

Google's MapReduce patent: what does it mean for Hadoop? - clint
http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2010/01/googles-mapreduce-patent-what-does-it-mean-for-hadoop.ars

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abscondment
It's too bad Hadoop seems to have been inspired by Google papers as a solution
to Nutch's scaling issues. See <http://research.yahoo.com/files/cutting.pdf>
[pdf]

To me (and IANAL), this implies that Hadoop users are at Google's mercy.

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GrandMasterBirt
I just wish that google pushed this patent to the extreme and trolled
everyone, and then went to congress to say "see we just shut down half the
web, patent laws are currently fucked up and need changing"

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sli
That would move Google from lawful good/lawful neutral (in theory, "Don't be
evil") to chaotic good. It might actually be a good idea.

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scdlbx
A little off topic, but any of the Good alignments follow "Don't be evil",
since by definition Good is not Evil. Neutral says nothing about not doing
evil and actually implies doing some evil. Lawful Neutral is following the
order of law regardless of whether a law is good or evil. Chaotic Good is more
of disregarding law or actively attempting to destroy law but while still
doing what is Good. Therefore, I'd say Google acting as the GP describes would
more closely follow Lawful Neutral than Chaotic Good.

Edit: Actually, I guess the process of acting as the GP describes would be
Lawful Neutral but the end result would be Chaotic Good.

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nostrademons
I'm not sure how following the law for the purpose of destroying the law seems
lawful...

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MaysonL
It's a simple application of higher order law.

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dkd
Is it something to do with the "china hacked google" thing after doing nothing
for quite some years? just a thought.

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wmf
What? The patent was filed in 2004.

