[Techtalk] Fwd: [GLUG] Re: Microsoft new strategy

[Hardus Havenga]

What do You think we should do ?

----------  Forwarded Message  ----------

Subject: [GLUG] Re: Microsoft new strategy
Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2002 10:36:25 GMT
From: Bradley Kieser <brad at kieser.net>
To: andre <andre at andre.co.za>
Cc: glug at linux.org.za

What is a terrorist attack (other than appearing to be irrelevant to this
Linux
news service)? A terrorist attack is a calculated act aimed at creating
fear, uncertainty or doubt in order to coerce or intimidate the victims
of
the terrorism in order to achieve certain goals that the terrorists wish
to
achieve. This definition correlates with the US government's definition
of
terrorism
(http://www.milnet.com/milnet/domestic/Dom-Terror.htm#definition).

A terrorist attack is by its very nature unannounced and covert. It
usually
attacks the victims' infrastructure. These attacks are conducted in such
a way
that it leaves the victims unable to defend themselves, which is where
the fear and intimidation comes in. Ultimately the terrorist hopes to
create
enough fear, uncertainty and doubt in the victims to weaken them into
complying with the terrorists' goals.

Consider the fact that terrorism may not only be the use of violence.
Terrorism
may be economic if it involves the destruction of the victims' lives
through
economic means, this may be even more effective a weapon as violence and
suicide bombers themselves.

In the news today, Microsoft has taken the settlement with the US
Government
and 9 US states and turned it into a legal threat to all OpenSource and
Linux
coders. Anyone who is commercial and closed source is free from
Microsoft's
legal bombs conducted through dodgy patents and flaws in the US patent
office
operations. Specifically Microsoft is threatening any OpenSource
developer with
financial ruin, prosecution and imprisonment if they make OpenSource
products
FILE COMPATIBLE with Windows products. This affects all and any
OpenSource
technology from Mozilla to Linux to Samba and possibly even Apache
itself.

We saw how the mighty American Recording association harassed and
imprisoned
OpenSource developers who wanted to play DVDs that they owned on their
OpenSource computers. Now we see that Microsoft has looked and learned
from that
and has perfected the tools of the trade for this economic terrorism.
Because
at the end of the day, that is all that it is. OpenSource is the only
real
competitor that Microsoft has. Microsoft's huge funds buy it lawyers and
specialists who can work the US legal system to exploit holes in the
system,
the political tie-in of the legal system to political parties and most
importantly, the cost of law suits in order to steam-roll over any
opposition
to them. OpenSource developers have no financial clout. They can fight by
producing the best technology on the planet. OpenSource is the best
economic
weapon a country can possess and it is good for business, society as a
whole
and for capitalism by giving freedom of choice and freedom of
competition.

However, the USA is the place where money counts. From the president to
the
Supreme Court to advertising across the nation, it is money that carries
the
weight. OpenSource cannot compete with that. This buys Microsoft
unprecedented
power to wage a war of fear against OpenSource developers. Right now
Microsoft
is building the means of throwing OpenSource developers into either
financial
ruin or into prison, or both, simply by writing OpenSource code.

The kicker is that Microsoft doesn't even need to bring a single case to
court.
The mere threat of this catastrophe on OpenSource developers is enough to
put
off most developers from developing interoperability with Windows. This
is all
that Microsoft needs: To stop the OpenSource interoperability with its
monopoly products. That will ensure that the monopoly remains a monopoly.

The USA is alight with fear of terrorism in the political arena. It is
committed
to fighting terrorism on all fronts. This is probably the only chance
that
honest, hardworking OpenSource developers will have to expose the giant
for
what it is. Microsoft has used the "unAmerican" and "not capitalist"
badge
against OpenSource in an attempt to show that freedom and free speech are
evil
and that they, the monopolistic thugs represent true American values.
They got
away with it because they control the media through their advertising
revenues.

By showing their activities as economic terrorism OpenSource could garner
the
public support needed to force the US government itself into protecting
freedom to innovate and freedom to collaborate online. Basically this
comes down
to a fight for individual freedom versus a financial dictatorship in all
but
name. If Microsoft wins this battle it will forever control the IT sector
and in so doing will ultimately have the power to control all our lives
because
computing is at the very heart of modern life itself.

This victory of economic terrorism against the free world of the Internet
would, ironically, have taken place at the very time when the "free
world"
was fighting global political terrorism! By spreading the word, you can
prevent
this from happening.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Original Message <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

On 4/16/02, 10:22:05 AM, andre <andre at andre.co.za> wrote regarding [GLUG]

Microsoft new strategy:
> The Microsoft solution to Linux :
>
> http://news.com.com/2010-1075-882846.html
>
> so basically it means :
> Mozilla/Galeon/Konqueror etc. will not be able
> to legally interact with files created by Micro$oft
> products.
> It also means Samba is now Samba for Linux
> etc. etc. etc.
>
> It also means Micro$oft is increasing their royalties
> in Dollar terms (It will cost an arm and leg in Rand
> terms)
>
> This Microsoft strategy will either kill opensource
> or Microsoft itself.
>
>
> There is no middle road anymore.
>
>
> Pick your poison & spread the word...
>
>
>
> andre
>
>
>
> --
>
> 0834433455
> Atp (Pty) Ltd.
>
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