Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 11:23:19 -0600 (MDT) From: Atipa <freebsd@atipa.com> To: freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Why we should support Microsoft... Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.3.96.980518105723.3796A-100000@altrox.atipa.com>
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<Puts on flame-retardant asbestos suit> I know I am going out on a limbe here, but I do not think the Justice Department should make any decisions on the software industry, and I think Microsoft should be allowed to ship whatever the hell it wants. We are told that this is a free, capitalistic country, but now they want to say it is just sort-of capitalistic? That you can make all the money you want, until you make too much? What kind of crap is that? I belive in economic Darwinism; that is to say, good products flourish and poor products wilt away. The consumer ultimately decides what sells and what doesn't, and not the providers. If Win98 stinks, I hope it dies and forces MS to make better products. But who am I to say what they should or should not try to do? Adding insult to this whole situation are the demands of the US Government. Now these are plain silly, and I applaud Bill Gates for telling them where to go with their suggesions: * That Microsoft disable their browser, and _all_available_means of accessing it. This is _almost_ reasonable, but I can understand the common vision of PC's as extensions to the Internet. To make a browser part of an OS seems like a really cool idea to me. Now I do agree 100% that other browsers should be able to operate in the new environment (eg, no MS booby traps or proprietary mumbo jumbo to prevent competition) * If MS does include a browser, they must also provide all competing products as well. Can you say horse<dung>? That is entirely ludicrous. To paraphrase Bill Gates, "It is like having to include 2 cans of Pepsi in every Coke six pack." Amen. As I said, take off the restrictions and let the best product win. As consumers, _WE_ are the ones getting hosed in this ordeal, not Microsoft. * MS must modify their "Window Manager" so that OEMs and competitors can customize their visual. How would all the developers of FreeBSD feel if I took a FreeBSD release, changed the GUI a bit, and called it AtipaOS? You would feel smited. Also, the continuity of the UI is the only thing that makes supporting this crap OS possible. If everyone had their own interface, providers would have a bear of a time giving accurate, detailed instructions. We must take a stand, and tell the Justice Deptartment to bugger off. They do not understand the software industry, they are setting a horrible precendent, and depriving the American people of free choice. They are ruining a good, competitive environment by degrading the efforts of the front runner, instead of promoting the laggers. We are all losing out. The issue to me is not whether or not Win98 is good or bad, the issue is freedom. I support Bill Gates in this issue, and hope you will as well. Hopefully, this product will fail all on its own, and open the doors to good programmers all over the world, without US ecomonic intervention. I hope you all can see through this junk. Liberty must be preserved. Let the best products win, and let MS die on its own two feet. Kevin To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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