What is Digg?Sponsored by Dragon Age: Origins
Can't get enough Dragon Age: Origins? Check out new footage. view!
DragonAge.BioWare.com - EA presents BioWare's new dark fantasy epic Dragon Age: Origins. '9/10' from Game Informer.
113 Comments
- superpixel, on 03/26/2008, -3/+65so what does it take to be a bad CEO??? yeesh, Motorola, at one time, was a source of pride in the industry of communications, not to mention the US economy. once again we see rich CEO's flaunting their money instead of using their peabrains to build a successful company. the prevailing attitude is they'll just cut and run once they'd had their way with the company, who gives a damn?
the fact that Brown doesn't even use a computer... we wonder why our economy is in the crapper? - redfan, on 03/26/2008, -1/+49There are companies which are run to develop innovative products, keep their employees and customers satisfied, and make a long-term profit, and there are companies where the goal is to raise the share price and meet earnings for the current quarter.
It's not tough to figure out which one Motorola has become. - wayback09, on 03/26/2008, -1/+42I hope they stop putting free V3 RAZRs in my box of Cheerios and Lucky Charms.
- Celeron, on 03/26/2008, -0/+38How is this guy still CEO of a technology corporation?! Boot him out.
- inactive, on 03/26/2008, -2/+38Bring back phones that are made of metal instead of plastic. I don't care if it's slightly heavier, it wouldn't kill us to gain some finger strength. I liked how my v60 could drop a few hundred times and still function as if it were brand-new, whereas phones nowadays have trouble working right out of the box.
- dets, on 03/26/2008, -0/+21Its articles like this that make me believe the Bear Sterns bail out is a really bad idea.
Motorola has been going downhill for years. This is just proof that it was never a market that outpaced them but rather the incompetence that was put in charge. - kurtwinter, on 03/26/2008, -0/+19This is like so many other companies. The executives' incompetence is rewarded with $30m parachutes and they give the shaft to the workers. This is one more straw on the camel's back.
- inactive, on 03/26/2008, -0/+18Seeing as how the CEO isn't some old man like I pictured him to be, this guy must be a total moron.
Picture of Greg Brown
http://www.poandpo.com/slikezaclanke2/greg_brown_m ... - ewhac, on 03/26/2008, -0/+14I worked at MOTO for two years. Though I wasn't in the mobile division, I got to see a bit of the sausage factory, and was there when the iPhone was announced last year.
It was obvious to me when Apple announced the iPhone that MOTO was going to have a problem on its hands in very short order. Although the pricing made it unaffordable for Joe Sixpack, it was immediately apparent that Apple had, at a single stroke, completely redefined the cell phone experience. Every MOTO product that was more than eight months from release should have been killed immediately, and all the freed up personnel should have then stared at the iPhone demo video for two weeks straight until the UI principles became ingrained. New design ideas could have then flowed out of that. It could even have been done inexpensively.
Had they done that last year, they would have had new prototypes to show by now, they could have started generating buzz, and could have remained relevant. Now, it will take a hugely expensive effort to keep the division -- possibly the entire company -- afloat. - inactive, on 03/26/2008, -1/+14And thus we see the death of American industry, American innovation, and America's place in the world economy. American corporations are becoming so blinded by the almighty dollar that short-term gains, windfall profits, and personal stock portfolios have taken the place of any pride in quality, craftsmanship, and originality. "As long as I get mine" is the new standard of corporate success. Long-term stability, and producing quality products that actually help people do what they want to do, is literally a foreign concept to CEOs in this country.
By: kalfeer - dougmc, on 03/26/2008, -0/+1350 foot drops? _Several_ of them? What the hell were you doing with your phone? Playing catch?
- inactive, on 03/26/2008, -1/+14Once again the Baby Boomers screw the rest of us. Way to go Browny.
- inactive, on 03/26/2008, -0/+10Because there are too many idiots like them running big big companies (Enron, Worldcom just to name a few).
- badqat, on 03/26/2008, -3/+13Uh, no...it's by the dude that was his personal assistant.
- dasunst3r, on 03/26/2008, -1/+11The Motorola RAZR sets the **** standard for cell phones. People around me with them complain about broken phones every month and they make this annoying and very embarrassing "bloop-bloop-bloop" sound when you're trying to shut the stupid phone up.
So we have RAZR, KRZR, ROKR ... I think the next phone ought to be called LOZR (pronounced "loser"). - inactive, on 03/26/2008, -0/+9Anyone who thinks that these tech giants can't lose prominence overnight if they don't keep up just needs to look at Lucent.
