Comments on: Doug Morris, Old Person http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/ Mon, 01 Dec 2008 18:54:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Links of Interest (November 27th 2007 through January 3rd 2008) · All the Billion Other Moments (Jason Penney) http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-162986 Links of Interest (November 27th 2007 through January 3rd 2008) · All the Billion Other Moments (Jason Penney) Fri, 04 Jan 2008 00:33:31 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-162986 [...] Doug Morris, Old PersonJonathan Coulton posted this summary of the New York Magazine blog’s summary or Wired’s profile of Doug Morris, CEO of Universal Music Group. I’m not going to further summarize, just read and be enlightened.Tags: Universal+Music+Group Doug+Morris Music Tags: .epub, Array, Audiobooks, CSS, Doug Morris, Doug+Morris, e-books, editing, free, gtd, hasLayout, howto, ie, IE8, Journeyman, Justine Larbalestier, Kindle, Links, magazine, Music, NBC, organization, philosophy, Podiobooks, Productivity, rewriting, Sci Phi, Science-Fiction, social-networks, standards, Tower-of-eBabel, Universal Music Group, Universal+Music+Group, webdesign, Writing [...] [...] Doug Morris, Old PersonJonathan Coulton posted this summary of the New York Magazine blog’s summary or Wired’s profile of Doug Morris, CEO of Universal Music Group. I’m not going to further summarize, just read and be enlightened.Tags: Universal+Music+Group Doug+Morris Music Tags: .epub, Array, Audiobooks, CSS, Doug Morris, Doug+Morris, e-books, editing, free, gtd, hasLayout, howto, ie, IE8, Journeyman, Justine Larbalestier, Kindle, Links, magazine, Music, NBC, organization, philosophy, Podiobooks, Productivity, rewriting, Sci Phi, Science-Fiction, social-networks, standards, Tower-of-eBabel, Universal Music Group, Universal+Music+Group, webdesign, Writing [...]

]]> By: JayPee http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-162082 JayPee Sun, 30 Dec 2007 21:46:20 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-162082 No CEO is this retarded. This guy is just a liar and making excuses for his own poor decisions. No CEO is this retarded. This guy is just a liar and making excuses for his own poor decisions.

]]> By: Jeremy in Idaho http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-157269 Jeremy in Idaho Fri, 07 Dec 2007 06:50:39 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-157269 Can't... stop... laughing... to type. Disregard the luddites! Can’t… stop… laughing… to type.
Disregard the luddites!

]]> By: Raj http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-156300 Raj Mon, 03 Dec 2007 16:00:53 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-156300 To all the nitpickers and naysayers, if you're so smart and he's so dumb, whom would you have had him hire back then? Seriously. Put yourself in his shoes, WITHOUT the benefit of hindsight to guide you. To all the nitpickers and naysayers, if you’re so smart and he’s so dumb, whom would you have had him hire back then? Seriously. Put yourself in his shoes, WITHOUT the benefit of hindsight to guide you.

]]> By: goatchowder http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155819 goatchowder Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:25:07 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155819 I think this song was written about him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGc_4DeKBN4 The title, "Gubbar med Bluetooth headset" means, "Old Man with a Bluetooth Headset". It fits Morris perfectly. I think this song was written about him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGc_4DeKBN4

The title, “Gubbar med Bluetooth headset” means, “Old Man with a Bluetooth Headset”.

It fits Morris perfectly.

]]> By: gex http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155691 gex Fri, 30 Nov 2007 04:50:50 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155691 Gee, on the one hand, we get CEO's arguing that they deserve the big bucks because they guide their businesses through the business jungle, having to deal with the changing competitive landscape, changing technology, and changing consumer demands. On the other hand, we get this guy, who apparently is proud to loudly admit he's too scared to even try to do the work he's getting the big money for. How pathetic. Gee, on the one hand, we get CEO’s arguing that they deserve the big bucks because they guide their businesses through the business jungle, having to deal with the changing competitive landscape, changing technology, and changing consumer demands.

