Here's something I don't understand: it can't be that ask.com pays Oracle that much money for that. How is it worth to Oracle to tarnish their image and piss off their enterprise clients for that? It's not like they are so desperate for money they are grasping at straws, are they? What's next, would they propose Java users to introduce them to a certain Nigerian prince that is looking for business partners?
> How is it worth to Oracle to tarnish their image and piss off their enterprise clients for that?
Well, since Oracle is doing it and accepting the pubic outcry, it must be that they have no image to tarnish. Also, we don't know how much ask.com is paying for this deal, but given that the Java downloads are free, any payment deal with ask.com represents an infinite increase in profitability.
> It's not like they are so desperate for money they are grasping at straws, are they?
I see you haven't talked to any stockholders lately. Most only care about profits and don't ask where they come from.
> but given that the Java downloads are free, any payment deal with ask.com represents an infinite increase in profitability.
That would make sense if Oracle was a company whose only business were providing Java downloads. However I heard they also have some other source of income, and I suspect compared to those whatever ask.com is paying is rather minuscule.
> However I heard they also have some other source of income, and I suspect compared to those whatever ask.com is paying is rather minuscule.
A modern corporation consists of individual departments, each of which must strive to justify its existence as though it were a separate entity. No rational corporate manager is willing to say, "We don't have to turn a profit -- we're an insignificant, small part of a hugely profitable corporation."
The fact that the second claim is true cannot be used to justify the first claim.
There are units that aren't meant to turn an immediate profit - such as R&D labs. And Oracle people very well know that, as any competent corporate manager does. So yes, a rational corporate manager is very well willing to say "we don't have to turn a profit because we're part of the whole corporation and can contribute in other ways than selling our reputation for a handful of ad dollars".
And even for turning a profit, there are better ways than forcing crapware down users' throats. After all, they have enough sense not to put porn banners (which probably would pay handsomely) on their download pages - why wouldn't they not have enough sense to not stuff their product with unrelated crapware that nobody wants?
