I work in a very small corporation. We have ten people. Sometimes though I'd swear there were eleven. There is this weird thing that happens once you start a corporation, no matter how small. You eventually start saying things like “it's not good for the company” and “It's the company's direction”. Hogwash. The company is us. It does not exist outside of us. We, the ten people, ARE the company. Of us, by us, for us. What's good for us is good for the company. It's not debatable. It's logic. “Us” and “Company” are synonymous. If this is the case you can shrink “what's good for the company is good for us” and “what's good for us is good for the company” into “What's good for us is good for us”. Not a genius statement by any means.
Corporations somehow have recently started being referred to and treated (in all respects, even legally) as a being, an entity. Like you and me. One that has rights, income tax returns, and owns things. It may make sense to give corporations certain legal rights but by no means should it be treated as a person, a being. Why not? I think it may be just because it's simply not one. It doesn't need to be much more complex a reason than that.
Comments
The Deuce - August 6, 2004 10:43 am
Ah, but corporations are legal scapegoats. Legally they are their own entity even if they are nothing but a few contracts.
So they do get the treatment you are discussing. The corporation in a way is everyones boss, even the bosses boss. It keeps you inline and focused on its policies and goals. If it did not exist and you were operating a proprietorship then you would be at the top of the ladder. This way you have a non-existant being above you making sure your decisions are for it and not for yourself.
anon - August 6, 2004 11:32 am
Erm, not really related to your post, but why do you display the number of comments in your RSS feed?
Everytime someone posts a new comment, I get the little "unread" icon to show up here, and nothing changed -- you didn't post anything new.
If I want to know about the comments, I can subscribe to the "Reader replies" RSS feed.
Can you _please_ remove that, for the love of god?
Dan James - August 6, 2004 11:39 am
Dear Anon,
Problem is fixed. You're the first person (of thousands) to ever run into it. Feel free to you your own name next time. Anonymous posts, especially for things like this, seem quite cowardily.
anon - August 6, 2004 11:43 am
Thanks, I do appreciate it :)
And why did it seem coward to post anonymously to report a problem (really just a detail that only I could nit about ;) in your feed?
anon - August 8, 2004 9:52 am
Why is it "cowardily" [sic] to post to this, or any blog, anonymously ? Sure, personal info adds interest, but it also adds bias and supposition. I would agree that anonymous abusive posts are without honour, but as for the rest, lets judge the writing not the writer. Challenging anonymous posters with legitimate (or in the above case helpful) are cowards suggests more reason, not less, to remain unknown.
Dan James - August 8, 2004 2:57 pm
Anon,
Maybe "cowardily" wasn't the best word to use in that case. But now that the conversation is becoming one that has meaning and substance, not just a helpful technical tip, it is useful to know whom one is speaking with. To assume that the writing is all that matters leaves out an important part of communication. The people. Blogs, at least this one is, are trying to create communities, groups of people who know each other. I can't get to know you if I don't know who you are. If a lot a of people posted as "Anonymous" then there is no way for me to know who is who. Maybe you should be Anon01 just so I can keep anonymous people organized on here :-)
Anon1 - August 9, 2004 4:34 pm
Some good points in your reply...I agree that the community aspect is important, and it is always great to know others, in this locale (PEI) especially. I am always torn between the beauty of anonymity - where the words only speak - and the warmth of community, where identity colours perception, for good or ill. It may be time to come out of the blogging closet...
Eric - August 15, 2004 12:26 pm
Maybe it's because corporatons are living entities...