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Linda Hesthag Ellwein

Communications, Change, and Photography, Oikonomia, Inc.

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The world lost one of its greatest visionaries tonight. A man who made a real difference. What would you say to Steve Jobs, if you could?

One of the most celebrated innovators of our time, Steve Jobs' life touched all of us in one way or another - collectively and individually. How has his life inspired yours? How will you remember him?

In what ways would the world be different if he hadn't been in it? What is his greatest achievement, in your eyes?

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Topics: technology
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  • Susan Ory Powers

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    Oct 11 2011: Poetry + Computer = Mac

  • Tom Erickson

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    Oct 11 2011: Dear Steve,

    I never met you and and it was unlikely as you were always in the spotlight. You look like a good man and you added some sparkle to this world of ours. You've inspired me by the magic you contrived around devices that have transformed the way we see ourselves and interact with society. Everyone takes it for granted, but I can remember when beepers were cool. Thanks for the fairy dust, the dream, and the vision.

    Keep Smiling,
    Tom
    ps; What's it like over there?

  • Spencer Hamil

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    Oct 11 2011: Steve, you may have changed the world, but not for the better.
    In an age where corporations wreak havoc on the earth and humanity, you're another brick in the wall. A wall that keeps us from living in a wholesome, harmonious life with the earth while keeping it healthy so that future generations would be able to enjoy its unparalleled beauty.

  • Sacha Stone

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    Oct 10 2011: If it weren't for the Apple II in our basement as a kid, I wouldn't have learnt how to type. If I wouldn't have learnt how to type, then I wouln't have made it into college. If it weren't for my admission and successful convocation from College, I wouldn't have gone to University. If it weren't for my University degree as a Teacher, I wouldn't have already taught hundreds of children the incalculable value behind Steve Jobs own perseverance and famous words..."Oh, and there is just one more thing." His technological footprint in our schools is and continues to be immesureable. Thank you.

  • Bilal Saad

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    Oct 10 2011: He died, And he make something to his world. What do you make for your world?

  • Janis Hanna

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    Oct 10 2011: I am honored to have shared the same timeline as the great innovator, Steve Jobs. Many people want to go back in time and experience how Edison, Franklin and others changed the world they lived in. Well, we were priviledged to experience our world evolve with every new idea Steve Jobs put into action. Thank you for making every year exciting - taking us into the ever-expanding frontier of technology. I need a new app: iSad. Although I just remembered a saying I recently came across..."Don't cry because it's over, smile because it was". iGlad

  • Wayne Roberts

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    Oct 10 2011: It is widely reported that Steve lured John Sculley away from Pepsi-Cola to serve as Apple's CEO, with the phrase, "Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come with me and change the world?

    Well you did. You did it the hard way, followed ups and downs and still achieved it in the end.

    I think I will remember him for the way that he battled on through his illness.

    Rest well mate.
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    Linda Hesthag Ellwein 50+

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    HostTED AttendeeTED TranslatorAssociate
    Oct 10 2011: Another sweet tribute to Steve Jobs that I just stumbled upon. Nicely done. :)
    http://irwansyah.asia/2011/10/10/for-steve-jobs/

  • sharda nand singh

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    Oct 10 2011: Steve jobs tribute poem by an Indian fan...

    watch?v=zcV9o6JsDLA

  • sharda nand singh

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    Oct 10 2011: Steve jobs tribute poem by an Indian fan...

    youtube.com/watch?v=zcV9o6JsDLA

  • Bee Aw

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    Oct 10 2011: Thank you for being you.

  • martin ma

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    Oct 10 2011: u'r my hero, wish u happy there and change the world there wait for us someday
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    Vivek Trivedi 10+

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    TED Translator
    Oct 10 2011: Will love you forever Jobs.....

  • Gordan Horbec

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    Oct 8 2011: "Dear Steve Jobs,

    Thank you for everything you have given us; the iPhone, computers, the organized companies ...
    But, interestingly, of all that you left to this material world, to
    test came only one thought, (at the moment that we all must pass, and that you have just
    passed), one memory ... and that's when you're as young
    homeless hippy ate every Sunday at the Hare Krishna temple.

    If you remembered it, I envy you :) Let all Hare Krishnas praying for you to
    eat with them forever because, as you said with much respected, you loved
    it.

    Thank you and Hare Krishna"

    y.s. D

    • Emre Yucel

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      Oct 8 2011: This is like giving all the credit to Thomas Edison for inventing the light bulb. Thomas Edison didn't invent the bulb, nor the method of electric transmission nor the light production using electricity etc etc. Thomas Edison was a businessman and he employed the scientists and engineers who worked tirelessly to improve the light bulb which had been invented a few years earlier by someone else but wasn't ready for consumer use - the material for the filament and the gasses inside the bulb needed tweaking. Just as Thomas Edison was given all the credit for inventing the light bulb, Steve Jobs is going to be given the credit for inventing MP3 players, and smart phones, computers etc etc.

