Jealous Google Lets Employees Flirt with Microsoft, But No Petting
Google takes it all back, baby. The company now acknowledges it was wrong to begrudge programmer Jon Skeet a Microsoft MVP Award, just because it came from The Enemy. He can accept the prize. But no whispering sweet nothings.
Skeet blogged last month about how his new-ish employer Google advised him not to accept his seventh consecutive "MVP" award from competitor Microsoft. Online outrage ensued, and Skeet now reports that he's reached an understanding with Google: Skeet won't sign the Microsoft nondisclosure agreement associated with the program — this just covers pre-release software MVPs get access to, another MVP told us — or accept any of the fringe benefits, like (we presume) the special tech support.
In return, Skeet can accept the award. In other words, you can look, but don't touch. And to think this is the same company accused of digital "promiscuity."
