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Leaked Memo Says Microsoft Raised $86 million for SCO
badzilla and numerous others wrote in with this: "Eric S. Raymond's Open Source site has a new Halloween memo. The Halloween X memo, which ESR says he received by email from an anonymous whistleblower inside SCO, appears to confirm Microsoft's alleged funding of SCO's anti-Linux initiative. And the actual dollar amounts are much larger than previously rumored!" The consultant is discussing his fee for bringing in this business, in the first few lines of the email.
...is probably Richard Emerson.
According to the SCO 10-K to which ESR linked, Anderer signed an agreement between SCO and S2 Strategic Consulting (his company) on August 4, 2003. Assuming the parent poster believes what he wrote, Anderer probably left SCO in June to continue performing the same functions as an independent contractor.
The evaluation of an action as 'practical' . . . depends on what it is that one wishes to practice.
Thirty NCR executives were found guilty in that decision, which was subsequently overturned. See this Fortune article for an overview. As far as I can tell, T.J. Watson never served a day.
Oh, and while T.J. arguably founded the modern IBM, the company had existed for years before T.J. got there as the "Computer Tabulating Recording Company". CTR was itself a derivative of Herman Hollerith's Tabulating Machine Company, founded in 1896.
>big well funded companies like that tend to cover all their bases.
This is generally true, Microsoft does appear to contribute more to Replublicans, but that has shifted over time:
Of the nearly $1.2 million in PAC and soft money contributions Microsoft contributed between 1995 and 1998, 72 percent went to Republicans. But during the first 18 months of the 2000 election cycle, Microsoft, aware of the closeness of congressional races this fall, has upped its giving to Democrats. Of the $2.3 million Microsoft has given in PAC and soft money this election cycle, 55 percent has gone to Republicans
Microsoft spokesman Rick Miller told Roll Call that the company largely follows a "very basic business strategy to giving and that's a 60/40 approach - 60 percent to the party in the majority and 40 percent to the minority." Miller added, however, that while two years ago, Republicans were Microsoft's defenders, now the company is also seeing a number of Democrats take up its cause.
There is much cruelty in the universe, John.
Yeah, we seem to have the tour map.
Not that I'm saying the memo is real; I have no idea. I'm just considering your point.
include $sig;
1;
This is how it worked:
Just like in the SCO case, MS was using their Financing arm to do anti-competitive business transactions. Manipulating enemies through innocent-looking cash movements and investments while supplying cash, information and most importantly *connections* to henchmen willing to do the dirty deeds (Vector, Baystar...). IIRC there was indeed a MS connection to BayStar as well. Paul Allen as an investor?
Microsoft won't stop this sort of anti-competitive clandestine operations until authorities have thoroughly investigated what is going on within their shadowy Corporate Development and Strategy (incl. Rich Emerson and Robert Uhlaner) unit and how favors and sensitive business information gets passed around within the infamous Microsoft Old Boys' Alumni network.
Starting in 1922, General Motors bought up many of the nation's
electric urban and interurban light rail systems, including
the excellent streetcars that served Los Angeles, converted them
to internal combustion engines, and deliberately managed them into failure.
Before this time, good electric streetcars made an automobile
unneccessary in many urban areas.
See http://www.tompaine.com/feature2.cfm/ID/4518
Wait a minute. Didn't I say that on the other side of the record? I'd better check
From the web page: "Post-Postscript: According to Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols of CNET, SCO confirmed today (04 March) that this memo is legitimate."