On the other hand, we get this guy, who apparently is proud to loudly admit he’s too scared to even try to do the work he’s getting the big money for.

How pathetic.

]]> By: HijiNKS ENSUE a geek webcomic - updated monday and thursday » Blog Archive » Robots are everywhere, and they eat old people’s medicine for fuel http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155447 HijiNKS ENSUE a geek webcomic - updated monday and thursday » Blog Archive » Robots are everywhere, and they eat old people’s medicine for fuel Thu, 29 Nov 2007 09:05:28 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155447 [...] Joco had some thoughts about the story from a troubadour’s perspective. He also posted some choice quotes from the article which I will now repost (but you should still go read them on his site and buy some of his songs.) “There’s no one in the record industry that’s a technologist,” Morris explains. “That’s a misconception writers make all the time, that the record industry missed this. They didn’t. They just didn’t know what to do. It’s like if you were suddenly asked to operate on your dog to remove his kidney. What would you do?” [...] [...] Joco had some thoughts about the story from a troubadour’s perspective. He also posted some choice quotes from the article which I will now repost (but you should still go read them on his site and buy some of his songs.) “There’s no one in the record industry that’s a technologist,” Morris explains. “That’s a misconception writers make all the time, that the record industry missed this. They didn’t. They just didn’t know what to do. It’s like if you were suddenly asked to operate on your dog to remove his kidney. What would you do?” [...]

]]> By: James http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155297 James Wed, 28 Nov 2007 20:56:57 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155297 He sounds like chicken little, the sky is falling but I can't do anything about it! He sounds like chicken little, the sky is falling but I can’t do anything about it!

]]> By: ouija repair http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155291 ouija repair Wed, 28 Nov 2007 19:55:35 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155291 Sounds like his biggest problem is that he'd been an executive so long that he didn't trust anybody. Sounds like his biggest problem is that he’d been an executive so long that he didn’t trust anybody.

]]> By: JP http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155237 JP Wed, 28 Nov 2007 14:02:40 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155237 What most companies do is just buy the market leader that is doing what you want to do. or He could have talked to his grand kid and found out how to download Bobby Darren records and figured it out from there. or they all could have stuck there heads somewhere and pretended that it would all go away. :) What most companies do is just buy the market leader that is doing what you want to do.

or

He could have talked to his grand kid and found out how to download Bobby Darren records and figured it out from there.

or

they all could have stuck there heads somewhere and pretended that it would all go away. :)

]]> By: Lindsay http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155154 Lindsay Wed, 28 Nov 2007 06:34:36 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155154 This really, really defies... well, I don't know exactly what it defies. Belief? Logic? Common sense? Faith in humanity? It is simultaneously terrifying and mildly amusing that people that idiotic are (technically) running large companies. Anyone who has been *alive* long enough to become CEO of a large company should have a lot more of a clue than that. I thought the ability to find things out for oneself came naturally with things like *living* and *having a brain*. Sheesh. This really, really defies… well, I don’t know exactly what it defies. Belief? Logic? Common sense? Faith in humanity? It is simultaneously terrifying and mildly amusing that people that idiotic are (technically) running large companies. Anyone who has been *alive* long enough to become CEO of a large company should have a lot more of a clue than that. I thought the ability to find things out for oneself came naturally with things like *living* and *having a brain*. Sheesh.

]]> By: jacob http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155109 jacob Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:22:08 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155109 Dragging and dropping? What's all this then? I checked on the google but nothing came up. Dragging and dropping? What’s all this then? I checked on the google but nothing came up.

]]> By: iii http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155101 iii Tue, 27 Nov 2007 23:56:13 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155101 >>“I wouldn’t be able to recognize a good technology person — anyone with a good bullshit story would have gotten past me.” with that line, he's a good 90% ahead of most of the CEOs out there. >>“I wouldn’t be able to recognize a good technology person — anyone with a good bullshit story would have gotten past me.”

with that line, he’s a good 90% ahead of most of the CEOs out there.

