"The ODF format is limited to the features and performance of OpenOffice and StarOffice and would not satisfy most of our Microsoft Office customers today."
Actually most people I talk to that use Microsoft Office only use Word and only a small subset of its features. Most could get by fine just using Word pad.
"...but I really just can't think of anything obvious that their closed document format offers beyond lack of compatibility with anything but their own products."
Obviously spammers are trying to get through filters by making their email appear legitimate. The closer spam looks like legitimate email traffic the harder it is to block them without also blocking some legitimate email. It's kind of a stupid question with a "WELL DUH!" answer.
"The best way to eradicate spammers would simply be to go after their clients."
That's exactly how it works. Most spam comes with a link to a website that is used to sell their "products." It might be cheap drugs, watches or snake oil. The Blue Frog software analyzes the website for the input form and fills the text boxes with requests to be removed. Further ALL PCs using the Blue Frog software and are on the Internet at the time send the spammer's website opt out requests. So it IS the clients i.e. people using the spammer's service who get hit. Spammer's must pay for the bandwidth that they use and so this makes their spamming activities less profitable. That's why they're so pissed off.
As much as it would fill me with glee if those eight signs were proof that Microsoft was dead in the water and would have to compete on a level playing field from now on, I believe that Microsoft would point out that it has over forty-billion signs in the bank that say it isn't and won't.
I received a couple of spams from these assholes. I signed up with Blue Frog a year or so ago but I never have used the software to report anyone so I guess they may have compromised the Blue Frog database rather than gather information any other way.
I will make a couple of comments.
1. Thank you for reminding me about Blue Frog I had forgotten that I had even signed up. It obviously works well enough that it's pissing you off. Although I haven't downloaded the software and used it I will now that I know it's effective. Thanks.
2. For the FUD that's being put out about spammers being behind Blue Frog and backdoors and everything else in the software I say "Bull Shit.!" The software is open source Bozo.
"Intellectual Ventures has amassed 3,000-5,000 patents, with the help of a $400 million investment from some of the biggest technology companies, including Nokia, Intel, Apple, Sony, and Microsoft."
Gee, I wonder if Intellectual Ventures can be hired to wield their arsenal against helpless victims? Gee, I also wonder which corporations would be run by low life slimeballs who have no morals when it comes to violating the law when they feel they can get away with it and gaming the system at every chance, will be willing to pipe millions of dollars directly or through venture capital connection to fund harassment lawsuits against their competitors.
I'm not sure but I think one of corprorations has the initials of: MICROSOFT!
Microsoft's anti piracy strategy: Build in popup nag screens, DRM, restrict security updates... Basically do everything that will make their OS less appealing so that pirates and others won't want it anymore.
I wish you well Microsoft, I really do. BTW the next version of Suse is suppose to be an ass kicker...
"However, Windows does not prevent you from downloading any media software you want and using it."
That's not the point. The point is that most people won't bother and because Microsoft is bundling it into its monopoly product it unfairly tilts the playing field. Abusing a monopoly position is illegal and something Microsoft has already been convicted of multiple times.
"This is the same intellectualization people use when they talk about offensive books or TV programs"
Out of who's ass did you pull that?
"In the end, it isn't about Media Player, per se, but Microsoft's domination of the software market."
No, in the end it's about Microsoft abusing its monopoly position to extend its power into other areas.
"However, all the EU is doing is poking Gulliver with their Lilliputian sticks. Unless the EU plans on banning Microsoft entriely (and how could they!), they will never be able to put enough of a chokehold on Ballmer and Company to seriously dent their market share."
I think you under estimate what fines can do. And if this level of punishment doesn't impress Microsoft the EU can raise them to a level that does.
That's just not logical. Microsoft can afford to hire the best. As long as they can keep their bean counting managers away from the workers they should be fine.
Well an interesting read even if I don't agree with some of the opinions expressed:
"Other security vendors are taking a similar approach. Steve Orenberg, president of anti-virus specialists Kaspersky Labs, in Woburn, Mass., said that for every problem Microsoft addresses with Vista and its other security products, there are likely to be new issues that will demand attention from companies such as his.
Vista might do a good job of blocking the types of spam e-mail that people have been deluged by over the last several years, Orenberg said, but the rapid maturation of viruses and other threats will require more attention than Microsoft is capable of giving them."
What makes Steve think that Microsoft, a company with billions of dollars in the bank, will be unable to afford to hire all the people needed to give the problem adequate attention?
Microsoft has in the past been incapable of securing its software but that's a different topic; closely related perhaps but different.
If I know Microsoft they smell money and they'll be bundling some sort of "protection software" in with Vista. A lite version just to get people going on their products perhaps? Once they leverage their monopoly OS to extend their business into a different area it'll be game over for companies like McAfee and other vendors selling similar services.
