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Public Policy

  Charles, you  are losing it.  You are responding to
  things I haven't written.
  
  I did not buy OS2.  I do not like OS2.
  
  The fact is, I like many Microsoft products a lot!  Including
  the latest version but one of VC++.  Excel is pretty
  cool, too.
  
  Those are not the issues here.  The issues here are whether
  Microsoft is enjoying a privileged position because of past
  unfair business tactics.  I think that it is, but I can see that
  this is a complicated issue.  A secondary issue is that I
  am not satisfied with the treatment accorded past briefs
  filed by various companies.  (There is a Borland brief filed
  by someone who now works for Microsoft that should be
  dug up and thought about at DOJ)  I can't PROVE any of
  this stuff--but there is enough there to think something fishy
  was up.
  
  The public policy issue that needs to be considered is
  whether we want a single company to control the Internet.
  We don't!  Microsoft simply has no right to claim the
  Internet--it developed IN SPITE OF Microsoft.  Look
  back at late 1994, when the number of people on
  the web began to explode exponentially.
  
  I think the Internet is a fascinating machine, one
  capable of repairing itself.  I believe the American
  democracy has the same property.
  
  Tod Landis
  
  Charles Kelly, NT*Pro wrote:
  
  > Its pretty obvious why, Tod. They bought because they trusted and believed
  > in Microsoft. They also bought because they liked the products. Its is a
  > real simple equation. You bought OS/2 and OS/2 products because you liked
  > it. Millions of others bought Windows and Microsoft products because they
  > liked them. There are many, many more of them than people like you. They
  > voted with their dollars. The election is over, though it is repeated on
  > very regular cycles. And voters are notoriously fickle... <G>
  >
  > My theory is that people buy hardware and operating systems as "necessary
  > evils " to run the applications they like--for home consumers they buy
  > computers to run games and financial management software like Quicken and
  > whatever else they want/like. The things they want to do and the programs
  > they want to run happen to be more available and often better on the
  > Windows/Intel platform. Those who want to buy non-Intel (I'm writing this
  > on an AMD processor for instance) and non-Microsoft (and I use Eudora as my
  > preferred e-mail client because I like it) do so, just in smaller numbers.
  >
  > As to your assertion that "...millions of consumers were lied to, cajoled,
  > intimidated and otherwise overwhelmed by unfair practices...", well what
  > can I say Tod. I give consumers credit as fairly intelligent people who
  > generally make informed decisions and choices.
  >
  > I am the leader of a couple of non-profit associations of hundreds of
  > thousands of consumers responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars of
  > purchases each and every year. I happen to think those consumers make
  > informed and intelligent choices and I staunchly defend their right to do
  > so. One of the reasons that these hundreds of thousands join our
  > non-profits is to be able to get an independent, unbiased, professional
  > source of information and support. We don't hate anybody and are very
  > supportive of good technology regardless of its source.
  >
  > There actually seem to be a lot of intelligent, otherwise well informed
  > people on this list. If they were just a little less consumed with blinding
  > hatred I think that they would be able to make more objective statements
  > and decisions. It may well be that they would end up in the same place, but
  > at least it would be less "hate-driven". This concerns me because most
  > "hate-driven" groups that I know of in history have not been looked upon
  > favorable in historical accounts.
  >
  > I'd feel more comfortable with people who are positive advocates for
  > whatever their position is. Be an advocate for Sun, be an advocate for
  > Linux, be an advocate for OS/2, be an advocate for Microsoft -- "whatever
  > floats your boat." At least when you are an advocate for something you take
  > time to really get to know it. This "I hate Microsoft" is fear driven from
  > the unknown. I doubt if anyone on this list really knows much about
  > Microsoft other that what they fear. I really feel that if they knew more
  > about the company and their practices (not the imagined ones) that they
  > would at least have a chance to see these issues in a more balanced light.
  >
  > The old axiom "We always fear most that of which we know least..." comes to
  > mind frequently as I read postings to this list.
  >
  > Have a great day...
  > Charles
  >
  > At 02:28 AM 11/9/97 -0500, moonwolf@earthling.net wrote:
  > >** Reply to note from operator@essential.essential.org Sat, 8 Nov 1997
  > 15:09:02 -0500 (EST)
  > >
  > >(excerpt from letter by Charles Kelly to NT*Pro people)
  > >
  > >> Millions of consumers have voted to purchase Microsoft
  > >> products--almost always when other products (and often dominant and
  > >> technically superior products) existed on the marketplace.
  > >
  > >
  > >This is the line that always gets me. Please explain to
  > >me why millions of consumers would buy a technically
  > >INFERIOR product that does not have a significant
  > >marketshare. These millions of consumers obviously
  > >cannot be
  > >
  > >" . . . like me (C.Kelly) who are technically savvy and
  > >really do understand both the issues and the economics."
  > >
  > >
  > >Seems to me that these millions of consumers were lied
  > >to, cajoled, intimidated and otherwise overwhelmed by
  > >unfair practices into making the absolutely wrong
  > >decision. Wht would anyone buy a technically inferior
  > >product for their COMPUTER!
  > >
  > >
  > >--
  > >Ed
  > >--
  > >
  > >Team OS/2
  > >MoonWolf Enterprises
  > >Edward R. Mortimer moonwolf@earthling.net
  > >The Land of Beyond http://www.trailerpark.com/moonwalk/moonwolf/index.html
  > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  > .-