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Survey Results

Which Company (or type of company) has harmed Software Development the most?   [Edit]

Survey period: 26 May 2008 to 2 Jun 2008

To balance our previous survey we'll now ask which company has done the most harm to Software Development as a profession? (use whatever definition of "most harm" suits you)

OptionVotes% 
Microsoft9213.14
Sun142.00
Google284.00
RedHat71.00
Apple253.57
Outsourcing companies in general13619.43
Law firms in general699.86
The US Patent Office20028.57
Venture capitalists in general192.71
Any company or organisation fighting anti-competitive behavior and unfair business practices9213.14

View optional text answers (23 answers)


 
QuestionMultiple Answers? Pin
The Cake of Deceit29-May-08 0:40
The Cake of Deceit29-May-08 0:40 
AnswerRe: Multiple Answers? Pin
Vasudevan Deepak Kumar29-May-08 19:10
Vasudevan Deepak Kumar29-May-08 19:10 
GeneralRe: Multiple Answers? Pin
The Cake of Deceit1-Jun-08 3:38
The Cake of Deceit1-Jun-08 3:38 
GeneralRe: Multiple Answers? Pin
Viral Upadhyay29-May-08 20:37
Viral Upadhyay29-May-08 20:37 
GeneralI know who voted for ... Pin
Chris Meech27-May-08 10:39
Chris Meech27-May-08 10:39 
GeneralVB Pin
NormDroid26-May-08 20:56
professionalNormDroid26-May-08 20:56 
GeneralRe: VB Pin
osy26-May-08 22:28
osy26-May-08 22:28 
GeneralRe: VB Pin
MHASSANF26-May-08 22:57
MHASSANF26-May-08 22:57 
GeneralRe: VB Pin
Paul Watson26-May-08 23:26
sitebuilderPaul Watson26-May-08 23:26 
GeneralRe: VB Pin
NormDroid26-May-08 23:32
professionalNormDroid26-May-08 23:32 
GeneralRe: VB Pin
Paul Watson26-May-08 23:47
sitebuilderPaul Watson26-May-08 23:47 
JokeRe: VB Pin
Howard Richards28-May-08 22:37
Howard Richards28-May-08 22:37 
GeneralRe: VB Pin
NormDroid28-May-08 22:42
professionalNormDroid28-May-08 22:42 
GeneralRe: VB Pin
Steve Echols29-May-08 19:29
Steve Echols29-May-08 19:29 
GeneralRe: VB Pin
NormDroid29-May-08 20:21
professionalNormDroid29-May-08 20:21 
GeneralRe: VB Pin
Howard Richards28-May-08 22:36
Howard Richards28-May-08 22:36 
GeneralRe: VB Pin
NormDroid28-May-08 22:42
professionalNormDroid28-May-08 22:42 
GeneralRe: VB Pin
Corporal Agarn30-May-08 4:17
professionalCorporal Agarn30-May-08 4:17 
GeneralPatent Office Pin
KarstenK26-May-08 20:27
mveKarstenK26-May-08 20:27 
GeneralRe: Patent Office Pin
Paul Watson26-May-08 23:30
sitebuilderPaul Watson26-May-08 23:30 
GeneralRe: Patent Office Pin
jhwurmbach27-May-08 3:10
jhwurmbach27-May-08 3:10 
GeneralRe: Patent Office Pin
Paul Watson27-May-08 4:08
sitebuilderPaul Watson27-May-08 4:08 
jhwurmbach wrote:
More than freelancer can afford.


As I said, you get funding. Cheap patents would be worse than current expensive patents. Every nut and their dog would file patents they had no intention of implementing.


jhwurmbach wrote:
And any major company can easily ruin him by a prolonged lawsuit.


It works both ways. Small companies hassling big companies.


jhwurmbach wrote:
For software (as opposed to material goods) I would like to have no patents at all!
Patenting thought seem soooo wrong!


Nobody would pay you to think if ten minutes after you've come up with an idea a competitor could take the idea and implement it. Funders would then instead just wait for ideas to appear rather than funding new ideas.

The other side is that the patent system gets ideas into the public space. You can publish exactly how something works and not have it stolen from you. Others can learn from what you have figured out and innovate from there.

Without patents you have trade secrets which are bad for everyone and can ruin companies when a breach occurs.

regards,
Paul Watson
Ireland & South Africa

Fernando A. Gomez F. wrote:
At least he achieved immortality for a few years.

GeneralRe: Patent Office Pin
jhwurmbach27-May-08 4:16
jhwurmbach27-May-08 4:16 
GeneralRe: Patent Office Pin
Paul Watson27-May-08 4:20
sitebuilderPaul Watson27-May-08 4:20 
GeneralRe: Patent Office Pin
jhwurmbach27-May-08 4:26
jhwurmbach27-May-08 4:26 

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