I don't understand how Oracle's position here about how the Apache license covering code covers the API and their position in Oracle vs. Google.
The Oracle Amazon API usage is an identical re-implementation of the interfaces, but as a web solution there is per se nothing to copy in verbatim form.
The IBM-PC copycats back in the 80s went as far as clean room re-implementing the system with engineers who never saw the documentation. Ripping the header files out of a proprietary license package is quite cheap from a legal standpoint in comparison, even if open source is provided.
There is no need for simple 'because they are evil'-comments. It doesn't help discussion.
A causal reader might not be aware of how hypocritical certain operators are in the IT space and are reading this for the first time.
Just because it's obvious TO YOU doesn't mean it's obvious to everyone.
Though I do agree that lots of "because they're evil" comments do not add to the discussion.
Personally I think downvoting should be done carefully and not because the downvoter disagrees with the comment.
I agree. I just forget occasionally.
Usually these comments are much more concise than whatever fluff article is linked. (Or they provide some required context for posts that are very much in need of it.)
Maybe it doesn't increase the level of discussion here, but maybe there's value in steering the scarce resource of intelligent conversants toward more productive threads? Additionally, getting people up to speed on corporate citizenship of various companies is an ongoing process, an ambient meta conversation that pervades many conversations.
'They just want money' is too simplistic even if that is the case, because can they afford to keep doing this to everyone? Is there a strategy? And if it becomes a bandwagon of people with simple explanations there will be resistance towards anyone who figures out what could be their reasoning.