Fools at CES 2008 . . . Gizmodo = Bozo?
Several Gizmodo staffers attending CES 2008 in Las Vegas evidently decided to undertake a prank. Their effort involved walking the massive show floor with TV-B-Gone remote devices in-hand to shut down displays at random, in one case in the midst of a presentation. Needless to say, large TV displays are part of the lifeblood at CES. To say the pranks were noticed is an understatement. When this equipment suddenly shuts down for no apparent reason, technical panic ensues. It's not funny.
Let me repeat that. The practical joke included shutting down a huge main display being used as an integral part of a show presentation in the midst of CES. The Gizmodo staffers who pulled this prank must have been dropped on their heads as children.
Into every life a little rain must fall. We all know that. The point is that rain is as natural as inadvertent acts and accidents. Even practical jokes privately imposed have merit, occasionally humor, and can often be tolerated with good grace. But shutting down someone's presentation in the midst of the absurdly stress and pressure filled trade show floor at CES for no reason other than to generate a few yucks? It's a really horrible thing to do.
Let's keep our perspective.
There's a time and a place for everything, including street theatre (this was no such thing - street theatre offers messages of value), practical jokes (this was more than personally harmful - it disrupted a real presentation attended by dozens of people), good humored protest (but there was no stated point to the TV-B-Gone disruptions in this case), and serious protest (again, there was no stated point to the disruptions). So what the Gizmodo Bozos are guilty of is bad judgment, inappropriate public behavior, needlessly disrupting a business and trade show presentation, and then - on top of it all - being ignorant enough to actually fess up to the stupid actions.
It's hard to know what motivates these actions in young adults. Is it a logical extreme extending from the growing sense of entitlement felt by so many teenagers and young adults? Do they simply believe that because a thing can be done that it must be done, irrespective of any other consideration? If so, how about if someone runs a fully powered-up bulk erasing magnet over their laptops? Now that would be funny.
Actions of this kind detract from trade shows and actually hurt people who have worked hard, under absurdly stressful circumstances, to help ensure that their ridiculously expensive booth and presentation presence at CES will be a success. So the simple act of goofing on someone by surreptitiously turning off his tools becomes more than simply "flicking off a TV" as some defenders of the prank have crowed.
Shame on this kind of thoughtlessness. Never, ever pointlessly disrupt people from proceeding with their livelihood. Shame on this kind of heartlessness. Above all else, shame on Gizmodo for offering only an insufferably smug explanation on its web site and no apology of any significance.
Remember this Gizmodo. Turnabout is fair play. You've opened the door. So be afraid.
Let me repeat that. The practical joke included shutting down a huge main display being used as an integral part of a show presentation in the midst of CES. The Gizmodo staffers who pulled this prank must have been dropped on their heads as children.
Into every life a little rain must fall. We all know that. The point is that rain is as natural as inadvertent acts and accidents. Even practical jokes privately imposed have merit, occasionally humor, and can often be tolerated with good grace. But shutting down someone's presentation in the midst of the absurdly stress and pressure filled trade show floor at CES for no reason other than to generate a few yucks? It's a really horrible thing to do.
Let's keep our perspective.
There's a time and a place for everything, including street theatre (this was no such thing - street theatre offers messages of value), practical jokes (this was more than personally harmful - it disrupted a real presentation attended by dozens of people), good humored protest (but there was no stated point to the TV-B-Gone disruptions in this case), and serious protest (again, there was no stated point to the disruptions). So what the Gizmodo Bozos are guilty of is bad judgment, inappropriate public behavior, needlessly disrupting a business and trade show presentation, and then - on top of it all - being ignorant enough to actually fess up to the stupid actions.
It's hard to know what motivates these actions in young adults. Is it a logical extreme extending from the growing sense of entitlement felt by so many teenagers and young adults? Do they simply believe that because a thing can be done that it must be done, irrespective of any other consideration? If so, how about if someone runs a fully powered-up bulk erasing magnet over their laptops? Now that would be funny.
Actions of this kind detract from trade shows and actually hurt people who have worked hard, under absurdly stressful circumstances, to help ensure that their ridiculously expensive booth and presentation presence at CES will be a success. So the simple act of goofing on someone by surreptitiously turning off his tools becomes more than simply "flicking off a TV" as some defenders of the prank have crowed.
Shame on this kind of thoughtlessness. Never, ever pointlessly disrupt people from proceeding with their livelihood. Shame on this kind of heartlessness. Above all else, shame on Gizmodo for offering only an insufferably smug explanation on its web site and no apology of any significance.
Remember this Gizmodo. Turnabout is fair play. You've opened the door. So be afraid.
posted by Howard Carson, Managing Editor @ 12:39 AM
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