What is Digg?148 Comments
- purplesawdust, on 09/13/2008, -10/+173Microsoft is a company and they are just acting like one.
- Masna, on 09/13/2008, -4/+139Lol, yeah, that sucks, but what do you expect them to do? Would you keep a guy that spoke out against your company?
- Asianwaste, on 09/13/2008, -14/+129Schmuck broke company policy. Even if there was no NDA, you don't reveal secrets of a company that is currently your employer. It's common ***** sense.
- Ajajadude, on 09/13/2008, -11/+40Legally, what he did was wrong. However, it was the right thing to do. Microsoft ignored any and all hardware issues and threw the 360 out on the shelves. And we, the consumers, had to pay for it.
- Slashered, on 09/13/2008, -11/+38Good for Robert. Takes some balls to do what he did.
- inactive, on 09/13/2008, -4/+30This isn't MSN. Talk properly here.
- inactive, on 09/13/2008, -4/+27Why not just link to the actual source rather then the blogspam?
http://venturebeat.com/2008/09/12/microsoft-fires- ...
We need to stop rewarding the middleman on digg... it happens too often - knightboat, on 09/13/2008, -3/+25There's sort of a difference between a device that could save your life and a device that lets you play games. Stop going for the shock analogy.
- ZeeZee2k, on 09/13/2008, -4/+24If they broke the company policy, yeah
- Nextrix, on 09/14/2008, -0/+14Firing him just makes his point more agreeable. But then again when do companies take criticism and improve on it?
- Thater, on 09/13/2008, -3/+17smotpoker: These are questions one should ask of themselves before signing a contract.
- zoziw, on 09/13/2008, -3/+16I don't blame them for letting him go but I hope they leave it at that.
- inactive, on 09/13/2008, -4/+17No.
- FreddieD, on 09/13/2008, -2/+14If you can't be bothered to use any capitalization or to write comments that don't look like they were written from a cellphone, go ahead and go.. nobody will miss you.
- Topher06, on 09/13/2008, -7/+19Its a shame really that Microsoft cannot man up and actually admit they had serious design flaws and quality concerns with the Xbox360. One of the few reasons I refuse to buy an Xbox360 is simply that I am not convinced that Microsoft has done anything to address these issues and I refuse to spend money on something that WILL fail given an amount of time.
Had Microsoft admitted there was a problem with the Xbox360 and had they told consumers they have addressed these issues and redesigned the Xbox360 to fix them then perhaps I may have given a $199 Xbox360 Arcade a go. But I have a friend that just recently replaced his 3rd Xbox360, which only tells me that Microsoft is fixing them with the same defective parts, parts I think are still going into the brand new units as well.
Someone has to come out and take responsibility for this, and its a shame that Microsoft has to fire someone that has more moral gumption then the whole of the organization. Maybe this new round of focus on the problems with the Xbox360 and the publicity generated from someone trying to expose those problems might finaly make Microsoft wake up and realize that they can't just put their heads in the sand and hope something will go away. - AmyVernon, on 09/13/2008, -2/+14Yeah, that's pretty much where I stand. While it's no surprise he's being prosecuted, the fact that it was indeed in the best interest of the public should be taken into consideration.
- richbleak, on 09/13/2008, -2/+13I can't believe a company would fire an employee for talking to the media about flaws in their products!! *SHOCK*
- crazyblackman, on 09/13/2008, -20/+31You see? That's called anger. Anger is what I would feel if I bought a $400 console(with GREAT games which are starting to no longer be exclusives) that was rushed to the market before any competitor's console, with known defects, and then constant denial about said known defects. That is called corporate greed.
Charging for online play on this defective console, that's called...corporate greed.
Selling a must needed harddrive for an extremely outrageous price for this said defective console...thats called corporate greed.
Suing a recent whistleblower who has come forward with all this information about this defective console to PROTECT the consumer...thats called unethical corporate behavior driven by...corporate greed.
Defending a company that conducts itself in this manner even though you have been a victim of their unethical behavior...well... thats called being a dumbass.
