Summary states Novell will write a plugin for openoffice.org.
Getting the relevant Microsoft license(s) to cooperate with a GPL license will be a new and complex Microsoft "To Serve OpenOffice.org Customers" policy.
It certainly would diffuse some of the friction between the two camps, appease gov't bodies and Microsoft has nothing to worry about from OO.org. There may be some good to come out of this....
That is of course until the "To Serve OpenOffice.org" policy is translated into plain english. When it is discovered the policy is in fact a cookbook! AHHHHHH!!!!!!
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.
Okay, besides the fact this looks like some dude skimming marketing spiel, let's hit the high points:
Marketing Promise: Increased Security Some Dude's Findings: VISTA: Vista has a similar but improved firewall to Windows XP SP2, but anyone who is serious about their security will still replace it with a third party firewall or Internet security suite.
Marketing Promise: Anti-phishing feature Some Dude's Findings: Both score 'pretty terrible'
Marketing Promise: File system security Some Dude's Findings: However pressing the 'ok' button lets you do whatever you want anyway, and experienced users will just be annoyed. What did I do? I turned it off completely and am not bothered by it anymore. -That's increased security!
Marketing Promise: Easy Some Dude's Findings: anyone, even without massive computing experience, can easily set up a wired or wireless network....?!
Utter security failure. Plenty of work fixing broken windows. Forced upgrade with new hardware sales. It's a win-win all around!
Vista's *six* SKU's are sold in various states of disabledness. For example, if you want to use a DVD burner, you must upgrade. Hmmm,.no matter the version of XP you could use a DVD burner... That's just one of many restrictions.
Let's move to your clearly uninformed question: "Is there some magic mechanism which disables your ability to play unencrypted content?"
Why, yes there is! The latest WMP phones home to MS when you play a song and catalogs your content. When the inevitable OS reinstall happens and you attempt to play the same songs you get some bad news. It seems it's okay to play the music on that "other" OS install, but not this one. You agree to this when you click-through licenses. Here's a link to a guy that experienced it. http://www.bandddesigns.com/blogger/arch/002942.ht ml Here's Microsoft's SDK http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url= /library/en-us/wmpsdk11/mmp_sdk/glossary.asp Search the term "component enforces those rights." on the page.
Now, Microsoft and their media friends are taking away your right to first sale as secretly as possible. Vista will help them meet that end very nicely. Set top boxes and a variety of media subscription models will help greatly as well. Add in dragging some children into court and consider it done.
I assure you, this is only the beginning. Please consider using another OS that ensures your current freedoms. Many Linux distros are good,
I'm sure the above-average PHB senses this anyway. Which is part of the reason the Vista uptake will be so slow.
I'd like my smartcard to keep transaction histories for multiple bank accounts in multiple banks.
Better e-purses already do this. They don't do multiple bank accounts though. That would require either multiple e-purses or "one purse to rule them all..."
encrypt the transactions for transmissions Better epurses do something like this now. Essentially mutual authentication followed by password. From there the entire transaction is encrypted between the terminal and the card. The beauty of a proper smart card is to handle all of the transaction on-terminal. Eliminates most of the PIN database problems. Most of the rest of the world is moving quickly to this kind of banking. I'm not sure what will happen with U.S. being the *last* one.
bluetooth Make this last on your list. This is *much* harder than it sounds.
The number of times this particular order of events happens in the tech world qualifies it as Standard Operating Procedure.
I didn't RTFA, I'm more interested to hear the chain of events that got the DOJ started on this particular issue. As I recall, it was intense lobbying in DC by Microsoft's competitors that finally got them into trouble.
Which competitor(s) got the DOJ started on this one? Microsoft? Intel? ?
If security isn't a selling feature, why do I see several bank ads a day pitching their ID theft services? Because this is easier and more profitable than going to a proper microprocessor smart card. More importantly, the banks get to promote the perception that they are running a tight ship.
I entirely agree with your comments regarding the history and profile of banking. In the U.S. anyway, it seems policy/regulation is not preventative. Sadly, I think another massive failure will be required.
Your comments show you do indeed have first-hand experience in banking. How would individuals go about starting a competitor to the current banking system? Seriously, what would it look like? I want to hear your ideas. mpapet(nospam)@-stillnospam-yahoo.com
I'm not sure which fallacy it is but Scoble arguing "little innovations" shifts the debate entirely away from the more factual observation that Microsoft is a follower.