- Tyr7BE, on 03/26/2008, -1/+10Motorola hasn't been worth ***** for a long time. The razr was a great phone, but everything they put out before and after have been complete *****. Unintuitive menus, hardware that barely works, and software that falls to pieces within 6 months of getting the phone. I've owned several motorolas and they've all fallen completely to pieces within half a year of activation. One wouldn't place calls, another just gave me a white screen when I opened it up. With my girlfriend's moto you had to hold the screen at a weird angle to make a proper connection so the screen lit up, and then shortly afterwards she lost half the menus on the phone (half would work just fine, but the other half just didn't appear when you hit the menu button).
Garbage in garbage out. I for one couldn't be happier to see them leave. - PhantomZmoove, on 03/26/2008, -0/+8Asus a no name company?
- dabdinoor, on 03/26/2008, -0/+8A senior adviser does not equal a personal assistant. The introductory text is a tad misleading.
- CC440, on 03/26/2008, -0/+8The Moto OS that most people are used to is the god awful version found on the RAZRs that aren't Verizon based. I would rather shoot myself in the face that use it convoluted backasswards menus. This is the experience people got, and 5 bajillion RAZRs ans KRZRs later its the one everybody associates Moto with.
- analogs, on 03/26/2008, -1/+8I worked for Moto around 1998 as a temp and totally did that job! I worked for a guy who was the head of their CDMA division at the time. I didn't really know anything about the corporate structure at the time, all I knew is that that this dude had two full time assistants (and probably a lot of temps) who printed out his hundreds of emails every day so that he could scribble some notes on them. You then had to go back to his inbox, try to find the message, and reply on his behalf. Since my typing skills were the best of the bunch, it soon became my only task. If it wasn't for me wanting a job in the industry so bad, I wouldn't have lasted five minutes. I stayed there just over three months before nearly losing my mind. Since I hadn't worked there for half my life, I didn't understand any of his abbreviations or references. I would just stare at his chicken scratch and be like "What the F does this mean?!"
Somehow I doubt that these were/are the only two people at the company like this. - asspants, on 03/26/2008, -1/+7Greg Brown is a ***** pimp that's why he makes his secretary print out his email and dictates answers back. I know if I had fists full of dollar bills I would too.
- inactive, on 03/26/2008, -1/+6It could be that most the motorola phones have the same OS! Its not very functional.
- NonLeftistDiggr, on 03/26/2008, -0/+5You have to be a total FKing moron to not be able to use and appreciate email. It nearly automatically documents everything said, technical information can be included and used as a tracking checklist right from the memo, it is totally flexible time wise for different personel schedules, pictures can be included to make a discussion super effective...... people who can't manage email piss me off. Getting 200 a day isn't a big deal, anyone with a brain can learn to recognize what's important.
It amazes me what we can do in this country given how many managers and decision makers can't answer email.... even the important ones like, what features do you want on the product you're buying from us, you said we need to meet - so how about Monday?, did you get the design drawings yet - please forward our shop is waiting, the PO is 5 days overdue please forwrad.
And no, the phone isn't always a better alternative. - smacksaw, on 03/26/2008, -0/+5Well, the stockholders could toss out the board and appoint people that actually know what they're doing, but if they haven't done it due to the obvious lack of products, performance and return...a clever letter from some guy's secretary isn't going to tip the scales.
The employees don't deserve Motorola, but it seems it's shareholders certainly do. - vaga222, on 03/26/2008, -1/+6So he was the guy who made the RAZR? Now I know who to send all my hate mail to.
Bloody thing is the worst phone in the world to develop for (except maybe the D500). - mmx2000, on 03/26/2008, -1/+6Too many CEO's these days seem to live in a reality of their own making, while visionaries are often left unheard and discarded.
His message that the "lower" end of the economic spectrum drives innovation is absolutely correct. The Digg community is a perfect example - economic status is irrelevant, the inherent worth of an idea is what brings it to the forefront.
Dugg for the author having the balls to scream this out publicly. - inactive, on 03/26/2008, -4/+9ditto is a pokemon!
- sevenalive, on 03/26/2008, -0/+5They got a new OS called MotoMAGX, its linux based. The new Z8 and Z10 have kick ass features, but i don't like sliders, rather have a candybar or a flip.
- Stochio, on 03/26/2008, -2/+6Honest question here, is disenfranchised the right word in this sentence?
