I still use MS programming tools and environments professionally, as many of
you do. I subsribe to several MS email newsletters to keep up to date. Just
checking my email tonight and I had an interesting missive from none other
than Mr. Gates. The bulk of the email was about MS's Trustworthy Computing
initiative, which I will pick apart tomorrow when I have more brain juice.
But he explains the reason for the email thusly:
"Before I share my thoughts about this in more detail, I want to give you some
context on why I am sending this email. This is the first in an occasional
series of mails that CEO Steve Ballmer and I, and periodically other
Microsoft executives, will be sending to people who are interested in hearing
from us about technology and public-policy issues that we believe are
important to computer users, our industry and everyone who cares about the
future of high technology. This is part of our commitment to ensuring that
Microsoft is more open about communicating who we are and what we are doing."
There was a nice opt-in link to continue to recieve these emails, which I
opted-in with Konqueror <G>.
It is interesting to me to see MS executives deciding that they should "get
personal" with bulk emails attempting to explain how they are doing things
right. Also, note the reference to "public-policy issues" in the quote
above. They are sending emails to people who they percieve as on their side
and trying to solidify the support base. Marketing that looks like politics.
This is a full court press agains Free Software/Open Source and any other
competitors/detractors of MS. We couldn't have picked a better time to start
pushing the Free Software/Open Source alternative. We are grass roots. They
are big money speaking from on high. We can still win.
Alan
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