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Microsoft's Lobbying In Massachusetts
Andy Updegrove writes "Carol Sliwa at ComputerWorld has posted two excellent stories just now on ODF in Massachusetts, based on over 300 emails secured under the Massachusetts Public Records Law (the local analogue of the Federal Freedom of Information Act). The longer and more intriguing article focuses on Microsoft's lobbying efforts in Massachusetts, and confirms, as I reported last week, that Microsoft lobbyist Brian Burke was spearheading an effort to bring pressure on the state's Information Technology Division (ITD) by promoting an amendment that would have taken away much of the ITD's power to make technology policy. The article goes on to describe the back-channel negotiations between State CIO Louis Gutierrez and Microsoft's Alan Yates, and the way that Microsoft played the lobbying card throughout those discussions in an effort to protect its wildly profitable Office software franchise against potential erosion by competing products that support ODF." Andy has a blog entry on the lobbying effort.
far to many re-defining words in todays world
s/lobbying/bribing
s/pretexting/lying
Any supplier that makes enough to pay a full time lobbyist is overcharging.
Of a dying company?
"No freeman shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson
Long ago I remember a Microsoft that had nothing but contempt for the political process. A Microsoft that intended to dominate the market through mass, vendor lockout, FUD, giving stuff away, etc.
You know, the Microsoft that got sued.
Having learned the lesson that ignoring politicians is not good for your health, is it any wonder that Microsoft is lobbying as hard as it can?
Good luck to them. I'll be happy to see them take their lumps when they screw up their technology badly enough that the world moves en masse to something better. Meanwhile, I'm smirking at the do-gooders and busybodies who are being hoisted on their own petards.
668: Neighbour of the Beast
Lobbying companies aren't new, but when you're Microsoft, it all changes?
It's just good-ol'-boy business/politics in action.
"No freeman shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson
" Microsoft lobbyist Brian Burke was spearheading an effort to bring pressure on the state's Information Technology Division (ITD) by promoting an amendment that would have taken away much of the ITD's power to make technology policy."
So, instead of spending time and money on making a better product, Microsoft decides to spend it on removing the power of choice from potential consumers? It's beginning to seem like the only products actually available in a free market here are the legislators themselves.
If Office is so good, why is Microsoft so afraid?
It takes a lot of energy to convince people that using open, standard formats to store files somehow gives "preferential treatment for specific vendor products"
My turnips listen for the soft cry of your love
ODF is a data format definition not an application. It does not have usabilitiy issues, applications do.
Undetectable Steganography? Yep, there's an app fo
ODF (Open Document) does not have usability issues. Period. It is a document format, nothing more. Now if you are talking about OpenOffice.org, AbiWord, KOffice, the next version of Wordperfect or any of the word processes/document systems that support ODF, then you might have a point. All the talk of ODF having usability issues is just the sound of FUD smacking the media around. Accessibility for the disabled should ultimately be superior with the ODF format because it is a completely open, machine readable format and therefore should be easily transformed into what ever media is required for disabled access (Large Print, audio - speech and speech recognition, braille, etc.).
Cheers,
Toby Haynes
Anything I post is strictly my own thoughts and doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the opinions of IBM.
Slashdot should have stopped registrations at the 1 millionth user.
:|
You seem like someone who just downloaded Ubuntu.
Registered Linux user #421033
I remember there was a lot of effort put into ODF, then there was a change of political leaders in Massachusetts, and then .. I can't remember - did they scrap whole project, or not?
What is the current state of Massachusetts switch?
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#\ @ ? Colonize Mars
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Fourteenth! (After half an hour on Slashdot). Woot!
Seriously, is this really surprising to anyone? I guess I'd be more interested to know who's pimping the blogger who spends so much valuable free time following this minutiae. (I only wish someone followed FEDERAL requisition contracts with as much interest.)
Wasn't there an article recently about Gates for President??? I think MSFT is attacking on several fronts now...
Why do tech companies that work with OSS not insist on resumes only in ODF. Gently force the issue. After all other companies only accept DOC.
Undetectable Steganography? Yep, there's an app fo
We can't possibly let these "information technology" people decide what to do with our inter-nets resources. They obviously don't understand the critical nature of how this technology works. Why, just this Friday I sent an email to one of my contacts in the state government there, and their internets were so clogged that it still hasn't arrived. If they can't keep their system of tubes clean, how can we possibly expect them to make good decisions about what prograpplications are wise to run on their computers?
Sincerely,
Sen. Stevens.
Fill in your four or five-letter word of wisdom here _ _ _ _ _.
Why does M$ think they can mess with everything? Or do they just want are money?
What? You mean unlike every other major corporation on Earth?
Companies want to do whatever they like unimpeded and what they like to do is earn as much of our money as possible and control as much of their respective markets as they can. But to disparage Microsoft like this is somehow unique to them is a bit foolish. Right now Microsoft draws all the ire. Someday it will be someone like Google or Apple.
