Re: A Question of Ethics (was: Overriding Acrobat User Settings)

[Andrew Plato <intrepid_es -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

Just a few comments....

> (2) I also agree with you in that stealing is stealing, be it $1 or $1
> million.  But figuring out how a product is made, discovering its flaws
and
> limitations, and teaching people about it and how to overcome product
> limitations are not stealing.  

Yes it is stealing.

If you build a cool mouse trap and patented it, and then I come along and
reverse engineer it to build an exact copy...that is stealing.  You
invested a lot of effort (money, time, etc.) to build your mouse trap and
no individual or organization should be able to steal it. 

Now testing a product and discussing its strengths and weaknesses is one
thing. I agree that Mr. Sklyarov should not have been arrested. It was
extreme and inappropriate. However, I understand Adobe's position. I think
there are more productive ways to do that then arresting people who
comment on the viability of the technology, but I still respect that they
are trying to defend their technologies. 

> (5) Products and services are just a bunch of materials and processes
> readily available to anyone, that are put together to form said
products.
> Transformation of resources no longer defines added value; the 
> intelligence
> and knowledge integrated into and also created by the development system

> is what truly adds value.  And that is where, I believe, the future of 
< profits lies; not in the product its self, but in the knowledge-service.

> In conclusion, there is a bigger picture than profits.  In a
capitalistic
> society profits should be a measure of excellence, of how well you have
> complied with your objectives, values, and ethics.  Profits should be 
> your reward for meeting objectives, not the objectives themselves.

Profit must be the objective. Without profit, an organization cannot grow
and become more beneficial to its community. By pursuing profits,
companies build the capital needed to create more jobs, invest more in
their community, and produce valuable goods and services that boost other
companies. 

This is why the dot.coms failed. They thought raw righteousness and good
ideas were enough to make money. They were wrong. You need something of
value to sell. Webvan was a good idea. Flooz was a good idea. Pets.com was
a good idea...they all went bust because good ideas are not enough. A good
idea without a laser beam focus on marketing, selling, and making a profit
from that good idea is useless. 

> I can be righteous, try changing the rules of the games for the better, 
> be a rebel, and still make a profit without stepping on anybody.  Even
> if I do
> not make a profit, I can still feel good about myself and about how I
> practice my business.

Yes, many innovators start by trying to change the rules. But at some
point they accept that good ideas are just the beginning. 

When somebody wins, someone else must lose. That is the unfortunate
reality of competition. If people are in competition for limited resources
(jobs, fame, love, etc.) some will win, some will lose. If you want to
win, you have to have something (skill, connections, money, nice hair,
etc.) that make you a better candidate than the next guy. 

Thats the law of the jungle.

Andrew Plato 





> 
> Have a wonderful day!
> 
> Robert L. Stallard
> 
> 
> 
> 

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