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Revision as of 05:41, 23 February 2007 by 66.61.162.165 (talk) (→Other failures)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) For other senses of this word, see Failure (disambiguation).In general Failure refers to the state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective. It may be viewed as the opposite of success.
Criteria for failure
The criteria for failure is being able to accomplish something.
It may also be difficult or impossible to ascertain whether a situation meets criteria for failure or success due to ambiguous or ill-defined definition of those criteria. Finding useful and effective criteria, or heuristics, to judge the success or failure of a situation may itself be a significant task.
Commercial failures
A commercial failure is a product that does not reach expectations of success, failing to come even close. A major flop goes one step further and is recognized for its complete lack of success.
Most of the items listed below had high expectations, significant financial investments, and/or widespread publicity, but fell far short of success. Obviously, due to the subjective nature of "success" and "meeting expectations", there can be disagreement about what constitutes a "major flop."
- For flops in computer and video gaming, see List of commercial failures in video gaming.
- For flops concerning groceries, see List of grocery marketing flops.
- For aviational commercial failures, see List of commercial failures in aviation.
- For company failures related to the 1997–2001 Dot-com bubble, see Dot-com company.
- See also Vaporware.
Other failures
- For military disasters, see List of military disasters
- For events that were highly anticipated but either did not happen or turned out to be disappointing, see Non-event.
- Butler Basketball
See also
References
- Lansdowne, Bridget L.M. BOOM, BUST, BANG!: A History of American Failures. Staskin Mellville-Organization Press, 2004. ISBN ?.
- Charles Perrow, Normal Accidents: Living with High-Risk Technologies, New Tork: Basic Books, 1984. Paperback reprint, Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1999, ISBN 0-691-00412-9
- Sandage, Scott A. Born Losers: A History of Failure in America. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2005. ISBN 0-674-01510-X, ISBN 0-674-02107-X.