[rbanffy]

> Copying is not stealing

But it does nothing to, as Jefferson would certainly point out, improve the human condition, to simply copy what someone else did and crush that someone else with your market dominance.

This is just plain evil.

Demonstrating, BTW, his own point - he too became an hypocrite that's capable of doing anything immoral in order to make more money, much like the HBS alumni he was criticizing.

[inerte]

But he copies and improves, so much that the end product is barely comparable to the original. It's like saying a Ferrari is a descendant of the black T-Ford. Sure, but it proves nothing.

[rbanffy]

I can't argue with Zynga's products being improved versions of their competitors' - I have never used (and have consistently blocked) them. I was questioning the "I don't fucking want innovation. You're not smarter than your competitor. Just copy what they do and do it until you get their numbers" thing, which is plain ugly.

[fleitz]

What we're missing from that quote is context. Also, it appears to have worked for Mr. Pincus and not for his competitors, obviously he did something a little different.

[rbanffy]

> it appears to have worked for Mr. Pincus and not for his competitors, obviously he did something a little different.

Couldn't that be attributed to his company having a larger user base and more money than its competition?

[fleitz]

But how did he get the large user base?

[rbanffy]

Simple: by being the first to succeed.

But that doesn't make the means to attain continued success less evil.