Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 08:27:19 -0600 From: jacks@sage-american.com To: "Ted Mittelstaedt" <tedm@toybox.placo.com>, <freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>, <freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG> Subject: RE: Smashing Bill Gates necessary? Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.20011030082719.00fa6e38@mail.sage-american.com> In-Reply-To: <000a01c1610f$ffab3aa0$1401a8c0@tedm.placo.com> References: <3.0.5.32.20011029092440.00fa6e38@mail.sage-american.com>
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"...Whoah there! Your way, way out of line...." Ted: While I have a lot of respect for your expertise in BSD, I was unaware you also practiced law... or do you have a law degree specializing in anti-trust? There are a number of attorneys in my family including 3 judges residing on the bench and I hear enough opinions on this issue from them and even they (about 2 dozen) have strong opposite opinions. Some differ strongly with the opinions out there.... and that's okay too. Now, let's talk freedom of speech on this issue. That's all I expressed was an opinion which I qualified right up front that was akin to arguing P&R. And opinions are like A-holes.... everyone has one (although I haven't personally checked into that... just another opinion!)... You are entitled to an opinion... doesn't mean you are right (except for the record and even that gets flawed at times). I have my own feelings (not strong ones) about the issue and have expressed them... Bill got spanked and I don't feel sorry for him nor do I own any M$ stock. I have used their products since 1988 and have enjoyed the ride. He found a void and REALLY filled it.... maybe it got out of hand but I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. I did cringe at the idea of busting it up... but, that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it. At 10:56 PM 10.29.2001 -0800, Ted Mittelstaedt wrote: >>-----Original Message----- >>From: owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG >>[mailto:owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG]On Behalf Of >>jacks@sage-american.com >>Sent: Monday, October 29, 2001 7:25 AM >>To: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG; freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG >>Subject: Re: Smashing Bill Gates necessary? >> >> >>This thread is very much like arguing religion and politics... there is >>never and end to such debates, and I ignored it until now... >> >>"...I wouldn't want to harm the guy, but I'd sure like to have seen MS >>broken up. You think it would hurt him? I sincerely doubt it...." >> >>I doubt if Bill ever dreamed he would become as big as he did, but only in >>America... But, just to bust him up without any real good reason > >Whoah there! > >Your way, way out of line. The court system in this country has passed >judgement on Microsoft and they are an illegal monopoly. You can disagree >with the judgement all you want but we are a country of laws, and when >a court passes judgement you damn well better follow it. If you think >that a law is bad then your free to civil disobey all you want and >attempt to change it but don't interfere with those who choose to follow= the >law, and don't bitch when the rest of us get together and toss you into >prison. > >Microsoft has been permitted to appeal and their appeal was reviewed and >in fact some of what they wanted was granted to them. They have had >numerous chances to present their case, and been allowed to delay and delay >for years and years. This is nowhere a case of them being a victim and >your statement that there's no good reason is tremendously insulting to >those true victims of the justice system, like OJ Simpson's deceased= x-wife. > >> is akin to >>the phrase.." I am warmed by the fires that burn others..." When a company >>becomes too big is in the eyes of the beholder > >All civilized countries have laws that govern how >much market share a company is permitted to have. You can quibble about >how a market is measured but in Microsoft's case, Microsoft didn't argue= that >they were not the monopoly, as a matter of fact. Instead they tried a host >of other arguments that the court recognized as the baloney that they were. > >>and unlike other monopolies >>that force you to use them without other alternative, the software= business >>is very fast-moving... > >The anti-trust laws don't account for this. Now, perhaps that's a failing= of >them but Microsoft is free to line the pockets of the congress like all the >rest of them do and get their vews