Posted by: Anonymous Coward
on May 23, 2003 09:22 PM
Coders who don't work for microsoft are generally under constant THREAT by microsoft.<nobr> <wbr></nobr>... You're under threat by everybody. Other coders, other companies in the same market. If you aren't at least aware of the competition, then you're chum for the sharks and deservedly so. (Loinal probiscus? You mean proboscis? Frankly, I was laughing so hard at that I almost ruptured mine<nobr> <wbr></nobr>... )
As for ms being fair on IP, etc<nobr> <wbr></nobr>... Perfectly legal. Ethics is another matter, but those have to come from within and large corporate ethics are different than for small companies because the aims and concerns are different. You can't legislate ethics or morality because we all have differing views based on upbring, surroundings, etc.
mill & belinda foundation, etc<nobr> <wbr></nobr>... Got any evidence that they're tying donations back to usage? Remember that the Foundation is separate from Microsoft. It's Bill's personal foundation, not Microsoft's, and the governing board is different.
Cell phone company, etc. That's SOP. A company will buy stock in another company, either because they are interested in some aspect of that company operation or products, or as an outright earning investment. If you look at the board of any major corporation, you will see a ton of cross-pollination - major corps do not exist in a vacuum. Now, whether any given board member is investing in his/her own right or because of the company is probably next to impossible to determine. So, if the company goes under, do the other board members act to protect their investment or do they just let it die?
I personally believe the corporations reaching a certain size or acting in certain ways<nobr> <wbr></nobr>... The first part of that argument just doesn't make sense. How big is too big? Who determines how big is too big? You? Me? The second part, I agree with, but the company should be allowed to defend their actions - if they have better lawyers, then so be it. Remember, courts are not about justice (which is a whole 'nother can of worms), but about crime/punishment (which has nothing to do with justice) or about injured parties seeking redress for perceived wrongs (which also has nothing to do with justice).
mega corps which are recalcitrant, vicious, malicious, FUD-spreading, Vapor-ware spreading<nobr> <wbr></nobr>... Most of what you mention is marketing and politics. The only yardsticks we have are our personal beliefs, which vary so wildly as to be unusable as an overall objective measurement, and the law, which varies in value but at least is an immutable fact that we, as a society, have decided is where we draw a line that one cannot cross without some sort of punishment.
--- I stand by my statement that software is not your children. Feeding your children and creating software are two different things entirely. You can, in a pinch, do any other job which will provide the funds to feed your children. It may not be pleasant, but sometimes that's life. Software is just electrical signals, and all the wishing in the world will never make it live, and I personally would worry about the values or sanity of any person who equates the two.
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Re:If you can't stand the heat ...
Posted by: Anonymous Coward on May 23, 2003 09:22 PMYou're under threat by everybody. Other coders, other companies in the same market. If you aren't at least aware of the competition, then you're chum for the sharks and deservedly so. (Loinal probiscus? You mean proboscis? Frankly, I was laughing so hard at that I almost ruptured mine<nobr> <wbr></nobr>... )
As for ms being fair on IP, etc<nobr> <wbr></nobr>...
Perfectly legal. Ethics is another matter, but those have to come from within and large corporate ethics are different than for small companies because the aims and concerns are different. You can't legislate ethics or morality because we all have differing views based on upbring, surroundings, etc.
mill & belinda foundation, etc<nobr> <wbr></nobr>...
Got any evidence that they're tying donations back to usage? Remember that the Foundation is separate from Microsoft. It's Bill's personal foundation, not Microsoft's, and the governing board is different.
Cell phone company, etc.
That's SOP. A company will buy stock in another company, either because they are interested in some aspect of that company operation or products, or as an outright earning investment. If you look at the board of any major corporation, you will see a ton of cross-pollination - major corps do not exist in a vacuum. Now, whether any given board member is investing in his/her own right or because of the company is probably next to impossible to determine. So, if the company goes under, do the other board members act to protect their investment or do they just let it die?
I personally believe the corporations reaching a certain size or acting in certain ways<nobr> <wbr></nobr>...
The first part of that argument just doesn't make sense. How big is too big? Who determines how big is too big? You? Me? The second part, I agree with, but the company should be allowed to defend their actions - if they have better lawyers, then so be it. Remember, courts are not about justice (which is a whole 'nother can of worms), but about crime/punishment (which has nothing to do with justice) or about injured parties seeking redress for perceived wrongs (which also has nothing to do with justice).
mega corps which are recalcitrant, vicious, malicious, FUD-spreading, Vapor-ware spreading<nobr> <wbr></nobr>...
Most of what you mention is marketing and politics. The only yardsticks we have are our personal beliefs, which vary so wildly as to be unusable as an overall objective measurement, and the law, which varies in value but at least is an immutable fact that we, as a society, have decided is where we draw a line that one cannot cross without some sort of punishment.
---
I stand by my statement that software is not your children. Feeding your children and creating software are two different things entirely. You can, in a pinch, do any other job which will provide the funds to feed your children. It may not be pleasant, but sometimes that's life. Software is just electrical signals, and all the wishing in the world will never make it live, and I personally would worry about the values or sanity of any person who equates the two.
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