Re: Just wondering...

[Rob Marqusee <rbm@pionet.net>]

I will ditto Christopher's thoughtful piece below ... with one caveat - that the pro-MS view must be equally factual.

As you may know, many of the facts have been aired on this list - what typically happens is that pro-MS participants dismiss the facts as presented by
Wendy Goldman Rhom or others who have investigated the DR-DOS fiasco, or MS history with IBM and OS/2, or the exclusivity contracts with ISPs, or the
alleged 'integration' of the browser with the OS (which is factually BS), etc.  What of the complete lack of basis for Gates planning browser
integration before Netscape formed ....  or, Gates not knowing anything about the Java threat, etc.    From the sound of their press releases, you would
think that MS invented the Internet.  Facts, I suppose, are what the Federal District Court must determine.  MS does not speak truth.

The reason for the emotion and opinion is that there is a deep-seated difference in approach between basic Unix-heads and the 'what is in the next
version' driven MS devotees.   Not that Unix folks don't buy proprietary software; or believe in socialism  or communism - it is that we believe in the
art of computing and the sharing of protocols, and open networks, of allowing developers and hardware manufacturers to have freedom of choice in
approach and offerings ... if there is one manifesto.  In other words, we do not want Bill to tell us what we can and cannot due based upon his gobbling
all functionality into its OS kernal.    We do not like that kind of power in one company ... etc etc etc.

So, if you have facts - let's hear them.  That would be a first for MS.

Rob


Christopher Pall wrote:

> While I'm sure they are out there Simon, I don't think what this forum is doing is particularly wrong.
>
> Microsoft has it's own forum in which it receives no critical review whatsoever - The Wall Street Journal, The millions of dollars in advertising and
> website ads which flow on a daily basis. It's been uncovered that Microsoft has used it's own money to buy letter writers in order to influence the
> opinion of newspapers.
>
> If you are curious whether there is any balance to this list - let's be honest.
>
> There's no justification for either of these extremes. Which is why we value the other sides story. So, to answer your question - are there any
> pro-microsoft people here? Yeah - of course, but if you're watching, they don't speak up very often.
>
> (bold and underlined)
>
> It would be nice if both sides injected far more verifiable fact rather than rhetoric and opinion. I'll commit myself to attempting more of this here
> in the future.
>
> Simon Cooke wrote:
> >
> > 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)