He did the art but the idea behind it was Melinda Gates. She wanted to make computers approachable to people who had never used a computer. Microsoft Bob was the result and Clippy was the remnant of Bob.
That’s why I have a small problem with Rossman using Clippy. Rossman’s idea is good but Clippy represents helping people use a computer for the very first time. There was no anti consumer late stage capitalism in Clippy. It popped up in a corner so if you had never used a computer it would catch your attention. You didn’t have to use it. You could turn it off permanently with a single click.
If the Linux man command had a logo, it would be like co opting that logo to represent anti consumer practices. The man command is there to help when you don’t know what to do.
I think you encapsulated one big reason why despite him being logical about most things, he constantly rubs me the wrong way.
Well you’re not supposed to rub clippy on yourself in the first place.
It’s clear to me clippy was chosen solely due to it’s pop cultural appeal and has since been successfully co-opted as the new face of the movement.
I think that was the reason he gave for using clippy?
“Clippy didn’t spy on you, he just wanted to help”, as a contrast to copilot etc.
A cartoon drawing (by pmvj) of Clippy with a sly expression with text that reads “if I knew how to steal and sell your data in '97 I would’ve done it”.
In the 2010s and 2020s, however, he reassessed his design as he began receiving fan mail and recognition for designing a pop culture icon, with a wave of nostalgia driving even Clippy-based erotica.
I know about rule 34. But wow.
It was really Melinda Gates. Clippy was as spinoff of Microsoft Bob, which was a pet project of hers. It was a really bad idea for a UI, but since she was the wife of the CEO, they did everything to try to make something out of it. Kept its loose entrails going for decades.
Kevan Atteberry (born 1955 or 1956)
TIL the internet doesn’t even know when he’s born.
Man of Mystery
GET HIM!
Just remember that the “clippy as your avatar” movement isn’t about good companies vs bad ones, it’s about software that offers help but doesn’t force itself down your throat (the way AI is).
You either die a villain, or live long enough to see yourself become the hero.
why is youtube blocking clippy?
