Software vendors urge limits on open source

CNET News.com ^ | 28 November 2002 | CNET

[chilepepper]

The Initiative for Software Choice, which counts Microsoft, Cisco Systems and Intel among its backers, said in comments filed Tuesday that the department should "avoid crafting needless and potentially detrimental IT policy to promote the use" of open-source software. "Open source" means every software developer can view the source code for software, modify it, and use it for free.

The initiative, which launched in May and is chaired by a group called CompTIA, an organization that has close ties to Microsoft, is worried about a recent report that concluded the Defense Department relies on open-source software and recommended its further adoption.

[Bush2000]

Haven't you noticed how many Unix tools and concepts Microsoft Apple has already ripped off ...

Fixed it for you.

[general_re]

They first lifted the Xerox/Apple desktop as their external interface...

Nice, but there was no such thing. Both MS and Apple have licensing agreements with Xerox for the work done at Xerox PARC. If that makes MS a parasite, they're parasites of exactly the same sort as Apple.

...and then after destroying 3rd party commercial vendors of niche products by incorporating their features into Windows...

Right. My life was soooo much better back when I had to go get an operating system, and then go out and pay some more to Peter Norton so that I could also defrag my disks. How I long for those good old days...

...turned to open source utilities and functionality and made them an integral part of their fee products...

"Functionality"? God forbid MS should offer competing products.

"You can't produce software that does that! That's our functionality!"

[NativeNewYorker]

MSFT's application monopoly rests upon its proprietary .doc format for text files. If the document machinery at the federal govt began to simply set .rtf or .pdf as default formats, so any text or acrobat file reader could open the files, folks would no longer be forced to have a copy of Office on their machines.

[gitmo]

Isn't it reprehensible how Chevrolet stole the designs for automobile parts from Ford? Why isn't the US Government taking them down?? I mean, Ford invented the auto, they were the first to put a radio in one, as well as the first windshield! And they came up with that nifty steering-wheel user interface, but it has been shamelessly stolen by the Chevrolet parasites.

And now, Chevrolet is making some of their own parts! Instead of letting the car-users buy their own seatbelts and audio equipment from 3rd party commercial vendors, they are illegally bundling them into the Car FREE OF CHARGE! They have purposely run these 3rd party vendors out of business. I remember the good old days when I took my car to my local garage and had them install a seat belt for me. Now the dam* thing comes pre-packaged in my car whether I want it or not.

[general_re]

GMTA - that's almost exactly the example I had in mind last night ;)

[chilepepper]

First, M$ targeted Wordperfect. They poured all their efforts into wiping out their market share (perfectly acceptable, business is business after all). Turned Corel into an insignificant bit player.

Then they targeted Lotus. Ditto. Wiped them out.

Then they targeted DBase. Ditto. Wiped them out.

Then they targeted Netscape. Ditto. Haven't wiped them out...why? because

Netscape/Mozilla is Open Source

Now they target their greatest threat, Linux.

they will fail miserably in trying to wipe it out.

the software paradigm has changed radically from the good old days of WordPerfect.

Thuggish tactics and buying up think-tanks to publish silly and partisan reports won't be enough...

.NET that does everything for everyone won't be enough either...

[chilepepper]

Ford did NOT invent the auto. Check your facts before you make foolish statements.

whoops, excuse me!

didn't realize you are a M$ admin...

[general_re]

the software paradigm has changed radically from the good old days of WordPerfect.

I doubt it. But we'll see.

[PatrioticAmerican]

I get a kick out of the Linux crowd, which thinks that a single product, Linux, and only an OS at that, trumps everything Microsoft does, which is 200 products in 50 languages.

[Publius6961]

Great. Another Linux whacko thread.

Now that you're here it's guaranteed!

And no, I still don't want to write my own OS.
Still wearing your SuperMS cape?

[chilepepper]

Linux runs in a large number of languages, Turkish, Siamese, Cantonese, Japanese, Korean, Finnish, two flavors of Portugese, Ukrainian, even ESPERANTO

Even the spelling checker runs in a fairly large number, perhaps not 50 languages but close enough...

The reason the OS is so important is that everything else hinges on it.

If Microsoft has a neat application, then they should port it to Linux to see what that does to the their OS market share :) hint -- it will drop since normal folks (as M$ fans are always quick to point out) don't really care what runs under the hood. If they can get a good application to run on a free OS, great. Of course they care that is costs $100 dollars to get the latest version...or that installing the latest version might immediately make obsolete all the software titles they've been painstakingly accumulating for the past 5 years...

[TheEngineer]

Haven't you noticed how many Unix tools and concepts Microsoft has already ripped off from the open source community and incorporated into their systems?

So what? We're not in school anymore. Copying the competitors' ideas, within the boundaries of the law, is part of the rough and tumble of business.

They first lifted the Xerox/Apple desktop as their external interface...

Yeah, a joint development by those chummy partners Xerox and Apple. Your double-standard is showing.

[TheEngineer]

If Microsoft has a neat application, then they should port it to Linux to see what that does to the their OS market share :)

Linux and other open source software should try charging Microsoft's rate, per seat license, and see what happens to their market share. ;-)

[gitmo]

So you're pushing to bust up Ford, too?

[Bush2000]

Talk about a selective reinterpretation of history.

First, M$ targeted Wordperfect.

Yeah, poor unfortunate Wordperfect. They refused to port their DOS-based word processor to a GUI operating system until it was too late. Damn Microsoft!

Then they targeted Lotus. Ditto. Wiped them out.

Same deal. Lotus rested on its laurels and thought that a text-based spreadsheet was the way of the future. Microsoft delivered what customers wanted. Damn Microsoft!

Then they targeted DBase. Ditto. Wiped them out.

This one is just too silly for words. Have you ever used DBase -- and then tried MS Access? No comparison. Damn Microsoft!

Then they targeted Netscape. Ditto. Haven't wiped them out...why? because Netscape/Mozilla is Open Source

Netscape was trying to sell the equivalent of Notepad for browsing the Web. They set the effective price at zero -- I don't know of a single person who ever paid for Netscape -- then, they wondered why their revenue imploded. Damn Microsoft!

Now they target their greatest threat, Linux. they will fail miserably in trying to wipe it out.

So when are you predicting the Great Linux Desktop Takeover? Next year? The year after? How about 5 years? 10 years? Damn Microsoft!

[Bush2000]

The reason the OS is so important is that everything else my self-esteem hinges on it.

There. Fixed it for you.

[Bush2000]

I get a kick out of the Linux crowd, which thinks that a single product, Linux, and only an OS at that, trumps everything Microsoft does, which is 200 products in 50 languages.

It's pretty sad, isn't it?

[Bush2000]

Ford did NOT invent the auto. Check your facts before you make foolish statements.

Damn that Ford! Stealing somebody else's ideas, revolutionizing industry with the assembly line, and creating a huge amount of wealth, jobs, and prosperity! Somebody should dig him up and kick his ass. /SARCASM

[Bush2000]

MSFT's application monopoly rests upon its proprietary .doc format for text files. If the document machinery at the federal govt began to simply set .rtf or .pdf as default formats, so any text or acrobat file reader could open the files, folks would no longer be forced to have a copy of Office on their machines.

Sorry, but that's asinine. Viewers have existed for .DOC files since 97: http://office.microsoft.com/downloads/2000/wd97vwr32.aspx. You're going to have to rework your theory.

[gitmo]

You forgot to mention that all these apps talk to each other easily. Did you ever try to get WordPerfect into Lotus? (Oh yeah, Lotus viciously targeted Visicalc and wiped them out!) Or get Netscape to integrate with Domino?