Who is Ralph Nader?

Tuesday, June 16, 1998 by Dave Winer.

Yesterday, on Scripting News, I posted a pointer to Ralph Nader's most recent letter to the Department of Justice.

http://www.essential.org/antitrust/ms/jkjun151998.html

He said that you couldn't buy a computer without Windows. I then asked a question, "What about the Macintosh?"

Some people didn't understand what I was saying. The Mac is a computer. It doesn't come with Windows.

Nader made a mistake.

Who is he? 

We're forced to look at Nader.

What is his stake in the software world?

He wants to be in the loop on some very serious decisions.

What do we know about him? He's famous. He fought for car safety thirty years ago.

What does he know about software?

My philosophy 

I have my own point to make.

If people want competition with Microsoft, they have to take into account all possibilities. In my opinion, the problem isn't with the OEMs, it's in the limited imagination of the opinion leaders of the software world.

Now Nader, apparently, wants to be one of those people. Too bad we don't get the benefit of a fresh perspective, he's taking the low road. Instead of cutting down Windows, how about boosting the alternatives?

I choose to make this about the Macintosh. I have something at stake here. Largely due to these limited imaginations, I now use a Windows machine, and at great expense in time and money, our software now works on Windows, as well as the Mac.

My opinion -- diversity is good. It keeps Microsoft honest.

That's the high road.

Dave Winer