March 28th, 2008
Why we still hate Microsoft
Posted by Dana Blankenhorn @ 7:07 am
http://blogs.zdnet.com/open-source/?p=2199
Call it the Clinton effect.
I'm not trying to be political here. But what seems to upset most people
about Hillary Clinton, and Bill Clinton for that matter, is this habit of
parsing.
Barack Obama is not a Muslim as far as I know. I made a
mistake in calling my trip to Bosnia heroic. It depends
on what the meaning of is is.
I'm not lying, but I'll let my rhetoric go right up to
the line, and if you call me on it then I have reason to
attack you because I wasn't lying.
Microsoft also likes to have it both ways. They want to be seen as
cooperating with open source, but their actions show they see the open
source movement as their chief competitive threat, and will continue to
treat it as such.
Chief counsel Brad Smith was in full-on schmooze mode during OSBC, at the
same time the company was bragging on twisting the arms of the Czechs over
OOXML. Oh, and they're still certain Linux violates its patents.
Ironically, if Microsoft were really "good" to the open source movement,
our readers think, its market threat to open source would only increase.
I should add at this point that many people absolutely adore Microsoft.
They like its products, and believe its strategy benefits the economy.
There are also millions of Democrats who adore Hillary Clinton, and would
rather vote Republican than not see her on the ballot.
The careful parsing, or the twin tracks of crush and schmooze, are seen by
people in many areas as signs of toughness and gumption, of fighting
spirit. By others they are seen as signs of duplicity.
Where you stand, as always, depends on where you sit. From where I sit,
Brad Smith had best watch his back if Hillary loses. She'd make a great
Microsoft general counsel.
--
Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to
do what we ought. -- Pope John Paul II
--[Manny [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Alternative Information and Opinion at http://www.phnix.net
Advocacy blog: http://mamador.wordpress.com
Personal website: http://mannyamador.multiply.com
--[Pro-Life Philippines]-------------------[http://www.prolife.org.ph]--
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