Chris tells me to move on (dead link) and don’t worry about how ESRI is seen by others.
Moreover, the comment posting and removal scandal happened more than a month ago. That was Before Google Earth (B.G.E.) and I’m surprised that it is still being discussed. What do you think?
Chris is missing my point or at least combining my post with Howard’s in his response. Personally I don’t think ESRI has much to worry about open source, at least in the United States, Canada and Japan and I don’t think too many people are losing sleep over it at ESRI. Chris seems to think that personal opinions are just that and I totally agree, but if you put your company name on your post/blog/email you are bringing your place of work into the discussion. The perception, right or wrong, is that ESRI doesn’t care about open source. I tend to lean toward the thought that they view open source as just another way to get people to use their products and what is wrong with that? The point I was making and I have made here, here and here is that ESRI needs to take advantage of the open dialog that blogging gives them, not delete posts because they feel threatened by other posters.
ESRI has learned much since that incident last month. All the new bloggers are posting some great new information about the User Conference and have even opened up EDN to us bloggers. Talk about a total role reversal. All I’m trying to do is point out what doesn’t work and hopefully they’ll continue the great strides being made blogging. At least to me it seems that they are having a blast doing it.
One point Chris did make that got me thinking is
I don’t see a connection between that scenario of personal opinions posted/retracted and ESRI (The Company) playing the article badly.
I can see how Chris could read it that way and I’m sure many others did too, but perception is a hard thing to figure out and you don’t want to give anyone reasons to doubt your honesty. One thing out of all this I’d like to see is Bryan Baker start up a blog and post. That is the best way to control this conversation.
Love the blog title Chris!