> It's okay to be in awe of these great hackers. But as a practical matter, small ISVs would be much better off hiring professionals. I think this more of a m

> It's okay to be in awe of these great hackers. But as a practical matter, small ISVs would be much better off hiring professionals. I think this more of a matter of ensuring that an employee's objectives are in line with the company in a harmonious way. Rather than blaming a hacker for not falling in line with company practices as being "unprofessional", I would approach this as seeing any employee as a business entity within itself. Some business entities are flexible & willing to work withing your framework. Some business entities already have their own framework, which may or may not be compatible with your framework. A hacker has a brand, a product, & is otherwise also a professional with discipline & ethics. The problem that Eric seems to have had was that his company's framework was not compatible with his employee's framework. Treating a hacker as a business with the many of same considerations of which businesses to partner with or rely on would lead to a more logic based discussion where all considerations are more likely to be articulated without the need to denigrate a person who is incompatible with the company.