As in life, bluster and threat are commonplace in business – especially the technology business. So that interaction was good preparation for a later meeting with Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. They’d flown in over a weekend to meet with Scott McNealy, Sun’s then CEO – who asked me and Greg Papadopoulos (Sun’s CTO) to accompany him. As we sat down in our Menlo Park conference room, Bill skipped the small talk, and went straight to the point, …
… Bill was delivering a slightly more sophisticated variant of the threat Steve [Jobs] had made, [i.e. to sue] but he had a different solution in mind. “We’re happy to get you under license.” That was code for “We’ll go away if you pay us a royalty for every download” – the digital version of a protection racket.
from “Good Artists Copy, Great Artists Steal” (a quote attributed to Pablo Picasso*. Referenced by Jonathan Schwartz former CEO of Sun Microsystems (It’s worth reading his whole blog post.)
Like Schwartz, I’m aware that this kind of attempted intimidation has its proponents.
Threatening ‘legal action’ is commonplace and just the threat can unsettle people who know they are in the right, but don’t fancy a fight, for whatever reason.
It takes GUTS and mental preparation (resolve) to resist pressure from bully-boys. Sometimes even intelligent, honest people don’t have the stomach for the fight and cave in — rewarding the bully. (Thereby making things worse for next time.)
It happens.
*Picasso, it should be noted was making a distinction between inspiration and copying — good artists making a duplicate, great artists using it for inspiration.
You should always stand up for your rights. Back-down and the bullies win. Fight and you will win respect; but not from the bullies (never from the bullies); but, maybe for yourself, your family, friends and community.
Bullies are a cowardly lot at heart and really have no stomach for an opponent that does not fear them. The bully will simply walk away and find someone who will fear them…
…and they always find someone. The important thing is – don’t let it be you!
I say put bullies on the defensive and go on the attack. If you are honest and earnest and in no way complicit of illegal behavior then it is your responsibility as a Citizen of Man to right any wrongs against you, your family, your friends, and your community.
Thanks for your comment. Yes, I pretty much see things the same way with respect to bullies, as I expand here.
Your call to arms as a Citizen is stirring — as we have seen, it’s important to choose your battles, timing & location and all the other Art of War type stuff.
And eschew bitterness. regards, P
Yes. I think the Citizen of Man idea is a primordial one. It is built into our human psyche. Everyone has it.
In bullies (I’ve heard) because, of some family trauma early in life, and their need to express themselves in someway, usually in bad ways, is as innate to them as avoidance of conflict is to the rest of us.
Most people want to do the right thing, and most people want other people to do the right thing too. In times of stress bullies retreat and the avoider (the common man) steps forward which is, when you think about it, quite remarkable if not special.
Primordial. Yes, I agree. Sure thing.
As I said somewhere else last July, eventually a line is crossed:
(Please forgive the gauche self-quoting.) And back to business…
via Ars Technica
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