What we did when a patent troll asked for our help
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What we did when a patent troll asked for our help
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Re: What we did when a patent troll asked for our help
#2> At least for now, we use the law as our guide [...] since it is the point at which these issues cease to be a matter of opinion. Of course, if you’re an asshole, you'll still get the boot—that policy remains firmly in place.
So you're objective until someone makes you mad. Got it.
Re: What we did when a patent troll asked for our help
#3> At least for now, we use the law as our guide [...] since it is the point at which these issues cease to be a matter of opinion. Of course, if you’re an asshole, you'll still get the boot—that policy remains firmly in place. So you're objective until someone makes you mad. Got it.
We're pretty patient with anything up until the point of what is obviously verbal abuse. Frustration is obviously a reality of customer service, and we understand that. I think we've maybe only politely urged one person to try out other options in the eight months I've been with the company, and generally if someone reaches the point of being genuinely mean, they're not going to use the software anyway.
I see your point, however, and I won't pretend that there's not a little bit of cognitive dissonance there.
Re: What we did when a patent troll asked for our help
#4Am I missing something? I want my two minutes back.
> What we did when a patent troll asked for our help?
I gave the patent troll a demo of our system, complete
with genuine recommendations about how he could best
track his entire process from start to end. ... While
we did set up customization for him, ...Re: What we did when a patent troll asked for our help
#5> At least for now, we use the law as our guide [...] since it is the point at which these issues cease to be a matter of opinion. Of course, if you’re an asshole, you'll still get the boot—that policy remains firmly in place. So you're objective until someone makes you mad. Got it.
I think his point is that he'll kick someone who makes trouble for his business. Someone who is a jerk in their life outside that particular business relationship get a pass, provided they don't break the law. That seems like a very rational policy.
Re: What we did when a patent troll asked for our help
#6If you're running a software business then it's probably not a great idea to actively assist people who are trying to damage the software business with trolling behavior. It would be self-defeating.
It's a slightly different situation when dealing with other people whose views or activities you might not entirely concur with. In most cases their activities won't be directly harming your industry.
Re: What we did when a patent troll asked for our help
#7It's a shame that your ToS is worded in such a way that his line of reasoning causes you to turn away legitimate businesses that create actual value (like drug dealers) to instead help racketeers.
Edit: Turning away illegal businesses and helping unethical businesses is probably rational, even if it is not good. I don't think we can expect a higher standard from people who set out to make a business.
Re: What we did when a patent troll asked for our help
#8but why can't you be arbitrary (within the confines of the law)? particularly a small company. you don't have to justify your actions - just don't work with people you don't want to. why does it have to be consistent or logical? just say "fuck em" and move on...
what, in short, is so bad about being faithful to what you feel?
Re: What we did when a patent troll asked for our help
#9I think every business should be opinionated to some degree. Call it ethics if you must.
I would snapcancel that account but not snoop around in data and actively try to find people that offend me to boot them.
If they tell you they do something that you have ethical objections against shut down their account. Just imagine how you'd feel if he'd use your system to troll 5k people.
I think the law shouldn't be your ultimate guideline it should be your moral and ethical standards in combination with the law.
Re: What we did when a patent troll asked for our help
#10If you're running a software business then it's probably not a great idea to actively assist people who are trying to damage the software business with trolling behavior. It would be self-defeating. It's a slightly different situation when dealing with other people whose views or activities you might not entirely concur with. In most cases their activities won't be directly harming your industry.
This is pretty much what we struggled with -- at one point, we thought about how dumb we would feel if we did everything we could to streamline the guy's workflow and then received one of his letters demanding payment.
That's another interesting place to draw the line, though -- self-preservation, or at least protection of your own industry. It's pretty compelling, although it still feels a bit odd to be protective of only one's own industry, while being okay with things that might be destructive to others. Hm.