IMHO, Scoble has nothing to argue and is attempting to save face by using this tactic.
In Scoble's defense, the media and their consumers love a good conflict, so they'll make as much of it as possible. So it's reasonable to assume he might have been drawn into it.
If you are running the latest version of windows media player, then you agreed to Microsoft controlling the content that plays on your PC. Examine the EULA closely and you will find it "phones home" the content you play.
When (not if) you do a reinstall of the OS after it gets too slow or compromised, you will not be able to play the media again. Why? Well, MS treats the reinstall as a new OS on your old computer and the media conglomerates believe you owe them for the privilege of playing their content on your "new" OS.
Please examine "Windows Genuine Advantage" and it's ability to deactivate your OS.
The control you think you still have is gone on Windows XP. No TPM necessary.
I urge you to consider some OS alternatives that don't treat you like a criminal. Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Debian/PCBSD are good and a distant second place is the Apple OS.
1. Windows will always have "enough" security for most users. There's no incentive for them to do any better because they own the market already. Therefore, end-user security is not important. 2. The target is too big and the OS too poorly designed for running a reasonably safe desktop. 3. The outlook for system administration is good because there will be plenty of work.
What's sad is the Wikipedia page that compares Vista to XP conveniently studiously avoids the fact that Microsoft and the media corporations now control essential parts of your computer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_new_to_Windo ws_Vista
I give the first verified Vista exploit 90 days from the day they ship to consumers. What's your bet?
The law is supposed to be very clear on this. If they used confidential information as the reason the stock is manipulated, then they are breaking the law.
Now, does the State have enough hard evidence to prove this? It appears they have enough to at least try.
The thing that disappoints me most is the shock that HP isn't such a fine corporate citizen. To borrow a phrase, HP is eating their seed corn. It's reasonable to assume the probability that other publicly traded american corporations are doing the same is very high.
I worked for a developer that did bank card software and the parent is right about physical security. The banks have thought long and hard about security regarding their card payment operations and they are generally well thought out and practical. Implementation is excellent at the facilities I have been to.
The cost of chipcards that generate onetime passwords, to protect from replay attacks, is minimal. Not even close. Everything about the change is gigantic considering they would need to somehow interoperate with what's out there now.
More importantly: 1. Security is not a "feature" the vast majority of consumers of anything use when deciding to buy something. 1a. Merchants absorb all of the fraud costs of using plastic, so no consumer cares. 1b. Much like the way automobile safety features were forced onto the auto manufacturers, there would be a great deal of FUD from the banks if more security was regulated into their business. Banks certainly don't want to spend *more* money on the customer.
If it's a big issue for you, you should probably stop using payment cards.
How on Dog's Blue/Green Earth did this get modded Insightful?
We need to get ahead of the curve before we actually lose a city, which I think could happen in the next decade
That is Grade A Fearmongering.
Lose a city? Really? How would that supposed threat be worse now as opposed to 10 years ago? Same boogeymen were around 10 years ago, same tools were available. Why is it urgent now?
The systematic abuse of this tactic over the last 6+ years to centralize power and isolate/marginalize any meaningful discussion or disagreement should be a felony crime.
It is the equivalent of yelling "Fire!" in a crowded room. A non-credible statement designed and distributed to keep the citizens in a state of fear and heightened paranoia.
Please, consider the fearmongering more objectively.
A couple of people on/. have been having dreams about this. I bet there are others *much* higher up than me that have had it too.
It's a shame much more credible people than me that have had this dream can't discuss it because it will literally end their career and label them "extremists" that are in cahoots with the terrists and other criminals.
Modern devices quite intentionally are designed to fail.
1. Design specifications intentionally limit durability 2. Business decision to make the device fail. If I can't sell any more widgets, then how will I stay in business? 3. No consumers want something to last for decades.
The main objective is to heighten the fear of using one's own files into the hearts of "normal" users.
Much like a dog that has been beaten for no reason, consumers then get into a frame of mind where they will go to entertainment corps first and follow crazy usage rules in order to avoid getting criminalized.
In exchange, then entertainment mega-corps content consumption will appear cheaper.
