How the DOJ/MS Settlement was Reached

Drek was among the many who wrote in to tell us about the following: "Wired is running an article about how the MS/DoJ settlement was reached. More importantly, the DoJ has set up an email address where citizens can send comments about the case: microsoft.atr@usdoj.gov. This might be a good way for Slashdotters to do their civic duty."The address has been around for a bit, but still, a renewed call for comment.

Comments

The what department?

[pi_rules]

from the does-the-doj-doesn't-run-exchange dept.

I've been staring at that for a few minutes now... what in the hell were they trying to type?

Meanwhile at DOJ HQ!

[DragonPup]

Web Guy 1: Wow, we got THOUSANDS of emails to the Antitrust email address from citizens over the past hour!

Web Guy 2: In an hour? Must be spam.

Web Guy 1: You're probably right

*Web Guy 1 deletes said few thousand messages*

-Henry

No one will care what we have to say

[Nitroshock]

Even if we were to send email to microsoft.atr@usdoj.gov, do you honestly think they're gonna have some monkey go through all the email they get? Even if they do, it's not going to change anything. A good ploy would be for MS to use this as a "Who likes us and who needs to die" check.

I say everyone go to all the porn sites they can find and sign the email address "microsoft.atr@usdoj.gov" up for the mailing lists. For creativity, go to some of the off the wall Scheiße sites and sign the email addy up for their lists. That would approximate my feelings anyway.

They don't really read these emails

[PoiBoy]

They've probably got a script that simply searches through emails for words like Microsoft, Linux, good, bad; and then either counts it for or against microsoft.

if (/microsoft/ && /bad/ && /consumers/) {

--$bad_microsoft;

}

elsif (/microsoft/ && /good/) {

++$good_microsoft;

}

elsif (/linux/ && /awesome) {

++$slashdot_geek;

}

Re:How the deal was done

[D.Throttle]

You're close...
This is what happened. As a member of the DOJ, I can tell you that things have been rather busy lately. We all know that Christmas is rapidly approaching. To make a long story short, Bill gave us some of those new XBox consoles. He even threw in the full set of release titles and a copy of XP! Now if that's not justice, what is?

And don't go givin' me your self-righteous BS. You know damn well you'd do the same. We were nearing a settlement anyways. This just sealed the deal.

Email address updated

[Anonymous Coward]

More importantly, the DoJ has set up an email address where citizens can send comments about the case: microsoft.atr@usdoj.gov.

Important! At the end of the month the email address will be discontinued because of a domain name shift. The new email address will be usdoj@microsoft.gov