>There is a lot of implied ill-will on HN
So true, since Microsoft wants just the best for Humankind and is overall just a nice Company.
So true, since Microsoft wants just the best for Humankind and is overall just a nice Company.
Now I'm saying it will be a net negative in this case, but the possibility is there.
1. Microsoft in the 90s (and IBM in the 60s, 70s, 80s. Oracle at any point in its history).
2. Microsoft right now.
Microsoft right now it not obviously worse than Facebook, Google, Apple, Amazon, etc. They shouldn't getting as much flak as they still do. It's not rational, it's IMHO resentment for events from 10-20 years ago.
That's pretty low bar.
> They shouldn't getting as much flak as they still do.
Why not? They should be getting all the flak they deserve. Together with Google, Apple, Amazon, etc.
They are not your friend. They will abuse you if it makes business sense to them.
Seriously now, you wouldn't believe the kind of things people say to my colleagues and myself, even though a) I work mostly with OSS tech and b) it is always completely out of context.
It sometimes feels as if we're stormtroopers or something, branded as evil at first glance.
Real world though, this is the bad side of branding. When you taint a brand with these kind of actions then you can expect it to stick for a while.
I mean, I can't think of Coca Cola without thinking they used to sell it with cocaine. Different times of course.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/cocaine-coca-cola/
but it serves me well to keep in mind they want people addicted to their drink - even if it doesn't strictly contain cocaine anymore.
With MS, it serves me well to keep in mind that just because your company is not "one of the worst" now, that doesn't mean it is out for the common good. It is out for money, like all of them. And so suspicion is warranted.
Back when I did customer presentations on site, it was the first thing up on screen when I hooked my laptop to a projector, and it did cut down on the disparaging anti-MS commentary I got from some people (had a grand moment when that kicked in in an auditorium, everyone went quiet for a few seconds).
That and seldom leaving the terminal (except for opening some things in Firefox) were the two main drivers for zealots to stop sneering at what I presented.