Starting Now, All Intel Microprocessors Are Conflict-Free | Hacker News Reader

Starting Now, All Intel Microprocessors Are Conflict-Free

fastcoexist.com

33 pointsmcbain12 comments

I completely misunderstood the headline: I thought this had something to do with conflict misses.

Haha yes, me too.

That's a very brave statement, given that there's currently no clear data for Tin/Tungsten/Tantalum/Gold smelters' ore origins. I've seen the data. Two of the eleven tantalum smelters on the planet have been audited. The others aren't sure where all their ore comes from. Big problem. Working on solving it.

Umm OK, they are complying with the Dodd-Frank Act and acting like they are doing it out of the goodness of their hearts...

How moving.

They did a bit more than that. They originally considered pulling out of the region entirely, but then a lot of people not involved in those conflicts would also lose their income. So instead, they spent extra time and money to figure out which mines, smelters, etc in the conflict areas were okay and which weren't. And that makes this very good news.

A lot of large US companies pulled out. This drove prices down. So low in fact that it became cost effective enough for Google to go back (and in some cases remain).

Again, how moving... If Google really was so generous and humanitarian, why don't they start paying the previous rate in these regions?

Um, Google doesn't actually appear in this story. Where did you get that from?

My bad I meant Intel but said Google. I had Google on the brain.

So this makes for ok PR, but when there is a global market for commodities this is all feel good bullshit. Sure the atoms that are in your CPU weren't mined in a warzone but does that absolve you of complicity in participating in a global economy that is going to source raw materials from anywhere it can regardless of the conditions?

Great command and control on the supply chain side but somehow I wonder what the data is on whether this actually makes any real impact on the conflicts in question beyond further reducing the capital flow to already incredibly impoverished regions.

IThe real world is shades of gray, not black and white. There is no 'good' only 'less bad'. This is definitely less bad. They now know their foundries, can put a face to their supply line lower levels, and can ask questions. No Nobel prize, just one step that others should follow. And they did not pull out of impoverished regions, they made sure the foundries they work with are responsibly resourcing raw materials.

(Not gp) Interesting, but I've always believed the world is black and white, but we are imperfect creatures with limited vision so we see a lot of grey. If you cannot see all the pieces and interactions, you hope experience and education can allow you to make the best decisions.

This is probably why I consider "the end justifies the means" to be the definition of evil. I really cannot imagine thinking there is no 'good' and only 'less bad'.

Sure, the atoms don't care, but if large buyers demand commodities with a clean paper trail, that sends pricing signals that are likely to change behavior. What else would you suggest?

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