I'm liking vhs/dvd's much more now than ever. (until I can build a silent mythtv box anyway)
All broke has microsoft expressed any interest in cooperating inother compatibility areas? apart from xen and OOo? Nov 27 12:21:44 say, samba or kerberos.. or wine The three areas we already agreed on are the beginning, not the end. I am sure you will see more going forward. Nov 27 12:22:50 hd41, let's say I worry because so far they haven't given the EU much useful documentation isnt samba and mono covered too?
Virtualization, OpenOffice and WebServicesManagement is where we begin.
who are the moderators?
We can't really comment on that. Someone help me out here. They can't comment on the moderators? They don't want to touch Samba, MS's broken kerberos or wine?
Give me some clue. I'm not getting the warm fuzzies based on these comments.
Misleading Summary
on
Fedora Linux
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
They incorporate all the new features after they have been exhaustively tested into its commercial product, namely Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Really? I thought it was the other way around? It was when I last tested it.
In all respects Fedora is the same Red Hat Linux but with cutting edge packages. No, it's not! 1. No support. (This matters to some. Not me though) 2. Buggier. Look at the distros created with the Enterprise source code. That's a production ready OS. FC is not. 3. (b)leading edge everything where applicable. Comparable to Debian unstable IMHO. 4. Red Hat's Management/Sales probably don't like "free as good as paid version" statement either.
There are a few great distro's out there and FC is probably one of them, but not for production equipment. Every version I have recently tested I've ended up with randomly broken systems after applying patches. I never knew when or what to watch out for.
Debian stable and copycat Red Hat Enterprise distro's make it into production just fine. The path from Debian Testing versions to Stable is quite good as always.
Mac market share that still stands at less than 10% of total market share despite being the superior mass-market OS? Linux/BSD? Desktops.... Nope. Not even close.
Either you are astroturfing for MS to prop up the appearance of competition or you haven't examined the history of MS's share of the desktop computing market.
I urge you to consider the issue with a bit more objectivity.
When the PHB says to me, "my computer is slow, how much is a new one?" I price him out a new one.
This is the way nearly everyone outside of/. and similar consumers thinks about their computer.
There won't be any rush to Vista outside of the fanboys and girls. Microsoft will go to great lengths to make it appear otherwise, but Vista is so closely examined by so many people, I doubt there will be any surprises.
Success of the Microsoft OS remains predetermined.
The Success of the OS is Predetermined.
on
Why Vista Took So Long
·
· Score: 4, Insightful
1. As a monopoly, they define how much they charge. 2. Sales/Marketing's job is to force this product down OEM's throats. Good, bad, whatever, just buy it. 3. There is no accept or reject market mechanism. You WILL be buying Vista if you choose to buy a new PC later. It will be the very rare individual who switches to a mac or just slaps linux on their current box. 4. There is no incentive to establish a more productive developer environment.
Therefore, chaos and mismanagement won't ever harm the beast.
Joel's comments are fun to read, but the scale at which MS develops their OS makes it too easy to criticize from Joel's relatively tiny company.
Finally, How many hours did the developer spend/waste reading/. waiting for next week's meeting?
there are enough skilled people on this planet who might be able to come up with some sort of an alternative option.
There are. No question about it.
However they pale in comparison to the institutions driving the need for a computer you don't control. The DMCA is one example of their efforts. Another is the RIAA filesharing media perp walk.
Finally, even *if* a group started something, maybe like an anonymous Internets v 3.0, the party line is used by the elite: "Only criminals/terrests would use an anonymous Internet 3.0 for their evil deeds." And then dredge up a couple of the worst abusers and make them do the media perp walk.
If developers -still- insist on pursuing the project, a swift character assassination of a couple of the top devs by dragging them through the local legal system is all that is required. Not the first choice, but a reliable tool to maintain control.
It was fun while it lasted.
Of course, this was all in a dream I had last night and in no way reflects reality.
Slashdot Mirror
Summary states Novell will write a plugin for openoffice.org.
Getting the relevant Microsoft license(s) to cooperate with a GPL license will be a new and complex Microsoft "To Serve OpenOffice.org Customers" policy.
It certainly would diffuse some of the friction between the two camps, appease gov't bodies and Microsoft has nothing to worry about from OO.org. There may be some good to come out of this....
