News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on Merlin Mann eschews "productivity pr0n" and shifts the focus of 43 Folders.

Re:Merlin Mann eschews "productivity pr0n" and shifts the fo... by fallentimes on Tuesday September 09, 2008 @07:55AM (#299308)
"...those extra cycles could be used to game the system so efficiently that you can sit in a hammock for 164 hours a week while people in India write birthday cards to your friends."

What's funny is: even though there is a ton of of things to criticize Tim Ferriss for, he chooses something that is actually pretty awesome: outsourcing repetitive, mundane tasks. The point of 4 hour work week is not to lay in a hammock the rest of your life; it's to do what you enjoy. I think Tim's an epic dbag (auto responder? - please.) and even I picked that up.

Sidenote: What the heck are those "digital nomad" ads? Those people sound like they should be writing the sequel to the Secret. Ugh.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Merlin Mann eschews "productivity pr0n" and shifts the fo... by jraines on Tuesday September 09, 2008 @12:45PM (#299566)
What I don't understand is why everyone who praises Ferriss feels compelled to trash him in the same breath -- Merlin and yourself included.

It's like admitting that you like him or his ideas in front of the cool kids means you're some kind of sucker.

"Epic dbag" because he recommends auto-responders . . .?

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Merlin Mann eschews "productivity pr0n" and shifts the fo... by fallentimes on Tuesday September 09, 2008 @02:07PM (#299663)
No. It means that I generally don't like him, but some of his ideas are good. Like Ron Paul, or Michael Bloomberg or Jason Whitlock. That's all it means - nothing more, nothing less.

And because he's polarizing, which he admits and actively tries to do. Also he's a glorified scammy sounding pill pusher who is a master of PR and good at articulating ideas. The pill advertisements for BodyQuick and BrainQuicken, which he owns, are reminiscent of weight loss or penis pills.

Any time you praise someone who's done a lot of good and bad I think it's essential to qualify the parts you like about them.

But I do understand your point and should have elaborated in my original post. In addition, to the autoresponder (btw, what's hilarious is emailing him, getting an autoresponse and then a reply from him a minute later), here's a list of some of the other things he does or actively promotes that I think qualify him as an "epic dbag" or rather take a lot away from his successes, ideas and good qualities:

1. Shady pills making ridiculous claims

2. This is his world record: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9pWKB2D23k

3. He "won" Wired's greatest self promoter of all time

4. Read about the Chinese kick boxing championship

5. Self claimed "Advisor to more than 30 world record holders in professional and Olympic sports (not substantiated)."

6. Self claimed "Cage fighter in Japan, vanquisher of four world champions (MMA)" and a "National Chinese kickboxing champion" (not substantiated)."

7. Self claimed: "Actor on a hit TV series in mainland China and Hong Kong (not substantiated)"

8. Plagiarism? http://www.johnwinsor.com/my_weblog/2008/04/was-another-new....

Ivygate (yeah, I know) has a pretty hilarious write up as well: http://www.ivygateblog.com/2007/05/timothy-ferriss-out-vayne...

http://is.gd/2pjW

[ Parent | on HN ]