Re: Microsoft's Zone

[James Love <love@cptech.org>]

  DeBrock, Larry wrote:
  > You are correct that this issue of open standards is a concern, just as
  > Mr Schultz and I suggested.  However, my point is that this listserv
  > seems to have already acted as prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner
  > against Microsoft.  As one example, just after my post, you yourself
  > posted another message titled "Another example of EI4.0 only Web site".
  > Before the flames start, I am NOT trying to defend MS.  I just want to
  > point out that not all problems are "MSIE ONLY" sites.
  
  
     I agree with you that this isn't only a MS problem, and more
  generally, that it is likely to be a rather common problem in a
  networked environment where issues about bundling, interoperability and
  compatibility become opportunities to get and defend market shares.
  
     I am quite pleased about the current DOJ effort, but it does seem
  fairly narrow at this time, and who knows if DOJ or other competition
  officials have either a strategy or the legal tools to address some
  obvious problems.  We are spending some time looking at government
  procurement as a different way to put pressure on firms to support open
  standards, and also to keep competitive alive in key sectors of the
  computer and software industry.  (As was done in the IBM case some time
  ago).  
  
     Jamie