The same principle holds true for many new websites as well. I personally and professionally gain more in depth or even entertaining knowledge from content derived from and for a specific group of people.
All three of those and countless billions are written with no commercial influence, as a result they tend to be more informative and less biased (unless personally). Most magazines, however, cannot say the same - and note I am referring to magazines, many trade journals are perfectly legit (while others sponsered by a product may not be).
First I must warn all that I have long since dropped out of my business analysis train of thought as I steadily receded back into loving electronics and OS's - *NIX being my favorite.
Well f**k it here it goes Business Impact and Realities
Businesses and managers are very impressionable folks. In that I mean they truly believe in commercialism. I have worked with government and commercial sector and I have seen the way salesmen can appeal to these goons. With the government it is - well kinda perverse in a way but it works, with business it's easy -- we offer you this and get that.
So let's break off and follow that last statement for a second, we offer this and we are saying you get that.
Now for the MS Spin Doctors
Now let's apply the late 80's early 90's MS edition of that very same statement:
If you want
that you must buy this in order to survive and have that, oh yeah we forgot to mention you have to also buy this other pile of sh*t as well but we can get inot that later . . .
Now come back to the present.
Joe Blow IT Manager, the very same schmuck whose light up when the dancing paperclip "finally does voice recognition" (f*n idiot) sees this. He now says - sh*t, maybe sinking all of that $$$$ into M$ could kick back - - QUICK, what do the other InfoWorld Ad say? Who should I turn to?
Yes this will happen. Even some delusional idiots will actually turn to Apple to solve their "hi end needs". This will be the first fallout.
But hey, all society advancement comes at great pains and cost, this will be one of them. By the same token just as many smart IT Managers will sit back and "see where things are going" and probably apt for a conservative UNIX Company or quite possibly FreeBSD or Slakware (despite it's "freeness" Slakware still boasts the best uptime and stability in distro - not neccessarily kernel).
Think About It
IT Managers, believe it or not, think very short term as within 2-3 years or so. They are not forward thinkers (well not most of them I am sure the gang at Red Hat might take me up on that) so many saw NT as a good thing for the next year or maybe 2 years. This makes sense when the byline of your job is "keep from gettin' fired".
So, first, businesses will begin to lose confidence in MS, some will stick with them but many (as is already happening) will turn to companies like VALINUX and Sun.
The Home Market
The home computing market gradually lags anyway due to out of pocket expense limits so breaching the MS infiltration will take several years, but I believe as more becomes available and usable, more home users will seek alternatives. They may or may not turn to Linux, that is hard to tell (but I can say, the time is ripe for FreeBSD to make it's move).
Ultimately home users will not change their hbits for a long long time, I think everyone already sees this. I expect a shift to take place in 2-3 years (given the current buying trends).
Linux and OSI
I mention them in the same context here because I mean the same thing - both GNU / Linux and OSI now will see something that has been slowly and quietly happening for a long time.
Converts
Developers and geeks alike will also lose confidence in the almighty M$. We now will be given an opportunity to bring in and cultivate untapped talent that simply "didn't know any better" but have now awoken. This will most likely happen (in large numbers) after a ruling which is pretty sure to go against M$. It is already happening, as a matter of fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Linuxnewbie.org's mailing list jumps a little next week.
So in Conclusion
This isn't much different from other breakups as far as business is concerned. Geeks, however, will reap great reward which as all/. readers know is what matters.
Man you know what the real drag is - a long time ago (you know like 10 whole years) for better or worse this would have been finished already. I honestly am not smart enough to know whether that is a good thing or not, but I do know it would have been faster.
Of course my official position is great, now everyone can finally see the truth.
Anyone who aruges against Judge Jackson's findings is a fool - and I am happy to hear he is not. In the end, however, I believe that a very prident analogy can be drawn from cars.
If, you do not like a particular model you may either:
Buy a better model
Build Your own with the support of freinds and colleages
Microsoft basically has attempted to (and for the most part succeeded in) blocking both such aspects in relation to Operating Systems.
Call it simple, call it ridiculously simple, or as a colleague of mine put it - too simple to hold water - but it is the truth.
It is my personal hope that no one OS will ever dominate the market. I believe in versatility and difference (that would explain why I have always chosen Linux over other Free OS's - it can be different at many subliminal and apparent levels) and that we can hail back to the days of different platforms all talking on the same wire(less?).
As for MS, it is time they got their pee-pee smacked plain and simple. Too much is too much.
I was actually surprised first contact didn't make more money - but as a joke I have to admit I found it hilarious when the teacher on South Park said this about Contact:
"I waited that long just see her goddamn father!"
too funny. But you raise another point, Contact is science fiction at it's best, Star Trek was not sience fiction per se as much as a "TV Show" with a futuristic setting.
I mean come on how hard can it get? The original show did do some work as far as making minor political points and they tried to show some diversity among aliens (although the "interesting ones" always looked similar to humans).
The original series was stopped because at that time the marketing was different, now a days they (being Hollywood and TV in general) run every popular idea into ground, sometimes painfully so. Look at some of the stuff they wrecked before, Highlander 2 is a great example of "how can we squeeze some cash outta this?" It is how it works, period. If the setting were different and TV (especially TV) writers, producers and directors were allowed we would see more challenging material across the board.
It is coicidence that Star Trek has reached this point, next week it will be another concept, just not as popular.
I do have to admit there is one exception and that has been X files. Every time I start thinking X files isn't worth watching someone tells me I missed a great episode. Otherwise I cannot think of a single long running series that was not exploited to it's fullest for the sake of a penny.
