Steve Jobs impacted millions of people during his life in a myriad of ways. His death is seminal as well. And it is sad he died a relatively young man with lots of great things yet to accomplish no doubt. I get that.
What I don’t get is all the people who think their star should shine brighter because they once happened to cross paths with Jobs.
First of all, let me establish one thing immediately, so you don’t get the wrong idea with this post.
I am not an Apple fanatic, but I am a fan. In fact, I am typing this on an iMac, and when I am finished, I will grab my MacBook and go out and make a presentation. I am also considering purchasing my first iPhone and an iPad won’t be far behind.
Steve Jobs was an amazing product visionary. He built an amazing company. And he did a lot of amazing things that changed the way we regard – and interact with – technology.
But honestly, I don’t care if you shook his hand at a Macworld conference in 2006, or were at a product unveiling in Cupertino, or almost hit him with you car in Palo Alto one time.
But honestly, I don’t care if you shook his hand at a Macworld conference in 2006, or were at a product unveiling in Cupertino, or almost hit him with you car in Palo Alto one time.
Yes, that’s right. Just before I sat down to write this, someone in my network tweeted that they almost ran Jobs over in their car when Jobs was crossing the street outside of the crosswalk.
Another blogger detailed how he “came close a couple times” to meeting Jobs, and blah, blah, blah.
The death of Jobs may be like the “where were you heard when you heard the news” of the JFK Assassination or the John Lennon shooting or the car crash of Princess Diana.
I was in meetings for most of a day and heard the news of Jobs’ death after much of the rest of the world no doubt.
After reading the roundup of accomplishments and timelines and obits that no doubt had been pre-prepared and sitting on the shelf of many mainstream media organizations, I went to Twitter.
It’s natural that when someone has been in the public eye for some time, and in this case also used his products, that we feel as if we know them.
But I thought Steve Jobs was a fairly private guy, who spent much of his life either in the office, or with his family in their lovely-but-rather-modest-considering-his-wealth brick and slate home.
How then did all of these people that are now tweeting “honored to have met the man,” “honored to have known the man,” “honored to have worked with the man” actually meet, know and work with him?
So to all those fanboys and girls who “almost met Steve Jobs.” So what.
And even if they did, why tweet about it? It’s as if we are supposed to think more of them for having crossed paths with greatness.
If I told you I sat down with Tom Hanks five times and he called me by name the last time would your image of me be enhanced? Would I somehow be more special in your eyes? Or could I get more Twitter followers out of it?
What if I told you that Captain Stubing from The Love Boat, aka Gavin MacLeod in real life, is a close personal friend? Or that I receive Christmas cards with family photos from Julio Iglesias, a Spanish singer who sold 300 million records but is now better known for being the father of heartthrob Enrique Iglesias.
You might say to yourself, good for me, but so what?
So to all those fanboys and girls who “almost met Steve Jobs.” So what.
Except for one. Lane Wallace is an author, writer and entrepreneur. And Steve Jobs was her neighbor for seven-and-a-half years. She never met the man, but she was nonetheless touched by his soothing presence in the neighborhood, as well as his simple garden and home. And she wrote a loving tribute.
RIP.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
naughty naughty…i was thinking the same things but couldn’t come up with an acceptable way of expressing it
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I know, I know. Someone is bound to take exception to this. And Staffing Talk might not be the place you would expect to read this piece to begin with. But certainly lots of America – and the world – is talking about Jobs and Apple and their combined impact, and I just wanted to vent about a part of that conversation. By no means am I intending to a shot at Steve, only at those who want to profit in any form or fashion from being in his orbit, or “almost” being in his orbit.
Okay, so this take is a bit on the cynical side, but the point is well made. Now is the time to celebrate the long list of accomplishments, not score points for having known – or met – Steve Jobs.
I will add one more annoying thing to the list. A good number of my Facebook friends have also chosen to post obits and screen saves and other things they have accumulated from around the web about Steve Jobs.
I am an open networker in other places, but my Facebook friends are all truly friends. I enjoy seeing their kids’ homecoming pics or a trip to the lake or a golf outing or some such stuff.
But I kind of don’t need to see and hear their thoughts on the passing of Jobs. Not sure why it bothers me, but it does feel just slightly like a bit of an intrusion.
By the way, it is cool David Gee that Tom Hanks “knows” you. Do tell more some time Mr. name dropper.
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