[ reactions ] Re: [NYT] Microsoft Is Set to Be Top Foe of Free Code

From: Bill Humphries (bill@whump.com)
Date: Thu May 03 2001 - 03:40:42 PDT


> And while I haven't analyzed every sentence, it speaks for me.
>
> It's nice to see Microsoft starting to be a leader in this way.

Well I parsed through his speech and the main thing that sticks out is the premise that given: ads don't work, market share don't work, and pay don't work -- that software must be proprietary (under MS' um, generous terms.)

It ignores the idea which, it seems, only the pr0n industry gets: make payments for service easy.

And even though he speaks about support for standards (which is the same pitch I heard Simon Phipps give at SD2001 West,) if the underlying codebase is not in a commons -- MS or Sun can still get you for monopoly rents. The transport still needs something send it.

While the speaker is not a vile as Jack Valenti calling anyone with a Linux distro a criminal, this still has to be read as propaganda. MS has a considerable stake in keeping their market share and I still don't believe they are going to lie back and let a thousand flowers bloom.

In the end, MS can maintain market power the old fashioned way: through legislation. The bulk of the shareholders don't care how they make their earnings targets, just as long as they do.

Sincerely,

Bill

--

All your infrastructure are belong to us.



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