

Starting Now, All Intel Microprocessors Are Conflict-Free - mcbain
http://www.fastcoexist.com/3024292/starting-now-all-intel-microprocessors-are-conflict-free-heres-how-the-company-did-it

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fmela
I completely misunderstood the headline: I thought this had something to do
with conflict misses.

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RDeckard
Haha yes, me too.

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madaxe_again
That's a very brave statement, given that there's currently no clear data for
Tin/Tungsten/Tantalum/Gold smelters' ore origins. I've seen the data. Two of
the eleven tantalum smelters on the planet have been audited. The others
aren't sure where all their ore comes from. Big problem. Working on solving
it.

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goggles99
Umm OK, they are complying with the Dodd-Frank Act and acting like they are
doing it out of the goodness of their hearts...

How moving.

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mcv
They did a bit more than that. They originally considered pulling out of the
region entirely, but then a lot of people not involved in those conflicts
would also lose their income. So instead, they spent extra time and money to
figure out which mines, smelters, etc in the conflict areas were okay and
which weren't. And that makes this very good news.

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goggles99
A lot of large US companies pulled out. This drove prices down. So low in fact
that it became cost effective enough for Google to go back (and in some cases
remain).

Again, how moving... If Google really was so generous and humanitarian, why
don't they start paying the previous rate in these regions?

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skybrian
Um, Google doesn't actually appear in this story. Where did you get that from?

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goggles99
My bad I meant Intel but said Google. I had Google on the brain.

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hyperion2010
So this makes for ok PR, but when there is a global market for commodities
this is all feel good bullshit. Sure the atoms that are in your CPU weren't
mined in a warzone but does that absolve you of complicity in participating in
a global economy that is going to source raw materials from anywhere it can
regardless of the conditions?

Great command and control on the supply chain side but somehow I wonder what
the data is on whether this actually makes any real impact on the conflicts in
question beyond further reducing the capital flow to already incredibly
impoverished regions.

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mattip
IThe real world is shades of gray, not black and white. There is no 'good'
only 'less bad'. This is definitely less bad. They now know their foundries,
can put a face to their supply line lower levels, and can ask questions. No
Nobel prize, just one step that others should follow. And they did not pull
out of impoverished regions, they made sure the foundries they work with are
responsibly resourcing raw materials.

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protomyth
(Not gp) Interesting, but I've always believed the world is black and white,
but we are imperfect creatures with limited vision so we see a lot of grey. If
you cannot see all the pieces and interactions, you hope experience and
education can allow you to make the best decisions.

This is probably why I consider "the end justifies the means" to be the
definition of evil. I really cannot imagine thinking there is no 'good' and
only 'less bad'.

