China beware the big IT capitalist Microsoft

ITWire ^ | 20 April 2006 | Stan Beer

[ShadowAce]

The past few weeks have revealed much about the great paradox that is China. It is a nation that wants a capitalist lifestyle with centralised totalitarian rule. The past weeks have also revealed a lot about the Western World's biggest IT companies, Namely, they'll do just about anything to crack the giant fortune cookie market. Some will give away their software, others will allow their search results to be censored and others may even be prepared to help the Chinese Government track down its dissidents. The more principled ones among us may say: "IT companies beware of the Chinese trap." I say: "China, remember your 19th Century history. IT capitalism is a far more powerful drug for an emerging technology nation than Opium."

The meeting between Chinese President Hu Jintao and Microsoft chairman Bill Gates may have seemed to some a polite symbolic gesture on the part of China to show that it is serious about adopting Western standards of intellectual property and proprietary ownership. However, coupled with the $1.2 billion sweetheart deal that Microsoft just announced with China’s number one PC maker Lenovo, the intent of the leader of the IT capitalists is crystal clear: lock in.

Microsoft, which has around 90% of the global PC operating system and office productivity software market, has achieved its remarkable stranglehold through a process called lock-in. Those of us, which is most of us, who have had the Windows operating system on our desktops for more than a decade, know all about lock-in.

We Windows users know all about the files we have created in Microsoft Office over the years, not to mention the numerous other applications that have been developed for Windows by software companies such as Adobe, Macromedia, and smaller independent software vendors. We know how we have come to depend upon those applications and the data attached to them.

Our dependence has never become more apparent than when we discovered that there is a whole world of innovative and most excellent software that is freely available and collectively labelled under the banner of open source. Much of this software, such as Open Office.org, an excellent free replacement for the overpriced Microsoft Office, will run on both Windows and the alternative operating system Linux. Likewise, the increasingly popular Firefox internet browser, which is superior in both functionality and performance to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, will run on both operating systems.

However, there are many applications that will run only on Windows. While there are usually equivalent and even superior applications that will run on Linux, they are not easily interchangeable. This is what we mean by lock in. The longer you use the drug called Windows, the more you become addicted and locked in. The harder it becomes to make the break and move to a free and open environment where applications don’t cost an arm and a leg.

China is a nation with a unique opportunity. Yes there are a plethora of PCs on the market with pirated versions of Windows. Despite what anyone may say, it is a sure bet that Microsoft is happy about that. It’s the initial hit of free Opium. Eventually, as China is forced to tighten its regulatory requirements on PCs being sold into the market – it’s already happening with the no naked PCs rule – users will be forced to pay for their Windows operating system. In the meantime, they will be busily locking themselves into the plethora of Windows specific applications. The more they get locked in, the higher the price will be.

China make note. Windows is a drug that much of the world is trying to wean itself off. Look to the EU. Look to Brazil. Look to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the US. There is an alternative called Linux, which includes all of the applications you need to do business, and it costs a fraction of the price. You may want to buy an Xbox 360 if you want to play games however.

[rzeznikj at stout]

The fact is all the BS is emanating from you and you alone.

There is nothing to admit to--except that we constantly have to put up with your BS.

[Golden Eagle]

You want to see some BS? Check this guy out:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1618134/posts?page=74#74

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1617688/posts?page=21#21

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1613849/posts?page=9#9

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1612495/posts?page=120#120

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1609606/posts?page=476#476

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1609606/posts?page=456#456

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1599093/posts?page=1127#1127

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1609606/posts?page=451#451

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1609606/posts?page=432#432

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1609606/posts?page=372#372

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1609606/posts?page=363#363

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1609606/posts?page=348#348

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1609606/posts?page=343#343

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1609606/posts?page=338#338

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1609606/posts?page=334#334

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1609606/posts?page=317#317

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1609606/posts?page=310#310

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1609606/posts?page=305#305

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1609606/posts?page=279#279

[N3WBI3]

Its too bad if the thread I posted is gone, other than changing the title without note (my bad) it was another good example of GE doing nothing but trying to pick a fight rather than have a discussion..

[antiRepublicrat]

Anyone still arguing over a bogus thread from overseas that claimed all software updates for Windows 2000 were ending last summer just can't stop themselves!

