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Microsoft, Massachusetts, and IT
Andy Updegrove writes "A big story in Massachusetts last week was the announcement by Microsoft that it would give $30 million in software to Bay State high schools and universities. Less noticed was the fact that an important economic stimulus bill adopted by the legislature lacked the amendment that sought to gut the power of the State CIO to set any new IT policies that might require compliance with certain standards (like ODF) or favor open source software. Should these two dots be connected, and if so, how? After all, why would Microsoft reward Massachusetts for taking no action to curtail an IT policy that favored ODF and rejected Microsoft's own XML format, especially after Microsoft has by all accounts lobbied so aggressively to bring about a change? As it happens, the fact is that the game isn't over yet: I've learned that the IT policy language hasn't been permanently defeated — its just been shifted out of sight to an 'outside section' of the current budget bill."
You're confusing petty corruption by local individuals as income enhancement in depressed economies and the grand idealogical corruption of the entire lawmaking process to which the GP was referring.
No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
MS dontaing $30 million in sofware? Whats that then, 100 copies of Vista with Office 2006?
Seriously - I am a MS stockholder and I'm voicing my disgust yet the MS planted flacks here at /. are calling me a 'troll'. Well that pretty much makes my argument for me. And trust me MS'rs I won't be holding MS any longer nor buying your products. Have a nice day.