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Not Just Your Ordinary "Basher"by Mitch Stone, Editor/Publisher What are we going to do about Microsoft? If a competitor dares to publicly question a Microsoft competitive tactic, the company is quick to label the complaint as nothing more than sour grapes. Anyone who'd complain about competition, no matter what form it takes, must be a loser, says Microsoft. Should the U.S. Justice Department work up the nerve to assume even the weakest conceivable stance in the defense of the nation's antitrust laws, Microsoft roundly declares it to be totally unwarranted government interference in their rights to do whatever the heck they want, to whomever the heck they want it done. Even the U.S. Attorney General finds herself on the receiving end of some choice invective from the Microsoft hammer-and-tongs gang. When consumer activists dare to question whether it is in the public interest for Microsoft's monopoly to spread wholesale from one market to another, they are branded as "bashers" and "witch-hunters" holding forth in "kangaroo courts." Comic visions of lunatic mobs swarming in the streets toting torches and pitchforks are brought to mind. In short, it doesn't seem to matter who raises the questions -- Microsoft simply doesn't take the criticism very well. Obviously it hasn't occurred to the big-wigs at Microsoft that their very habit of fiercely objecting to each and every criticism, no matter the source, and no matter how reasoned, is one of the qualities of their corporate personality that makes them such a rewarding subject of criticism. Anyone who considers themselves to be entirely above question only motivates the thoughtful skeptic to press on, in the full knowledge that such conceits are rarely justified. The key to this personality flaw is that Microsoft has become far too comfortable holding forth in a monologue -- using their massive powers of commercial speech to dominate the conversation -- that they've come to anticipate no other response but for the public to fall respectfully quiet upon their every utterance. Journalists the world-over are expected to drop whatever they are doing, and lean forward in rapt attention. And up until very recently, the public and the press mainly conformed to the docile, reverent repose that Microsoft felt they'd earned. The few of us who were openly resisting Microsoft's domination of the high technology industries were regarded as latter-day Don Quixotes. Almost quaint. Possibly idealistic, though misguided. But certainly not worthy of serious consideration. No longer. Microsoft criticism was easy to dismiss as recently as six months ago because it appeared that almost nobody was seriously paying attention to the critics. Now that it's becoming clear that a growing number of people are indeed listening, the critics have become a ratable target. That's the good news about Microsoft's hostility towards its critics: Now they care enough to hate us. One aspect of Microsoft's powers will never change -- they still have virtually unlimited abilities to issue announcements, pronouncements and denouncements. But Microsoft has been the sole participant in this conversation for long enough. Whether they like it or not, the Microsoft monologue is over. Say, how do you cook a windmill once you've caught one?
Frequent visitors to this site will immediately notice a number of changes in the Boycott Microsoft neighborhood -- in fact a complete overhaul of the site both graphically and organizationally. This comprehensive redevelopment has been under construction for some time, but was originally slated for appearance sometime in early 1998 (though come to think of it, emulating Microsoft's software schedule would have allowed the actual delivery date to be delayed until mid-1999). This slightly ahead-of-schedule debut is a result of repeated urgings from my all-knowing, all-seeing and infinitely patient ISP, Internet Access of Ventura County, to vacate the old web server the site had been occupying in favor of the new one (thankfully, not a Windows box). They've been asking me politely to do this for months. I think they needed a new doorstop, or some such thing. In any event, it was time. Some sections of the Boycott Microsoft neighborhood have been completely rebuilt, others demolished leaving a vacant lots in their places -- for the moment. Rest assured that plans for all of these empty spaces are on the drawing boards. The non-working links in some of the departments should provide a hint of what's to come over the next few weeks and months. The new Boycott Microsoft site, even in its currently incomplete state, offers a substantial amount of new material (you're just going to have to find it yourself!), the reappearance of some classic essays dating from a year or more ago, and a few revisions to previously posted material. The reorganization was intended to improve the general appearance and content, and to address deferred maintenance issues, while retaining the uncluttered simplicity and clarity of the old site, which I have been informed often over the past 18 months, is a notable virtue. From one web denizen to another: I agree wholeheartedly. These refurbishments represent a renewed commitment to the founding purpose of this site; a commitment to the reasons born on that fateful day in August,1996, when some primal urge I still don't quite understand sent me lunging for my keyboard. This site remains now, as before, an effort to produce a sane conversation about issues that will have an immense impact on all of our lives, whether we choose to understand them or not. It's hoped that through this effort, fewer of us will choose to be ignorant, and that somehow, by some miracle of economic democracy, the final results of all these present-day tribulations will be mitigated in our favor. Now, is that really too much to ask? Thanks for looking in, and, as always your comments, feedback (and yes, corrections) are appreciated and welcomed. Previous keynotes: Hip-Hip-Hooray? (20 May 1998) Published: 15 December 1997 |
When you taunt the referee, he usually watches you
even more closely. That's what happened to Microsoft, whose
"up yours!" attitude toward the Department of Justice has
inspired investigators to dig even deeper. Now they're
looking at Microsoft's efforts to take over Java. These
relentless investigations sap Microsoft, and distract the
DOJ from worse dangers such as Intel. And Microsoft's
childish, insulting behavior is largely to blame. JESSE BERST, ZDNet
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