While the title of the article may have been misleading depending on the semantics, the contents of it were 100% factually correct. That was the last "update rollup" and Microsoft will only provide security hot fixes and paid support until the end of all support (and no paid support if you missed the window). Microsoft considers that update to be final release of Windows 2000. The software will no longer be generally "updated" in the sense of improvements, only security bugs will be patched.

[Golden Eagle]

the title of the article may have been misleading depending on the semantics

LOL it was no different than any of the other BS you boys constantly post, pushing Linux, smearing Microsoft, with the full intention to mislead however possible. When we can no longer update Windows 2000 at windowsUPDATE.com, you might finally have a point, but till then, it's obviously just more of your lies.

[antiRepublicrat]

LOL it was no different than any of the other BS you boys constantly post,

Oh yeah, we've never seen any other misleading headines from news sources here on FR. Did you know you you can see better if you remove the tin foil ski mask?

When we can no longer update Windows 2000 at windowsUPDATE.com, you might finally have a point

Point out one lie in the article itself. I dare you. Otherwise, shut up about the "lies" that you created out of semantic games.

[Golden Eagle]

semantic games

Games? You guys post lies like this, then argue about them when they're exposed. That's lying, pure and simple.

[FLAMING DEATH]

Nothing, compared to this:

The Current Golden Eagle Lie/Hypocrisy/Cluelessness/General Lunacy List:
(Now with 48% more ad hominem attacks!).

Lies:

Here's where he says that all GPL copyrights are signed over to Stallman: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1612495/posts?page=44#44

then, when he's caught, says that he's not sorry (or, as I like to call it, a "nopology"): http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1612495/posts?q=1&&page=61#62

Here's where he refers to Dell "systems": http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1585665/posts?page=35#35

Then denies his own copied-and-pasted quote: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1585665/posts?page=137#137

then blames me for it all, saying I should have reminded him of his own words: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1585665/posts?page=165#165


Then, here's where he makes more false accusations of ME: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1592292/posts?page=90#90

and here's where I ask him to prove I said the things he accused me of: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1592292/posts?page=92#92

Here's where he doesn't provide any proof: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1592292/posts?page=95#95

And fails again to prove what he says: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1592292/posts?page=99#99

And yet again, repeating the accusations, but failing to provide proof: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1592292/posts?page=122#122

And now, where his "proof" of what I said is something I didn't even post: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1592292/posts?page=125#125

and where he has the nerve to ask another poster to back up what they say with specific examples, despite the fact that he refused to do so for me: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1592292/posts?page=255#255

and here is where he demands that yet someone ELSE provide a link to prove what THEY said: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1568848/posts?page=68#68

and here is where he claims he will admit mistakes, despite the fact that he hasn't admitted this one: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1592494/posts?page=43#43


Here he is claiming that Red Hat has a couple of hundred Linux kernel developers: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1527263/posts?page=49#49

And here he is claiming no one knows how many kernel developers work for Red Hat: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1527263/posts?page=77#77

and here, he denies that he said hundreds, yet again (21st paragraph): http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1592292/posts?page=131#131

And here he is getting nailed for it yet again:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1592292/posts?page=132#132

and again: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1592292/posts?page=137#137

and claiming that I never proved that he was wrong about the number of kernel developers at Red Hat, despite the fact that he said "literally hundreds" himself, but later retracted it: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1592292/posts?page=134#134


Here he is saying that he's leaving a thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1592292/posts?page=127#127

and here he is, many days and over 100 posts later, still posting: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1592292/posts?q=1&&page=281#284


Here's where he tries to say that Richard Stallman is opposed to all patents: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1592292/posts?page=266#261

Here's where he amends his statement to say "software patents": http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1609606/posts?page=22#22


Here's where Jim Robinson tells about creating the Freerepublic Forums in '97: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1011545/posts

And here's where GE, a man on the cutting edge of technology, claims he managed to get a membership at FR two years before the forums existed: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/950193/posts?page=285#285

Here's where he hijacked the Open Source Ping List, and the ensuing discussion: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1571222/posts?page=8#8


Hypocrisy:

