Lies, All Lies!

Ever seen these quotes?

“This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication.”
— William Orton, president of Western Union, in 1876, when Alexander Graham Bell tried to sell the company his invention.

“Everything that can be invented has been invented.”
— Charles Duell, U.S. Patent Commissioner, 1899.

“Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?”
— Harry Warner, Warner Bros., as movies with sound made their debut in 1927.

“640K ought to be enough for anybody.”
— Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder, 1981.

All lies. As it turns out, these quotes were either fabricated or taken out of context to construe a meaning completely the opposite of what was intended.

And yet, we believed them. I guess it’s human nature to want to hear that human inventiveness has always made a mockery of those who fight against progress.