[carapace]

I have a lot of respect for the man despite his personality problems. He knew what he wanted at a young age and pursued it with determination and persistence and achieved it. Mathematica and the business he built to support it are both great accomplishments. I'm sometimes surprised he's not more popular on HN than he is.

I mention all that so it won't seem too mean-spirited when I repeat this:

I've heard a joke, "Which will achieve self-awareness first, Wolfram or Wolfram Alpha?"

He's a great man, but flawed by too-great appreciation of his own greatness.

[chx]

> I'm sometimes surprised he's not more popular on HN than he is.

This is a guy who have filed a patent on pure mathematics https://patents.google.com/patent/US4809202 and it was nowhere near original, compare to https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0167278984... and the folks 'round here are not hot on software patents and this is much worse.

[techgipper]

Looks like the company he worked for filed that, not him?

[chx]

Well, the inventor is listed as Stephen Wolfram ... I mean legally it wasn't him but in practice...

[1000units]

I find his personality fun and charming, possibly only because I've never had to butt heads with him.

[qserasera]

ditto