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The comments on this article are painful. Monsanto certainly has a huge problem and that problem is PR. People call them an evil monopoly, but they're not a mon

The comments on this article are painful. Monsanto certainly has a huge problem and that problem is PR. People call them an evil monopoly, but they're not a monopoly. They're the second biggest, sure, but they have lots of competitors behind them, too. Almost every single thing I read that's negative about Monsanto is either a fabrication or spun so heavily that the truth is too distorted. Honestly, so much negative press really distracts from where you can find negative issues with the company.

Karunamon 10y ago
I think it's a combination of things: 1- the name. Monsanto sounds like a Saturday morning cartoon villain. 2- the whole concept of patenting a life form rubs many the wrong way 3- previous bad behavior, I.e. Agent orange. 4- self-reinforcing bad information That's no excuse for making things up whole cloth,but it at least explains some of it.
- belorn 10y ago
  To expand on the patent issue, it not only about Monsanto patenting life but also how they go around and enforce it. Rather than selling a product that the farmer can use as they wish, monsanto demands payment for each harvest. Its if like a car manufacturer were to patent some new effective engine but then went to demand a cut each time the customer went and filled up the tank. Its not a deal that feels fair, and it makes people feel like someone got tricked.
  - roel_v 10y ago
    You realize you're saying this to an audience of which at least half either works on saas or would like to, right?
  - BinaryIdiot 10y ago
    >Rather than selling a product that the farmer can use as they wish, monsanto demands payment for each harvest. "Demands"? Many GMO products don't create their own seeds so famers have to re-buy them. They do this before the harvest, not for each harvest. I've talked to farmers before and for some types of crops it's a freaking godsend for them. I don't think "demands" is the right word. It's closer to a subscription service more than a "demand". Are you saying Google "demands" payment when you sign up to Google Apps? etc...

Karunamon 10y ago

I think it's a combination of things: 1- the name. Monsanto sounds like a Saturday morning cartoon villain. 2- the whole concept of patenting a life form rubs many the wrong way 3- previous bad behavior, I.e. Agent orange. 4- self-reinforcing bad information That's no excuse for making things up whole cloth,but it at least explains some of it.

belorn 10y ago
To expand on the patent issue, it not only about Monsanto patenting life but also how they go around and enforce it. Rather than selling a product that the farmer can use as they wish, monsanto demands payment for each harvest. Its if like a car manufacturer were to patent some new effective engine but then went to demand a cut each time the customer went and filled up the tank. Its not a deal that feels fair, and it makes people feel like someone got tricked.
- roel_v 10y ago
  You realize you're saying this to an audience of which at least half either works on saas or would like to, right?
- BinaryIdiot 10y ago
  >Rather than selling a product that the farmer can use as they wish, monsanto demands payment for each harvest. "Demands"? Many GMO products don't create their own seeds so famers have to re-buy them. They do this before the harvest, not for each harvest. I've talked to farmers before and for some types of crops it's a freaking godsend for them. I don't think "demands" is the right word. It's closer to a subscription service more than a "demand". Are you saying Google "demands" payment when you sign up to Google Apps? etc...