On Sun, 13 Feb 2005, Sam MacDonald wrote:

> Don't forget the people that have staked their careers on M$ have also 
> bought M$ stock and want that stock to be more valuable.  Why would they 
> let people bring anything else in to the work place.

This strikes me as being a conflict of interest.  "It's more important to
me for this other company to do good than for my company to do good."  
And, I note, beyond what I was accusing people of.  I was simply accusing 
them of being stupid, not actively illegal.

> 
> IBM on the other hand wants to win everything no mater what the product.

And this is different from every other company in what way?

> 
> As a past IBM employee, I had to have 3 wins every quarter to show that 
> I was making IBM money. I constantly had to prove that I was being 
> productive. Not only in my work but in the time I spent at work.
> IBM requires a minimum of 48 hours every week (every week).

The 40-hour work week is increasingly being gutted.  But that's a 
different argument.

> 
> So you see if you blame M$ for all the bad in the industry without 
> looking at the full view of the industry you are missing the truth.  IBM 
> looks good to the Linux community now but if Linux is not profitable, 
> IBM will drop Linux like a hot potato.

Oh, rest assured I'm not blaming MS for all the bad in the industry.  Just 
the bad they are directly and demonstratably responsible for.  There's 
more than enough blame to go around.

I don't blame the Microsoft Koolaid drinkers on Microsoft.  I do blame 
their shoddy products, exhorbinant prices, and despicable business 
practices on them.

My theory: it's fear that drives the Microsoft Koolaid Contingent.  If 
there isn't a choice, you're not responsible for the outcome.  If there is 
a choice, this implies that there is a wrong choice.  Now, suddenly, you 
are responsible for the outcome.

Open source is nothing but choices.  Linux vr.s BSD.  Xfree86 vr.s X.org.  
Gnome vr.s KDE.  Mozilla vr.s Netscape vr.s Firefox vr.s Konqueror vr.s 
Galleon vr.s etc. C++ vr.s Java vr.s Perl vr.s Python vr.s Ruby vr.s Ocaml 
vr.s etc.  For every need there is generally two (or more) possible 
solutions.  On the Windows side, there is a comforting (for those afraid 
of making wrong choices) lack of choice.

Brian