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

duh

[TexasDex]

Microsoft = Totalitarian Dictatorship? As if we didn't know that already

Government Requlation?

[nurb432]

Sounds like hes on the socalist side of the fence ( to use his analogies )..

Free people dont want ( or need ) government intervention...

To fight the Staninist and Maoist model...

[Anonymous Coward]

...we impose one with government regulation? This guy sounds likes a Republican.

Flamebait?

[bj8rn]

from the now-thats-serious-flamebait-1 dept.

Oh yeah? Well, fuck you too! And don't say you weren't asking for this!

Re:Regulation Obsession

[say]

Yeah. And the UK is a much worse country to live in than America(TM). Because a lot less people are poor, they are more educated and they do not have a huge federal deficit?

Come on, the British viewpoint may not be that wrong. American liberalism has proven a bad strategy for fighting poverty.

red flag linux

[cookiepus]

"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."

No it's Linux that's communism. Sure, you've got "power of the people." But the quality of life is inferior to those living under imperialist opression ;-)