That is of course until the "To Serve OpenOffice.org" policy is translated into plain english. When it is discovered the policy is in fact a cookbook! AHHHHHH!!!!!!
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.
Okay, besides the fact this looks like some dude skimming marketing spiel, let's hit the high points:
...?!
Marketing Promise: Increased Security
Some Dude's Findings: VISTA: Vista has a similar but improved firewall to Windows XP SP2, but anyone who is serious about their security will still replace it with a third party firewall or Internet security suite.
Marketing Promise: Anti-phishing feature
Some Dude's Findings: Both score 'pretty terrible'
Marketing Promise: File system security
Some Dude's Findings: However pressing the 'ok' button lets you do whatever you want anyway, and experienced users will just be annoyed. What did I do? I turned it off completely and am not bothered by it anymore.
-That's increased security!
Marketing Promise: Easy
Some Dude's Findings: anyone, even without massive computing experience, can easily set up a wired or wireless network.
Utter security failure. Plenty of work fixing broken windows. Forced upgrade with new hardware sales. It's a win-win all around!
Let's start with some facts:
t ml= /library/en-us/wmpsdk11/mmp_sdk/glossary.asp Search the term "component enforces those rights." on the page.
Vista's *six* SKU's are sold in various states of disabledness. For example, if you want to use a DVD burner, you must upgrade. Hmmm,.no matter the version of XP you could use a DVD burner... That's just one of many restrictions.
Let's move to your clearly uninformed question: "Is there some magic mechanism which disables your ability to play unencrypted content?"
Why, yes there is! The latest WMP phones home to MS when you play a song and catalogs your content. When the inevitable OS reinstall happens and you attempt to play the same songs you get some bad news. It seems it's okay to play the music on that "other" OS install, but not this one. You agree to this when you click-through licenses. Here's a link to a guy that experienced it. http://www.bandddesigns.com/blogger/arch/002942.h
Here's Microsoft's SDK http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url
Now, Microsoft and their media friends are taking away your right to first sale as secretly as possible. Vista will help them meet that end very nicely. Set top boxes and a variety of media subscription models will help greatly as well. Add in dragging some children into court and consider it done.
I assure you, this is only the beginning. Please consider using another OS that ensures your current freedoms. Many Linux distros are good,
I'm sure the above-average PHB senses this anyway. Which is part of the reason the Vista uptake will be so slow.
I'd like my smartcard to keep transaction histories for multiple bank accounts in multiple banks.
Better e-purses already do this. They don't do multiple bank accounts though. That would require either multiple e-purses or "one purse to rule them all..."
encrypt the transactions for transmissions
Better epurses do something like this now. Essentially mutual authentication followed by password. From there the entire transaction is encrypted between the terminal and the card. The beauty of a proper smart card is to handle all of the transaction on-terminal. Eliminates most of the PIN database problems. Most of the rest of the world is moving quickly to this kind of banking. I'm not sure what will happen with U.S. being the *last* one.
bluetooth
Make this last on your list. This is *much* harder than it sounds.
I doubt any sort of fixing of price has been happening.
My friend you probably haven't worked at the right level of the "business" side of the tech industry then.
You definitely haven't worked in the Taiwan OEM/ODM business either. What happens there would make Microsoft look like Mother Theresa. (sp?)
The number of times this particular order of events happens in the tech world qualifies it as Standard Operating Procedure.
I didn't RTFA, I'm more interested to hear the chain of events that got the DOJ started on this particular issue. As I recall, it was intense lobbying in DC by Microsoft's competitors that finally got them into trouble.
Which competitor(s) got the DOJ started on this one? Microsoft? Intel? ?
If security isn't a selling feature, why do I see several bank ads a day pitching their ID theft services?
Because this is easier and more profitable than going to a proper microprocessor smart card. More importantly, the banks get to promote the perception that they are running a tight ship.
I entirely agree with your comments regarding the history and profile of banking. In the U.S. anyway, it seems policy/regulation is not preventative. Sadly, I think another massive failure will be required.
Your comments show you do indeed have first-hand experience in banking. How would individuals go about starting a competitor to the current banking system? Seriously, what would it look like? I want to hear your ideas. mpapet(nospam)@-stillnospam-yahoo.com
I'm not sure which fallacy it is but Scoble arguing "little innovations" shifts the debate entirely away from the more factual observation that Microsoft is a follower.
