There has been a lot of noise about the MVP scandal.
It got Slashdotted here – http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/06/0046245&from=rss
It got “Registered” here – http://www.theregister.com/2007/06/05/microsoft_mvp_threats/
Now I know that I’m old fashioned……..
I’m over 40, I work, I vote, pay taxes, don’t cheat on my wife, love my kids, work hard, tell the truth, etc…..
I have many social and professional peeves, irresponsible journalism is one of them – and “The Register” is a poster child for slanted sensationalistic reporting.
The folks at the Register join the “Fun to Hate Microsoft” club over at SlashDot in their contention that – it’s cool to hate Microsoft for doing what businesses do, and it’s generally OK to break the law, but your should feel OBLIGED to break the law if you get a chance to screw Microsoft.
So for THOSE folks, a few reminders.
1.) When you violate a legally binding agreement, you break the law.
2.) When you knowing break the law, you INVITE the consequences for the actions that YOU CHOOSE.
3.) When you are given the benefit of the doubt and advised that you are in violation of your agreement, remember, someone just did you a favor.
4.) When you ACCEPT an agreement (like a EULA or a Partner Agreement) YOU AGREED TO IT’S TERMS.
5.) A product that is sold for $135 to $10,000 (100 user pack) IS NOT A “HOBBY”, it’s a BUSINESS.
One may not AGREE with the details of a contract (EULA), I’m not sure I “agree” that Microsoft should prohibit add-ins for Express.
But, whether one agrees or not is completely irrelevant.
It’s pretty much a universal concept that we don’t get to pick and choose the laws that we agree with and ignore the rest.
We don’t get to say, I need to comply with the GPL, but not Microsoft’s EULA.
Likewise, we don’t get to say, stealing cars is illegal, but I call an exception today because I don’t think THAT GUY doesn’t deserves THAT CAR so I should be able to steal it and not be punished for car theft. The law is the law.
I don’t agree with everything in Microsoft policies, I don’t agree with some of the GPL, and as such, I have the right to DECLINE them.
BUT – rules are rules.
If you ask me, it’s just stupid to commit to an AGREEMENT – BREAK the agreement – then cry and whine when your actions have consequences.