Re: Virus on Windows IE updating web site

Tech-Archive recommends: Speed Up your PC by fixing your registry

From: kurttrail (dontemailme_at_anywhereintheknownuniverse.org)
Date: 04/02/04 

Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2004 18:48:16 -0500

Ian Merrithew wrote:

> On Thu, 01 Apr 2004 19:09:40 -0500, kurttrail wrote:
>
>> I believe it's the only way to really bring competition to the market
>> quickly, because if any one company controlled the Windows APIs
>> after the breakup, it would be likely follow the same pattern as
>> it's predecsessor after gov't oversight was lifted.
>
> You hit on the response I was going to make last night had my stomach
> not been growling :). The APIs are the key, IMO. Both the US & EU
> anti-trust cases have dropped the ball by not *forcing* MS to
> disclose those APIs. The code itself, I don't think necessarily has
> to be, if you know all the API details. Developers can
> reverse-engineer from there.
>
> Haven't IBM and AT&T both been subjected to forced-disclosure of key
> specifications/standards during their anti-trust cases? MS has
> gotten off too lightly here, IMO; by allowing MS to license the APIs
> rather than forcing them to disclose them, MS can set a barrier to
> access that some players in the field just can't meet (how many have
> signed up to date? 12 counting the newest sign-on, Sun, who just
> accepted a $2 billion buyoff from MS?). And you can forget MS
> licensing those out to open-source developers.

Even if MS would, just think how MS would try to SCO them with licensing &
copyright claims against them, somewhere down the line.

>
>> Plus by Open-Sourcing the Windows APIs
>> & the Office file formats,
>
> The latter is a big problem, too, especially with MS's attempts at
> *patenting* underlying portions of the XML schema in the Office 2003
> formats. You really can't do *anything* to interoperate with
> something patented without a license. Software patents = bad, bad,
> bad.

And the funiest thing is, MS itself has been bitten by the very reason why
software patents are bad with the browser plugin patents of Eolas, though MS
will probably get by, by the skin of their teeth, on appeal. I guess MS is
just trying to have its cake, and eat it too. 

-- 
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei!"

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