Re: On Luddites and the Use of Machines: Apropos of FCPX

[David Roth Weiss] "The real problem with FCPX is that, as hard as you try Bill, it simply doesn't come close to what you try to make of it. If the software was even close it would be a real win-win; FCPX would be better, and we wouldn't have to read all of your dribble.

So many words - so little meaning. But, I guess your third grade teacher would give you an A for effort?"

As always I'm going to try to ignore Mr. Weiss's personal attacks and see if there's some actual meaning inside this.

Nope. It's vague speculation and innuendo. "doesn't even come close" is opinion unsupported by any factual content or examples. Likewise the unsupported opinion re-statement in line 2.

The "dribble" comment is self evident personal hostility. Fine.

At some point, Mr. Weiss will stop focusing on ME and focus on providing examples of why he feels my opinions are wrong. But we'll obviously have to wait longer.

While we do. I'll make a simple argument. If X's construct "doesn't come close" to what I'm making of it - then why are so many professionals still trying to come to grips with it?

Mr Weiss himself, seems to have an almost atavistic need to trash it and any supporter of it at every turn.

If it's so trivial and flawed, and meaningless, why?

This forums popularity and Mr Weiss's own on-going obsession with trashing the software at every turn is, in itself, de-facto proof that it's deep, interesting, and yep, even revolutionary.

If it wasn't, nobody would keep coming here passionately arguing about it.

It's curious to me that there are still many here who continue to let themselves feel "personally wounded" that Apple discontinued a product where they had expertise. I suppose they've lost some feeling of being "valuable" by virtue of losing skills they had built on the old platform that had largely come to defined them. And while they're wrapped up in that pain, all they can do is trash talk the new player relentlessly, yearning for a return to the old game they loved.

But alas, the old game is over.

There are plenty of new ones from, AVID, Adobe, Sony, and others. My advice, sir, is to move along to one of them. Revisiting this pain is not productive for you or for us.

This is a world of constantly evolving games. Getting stuck in an old one is a dead end. In my 20s when I was an on-air talent in radio, I could have forever defined myself as a guy content in a room full of LP's and record players working to build an audience., and missed the changes that eventually put everyone out jogging with their iPods and little need for someone to pick their music for them.

I had to move on and release the skills I'd picked up as a DJ so I could play another game.

I did. Into TV, and Advertising, and eventually video production full time.

I don't know if X is the future for anyone. I just know it's more interesting to me than the past. Because it contains a raft of useful new thinking that's stretching me.

But it's not about me, or you. It's about letting everyone choose for themselves after listening to the debate.

And I will keep adding my voice to it, whether or not you agree.

Take care.

"Before speaking out ask yourself whether your words are true, whether they are respectful and whether they are needed in our civil discussions."-Justice O'Connor