__/ [ Rick ] on Tuesday 04 July 2006 14:53 \__
> On Tue, 04 Jul 2006 14:09:19 +0100, B Gruff wrote:
>
>> On Tuesday 04 July 2006 13:47 nessuno@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>>
>>> Twenty five, amazing. You'd think they could have bribed at least one
>>> of them.
>>>
>>> Sounds like a major factor in this was the way Microsoft's aggressive
>>> stance angered Neelie Kroes. Unfortunately, the penalty is too small.
>>
>> Yep.
>> Two things struck me as being very significant:- ... the number 25 and the
>> word /unanimously/ Not a single one coming out in MS's favour.
>>
>> We must remember of course that it's a completely unofficial report - it
>> could be totally wrong. Coupled with the recent thread re. MS news to its
>> employees though......
>>
>> As for your comment re. "too small", maybe. One needs to bear in mind that
>> although DFS maintains that the E.U. has been instrumental "for a decade"
>> in helping to establish the MS monopoly, the E.U. has actually been
>> fighting MS on this for seven years - since last century, in fact! It has
>> dragged on so long due to MS prevarication and procrastination, during
>> which time MS has been coining it in. (Note that in this instance, all
>> that the E.U. ever demanded was an Interface Spec. - not code, not IP
>> rights, not trade secrets, just an Interface Specification!)
>>
>> Nevertheless, if this report is correct, it signals to me that all 25
>> members of the EU are at least aware of the situation, which is the first
>> step to rectifying it.
>
> There is no rectifying it. Ballmer is rich. Gates is rich and
> untouchable. microsoft is entrenched.
>
> There is no way to adequately punish any of them, so we will just have to
> take what we can get.
...But let's not ingore the main fact that Microsoft will (yet again)
perceived as a convicted monopolist. Not only will it be forced to subvert
projects in favour of documents, yet to be written by engineers. But they
will also have to cope with these grey clouds that are looming over.
The days of Microsoft as a credible company are over. And not just in the
eyes of those who are alert enough to comprehend it. Most people won't even
realise what the Netscape fuss was all about... maybe WGA will be easier to
understand, especially in the days where spyware receives universal
notoriety.
Best wishes,
Roy
--
Roy S. Schestowitz | "Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder"
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