Pointing all this out in this and any other forum...thats NOW called being a fanboy.
I'd much rather be a fanboy than a dumbass. - zonk3r, on 09/13/2008, -1/+12Perhaps he did it because he felt his company wasn't doing right by its customers? Either way, whistleblowers usually understand the potential consequences of their actions.
- Residents, on 09/14/2008, -1/+10I agree with the original comment. If anything, look a McDonalds.... They fired the representative present in the movie "Supersize Me" just for accidentally saying (and clearly he was even worried because he thought he misspoke) "We are part of the problem" then twitching and saying "But we're also part of the solution!" FIRED.
- SelfHomicide, on 09/13/2008, -3/+12I'm pretty sure he had to sign a confidentiality contract to know about all of this. If you break your contract, what happens? I'm pretty sure if I went against the rules at my job that could put them in jeopardy, they wouldn't be too happy to have me there.
- lohphat, on 09/13/2008, -0/+9Are NDAs (non-Disclosure Agreements) enforceable to conceal fraud?
Selling goods known defective is fraud. - Kbriggs, on 09/13/2008, -1/+10yea...and to the people who had to send their xbox back 2-3 times...screw em'. I guess it's their own fault for buying a system the first couple of years it comes out. You should curb your love for games, and just keep it simple with old consoles that are known to work.
- smotpoker, on 09/13/2008, -2/+11right to fire employees*
- Jorge777, on 09/13/2008, -2/+11I love my Xbox 360 but there's no real argument against this post. The semantics of whether it's unethical is really the only thing I'd question. They're supposed to charge the most that the customer is willing to pay for it. I don't think that's unethical especially since we're not talking about a monopoly (Wii, PS3 as alternatives) or something you even need in your life at all (this isn't bread and water).
- kelmaster1, on 09/13/2008, -2/+10wow they're profiteering? I don't know many companies that do that :/ .
You're a dumbass, work a professional job sometime. In positions like his, upon employment he signs a discretion agreement, meaning MS reserves the right to terminate him if he speaks out about internal affairs (defects on a product in this case).
The average salary is 80k a year, as well as thousands of employees who have become millionaires, I hardly think MS is a criminal employer. Really in terms of large companies, MS is a clean company relative to other corporations their size (Department Stores, Insurance, Pharmaceutical, Oil, Banking...). Microsoft manages to attract way more attention then companies that are literally stealing billions of dollars from the public through bailouts. - inactive, on 09/13/2008, -17/+25That doesn't come as a surprise to me. It's just the way Microsoft acts, as a major cooperate companie.
- spudge, on 09/13/2008, -1/+9What's interesting is that Adam Theuret was under a Microsoft/VMC NDA, and he didn't get fired when interviewed for this article:
http://www.seattleweekly.com/2007-07-11/news/testi ...
Delaware wasn't fired on the basis of the NDA, he was fired because of what he was exposing. I worked with him when he worked at VMC, and it was really messed up at the time. They let a lot of things shipped that should not have shipped, let console-crashing bugs go through in RC passes that should never have made it that far. All in the name of getting things to market quickly. They didn't really care about testing, they just needed check marks in all of the right boxes. - inactive, on 09/13/2008, -4/+12Well duh, what company wouldn't do the same thing?
- aegis9975, on 09/13/2008, -2/+9First off, its not 'illegal' in the classical sense, its a civil matter, and hence cannot be prosecuted or incarcerated. They can seek monetary damages.
Also it really depends, there are whistleblower protection laws in the US, pointing out flaws in product that is known to be defective and is still sold to the consumer can be protected under the Whistleblower Protection Act of 2007. It guarantees whistleblowers protection from retaliation by their employers under the First Amendment of the Constitution amongst other laws.
Generally, if he speaks out for the public interest instead of personal gain he is allowed to speak against any NDAs or contracts he has signed with the employer.
