Seems toxic to lay such claims without getting to know someone personally. Have they done you wrong?
Perhaps you are uninterested in rap music, perhaps you believe in staunch professionalism, but at least have respect for an individual's choice to live to their life as they please. Success isn't truly success unless you do it while being yourself.
There is a reason you don't have the power to ban them for a year. Rap Genius was built with love - a reflection of the founders - and is a vastly superior product. If you had ever used it, you would clearly see that. You are blinded by hate my friend.
I'm sorry, did they not, with "malice aforethought", blatantly disregard Google's terms. And then brag about it? And, after being called on it, issue a not-really apology that basically said "fuck you, we do what we want"?
Are Google's terms a moral imperative? Does observation of Google's terms define who you are as a person? Are rules created by a corporation means to determine whether doing something is right or wrong?
Google can do what they want, they own the rankings. But why would you personally attack someone? Is adherence to Google's terms a factor you use in judging the quality of someone's character?
Considering all the parent did was call them "toxic", something I personally agree with based on everything I've read and heard about them, and that wasn't even their main point, your questions are kinda moot.
No, Google's terms aren't a moral imperative, but Rap Genius' team bragging about breaking the terms and complaining when they didn't get their way doesn't make his statement of "Those guys are toxic" wrong.
You just called a group of human beings poisonous based on stuff you've "read and heard". Think about that. Poison kills people. You've never interacted with them personally, yet you are already calling them toxic.
So prior to actually analyzing the situation, you are already saying you don't care what actually happened, you don't like them anyway. Context is important, and I believe if you come into a conversation with a closed mind, it's not a conversation. That's why I don't believe those questions are moot.
Do you believe Edward Snowden is toxic for breaking rules and then complaining that things didn't go his way? I feel as though I could make the same argument about him using the logic you've just presented.
It isn't a direct equivalence, dude. "Toxic" in everyday speech between real human beings means more like dislikeable, having a negative effect on the social environment, acts in socially undesirable ways, etc. Not 'kills you'.
You're accusing me of exactly what you're doing, speaking and making assumptions without analyzing. I have thought about the situation, and I had no predisposition against Rap Genius. Their actions, followed up by what I've read after this occurred, is what leads me to my conclusion.
And no, I don't like Snowden, not that it's relevant. But it has nothing to do with his leaking information, it has to do with how he came forward about being the leak.
I'm sorry, I had thought you meant based on pieces and videos before you had even heard of this. That was how I read the last response and I suppose is why I am now defending them personally now, as opposed to their actions (which I still believe aren't a right or wrong issue - although it definitely will hurt them).
I don't work there but I use the site a lot, and when I used to live in New York they were one of the few teams of founders I met who were not complete bullshitters.
I started building an app and they had no reason to do anything for me, or provide me with any help whatsoever, but gave me detailed feedback on the product, gave me actual useful advice, and as my efforts became more and more successful have introduced me or championed me to numerous hard to get to people. Most people in their positions do not do this (at least in New York).
The reason why I responded to you in the first place was I saw you were still in university, and I bet when I was (I'm 25 so only a couple years ago) I might have thought the same thing of them. I might have burned a bridge for no reason, when actually these guys are extremely good people.
Although they put on a bit of persona when they deal with the tech press (mind you a lot of people I know wish they could do that), in real life they are sharp as hell, and are full of love. You don't meet a lot of people who give up jobs at Google, hedge funds and law firms to work full time on a lyrics website - but those are the types of people who put themselves on the line to try and work on stuff they are truly passionate about. Yeah sometimes outrageous, sometimes don't play by conventional rules, but those are the type of people that you want to work with if you want to try and build something successful.
Look at it this way: Whenever you use someone's services, following their wishes, which were expressed as ToS, is a moral imperative. You honesty to that agreement you made with them, is a moral imperative. And i can judge you based on that. Yes, that does tell what kind of a person you are.
Give them the credit for trying to resolve a problem. Are you telling me if you run a business you would never this kind of mistake?
It is a good idea to explain why they did it and what they were thinking, instead of just say "damn I screwed up." I rather hear people explain to me why they did it and they now think they screw up. It is part of resolution.
If you don't care about explanation (or excuse if you think that's the right erm), well, fine.
What company leadership allowed to happen shows a real disrespect for one of the primary risks to the business. Without having the explanation that you described, the two most likely explanations in my mind are either this was standard practice all along (finally got caught), or somebody made one of those epic fail business decisions. If its #1, I doubt we'll see a clear explanation. If its #2, somebody may have to fall on the sword as the "poster child" of bad business decisions.
As if they don't know what they did. These guys are toxic. I'd ban them for a year.