I love it when I randomly click through to an article just to find out that it was based on something I wrote. Thanks for that and great article.
Jeremiah Cooper
· 1 year ago
It does seem that a lot of the younger crowd are the ones making the big time money now a days. I also agree that a lot of them do not understand a depression like this one. I'm one of those younger kids in the online world trying to make money, but I definitely understand the crisis we are in. We can't take anything for granted anymore
Leslie Poston
· 1 year ago
Thanks for the calming, realistic post. I've been telling people not to panic for days now. (Handing out towels left and right, so to speak.) Is this tight? Hell yes. Is it bad? Hell yes. What makes it worse, though, is panic. Right now most media outlets are fanning the flames of panic and our current "leader" (and I use the term so very loosely in reference to GWB) does not have the ability and demeanor to calm the populace while the economy rights itself, as it will.
alactract@wordpress.com
· 1 year ago
It is never at bad as the goverment and press make it out to be. The goverment hit us over the head to get a multi billion dollar bailout and the news media is getting great ratings. If this can get everyone fired up enough to create real reform it may work out in the end. ( Big if ! )
virginie
· 1 year ago
I am all for optimistic discussions so thank you for this post. I wanted however to comment on your remark “This person isn’t very resourceful.†Pretty harsh, understand the point of your post but this remark: really not empathetic. This person was a single mother raising 3 childrens and had to once go the soup kitchen. who knows how any of us would do in the unique circumstances she was living in?
Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins
· 1 year ago
Indeed. It's just that given the depth of detail the account went into, it seemed to me that a bunch of options were on the table.
I guess it also goes to the issue of how I look at things. I used to work with Gypsies in South Florida, who have a saying: "You make your own luck."
The idea is that bad luck isn't something that just happens to you, it's something you allow to happen to you through inaction or bad decisions. It also implies that there's actions you can take to make your situation better.
As I learned during the tech bust, there's always options. Do you really need that extra stick of RAM, particularly if by selling it, you can fill your refrigerator for a month? If it's between a soup kitchen and faster response time on my computer, sorry, laptop, but you're gonna be a bit slow for a while.
Duncan
· 1 year ago
Mark, kudos for the positive tone, it's going to be something we need more of. But this isn't 2002.
I know unemployment isn't as bad today, and certain other factors. But its worse in a gigantic portion in many other ways, and we are yet to see the full effect of it all.
Smarter people than you and I are calling this at least the beginning of a serious recession, at worst, a repeat of the great depression. 2002 and the first tech crash may well seem like a kids birthday party with bad cake in comparison. That others in the comments would suggest this is a media beat up is beyond me, because you only have to look at some numbers to know that it's actually probably a measure worse again. Even Sequioa is saying it's time to panic.
People need to be creative, and tech can help that, so you're right in that respect. But context needs to consider real numbers.
Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins
· 1 year ago
Until I get the chance to personally speak with economists I trust, I'm not going to proffer any further analysis on the economy per se.
I only know what I've experienced before.
Another anecdote that I couldn't quite shoe-horn into this piece has to do with when I was left pretty much penniless after Wilma. In that case, I was able to fashion a sustainable tech/info based business with absolutely no venture capital, running water or electricity (it's actually a cool story, I should write it up some time).
There's *always* options. You just hafta take them.
Ørv
· 1 year ago
This was a greeat read. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
This puts, for me, Zeitgeist:Adenddum in some tech perspective. You and those whom made the Zeitgeist movie both agree that applied technologies ( Like eBay, Google Docs, co-working, social networking, cloud computing and Mechanical Turk ) will help eleviate some of the burdens of this crisis and help mankind progress.
kudos 2 u!
Carla Thompson
· 1 year ago
I couldn't agree more, Mark. The sky is not falling and breadlines will not be forming. I'm not much of a Pollyanna but I see huge opportunity in the downturn. Perhaps because during the last one, I started my own agency and opened up the most lucrative and enjoyable era of my career. I wouldn't be where I am today if the first bubble hadn't burst.
And really, you must write a book, if only to expand on this phrase: "I used to work with Gypsies in South Florida…"
Carlos Hernandez
· 1 year ago
"At the end of the day, though, I’d accomplished my goals through resourcefulness, hard work and technology."
I resonated with your written experience.
I am a Baby Boomer, and late adopter to the world of social media which was prompted after deciding to leave an industry and corporate life of 28 years in February 2007.
Once out, it became evident how far behind I was in the use of internet to reach people and conduct business. Today, I am grateful for the conferences, blogs and people who have been my teachers and now I pass on that working knowledge to other Boomers so they too can become tech savvy.
Erhan
· 1 year ago
Mark: Follow me too! I'm coming to SF too - for good days! ; ) There is no need to THESE gassy VCs!
All Comments
...and NOW I will read the article. :P
commodity futures modernization act, this will continue to happen
I wanted however to comment on your remark “This person isn’t very resourceful.â€
Pretty harsh, understand the point of your post but this remark: really not empathetic. This person was a single mother raising 3 childrens and had to once go the soup kitchen.
who knows how any of us would do in the unique circumstances she was living in?
I guess it also goes to the issue of how I look at things. I used to work with Gypsies in South Florida, who have a saying: "You make your own luck."
The idea is that bad luck isn't something that just happens to you, it's something you allow to happen to you through inaction or bad decisions. It also implies that there's actions you can take to make your situation better.
As I learned during the tech bust, there's always options. Do you really need that extra stick of RAM, particularly if by selling it, you can fill your refrigerator for a month? If it's between a soup kitchen and faster response time on my computer, sorry, laptop, but you're gonna be a bit slow for a while.
I know unemployment isn't as bad today, and certain other factors. But its worse in a gigantic portion in many other ways, and we are yet to see the full effect of it all.
Smarter people than you and I are calling this at least the beginning of a serious recession, at worst, a repeat of the great depression. 2002 and the first tech crash may well seem like a kids birthday party with bad cake in comparison. That others in the comments would suggest this is a media beat up is beyond me, because you only have to look at some numbers to know that it's actually probably a measure worse again. Even Sequioa is saying it's time to panic.
People need to be creative, and tech can help that, so you're right in that respect. But context needs to consider real numbers.
I only know what I've experienced before.
Another anecdote that I couldn't quite shoe-horn into this piece has to do with when I was left pretty much penniless after Wilma. In that case, I was able to fashion a sustainable tech/info based business with absolutely no venture capital, running water or electricity (it's actually a cool story, I should write it up some time).
There's *always* options. You just hafta take them.
This puts, for me, Zeitgeist:Adenddum in some tech perspective.
You and those whom made the Zeitgeist movie both agree that applied technologies ( Like eBay, Google Docs, co-working, social networking, cloud computing and Mechanical Turk ) will help eleviate some of the burdens of this crisis and help mankind progress.
kudos 2 u!
And really, you must write a book, if only to expand on this phrase: "I used to work with Gypsies in South Florida…"
I resonated with your written experience.
I am a Baby Boomer, and late adopter to the world of social media which was prompted after deciding to leave an industry and corporate life of 28 years in February 2007.
Once out, it became evident how far behind I was in the use of internet to reach people and conduct business. Today, I am grateful for the conferences, blogs and people who have been my teachers and now I pass on that working knowledge to other Boomers so they too can become tech savvy.