6 ms·
How do you gaffe this bad? How is someone that incompetent in the decision making loop? Some random engineer creating the ucode or uploading it to the web doe
by kev009 8y ago
How do you gaffe this bad? How is someone that incompetent in the decision making loop? Some random engineer creating the ucode or uploading it to the web doesn't come up with this kind of idea to change license language. These are edicts from management. I'd love for that conversation to leak in full.
- pwg 8y agoThat language is likely derived from a path similar to this: "Marketing department" -- We are sick of seeing the world complain that our patches to these problems reduce performance by X percent. Hey "Legal Dept", can anything be done about that? "Legal Dept" -- We will see what we can do... Result, a new clause appears in the license file that says "no bench-marking". With no one in the path ever having heard of the Streisand effect (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect) (yes, Streisand effect is not a perfect fit here, but the 'publicity' part of the effect is what in fact has occurred).
- Aloha 8y agoI suspect its something more banal. I believe intel does distribute test/beta microcode to certain partners, and likely security researchers, this kind of statement is something you would put in a beta version, I wonder if someone simply used the wrong license file when they deployed this to the website.
- babypuncher 8y agoI refuse to believe the entire marketing department is dense enough not to see how that would backfire.
- mywittyname 8y agoLegal probably thought they could silently issue C&D letters to offending sites and bully compliance.
- cbhl 8y agoDoes it really take the entire marketing department for the story to play out this way? It just takes one marketing person to send one email to the right one lawyer in legal, right?
- dman 8y agoLooks like marketing department is running with an acting part time head - https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2018/05/intel_ousts_its_chief_marketin.html https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2018/05/...
- cesarb 8y agoI saw a tweet somewhere (IIRC in the anandtech sidebar, unfortunately I'm not finding it right now) where the poster speculated that it was the EULA for a beta version of the microcode which leaked into the final version.
- djsumdog 8y agoThat makes much more sense. If that's what happened, Intel should just come out and say it. Own your mistakes, or at least adopt this lie if it wasn't a mistake, simply because it's plausible and will help them save face from a PR perspective. (The Nobel Lie as it would be).
- geezerjay 8y ago> the poster speculated that it was the EULA for a beta version of the microcode I don't see how this changes anything at all.
- kikoreis 8y agoIf it's a limited access beta version, restricting redistribution and benchmark publishing makes a lot more sense.
- SolarNet 8y agoIf they had given it to specific companies before it was finished the benchmarks would not represent reality while it was under development, and as part of the embargo on these beta clients, they wouldn't be allowed to publish it. Obviously not good if it makes it into the public release.
- Sohcahtoa82 8y agoBecause people are irrational and clickbait runs rampant. If they contract testing of the beta to a 3rd party, they don't want them running benchmarks because if they get released, news organizations will jump on it, broadcasting the performance hit. This matters because when later beta versions improve performance, the news about the improved performance doesn't spread nearly as much. Even if it does, the first impression sticks, and there's nothing Intel will be able to do about it.
- hajile 8y agoCompanies like IBM or Oracle have had these clauses for decades to prevent users from comparing performance. Such EULA clauses need to be put to the test and overturned for the anti-consumer monopolistic garbage they are.
- mmagin 8y agoI was casually wondering the other day if Intel had hired some Oracle lawyers recently :)
- thsealienbstrds 8y agoYep. It's like buying a box of cookies that says you agree to not compare the taste of these cookies with the tastes of other cookies.