Microsoft's Vista wins Fiasco Award
Twenty three were nominated. Nine were selected as finalists. But only one could take home top prize in the first-ever Fiasco Awards ceremony, held Thursday night in Barcelona, Spain.
And the winner was …
Microsoft's (MSFT) Windows Vista, garnering 5,222 of 6,043 votes (86%) registered via the Web. The successor to Windows XP was cited for being over-hyped, overly complex and riddled with incompatibilities.
A quirky, slightly tongue-in-cheek project of the Catalan Association of Telecommunications Engineers, the Fiasco Awards are designed not to "criticize" or "engage in public derision," according to their website, but to recognize that "technological advance is not a straight path" and that "success and fiasco are … head and tail of the same coin."
"God rewards fools," reads the award's logo.
Using a balloting system weighted to ensure that "an opportunity was given to local projects," a consolation prize went to SAGA, the Administration and Academic Management System of the Catalan Government.
The nine finalists were all over the lot, mixing the famous, the local and the obscure. The list included One Laptop Per Child's $100 computer; Linden Lab's Second Life; Google's (GOOG) Lively; the DAB digital radio system used in Europe; the Madrid-based Mobuzz.tv project; Maresme Digital, a project for bringing digital television to Catalonia; and some Linux-based free software packs distributed by the local government administration.
Vista made a particular strong impression in Catalonia because it was the first version of Windows that could be purchased in Catalan, the language of the region.
"Edison made over 1,000 attempts before inventing the light bulb," according the awards' press release, "so he learned how not to do it in more than 1,000 different ways… "
Edison's example could be applied to the Fiasco Awards themselves. Maybe they'll be better next year.
Via: SciAm.com
I guess the one thing I will take from working at Mobuzz.tv is the fact that we were in ranks with such big names on the internet for the fiasco. I guess I have to laugh at that.
Thanks for the article.
Were "mobile.me" or Apple TV" on the list? Poland iPhone launch hired crowds, anyone?
Disclaimer: I am not a Microsoft shareholder, in fact I shorted them once.
Were "mobile.me" or Apple TV" on the list? Poland iPhone launch hired crowds, anyone?
Disclaimer: I am not a Microsoft shareholder, in fact I shorted them once.
Ol OLPS was among the finalist, you're right. But these guys forgot it in the press release http://www.fiascoawards.com/public/NdP_premis2009_angles.pdf
Ol OLPS was among the finalist, you're right. But these guys forgot it in the press release http://www.fiascoawards.com/public/NdP_premis2009_angles.pdf
I'm just trying to figure out why this horrible OS version has such disorganized means of organizing files, folders, programs, etc.
I have a Master's Degree (in SCIENCE!) and it's beyond me!
I'm just trying to figure out why this horrible OS version has such disorganized means of organizing files, folders, programs, etc.
I have a Master's Degree (in SCIENCE!) and it's beyond me!
OLPC was not among the finalists
ex ped: Yes it was. See here.
OLPC was not among the finalists
ex ped: Yes it was. See here.
The real fiasco is the is the description of the finalists…for example: "The fiasco of Second Life is mainly due to the way it works. An application to be downloaded and installed leaves out of it the people who will not or can not do this process. It also makes it impossible to access it from any computer connected to Internet."
I guess the voters felt one could have written a 3D social contribution application using ftp, modems, classified ads with ocr instead the web.
I guess "God rewards *the fool hunter*"
The real fiasco is the is the description of the finalists…for example: "The fiasco of Second Life is mainly due to the way it works. An application to be downloaded and installed leaves out of it the people who will not or can not do this process. It also makes it impossible to access it from any computer connected to Internet."
I guess the voters felt one could have written a 3D social contribution application using ftp, modems, classified ads with ocr instead the web.
I guess "God rewards *the fool hunter*"
I guess the one thing I will take from working at Mobuzz.tv is the fact that we were in ranks with such big names on the internet for the fiasco. I guess I have to laugh at that.
Gabemac former host at Mobuzz
Thanks for the article.