Here, he complains that Cedega's bad because it's not free: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1591595/posts?page=115#115

and then, mocks another user for suggesting that Cedega be free: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1591595/posts?page=134#134

then complains that Linux is bad because it is free: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1530486/posts?page=40#40

then says Solaris is good because it's free: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1490554/posts?page=21#21


Here he is, criticizing Linux because it doesn't run Windows apps (despite the fact that it can, in some cases): http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1591595/posts?q=1&&page=101#115

Here he is, recommending Solaris, which doesn't run Windows apps: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1490554/posts?page=21#21

...and Apple, which doesn't either: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1573697/posts?page=9#9

and copping out when challenged about Windows inability to run Linux apps: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1591595/posts?page=118#118


Here, he's criticizing others for namecalling: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1584107/posts?page=29#29

And here he is, namecalling: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1583531/posts?page=61#61




Here's where GE says Stallman is a whacko leftist: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1601565/posts?page=24#24

Here's where I agree: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1601565/posts?page=30#30

And here's where he disagrees that I agree: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1601565/posts?page=30#31

And here's where he claimed I defended Stallman (I didn't) and fails to provide a link to back up his accusations:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1607069/posts?page=96#96


Here he is ridiculing another poster for using bold fonts to make a point: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1493462/posts?page=130#130

And here he is using bold fonts to make a point: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1592292/posts?page=106#106


Here he is, complaining about abortions in China: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1592292/posts?page=106#106

and here he is, defending Microsoft's contributions to Planned Parenthood: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1492595/posts?page=22#22

And here he is defending Planned Parenthood itself: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1601565/posts?page=35#33

and again, lying about the primary mission of that organization (he says it's to fight AIDS in Africa): http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1601565/posts?page=40#40


Cluelessness:

Here, he becomes concerned about security on Knoppix, a live Linux filesystem, written to a FINALIZED (read that: unwritable) CD-R, which by default, runs with all drives unmounted and in unwritable mode: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1536740/posts?page=18#18

Here's where a poster very obviously criticizes him for his closed-mindedness and he totally misses it, instead taking it as a compliment (post 79 and his response, 80): http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1539488/posts?page=80#79



General lunacy:

Here is a Linux thread with only one post by GE (notice how pleasant and peaceful): http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1500664/posts?q=1&&page=1

Here is a Linux thread where GE stayed and trolled (well beyond 280 posts, totally off the topic. No insults before he showed up, as with many of his threads. He has stated multiple times that he was leaving, yet he keeps posting, because he's a last word freak): http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1592292/posts?q=1&&page=1#1

Here are some of his infamous "picture posts", usually made when he is getting beaten very badly:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1536740/posts?page=106#106
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1536740/posts?page=125#125
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1536740/posts?page=149#149
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1530253/posts?page=25#25
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1489068/posts?page=29#29
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1487693/posts?page=163#163



Here he is, suggesting that Richard Stallman "build[s] up his power" by getting "dopes" to download Linux: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1612495/posts?page=75#75

[N3WBI3]

That post is a refusal to go through the article and point out the lies as you asked AR

[Golden Eagle]

Yes, I encourage everyone to go back and look at the posts from these guys, FLAMING DEATH is just as full of bull as any of them, and refuses to admit his lies after months.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1609606/posts?page=302#302

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1612495/posts?page=82#82

And of course, their lies are always in defense of communists and other leftists, since they refuse to ever address actual facts.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x665385

http://europa.eu.int/idabc/en/document/1736/531

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1617712,00.asp?kc=EWNKT0209KTX1K0100440

http://ianmurdock.com/?p=54

http://weblog.flora.org/article.php3?story_id=552

http://zgp.org/linux-elitists/p05210612bb7d87639a93@[192.168.1.101].html

http://www.linuxlinks.com/portal/news/article.php?story=20050624042207848&mode=print

http://www.linuxpipeline.com/42700029

http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/5279

http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/7239

http://asia.cnet.com/news/software/printfriendly.htm?AT=39146335-39001094t-39000001c

http://slashdot.org/articles/99/11/10/1457205.shtml

http://linux.slashdot.org/linux/05/05/19/1213245.shtml?tid=106&tid=219

http://slashdot.org/articles/03/10/30/1435248.shtml

http://www.iranian.ws/cgi-bin/iran_news/exec/view.cgi/2/3822

http://linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2002-08-30-011-26-NW-LL-PB

http://slashdot.org/articles/03/05/01/1148227.shtml?tid=103&tid=99

http://www.zdnet.co.uk/print?TYPE=story&AT=2133230-39020381t-10000002c

http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,104039,src,ov,00.asp

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2003-10-20-open-source-mass_x.htm

http://www.newsforge.com/business/04/02/27/2329240.shtml


No, they are simply here to spread MORE lies, like we've seen the past few months.