IMHO, Scoble has nothing to argue and is attempting to save face by using this tactic.
In Scoble's defense, the media and their consumers love a good conflict, so they'll make as much of it as possible. So it's reasonable to assume he might have been drawn into it.
Discuss amongst yourselves...
If you are running the latest version of windows media player, then you agreed to Microsoft controlling the content that plays on your PC. Examine the EULA closely and you will find it "phones home" the content you play.
When (not if) you do a reinstall of the OS after it gets too slow or compromised, you will not be able to play the media again. Why? Well, MS treats the reinstall as a new OS on your old computer and the media conglomerates believe you owe them for the privilege of playing their content on your "new" OS.
Please examine "Windows Genuine Advantage" and it's ability to deactivate your OS.
The control you think you still have is gone on Windows XP. No TPM necessary.
I urge you to consider some OS alternatives that don't treat you like a criminal. Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Debian/PCBSD are good and a distant second place is the Apple OS.
1. Windows will always have "enough" security for most users. There's no incentive for them to do any better because they own the market already. Therefore, end-user security is not important.
o ws_Vista
2. The target is too big and the OS too poorly designed for running a reasonably safe desktop.
3. The outlook for system administration is good because there will be plenty of work.
What's sad is the Wikipedia page that compares Vista to XP conveniently studiously avoids the fact that Microsoft and the media corporations now control essential parts of your computer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_new_to_Wind
I give the first verified Vista exploit 90 days from the day they ship to consumers. What's your bet?
Unless there really was insider trading
The law is supposed to be very clear on this. If they used confidential information as the reason the stock is manipulated, then they are breaking the law.
Now, does the State have enough hard evidence to prove this? It appears they have enough to at least try.
The thing that disappoints me most is the shock that HP isn't such a fine corporate citizen. To borrow a phrase, HP is eating their seed corn. It's reasonable to assume the probability that other publicly traded american corporations are doing the same is very high.
I worked for a developer that did bank card software and the parent is right about physical security. The banks have thought long and hard about security regarding their card payment operations and they are generally well thought out and practical. Implementation is excellent at the facilities I have been to.
The cost of chipcards that generate onetime passwords, to protect from replay attacks, is minimal.
Not even close. Everything about the change is gigantic considering they would need to somehow interoperate with what's out there now.
More importantly:
1. Security is not a "feature" the vast majority of consumers of anything use when deciding to buy something.
1a. Merchants absorb all of the fraud costs of using plastic, so no consumer cares.
1b. Much like the way automobile safety features were forced onto the auto manufacturers, there would be a great deal of FUD from the banks if more security was regulated into their business. Banks certainly don't want to spend *more* money on the customer.
If it's a big issue for you, you should probably stop using payment cards.
The CEO of what company entered an agreement with the largest software company in the world only to proclaim "I didn't examine the agreement?"
I predict there will be no shareholder lawsuit.
Yet another example of how the Executive Class in America have long ago passed the point of accountability for their actions.
How on Dog's Blue/Green Earth did this get modded Insightful?
We need to get ahead of the curve before we actually lose a city, which I think could happen in the next decade
That is Grade A Fearmongering.
Lose a city? Really? How would that supposed threat be worse now as opposed to 10 years ago? Same boogeymen were around 10 years ago, same tools were available. Why is it urgent now?
The systematic abuse of this tactic over the last 6+ years to centralize power and isolate/marginalize any meaningful discussion or disagreement should be a felony crime.
It is the equivalent of yelling "Fire!" in a crowded room. A non-credible statement designed and distributed to keep the citizens in a state of fear and heightened paranoia.
Please, consider the fearmongering more objectively.
A couple of people on /. have been having dreams about this. I bet there are others *much* higher up than me that have had it too.
4 8&cid=16979248
It's a shame much more credible people than me that have had this dream can't discuss it because it will literally end their career and label them "extremists" that are in cahoots with the terrists and other criminals.
http://hardware.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2082
Funny how Trusted/Treacherous Computing would work very well within this kind of nation-state.
Modern devices quite intentionally are designed to fail.
1. Design specifications intentionally limit durability
2. Business decision to make the device fail. If I can't sell any more widgets, then how will I stay in business?
3. No consumers want something to last for decades.
Stories like this are an embarrassment of riches.
