A Technical Fable

Prologue

This has nothing to do with a company just recently mentioned, but the bug was put in my brain on how I would address the president. Since I have read eastern warrior books, and am up on my anime cartoons, I feel well-qualified to do it.

Most Honourable President,

I feel humbled in your virtual presence, and hold down my bow for a count of ten. I am but an old technical warrior, and I lay down my sliderule at your feet.

I shall tell you a fable of a land far away, in the epoch of time, known as The Eighties. We were brash young warriors of the Engineering Clan. At that time, we were just leaving our sliderules, and getting into a ritual knows as Feeding the Mainframe. It required long lineups, carrying very heavy boxes of punch cards, which kept us strong.

Now, the chief Warlord was IBM, who controlled all he could see, and determined a margin of 400% to sell his hardware. We accepted it, since it was better than sliderules.

Lord of IBM had a legion of Suits, who had great talent. The went to the military and government and branded the name of IBM into everything. They could keep their 400% forever in these places, and still do.

But one rebelled, Count Dec. He affixed 300% to his banner, and we technical warriors flocked to him. Alas, the suits invaded, and they caused him to be addicted to that margin forever. They could not hold it and he died.

Count Dec was driven out by Lord Sun, who put up the flag of 200%. He was a technical warrior's dream. But the suits came in and had many parties. They convinced him to keep up the 200% by abandoning the techies, making the software bloated, and going after telecoms. He died.

Viscount Apple is still doing nicely at 100%, but he is marketing to arts students.

And so you have put up the flag at lower than the other guys. There's not much room at the bottom anymore. The technical warriors love you, but you have listened to the suits, and strive for the higher margins. They have deceived you and set up a massive blind bureaucracy, support by fancy ads. Listen to the technical warriors, they can help!