Slashdot Mirror
The same principle holds true for many new websites as well. I personally and professionally gain more in depth or even entertaining knowledge from content derived from and for a specific group of people.
As a set of examples look at Terry Sullivan's "All Things Web", Jakob Nielson's "UseIt Dot Com" or my own "ULCJ".
All three of those and countless billions are written with no commercial influence, as a result they tend to be more informative and less biased (unless personally). Most magazines, however, cannot say the same - and note I am referring to magazines, many trade journals are perfectly legit (while others sponsered by a product may not be).
First I must warn all that I have long since dropped out of my business analysis train of thought as I steadily receded back into loving electronics and OS's - *NIX being my favorite.
Well f**k it here it goes Business Impact and RealitiesBusinesses and managers are very impressionable folks. In that I mean they truly believe in commercialism. I have worked with government and commercial sector and I have seen the way salesmen can appeal to these goons. With the government it is - well kinda perverse in a way but it works, with business it's easy -- we offer you this and get that.
So let's break off and follow that last statement for a second, we offer this and we are saying you get that.
Now for the MS Spin DoctorsNow let's apply the late 80's early 90's MS edition of that very same statement:
Now come back to the present.
Joe Blow IT Manager, the very same schmuck whose light up when the dancing paperclip "finally does voice recognition" (f*n idiot) sees this. He now says - sh*t, maybe sinking all of that $$$$ into M$ could kick back - - QUICK, what do the other InfoWorld Ad say? Who should I turn to?
Yes this will happen. Even some delusional idiots will actually turn to Apple to solve their "hi end needs". This will be the first fallout.
But hey, all society advancement comes at great pains and cost, this will be one of them. By the same token just as many smart IT Managers will sit back and "see where things are going" and probably apt for a conservative UNIX Company or quite possibly FreeBSD or Slakware (despite it's "freeness" Slakware still boasts the best uptime and stability in distro - not neccessarily kernel).
Think About ItIT Managers, believe it or not, think very short term as within 2-3 years or so. They are not forward thinkers (well not most of them I am sure the gang at Red Hat might take me up on that) so many saw NT as a good thing for the next year or maybe 2 years. This makes sense when the byline of your job is "keep from gettin' fired".
So, first, businesses will begin to lose confidence in MS, some will stick with them but many (as is already happening) will turn to companies like VALINUX and Sun.
The Home MarketThe home computing market gradually lags anyway due to out of pocket expense limits so breaching the MS infiltration will take several years, but I believe as more becomes available and usable, more home users will seek alternatives. They may or may not turn to Linux, that is hard to tell (but I can say, the time is ripe for FreeBSD to make it's move).
Ultimately home users will not change their hbits for a long long time, I think everyone already sees this. I expect a shift to take place in 2-3 years (given the current buying trends).
Linux and OSII mention them in the same context here because I mean the same thing - both GNU / Linux and OSI now will see something that has been slowly and quietly happening for a long time.
Converts
Developers and geeks alike will also lose confidence in the almighty M$. We now will be given an opportunity to bring in and cultivate untapped talent that simply "didn't know any better" but have now awoken. This will most likely happen (in large numbers) after a ruling which is pretty sure to go against M$. It is already happening, as a matter of fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Linuxnewbie.org's mailing list jumps a little next week.
So in ConclusionThis isn't much different from other breakups as far as business is concerned. Geeks, however, will reap great reward which as all /. readers know is what matters.
Man you know what the real drag is - a long time ago (you know like 10 whole years) for better or worse this would have been finished already. I honestly am not smart enough to know whether that is a good thing or not, but I do know it would have been faster.
Of course my official position is great, now everyone can finally see the truth.
Anyone who aruges against Judge Jackson's findings is a fool - and I am happy to hear he is not. In the end, however, I believe that a very prident analogy can be drawn from cars.
If, you do not like a particular model you may either:
Microsoft basically has attempted to (and for the most part succeeded in) blocking both such aspects in relation to Operating Systems.
Call it simple, call it ridiculously simple, or as a colleague of mine put it - too simple to hold water - but it is the truth.
It is my personal hope that no one OS will ever dominate the market. I believe in versatility and difference (that would explain why I have always chosen Linux over other Free OS's - it can be different at many subliminal and apparent levels) and that we can hail back to the days of different platforms all talking on the same wire(less?).
As for MS, it is time they got their pee-pee smacked plain and simple. Too much is too much.
I was actually surprised first contact didn't make more money - but as a joke I have to admit I found it hilarious when the teacher on South Park said this about Contact:
"I waited that long just see her goddamn father!"
too funny. But you raise another point, Contact is science fiction at it's best, Star Trek was not sience fiction per se as much as a "TV Show" with a futuristic setting.
I mean come on how hard can it get? The original show did do some work as far as making minor political points and they tried to show some diversity among aliens (although the "interesting ones" always looked similar to humans).
The original series was stopped because at that time the marketing was different, now a days they (being Hollywood and TV in general) run every popular idea into ground, sometimes painfully so. Look at some of the stuff they wrecked before, Highlander 2 is a great example of "how can we squeeze some cash outta this?" It is how it works, period. If the setting were different and TV (especially TV) writers, producers and directors were allowed we would see more challenging material across the board.
It is coicidence that Star Trek has reached this point, next week it will be another concept, just not as popular.
I do have to admit there is one exception and that has been X files. Every time I start thinking X files isn't worth watching someone tells me I missed a great episode. Otherwise I cannot think of a single long running series that was not exploited to it's fullest for the sake of a penny.