5 ms·
Despite the prior “more wood behind fewer arrows” announcement, it might be the first time Google killed something that was popular with Googlers. I think it wa
by erik_seaberg 4y ago
Despite the prior “more wood behind fewer arrows” announcement, it might be the first time Google killed something that was popular with Googlers. I think it was an “Elves leave Middle-Earth” moment for my friends on campus. Memegen was full of “we can launch (ultradoomed project) but can’t keep Reader alive?” snark, less good-natured than usual. I’ve heard it blamed on Vic and G+, actual security issues from scraping Javascript, or just falling behind on the promo-driven infra treadmill that threatens everything mature.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1007750 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1007750
- whatshisface 4y agoI haven't heard the phrase "more wood behind fewer arrows" before, but I am pretty sure that never in the history of the evolution of projectiles was that tradeoff ever taken in that direction.
- gwern 4y agoWhen you get serious like the Romans about putting more wood behind fewer arrows: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballista https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballista
- saurik 4y agoThat's what makes it so amazing!!! It was a delicious self-parody. I remember reading it and thinking it made absolutely no sense as a metaphor: just imagine the poor archer being told "instead of having 15 arrows to take with you today, we've decided to give you three really heavy arrows"... that was the announcement that really made Google product management feel like a laughing stock to me, and is what I return to thinking about every time they kill another project. https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/more-wood-behind-fewer-arrows.html https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/more-wood-behind-few...
- synu 4y agoI always thought it was something like a comparison between ballistae with fewer shots and larger arrows (javelin size, really) doing more damage, and a storm of smaller regular arrows. Maybe I was being too generous with my interpretation.
- saurik 4y agoI just remembered remembered that I had read something about the history of this phrase, and I found it: an answer on Quora from five years ago. https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-origin-of-the-phrase-putting-wood-behind-the-arrow/answer/Cameron-Janati https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-origin-of-the-phrase-putti... > The background seems an oft-used phrase in Sun Microsystems by the former CEO, "all the wood behind a single arrow" which means focus on a single product and be the best in it. > When deer hunting .. "Real men bring only one arrow. They know how to aim (and they remember to take plenty of time when aiming), and they put all the wood behind that one arrow." They even managed to find a usage of the same space of metaphor from Apple! > While the layoffs are intended to reduce operating costs, Apple said it trimmed its technology portfolio to streamline development efforts. “Time to market is very important to me,” Amelio said. “With the narrowing of our focus, we can put more wood behind the arrow.” > —Stephen Howard, “Narrowing tech focus, Apple cuts 4,100 jobs,” MacWeek, March 17, 1997
- mkl 4y agoThe "more wood" is in the bow, not the arrows. A bigger, heavier bow will shoot arrows with more force, but will take more effort, strength, and time to operate, so shoot fewer arrows harder.
- saurik 4y agoOMG THANK YOU SO MUCH THAT MAKES SO MUCH MORE SENSE
- jefftk 4y agoIt's still a little weird, since the bow is mostly ahead of the arrow, and only "behind" it in a metaphorical supporting sense.
- mkl 4y agoThe force of the "more wood" is behind the arrow when pulling it back and shooting (and once you've released, the entire bow is behind it). I get what you're saying though.
- yamtaddle 4y agoI'm a fan of how the phrase gets dumber the more you think about it, and how it's just a way to try to make "put all your eggs in one basket" sound like a good thing. It's delightfully stupid.
- ridgered4 4y agoMore chickens in fewer hen houses.
- zamnos 4y agoF = M * A Raise the mass of the arrow and it'll hit with more force. There's a sweet spot for piercing heavy cloth armor. If the arrows are too light, they'll bounce right off.
- asddubs 4y agoand if the arrows are too heavy they're not gonna make it, and if you run out of arrows, you're fucked
- lelanthran 4y ago> and if the arrows are too heavy they're not gonna make it, and if you run out of arrows, you're fucked Enough thrust will make anything fly: if your bow's range is halved by a heavier arrow, maybe switch it out for a crossbow. It only doesn't make sense if you choose the position that arrows can be switched out but not bows.
- asddubs 4y agoor we could just use guns, if we're going to go away that far from the original analogy
- wholinator2 4y agoWell there's the other possible interpretation where wood refers to the bow instead of the arrows. Thus, the larger bow can impart larger momentum to each arrow
- benj111 4y agoHow many times have 2 birds been killed with 1 stone? Is there a proven evolutionary advantage to birds rising earlier in order to catch the worm? The meaning is clear as you got it, despite you never hearing it before, so it undeniably works. It's a saying. I've heard it so it could be a britishism?
- jimnotgym 4y ago> How many times have 2 birds been killed with 1 stone? It is not that it has happened, more that it would be desirable > Is there a proven evolutionary advantage to birds rising earlier in order to catch the worm? I think anyone collecting worms as fishing bait will tell you that worms favour dawn to daytime, so yes. I'm British, and I think the arrow thing sounds like US corporate BS rather than a traditional saying
- benj111 4y agoWell putting more wood behind fewer arrows in this case is desirable for them. The point is there doesn't have to be historical precedent for a figure of speech. It just has to effectively communicate something. Well I did business studies aswell so it might be management speak.
- impossiblefork 4y agoI'm not sure if it's unreasonable. In videos I've seen of tests of arrows against armour the shafts usually break, so that the weight of the shaft does not fully go into the penetration. Stiffer shorter arrows have, therefore, a better chance. Thus the men fighting heavily armoured troops may choose crossbows, which with their long reloading time would literally trade number of shots for heavier shots.
- jimnotgym 4y agoStiffer shorter arrows will also make you miss unless you have a bow adapted to them! This is the metaphor that keeps giving
- impossiblefork 4y agoI think they're actually inherently less accurate, even with a bow suited to them, even with a crossbow. The fletchings have less of a moment arm to correct things.
- djmips 4y agoI guess if the word 'wood' means weight/power in this instance it kinda makes sense. (as outlined in the child comments)
- dejj 4y agoThanks for linking “Elves leave Middle-Earth”. The soda can anecdote made me realize that “We give you free soda and after-hours pizza, so you can ruin your health for the company.” matured unceremoniously into “If you want to ruin your health, pay for it like any other member of society.” Realize it, and “embrace the warmth of leaving home.”