Some of the content of this post has been mentioned by other members recently.
Consider this another ballot dropped into the box.
In my previous post ["working wheel" is proof, "will work" isn't proof], I was just injecting a counterpoint. With the ingrained mindset that some of us have - the desire to see a machine up and running - the 'works' weighs a little bit heavier than the 'something'. The proof is the goal, the something is the means. Of course, their mutual dependence is required for a successful outcome.
Looking at Jim's original "Plan",
step A could easily be interpreted either way by a reader that doesn't really know what was in Jim's mind when he wrote it.
I've always interpreted it as: get a POP or prototype built first. [Back when I became a member here, that's the way Jim was defining it.]
Step D - "design a simple cheap working POP sample model" - would naturally be the step related to fulfilling steps F - build a bunch of them, I - listing who they would go to, and K- ship them. The word 'sample', in D, pushes the interpretation in that direction.
Mind you, Step D is "design" -- "simple" is easy to build [many], "cheap" is inexpensive to build [many], and "sample", like what you hand out to people. Step F is "build" many [of the simple, cheap, samples].
Steps B and C fit either way.
I'm certainly not try to be a noodge about this, I'm just sayin'.... that it's reasonable that both sides of the 'something that works' issue have a leg to stand on.
The arguments stem from the fact that this isn't just a misinterpretation as Jim professes. Jim has clearly stated in the past that 'something that works' meant a working wheel. Now he says it doesn't, and bullheadedly won't admit to his having redefined step A.
I could not care less that Jim has redefined the first step of his plan so that it better fits his point of view. It's
his plan, his prerogative. I just wish that he'd stop twisting his own words to suit his 'need' to defend himself, from something that could have been avoided by being up-front about it in the first place:
"Okay, guys. You all are familiar with 'The Plan'. Well, I'm making some minor changes to it in order to clarify some things. Here is the updated version."
I think it would have saved a lot of grief.