# So what's the Straight Dope on the Winklevoss twins?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-straight-dope-on-the-winklevoss-twins/586984>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 27, 2011, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-straight-dope-on-the-winklevoss-twins/586984 "2011-06-27T03:09:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-straight-dope-on-the-winklevoss-twins/586984/21 "2011-06-28T02:43:52Z")

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> [@Simplicio](#):
>
> When Zuckerberg started on the project, two other programmers had already spent almost exactly a year on it. And then Zuckerberg took another three months. Granted all three were students and not working on it full time, but it obviously did take a material amount of time.

2 guys can screw around for as long as they want. There isn’t enough functionality in those original apps to keep anyone busy for 2 years, there simply isn’t.

Zuckerberg for 3 months part time=6 weeks.

MySpace with a few developers=10 days.

When these things were launched they were tiny applications.  
You may not trust me, but, if you know any other developers, go ask them.

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**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-straight-dope-on-the-winklevoss-twins/586984/22 "2011-06-28T02:46:30Z")

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> [@Acsenray](#):
>
> So what about the ethics of this?
> 
> Twins: We have this idea and we want to hire you to work on it. Will you do it?  
> Mark: Yes, I will.  
> Twins: Okay, keep us updated.  
> Mark: Okay.  
> \<weeks pass\>  
> Twins: Hey, what’s going on with our site?  
> Mark: I’m working on it.  
> Twins: Okay, keep us updated.  
> \<Instead of delivering work to the twins, Mark instead launches his own website that is significantly based on the twins’ idea\>  
> Twins: Hey, what happened? Where’s our site?  
> Mark: Hey, I forgot to tell you. I’m not doing a site for you. I made my own site.

I would never do that because I consider it dishonest (which was my point earlier, that Zuckerberg probably did (IMO) screw the twins).

Are you asking me because in your opinion that is ok?

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**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-the-straight-dope-on-the-winklevoss-twins/586984/23 "2011-06-28T02:49:54Z")

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> [@Acsenray](#):
>
> So what about the ethics of this?
> 
> Twins: We have this idea and we want to hire you to work on it. Will you do it?  
> Mark: Yes, I will.  
> Twins: Okay, keep us updated.  
> Mark: Okay.  
> \<weeks pass\>  
> Twins: Hey, what’s going on with our site?  
> Mark: I’m working on it.  
> Twins: Okay, keep us updated.  
> \<Instead of delivering work to the twins, Mark instead launches his own website that is significantly based on the twins’ idea\>  
> Twins: Hey, what happened? Where’s our site?  
> Mark: Hey, I forgot to tell you. I’m not doing a site for you. I made my own site.

Mark’s a jerk, the twins are idiots.

Get. It. In. Writing.

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