I'm not necessarily defending Microsoft. I'm just trying to point out what I feel are childish perceptions some people have of companies. How people can go to absurd lengths to put one company on a pedestal, Apple is one of the first examples to come to mind, and then go to the most absurd lengths to bash a company Microsoft. Look at Sony. Imagine what people would think about Apple if they had 80% or 90% marketshare. Would Apple also be sued by various nations for including Quicktime, Mail and Safari with OS X? And lets see how people feel about Google in 10 years.
The model corporation for leftists? It seems to me that they might have been considered a triumph of capitalism and the free market before all these anti-trust issues. Now they're a perfect case for people who want government intervention in the market.
The unfortunate thing is that, whenever the current US government gets into managing things, they seem to go wherever the money is. Lobbyists have too much influence, and they're good at what they do, so whoever is paying the most for lobbyists is likely to come out on top. Therefore, government intervention tends to take the form of things like the DMCA instead of meaningful anti-trust actions.
The anti-trust case was not about companies "moaning about getting their asses kicked", it was about Microsoft breaking the law. If other companies had been permitted to ignore competition law, Microsoft would be long dead; Gates was a successful criminal but a mediocre businessman.
> Now, congratulations, people. You've awakened a sleeping giant.
Sorry, I don't see what basis a software vendor has to lobby against a document format chosen in the public interest. Microsoft are free to support ODF or not, anything else is just the dirty business tactics we've come to expect from this criminal monopoly.
I'd read before here and there that Saugus, MA has been experimenting with the OpenDocument format for a (relative) long time. Does anyone know what the outcome there was? Is ODF still being used in Saugus?
Maybe they should have stopped at 955,000...
Have you ever considered piracy? You'd make a wonderful Dread Pirate Roberts.
Microsoft's shenanigans appalls. But the sad thing is all this stuff is bloatware. Oo.org is even more bloated, and rather slower, than Office. And way back when it was Wordperfect started the rot.
Take wp programs. *Most* people could do all the word-processing they need in a lightweight application that uses rft format. Software sellers have relied on adding "features" - features that most of their customers don't understand and don't need - to keep selling "upgraded" versions of their software. And with the added complexity come sluggishness, the need for ever-more powerful hardware, insecurity - Office macros, anyone? - and instability. Heck, MS did a survey asking people what new features they'd like to see in Office, and the amusing thing is that all the top answers were *already* in it; the customers simply didn't know they were there.
All Microsoft's products are like this - feature-driven. That's why there are more holes in Windows than in OpenBSD, which is quality-driven. But MS are not the only offenders here by any means.
Yeah, because your opinion is 40,936 better than the millionth user's.
Get off my lawn.
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
Re-election to the Senate.
The people deserve the government they get. And they deserve to get it good and hard.
668: Neighbour of the Beast
At least groklaw claims it's related.
http://groklaw.net/
If I have the right take on you, you're from a country famed in the past for its tolerance.
I see now that your new Muslim Overlords are changing the tenor of discourse in the Netherlands. Instead of live and let live, it's a slit throat and knife in the chest for Theo van Gogh, and nukes for Microsoft.
Nice.
668: Neighbour of the Beast
I don't normally reply to AC's but it got modded insightful for no good reason and saddens me because it suggests there is way too much ignorance on the issue.
In my limited experience working on the contractor side of gov't projects, I promise you lobbying of all kinds is done for every single expenditure. Standard Operating Procedure.
I don't know how much of it is legal versus illegal, but this is an excellent example of how gov't IT expenditures really work. Nearly all of the decision making is done via back channels, then the appropriate public documentation is created and the money is spent.
If there was ever a better application of the term "textbook case" I cannot think of it.
http://www.maxineudall.com/2010/02/should-economists-be-sued-for-malpractice.html
FREE?!
Sounds like somebody has never looked into purchasing RHEL ES or AS + support...
Cheers.
This is my sig. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
I work at a tech company in Massachusetts.
MSFT has obviously monopoly leveraged *huge* extra costs on virtually all businesses in this state and others.
Does anyon know if there's any such thing as a "corporate petition" that I could pesuade my company to join?
Companies lobbying the government subvert democracy. That works when the taxpayers aren't paying attention but the country seems to be getting irritable about all the corruption at this point. I'm thinking news story about any law being made should mention how much money the sponsoring Congessmen get from the industry lobbies the bill helps out. Then you could say something like "Ted Stevens tried to attach a rider to the budget bill to the budget proposal again. Sen. Stevens has received $372,140 from oil and gas companies over the course of his career (According to opensecrets.org.)" I think there'd be far fewer shennanigans if news stories took that tone. I think it'd be better still if lobbying and riders were outlawed outright but then Congress wouldn't be able to get their piggy fingers on any of that pie. And Congress does like their pie...
