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The 'Hairy Guys' Vs. Microsoft
Jeremy Allison - Sam writes "The IHT is running the best write-up I've seen on the Microsoft vs EU Anti-Trust case, featuring quotes from tridge (Creator of Samba) and Carlo Piana (the FSFE lawyer). Nicely contrasts the difference between the Microsoft legal Team and the resources the FSFE has to work with. I was the FSFE witness for the initial hearing and the first trial, and this article nicely explains what it's like to be there." From the article: "The settlements left a group of computer programmers and activists, united under the banner of the Free Software Foundation Europe, with a bigger-than-expected role in supporting the EU's goal of loosening Microsoft's grip over the software industry. Only half-joking, one observer at the court this past week called some members FSFE and allies 'the hairy guys' - in contrast to the well- groomed legal teams fielded by Microsoft."
The last paragraph is rather telling of the reason why Microsoft is in this mess in the first place. I remember when I found out that they were bundling a Firewall with Windows XP. Did they think that going to a more "root" oriented system would cause too many headaches for the end user? I imagine it was more along the lines of "We'll do something about it in the next version" syndrome. Regardless, that was the day I decided to start looking at an alternative operating system.
Good luck Hairy guys...
Is there heaven? Is there Hell? Is that a Tuna Melt I smell?-Primus
Marks' proposal for international uniting gives important insight to developers' situation here as well... But the human kind proved that this is not going to happen with too many examples.
Well, actually...
the same EU Commission is pushing for EU software patents. Effectively, if they succeed your argument would become "no one is twisting your arm to use computers", because the currently unenforceable EU software patents microsoft holds would become valid, so the only choice would be computer+microsoft software or computer with no software. And you try living in europe without a working computer and a mobile phone these days, it's a bit similar to the problems someone who can't drive in suburban USA has, only worse.
You could look at this fine another way - it's the EU's fee to microsoft for granting microsoft control of the EU's computers. A fee microsoft is presently understandably unwilling to pay since the EU commission was blocked in its attempt to steamroll the legislation Microsoft wanted in the EU through. I'd say microsoft would just shut up and pay the "fine" on an ongoing basis if it got the EU legislation it wanted.
The technical, legal, moral and ethical arguments will come to some point, quite possibly against Microsoft for abusing its monopoly in operating systems unfairly to influence markets in the server arena or the multimedia arena.
But that's not the end of the story.
What will happen is that this black-eye against a US corporation will give the Europeans a valuable poker chip to play against the US when it comes to protecting politically-sensitive farm subsidies.
IOW, we'll give MS a by on this round if you look the other way for another year or two on farm subsidies.
[I'm an American and am aghast at all of this. In the words of the code commentor - fuck me gently with a chainsaw.]
Probably this post will rot in ScoreZeroLand as I post AC instead of as my usual superhero self.
From the point of view of the incoming administration, Microsoft has been very successful, and was being punished for their success. They simply stopped what they thought was a wrong.
The logic is at least partially self-consistent. The best and brightest people are those who have succeeded at the American Way - ie, the richest and most powerful. It's not right to punish success, success should be rewarded. View the Bush Administration's domestic actions in this perspective, and it all makes sense. It also makes a kind of sense on the morality front. Jesus Christ wasn't so hot on the wealthy, so the rich and powerful have to take a moral stand, and what easier moral stand is there to take than against the marginalized.
This of course presumes you agree with this perspective. Others of us have no problem with success, as long as you get there fairly. Some of us also believe that having been raised on the parent's silver spoon says nothing at all about your superior skills and wit - it just says you handed a better shot at success. Then again, read the 4 Gospels, and see the group who attracted the greatest contempt from Jesus Christ - the rich and powerful who look down on others' sins.
The living have better things to do than to continue hating the dead.