Tech to get the Pop Idol treatment

TERRIFYING NEWS from that there America where it seems that technology entrepreneurs could get the Pop Idol/American Idol/Dragon's Den treatment.

Anybody who has ever held their breath long enough knows that these programmes are the devil's spawn and standalone evidence that the world is going to hell in a handcart, that we have entered into a period of decadence or as the French say, we are at the fin de siecle.

The New York Times suggests that this nonsense could start as early as 3 March with entrepreneurs pitching their ideas to a panel of "experts".

Just be grateful this stuff didn't happen way back in the day. Imagine the scene:

A young Bill Gates walks in wearing large spectacles, outsize pullover, tousled hair.

Simon Cowell (snorting): Oh my god…

Paula Abdul (tilting her elfin head): Shush, don't be so… (adopting honeyed tones) Go on Bill. Tell us your idea.

Gates: I have an idea for a GUI-based operating system that lets you use a mouse to control all the features.

Cowell: Oh yeah, because that's so new, isn't it? Have you even seen Steve Jobs, Bill? He's trendier than you and he's been doing this for years. Pathetic.

Sharon Osbourne (hitting him): Shut up Simon. Not everybody can be like Steve Jobs. Anyway, GUIs have been around for years.

Cowell: Oh, you're not going to bring up Xerox Parc AGAIN, are you…