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DaveNet: The Microsoft settlement.  Andrew Orlowski: "Not even in their wildest dreams could the business elites have imagined that in 2001, the AntiTrust department itself would be offering a convicted monopolist state protection." A comment on Andrew's piece. A short time before Sept 11, thinking about the Bush Administration, I came to the conclusion that they operate just like the management of a company like Microsoft. They'll do anything to stay in power. I don't understand why. I've always found that way very puzzling. Bill Gates has all the money in the world. He'll do everything he can to stay in control too, even if it reeks, even if it means publicly humiliating himself (ref the Breaking Windows chapter that ran in DaveNet). He appears to have no conscience, in his mind there must be no room for anyone else to be creative or successful. It can't be about money, but somehow that's exactly what it's about. Then came the attack, and everything seemed to have changed. But it didn't change. The government has no integrity but then, at the same time I'm behind them, as my wartime government. On the other hand, they'd like me to think of the terrorists as "evil-doers." Heh. Nothing is simple today. The fox guarding the henhouse, to pick up on Dan Gillmor's apt metaphor doesn't only apply to Gates and Company, it also applies to Bush and Company. At this point, although it's almost treason to say it, I wonder anyway if I'm backing the wrong side in the war against evil. BTW, there are several reasons I didn't like the use of the term evil, and said so on 10/13. I had to let it settle in before I figured it out. First, it's insulting to a mature and experienced and intelligent person who knows there are two sides to every argument. If you say your opponent is evil, you're telling me you don't want me to consider what they're saying. Sorry I can't do that, I'm not built that way. I will conclude, on my own, if they're evil or not. I find that I do have an evil receptor inside my value system. But it can't be invoked by a guy like George W. Bush. Second, when you call someone evil, it calls your character into question, and takes the stakes to a whole new level. It's hubris to call someone evil. How the hell does a mortal like Bush know if someone he's never even met is evil or not. Now, I still don't get Gates. He used to be much more alive, more feisty, more intellectual, much more interesting. What the fuck does he want now. As he is fond of saying, I don't get it. BTW, looking for the quote off SN about evil, I didn't find it, but found that it's appeared quite a few times, not in re Osama bin Laden. I forgot there was this whole thread lasting a few years about Dave's Evil Twin. Hehe. A note on today's outage. For some period of time my April Fool's page was what you saw when you came to Scripting News. It's a long story on a day when there's serious news. Many apologies for the confusion. It was actually quite a bit worse than it appeared. I hope y'all had a good chuckle, now back to work.  Wired: "By cobbling together a handful of browser-based bugs with flaws in Passport's authentication system, Slemko developed a technique to steal a person's Microsoft Passport, credit card numbers -- and all, simply by getting the victim to open a Hotmail message." US Dept of Justice: Proposed Final Judgment. NY Times: "But the agreement was not endorsed by state prosecutors." Reuters: "The U.S. Justice Department on Friday said it had reached a settlement with Microsoft Corp. of the three-year-old antitrust case that would impose a 'broad range of restrictions' on the software giant." MSNBC: "Judge gives state attorneys general until Tuesday to join settlement." News.Com: "The deal would impose mild restrictions on the software maker compared with earlier rulings in the 3-year-old case, focusing largely on tweaking Microsoft's competitive behavior." Happy third birthday to Tomalak's Realm. John Van Dyk: "I think I'll write a plugin." This article on Advogato supports my long-held belief that software is speech, and protected by the First Amendment in the US. This is the way to bust all patents relating to software in one swoop. Lawyers please take note. I got an email from the CTO at Opera asking for configuration info. A good sign. Various theories abound. Key piece of data -- Opera had been running a long time (I had it set as my default browser). Every time I clicked on a link in an email it would display in Opera. Lots of sub-windows open. I also got an intro to James Gosling at Sun. Now I have his email address. I want to talk with him about Sun getting behind SOAP and XML-RPC. Ever the evangelist. And today is Decomission Day for the old Weblogs.Com, Subhonker or Weblog Monitor, whatever you want to call it. Last night I tried to talk myself out of it. Now I guess I know how Seattle felt when they decomissioned the Kingdome. But its time has come and a tear comes to my eye. I'll do the deed after drinking some more coffee. I did the deed. The old Weblogs.Com scanner has been put to sleep, forever. Thank you old friend. You pointed me to some great blogs. You were a lighting rod for controversy. You were host to some innovative shit. We learned a lot together, but it's time to move on. You are gone but not forgotten. Judith Burton: "During a time of crisis, when it all seems so terrible and uncertain, my grandson put it best. 'You just have to be brave.'" Adam Curry: "None of the really cool stuff ever makes it onto the air!" BTW, the Yankees won again last night. If I were a Yankees fan I'd be happy. But I hate the Yankees. I'm not unhappy, over all, I'm just unhappy about that. |
 
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