The main objective is to heighten the fear of using one's own files into the hearts of "normal" users.
Much like a dog that has been beaten for no reason, consumers then get into a frame of mind where they will go to entertainment corps first and follow crazy usage rules in order to avoid getting criminalized.
In exchange, then entertainment mega-corps content consumption will appear cheaper.
I'm liking vhs/dvd's much more now than ever. (until I can build a silent mythtv box anyway)
All broke
has microsoft expressed any interest in cooperating inother compatibility areas? apart from xen and OOo?
Nov 27 12:21:44 say, samba or kerberos.. or wine
The three areas we already agreed on are the beginning, not the end. I am sure you will see more going forward.
Nov 27 12:22:50 hd41, let's say I worry because so far they haven't given the EU much useful documentation
isnt samba and mono covered too?
Virtualization, OpenOffice and WebServicesManagement is where we begin.
who are the moderators?
We can't really comment on that.
Someone help me out here. They can't comment on the moderators? They don't want to touch Samba, MS's broken kerberos or wine?
Give me some clue. I'm not getting the warm fuzzies based on these comments.
They incorporate all the new features after they have been exhaustively tested into its commercial product, namely Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
Really? I thought it was the other way around? It was when I last tested it.
In all respects Fedora is the same Red Hat Linux but with cutting edge packages.
No, it's not!
1. No support. (This matters to some. Not me though)
2. Buggier. Look at the distros created with the Enterprise source code. That's a production ready OS. FC is not.
3. (b)leading edge everything where applicable. Comparable to Debian unstable IMHO.
4. Red Hat's Management/Sales probably don't like "free as good as paid version" statement either.
There are a few great distro's out there and FC is probably one of them, but not for production equipment. Every version I have recently tested I've ended up with randomly broken systems after applying patches. I never knew when or what to watch out for.
Debian stable and copycat Red Hat Enterprise distro's make it into production just fine. The path from Debian Testing versions to Stable is quite good as always.
I wonder if they use this already in the Mail-In Rebates Processing industry?
If not, it's a huge opportunity for them.
What competion do you speak of?
Mac market share that still stands at less than 10% of total market share despite being the superior mass-market OS?
Linux/BSD? Desktops.... Nope. Not even close.
Either you are astroturfing for MS to prop up the appearance of competition or you haven't examined the history of MS's share of the desktop computing market.
I urge you to consider the issue with a bit more objectivity.
When the PHB says to me, "my computer is slow, how much is a new one?" I price him out a new one.
/. and similar consumers thinks about their computer.
This is the way nearly everyone outside of
There won't be any rush to Vista outside of the fanboys and girls. Microsoft will go to great lengths to make it appear otherwise, but Vista is so closely examined by so many people, I doubt there will be any surprises.
Success of the Microsoft OS remains predetermined.
1. As a monopoly, they define how much they charge.
/. waiting for next week's meeting?
2. Sales/Marketing's job is to force this product down OEM's throats. Good, bad, whatever, just buy it.
3. There is no accept or reject market mechanism. You WILL be buying Vista if you choose to buy a new PC later. It will be the very rare individual who switches to a mac or just slaps linux on their current box.
4. There is no incentive to establish a more productive developer environment.
Therefore, chaos and mismanagement won't ever harm the beast.
Joel's comments are fun to read, but the scale at which MS develops their OS makes it too easy to criticize from Joel's relatively tiny company.
Finally, How many hours did the developer spend/waste reading
there are enough skilled people on this planet who might be able to come up with some sort of an alternative option.
There are. No question about it.
However they pale in comparison to the institutions driving the need for a computer you don't control. The DMCA is one example of their efforts. Another is the RIAA filesharing media perp walk.
Finally, even *if* a group started something, maybe like an anonymous Internets v 3.0, the party line is used by the elite: "Only criminals/terrests would use an anonymous Internet 3.0 for their evil deeds." And then dredge up a couple of the worst abusers and make them do the media perp walk.
If developers -still- insist on pursuing the project, a swift character assassination of a couple of the top devs by dragging them through the local legal system is all that is required. Not the first choice, but a reliable tool to maintain control.
It was fun while it lasted.
Of course, this was all in a dream I had last night and in no way reflects reality.