Re: Metered Banwidth Monopolies

["Norm" <normanmo@clark.net>]

  On Thu, 4 Dec 1997 20:43:56 -0500 (EST), Charles A. Behney III wrote:
  
  >Bill Gates had to reassure the banking community, that he is a fellow
  >traveler, rather than a usurper of their financial data via mining
  >techniques. 
  
  
       If they believe Gates's promises they're fools.  If you think
  Gates and company keep their promises they need to talk to some of M$'s
  former business partners.  
  
       What often happens is that M$ and a "business partner" will hammer
  out something that looks good at the time, but what they don't pay
  enough attention to is what's going to happens when the agreement's
  time period expires.  What many of these companies have found is that
  during time the agreement has been in force M$ has managed to become an
  integral part of their business, but when the initial agreement expires
  they find that they're now dealing with an entirely different animal. 
  Now instead of dealing with M$ on an equal footing the company finds
  itself in very weak position so then M$ can dictate their terms.  So if
  the banks get into bed with M$ my guess is that at first everything
  will look above board, but once their initial agreements expire all
  bets are off.  It's once M$ has their hooks into them that they will
  have to watch out.  Although I wouldn't expect M$ to even mention
  mining data from a bank's account database early on, once the agreement
  expires though I'd be willing to bet that it's one of the first issues
  on the table for their next agreement. 
  
       If the banking people had a clue about who they're dealing with
  they'd run like hell from M$, but since they really *want* to believe
  Gates they're going to go like lambs to the slaughter.  Of course you
  KNOW who'll get screwed over all this, that's right it's the bank's
  customers...it's NEVER the idiots that made the bad deal in the first
  place, it's ALWAYS the customers that take it on the chin.
  
   ...Cheers,
  
   ...Norm
  
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