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| James Cracknell | |||
| {{wiktionarypar|failure}} | |||
| {{dablink|For other senses of this word, see ].}} | |||
| '''Failure''' (or '''flop''') in general refers to the state or ] of not meeting a desirable or intended objective. It may be viewed as the opposite of ]. | |||
| ==Criteria for failure== | |||
| The criteria for failure are heavily dependent on context of use, and may be ] to a particular ] or ]. A situation considered to be a failure by one might be considered a success by another, particularly in cases of direct ] or a ] ]. As well, the degree of success or failure in a situation may be differently viewed by distinct observers or participants, such that a situation that one considers to be a failure, another might consider to be a success, a qualified success or a neutral situation. | |||
| 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 ], to judge the success or failure of a situation may itself be a significant task. | |||
| ==Common usage== | |||
| A context in which failure is frequently used is in the formal grading of scholastic achievement. 'Failing a test' or being assigned a 'failing mark' indicates that a student has submitted work or received a mark below a minimum threshold of performance or quality required to continue studies in a subject or to receive credit for completion. | |||
| ==Formal technical definition== | |||
| Failure is defined in ] as the lack of ability of a component, equipment, sub system, or system to perform its intended function as designed. Failure may be the result of one or many ]s. | |||
| ==Flavors of failure== | |||
| Failure can be differentially perceived from the viewpoints of the evaluators. A person who is only interested in the final outcome of an activity would consider it to be an ''Outcome Failure'' if the core issue has not been resolved or a core need is not met. A failure can also be a ''process failure'' whereby although the activity is completed successfully, a person may still feel dissatisfied if the underlying process is perceived to be below expected standard or benchmark. | |||
| ] lists some reasons by which a ] can ]: | |||
| #failure to ], | |||
| #failure to ]. | |||
| ==Commercial failures== | |||
| A '''commercial failure''' is a ] 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 a list of miscellaneous commercial product and service failures, see ]. | |||
| *For flops in computer and video gaming, see ]. | |||
| <!-- *For flops within the automotive industry, see ]. --> | |||
| *For flops concerning ], see ]. | |||
| *For ]-related flops, see ]. | |||
| *For ]al commercial failures, see ]. | |||
| *For company failures related to the 1997-2001 ], see ]. | |||
| *See also ]. | |||
| ==Other failures== | |||
| *For military disasters, see ]. | |||
| *For failed political campaigns, see ]. | |||
| *For events that were highly anticipated but either did not happen or turned out to be disappointing, see ]. | |||
| *For flops in entertainment, see ]. | |||
| *For flops in sports, see ]. | |||
| ==Bibliography== | |||
| * ''Born Losers: A History of Failure in America'', Scott A. Sandage, Harvard University Press, 2005 | |||
| * ''BOOM, BUST, BANG!: A History of American Failures'', Bridget L.M. Lansdowne, Staskin Mellville-Organization Press, 2004 | |||
| ==Interesting Uses of Failure== | |||
| *Typing "failure"(without quotes) and clicking "I'm Feeling Lucky" at ] returns the ] homepage. | |||
| ==See also== | |||
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| ==External links== | |||
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Revision as of 12:59, 23 September 2006
James Cracknell