http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/04/18/protests-continue-a...
I hope these protests hurt Dropbox's image and business and they replace Rice with someone who isn't a war criminal.
Even if they end world hunger.
I really don't get the culture here sometimes. Eich gets hung out to dry (which is something I still agree with, for the record) but Rice more or less gets a free pass, despite Rice having been responsible/complicit in a hell of a lot more evil in the world?
So we have an entire industry (Country really) who is screwed by this and they appoint her to their board. Either they are wrapped up in the idea of having a former high ranking political figure on their board or they just don't get it. Regardless from the outside it's not a very good look.
On the merits, it's a really smart idea. She has connections and gives dropbox credibility in government circles (irrespective of political leanings)
However you could have literally every single citizen outside of government, the bureaucracy, and the sociopaths set up to control both, opposed to the kind of surveillance Dropbox facilitates, and the state would still fight tooth-and-nail for it.
It's really a case of cowards picking their battles, and piling on when it's convenient.
LGBT community has a very strong support network and is a visible target. In case of Rice, her evil-doing is less apparent and diffused. There's no "minority" to protect - everyone is affected - but not in a personal discriminating manner. Wars happen, but some place else. Surveillance happen, but we don't really see it. Hence, public reaction is a lot less emotional.
Rice does not inspire confidence with a company handling private data.
Even if all the other cloud sync companies have to hand over data to the US Government, at least they aren't being so blase about it by putting Rice on their board.
But the reputation of USA as the leader of the free world is safe,we can now give the russians moral lessons.
Business is traditionally played as a game of market advantage/disadvantage. To Dropbox, Rice's international connections and political clout are far more valuable to them (obviously) than a few users throwing a hissy fit and dropping their service. Again, rather obviously, the method to change that view is if John Q. Public can create enough unrest and antagonism towards Rice, then that disadvantage outweighs the edge Rice brings.
There are two issues I see:
1. The power Rice brings to the table is ridiculously significant. Regardless of what she's alleged to have done, she is one of tens of western female political leaders. She has deep connections with major businesses within the US. Etc, etc, etc.
2. The article written at 'Drop-Dropbox' is full of strawmen arguments and subjective analysis. This, among other points, makes the article a piece of crap.
I don't really have the time, nor the willingness to actually pull apart the article, but I'll point out a few things:
"Choosing Condoleezza Rice for Dropbox's Board is problematic on a number of deeper levels, and invites serious concerns about Drew Houston and the senior leadership at Dropbox's commitment to freedom, openness, and ethics. When a company quite literally has access to all of your data, ethics become more than a fun thought experiment."
This is a slippery-slope argument, designed to instill fear into the reader. The author provides nothing of substance but insinuates: "Because Rice joined the Board of Dropbox, all of your data is going to be used for unethical (like what?) purposes". The author also shows a significant lack of understanding about how large corporate businesses work. The Board of Directors make broad, sweeping, general directions for the company to proceed in. In addition, if people are concerned with Rice making "unethical" decisions, keep in mind that there's a voting process (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Board_of_directors#Exercise_of...) to keep power in check. Even further, once the company becomes publicly traded, a creation of a separate board who normally consist of outside members, are required to audit the company; this, in theory, prevents companies from "unethically" treating your data. Now even though this paragraph has nothing to do with the NSA and associated programs, I'm sure if anybody responds, it's going to be the first thing out of their mouth. To this I respond: Rice is not the US government. Much less, she's not even part of the NSA.
I'll point out another annoyance I've noticed: Strawmen Arguments.
Statements like:
"She helped start the Iraq War"
"She was involved in the creation of the Bush administration's torture program"
"Rice was on the Board of Directors at Chevron"
All are designed to instill fear, hatred, and disgust towards Rice. But really?...
Americans, Canadians, British, French, German, Australian, etc, etc, etc all helped to start the Iraq War. Americans are especially guilty. If anybody was around during 9/11, I'm sure we can all recall the fear and anger we had towards the suicidal fundamentalists who piloted planes into the Towers. Now, I'm not one to call for war, but I can remember that I wanted to do anything and everything in my power to hit back (somehow) at those who caused me and my country pain and harm.
Same can be more or less said for the other 'headlines' but I care far too little about changing a few random stranger's thoughts over the internet.
Thanks.
More seriously, I think it is reasonable to prefer that tech companies stay away from political figures. Suppose Rice was appointed by Google or Facebook instead of Dropbox. Or maybe George W. Bush himself. Wouldn't you feel unconfortable?
I would. Not because of Bush or Rice are right or left, did this or that, but just because they are politicians, belonging to another world. We, hackers of the tech industry, should not let them in. It is bringing the wolf to the sheepfold. A rotten fruit in the plate.
Not to say that our industry is clean: it already has enough of politics and guys with blood on their hands. We should just avoid getting more of them.
I would certainly prefer an ex-drug dealer or an ex-pimp to become member of the board of some cherished tech company than even the most seemingly innocuous politician.
Maybe I am a bit extreme, but it is probably expressing what some other people feel. So, even if Rice had a cleaner record, it would still be not ok to join Dropbox' Board.
This is a sweeping and completely unfair generalization. Plenty of Americans opposed the war, as the hundreds of thousands of protesters in major cities (300-400k just in NYC) at the time showed. The polls didn't show an overwhelming majority support for the war either.