MicroMonopoly aids Terrorism?

Shenan Stanley wrote:

Everyone always brings up MaBell when this subject rolls around about
Microsoft. The problem I see is that the comparison, while holding
some validity, falls short in many ways. Essentially - service vs
product monopoly. The idea is the same, but there are some subtle
differences when you think on it that doesn't guarantee changes if
just a break-up occurs.

Well, I could go back to Standard Oil! I agree that there is no exact
comparison with either, but the general principal remains valid. Breakup of
the monopoly was necessary for the good of society as a whole.

As for going open-source.. the idea sounds pleasing at first, except
when you consider that it probably wouldn't go anywhere for decades
and then the fear would be too much diversity.

I'd guess somewhere under a decade to develop a stable competitive market.

If I change jobs
and/or move to another state, will I be using "Kurttrail's Office
Suite" on "Megalard's Doors" OS where I was used to working on
"Smiley's Productivity Set" on "Big Tex's" OS? Simpler yet - can
Kurttrail's Office Suite read my Smiley's Productivity Set
spreadsheet, modify it and send it back to me in a format I can edit
again?

OK, I need to clarify this misunderstanding. I only meant that Windows, for
the most part, would go open source. I was being vague with you, because I
thought you were being like the other guys, just more subtle, so I trying to
smoke you out. Sorry, those other guys were just trying to defend MS at any
cost, and that cost was proving my point for me, with their own examples.

OK. So only Windows goes Open Source, what happens with the rest of MS?
Business Apps and services would be the main part of MS that would survive,
but with the condition that their file formats were non-proprietary, and
it's present file formats would be open to all. Office really isn't all
that much of a monopoly on it's own, and without proprietary file formats &
the Windows OS to back it up, so Star Office, Perfect Office, & Open Office
will have the opportunity to play in the office apps market on a fair
playing field, all playing under the same rules. Windows Media Player,
Messenger, MovieMaker, and the rest of the MS-bundle middleware except IE
would be the moved to the new Office Systems Corp, [As a condition of the
breakup Microsoft name would be prohibited from being used ever again. So
let it be written, so let it be done!] along with MS's Business Services
division. While Office Systems would still be the dominate player for
years, their market share would diminish with time.

Now we get to MSN and the rest of the MS's net holdings, and we sell it off
to the highest bidder. [Google ends up buying it, forcing the AOL/Yahoo
merger.] The XBox & MS's gaming software division are made into the XBox
Games Corp. [And buys out Nintendo.] Ok, so the break up of MS creates
other mega-companies, nobodies perfect, and at least there will still be
competition in those markets, and during the decade or so it takes for the
dust to settle other players might join in on those markets.

I know - that's a bit extreme, but it is not (other than the names)
completely impossible to imagine. Right now Office on the MAC
sometimes has trouble with Office on the PC documents.. And Open
Office doesn't read everything about Word or WordPerfect documents
flawlessly. If you open the field too much without standards already
in place (there isn't any now.. And there likely wouldn't be until
after this became an actual problem) - you may be asking for trouble.
That's just an opinion and one possibility - so it's not necessarily
what I *believe* would happen - but a possibility.

As long as you understand that I just talking in hypotheticals too. Believe
me, the consequences of the breakup of MS would definitely not be all that
smooth. You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.

I think before we go screaming "Open Source" and "Break Up
Microsoft", we should consider forcing them to follow some standards
that we come out with.

Three years ago, I'd be with you on that. But the security situation has
heated up to a point that it is totally foolhardy to continue down this same
path, where there is really only one target to hit. The bigger & better
guns are coming, and MS target is just too big to miss.

http://www.ccianet.org/papers/cyberinsecurity.pdf

One reason they have a large market share is
because it's easy to use and most people will act like electricity at
all times.. "Take the shortest path to ground." The right attitude?
Maybe not - but I could never, in good conscience, say that the way
everything (software/market share) is today is just Microsoft's fault
- it's also people in general and their innate laziness or, rather
than calling the whole human race lazy - how about "lack of
interest". Your common computer user wants to sit down and use their
computer to surf the web, get their email, pay some bills - and then
go back to TV/sports/music/cooking/knitting/whatever their real
interest is. So - they are not willing or just don't see the point
in learning enough to use something other than "point and click and
you have 5 ways to do almost every task."

So, hey, I do not totally disagree with your convictions. I think
you are on one end of a large spectrum and there will be, naturally,
another side of the story. I lie somewhere in the middle - as most
"computer people" do. I can use just about any OS/application you
throw at me - whether I do or not has a lot to do with my desire in
that particular app. If Microsoft broke up, if Windows went open
source, if Lindows started becoming the OS of choice - I would adapt
and move on. I support my customers/family/friends with the
knowledge I have and taking their needs into consideration - and with
all of that in mind - Windows is still on top for the end-user OS in
my mind. It has the most apps/drivers/hardware configuration
possibilities of any OS with the least amount of TRUE effort on the
end-users part. This appeals to the "non-interested, gimme my Final
Fantasy and the rest of the computer can rot" persona as well as the
"less casual and intense cannot live without my email, spreadsheet,
gaming system with the water cooling and remote control" individual.

I agree.

Preach on - I will listen - and you've at least - if nothing else -
made me consider things I might not have before.

Well, I have quite finished the MS Break-up story, have I? That's right
what really happens to Windows once it is Open Source. SCO immediately puts
out XPSP2 under the name of SCOdows, and is immediately sued by LindowsOS
for infringing on their trademark. In 2007, SCO releases SCOhorn, without
the SCOFS. In 2008, SCO goes bankrupt as SCOhorn is a total disaster,
because of disgruntled former MS employees sabotage, and IBM buys SCO, just
for spite.

Let's get back to just after the breakup. RedHat & Novell compete to see
who can get Windows APIs ported in their version of Linux first, but is
beaten to the punch by Xandros, in the first quarter of 2004. Symantec puts
out their version, which they call Wintec, based on 2K but with V2i
security, making it the most bomb proof Win-Clone OS, because on any
catastrophic OS failure, on reboot, the last known working OS setup would be
reloaded in minutes, without any user or tech intervention. Symantec stock
soars on the strength of its VL sales, and OEM licensing deal with Dell.
Sun releases JavaXP, and it does well for a time, especially of home users,
until the Linux boys port the WinAPIs into Linux . . . .

Though I quite aware that none of this is really gonna happen this year or
probably anytime soon, I do believe that some breakup of MS is inevitable
based on their past actions, those since the Anti-Trust settlement, and
because MS's OS is gonna get hit so bad one day, and probably sooner than
later, that are gov'ts will be forced to act. And while the breakup of MS
may well narrow competition in its non-OS markets in the short term, the
Open Sourcing of Windows and its APIs could well become a truly competitive
market in 5 years time.

But - perhaps you
should cross-post less. *grin*

I can't even remember the last time I cross-posted to multiple groups, and
this thread is relevant to all the groups I choose, so in this case I am not
gonna feel the least bit guilty adding back all the groups you cut from your
reply. ;-)

Thanks for being a mensch!

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei!"