In fact, MS would be opening a can of worms if they pursue him in civil court. A better way would have been for MS pursue the company he was contracted under for monetary damages and/or demote him with no chance of promotion. - dudeguy1234, on 09/13/2008, -3/+10I hate it when ppl don sue my ass
- Gullop, on 09/14/2008, -0/+7It annoys me but then again digg itself is a middleman.
- AWOL007, on 09/13/2008, -8/+15We didn't have to pay for it and they really didn't ignore it. In fact, they extended the warranty and sent rebate checks back to people who did "pay for it".
- bpapa, on 09/13/2008, -5/+11I'd imagine most of the people outraged by this have never actually had a job before.
- Ajajadude, on 09/13/2008, -1/+6People have known Microsoft ***** things up royally with the 360 for a long time now and it hasn't done much to hurt the sales of the 360. This guy was just helping to give us more of the details. It's not like he let out state secrets.
- Topher06, on 09/13/2008, -1/+6Hey, if there is a person out there not aware of the 33% failure rate of the Xbox360 console, then I don't think they get WiFi access in their cave. Microsoft is the only entity out there that seems to think there isn't a problem with the design and quality of the Xbox360, something their dwinddling sales can attest to.
- MrM1yagi, on 09/13/2008, -0/+5His name is Robert Delaware.
- inactive, on 09/14/2008, -0/+5When I worked for Packard Bell a support tech admitted their was a problem with a certain product, the customer sued PB, and he won, it was one of PBs largest lawsuits. When I moved to PBs sister company Reveal computer products, it was pounded into us NEVER to admit to an "issue" (One of their video capture cards diagnostics test would format a persons hard drive, we knew but could never admit.) So basically this guy opened the doors to lawsuits, so of course MS fired him. Thanks guy :)
- yaryarhumphump, on 09/13/2008, -5/+9Sucks for him but did he really have to lose his job and get taken to court for something that everyone that isn't a 360 fanboy has known for the last few years.... seems like a silly move. But props to him for thumbing his nose at MS.
- noumuon, on 09/13/2008, -0/+4capitalization is superfluous; punctuation, however, is a necessity.
- philhatesyou, on 09/13/2008, -0/+4Perhaps MS is in fact just doing what's in their interest. However, if firing people because they dare discuss how their company tried to pull the wool over anyone eye's is required for their best interest, then my refusal to buy any of their products is extremely well justified. After all, I'm only looking after my best interests.
- Izacus, on 09/13/2008, -1/+5Ehm... so full warranty extension to three years for RROD problems isn't admission of design flaws?
- Ajajadude, on 09/13/2008, -5/+9 Obviously, they did ignore it. Did you not read that article? They hoped the problem would go away and it didn't. That would be why they had to come up with the warranty. Not to be nice to the consumer, but in response to a growing PR nightmare and a potential for a lawsuit.
- ElectricKetchup, on 09/13/2008, -0/+4Don't act like he didn't know it was coming.
- Kbriggs, on 09/13/2008, -0/+4I'm guessing he's trying to go head to head with them since he did use his real name. The article said the company that he told warned him multiple times of the consequences of using his real name.
- darwinwins, on 09/14/2008, -0/+4what so better he said nothing and left things as they were? your sense of priorities are messed up. don't focus on the man then. focus on what he's said and be outraged at how the consumers were bilked.
- catherder702, on 09/13/2008, -9/+13There's a finer point here about how he exposed a giant corporation ripping off people who thought they were getting a quality product. What he did is the right thing to do - expose wrongdoing on the part of your employer. If Mr. Delaware was heisting secrets to sell to a competitor THAT would be criminal. The criminal here is Microsoft for refusing to take care of massive problems.
- smotpoker, on 09/13/2008, -0/+4Apparently most people on here seem to think so. They would all rather defend the company that defrauded them than the person who exposed it for what it was.
I do not know the nuances of civil law but I would expect such contracts are only valid insofar as they are within the bounds of the law. Ergo, a contract whose terms state you must break the law (refusing to report a crime is illegal) is void (or those specific terms are at least). Just like you cannot legally enforce a drug deal contract or hit contract, you cannot enforce an accessory to mass-fraud contract (or so I would think) -
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