Invention, Innovation and Imitation

I have come to the conclusion that there are basically three types of technologists: Inventors, Innovators and Imitators. Inventors advance technology to the next plane. Innovators push the vertical plane of existing technology, typically inspiring new inventions. Imitators broaden the horizontal plane of existing technology, frequently driving innovations.
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It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again

(Note: With apologies to Yogi Berra.)

I recently received an eMail with the following joke…

After having dug to a depth of 10 feet last year, New York scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years and came to the conclusion that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 100 years ago.
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