Interesting MS Comments

Fri, 16 Feb 2001 12:34:13 -0700

Here's the scary part, every one of US sees that this is just a bunch of 
malarkey, but Joe Consumer doesn't. Regular people are easily influenced by 
what they read and see, and most people out there would see something like 
this and think "Those Open Source people really ARE undermining those nice 
people who built my Windows...." All it would take, is one powerful, idiot 
congressperson, to put a bug like this into the system, and it just COULD be 
illegal to write free software, let's face it, we're not being shown in a 
good light after that MPAA fiasco, and it isn't even over yet.

Somebody on /. posted a good comment about an open letter to every single 
representative, written by every one of us (read: the open source community), 
included with say, a full copy of the Debian Distro (all 10+ CD's) and a copy 
of every other distro, even the teeny tiny ones, just so that people in power 
would get a clearer picture of what innovation people like us have created 
for the world they live in. I'm all for it, let's get 'em!

-Todd

On Friday 16 February 2001 11:24, you wrote:
> My thoughts exactly, Trent.
>
> Also, who else has more money, power, and influence to mount a legal
> attack against GPL/LGPL/ect.  If they can poke holes in the legal
> protections guaranteed by the Open Source licenses, the end is near.
>
> On Friday 16 February 2001 11:13, you wrote:
> > Hardly clueless, but obviously scared.
> >
> > MS is signaling the start of a *major* disinformation campaign.  OS
> > market share is obviously partly in play, but arguing open source is
> > anti-competitive would indicate Microsoft is making a strategic move.
> >
> > Maybe they want to eliminate GNU or Java style licenses.  Also, much
> > open source software seems to be developed by quasi-cartels.  An IBM -
> > SUN cartel disguised as an open source collaboration should frighten
> > Microsoft.
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: plug-discuss-admin@lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us
> > > [mailto:plug-discuss-admin@lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us]On Behalf Of
> > > Deepak Saxena
> > > Sent: Friday, February 16, 2001 10:21 AM
> > > To: plug-discuss@lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us
> > > Subject: Re: Interesting MS Comments
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > It shows how clueless and scared Microsoft is about open source at the
> > > moment.
> > >
> > > ~Deepak
> > >
> > > On Feb 16 2001, at 09:12, Lucas Vogel was caught saying:
> > > > Not only was this posted on Slashdot yesterday, but it had over
> > >
> > > 1300 or so
> > >
> > > > comments posted to it.
> > > >
> > > > It's a good insight to the views some of the MS executives have on
> > > > open source, but I really don't think it has any teeth - even if MS
> > > > does.
> > > >
> > > > IMHO,
> > > >
> > > > Lucas
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > ===========================
> > > > Lucas Vogel
> > > > Exponent, Inc.
> > > > lvogel@exponent.com
> > > > 623-587-6739	work
> > > > 623-587-4191	fax
> > > > ===========================
> > > > http://www.exponent.com
> > > >
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > From: Jeffrey Pyne [mailto:jpyne@worldatwork.org]
> > > > > Sent: Friday, February 16, 2001 10:03 AM
> > > > > To: plug-discuss@lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us
> > > > > Subject: Interesting MS Comments
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > I saw a link to this article on another list and found it amusing:
> > > > >
> > > > > http://quote.bloomberg.com/fgcgi.cgi?T=marketsquote99_news.ht&
> > > > > s=AOospdBaQTWl
> > > > > jcm9z
> > > > >
> > > > > (If it hasn't already been posted to Slashdot, I'm sure it will
> > > > > soon.)
> > > > >
> > > > > A couple excerpts:
> > > > >
> > > > > "Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating-system chief, Jim
> > > > > Allchin, says that
> > > > > freely distributed software code such as rival Linux could
> > > > > stifle innovation
> > > > > and that legislators need to understand the threat."
> > > > >
> > > > >   -and-
> > > > >
> > > > > "I'm an American, I believe in the American Way," he said. "I
> > > > > worry if the
> > > > > government encourages open source, and I don't think we've done
> > > > > enough education of policy makers to understand the threat."
> > > > >
> > > > > Well heck afire!  I didn't realize that Linux was UNAMERICAN.  I
> > > > > am unsubscribing from this list immediately, and when I get home I
> > > > > am going to
> > > > > blow away my Slackware 7.1 installation (evil, evil!) and
> > > > > install Windows
> > > > > 2000.  (To do so I'll just need to stop by Fry's on the way
> > > > > home to pick up
> > > > > and extra 256Mb of RAM-- good thing it's on sale for $44.95.)
> > > > >  I'm just glad
> > > > > Mr. Allchin warned us all before it was too late....
> > > > >
> > > > > :)
> > > > >
> > > > > ~Jeff
> > > > >
> > > > > ________________________________________________
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> > > > >
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> > >
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> > >
> > > --
> > > Deepak Saxena - deepak@csociety.purdue.edu - phone://602.790.0500
> > >
> > > call me 'evil' call me 'tide is on your side' anything that you want
> > > anybody knows you can conjure anything by the dark of the moon
> > >   - Tori Amos, "Suede"
> > >
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> > >
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> >
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