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Source? According to Merriam-Webster, to poach means "to attract (as an employee or customer) away from a competitor". No indication of illegality here.
by asdfologist 12y ago
Source?
According to Merriam-Webster, to poach means "to attract (as an employee or customer) away from a competitor". No indication of illegality here.
- mburns 12y agoIt's the very next definition of the page you are quoting. Poach (verb) "to trespass for the purpose of stealing game; also : to take game or fish illegally"
- asdfologist 12y agoThat's the wrong definition though. Humans are not "game".
- skj 12y agoThat's the GGP's point, I think. The word 'poaching' is used because the humans are treated as game, and continuing to use that word continues to bring up that connotation.
- pmallory 12y agoSince PayPal and Facebook aren't competitors "poaching" isn't an apt description by that definition either. I think "poaching" is just a more dramatic and linkbaity synonym for "hiring".
- bmm6o 12y agoI'm not sure if you're saying you're not familiar with the meaning that the word has had since the early 15th century, but http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/poaching?s=t http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/poaching?s=t. It's application to business employment is obviously much more recent - I can't find a definitive citation, but I'd be surprised if this usage even dated back to the early 20th century. I find it an inapt analogy to describe a transaction in a competitive job market.