Microsoft has something which nobody else really has - top of mind within the majority of computer based decision makers. The products install easily, link easily, are instictivly usable, and tend to product the results that those decision makers will accept. Please notice, I am not saying MS products are better, because it's not about that. It's more a case of what Microsoft reinforces, an environment of BUSINESS security, BUSINESS support and BUSINESS aims. Example, MS doesn't accept the term BUG, but they ain't that stupid.. they know they're there. The difference? Marketing, marketing and marketing. If a mantra is said time after time after time after time, it will begin to be believed at *some* level, with a subset of those people having the opposite responce. Examples? Only McDonalds... Always Coka-Cola...
Watch for these sort of terms in 6 weeks/months.
We needed to open ourselves to a new future.
Opening the APIs was the best thing that we have ever done.
When we refocused our corporate structure...
... smaller, more dedicated corporate environment...
MS is essentually (in this focus) a marketing company with a computing base.. a monopolostic technical company, spear-headed by product and spin doctors (and maybe not in that order). Do you think they'll be taking this lying down? Do you think all their current power (and there is a damn lot of it), money, resources and codeset won't see them through into a bright new redesigned future? The only thing I'm hoping for is the guy who thought up the "Think Inside The Box" slogan for Office2K is incharge of their post-court public image... but somehow I doubt that.
I'm not a stock analyist (don't even play with online stock), but if MS is split, doesn't that mean a rather large reward for the stockholders?
Can I please please please PLEASE remind folk that the United States Post Office is a United States entity -- hardly an International one. I'm so tired of seeing a US-centric conceptual model for the internet. Get over it guys, geographical borders exist within the physical world, and IMPOSE into the virtual one.
We tell Microsoft to think OUTSIDE the box, I wish we could all think OUTSIDE the geographic when online. When it comes down to it, we will NEED to do this, else the Internet is nothing more than a bigger and faster BBS network.
I don't think they believe that at all. Their perspective is simply based on a financial model. They hold the close source mentatilty because it benefits their current existance within their current perspective.
They are not evil. The problem is.. it's worse than that! You can deal with evil. The real problem is.. they just don't care. Their interest is to preserve the status quo, to continue to place wealth above all else, and to judge all else accordingly.
Some companies are changing. Most are due to individuals coming out at a high level and saying "a change is coming". Who has MS got to say that?
Anyway, ramblings aside.. MS just bought a product called INTERIX which provides a common enironment for ported *nix apps. They're aiming to head off the mass of disgruntled Windows users (well, those who aint already jumped into the arms of linux and beos... mmmm, beos) by providing linux within windows. Want to run a real Windows Manager? How about replacing COMMAND with ZSH?
Windows currently has many advanges over Linux, and this move will help MS prolong the lifespan of its products and ethics. Not to mention make things cloudier for folks who are not in the know.
Future Echo : "Linux? Hey, didn't that in the latest PLUS pack?"
This is a real concern, but I think the solution lies in the distribution scheme. The first place it should be placed is on a regulated server setup *just* for mirrors. The first mirror? ftp.redhat.com?
Come on folks, lets find solutions rather than just bitch on problems. After all, they end up being *our* solutions too. Isn't that one of the key points of OSS? --
I personally think this is due to our social and economic models. We have, for better or worse, become a capitalist society in so many ways that we are used to thinking of things in a financial sense. It's not so much our active interest, more a this is what we did, and we'll keep on doing theme.
There have there have been a number of different philosaphies over the years which have threatened it, usually at a more intense level, from Communism through to restablishing Barter. I see OSS in just the same light. The difference is, this time, a worldwide following, a (generally speaking) peaceful purpose, and the ability for OSS models to greatly out-perform a commercial or closed one.
Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft has something which nobody else really has - top of mind within the majority of computer based decision makers. The products install easily, link easily, are instictivly usable, and tend to product the results that those decision makers will accept. Please notice, I am not saying MS products are better, because it's not about that. It's more a case of what Microsoft reinforces, an environment of BUSINESS security, BUSINESS support and BUSINESS aims. Example, MS doesn't accept the term BUG, but they ain't that stupid .. they know they're there. The difference? Marketing, marketing and marketing. If a mantra is said time after time after time after time, it will begin to be believed at *some* level, with a subset of those people having the opposite responce. Examples? Only McDonalds ... Always Coka-Cola ...
Watch for these sort of terms in 6 weeks/months.
MS is essentually (in this focus) a marketing company with a computing base .. a monopolostic technical company, spear-headed by product and spin doctors (and maybe not in that order). Do you think they'll be taking this lying down? Do you think all their current power (and there is a damn lot of it), money, resources and codeset won't see them through into a bright new redesigned future? The only thing I'm hoping for is the guy who thought up the "Think Inside The Box" slogan for Office2K is incharge of their post-court public image ... but somehow I doubt that.
I'm not a stock analyist (don't even play with online stock), but if MS is split, doesn't that mean a rather large reward for the stockholders?
(donning fireproof suit)
Can I please please please PLEASE remind folk that the United States Post Office is a United States entity -- hardly an International one. I'm so tired of seeing a US-centric conceptual model for the internet. Get over it guys, geographical borders exist within the physical world, and IMPOSE into the virtual one.
We tell Microsoft to think OUTSIDE the box, I wish we could all think OUTSIDE the geographic when online. When it comes down to it, we will NEED to do this, else the Internet is nothing more than a bigger and faster BBS network.
They are not evil. The problem is .. it's worse than that! You can deal with evil. The real problem is .. they just don't care. Their interest is to preserve the status quo, to continue to place wealth above all else, and to judge all else accordingly.
Some companies are changing. Most are due to individuals coming out at a high level and saying "a change is coming". Who has MS got to say that?
Anyway, ramblings aside .. MS just bought a product called INTERIX which provides a common enironment for ported *nix apps. They're aiming to head off the mass of disgruntled Windows users (well, those who aint already jumped into the arms of linux and beos ... mmmm, beos) by providing linux within windows. Want to run a real Windows Manager? How about replacing COMMAND with ZSH?
Windows currently has many advanges over Linux, and this move will help MS prolong the lifespan of its products and ethics. Not to mention make things cloudier for folks who are not in the know.
Future Echo : "Linux? Hey, didn't that in the latest PLUS pack?"
Come on folks, lets find solutions rather than just bitch on problems. After all, they end up being *our* solutions too. Isn't that one of the key points of OSS? --
There have there have been a number of different philosaphies over the years which have threatened it, usually at a more intense level, from Communism through to restablishing Barter. I see OSS in just the same light. The difference is, this time, a worldwide following, a (generally speaking) peaceful purpose, and the ability for OSS models to greatly out-perform a commercial or closed one.