File Extensions And Monopolies

A_Non_Moose sent us an article from Salon that talks about how file extensions are one of the tools used by Microsoft to extend their mind and market share. It's a very simple idea but its honestly something I'd never thought about. Definitely worth a read, and a few neurons to realize how its really the simplest of things that will guarantee that this monopoly isn't stopped even if Microsoft's deep pockets didn't let them buy the law.

Comments

Give me a break.

[Wind_Walker]

Come on, this is so obviously satire it's pathetic. We have a non-techie complaining about something that's so simple as changing the "Open With..." dialogue? The fact that Windows keeps track of the associated program that launches associated file extensions is just plain stupid.

Short of a complete re-write of the entire FAT-32 filesystem there is no solution to this, aside from teaching new users that "Hold down shift, right click, then hit Open With..." will solve this problem.

Honestly, this seems like some Salon.com columnist had nothing else to do and decided to bitch about Microsoft for a while cause, hey, it'll get on Slashdot!

Re:Give me a break.

[Decimal]

Short of a complete re-write of the entire FAT-32 filesystem there is no solution to this, aside from teaching new users that "Hold down shift, right click, then hit Open With..." will solve this problem.

Nonsense. The author gave a simpler way to change file types right in the paper: put a link to it under "control panel". Didn't you read the article? And it can get even simpler than what you suggest: How about a change where "Open With" does not require that the shift button be held? And turning Open With into a drop-down menu with primary, secondary (etc) and "other" options? Or even letting the user have an option to prevent software from setting itself to the primary open type?

It can very easily be made far more user-friendly. The courts should order changes like this.

M$ will rule the Gehtto they are making.

[twitter]

Monopoly for the illiterate

Not that most M$ users would bother to read it, but where exacly are such user friendly features documented? Last time I tried to use M$ help I had to talk to that stupid paper clip, who's more of a salesman than a help agent.

You think it's easy but it really is more of the same abuse. All of those left handed tricks, and the way M$ made all of my favorite applications vanish ... now they let others set your registry from accross the web? Barf. Who's going to fill the "open with" folder? I'm sure it will work just as well as the start button itself. "Send to" is the only thing that makes using NT at work tollerable. If they kill that, I'll have to figure something else out. Most people won't. The anoyance factor is going to run joe user off computers for good. The rest of us will simply move to less obnoxious platforms. When people ask me, I tell them it's easier to use Debian.