Roy Schestowitz wrote:
> __/ [ B Gruff ] on Thursday 31 August 2006 00:15 \__
>
> > Did you spot this:-
> >
> > "OSS poses a direct, short-term revenue and platform threat to Microsoft,
> > particularly in server space. Additionally, the intrinsic parallelism and
> > free idea exchange in OSS has benefits that are not replicable with our
> > current licensing model and therefore present a long-term developer
> > mindshare threat."
> >
> > ... and that's from Microsoft!
>
> Open source envy? What boggles the mind is "if you can't beat them, join
> them".
Keep in mind that Microsoft has been trying to do a "shared source
goat-rope". They pretend to be sharing really valuable code, but in
order to look at it, you have to sign an agreement that - in essence -
says that you can never program for anything but Microsoft's OS from
that point forward.
This has been one of the big sticking points with regard to the EU and
USA antitrust enforcements. Microsoft is essentially giving incomplete
IETF specifications and forcing those who want to review, study, or
support them (SMB/SAMBA for example), to stop programming for Linux
clients. Microsoft is trying to keep control of the desktop while
pretending to comply with the EU and DOJ orders.
http://www.macworld.com/news/2006/08/31/antitrust/index.php
It seems like Judge Kollar-Kotelly would be chomping at the bit to keep
ALL provisions of the AntiTrust ruling in force, since it has become
quite obvious that Microsoft has NOT honored ANY of the provisions, and
the goals of the settlement (opening the PC market to competitors) have
not been met.
Microsoft still continues to threaten, coerce, bribe, and punish OEMs
to make sure that every machine they sell, is sold with Windows, and
nothing else. Microsoft even brags that 99.9% of the PCs sold by the
top 5 OEMs (excluding Macs, I suppose) are sold with Windows, while
less that 0.1% of those OEM produced machines are sold with Linux
preinstalled (by the OEM).
Perhaps it's time for the Judge to order a full investigation,
including direct examination of OEMs, and former OEMs (IBM), to get
their direct feedback, under oath, without Microsoft's lawyers sitting
in the same room, to see how THEY feel Microsoft has complied with the
order to stop interfering with attempts by OEMs to ship Linux with, or
instead of, Windows.
Perhaps it's time for the Judge to order a full investigation of
Microsoft's direct defiance of the Appellate Court Order that Microsoft
"May NOT use it's monopoly power in the Operating system market to
expand that monopoly into other markets" - as they took over the
Firewall market, and now the AntiVirus market.
What am I talking about. Microsoft is a bunch of criminals who are
above the laws of any country. If a leader tries to take a stand,
Microsoft can cut off their political support at the kneecaps.
Incumbants get defeated in the primaries, so that candidates who are
"friendly" to Microsoft have a better chance of winning.
How many times have they admitted in open court, to criminal
activities, including fraud, extortion, blackmail, sabotage, and
obstruction of justice, then weaseled out of it in a settlement whose
only value was the legal fees paid to the lawyers filing against
Microsoft.
If 25 states of the United States, the United States Senate, and the
entire EU, can't stop this, and bring Microsoft's executives to
Justice, then maybe Billy really IS about to achieve his goal of "World
Domination".
And if Power corrupts, and Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely, then
imagine how the Microsoft organization will compare to Hitler,
Napoleon, and the Ceasars, who only conquered a small portion of the
world after horrible losses. Bill seems to have conquered the entire
world, without firing a single shot (unless you count 9/11, terrorist
acts, Afghanistan, Iraq, Darfur, and Lebanon, which were just
"diversion tactics").
> --
> For governments that eavesdrop, here is a quick list of tags: Communism,
> Hawaiian shirts, China, Suitcase, Martha Stewart, Encryption, Prison,
> Stalin. Thanks for tuning in.
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