Linux & Microsoft as a Cold War?

I confirm writes "The BBC's Bill Thompson summarises the GNU/Linux vs. Microsoft struggle as a "cold war", and in one choice quote says:"It is rather ironic that Microsoft and other closed model companies rather resemble the Stalinist or Maoist model of a command economy with complete centralised control." I'm not sure I accept Thompson's conclusions, however: "So now would be a good time to start thinking about how we persuade governments that market in software may eventually need to be regulated, just as the market in electricity, water and food is, and that that regulation may well include a statutory duty to disclose source code and allow it to be used elsewhere." "

Comments

Cold war proxy wars...

[heironymouscoward]

I just submitted this as a story, but it's relevant. A leaked email from SCO shows that SCO received around $100m from Mircosoft. The Register has the details.
The war is cold only because Microsoft is unsure of how an overt war would be seen by regulators and clients. But cold wars can be damaging - just look at Africa and South America in the last decades.

Been said before

[djupedal]

...and it isn't simply MS bashing.

Investing in Microsoft is risking having your own money used against you in the marketplace.

Re:analogies suck

[JoeBaldwin]

Wrong question, dude. The right question is "Is Slashdot ever *not* broken?" :)