On Fri, Dec 07, 2001 at 08:59:32PM -0600, Mike Hicks wrote:

> However, I don't think it'd be all that great of an idea for Microsoft to
> be forced to produce software for Linux -- I'd worry about it increasing
> market share in certain areas.  

Increasing market share of what?  Windows, or the app in question?  
I think that if everyone is going to gripe about M$ not letting other
people play in their pool, then it's important to set the right
example.  That means letting them play in *our* pool.  If they can
outcode UNIX geeks, then go for it.  I'd like to think they can't, but
that's the kind of competition that we're *supposed* to have.
Actually, have _back_.

> Besides, do you *really* want to let people use Outlook for Linux?
> ;-)

No, but then *I* don't want to let people use cell phones in
restaurants.  To paraphrase O.W. Holmes, "I may not agree with your
[e-mail], but I'll defend to the death your right to [send it.]"

> Microsoft probably should be prevented from dropping support for
> Macintosh, but I'd really like to see them publish more documentation on
> file formats and APIs (and publish that stuff under nice licensing terms
> where you don't have to be a member of MSDN or give away your firstborn).
> Also, Microsoft will probably try to anything like that from happening on
> intellectual property grounds..

Agreed, but intellectual property is really working on a 500 year old
model which is (I predict) up for an overhaul this century.  That's a
fire the flames of which I wouldn't mind fanning a little.

As to publishing docs, yes, that's important too, but I think that (my
opinion) not only should they open things up, they ought to pay for a
little bit of the heavy lifting.  Make them write some Open Source as
penance.  Pipe dream -- but if you aim for the stars, you might get
the moon.  (Or hit on the head...) ;)

> I'd like to see how much innovation Microsoft really has in it..

You know, I used to really begrudge M$ Research as having way too much
money for their own good, and line up with the crowd that criticizes
them for never having produces anything worthwhile in all these
years.  Now, though, I think -- hey, they've attracted some really
smart people.  It's hard these days to find jobs in academia, and the
bubble has burst.  Good for them, hooking up and making M$ pay them to
do what they want to do (research).  It's better than having lots of
CSCI Ph.D. flipping hamburgers, since the software sucks either way.

PCM

-- 
"Trying to do something with your life is like
sitting down to eat a moose." --Douglas Wood