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‘Lawsuits in Motion’ name distasteful, ignorant

Shame on us

Letter Sometimes the replies we receive when following up your letters are far more illuminating than the original. And so is the case with this exchange. It helps to read the first before the second, but it's in the second where all the action is. (So to speak).


From: Michael Andrew Goldsmith
To: andrew.orlowski@theregister.co.uk
Subject: re: usage of the term "Lawsuits in Motion"

Sir, I find it most distateful that you continue to use the term "Lawsuits in Motion" or "LIM" when refering to Research in Motion, aka RIM. After reading you(r) many articles over the past few months with regards to anything RIM does, it has become evident that you take pride in belittling the effors of said company to defend themselves and their ideas, as well as relishing in any downfalls that beset said company.

By doing so, you effectively remove any journalistic integrity from your articles, and belittle an otherwise noble newssource. Your arguments carry the same weight as one would when criticizing the work of "M$" or "Micro$oft"; the reader realizes that you carry a bias, and that anything written under the title will no doubt be filled with useless drivel aimed at supporting your bias.

Further, it would seem evident that you have in fact no clue as to what you are talking about, or more specifically you tend to overlook the details in able to add sensationalism to your articles.

Example: You seem stuck on the idea that RIM has duplicitously patented a "micro-sized QWERTY keyboard", when in fact this is not entirely the case. RIM has patented _their_ micro-sized Keyboard / Thumbwheel combination, including the specific a) sized and characteristics of the key shape, b) arrangement of the letters (which, yes, matches the standard QWERTY keyboard), c) arrangement of the SYMBOLS which are used in combination with the ALT key, and d) location of the thumbwheel in relation to the device.

ALL of these things were developed at RIM, and ALL of them have been ursurped by people such as Handspring and Palm.

Perhaps you should check your facts a little more carefully before attacking the "innovation" of a company you obviously know nothing about.

-Mike Goldsmith

Stung by the accusation of bias, and intrigued that the writer was writing from the University of Waterloo, home of RIM Inc., I fired off a one-liner: "are you an employee or shareholder in RIM?


From: Michael Andrew Goldsmith
Subject: re: usage of the term "Lawsuits in Motion"

I am a student at the University of Waterloo, studying Computer Engineering. My most recent co-op placement (May->Aug 2002) was in the Acoustic and Baseband Engineering group at RIM. I am returning in January for another co-op placement in the Digital ASIC group. As such, you could consider me a contracted employee of RIM, not a direct employee. I currently hold no shares in RIM, though obviously I have some vested interest in their success, as through them I am able to pay my tuition.

So yes, your insinuation that I take affront to your mudslinging because I have a vested intererest in the company is valid, though I must also say that RIM contributes (financially and otherwise) substantially to the University and the community of Waterloo, which would entice me to support them regardless of my employment status.

You might be interested to note that Mike Lazaridis was recently nominated as chancellor of UW.

Then again, you might prefer to remain in the bubble of ignorance that you have surrounded yourself with.

-Me

I'm in a bubble of ignorance no longer, Michael - thank you for bursting it with that shining shaft of enlightenment.

And a happy Thanksgiving to you[*] and to all our readers! ®



[

*

] Even though I'm six weeks late: Canadian Thanksgiving is held on

the second Monday in October

. Making

me

the turkey.

I yam what I yam - although Fred Ghahramani consoles me with the thought "Don't worry - ignorance is baste!".

Now, I wonder if John Bender celebrates it twice?

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