3 ms·

I don't get why this is such a big thing. I'm not taking any sides here, but what's surprising to me is that I never saw any mention of Microsoft in the comment

I don't get why this is such a big thing. I'm not taking any sides here, but what's surprising to me is that I never saw any mention of Microsoft in the comments over the last couple days, when stories about google going into China again hit HN. Nobody seems to care what kind of deals they have with the chinese govt to offer bing, hotmail or plain old windows in China. Have we all just accepted that Microsoft is pure evil and would do anything to make a buck or two? This is in stark contrast with how whenever a google related story hit HN before, everyone was giving them shit in the comments about invading everyone's privacy, collecting data like crazy, closing down every service they ever bought up, improperly implement protocols or create new standards hurting the competition. It sounds like the full "old Microsoft" experience, but now everyone is super surprised and disappointed how they could possibly do this move. I don't get it.

nrb 8y ago
Google, by their own admission, was supporting totalitarianism in censoring search results before they decided to stop doing so several years ago. I don't see what Microsoft has to do with holding Google to their own self-established standard of ethics.
- iforgotpassword 8y ago
  So you're buying into the story that they only pulled out of China because they didn't want to support censorship anymore. That was merely a PR stunt since they knew that's what would resonate well with Americans or the west in general.* But even then, you're saying that you're totally fine with Microsoft doing this just because they never made a statement saying they don't like censorship? Imo one should judge companies by ones own convictions, at least when it's about fundamental believes of what is right or wrong. I guess I still don't get it. * (primarily because cn gov requested extensive access to their infrastructure, claims of attempted or partially successful break-in attempts, etc. When they ceased all censorship in China the decision was already made to leave, it was just for show.)
  - nrb 8y ago
    I never commented on the behavior of Microsoft because they have nothing to do with the topic at hand: Google being held to a standard that THEY established when they said they were getting out of China (at least partially) because of ongoing censorship.
    - iforgotpassword 8y ago
      Ok I get that part. Still, Microsoft is in the same business doing the same things, so to me it would have been natural if it would have been brought up in this context. Just like when there's a post about a new Chrome feature, people start comparing it to Firefox, or when an article about a political decision of country X is posted, people start comparing it to the situation in countries Y and Z.

nrb 8y ago

Google, by their own admission, was supporting totalitarianism in censoring search results before they decided to stop doing so several years ago. I don't see what Microsoft has to do with holding Google to their own self-established standard of ethics.

iforgotpassword 8y ago
So you're buying into the story that they only pulled out of China because they didn't want to support censorship anymore. That was merely a PR stunt since they knew that's what would resonate well with Americans or the west in general.* But even then, you're saying that you're totally fine with Microsoft doing this just because they never made a statement saying they don't like censorship? Imo one should judge companies by ones own convictions, at least when it's about fundamental believes of what is right or wrong. I guess I still don't get it. * (primarily because cn gov requested extensive access to their infrastructure, claims of attempted or partially successful break-in attempts, etc. When they ceased all censorship in China the decision was already made to leave, it was just for show.)
- nrb 8y ago
  I never commented on the behavior of Microsoft because they have nothing to do with the topic at hand: Google being held to a standard that THEY established when they said they were getting out of China (at least partially) because of ongoing censorship.
  - iforgotpassword 8y ago
    Ok I get that part. Still, Microsoft is in the same business doing the same things, so to me it would have been natural if it would have been brought up in this context. Just like when there's a post about a new Chrome feature, people start comparing it to Firefox, or when an article about a political decision of country X is posted, people start comparing it to the situation in countries Y and Z.