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The point is that the boundaries are being blurred. Is Amazon a tech company? Is Netflix? Is Netflix a tech company if they mailed you CDs instead of streaming

The point is that the boundaries are being blurred. Is Amazon a tech company? Is Netflix? Is Netflix a tech company if they mailed you CDs instead of streaming the material? Doing anything at scale pretty much turns you into a tech company these days.

twblalock 8y ago
No, doing things that you could not do without the benefit of technology is what makes you a tech company. Obviously you can stretch the definition of technology to mean pretty much anything if you are not arguing in good faith. I think all of us in 2019 have a fairly standard consensus understanding of what technology means in the context of this conversation and it would not be good to hijack that to mean anything you want it to mean.
- manigandham 8y ago
  >> stretch the definition of technology to mean pretty much anything The actual definition[1][2][3] of technology is applied science and knowledge for practical means. Narrowing the scope to fit arbitrary companies seems like the real stretch to me. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology 2. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/technology https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/technology 3. https://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-maths-technology/engineering-and-technology/technology/what-technology https://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-maths-technology/engi...
- swish_bob 8y ago
  So, when colour television was the cutting edge of technology, the TV companies were tech companies?
manigandham 8y ago
No, there is no "tech company". Amazon is retail, like Walmart has been. Netflix is media production and distribution, like Fox has been. Both have figured out new business models but that doesn't change the business that they're in.
IWeldMelons 8y ago
Blurry boundaries do not mean no boundaries. Amazon, with their AWS services is squarely a tech company. Netflix arguably a bit less than say above-mentioned Amazon, but they do heavily depend on technology and innovate in that sphere, however are certainly less tech company than Xilinx, Motorola or International Rectifier, but certainly more than Domino or Papa Johns.
- swish_bob 8y ago
  Netflix are a Media company. They leverage some damn impressive technology, but their business is about delivering media for end user consumption, much like any of the TV companies during most of the 20th century, for example.
  - IWeldMelons 8y ago
    They can be both. I would not myself call Netflix call a tech company, but many people would, and I kinda see why. Munchery-punchery, OTOH are not technical at all, but certainly are hip.

twblalock 8y ago

No, doing things that you could not do without the benefit of technology is what makes you a tech company. Obviously you can stretch the definition of technology to mean pretty much anything if you are not arguing in good faith. I think all of us in 2019 have a fairly standard consensus understanding of what technology means in the context of this conversation and it would not be good to hijack that to mean anything you want it to mean.

manigandham 8y ago
>> stretch the definition of technology to mean pretty much anything The actual definition[1][2][3] of technology is applied science and knowledge for practical means. Narrowing the scope to fit arbitrary companies seems like the real stretch to me. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology 2. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/technology https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/technology 3. https://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-maths-technology/engineering-and-technology/technology/what-technology https://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-maths-technology/engi...
swish_bob 8y ago
So, when colour television was the cutting edge of technology, the TV companies were tech companies?

manigandham 8y ago

No, there is no "tech company". Amazon is retail, like Walmart has been. Netflix is media production and distribution, like Fox has been. Both have figured out new business models but that doesn't change the business that they're in.

IWeldMelons 8y ago

Blurry boundaries do not mean no boundaries. Amazon, with their AWS services is squarely a tech company. Netflix arguably a bit less than say above-mentioned Amazon, but they do heavily depend on technology and innovate in that sphere, however are certainly less tech company than Xilinx, Motorola or International Rectifier, but certainly more than Domino or Papa Johns.

swish_bob 8y ago
Netflix are a Media company. They leverage some damn impressive technology, but their business is about delivering media for end user consumption, much like any of the TV companies during most of the 20th century, for example.
- IWeldMelons 8y ago
  They can be both. I would not myself call Netflix call a tech company, but many people would, and I kinda see why. Munchery-punchery, OTOH are not technical at all, but certainly are hip.