I'm glad your treatment went better than mine. A child's eye to brain development doesn't complete itself until between 9 to 11 years of age so you are correct that at age 5 many children can still be helped. But unless it is caught at a VERY early age nothing can be done to bring about a full recovery. The earlier the better.
I was diagnosed with amblyopia at the age five. They tried making me wear a patch over my good eye to force my bad eye to work harder but it was too late. Amblyopia must be caught at a VERY early age or nothing helps.
It's really a weird condition. I can force myself to see out of my lazy eye but normally I don't. For example when I read I only see the words in my good eye and if I try to read with my lazy eye it's like I can see the words but can't recognize them. Weird. The last time I took an eye exam to renew my driver's license they had one of those machines that shows different letters to each eye. I read off the line I saw and the officer asked "Are you blind in one eye?" I said "No, why" and he said "Because you read every other letter." I didn't even see the letters being shown to my lazy eye.
"Maybe once you're old enough to have a job, you'll understand the ways of the real world."
First, I've been in the IT industry for over twenty-five years so I'm probably old enough to be your father, smart boy. Second to make a statement that implies that Linux has IP problems without one shred of evident IS FUD.
Actually it has very little to do as a business decision and much more to do with a anti-competitive strategy. Microsoft is a convicted monopolist who has used many anti-competitive strategies in the past and they won't stop until they get broken apart into two or three separate companies.
My God, when will people get it? Okay one more time... Microsoft has a monopoly in the PC operating area. If you have a product that you want to sell but Microsoft bundles a similar product into its monopoly product it will kill your product. People will use the bundled product just because it's there.
Microsoft typically uses their monopoly position to expand into other, non-related areas. If for example they want to control web browsers they simply bundle (and in this case integrate) their browser into their operating system. Netscape had a big lead in browser development until Microsoft used its monopoly positioned operating system to kill the competition. This violates antitrust laws.
Now they want to control streamed content so guess what? Yep, they're bundling their video viewer. The list goes on and on...
Slashdot Mirror
...to have Gates demo their new malware detector and watch in horror as it deletes itself...
"The ODF format is limited to the features and performance of OpenOffice and StarOffice and would not satisfy most of our Microsoft Office customers today."
Actually most people I talk to that use Microsoft Office only use Word and only a small subset of its features. Most could get by fine just using Word pad.
"...but I really just can't think of anything obvious that their closed document format offers beyond lack of compatibility with anything but their own products."
A really oppressive license?
Obviously spammers are trying to get through filters by making their email appear legitimate. The closer spam looks like legitimate email traffic the harder it is to block them without also blocking some legitimate email. It's kind of a stupid question with a "WELL DUH!" answer.
Not trying to put out a flame but really guys...
"The best way to eradicate spammers would simply be to go after their clients."
That's exactly how it works. Most spam comes with a link to a website that is used to sell their "products." It might be cheap drugs, watches or snake oil. The Blue Frog software analyzes the website for the input form and fills the text boxes with requests to be removed. Further ALL PCs using the Blue Frog software and are on the Internet at the time send the spammer's website opt out requests. So it IS the clients i.e. people using the spammer's service who get hit. Spammer's must pay for the bandwidth that they use and so this makes their spamming activities less profitable. That's why they're so pissed off.
As much as it would fill me with glee if those eight signs were proof that Microsoft was dead in the water and would have to compete on a level playing field from now on, I believe that Microsoft would point out that it has over forty-billion signs in the bank that say it isn't and won't.
I received a couple of spams from these assholes. I signed up with Blue Frog a year or so ago but I never have used the software to report anyone so I guess they may have compromised the Blue Frog database rather than gather information any other way.
I will make a couple of comments.
1. Thank you for reminding me about Blue Frog I had forgotten that I had even signed up. It obviously works well enough that it's pissing you off. Although I haven't downloaded the software and used it I will now that I know it's effective. Thanks.
2. For the FUD that's being put out about spammers being behind Blue Frog and backdoors and everything else in the software I say "Bull Shit.!" The software is open source Bozo.
Blue frog is open source...
"Intellectual Ventures has amassed 3,000-5,000 patents, with the help of a $400 million investment from some of the biggest technology companies, including Nokia, Intel, Apple, Sony, and Microsoft."
Gee, I wonder if Intellectual Ventures can be hired to wield their arsenal against helpless victims? Gee, I also wonder which corporations would be run by low life slimeballs who have no morals when it comes to violating the law when they feel they can get away with it and gaming the system at every chance, will be willing to pipe millions of dollars directly or through venture capital connection to fund harassment lawsuits against their competitors.
I'm not sure but I think one of corprorations has the initials of: MICROSOFT!
Microsoft's anti piracy strategy: Build in popup nag screens, DRM, restrict security updates... Basically do everything that will make their OS less appealing so that pirates and others won't want it anymore.
