Opera's CEO to Swim From Norway to the USA 563
Viggeh! writes "An overly excited Jon S. von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software, today proclaimed at an internal company meeting that if the download numbers of the new Opera 8 Web browser reach 1 million within the first four days of the launch, he will swim from Norway to the USA with only one stop-over for a cup of hot chocolate at his mother's house in his home country, Iceland.
The new browser was released Tuesday and was downloaded 600.000 times in the first 48 hours since release. The challenge will end on Saturday at 0900 a.m. CET, so if you want to try out some new software and make the CEO stick to his big words, download it at Opera's webpage(direct link)."
Well then. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Well then. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Well then. (Score:4, Interesting)
This is obviously a load of crap. 600K downloads in 48 hours? How would he be surprised to see a million downloads soon?
Heh... one day after the story about PR firms, and we're still discussing this?
This is a friggin' press release for god's sake. The CEO is not surprised about anything. This whole outrageous statement was no doubt just a plan to stir up attention. And no guarantee that Opera didn't pay to have this story published in Slashdot anyway.
-a
lets get him... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:lets get him... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:lets get him... (Score:5, Funny)
A tiny script runs on the Opera web server...waiting...watching...
Re:lets get him... (Score:5, Funny)
Dude! That is a crappy bit of code. The likelihood
of it ever working is vanishingly small.
Several problems:
Because your test is not synchronized with the
download counter your chances of stopping
at 999999 are, well, like winning the lottery.
Having determined that there have been 999999
downloads there is a nasty race condition before
the interface is brought down.
Believe it or not, once the counter reaches 999999
the number of downloads may be higher because
the process updating the counter hasn't committed
its changes yet.
For extra credit I advise that you go away and
rethink your solution otherwise your boss will
be pissed at having to swim through shark
infested water. I also see a pink slip on
your horizon.
- Moomin
Re:lets get him... (Score:4, Funny)
600.000 times (Score:5, Funny)
Re:600.000 times (Score:2, Informative)
Therefore, 600.000 is 600,000.
Re:600.000 times (Score:5, Funny)
Re:600.000 times (Score:5, Funny)
Re:600.000 times (Score:5, Funny)
Re:600.000 times (Score:5, Funny)
Go bomb him.
Re:600.000 times (Score:2, Funny)
Re:600.000 times (Score:3, Funny)
Yeah, every where I look, another number beginning with 6. I agree, it is overused.
Re:600.000 times (Score:3, Funny)
Finally! (Score:2, Insightful)
Opera rocks and this sort of daft challenge whilst obviously ridiculous is just the sort of fun way of marketing the browser I like.
IT: Opera's CEO drowns off coast of Norway (Score:5, Funny)
from the friday-morning-swim dept.
Viggeh! writes "An overly excited Jon S. von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software, today drowned off the coast of Norway after promising to swim to America if Opera managed a million downloads in its first four days. Everyone at Opera is quite sad, but they promise Opera 8.1 will have even more features because that's what he would've wanted. He leaves behind 7 computers, a wife, and 2 children."
No way! (Score:5, Funny)
He's an Icelander. He's one of the guys who grew up reading things like Njal's Saga, playing with his friends at being Gunnar or Kári and beting each other with wooden swords, playing with snow outside at some -10C and under blizzards and getting his head messed up with the perma-summer-light/almost no light seasonal cycle.
If one of these guys says he's swimming accross the Atlantic, I'd advise to my good american friends to lock themselves in their houses and get ready for a raid.
I lived 2 years in Iceland; let me tell you, it was fun there
Re:No way! (Score:4, Funny)
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
from the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods
Will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying:
Valhalla, I am coming!
On we sweep with threshing oar,
Our only goal will be the western shore.
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
from the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
How soft your fields so green,
Can whisper tales of gore,
Of how we calmed the tides of war.
We are your overlords.
On we sweep with threshing oar,
Our only goal will be the western shore.
So now you'd better stop and rebuild all your ruins,
For peace and trust can win the day
Despite of all your losing.
Re:No way! (Score:3, Funny)
Also, he was subjected to hearing Bjork for much longer than the rest of the world. Swimming 5000 miles in icy water is a relief by comparison.
Re:IT: In further news... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:IT: Opera's CEO drowns off coast of Norway (Score:3, Funny)
This only seems to allow for three more major releases . .
hawk
Well finally! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Well finally! (Score:2)
Distributed Murder (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Distributed Murder (Score:2, Funny)
Cold (Score:5, Funny)
Perhaps he'll get on a cruise ship and spend the whole time in the pool?
One word: (Score:5, Informative)
Re:One word: (Score:5, Funny)
P.S.: if you rate this "flame/troll" you'd better get a sense of humor. And no they don't sell those at Wal-Mart.
