"Who Is John Galt?"
<shudder>
Makes me think of the cartoon of the small fish, about to be eaten by the
bigger fish, about to be eaten by the even bigger fish, about to be eaten by
the largest fish, labeled "Microsoft".
-Ben
-----Original Message-----
From: Angel Stewart [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Monday, August 13, 2001 3:44 PM
To: CF-Community
Subject: Windows Windows Everywhere...
"But the problem relating to the licensing system Microsoft established
remains.
Some years ago, the company stopped selling software outright and instead
set up a subscription-based system. Users paid a
fee, just like the cable bill and got to use a Microsoft operating system or
Microsoft software, like the Office suite.
As a result, when Microsoft decided to issue an upgrade, we all upgraded
pretty much simultaneously because the company
eventually would cut off access to the older software. It wasn't too long
before everybody, everywhere, was running exactly
the same thing.
This had some great advantages. Computers got a lot simpler and more
reliable because they didn't have to be quite as
flexible. Things such as technical support and interoperability issues
largely disappeared. All our appliances pretty much
run on a stripped-down version of the Microsoft operating system, everything
from the microwave oven to the thermostat.
The problem is, because everything runs the same operating system--even my
electric shaver--once somebody discovers a
security flaw, it can bring down our computers. All the computers. All over
the world.
In some places, the power is on for only a couple of hours a day now. It's
not safe to drive because the traffic lights can't
be trusted. Torch-bearing mobs occasionally break into the homes of known
technologists and . . . well, let's just say we're
starting to run low on people who can fix things.
We're on the brink of disaster, akin to the great corn blight of 2012. Then,
all commercially planted corn had been made
genetically identical, which produced spectacular yields. But when a new
disease infected a crop in a small field in Iowa, it
ripped through all the corn around the world because none of the plants had
any resistance to the blight. God, what I
wouldn't give to taste Frosted Flakes again."
[excerpt from LA Times.com]
Interesting notion isn't it? ;-)
-Gel
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