To: Uncle Frank who wrote (38096 ) 8/17/1999 1:29:00 AM From: Joe NYC Read Replies (3) | Respond to of 152472
Frank,I would guess that you are a student or an academician Are you suggesting that I am naive? If behaving gentlemanly is naive, yes, I plead guilty.Please don't think me cynical, but I don't rate gentlemanly behavior very highly as a survival trait in today's world of high tech. It may not be the best survival trait, I agree, but it is a good character trait.Based on your comments about "good guys", I presume you characterize NSM in that manner Nor really. I characterize them as losers. You know, sometimes you make a mistake and "invest" in a dog, and you became a "long term investor"? That's my case with NSM.Companies are good when they make a useful product, afford their employees the chance to earn a good living and benefits, provide a good return to their shareholders, and are law abiding. OT OT OT I don't think that all the standards to which we expect people o live up to should be written into law. You either live up to the standards and you are a good person, or you don't, and people think that you are an a@$hole. The current trial is whether MSFT crossed the line between being a criminal and just plain AH. There is a room to being ethical and still providing things that you say make companies good, as demonstrated by QCOM. You never know, maybe MSFT would be even bigger, richer and more successful if they behaved like gentlemen. They eventually make good products, and they have a capability to stick around long enough until their products are in fact good. My bet that a big part of the Linux phenomenon is the resentment people in the industry feel towards MSFT based on their nasty behavior in the past. Otherwise, you wouldn't have people rooting for Janet Reno and the rest of the misfits in the justice department against a successful American entrepreneur. Joe