more python evangelising...

[Grant Edwards]

In article <B57E791A.264E%eableson at mac.com>, Erik Ableson wrote:

>We are talking about MS - and they're more interested in making
>money in training packages, ms certification programs, etc.
>[...]
>As always these decisions are business decisions and in no way
>related to the relative technical merits of a product :)

Since MS is a publicly held company, the people who run it
have a fiduciary responsibility to the stockholders.  They are
obligated to make them as much money as they can (legally, that
is).  If they didn't, they could be held liable in court.

OTOH, if the charter of the company called for
socially/technically responsible behavior as a higher priority
than profits, then they could take lower profit, higher "social
good" directions.  But that's not what stockholders want.
Stockholders (at least in the US) only care about short-term
profits.  Your company's business is dropping flaming puppies
off the Empire State Building?  Fine -- as long as returns keep
going up...

If there was a large enough group interested in investing in
socially-conscious software companies perhaps things would be
different.  Perhaps.

-- 
Grant Edwards                   grante             Yow!  Two LITTLE black
                                  at               dots and one BIG black
                               visi.com            dot...nice 'n' FLUFFY!!