The Bite Is Worse Than The Proof.

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I was reading an article today about AWS, the cloud hosting service that contributes $25B to Amazon’s bottom line. It seems AWS is not being kind to some software startups in the cloud computing space, coopting and sometimes pirating software which they put into the AWS cloud as there own. The article, referred to his practice as strip-mining software, was appeared in today’s NYT.

One sound bite the Times chose to run from an Amazon spokesperson called the allegation “silly and off-base.” It so reminded me of the mind-numbing name-calling in the impeachment hearing.

Amazon needn’t provide the newspaper with blather or fodder that is meaningless and expected, it needs to jump straight to proof. Proof that they are not strip mining. Proof they are not repurposing other people’s software. And even if the Amazon spokesperson did provide some kernels of proof in the Amazon statement, they shouldn’t give the reporter a sound bite like “silly and off-base,” which will become the lead. It deflates the real argument. Lose the name calling and hit the proof.

We live in an age, exacerbated by social media, where the sound bite has become more important than the proof.

Peace.