One word: (Score:5, Funny)
Re:One word: (Score:5, Funny)
Opera calls their tiny products "embedded".
Re:One word: (Score:2)
Re:Cold (Score:2, Funny)
Ooops, I spoke too soon. [cafepress.com] I guess he is a polar bear.
Re:Cold (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Cold (Score:4, Funny)
they are all giant hairy barbarians with 100 % cold resistance
and sometimes they develop software
I tried it once (Score:5, Funny)
I tried it once. I actually made it half-way across before I got too tired and had to turn around and go back.
Hot chocolate? (Score:2)
He must have had some aquavit during that interview...
Crap... (Score:2)
--Ender
Direct Link to Win32 version (Score:5, Informative)
Here is a better download link: http://www.opera.com/download/ [opera.com] Unfortunately not all platforms have an Opera 8 download yet.
Re:Direct Link to Win32 version (Score:2)
Yeah; I tried downloading it to my Mac, and got 7.54. Which brings up a question: Does my download count, since I didn't download version 8?
OTOH, when I found it was the same as my old Opera, I first thought I'd screwed it up somehow, so I tried again. I got 7.54 again. So is that two downloads toward the million count, or is it zero?
He'll be disappointed... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:He'll be disappointed... (Score:5, Funny)
Yeah, Gov. Schwarzenegger will be there pushing him back in the water telling him the borders are closed.
Uhm.. I doubt he's gonna land in California. Check your world map :-)
Re:He'll be disappointed... (Score:4, Funny)
Why, exactly... (Score:3, Informative)
One would assume, if noone else, atleast Slashdot is aware that there *are* other OSes out here. (and Opera supports quite a few of them)
Re:Why, exactly... (Score:5, Insightful)
Because this gives a lot of posters getting positive moderation by pointing out this fact, giving a link to the general download page (the latter is almost guaranteed to get +5 Informative) or maybe even by making fun of it.
Re:Why, exactly... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Why, exactly... (Score:5, Funny)
Add in the modding up of the person who points out that the person who explained the modding up procedure is being modded up and it's a full blown mod orgy.
In other words... (Score:3, Insightful)
"I don't think there is a chance in hell of our getting a million downloads in four days, so I will make this grandiose gesture knowing full well I will never have to put up on it - much like the Taco Bell/MIR offer.
However, I will use this PR stunt to get lots of free advertising from lazy reporters who are too stupid to figure out how I am using them."
Shenanigans. (Score:2, Insightful)
This is most definitely not happening.
Re:Shenanigans. (Score:2)
Still, I'm with you, I'd rather swim from America. Especially since then he wont have to worry about US immigration so much.
Re:Shenanigans. (Score:5, Funny)
REALLY?????
Re:Shenanigans. (Score:5, Interesting)
However, if he were swimming against it (instead of north it and perpendicular (roughly) to the current of the North Atlantic Drift), he'd be lucky to make any headway at all. The average speed of the Gulf Current is around 5 knots (or is that nauts? I've never been sure which is correct). Now, I've done a mile swim numerous times-- I was on swim/dive as a kid-- and I KNOW it takes me about 18-20 minutes to swim an imperial mile. Considering a nautical mile is even longer, I really doubt I'd make any progress swimming against that current! Take that & multiply by however many miles it is from Norway to Maine... I don't even want to imagine trying.
Yeah, but which norway (Score:5, Informative)
Sure enough, there's Norway, Maine [norwaymaine.com].
Shouldn't take him that long.
No, he's more eccentric than that (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Yeah, but which norway (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Yeah, but which norway (Score:5, Interesting)
Sure enough, there's Norway, Maine. Shouldn't take him that long.
...except for that stopover in Iceland (described as "his home country", so no wriggling out of that one).
Re:Yeah, but which norway (Score:3, Interesting)
like the old Burma-shave promotion (Score:2, Informative)
Burma-shave had a contest in 1955 to send someone to Mars (whoever was first to send in 900 empty jars of Burma-shave). An enterprising grocery store owner in Wisconsin took up the challenge and called the company's bluff.
Burma-shave ended up sending him to Moers, Germany for a nice vacation.
http://www.snopes.com/business/market/mars.asp has a writeup, for anyone feeling nostalgic.
No point. (Score:2, Insightful)
Ooo wait... maybe Bill Gates will do something better so that people will keep IE. I could see it now. "Bill Gates jumps pit of acid and a large tub of sharks with laser beams attached to their heads (and it was on fire)."
Re:No point. (Score:2)
It's exposure. Maybe he'll even get on mainstream news.
Downloaded.... (Score:4, Funny)
*Drags ow32enen800.exe to the trash...
Opps, I hope the download number didn't go up
I'll do my part to save this man's life (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I'll do my part to save this man's life (Score:2)
Re:I'll do my part to save this man's life (Score:5, Funny)
"Another?" How many deaths are already on your conscience???
