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Mark Zuckerberg: I Donated to Diaspora project

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Re: Mark Zuckerberg: I Donated to Diaspora project

#41

Post by nostromo »

orblivion wrote: post #24

So I don’t know, one thing that is personally a bit disheartening…. It bums me out that people immediately go to “You must be doing this to make money.” Because that’s just so different from the ethos of the company. It is so different from how we actually think about stuff that you feel so misunderstood. It's pretty sad that people think that someone should or ever would run a huge operation without money being a ma…

I believe he's being honest. Money is important -- but there's a point at which you can buy anything you've ever wanted that it seems to become less so. I've seen it to a much lesser extent with an old boss of mine.

Think about Warren Buffet. He could buy anything he ever wanted decades ago. If he was doing it for the money, he would have quit a while ago. Instead he marches on, doing what he enjoys doing.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg: I Donated to Diaspora project

#42

Post by pjscott »

techiferous wrote: post #40
orblivion wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Psychopaths are great at hiding their agenda.

I think we have to be careful labeling people psychopaths.

That's just what I would expect a psychopath to say.

Seriously, though, there are plenty of words to describe people who are dishonest, manipulative, and so on, without casually diagnosing them with a profound psychological disorder. It's just prudent to use those instead of "psychopath".

Re: Mark Zuckerberg: I Donated to Diaspora project

#44

Post by [deleted] »

celoyd wrote: post #32
klochner wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Red Cross is a non-profit. facebook has a legal obligation to maximize shareholder value: Whereas for-profit organizations exist to earn and re-distribute taxable wealth to employees and shareholders, the nonprofit corporation exists solely to provide programs and services that are of self-benefit.

No, it has a legal obligation to do what (the majority of) its shareholders say. If they tell it to dance a jig and give all its assets to the Flat Earth Society, it’s obliged. Maximizing shareholder value in the way that’s usually meant is a business school doctrine, not a legal doctrine. (Edit: on second thought, it is a legal doctrine, just not the legal doctrine.) See, for example, http://www.virginialawbusrev.or…

[deleted]

Re: Mark Zuckerberg: I Donated to Diaspora project

#45

Post by techiferous »

pjscott wrote: post #42
techiferous wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think we have to be careful labeling people psychopaths.

That's just what I would expect a psychopath to say. Seriously, though, there are plenty of words to describe people who are dishonest, manipulative, and so on, without casually diagnosing them with a profound psychological disorder. It's just prudent to use those instead of "psychopath".

And it's usually more accurate and constructive to label the behavior as manipulative, dishonest, etc. instead of the person.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg: I Donated to Diaspora project

#48

Post by ArabGeek »

orblivion wrote: post #24

So I don’t know, one thing that is personally a bit disheartening…. It bums me out that people immediately go to “You must be doing this to make money.” Because that’s just so different from the ethos of the company. It is so different from how we actually think about stuff that you feel so misunderstood. It's pretty sad that people think that someone should or ever would run a huge operation without money being a ma…

I agree that it is "sad that people think that someone should or ever would run a huge operation without money being a major factor" but if Mark did wrong or not is something else.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg: I Donated to Diaspora project

#49

Post by klochner »

tedunangst wrote: post #26
orblivion wrote: post #24

So I don’t know, one thing that is personally a bit disheartening…. It bums me out that people immediately go to “You must be doing this to make money.” Because that’s just so different from the ethos of the company. It is so different from how we actually think about stuff that you feel so misunderstood. It's pretty sad that people think that someone should or ever would run a huge operation without money being a ma…

Money can be a major concern to a huge operation without being its primary focus. Money is a big deal for the Red Cross, but the Red Cross doesn't exist to make money.

This thread feels like the twilight zone. How do the actions of the red cross, a non-profit organization, provide any evidence that for-profit companies don't act in a profit-maximizing way?

Re: Mark Zuckerberg: I Donated to Diaspora project

#50

Post by robryan »

tedunangst wrote: post #38
klochner wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course it's legal, it could be great PR.

But the money donated would likely generate better returns if reinvested in the business (or even just regular advertising), so it's not maximizing value. Lots of companies exist to make money, sure, but it's possible for a company to exist where that's not the raison d'etre.

Not really, the goodwill can't be measured but it's likely to generate better returns in the long run.
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