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
...between 2 warring states, not what ends up being a feature request from a customer to their vendor.
This is why Microsoft must be crushed, for no other reason than the "we know better what you need than you do" mentality that this just exemplifies. You do not continue doing business with clients being a jackass in any other position than that of MONOPOLY.
You know what the most ironic thing you have assumed about me is?
I despise Microsoft. Not because it is "the cool thing to do." Because I think they make a shitty product.
Just because the other team scores a touchdown doesn't mean that I cannot say it was a good play.
Living With a Nerd
I know what youa re going to say, How can I say it was a good play if I think they make a shitty product?
Because a vast majority of people obviously DO NOT CARE that microsoft does what it does. If they did care, Macs would have a larger market share. Linux would have a larger market share. Microsoft is very slowly losing ground, but again, they didn't put themselves there. The public did. Now, the public didn't tell them to break laws, but the public did indeed make them big enough to become the monopoly that they are.
Frankly, I don't consider them to be a monopoly. There are many other OS's out there, not to mention if one were so inclined they could just make their own. Yesyesyes, I know it's more complicated than simply saying it, but if they care as much as they say they do, they should code something else.
But anyway, back to refering to their touchdown as a good play. Microsoft has managed to do what every big buisness strives to do: maximum amount of income with maximum market penetration. Again, regardless of your point of view of the company, reglardess of if you think they are crooks, regardless if you think they release shit, you CANNOT sit there and honestly tell me that they DONT control the market because of the MAJORITY of people buying their products.
Living With a Nerd
And they did that how?
Explain your analogy to me. How has Microsoft's shady buisness practices DIRECTLY affected Mac, or Linux, or OS/2, or any of the other OS choices out there? If anything, those companies should be HAPPY! Microsoft's greed is starting to bite them in the ass, and more people are shifting to OSX and to Linux. Apple and co. should be ENCOURAGING microsoft to continue shooting themselvse in the foot.
If you are going to say that it harmed them because it made it harder to gain traction in the market, guess what...THATS THE PURPOSE OF COMPETITIVE BUISNESS. You know, that whole "get more customers than they do" thing...
It's simple. People like windows. Those that don't like windows don't use it. Are you going to blame microsoft because people are too lazy to learn how to switch? We both know there are things out there that are more stable, are prettier, and are more efficient than windows. And yet for whatever reason, people don't use them. Because they either don't want to or don't know that they are out there (which is bullshit, people know that Apple exists.)
You know, if you look at automatics versus manual transmissions in cars, it is VERY similar to the Microsoft situation. It is a reaction to the market. Myself and many other people out there prefer Manual transmissions. However, a large portion of the population does not know how to use them. Thus, automatics hold (roughly) 90% of the automotive market, despite the fact that Manuals cost less to repair, last longer, and give you more control of a vehicle.
Living With a Nerd
Ah, but then the question becomes thus: WHY do OEM's use Windows as their pre-installed OS?
BECAUSE IT SELLS. Fuck whatever you think about Windows, IT SELLS. Bottom line. It makes money. Do I agree with it? No. Do I think it's right? No. Do I still UNDERSTAND why they do it? You bet your ass I do.
Living With a Nerd
If you notice, I didn't claim otherwise. I would, in fact, lean towards it being a statement that's generally true, but I just wasn't feeling ambitious enough right at the moment of writing my post where I wanted to make such an bold claim about all governments everywhere ever.
Maybe a government could be constructed that wasn't very corrupt. Maybe such a government exists somewhere, or has existed at some time. I don't know. I'm not trying to be specifically ant-Republican, in the last few years, EU has tried to stand against Microsoft and the US government hasn't. I'm not versed enough on the situation to blame anyone in particular for this, but in my opinion it's a bad thing. I'm generally not in favor of "big government" particularly because of inefficiencies and corruption, but I believe that anti-trust regulation is necessary in some cases.
But every time someone announces a plan to migrate to FOSS Microsoft is forced to give them a bigger discount. Someday soon a Microsoft salesperson will tell you, "Hey, why would you install OOo for free? We will pay you to install MS-Office!".
If Microsoft shipped shrink wrapped boxes of horse shit they'd still dominate
Others have replied that Microsoft does ship horse shit, but I beg to disagree. Horse shit is useful as manure. Hmmm, wait, not really. I remember now that a gardener once told me that horse shit isn't as good a manure as cow shit. Cows are ruminants. By chewing their cud, they digest seeds better than horses, so you get less weeds from cow manure. Yes, perhaps Microsoft does sell horse shit, but they certainly don't sell anything as useful as cow shit!
