was Carly Fiorina who resurfaced some years later to show fellow corporate suits that being successful in business doesn’t translate to being good at politics.

It’s good to have a thoughtful right leaning publication still untouched by idiots conducting the Brexit war on objective reality.

Youngian wrote: ↑Mon Apr 17, 2023 10:10 am

Bones McCoy wrote: ↑Fri Apr 14, 2023 8:49 pm Anybody wanting to know about the curse of Hewlett Packard - I'm yer bloke.

I do, what is the curse? Last I knew they were frantically catching up with their competitors to transition to services as margins on manufacturing PCs and printers became wafer thin. The CEO then was Carly Fiorina who resurfaced some years later to show fellow corporate suits that being successful in business doesn’t translate to being good at politics.

It’s good to have a thoughtful right leaning publication still untouched by idiots conducting the Brexit war on objective reality.

Succession planning.

Founders Bill and Dave were replaced by a sequence of "suits" who made disastrous decisions chasing the quick buck.
* Selling off successful "hardware" interests.
* Deciding the future lay in "services" and failing to undercut offshored competitors.
* Following early strategic acquisitions with disastrous short term measures, culminating in a 11 billion spaff on Autonomy.
* Attempting to cut their way to profitability, 24 successive quarters of lay offs, while failing to promote a single "technical" staff member to management.
* The split into HP Inc and HPE - taking no account of skillsets or competencies of staff when assigning them.


Like UK prime ministers, each new CEO made the last look competent.

Whitman in particular has a Johnson like touch.
* A big idea (one actually called Moonshot) every month or so, none progressing beyond the drawing board.
* Dodgy appointments from the old pals playbook.
* Took a "bonus" of $90,000,000 from a loss making enterprise before bailing.

Prediction:
Once Trump is gone, Meg Whitman will present herself as the sane face of US Republicanism, and attempt a run for president.

Took a "bonus" of $90,000,000 from a loss making enterprise before bailing.

This US practice of paying directors in huge tax efficient share options is preposterous. Their only worth to the director is when they bail out and that’s countdown to the company going down the shitter.

One of the last remaining redoubts of thoughtful life on the British right has thrown in the towel.

Here is an excuse to front a rather tedious article with a picture of an attractive celebrity wearing not many clothes in the hope that someone will read it.

That sort of article is a mug's game. I know nothing about Taylor Swift at all, but I'd be surprised if she writes every last word and note of what she releases. Change producer, find someone new to write songs with, and it can all change.

I like early Primal Scream more than most, but they met Andy Weatherall and the rest is history.

That would make for an interesting discussion on Ferne Cotton’s radio show. Perhaps she’s debating the implications of US and Chinese protectionism for the global economy.

Tubby Isaacs wrote: ↑Sat Jun 15, 2024 9:56 pm That sort of article is a mug's game. I know nothing about Taylor Swift at all, but I'd be surprised if she writes every last word and note of what she releases. Change producer, find someone new to write songs with, and it can all change.

I like early Primal Scream more than most, but they met Andy Weatherall and the rest is history.

Measure 'creativity'. Get back to me with workings, Economist.

RedSparrows wrote: ↑Mon Jun 17, 2024 10:15 am Measure 'creativity'. Get back to me with workings, Economist.

Exactly. The internet is awash with forums in which people earnestly disagree about the creative peaks of long defunct artists.
Identifying Swift's might become possible when she's done - but probably not.
Apart from anything else, in order to evaluate creative success, you need to know the objective - and only Swift herself knows what that was.