"Like many (ourselves included), over the years Numair has become increasingly disenfranchised with the company's direction"
I see people use it this way a lot but shouldn't it be disillusioned? - altinnovation, on 03/26/2008, -1/+5Enron wasn't run by an idiot, but an *****.
- CC440, on 03/26/2008, -1/+5They are just further proof that regardless of how you actually run a business it is really only the products you make that matter. Look at Asus with the Eee, they were a no name company that built a runaway popular product, and they continue to develop on the idea. Moto built one good phone, the RAZR, and followed it up with poorly built ROKRs and KRZRs. If they had just focused on making a great product instead of making a profit by selling 4 billion ***** phones, they wouldn't really need to worry about making a profit.
- Tenoq, on 03/26/2008, -0/+4No, disenfranchised is NOT the right word in this sentence. Disillusioned would be much more appropriate.
Disenfranchised:
adjective
deprived of the rights of citizenship especially the right to vote; "labor was voiceless"; "disenfranchised masses took to the streets" - eviljolly, on 03/26/2008, -0/+4I loved my V60. It took several 50+ foot drops before it stopped powering on. I like my Sony Ericsson walkman phone, but it's nowhere near as tough.
- colin8651, on 03/26/2008, -0/+4The V60 is the best cell phone ever made in my opinion.
- badqat, on 03/26/2008, -0/+4Uh, and if that's what you want, why not get it?
- franklymister, on 03/26/2008, -1/+5It seems blindingly obvious that Motorola ought to install Numair Faraz as the CEO.
Stockholders, rise up! - luchid, on 03/27/2008, -1/+4Having to replace the screen of a new mobile phone is OK for you? Are you a Microsoft customer?
- mitikomon, on 03/26/2008, -0/+3the main letter is very long, but worth reading.
- Stochio, on 03/26/2008, -3/+6That Republican/Democrat crap is so Web 1.0
- rspeed, on 03/26/2008, -1/+4From beyond the graaaaaaave!
- MellerTime, on 03/27/2008, -0/+3I would say that in order to successfully understand the technology market and head a major corporation in that market, one should... you know... be familiar with said technology. How familiar with it can he be if he doesn't use it?
- badqat, on 03/26/2008, -0/+3Continual improvement philosophies aren't exclusive to Toyota. We did it at the Japanese company I worked for, which did business with Honda.
- Charlotte_Web, on 03/26/2008, -0/+3I think Motorola's downfall began in the 90's when they couldn't keep up with the aggressive development schedule that they had laid out for the PowerPC microprocessors. It got worse when Intel siphoned off most of their top engineering talent in the late 90's.
MOT had a great business model at one time; Apple Macs would subsidize the cost of developing the processors, and as efficiencies and economies of scale brought the per unit cost down, they would repurpose those processors for the devices and cellphone markets.
MOT's PowerPC development dragged so far behind that Apple had no choice but to switch to Intel. - triskele, on 03/26/2008, -0/+3"... he refuses to use a computer for communications, and has all his email correspondences printed by his secretary and replied to by dictation." Sounds almost like something Marlon Brando would've done.
- ThreeDee912, on 03/26/2008, -1/+4Sadly, depending on which carrier you use, you won't ever get to use the new OS, as it will be written over by the carrier's usually crappy firmware. Unless you get a phone before the carrier gets its hands on it...
- fridgetarian, on 03/27/2008, -0/+3You are so very correct. This word has gotten out of control lately and it drives me crazy. To see it abused and misused is so sad.
- Shocky, on 03/27/2008, -0/+3Having worked building prototypes for Motorola before and after iPhone was released, there was already work on advanced UIs that are far superior to Motorola's current gen. The problem is not ideas, it's implementing them into a product. There were prototypes before iPhone. The problem is product groups wouldn't pick it up because there was too much risk. With layoffs happening everywhere, why take a high risk prototype to production when another razr was easier to build.
Needless to say, I left. - altinnovation, on 03/26/2008, -0/+3Finaly someone who shares my oppinion!!! :D
But you can't blame them... They were the "me" generation. - MellerTime, on 03/27/2008, -0/+3Works out to be the same in this instance. Like he said, they just cut and run when times get rough. Why the times got rough is a minor detail...
-
Show 51 - 100 of 113 discussions
The Digg Toolbar for Firefox lets you Digg, submit content, and keep track of Digg even when you're not on the Digg site. Download the official 
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is 