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1607069/posts - Lies claiming Windows only has 40% market share and VMWare kernel is linux based

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1608956/posts - Lies that Windows systems need to be rebuilt after compromise but not linux ones

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1605189/posts - Lies that the Kapital program in linux has nothing to do with Karl Marx's "Das Kapital"

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1604720/posts - Lies that Osama Bin Laden doesn't get a free copy of linux if he wants, and that stallman isn't a central figure in the OSS community, and that I work for Microsoft

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1601565/posts - Lies that Beowulf clusters couldn't exist without free software, and that American citizens can't have access to free software unless the chinese, cubans, russians, iranians, etc do too

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1527747/posts - Lies that open source was designed to co-exist with proprietary software, that I don't support companies that use some open source in their proprietary operating systems like Apple and Sun, that stallman doesn't oppose patents, that Microsoft shared source has the same dangers as open source, and ridiculous claims that I'm the one that whines to the moderator around here

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1602047/posts - Lies that *nix can't get viruses spyware or trojans, that it's easier to setup and run linux than windows, etc

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1592292/posts - Follow up lies to the original threads that Dell is offereing linux on their desktop models when they aren't, that stallman's following is small, and of course the flamer denying he ever posts on the linux lie threads

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1592494/posts - Lies that IBM is not going to ever use Microsoft Vista but only linux

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1591595/posts - Lies that it's easy to deploy linux even though IBM can't do it themselves

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1590132/posts - Lies that most open source zealots don't approve of stallman, that our government should always use the lowest cost option even if it came from foreigners

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1591021/posts - Lies that a fully patched Windows box can be hacked by anyone in minutes

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1585665/posts - Lies that Dell is going to announce linux on home desktop computers, that I'm the one that always whines to the moderators, that the original article wasn't retracted by the author, that other articles don't indicate it's almost impossible to get a Dell desktop with linux, etc

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1584107/posts - Lies that open source doesn't equal open borders, that "copyleft" has nothing to do with politics, that open source is more capitalistic than proprietary software LOL, that n3wbi3 cared that 75% of all open source uses stallman's license, about how large linux's market share is, that the free software foundation didn't confiscate code from its users, that stallman isn't anti-capitalist and the leader of the open source movement, that Torvalds didn't do a 180 when confronted by Stallman on GPL3, etc

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1578925/posts - Lies by some foreign rag that linux is easier to manage than windows, that it's safe to go to hacker sites for your security updates, that microsoft.com doesn't almost always have longer uptime than linux companies, etc

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1573697/posts - Lies that Red Flag is based on Asianux and not Red Hat LOL, that no one in china is a communist at all which is amazing

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1573397/posts - Lies that Teddy Kennedy's various sites run on Microsoft IIS and not linux (several whoppers), about linux's market share size, etc

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1571222/posts - Lies that n3wbi3's "open source" ping list was actually open source, that free software for russia is no more dangerous than free software for germany, that it's somehow worse to sell technology to adversaries than to just give it to them for free, etc

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1568785/posts - Lies that you have to upgrade Office for legal protection, that linux and other open source provides equal legal protection to proprietary software LMAO that was funny

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1568067/posts - Lies that good eyes verses bad eyes can ever be quantified,

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1568848/posts - Lie that Google is releasing a linux operating system, that Microsoft is hurting and not recording record profits, that quality of open source exceeds that of proprietary software, that Google Earth is compatible with linux, that I referred to the Cert vulnerability database as "linux" problems, that these guys don't live their lives by stallman's principles, etc

With no end in sight!

[FLAMING DEATH]

Funny. Accuse me of lying, and as proof, point to your own posts, not mine.

Typical character assasination tactics. That's all you've got at this point, I guess. Poor kid.

[antiRepublicrat]

Yes, I encourage everyone to go back and look at the posts from these guys, FLAMING DEATH is just as full of bull as any of them, and refuses to admit his lies after months.

