Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 22:36:13 -0400 (EDT) From: "Joe \"Marcus\" Clarke" <marcus@miami.edu> To: Atipa <freebsd@atipa.com> Cc: freebsd-advocacy@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Why we should support Microsoft... Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.96.980518222523.15621A-100000@jaguar.ir.miami.edu> In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.3.96.980518120049.4032A-100000@altrox.atipa.com>
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Quite wll said, and I avidly dislike Microsoft. Freedom is core to our country, and our way of life. Capitalism is a way to express that freedom. I do not think the issue at hand here _is_ the quality of Win98. I've seen it....we've all seen it in Comdex. It's not all that good. In fact, it's rushed and, to quote Microsoft, it's "mostly good." The issue at hand is how far can a corporation go and still preserve the freedom we charish. Should Gates be allowed to assasinate CEOs of competiting companies? Of course not. I'm not saying he is, don't get me wrong. But he is doing a kind of corporate assasination He is forcing companies to give the people what _he_ wants us to have. Do we really want Win98? No. What do we want? That's for us to decide. Gates is not letting us do that. Sure, YOU and I do that. We choose FreeBSD. People who don't know better, can't get the information we have access to becuase PC retailers aren't allowed to tell then about it. They can only bundle Winodws with their computers...or only NOT Windows. This is corporate suicide. Your statements are correct. Microsoft should not be forced to distribute Netscape or any other browser with Win98. That is stupid. And as for making the browser part of the OS, I think CEOs of companies who read the Wall Street Journal to find out what to buy will see Explorer in the OS as a security concern. They don't know any better. How will they be able to deliniate where their computer ends and the Internet begins? How can they know their data is safe? I think people are starting to come around and realize that Windows is a scam. But, you're right, they should reach that conclusion on without the DOJ...and without Gates force-feeding them. Someone needs to open the window in the PC market. I think the free OS revolution is the solution. Joe Clarke On Mon, 18 May 1998, Atipa 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? > > 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-advocacy" in the body of the message > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-advocacy" in the body of the message
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