Discussion of Morality
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Discussion of Morality
On August 15, 2002 I was working as a mover at Microsoft. As Microsoft has been referred to as 'the Evil Empire' in the technical communities I have associated with for many years, it gave me pause to consider the morality of working there. There was also plenty of time waiting, so I had time to think about it.
First off, it is important to note that while I find it fun to use terms like 'the Evil Empire' in jest, I try not to think of anything as evil. That goes back to my prior thinking that all misery and suffering is self inflicted. It is very easy to say that I should try not to inflict suffering and misery on myself, but it is much more difficult to actually do it.
If I really feel that anything is truly evil, then it indirectly causes me misery and suffering (or at least lesser forms such as is discontentment). For me, the source of contentment and satisfaction is a feeling of connection and harmony with all the people around me. By feeling that someone (or their actions) are evil, then I am isolating myself from them and creating an environment conducive to fear and anger. Instead, I try to view their actions as misguided (done out of ignorance of the effects of their actions). In this way I develope compassion and respect for them, increasing my own comfort and sense of harmony with my environment.
I believe that anyone who takes advantage of another person is also harming their own peace of mind. In effect, they are punishing themselves as a direct consequence of the choics they make; that is a sort of immediate and direct karma from their choices (and that happens to be the only form of karma that I believe in). First off, it doesn't seem to me that it is possible to intentionally harm another person without thinking of them as an object. How could anyone harm another person while still feeling the connection and bond with them? It would be like intentionally harming oneself. However, what makes life really sweet is developing and enjoying those very connections and bonds. The material gains from taking advantage of another person (money, status, power, ...) can only provide temporary pleasure, not lasting satisfaction.
Further, if I treat other people as objects to be taken advantage of, there is a natural consequence that I would expect them to treat me similarly (and there is a certain basis for this expectation). So once I have my ill gotten gains, then there is fear that others will try take them from me just as I took them from others. In effect, I am creating a cold and threatening universe for myself by taking advantage of others, a sort of hell on Earth. In contrast, if I treat all people with respect and compassion, I am creating my own heaven on Earth through the bonds and connections that I develope with other people; that is the true source of lasting satisfaction and feelings of harmony.
However, just because I strive to treat all people with respect and compassion, that doesn't answer the question of how to deal with misguided people. In fact, the understanding that they are punishing themselves as a consequence of their choices requires that I do what I can to help them understand (out of compassion for them and the suffering they are creating for themselves). So the question comes down to how best to help them. For example, if I see a burglar breaking into someone's house should I call the police or help him/her load the truck
For me the answer to that question is that under most circumstances I should help people experience the consequences of the choices they make so that they can learn what they need to learn. That still doesn't sound like much of an answer, but what it mostly means is that I should do what most any normal good person would do. In the example above, I would probably call the police, though I would try to do it out of compassion rather than fear or anger.
So, getting back to working as a mover for Microsoft. Just what would be wrong with working for Microsoft anyway? Well, I happen to believe that Microsoft is one of the most misguided of American corporations in that they do not treat their customers, employees, partners, or competitors well or even fairly.
I remember that when Microsoft was developing the OS/2 2.0 Development Kit with I.B.M., they offered to provide copies of each preliminary version and then the final version for $1000 each set/license and collected for many licenses. However, when Microsoft chose to discontinue support for OS/2, they offered only a small partial refund when they announced that they would not provide the promised final release of the development kit. To me it was incredible that Microsoft would just abandon customers who had faithfully followed their recommendations, but it was unbelievable that they then would go so far as violate their contractual obligations, offering not even a full refund, but only a small percentage of the amount already paid.
In contrast, when I had worked for I.B.M. I had observed that I.B.M. would go to great lengths to help customers adapt when they made similar changes in directions. They would spend millions of dollars if necessary to honor their commitments even when not contractually required to do do (e.g. OS/2 for the PowerPC). That was pretty ancient history; however, with Microsoft's handling of Java and CD keys with mandatory registration, it is pretty clear to me that the customer's well being is not upper most in Microsoft priorities.
My own response to being treated poorly as a customer is to, whenever possible, not do business with the company, taking my business elsewhere. In this case, that means I consider alternatives like Linux, Star Office, Netscape, and Smart Suite. If none of them are acceptable for a particular need, then I try to defer upgrades and make do with current software rather than using the latest Microsoft product.
My conclusion that Microsoft does not treat partners or competitors fairly is mostly based on the experience of one of the managers who worked for me when I was at I.B.M. in the early 80's. Her team was working on an advanced file system for the P.C. that was a predecessor to the NTFS in Windows XP. They worked with a group at Microsoft with similar goals but who lied, cheated, and stole in pursuit of Microsoft's interests. Of course there are much more widely known indicators of Microsoft's lack of scruples such as the version of DOS 6.x which had to be withdrawn because a court found that Microsoft had stolen disk compression technology from another company.
My reaction to this is that I never take anything that Microsoft says at face value; it just isn't necessarily so. I would also be very hesitant to accept work for Microsoft as a developer or a sales representative as it would be likely that I would be expected to do and say things that I just wouldn't be able to do with a good conscience.
I have no direct experience of Microsoft treating employees poorly but I have read that the corporate culture emphasizes working long hours to the neglect of other interests. While this is obvious helpful to Microsoft in meeting immediate objectives, I do not believe that it is good for the employees in that the richness of life can't really be appreciated just through work, family and outside interests are critical additions.
I have also read that senior Microsoft people routinely yell at and even insult more junior people. While it may be an effective tool in the short term, it doesn't seem like a good way to promote team work, open communication, confidence, and self respect. It is certainly not the way I would like to be treated or would treat others. However, as a mover I was not subjected to any such treatment nor was I asked to do anything out of the ordinary. While I try to help misguided people and companies experience the consequences of their misguided choices (which means I often oppose their actions as I am able), that is not justification to exclude or ostracize them in areas unrelated to their misguided choices. In those cases I try to treat them with the same respect and acceptance as I would show anyone else. So, it is quite reasonable to work for Microsoft as a mover or any other capacity as long as I am not directly furthering their misguided choices.
There is also the consideration of investments. I personally have avoided investing in Microsoft because of their misguided choices. First off, while Microsoft has certainly been able to remain highly profitable through taking advantage of others for twenty years, it is not clear that they can continue to do so for ten or even thirty more years. The problem is that as a corporation gets larger, their reputation for under handed dealings spreads farther and it becomes increasingly difficult to take advantage of others. Also, even if I could make money in the short term through investments in Microsoft, I could not feel good about myself knowing that I profitted through the mistreatment of others. What good would the money be to me if I lost my own self respect?
Having said all those harsh things about Microsoft, I still have the humility to admit that I might be wrong. Just after posting this I heard about a Puzzle Hunt they are scheduling for September 21 and 22. It sounded like such fun that I couldn't resist. Perhaps they don't encourage the long hours of work as much as I have read.