I am beside myself: I am very pro market forces and competition; I can't stand over regulation or legislation. However, I think Microsoft was using their power unfairly. But, nobody said life (or the market) was fair. We really do want companies (or individuals!) to be able to express their ideas in products that, at least, make it to market. The success in the marketplace of a product, on its own merits, will guide the company in deciding whether or not the product is worthy of investment in continued production. Despite my continued questioning of authority and of over-regulation, we have to 'manage,' even limit, how the existing market leaders exert their influence and tendencies to control their market environment to the extent their actions are 'unfair.' Read the Finding of Facts (http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/cases/f3800/msjudgex.htm ); the unsavoriness exhibited is just amazing and, at the same time, nauseating. Given these facts, we the people should never again put the Microsoft senior executives (Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, Jim Allchin, Brad Silverberg, etc.) in positions of trust. For a laugh, after you've read the FOF, read Microsoft's values at (http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/values.htm). I hope the United States breaks up Microsoft and finds their executives criminally liable.
Slashdot Mirror
I am beside myself: I am very pro market forces and competition; I can't stand over regulation or legislation. However, I think Microsoft was using their power unfairly. But, nobody said life (or the market) was fair. We really do want companies (or individuals!) to be able to express their ideas in products that, at least, make it to market. The success in the marketplace of a product, on its own merits, will guide the company in deciding whether or not the product is worthy of investment in continued production. Despite my continued questioning of authority and of over-regulation, we have to 'manage,' even limit, how the existing market leaders exert their influence and tendencies to control their market environment to the extent their actions are 'unfair.' Read the Finding of Facts (http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/cases/f3800/msjudgex.htm ); the unsavoriness exhibited is just amazing and, at the same time, nauseating. Given these facts, we the people should never again put the Microsoft senior executives (Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, Jim Allchin, Brad Silverberg, etc.) in positions of trust. For a laugh, after you've read the FOF, read Microsoft's values at (http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/values.htm). I hope the United States breaks up Microsoft and finds their executives criminally liable.