--> 3.5 Sony executives are so scared about the information contained in the stolen documents that they pull out the lobbying canons and demand the government/fbi/obama create a smoke-screen FAST and focus public opinion on a different shiny object for awhile...thus The Interview nonsense.
i'm sorry, but this simply flies in face of logic.
it is absolutely morally wrong, but it certainly can be effective and has been used throughout history. usually, things that don't work don't last anywhere near that long.
there are all sorts of reasons to oppose it, which of course I do, but saying it cannot be effective just isn't one of them.
The CIA report threatens our legitimacy as a world power.
no it does not...almost everyone in the world understand that under certain conditions, torture to get potentially life-saving information is just the way of things.
let me put it this way...if your immediate family was going to be blown up in two hours, wouldn't you say go ahead and torture that guy who you KNOW has information on how to diffuse the bomb?
The FBI told Sony they didn't know if the theaters were safe. Seriously, WTF are we paying them for if they can't tell us, with absolute certainty, that our theaters are safe from terrorist attacks on Christmas. That's not very comforting...
uhhh terrorist attacks and terrorism are, by definition, "not very comforting" and in many ways are impossible to stop, thus the word "terror" that is used so prominently in their constructions.
I think the truth could run in one of two directions. Todays news implied that Iran, China and North Korea were in cahoots and aggressively attacked Sony for months and finally penetrated their bastion. Sony was helpless to defend. That is what the press and FBI seem to be saying.
this narrative just seems way to neat and prepackaged and allows under-informed US citizens to consume it and still feel safe and make sense of the connected world we all swim in every day.
i agree it's being spoonfed via media and politicians, but to me, that's all the more reason to be highly suspect of it.
this event is becoming the ultimate nail to everyone's hammer.
"...They worry that the smart developer (who often shows up with a bit of an attitude) will overshadow the manager and our point out their weaknesses."
right, but remember what the companies are mostly paying for is the all the resources and reassurances of an IBM, not for the particular developer they are using to get the work done.
"Clients–the good ones, at least–don’t CARE how many hours you’re spending to do X and Y, as long as you’re doing a damn good job at X and Y and adding significant value to their company"
amen...i've been discussing this concept with a frontend developer just this week, and could not agree more.
things have set market value, irregardless of how fast you can get it done, and undercutting this market value is a sure way to keep your bank account low.