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When I read content like this, I can't help but be reminded of Bryan Cantrill's talk at USENIX entitled "Fork Yeah! The Rise and Development of illumos" from 20

When I read content like this, I can't help but be reminded of Bryan Cantrill's talk at USENIX entitled "Fork Yeah! The Rise and Development of illumos" from 2011 [1]. Some personal favorites: > You actually don't need to be open-minded about Oracle. You are wasting the openness of your mind. > What you think of Oracle, is even truer than you think it is. There has been no entity in human history with less complexity or nuance to it than Oracle. > You need to think of Larry Ellison the way you think of a lawnmower. You don't anthropomorphize your lawnmower, the lawnmower just mows the lawn, you stick your hand in there and it'll chop it off, the end. You don't think "oh, the lawnmower hates me". The lawnmower doesn't give a shit about you, the lawnmower can't hate you. Don't anthropomorphize the lawnmower. Don't fall into that trap about Oracle. [...] The lawnmower can't have empathy. [1] https://youtu.be/-zRN7XLCRhc?t=2040 https://youtu.be/-zRN7XLCRhc?t=2040

thunderbong 7y ago
I think this is true for all corporations. In my opinion, all corporations are driven by the bottom line, not by emotions.
- goldenkey 7y ago
  It's not. Tesla is ran by a pretty awesome guy. So are many other companies. Some visions happen to be compatible with ethics. When one's brand is backed by ethics, investors know what they are getting into. A lot of mountaineering companies and outback companies are actually like that.
  - kthejoker2 7y ago
    Umm Tesla has plenty of "soulless corporation" going on - again, quit anthropomorphizing minmax optimization engines. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jun/13/tesla-workers-pay-price-elon-musk-failed-promises https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jun/13/tesla-wor... https://www.revealnews.org/blog/a-users-guide-to-teslas-worker-safety-problems/ https://www.revealnews.org/blog/a-users-guide-to-teslas-work... https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-factory-workers-detail-grueling-conditions-fremont-2017-5 https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-factory-workers-detail...
  - xemoka 7y ago
    And guess who is on Tesla’s board: Larry Ellison.
- jhanschoo 7y ago
  Not really, and they're not exclusive. Before profits comes the company's constitution or charter. Companies are ultimately a vehicle for its shareholder's wishes, so you have companies that are very idiosyncratic and companies established for a certain mission, etc.
  - notacoward 7y ago
    That's true of companies in general, but not of corporations, and we've loaded up the corporate structure with so many advantages that it's a deal hard to resist. There are a very few companies that stay private so that they can pursue goals other than maximum short-term profit at all costs, but as a practical reality corporations are the dominant form of business today. I wish we'd go back to having enforceable time-limited charters, as the only fair trade for all the benefits we extend to corporations, but that's not the world we live in right now.
- Nextgrid 7y ago
  Some companies value their reputation and want to protect it. Being nasty might give you short-term profits but cost you in the long run as people will avoid dealing with your company just because of that. I guess what's happening with companies such as Oracle is that the reputation is already ruined beyond repair and there's nothing else to lose by being nasty so they do it.
- badrabbit 7y ago
  It's my pet peeve when people use "emotions" as the only alternative to something undesirable. Corporations should be driven by the bottom line,no one questioned that. Having a purpose,long term sustainability and stability,maintaining your integrity ,not breaking laws,not harming other human beings is not being "emotional",it is as much emotional as greed is an emotion.
- rogerkirkness 7y ago
  I find moralizing companies much scarier than amoral ones.
hinkley 7y ago
I believe he goes one farther and suggests that you don’t anthropomorphize Larry Ellison.

thunderbong 7y ago

I think this is true for all corporations. In my opinion, all corporations are driven by the bottom line, not by emotions.

goldenkey 7y ago
It's not. Tesla is ran by a pretty awesome guy. So are many other companies. Some visions happen to be compatible with ethics. When one's brand is backed by ethics, investors know what they are getting into. A lot of mountaineering companies and outback companies are actually like that.
- kthejoker2 7y ago
  Umm Tesla has plenty of "soulless corporation" going on - again, quit anthropomorphizing minmax optimization engines. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jun/13/tesla-workers-pay-price-elon-musk-failed-promises https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jun/13/tesla-wor... https://www.revealnews.org/blog/a-users-guide-to-teslas-worker-safety-problems/ https://www.revealnews.org/blog/a-users-guide-to-teslas-work... https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-factory-workers-detail-grueling-conditions-fremont-2017-5 https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-factory-workers-detail...
- xemoka 7y ago
  And guess who is on Tesla’s board: Larry Ellison.
jhanschoo 7y ago
Not really, and they're not exclusive. Before profits comes the company's constitution or charter. Companies are ultimately a vehicle for its shareholder's wishes, so you have companies that are very idiosyncratic and companies established for a certain mission, etc.
- notacoward 7y ago
  That's true of companies in general, but not of corporations, and we've loaded up the corporate structure with so many advantages that it's a deal hard to resist. There are a very few companies that stay private so that they can pursue goals other than maximum short-term profit at all costs, but as a practical reality corporations are the dominant form of business today. I wish we'd go back to having enforceable time-limited charters, as the only fair trade for all the benefits we extend to corporations, but that's not the world we live in right now.
Nextgrid 7y ago
Some companies value their reputation and want to protect it. Being nasty might give you short-term profits but cost you in the long run as people will avoid dealing with your company just because of that. I guess what's happening with companies such as Oracle is that the reputation is already ruined beyond repair and there's nothing else to lose by being nasty so they do it.
badrabbit 7y ago
It's my pet peeve when people use "emotions" as the only alternative to something undesirable. Corporations should be driven by the bottom line,no one questioned that. Having a purpose,long term sustainability and stability,maintaining your integrity ,not breaking laws,not harming other human beings is not being "emotional",it is as much emotional as greed is an emotion.
rogerkirkness 7y ago
I find moralizing companies much scarier than amoral ones.

hinkley 7y ago

I believe he goes one farther and suggests that you don’t anthropomorphize Larry Ellison.