101 Dumbest Moments in Business, 2002

March 18, 2003 4:40 PM

The 101 dumbest moments in business for 2002 are in, and there are some real doozies. I really enjoyed numbers 48 through 51, regarding Microsoft's .NET: "One question might be, and I'll be as direct as I can be about this, what is .Net? Unlike Windows, where you could say it's a product, it sits in one place, it's got a nice little box. In some senses, it's a very good question." --Steve Ballmer
posted by mr_crash_davis (16 comments total)

Number 19! NUMBER 19!!!!!!
posted by WolfDaddy at 4:54 PM on March 18, 2003

For reasons never adequately explained, McDonald's runs an ad that features a disturbing, bloated, poorly coiffed creature. And also Grimace.

82 for me! (any crack at Trump is always worth it)
posted by amberglow at 4:57 PM on March 18, 2003

No. 22... savekaryn.com. How was this a dumb moment? That was sheer genius and everyone last one of us is kicking ours collective selves in the head for not thinking of it first.
posted by linux at 5:09 PM on March 18, 2003

"We don't have the user-centricity. Until we understand context, which is way beyond presence -- presence is the most trivial notion of context." Bill Gates

He must be smart if he knew what he said, I sure have no idea what he's talking about
posted by Eekacat at 5:13 PM on March 18, 2003

Number 19! NUMBER 19!!!!!!

So this number 19, it...

I can't do it.
posted by turaho at 5:19 PM on March 18, 2003

For which we are thankful, turaho.

Would be a great list, but I'm visiting the parents. This means I'm on dad's computer, which means no Opera, which means POP UPS WITH REALLY LOUD MUSIC. ARRRRRRGH. KILL.
posted by kavasa at 5:34 PM on March 18, 2003

#86! I love stealing from those things!
posted by eyeballkid at 6:12 PM on March 18, 2003

Ha. Not 86, 98. Whoops.
posted by eyeballkid at 6:12 PM on March 18, 2003

Nice to see how many of these showed up in Metafilter. Pretty much all of them except the "Tee hee, this magazine called Buisness 2.0 forgot the "b" in November. Tee hee." (#23)
posted by zpousman at 6:13 PM on March 18, 2003

Wait, no, it applies to 86 and 98!
posted by eyeballkid at 6:14 PM on March 18, 2003

Great post - very enjoyable reading. I always liked the annual Esquire Dubious Achievement Awards, but this is even more fun because who can't get behind laughing at the crazy capers & hijinks of corporate America?

The lists from prior years are enjoyable reading too.
posted by madamjujujive at 6:39 PM on March 18, 2003

I'm only a quarter of the way through and I'm laughing harder than I have in weeks. Thanks crash.

madamejujuve - are the esquire dubious achievements archived somewhere?
posted by vito90 at 10:13 PM on March 18, 2003

#28 is beautiful. Cheers, Crash!
posted by Pretty_Generic at 2:45 AM on March 19, 2003

#29 reminds me of those Southwest Airlines (pretty sure it's SWA anyways) commercials.

"Wanna get away?"
posted by JaxJaggywires at 5:49 AM on March 19, 2003

#87 cracked me up.
posted by Cyrano at 6:14 AM on March 19, 2003

Wow. If you add up all the money lost by companies on this list along with all the money spent on inept corporate officers, you'd have, well, a lot of money.
posted by tommasz at 7:57 AM on March 19, 2003