]]> By: manstraw http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155100 manstraw Tue, 27 Nov 2007 23:54:40 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155100 does it take a genius to hire the guy that scares you the most? does it take a genius to hire the guy that scares you the most?

]]> By: Shruti http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155089 Shruti Tue, 27 Nov 2007 22:08:29 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155089 Yikes. There are enough people on the other side of the digital divide; guys like this don't need to add to that by remaining willfully ignorant. Good grief. Yikes. There are enough people on the other side of the digital divide; guys like this don’t need to add to that by remaining willfully ignorant. Good grief.

]]> By: Pete http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155082 Pete Tue, 27 Nov 2007 21:01:47 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155082 While this is all probably true enough, it still doesn't get any sympathy from me. It is every business's own responsibility to watch for changes in technology, the market, public opinion, ANYTHING that might impact your business model. They were caught asleep at the wheel, failing to navigate through an emerging new use of their product. When there's a demand for something, and nobody supplies it, people start making it themselves. They also start stealing it. Not saying that makes it right, but you have to anticipate this effect regardless. @Syphro: This is how Napster and Rhapsody and similar services now work. You pay a monthly fee and download anything you like. If you stop paying your monthly fee, you lose access to everything you've already downloaded. While this is all probably true enough, it still doesn’t get any sympathy from me. It is every business’s own responsibility to watch for changes in technology, the market, public opinion, ANYTHING that might impact your business model. They were caught asleep at the wheel, failing to navigate through an emerging new use of their product. When there’s a demand for something, and nobody supplies it, people start making it themselves. They also start stealing it. Not saying that makes it right, but you have to anticipate this effect regardless.

@Syphro: This is how Napster and Rhapsody and similar services now work. You pay a monthly fee and download anything you like. If you stop paying your monthly fee, you lose access to everything you’ve already downloaded.

]]> By: Rich http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155074 Rich Tue, 27 Nov 2007 20:33:30 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155074 I don't see why we need any of this. Everyone knows Rock reached perfection in 1974. :-) I don’t see why we need any of this. Everyone knows Rock reached perfection in 1974. :-)

]]> By: Syphro http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155071 Syphro Tue, 27 Nov 2007 19:55:51 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155071 What about Time Warner's Gametap? Thats a great digital distribution run on a subscription based model that gives you unlimited access to all their games as long as you keep paying the subscription. They can't do that for music as well? What about Time Warner’s Gametap? Thats a great digital distribution run on a subscription based model that gives you unlimited access to all their games as long as you keep paying the subscription.
They can’t do that for music as well?

]]> By: M_pony http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155062 M_pony Tue, 27 Nov 2007 19:15:29 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155062 Gee, sorry Doug. How's the weather in Plato's Cave? Gee, sorry Doug. How’s the weather in Plato’s Cave?

]]> By: Paul http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155056 Paul Tue, 27 Nov 2007 18:50:21 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155056 "I bet Doug Morris still has trouble dragging and dropping." Hell, at MY age, about all I CAN do is drag and drop. So to speak. “I bet Doug Morris still has trouble dragging and dropping.” Hell, at MY age, about all I CAN do is drag and drop. So to speak.

]]> By: Gina http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155054 Gina Tue, 27 Nov 2007 18:25:55 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155054 Check out that forehead! Dude looks like a Klingon. Check out that forehead! Dude looks like a Klingon.

]]> By: Horace Rumpole http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155048 Horace Rumpole Tue, 27 Nov 2007 18:06:32 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155048 I envision him barking commands into his mouse like Scotty in Star Trek IV. I envision him barking commands into his mouse like Scotty in Star Trek IV.

]]> By: john darc http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155043 john darc Tue, 27 Nov 2007 17:39:55 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155043 What about Peter Rojas of Engadget and his record label, appropriately named RCRD LBL? so Web 2.0, and he'd know what he was doing. What about Peter Rojas of Engadget and his record label, appropriately named RCRD LBL? so Web 2.0, and he’d know what he was doing.