      It's a shame that the real people behind these beautiful inventions don't get any credit. We, the scientists, engineers, nerds and geeks are the ones behind the innovations that change the world. The businessmen merely give the funding and take the profits and credit.
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        Vivek Trivedi 10+

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        TED Translator
        Oct 10 2011: Entrepreneurs create business opportunities so that Engineers, geeks and nerds put their mind and embrace it as per the given instructions. There are many apps which are like, when you use them, you just say WOW, do you care to check the name of developer and say back thanks to him? Even Steve was never behind fame and credit, He was just behind precision and simplicity. Follow your pursuit religiously, credit will follow you. And to be honest, no matter how good we are, Steve Jobs can only be one in a million.
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        vinay kallat

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        Oct 11 2011: Emre U may be right in your own way. But think about it who really deserve the credit.....Facebook was developed or initially created by Mark Zuckerberg (along with Dustin Moskovitz, Eduardo Saverin, and Chris Hughes)...but Today if you see it has grown with lots of application and stuff which has nothing to do with them...Might be developed by thousands of ppl working for him..But for me, still the credit goes to the creators or inventors(Know a lot has been talked about the disputes between them in social network but just wanted to take out the difference between creators and builders that build on it)..Once a platform has formed you can build on it you just need a lot workers to do it for you... isn't it
        Cause I believe its very difficult and also far sightness, determination, belief and also guts that is required by a person to invent something while expanding or building on that idea can be done by anyone if the platform is laid..Its like although monument and buildings are build by hundreds of workers but the credit goes to the architect . Isn’t it..
        Hence you see few inventors and a lot of engineers, geeks or whatever u say..
        As you yourself have given a beautiful example of Thomas Edison ,really ask urself,Do you think all the scientist and engineers he appointed would have been ready if he had said let’s make a replacement of sun(Cause at that time light was not invented so not was the name "LIGHT")..So that when sun is not there we can still see..we need not sit in dark..There wud be a luaghter he wud have got in response and may be entitled to being mad..The truth is its very very tough to invent something cause it needs vision, determination and belief. Once proven it needs slogging to build it...Get the difference...U have to give it to the inventors who went out of their way because of which today we are enjoying what they left behind.
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    Kelo Kubu 500+

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    TED FellowTED AttendeeTEDx OrganizerAssociate
    Oct 8 2011: Thank You.
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    Rafi Amin 20+

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    Oct 8 2011: we lost him, but his legacy will live with us forever.
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    Jim Moonan 30+

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    Oct 8 2011: I would say to Steve Jobs: I am one of those people who's lives were directly, dramatically changed for the better because of your genious. It may sound insignificant to others who don't work in the kind of environment that I do, but through the use of the ipod and the ability to access a universe of music and other audio from itunes and then to have total freedom to create playlists for use in educational settings, theatre and music education transformed my work. It was like stepping into a new world.

  • lucia khalilova

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    Oct 7 2011: You're the person people will amire for a long time. you've inspired millions of people to make themselves
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    Scientia Veritatis

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    Oct 7 2011: Wozniak was actually behind most of the innovation and programming of Apples first few products. Jobs was merely a business man and not much an engineer.

    Hell, he's known to have ripped Wozniak off several times, both before and after the inception of their company.
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      Salim Solaiman 50+

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      Oct 7 2011: No invention makes any difference until it reaches to people, if Steve has done nothing else, atleast did that right. Is that right ?
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        Scientia Veritatis

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        Oct 8 2011: That is correct, I merely wanted to point out that while he was indeed a remarkable human being, we shouldn't let our grief blind us when it comes to just who he really was.

  • Devi DeLavie

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    Oct 7 2011: Thank you Steve. You made possible the current worldwide shift from the old paradigm of "Master and Slave" to the TRUE paradigm of EQUALITY in the family of life. Without the instantaneous communication that you gave birth to, there would be no way of rising up as a group of like-hearted souls and saying, "Treat us with dignity and respect."
    You changed forever the nature of the Family of Mankind.

  • yifan xie

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    TED Translator
    Oct 7 2011: Make Iphone5 God Like ;)
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    Herlinda Lopez

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    Oct 6 2011: I embraced your vision, and my first Mac Plus, in 1985. Your computers for ordinary people philosophy changed my life forever, for the better. Apple has been at the core (forgive the pun) of my lifestyle ever since. I have the multi-colored Apple sticker on my 10 year old hybrid. I AM proud to have been your demographic. My life has been most satisfying and successful, and I owe a great debt of gratitude to you (and we can't forget Woz) for your imagination and genius. Thank you. Hope you have fun up there :)
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    nitin jain

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    Oct 6 2011: We all try to search for salvation. Every country and every religion has identified, preached and propagated their own ways of attaining the ultimate. The Road to Salvation I think ultimately depends on individual. A 21st century spiritual techie, this one from Steve Jobs is something very similar to what Gandhi ji said half a century ago in totally different context though -“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

  • Ted Wiese

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    Oct 6 2011: Steve, You have carried the torch high, you will be a tough act to follow. We will miss you.
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    Thadeus Frei

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    Oct 6 2011: From the apple that was plucked from the tree of knowledge, to the apple that fell on Newtons head to the apple from the Beatles and finally the apple that you, Steve have given us. Thank you for the fruits of your labor and for sharing the sweetness. I think we can all taste it now.
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    Raymond Good

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    Oct 6 2011: He has done so much for our computer ..One can never be certain what direction computers would have gone in.If it was not for him..His ability was to lead a team..Have put up notice for Him on www.americanfunerals.net .Please light some candles leave condolences its free site

  • Frank Manci

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    Oct 6 2011: Thanks, Steve, for your vision and ideas. They brought so much to so many and will continue on and on... It's part of you that's still with us. Thanks.

  • David Olden

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    Oct 6 2011: I have this certainty that I know better than everyone else what's best, and how to get to a place where I'll thrive.

    All those around me look at me with pity, they're certain I'm a fool, and after a short while, they go silent and give up on me.

    Thank you, Steve, for living as an exemplary reminder that I'm right.

  • Elaine Della-Santina

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    Oct 6 2011: Thank You

  • suzanne kellett

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    Oct 6 2011: You've brought us all a lot of fun and joy, thanks.
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