I wish you well Microsoft, I really do. BTW the next version of Suse is suppose to be an ass kicker...
"However, Windows does not prevent you from downloading any media software you want and using it."
That's not the point. The point is that most people won't bother and because Microsoft is bundling it into its monopoly product it unfairly tilts the playing field. Abusing a monopoly position is illegal and something Microsoft has already been convicted of multiple times.
"This is the same intellectualization people use when they talk about offensive books or TV programs"
Out of who's ass did you pull that?
"In the end, it isn't about Media Player, per se, but Microsoft's domination of the software market."
No, in the end it's about Microsoft abusing its monopoly position to extend its power into other areas.
"However, all the EU is doing is poking Gulliver with their Lilliputian sticks. Unless the EU plans on banning Microsoft entriely (and how could they!), they will never be able to put enough of a chokehold on Ballmer and Company to seriously dent their market share."
I think you under estimate what fines can do. And if this level of punishment doesn't impress Microsoft the EU can raise them to a level that does.
Abusing a monopoly position is illegal.
Well it's about time! Finally inter-platform operability.
"...what about volcanoes, cow manure and all the other natural things we can't control? They contribute far more to global warming than cars do."
You really think so? Sorry but my bullshit meter just popped a fuse on that one...
"Microsoft turns to U.S. for EU Antitrust Help"
Okay, sure. We'll send the Judge who presided over your US anti-trust case as a character witness...
That's just not logical. Microsoft can afford to hire the best. As long as they can keep their bean counting managers away from the workers they should be fine.
Well an interesting read even if I don't agree with some of the opinions expressed:
"Other security vendors are taking a similar approach. Steve Orenberg, president of anti-virus specialists Kaspersky Labs, in Woburn, Mass., said that for every problem Microsoft addresses with Vista and its other security products, there are likely to be new issues that will demand attention from companies such as his.
Vista might do a good job of blocking the types of spam e-mail that people have been deluged by over the last several years, Orenberg said, but the rapid maturation of viruses and other threats will require more attention than Microsoft is capable of giving them."
What makes Steve think that Microsoft, a company with billions of dollars in the bank, will be unable to afford to hire all the people needed to give the problem adequate attention?
Microsoft has in the past been incapable of securing its software but that's a different topic; closely related perhaps but different.
If I know Microsoft they smell money and they'll be bundling some sort of "protection software" in with Vista. A lite version just to get people going on their products perhaps? Once they leverage their monopoly OS to extend their business into a different area it'll be game over for companies like McAfee and other vendors selling similar services.
I'm glad your treatment went better than mine. A child's eye to brain development doesn't complete itself until between 9 to 11 years of age so you are correct that at age 5 many children can still be helped. But unless it is caught at a VERY early age nothing can be done to bring about a full recovery. The earlier the better.
I was diagnosed with amblyopia at the age five. They tried making me wear a patch over my good eye to force my bad eye to work harder but it was too late. Amblyopia must be caught at a VERY early age or nothing helps.
It's really a weird condition. I can force myself to see out of my lazy eye but normally I don't. For example when I read I only see the words in my good eye and if I try to read with my lazy eye it's like I can see the words but can't recognize them. Weird. The last time I took an eye exam to renew my driver's license they had one of those machines that shows different letters to each eye. I read off the line I saw and the officer asked "Are you blind in one eye?" I said "No, why" and he said "Because you read every other letter." I didn't even see the letters being shown to my lazy eye.
"Maybe once you're old enough to have a job, you'll understand the ways of the real world."
First, I've been in the IT industry for over twenty-five years so I'm probably old enough to be your father, smart boy. Second to make a statement that implies that Linux has IP problems without one shred of evident IS FUD.
Grow up.
Trying to control another's language is really sad...
"Anybody has to assume they will if they think they have a case; it's only FUD if they do it without a case..."
Or threaten to do so....
The counter suits and criminal charges for filing harassment suits would destroy even Microsoft...
Actually it has very little to do as a business decision and much more to do with a anti-competitive strategy. Microsoft is a convicted monopolist who has used many anti-competitive strategies in the past and they won't stop until they get broken apart into two or three separate companies.
My God, when will people get it? Okay one more time...
Microsoft has a monopoly in the PC operating area. If you have a product that you want to sell but Microsoft bundles a similar product into its monopoly product it will kill your product. People will use the bundled product just because it's there.
Microsoft typically uses their monopoly position to expand into other, non-related areas. If for example they want to control web browsers they simply bundle (and in this case integrate) their browser into their operating system. Netscape had a big lead in browser development until Microsoft used its monopoly positioned operating system to kill the competition. This violates antitrust laws.
Now they want to control streamed content so guess what? Yep, they're bundling their video viewer. The list goes on and on...
How exactly are the fines that Microsoft pays being passed onto the taxpayer?