represented there, and the law changed. > >>things can be changed by that other fellow out there >>working on something really big in his garage... and ole Bill could become >>little again before he can dream of that too.... > >In which case he would no longer be a monopoly and the anti-trust laws >wouldn't >apply to him. > >>leave the market alone as >>long as you have a choice! > >The anti-trust laws define whether the consumer has a choice or not. In >Microsoft's case the law says the consumer doesen't. If you don't believe >that then work to change the law. > >>We shouldn't just complain because some one >>became hugely successful... >> > >But, we don't. We complain when someone breaks the law and right now= that's >what Microsoft is doing. Would you rather we all ignored the laws? Sept 11th >showed what happens when we do. > >Ted Mittelstaedt = tedm@toybox.placo.com >Author of: The FreeBSD Corporate Networker's= Guide >Book website: = http://www.freebsd-corp-net-guide.com > > > >>Okay... I'm bracing for the next shot...!! (I knew I shouldn't have said >>anything!) >> >>At 09:39 AM 10.29.2001 -0500, Louis LeBlanc wrote: >>>Ok, yes it is kinda mean. Bill has been thoroughly vilified in the >>>open/free software communities. But not entirely without reason, and >>>not entirely undeserved. >>> >>>Sure he has given more money to help educate kids in technology than >>>many of us will have made through our whole lives, but he's >>>essentially fighting an undeclared war on freedom of computing choice. >>> >>>Sure I admire his educational charity work. But I like to see a >>>little resistance to the 'you must do it my way' mentality. XBill is >>>satire, so it must be looked upon as such. No one meant that they >>>wanted Bill harmed, just to fan the flames of resistance a little. >>>Ok, a lot. >>> >>>So, like a couple other replies in this thread suggest, just rm it and >>>put it in your refuse file so you never have to see it again. >>> >>>I wouldn't want to harm the guy, but I'd sure like to have seen MS >>>broken up. You think it would hurt him? I sincerely doubt it. >>> >>>I started to run into a rant about opening MS code to the public as >>>open or free software, as rumors suggested when the initial court case >>>went against them, but realized this would be too far OT, and probably >>>start some kind of holy war on the list, so I decided to leave it at >>>that. >>> >>>XBill isn't the only bit of anti MS satire or propaganda in the Open >>>and Free SW communities, but I doubt that Gates needs to fear for his >>>well being. >>> >>>$0.02. >>> >>>L >>>On 10/29/01 04:40 AM, P. U. (Uli) Kruppa sat at the `puter and typed: >>>> Hi everybody! >>>> >>>> Perhaps I am becoming a little bit moralistic these days? >>>> In the gnome-fifth-toe collection I found a little game >>>> called XBill. Its sense is to smash tiny pictures of Bill >>>> Gates and some blood will be splattered when you hit him. >>>> >>>> Of course Bill Gates can pay enough lawyers to take care of >>>> this himself, of course I do not have to play this game, of >>>> course I do not like Microsofts monopolistic business >>>> strategies and of course smashing icons, burning >>>> straw-puppets, crosses or flags is not as bad as killing >>>> real persons, but still I do not really like the idea. >>>> >>>> I think it would not be a great loss to take this game out >>>> of gnome-fifth-toe. >>>> >>>> >>>> Uli. >>>> >>>> >>>> ************************************ >>>> * P. U. Kruppa - Wuppertal * >>>> * Germany * >>>> * www.pukruppa.de www.2000d.de * >>>> ************************************ >>>> >>>> >>>> To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org >>>> with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message >>>> >>>> >>> >>>-- >>>Louis LeBlanc leblanc@keyslapper.org >>>Fully Funded Hobbyist, KeySlapper Extrordinaire :) >>>http://www.keyslapper.org =D4=BF=D4=AC >>> >>>Fishbowl, n.: >>> A glass-enclosed isolation cell where newly promoted managers are >>> kept for observation. >>> >>> >>>To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org >>>with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message >>> >>> >> >>Best regards, >>Jack L. Stone, >>Server Admin >> >>Sage-American >>http://www.sage-american.com >>jacks@sage-american.com >> >>To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org >>with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message >> > > > Best regards, Jack L. Stone, Server Admin Sage-American http://www.sage-american.com jacks@sage-american.com To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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