This is not a technical issue. This is a structural flaw into the conceptual design of their website, so maybe they meant no harm, but that's not the point at all.
Of course that is the point!
Intention is important, not just actions. It makes a world of difference.
Every business is "flawed" in some sort of way - if only because they all aim to trounce their competition and make money. But there's a whole lot of difference between a business that willfully takes unethical steps that they know are morally wrong, and one that merely makes a mistake.
Until I see proof that the GetSatisfaction team is actually a collection of thugs, I will believe the various reports that indicate they're just like the rest of us - nice, smart guys trying to solve a real problem as well as they can.
Well i believe someone said "With great power comes great responsibilities"
I'm not saying intentions are not important. I'm saying what you get as an outside observer is the facts, not the intentions.
GS business is directly built upon the existence of other societies, particularly internet related ones. It's actually the whole purpose of the site. So , as nice as they may be, they DO have a responsability about what they do with the image of theses societies, and a way bigger one than anyone's else site wich is not making added value with the society's technical support, or lack thereof.
This responsability is real, and they failed at assuming it. That doesn't make them thugs, or mafia or anything, unless we have proof of such things ;)
But it does make them pretty irresponsible people, since they failed on the particular point that is supposed to be the key of their business !
Now i'm not saying it's dramatic or anything. They're probably nice people. I'm just saying than saying sorry, even with the nicest of attitudes,and changing this banner, isn't gonna cut it until they make all the changes needed to adress every point made on 37s.
Also i don't think it's particularly nice to play the card of "We're a nice little harmless startup, we're struggling, don't throw bad words at us".
They did real harm. In what proportions, that is difficult to estimate. I probably would have thought along the same lines as the guys from 37s, wich do not have a duty to play nicely with people that , besides all you could say about their niceness, still potentially harmed their business.
I think this topic is bringing a lot of emotional involvement, since swombat has been downvoted a second ago even if his post is totally reasonable and calm , and just now i've been downvoted, for no apparent reason since i'm totally reasonable in my words too, so i guess maybe we should just stop arguing ;)
Also, isn't downvoting supposed to be used for offensive posts, and if so, how were our posts offensive ?
Taking a leaf from that book, 37-Signals do have great power, with SvN, which is a very influential blog read by many people in the start-up ecosystem. They should then also have the responsibility to use that influence for good, not evil. Viciously attacking another start-up without warning is not a good action.
A big difference between GS and 37S there is that GS can plausibly suggest that this was unintentional, whereas 37S actively published this attack on their blog.
So where intention is concerned, 37S are the bad guys.
Of course that is the point!
Intention is important, not just actions. It makes a world of difference.
Every business is "flawed" in some sort of way - if only because they all aim to trounce their competition and make money. But there's a whole lot of difference between a business that willfully takes unethical steps that they know are morally wrong, and one that merely makes a mistake.
Until I see proof that the GetSatisfaction team is actually a collection of thugs, I will believe the various reports that indicate they're just like the rest of us - nice, smart guys trying to solve a real problem as well as they can.