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Microsoft Steals Code From Microblogging Startup
Readers davidlougheed and TSHTF both let us know that microblogging service Plurk reported today that Microsoft China not only copied look and feel from its interface, but also copied raw code from Plurk's service, when it released its own microblogging service called MSN Juku (or Mclub). In instances of the code released on the Plurk blog, the layout, code structure, and variable names were very similar or in some cases 100% identical. The story has been covered in multiple media sources. The software theft is hypocritical, given Microsoft's past threats against Chinese software piracy."
It's not someONE. A company of the size of Microsoft doesn't have the same person doing the UI design and the coding. Yet here they very clearly stole both the UI design AND the code. It's very clearly Microsoft China that is responsible. They don't get to lay the blame on some rogue coder.
Yeah, what's probably happened is they've hooked up a quick database to store users / tweets etc Then all the front end work is just shamelessly taken and they only have to work on making a similar API for it to work with. I wouldn't be surprised to find that a Plurk client would just work with the MSN one if you change the URL. The design is also painfully similar, so I imagine they just threw on the microsoft branding on the front and uploaded some new images and colours in the CSS.
my band is more brutal techno punk than yours
Always America this, America that. We used to be badasses in Europe too! My country the Netherlands have colonized the world. Not only did we take slaves from Africa to South America. Noo that wasn't enough: we also had to take people from Indonesia, and the Middle East. So think about that next time you pick a random target to demonize.