[l_theanine]

I've worked on contracts alongside MS employees and researchers in the past, and I've been pleasantly surprised.

Three decades of experience in the field, and unfortunately, I don't have quite the brooding disdain for Microsoft. Their stock has lined my pockets, their employees have treated my respectfully when we've worked together, their products do what they're advertised to do.

Something tells me you're under 40.

[Ensorceled]

> Three decades of experience in the field, and unfortunately, I don't have quite the brooding disdain for Microsoft. Their stock has lined my pockets, their employees have treated my respectfully when we've worked together, their products do what they're advertised to do.

"They've lined my pockets and treated me nice so anything they do is all right by me."

> Something tells me you're under 40.

No. But during my three decades of experience, I actually grew up.

[mistrial9]

self-defined winners claim the system works, news at 11

[l_theanine]

Bummer, I guess. I got rich and paid for three kids to go to Ivy League schools, bought a house a mile and a half from the White House, and before too long will leave them a seven figure nest egg after my wife and I are dead.

But hey, revel in your internet wit, mighty commenter! Your immense mental stature frightens me! ;-)

[Forbo]

Of course someone who is gaining financially from MS is going to take this position.

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it."

[l_theanine]

My salary doesn’t depend on it, it’s just in my portfolio. I’m just not an idiot…

I do consulting and bill upwards of 300/hr worked in the DC area, with several decades of experience and a network built up along the way.

I took this position thirty years ago too, my mind hasn’t changed except that young people feel like they’re clever or somehow intellectually valid for copy pasting a quote into a web forum.

[tanseydavid]

Your continued series of replies seem to do nothing to bolster your argument about Microsoft.

But at the same you elaborate in great (and unnecessary) detail about the level of success you have attained.

BTW: I am hardly young. I am nearly ancient.

[l_theanine]

I'm not making an argument about Microsoft, but rather about the low regard I have for people who make inflammatory comments about companies online when there's human beings there doing all the work, affected by the negativity. It's just childish, and reeks of chronically online personalities.

Making a personal remark about me is plenty of reason for me to mention my success, since they implied that my perspective is somehow fueled entirely by some stock that I own. I have actual experience working alongside some MS people, and I have held that stock since 2013. So what? My opinion just goes out the window? That doesn't make much sense to me, I don't know about you...

The reason I associate that with youth is that young people often don't have a healthy portfolio or indeed any financial hygiene to speak of and seem to think that business is a zero sum game. We all benefit from the business world pushing things forward if we're holding stock in the most powerful companies. I'm hardly a supporter of the capitalist system, but I'll be damned if it's not going to work in my favor, since I understand how things are. My responsibility is to my family first. Had there been a revolution when I was younger, I'd have been among the first in line to change things, but it didn't happen.

I think I'm wasting my time in this thread, though.