Interesting excerpt from Fabien Letouzey interview

[BubbaTough]

in my experience truth is timeless and falsehood ages like fashion.
Falshood may seem nice for a while, but after a while it simply looks ridiculous.

I would like to believe that is true...I guess we will find out in 20 years.

-Sam

[Dann Corbit]

in my experience truth is timeless and falsehood ages like fashion.
Falshood may seem nice for a while, but after a while it simply looks ridiculous.

I would like to believe that is true...I guess we will find out in 20 years.

-Sam

Let's consider a worst case scenario:

Someone cuts and pastes from a couple really strong programs, enters an ICGA contest and wins it. Nobody ever catches him. For a few months {perhaps even longer} after he feels a glow in his false accomplishment and trickery. But because he did not innovate (indeed, he most likely lacks even the capability to innovate, else he would not have stolen) he is not able to keep pace with current technology and is not heard from again. As the years go by, the person is pretty well forgotten and his own memory is that his one so-called accomplishment was a forgery anyway. Will we punish him better than he can punish himself? And if he never feels guilt then I feel even more sorry for him. A person with no moral fiber has no chance for happiness in the long term at all.

I don't worry about liars and cheats (e.g. while a subcontractor at Microsoft, I once had someone steal my code, remove all the references with my name in it, and put *his* name on it and then try to fire me -- I frankly feel very sorry for that person). I also believe in final justice, but that is neither here nor there.
"Before the throne of the Almighty, man will be judged not by his acts but by his intentions. For God alone reads our hearts." -- Gandhi