>From: Adrian Tymes <wingcat@pacbell.net>>Subject: Re: Nanotech/Opensource:
>Opinions Needed.
>Date: Sun, 09 Jul 2000 19:14:35 -0700
>
>"Robert J. Bradbury" wrote:
> > On Sun, 9 Jul 2000, Paul Hughes wrote:
> > > 1) As you may have heard Microsoft is trying very much to regain
>control
> > > by putting all of their software back into their central servers.
> >
> > Could you cite a reference for this? (It sounds a bit far-fetched.)
> > Perhaps you mean that they intend to move to an active license
> > monitoring system for their software -- i.e. their software comes
> > from their servers when you need it. This is "software on demand"
> > or "software rental".
>
>No, he means "putting all of their software back into their central
>servers". Yes, it's boneheaded. Yes, it'd be massively stupid for
>responsible consumers to switch to. Doesn't mean they ain't gonna try
>to get away with it, and doesn't mean a lot of people won't buy it
>anyway just because it's "the latest version from Microsoft" (and older
>versions, as always, aren't supported anymore). Reference what little
>*is* known about their .net initiative.
>
> > > The only way you'll be able to use software in the future is by
>logging
> > > in to their system.
Noone seems to have noticed that MicroSloth has just apparently monopolized
certain text publication formats. Yahoo mag mentioned, as I recall, that S.
King could not read his own recently E-published novel on his Mac, as it was
released in an MS proprietary format that required their unlocking reader
software. Crichton's new book is also supposed to be coming out in this
format.
This has been their strategy all along. Create and patent - or more often
buy up - proprietary formats that force people to use their products. Give
away Explorer and make sure that all kinds of software plug-ins only work
with it, so then you have to use their OS and then only their software or
software they have a stake in really works well, due to all the hidden hooks
and tricks that only they or their preferred developers get access to. And
if the LINUX people reverse engineer something, then bury them with
lawsuits.
If they can effectively cripple the net by putting so much "essential" stuff
out there that requires you use still more of their proprietary stuff,
ending with you paying rent to get more stuff - that really works for once -
via servers, then we may all ultimately get eaten.
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