On Wed, 2004-01-21 at 13:55, Chris Gehlker wrote:
> On Jan 21, 2004, at 1:27 PM, Derek Neighbors wrote:
> >
> > Just so you know.  Microsoft has been convicted on Federal Antitrust
> > Laws[0].
> 
> As has IBM most of the petrochemical companies in town and, I believe, 
> most of the national retail grocery chains. My two customers who 
> probably feel most uncomfortable with MS don't mind so much that they 
> engaged in anti-competitive practices as that they manipulated the 
> political process to escape any meaningful consequences.
---
This is the kind of logic that is typical of a child without any wide
view...well my friend so and so does it.

The sad fact is, that we accept thieves in our society. Thieves who
steal cable signals, satellite signals, music, insider trading, and the
list goes on and on. Corporations steal too, and individuals hiding
behind corporations as well. The joke in Hollywood is that Hollywood
will accept people who lie, cheat and steal but they never forgive a
failure. That seems to be a rule adopted in general in our culture.

The fact is that a small business isn't generally concerned with
politics of computers, they see computers much as they see cars that
they lease so the concepts of ownership and control haven't really
registered yet. Also, there is the inertia of the devil you know being
better than the devil that you don't know.

If Linux is the best way to go as many of us do feel, people do
generally catch on and judging from the rising dollar shipments of Linux
servers, people/businesses are indeed getting the idea.
---
> >  Also, there are a great number of stories from the Business
> > Software Alliance that prove they will use federal agents (as well as
> > local ones) to break down the doors of businesses.  You can ask Ernie
> > Ball corporation (Sterling Ball to be specific) if you like.  He would
> > be glad to tell you why he won't use proprietary software any
> > longer[1].  Of course, these are just all tales from a mad lunatic.
> 
> I actually tend to believe MS when they say, and they have, that that 
> was very bad business and they will never do it again.
----
oh yeah - at least not given the political climate of previous
administration which sought prosecution and remedy. Luckily for
Microsoft, the political winds brought into power an administration that
considers the successes of American businesses to be paramount,
regardless of the fact that their gains may have been ill gotten.

Of course, APS will continue to supply my electrical needs until I don't
pay the bill...

Craig