Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 20:02:50 -0600 From: Brett Glass <brett@lariat.org> To: chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Why we should support Microsoft... NOT! Message-ID: <199805190203.UAA24651@lariat.lariat.org>
next in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
At 11:23 AM 5/18/98 -0600, you wrote: ><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? This is not what "they" are saying. Microsoft is engaging in unscrupulous and monopolistic business practices, including tying, monopoly maintenance, tortious interference with contract, breach of contract, and more. These practices are illegal in any industry -- be it software, steel, coal, railroads, or shoes. >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? This is analogous to saying that if a group of gangsters manages to gain control of a city as its "territory," that you have no say in what it does. After all, that's "Darwinism;" the strongest gang has won, right? >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) Microsoft could, and should, have removed the browser entirely and made it optional. Since it did not, it seems reasonable to offer it the option of disabling it. > * If MS does include a browser, they must also provide all > competing products as well. Can you say horse<dung>? That is > entirely ludicrous. No, it is not. Again, it's merely an expedient compromise. The PROPER thing to do is not to tie the browser to the OS. However, if Microsoft is going to do so, one way to ameliorate the negative effects is to allow other companies to put their browsers on the disk as well. It's not a very GOOD way, since they wouldn't be able to charge for their browsers that way (and one of the biggest problems with Microsoft's tying of the browser is that it's effectively "dumping" it on the market for free). But at least the browser makers could get some revenue page from "Portal" pages, etc. > * 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? Fine. In fact, you're allowed to. Go to it! > 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. Nonsense. The UI would not necessarily be different; all that might happen is that a different logo might appear when the computer booted. You seem to be buying Bill Gates' bogus arguments, hook, line, and sinker. With all due respect, have you been sent to this newsgroup by Microsoft as part of its "grass roots" campaign? Microsoft has been known to plant disruptive "advocates" in online forums in the past, so this is by no means unusual. --Brett Glass To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?199805190203.UAA24651>