(It's funny, laugh)
Does someone have a torrent? (Score:2, Funny)
Meanwhile in Seattle (Score:4, Funny)
Muwaaahhaahaha
In other news... (Score:5, Funny)
Scene 1 (Score:2)
Shot of shark underwater with a face like Bill Gates:
Swimming..
Music: taaa-tum ...
Bill notices food and makes a turn:
Music: taa-tum taa -tum ta-tum ta-tum
Ocean churning:
Water turns red:
Profit!
Cruise Ship (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Cruise Ship (Score:2)
Not possible (Score:5, Interesting)
Also, going via Iceland might be a bad idea - since in the north atlantic he will freeze to death without a dry suit. And try surface swimming six hours with a dry suit some time...
Re:Not possible (Score:2)
Why not something realistic? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Why not something realistic? (Score:2)
No way this is possible ... (Score:2, Redundant)
Even if you already held a large number of distance swimming records, that just sounds impossible given the distances involved.
What is that man talking about?
Ahhh much better (Score:2)
Good luck with that swim :)
he's trying to save his skin (Score:2)
yeah, ok, sure, I'll do it. (Score:3, Funny)
all to see him eat his words =)
I think this is swell (Score:2)
His admittedly childish behavior is causing the words "Opera browser" to pass through the brains of geeks like me, however fleetingly. This is a powerful thing, no matter how it's done.
If I was one of his minions, and had just spent a year busting my ass working on this thing, I'd be mighty proud of him.
easy (Score:5, Funny)
do GET 'http://www.opera.com/download/get.pl?id=26712 ' >
done
C'mon in, the water's fine.
small shell script? (Score:5, Funny)
direct down load (Score:2)
-S
Read the press release (Score:5, Informative)
It's so much tongue-in-cheek that it stops just short of saying outright "yes, it's a joke".
Then again, it's very refreshing to see that a corporate PR department can still get away with cheap shots at the CEO. Choice quote: "However, having seen Jon in his red beach attire before, I am not sure if swimming to the USA is scarier than exposing people to this sight."
Re:Read the press release (Score:3, Informative)
Corporate culture in Norway are very different from what people are used to from Amercan companies.
I feel a little odd now.... (Score:3, Funny)
What support group do I go to for this?
Why should I buy? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Why will he do this? (Score:2)
The obvious answer (Score:5, Insightful)
I hadn't heard about Opera 8, and if it wasn't for the slashvertisement, I'd've been in the dark.
This is well timed - just today I installed iTunes, was completely bowled over, and was wondering - if a non-free music player can be this cool, what about a non-free web browser?
nice to see them CEOs get out of the comfy office once in a while
Re:The obvious answer (Score:2)
Re:The obvious answer (Score:4, Insightful)
Opera is one of them. Sure it seems 'bloated' at first, but most of it is because of lots of little toolbars that you can turn off and never see again within 4 seconds. And even with all this "bloat", it seems to be a lot snappier than Mozilla Firefox. And there are lot of little gemstones around the program that you keep discovering the more you use it. Some of these gem's you'll love and start using on a regular basis (one example of mine was the "drag over a non hypertext URL and right click it and choose "Go to URL"), and others that annoy you (The totally unnecissary chat client) you can turn off and never have to bother with again.
And if the thought of banner ad's for the unpaid version feaks you out, you can even switch the ads to a Google AdWrods bar that's a lot thinner than the standard banner ad....and I know I sure as hell don't mind AdWords, even on webpages.
Give it a try. I've been using the free version since 6.xx, and every time I've tried any other web browser, I've always wound up coming back.
Re:Why will he do this? (Score:5, Insightful)
Does your breathing improve my web browser's performance somehow?
Do you, through breathing, disrupt Microsoft's monopoly or create world peace?
No, it does not. Your continued living is therefore pointless. Please die.
Re:Why will he do this? (Score:2, Funny)
Ah, here you need to think, "out-side-the-box," as my dear managing friends with their minds stuck in dreams of the '90s would say.
You see, during his trip, he is surely to begin to drown. At this point, a beautiful mermaid will rescue him, and take him to a wonderous city under the sea. Here, not only will he learn true love and the meaning of Christmas, but he will also learn the secret to world peace.
Having also learned the secret ways of the merfolk mystics, he
Re:Why will he do this? (Score:2)
Up where they hack...
Up where they type all day in the dark...
Using GNU...
Wish I could be...
Part of that wooooooooorld... o/~
Re:I wonder (Score:2)
Re:But before he jumps in ... (Score:2)
Re:I'm the CEO (Score:2)
Re:Attack on hotmail? Google maps? (Score:3, Interesting)
http://my.opera.com/hallvors/journal/37
Re:Jon will swim (European humour is sick) (Score:3, Informative)