You can lobby for an industry or a group of firms or for the rights of some group of people. I'm not sure you can legally 'lobby' for a unique product, forcing it upon government to buy. I'm reasonably sure that's something like graft or bribery or extortion. Normally speaking government procurement is sent out for bidding, such as cars or equipment. And whoever gets the bid gets to deliver on it. But in terms of lobbying - I'm unconvinced you can represent Ford and then pay out monies to politicians to award contracts for Ford.
Don't you mean "bought a better idea?" or "embraced and extinguished competing ideas?"?
I just saw this bit about sales numbers not lying. ("sales numbers do not lie...they didn't magically reach monopoly status")
I'm sure Nazi knick-knacks sold well in Germany at some point, that crack sells well in some neighborhoods, and Enron stock was once sought after.
Boosters in the midst of those markets were probably comforted by the sales figures too.
Good luck to a company intent upon twisting arms and cajoling people's elected representatives into NOT acting in interests of their constituents?
You should be careful of what you wish for.
Then you go on to say "I'm smirking at the do-gooders and busybodies who are being hoisted on their own petards."?
Are you suggesting that if people get together and petition their representatives to enforce the existing laws and exercise common sense when spending their tax dollars only to have a corporation spend millions of dollars in a campaign to twist the law then those citizens are witnessing the results intended by a democratic system? or a free republic?
I guess you see people who'd like to see progress ("do-gooders") or pay attention to detail ("busybodies") as like those saps so long ago who felt we should have a say about how government runs or carefully read the Stamp Act - they just haven't been sufficiently shamed and mocked yet.
It is if you run the version called CentOS.
The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
It's like Microsoft is trying to be evil. I hope Massachusetts' ITD doesn't give into Microsoft, but MS it pretty influential. MA has some pretty strong arguments against using MS Office, but all we can do is hope that's enough.
Does anyon know if there's any such thing as a "corporate petition" that I could pesuade my company to join?
There was a petition, but it's largely over and the result of MS at least giving lip service to OpenDocument support has been achieved. It remains to be seen what really happens with the third party plug-ins for MS Office, which is what the support amounts to it may be unsupport. Though the MS sponsored plug-in is the only one that makes the news, the one that has actually entered testing is the OpenDocument Foundation's ODF Plugin for MS Office.
As far as petitions go, about the closest thing right now would be for your business to sign onto the OpenDocument Alliance.
Beta is broken and the link to classic doesn't work. Stop wasting our time or there won't be anybody left here.
- Be Inc. wanted to sell BeOS to OEM's for pre-installation. Microsoft stopped that. Hell, BeOS was being offered FOR FREE to OEM's!
- Microsoft embeds their proprietary technologies (like Windows Media) in their OS and apps, and using those technologies is very, very hard on other OS'es, making the lives of users of alternative OS'es difficult.
- Microsoft killed Netscape and made IE dominant. And that means that many webistes still do not work properly on other browsers than IE. Is IE available on Linux? Nope.
Those came to my mind after 10 seconds of thinking. It's simple. People like windows. No, they don't. They are constantly cursing at it because of it's erratic behavior, popups, viruses, spyware etc. etc. They really are. So why don't they switch? Because Windows is what came with their computer. Because Windows was the OS they have used before. Because they know Windows. Because that one particular app they need only runs on Windows. Any of those reasons is enough for them to stick with Windows, and none of them implies that they "like" Windows. People are just afraid of change. Are you going to blame microsoft because people are too lazy to learn how to switch? No, but I blame them for actively harming competitors, abusing their monopoly, stagnating the progress of technology etc. etc.
Lesbian Nazi Hookers Abducted by UFOs and Forced Into Weight Loss Programs - -all next week on Town Talk.
Yeah, more generalisations are the best way to see the "truth". Give me a break.
Stupid people think it's cool. Smart people thinks it's a joke; also cool.
Theres a couple of different ways ... the straightforward way is Fedora Core; no it isn't RHEL. I never said RHEL, I just said Red Hat, of which Fedora Core is a product of.
The second way is CentOS, which is RHEL - the corporate logos.
So yes, free as in beer and lobbying.
I'll tell you this, cow manure leads to 2 foot diameter sunflowers, and zuccini's the size of baseball bats. We used to mix cow, pig and horse manure when I was a kid, giant piles 30 feet high. Good stuff for growing corn and tomatoes. :-)
The dirt pile I have now for my vegetable garden has cow shit some 8 years old and still produces mega veggies.
Fedora and CentOS are NOT Red Hat. If you want (or require by the corporate bosses that be) production quality business machines with quality vendor support, RHEL is a must over Fedora or CentOS. In medium/enterprise IT consulting, you pretty much always have to choose your systems based more on Vendor Support and external consulting/support costs than just initial price point. Small time linux consultants with no liability insurance don't make the cut in this case, and 'big time' linux consultanting firms charge more per hour than run of the mill 'MS' IT firms.
Cheers.
This is my sig. There are many like it, but this one is mine.