Some recent news stories have been rather disturbing. One indicates that US Worst (aka US West) has decided that it isn’t making enough money and, therefore, has the right to sell information as to who you and I call and when we call them. Microsoft, in a characteristic screw up, left debugging information in a version of Windows it shipped, which clearly indicates that an NSA (National Security Agency) backdoor was included in the software. Amazon.com has been scouring its order database to produce interesting little tid-bits like how many people who work at Microsoft have ordered "The Microsoft File", a book not very complimentary to Bill Gates.

Of course, there are ways you can protect your privacy; but you must take action in order to achieve this common courtesy. That is a negative option. A positive option approach would require companies to protect your privacy unless they specifically obtain your permission to do otherwise. Clearly, these companies do not use the positive option as 99.99% of us would routinely refuse to provide permission. So, of course, the negative option approach is used in order to augment the bottom line a bit behind a facade of protecting your privacy.

Is there no privacy left in this world? Has the bottom line superceded the most ordinary common courtesies of normal business? Is there no honor left in the business world?

Our objective at Mentor Software is to do our best to provide quality software and competent service at a fair price. Being mere mortals, we often fall short of the mark. However, if we can’t make a living doing that, then we ought to find another job. We will go out of business before we trade our clients privacy for a few extra bucks.