From: "Attila T. Hun" <attila@hun.org>
Date: Sat, 24 Jan 1998 14:41:34 +0800
To: rantproc <cypherpunks@cyberpass.net>
Subject: 2 sides to the poll on DOJ v. M$
In-Reply-To: <3.0.3.32.19980123145928.01266c90@earthlink.net>
Message-ID: <19980124.060014.attila@hun.org>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



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    let's look at the tail of the Reuters newsclip on M$
    settling the immediate contempt action --a settlement
    most of the outside experts say gives the government
    an advantage in the final determination.  

    what I dont like is that M$ scored a huge PR victory
    by caving in to the government --it had no choice, 
    but many of the fence sitters are now going to state
    that M$ is "reforming" --which is pure bullshit; they
    are playing the Lenin-Stalin game of dealmaking so they
    can regroup and work around it, then blatantly violate
    it after they have sufficient strength.  I like the
    comment Maureen quoted the 21st from one attorney who
    liked M$ to smallpox --"...stamp it out, ...or it will
    come back."

But a poll issued Friday cast doubt on how far the public
backs the government's scrutiny of Microsoft.

A Time/CNN survey of 1,020 adults Jan.  14-15 found 46
percent thought Microsoft's dominant role in the software
industry was good for consumers against 30 percent who
thought it was bad.

    I am surprised they determined only 46% thought it was
    good as it has made for cheap, almost good enough, and
    ubiquitous software --if you dont mind settling for
    mediocrity with most innovations products M$ has either
    preempted or stolen.

    what is really surprising is that there really were 30%
    who acknowledged the danger of M$ as a monopoly! 

    people vote for government with their wallets --voting
    for "cheaper" commerce-- even more so. Americans are 
    not known for their discriminating choice of products
    based on quality and function --they almost always 
    settle for "almost good enough" and cheap. secondly, 
    they are truly "sheeple" and must have what everybody
    else has which is a market driven by positive feedback 
    --in analog amplifiers, that often causes smokeouts--
    and controlled are commonly referred to as oscillators.

The same poll found 51 percent thought the government should
refrain from steps to reduce Microsoft's advantage over
other software companies vs. 32 percent who thought the
government should intervene.

    this one is also very telling. the 51% is peanuts 
    against the fact that 30% actually believe the government
    should intervene! --that is even more impressive 
    considering that most Americans want government to do
    less and trust federal agencies even less.

    for something as complicated as antitrust actions, I 
    find the 32% proactive intervention percentage rather
    warm and fuzzy in that there is a real understanding 
    that M$ is a malignant cancer, and needs to be treated 
    as such.

    M$ made a serious mistake treating the judge, the DOJ,
    and the American people with the contempt they have 
    always treated their competitors. gone are the home 
    grown 'aw shucks' appreciation of the American success
    story --Gate$ and crew have been shown to be the selfish
    4 year old brats we in the industry have all learned to
    "love"....

    the only danger of this recent poll is that M$ spin 
    doctors will show it as a victory --it's not. 30+%
    that want to curtail your power is not a victory --the
    percentage changed from a few hundred or a thousand of
    in the industry who feel Gate$ has long since passed 
    the acceptable level of control to greater than 30% of
    the population-- _that_ is significant.

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