Just wondering...

[Simon Cooke <simonc@jumper.org.uk>]

I know this list is called the "Appraising Microsoft" list, but from some
of the participants - Mitch, who runs the boycott Microsoft site, Jamie,
who spent a spell on the MSNBC Technology BBS trying to convince everyone
that MS was up to no good, etc etc, I get the feeling that a more accurate
name would be "Anti Microsoft".

So, to see if I'm wasting my time here (preaching to people who have
already religiously made up their mind and know innately through some kind
of divine intervention that Microsoft is Evil, Injust, Cruel to animals
and generally downright rotten), if anyone here takes a pro-Microsoft or
even a not-all-that-against Microsoft - or preferably a "Show me the
facts" stance, can they let me know?

I'm intrigued, because day in, day out, I read people on this list venting
spleen about the evils of Microsoft, over analyzing everything down to the
slightest minutae, and taking *anything* and *everything* as evidence of
Microsoft's evildoing. Eg. the current posts about Office and Netscape,
and previous posts about Microsoft running sweat shops with Russian
Immigrant programmers.

Am I just misreading peoples intent here? Or is this just a place for
everyone to get together and villify Microsoft? You know, your typical
advocacy place, where even cold hard fact won't change peoples opinions?

Curious, no offence intended,
Simon (not speaking in any way for my employer, which is indeed Microsoft,
and which may or may not share my views)