I notice that you are yourself lying in this list. Factual, demonstrably provable lies. I've even caught you on them before (such as another freeper suggesting to download security updates from hacker sites), and you still include them.

And some don't even have the possibility of being lies because they are simply differences of opinion.

The difference between the lists is that FD's actually shows your lies, misrepresentations and attempts at character assassination.

[Golden Eagle]

I leave it to others much more trustworthy to judge. Obviously it shows me attacking liars and leftists, and you boys running to their rescue. Time and time again.

[antiRepublicrat]

I leave it to others much more trustworthy to judge.

What? Your provable lies in your own list? Simple example you skirted around the last time I called you on it:

1. You stated "Linux is a major pain to install and especially update," which in itself is a subjectively valid statement since it is a value judgement
2. N3WBI3 said "Must I school you again? http://howto.homelinux.net/swf/yum.html" to show you it can be easy, linking to a flash animation of an install residing on his home page
3. You replied "HAHAHAHAHAAAA! You want me to go to some hacker website for my security updates?"
4. He replied "This is a swfmovie of how to install new software by clicking a mouse, updates work the same way...if you install fedora you should pull packages from Fedora"

That clarification should have ended it, but, no, you keep going on as if he'd said to download security updates from hacker sites.

It was fun revisiting that though, because I came across this again, "You mentioned uptime and microsoft.com is consistently king of the o/s vendors."

Big huge Microsoft beaten by tiny little Knoppix. We also don't know what the uptime is for IBM since Netcraft doesn't do stats on AIX -- but we do know that AIX uptime is generally measured in years.

The difference between your lies and our "lies" is that we can easily prove yours.

[Golden Eagle]

Ah, pushing your foreign fakes again of course. I was obviously referring to US software vendors, and here you are pushing your "knoppix" again.

[FLAMING DEATH]

Facts are facts, no matter what you think of them. Everything in the GE Lie/Hypocrisy list is your own words.

And, lo and behold, the examples of "lies" that you attributed to me earlier in this thread were...

...*drumroll please*...

...your own words! Not mine. Just like usual.

Pointing to an earlier post where you called me a liar doesn't make me a liar.

But, it's interesting you reference your past postings as evidence of your wild allegations. It's almost as if you are saying that you had credibility back then, but not now...

Hilarious.

[antiRepublicrat]

I was obviously referring to US software vendors, and here you are pushing your "knoppix" again.

You never restricted your statement, it was not obvious. Knoppix is not a copy of Red Hat, but the pioneer of live CD technology in Linux. BTW, Knoppix itself has been copied for many different specialized versions, including by Americans, so I guess we have cheap domestic knockoffs of a foreign product floating around (which is what Red Hat produces in the first place according to your logic).

You also misrepresented the results for IBM, saying "ibm.com, unknown, which usually means very recently" when Netcraft specifically says the reason is that they can't collect uptime data for AIX.

But, okay, we'll play your game: US-based commercial software vendors.

• www.microsoft.com: Max 149.89, Latest 28.17
• www.mvista.com (US embedded Linux maker): Max 444.97, Latest 239.27

Whoops! Or do you want to weasel out and try to further restrict your statement until you're right, maybe something like "I was obviously referring to software companies with names starting with 'M' and OS products starting with 'W'."

And you yet again ignore the issue of downloading security updates from hacker sites.

[Golden Eagle]

embedded Linux maker

LOL we're talking about companies that provide web hosting software, and you trot out an embedded vendor? LMAO!

That's not the point anyway, the point is the linux liars are always boasting about Linux uptime, while Microsoft almost always beats them on listed server uptime. Your attempted diversions at tiny foreign desktop vendors or embedded vendors are hilarious!

[FLAMING DEATH]

You parodied him by saying:
"I was obviously referring to software companies with names starting with 'M' and OS products starting with 'W'."

and he actually said:
"LOL we're talking about companies that provide web hosting software, and you trot out an embedded vendor? LMAO!"

Good call, AR. Pretty darn close.

[FLAMING DEATH]

"Your attempted diversions at tiny foreign desktop vendors or embedded vendors are hilarious!"

Huh? These tiny foreign vendors don't have uptime? Please explain.