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> So what you're saying is, you'd like to talk like you have a virtuous outlook on life, but you don't actually want to own up to the consequences of said virtu

> So what you're saying is, you'd like to talk like you have a virtuous outlook on life, but you don't actually want to own up to the consequences of said virtue. I can understand this outlook. It is easier to pander to people and act in your best interests than actually suffer the consequences of your ideals. That's not the point they were making at all. One developer refusing to file for patents on their work is not going to make any difference and will only put them at a competitive disadvantage. Reforming patent law will benefit everyone equally. Until the time that reform happens, there's no need to make yourself a martyr.

KirinDave 14y ago
> One developer refusing to file for patents on their work is not going to make any difference and will only put them at a competitive disadvantage. Every developer says this individually, and they're right. But if we all were more diligent about shooting down spurious software patents as a matter of professional pride, it would be a better world. That is to say, if it was considered part of professional ethics to help vet patents for obviousness and prior art for software. And if the thesis, "The patent system is broken" is true, then we're all already at a competitive disadvantage. The pursuits are not mutually exclusive the way you make them sound. Personally, I am tired of everyone saying, "This is the way ____ is done." What you feel there is the status quo, and it is demonstrably not a good thing right now. Do you think these UK banks adjusting Libor have a similar speech about competitive advantage? If we only define "success" but facile metrics like quarterly revenue, then we're going to dig ourselves a hole we will never emerge from, all while piously protesting our invisible hands are tied.
- shasta 14y ago
  Why don't you go make an impassioned plea to the patent trolls? I'm sure you can solve this problem at its source.
  - KirinDave 14y ago
    I am not making an impassioned plea to patent trolls. I can't change what the people before me did. Instead, I'm trying to have my actions reflect the kind of world I want to live in. That doesn't mean I don't donate time/money/my voice to lobbying for this cause. It simply means I try to be consistent in this.
    - Volpe 14y ago
      "Be the change you want to see" -- Gandhi
azakai 14y ago
> One developer refusing to file for patents on their work is not going to make any difference and will only put them at a competitive disadvantage. That is precisely the prisoners dilemma http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner%27s_dilemma http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner%27s_dilemma and is a classic example of short-term thinking (for a better story, see "iterated prisoner's dilemma"). Specifically here, if one developer refuses to file for patents and influences his fellow developers to do so as well, they can eventually change society. And such influence is much more possible when not only talking about how bad patents are but when actually refusing to file such patents.

KirinDave 14y ago

> One developer refusing to file for patents on their work is not going to make any difference and will only put them at a competitive disadvantage. Every developer says this individually, and they're right. But if we all were more diligent about shooting down spurious software patents as a matter of professional pride, it would be a better world. That is to say, if it was considered part of professional ethics to help vet patents for obviousness and prior art for software. And if the thesis, "The patent system is broken" is true, then we're all already at a competitive disadvantage. The pursuits are not mutually exclusive the way you make them sound. Personally, I am tired of everyone saying, "This is the way ____ is done." What you feel there is the status quo, and it is demonstrably not a good thing right now. Do you think these UK banks adjusting Libor have a similar speech about competitive advantage? If we only define "success" but facile metrics like quarterly revenue, then we're going to dig ourselves a hole we will never emerge from, all while piously protesting our invisible hands are tied.

shasta 14y ago
Why don't you go make an impassioned plea to the patent trolls? I'm sure you can solve this problem at its source.
- KirinDave 14y ago
  I am not making an impassioned plea to patent trolls. I can't change what the people before me did. Instead, I'm trying to have my actions reflect the kind of world I want to live in. That doesn't mean I don't donate time/money/my voice to lobbying for this cause. It simply means I try to be consistent in this.
  - Volpe 14y ago
    "Be the change you want to see" -- Gandhi

azakai 14y ago

> One developer refusing to file for patents on their work is not going to make any difference and will only put them at a competitive disadvantage. That is precisely the prisoners dilemma http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner%27s_dilemma http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner%27s_dilemma and is a classic example of short-term thinking (for a better story, see "iterated prisoner's dilemma"). Specifically here, if one developer refuses to file for patents and influences his fellow developers to do so as well, they can eventually change society. And such influence is much more possible when not only talking about how bad patents are but when actually refusing to file such patents.