]]> By: randal http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155038 randal Tue, 27 Nov 2007 17:09:37 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155038 I call bullshit. Claiming that a company like UMG or Sony couldn't come up with a digital distribution network is a load of crap--they just decided that they'd rather file thousands of lawsuits instead. To put it another way, Vivendi also distributes World of Warcraft, and that's certainly making money hand over fist. I call bullshit. Claiming that a company like UMG or Sony couldn’t come up with a digital distribution network is a load of crap–they just decided that they’d rather file thousands of lawsuits instead.

To put it another way, Vivendi also distributes World of Warcraft, and that’s certainly making money hand over fist.

]]> By: Mikey http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155034 Mikey Tue, 27 Nov 2007 16:47:11 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155034 Seriously? Record labels don't have email and networks and phones and COM-PEW-TORS like the other Hu-man corporations? They don't have websites? Nobody runs their blackberry servers? It never occurs to a CEO to consult with his CIO/IT department to make a hiring decision like this? Seriously? Record labels don’t have email and networks and phones and COM-PEW-TORS like the other Hu-man corporations? They don’t have websites? Nobody runs their blackberry servers? It never occurs to a CEO to consult with his CIO/IT department to make a hiring decision like this?

]]> By: Pete http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155033 Pete Tue, 27 Nov 2007 16:46:14 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155033 <b>Denholm:</b> I'm gonna put you in I.T. because you said on your CV you have a lot of experience with computers. <b>Jen:</b> I did say that on my CV, yes. I have a lot of experience with the whole computer thing you know, emails, sending emails, receiving emails, deleting emails, I could go on. <b>Denholm:</b> Do. <b>Jen:</b> The web. Using a mouse, mices, using mice. Clicking, double clicking. The computer screen, of course. The keyboard. The... bit that goes on the floor down there. <b>Denholm:</b> The hard drive. <b>Jen:</b> Correct. Denholm: I’m gonna put you in I.T. because you said on your CV you have a lot of experience with computers.
Jen: I did say that on my CV, yes. I have a lot of experience with the whole computer thing you know, emails, sending emails, receiving emails, deleting emails, I could go on.
Denholm: Do.
Jen: The web. Using a mouse, mices, using mice. Clicking, double clicking. The computer screen, of course. The keyboard. The… bit that goes on the floor down there.
Denholm: The hard drive.
Jen: Correct.

]]> By: COD http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155032 COD Tue, 27 Nov 2007 16:45:12 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155032 You missed the even better quote where he makes an analogy to how would Coca-Cola survive if if poured freely from faucets. Apparently he isn't familiar with the multi-billion dollar bottled water industry. You missed the even better quote where he makes an analogy to how would Coca-Cola survive if if poured freely from faucets. Apparently he isn’t familiar with the multi-billion dollar bottled water industry.

]]> By: Unfrozen Caveman CEO http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155028 Unfrozen Caveman CEO Tue, 27 Nov 2007 16:06:45 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155028 All your modern Internets frighten and confuse me! I don't understand the voices that sing to me from inside this magical box on my mahogany desk in my corner office. I think there must be tiny troubadours trapped inside it! I don't know. Because I'm a caveman -- that's the way I think... All your modern Internets frighten and confuse me! I don’t understand the voices that sing to me from inside this magical box on my mahogany desk in my corner office. I think there must be tiny troubadours trapped inside it! I don’t know. Because I’m a caveman — that’s the way I think…

]]> By: Glenn Peters http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155025 Glenn Peters Tue, 27 Nov 2007 15:52:02 +0000 http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2007/11/27/doug-morris-old-person/#comment-155025 I am not surprised. It's not even an age thing. We had a CEO at a company I was at years back that issued an edict that no one can link to our company's web site from our personal websites. He went on to be VP at Real. I am not surprised. It’s not even an age thing. We had a CEO at a company I was at years back that issued an edict that no one can link to our company’s web site from our personal websites.

He went on to be VP at Real.

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