Where Gates learned "innovation"

["Eric M. Bennett" <ericb@pobox.com>]

The most recent column by PC Magazine's John Dvorak reveals where Microsoft
picked up the word "innovation".  He writes:

=====
Then there is the word innovation. A key word, it's showing up too often
in too many places in association with Microsoft and Windows 98.
Obviously, the Microsoft spin doctors are trying to associate the word
innovation with Windows 98 in the minds of the public. This is cute, since
there is very little innovation in Windows 98. Everything in the OS is
either a geegaw, a bug fix, or some new support, such as that for USB.
...
The "innovation" theme apparently began shortly after Microsoft was forced
to hide the IE icon in Windows 95, in a deal struck with the DOJ on
January 22, 1998. Five days later, on January 27, the day he visited the
San Jose Museum of Innovation, Gates first used innovation in association
with the case. The word must have jumped out at him from the museum sign.
He described the DOJ case as "the government versus innovation."

Innovation is not found in any previous press materials or speeches.
Gates, though, immediately jumped on the term. This was epitomized by his
"leaked" February 2, 1998, memo to employees. There he complains about his
competitors and the government, saying, "If Microsoft is to fail, let it
be because we failed to innovate, not because our innovations were
outlawed."
=====

The punchline, of course, is that this is just one more aspect of Microsoft
and its product that came from a museum.  ;-)



--
Eric Bennett (http://www.pobox.com/~ericb/), Cornell Biochemistry Department

Then there is the word innovation. A key word, it's showing up too often in
too many places in association with Microsoft and Windows 98. Obviously,
the Microsoft spin doctors are trying to associate the word innovation with
Windows 98 in the minds of the public. This is cute, since there is very
little innovation in Windows 98. Everything in the OS is either a geegaw, a
bug fix, or some new support, such as that for USB.
- John Dvorak, PC Magazine


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