3 ms·

Sure one question; Do you think you're little rant is more important to them than guarding their IP and controlling the release of their products? Because it i

by gph 13y ago

Sure one question; Do you think you're little rant is more important to them than guarding their IP and controlling the release of their products? Because it isn't. And I can't seriously believe you are telling HTC to apologize. The tweets, though misguided, are barely threatening. And whoever works for the company that the kid knows deserves to get fired. They shouldn't have let the phone come into anyone else's possession, especially a kids.

chris_mahan 13y ago
Oh, you bet. The first rule of business is "the customer's always right." And I fall squarely in their definition of "the customer".
- gph 13y ago
  That's a mindlessly simplistic view of it. Do you seriously think HTC corporate hierarchy is going to change their policy on protecting IP and apologize to a person who unlawfully disseminated information on their products just to please the 10's of people that might be outraged over this? You can't please all the people all the time. Sometimes the customer is an idiot not worth your time.
  - smokinjoe 13y ago
    They will if this person represents a significant portion of their revenue - just like any action taken by a large company. At least Chris put his opinions out there in public. All too often people complain about a company in every single medium except for one that may actually make it to a relevant recipient. ..Which is also why I hope he also has sent this directly to HTC. I know Hacker News is read by quite a few [important] people in tech, but unless he also directs it to the proper avenues this rant will have as much effectiveness as someone complaining at a bar.
  - pbhjpbhj 13y ago
    >apologize to a person who unlawfully disseminated information on their products // Can you expand on this - I watched the video, what part was unlawful (stating the jurisdiction and legislation/caselaw that apply would help)?
    - victorhooi 13y ago
      Dude - it's stolen property, plain and simple. Can you think of a jurisdiction where that's not illegal? Lol. The kid either stole it, or he somehow knowingly came into possession of stolen property. Just because you find something, doesn't make it yours. The right thing to do, when you find something that is obviously stolen (and there is no way an NDA phone would not be) is to return it. Stealing something is illegal, and buying something that's stolen is also illegal. It's like Gawker, and the whole stolen iPhone fiasco. Much as I detest Apple, Gawker were definitely in the wrong there. And this kid didn't help things by trying to lie again, and again, and again afterwards. Just say, whoops, I "didn't" know it was stolen, and hand it back - no harm, no foul. Trying to weasel your way out so you can keep your stolen shiny bauble isn't cool.
      - pbhjpbhj 13y ago
        >buying something that's stolen is also illegal // Usually that's limited to "if you know it, [or should reasonably suspect it] to be stolen". I can imagine many scenarios in which he used the phone in the video without it being stolen, and more in which it was stolen and he wasn't aware of that. "Hey my Dad found this phone left at his work, he's taking it to the Police Station in the morning; do you want to have a look at it?" "I won this phone in a game of poker, want to buy it?" However, I thought you were claiming it was illegal to make the video.
  - serge2k 13y ago
    How did he break the law?
- oh_sigh 13y ago
  Not any more.
  - chris_mahan 13y ago
    You're right, unless they publicly revert. Which they might. We'll see.
qq66 13y ago
"It's not going to be a good week for you, my friend" is definitely threatening, at least to the ear of someone who has watched crime and gangster movies. While these kinds of communciations shouldn't be on Twitter in the first place, HTC would have been far more professional to say "This is a violation of our IP rights and we are commencing aggressive legal action."
- true_religion 13y ago
  The whole point of being a gangster is saying things that are not threatening verbatim in a way that is threatening only in context. Example: "I'm going to give you an offer you can't refuse". It has a very different implication when given by your banker versus given by your loan shark.
  - nly 13y ago
    Actually, these days I think it means the same thing from your banker and your loan shark...

by gph 13y ago

chris_mahan 13y ago

Oh, you bet. The first rule of business is "the customer's always right." And I fall squarely in their definition of "the customer".

gph 13y ago
That's a mindlessly simplistic view of it. Do you seriously think HTC corporate hierarchy is going to change their policy on protecting IP and apologize to a person who unlawfully disseminated information on their products just to please the 10's of people that might be outraged over this? You can't please all the people all the time. Sometimes the customer is an idiot not worth your time.
- smokinjoe 13y ago
  They will if this person represents a significant portion of their revenue - just like any action taken by a large company. At least Chris put his opinions out there in public. All too often people complain about a company in every single medium except for one that may actually make it to a relevant recipient. ..Which is also why I hope he also has sent this directly to HTC. I know Hacker News is read by quite a few [important] people in tech, but unless he also directs it to the proper avenues this rant will have as much effectiveness as someone complaining at a bar.
- pbhjpbhj 13y ago
  >apologize to a person who unlawfully disseminated information on their products // Can you expand on this - I watched the video, what part was unlawful (stating the jurisdiction and legislation/caselaw that apply would help)?
  - victorhooi 13y ago
    Dude - it's stolen property, plain and simple. Can you think of a jurisdiction where that's not illegal? Lol. The kid either stole it, or he somehow knowingly came into possession of stolen property. Just because you find something, doesn't make it yours. The right thing to do, when you find something that is obviously stolen (and there is no way an NDA phone would not be) is to return it. Stealing something is illegal, and buying something that's stolen is also illegal. It's like Gawker, and the whole stolen iPhone fiasco. Much as I detest Apple, Gawker were definitely in the wrong there. And this kid didn't help things by trying to lie again, and again, and again afterwards. Just say, whoops, I "didn't" know it was stolen, and hand it back - no harm, no foul. Trying to weasel your way out so you can keep your stolen shiny bauble isn't cool.
    - pbhjpbhj 13y ago
      >buying something that's stolen is also illegal // Usually that's limited to "if you know it, [or should reasonably suspect it] to be stolen". I can imagine many scenarios in which he used the phone in the video without it being stolen, and more in which it was stolen and he wasn't aware of that. "Hey my Dad found this phone left at his work, he's taking it to the Police Station in the morning; do you want to have a look at it?" "I won this phone in a game of poker, want to buy it?" However, I thought you were claiming it was illegal to make the video.
- serge2k 13y ago
  How did he break the law?
oh_sigh 13y ago
Not any more.
- chris_mahan 13y ago
  You're right, unless they publicly revert. Which they might. We'll see.

qq66 13y ago

"It's not going to be a good week for you, my friend" is definitely threatening, at least to the ear of someone who has watched crime and gangster movies. While these kinds of communciations shouldn't be on Twitter in the first place, HTC would have been far more professional to say "This is a violation of our IP rights and we are commencing aggressive legal action."

true_religion 13y ago
The whole point of being a gangster is saying things that are not threatening verbatim in a way that is threatening only in context. Example: "I'm going to give you an offer you can't refuse". It has a very different implication when given by your banker versus given by your loan shark.
- nly 13y ago
  Actually, these days I think it means the same thing from your banker and your loan shark...