Re: Boycott Microsoft

[bguenter@rummelplatz.uni-mannheim.de (Boris Guenter)]

Travis Morien (phantom@tartarus.uwa.edu.au) wrote:
: You putting Microsoft in the same league as the industrials who dump waste
: into our rivers?  Or a cigarette company?  
: There are immoral companies out there, but as far as I am concerned, MSFT
: is just an aggressive company using standard business tactics to win
: profits, and they do do without killing anyone or creating physical
: damage.

I would disagree with that. Microsoft can do physical damage on an
individual base like all companies which perform heavy lobby policy.
It's like the modern arts, if your sense of beauty does not allow you
to create products which are as bad as the current standard, you are
"outed".
Brian Greenstone, a programmer who said "programming is an art form"
has not managed to find a vendor for his high quality game, they said
it was "too gs-specific"...
 
--->Marketing law 1: "The Sirius Cybernetics law"
 
"Only lousy products can be sold with profits."
The problem is that people buy lousy products, if they don't know about
the alternatives. Companies who invest in research and development
may have a top-quality product, but if it never reaches the customer,
they will lose.
 
--->Marketing law 2: "The big 'Nothing' law
 
"A dollar in advertisements is worth more than a dollar in quality."
This leads to a paranoid scenario of big companies selling a great
nothing with great ballyhoo, and individuals and small companies who
may have great ideas but are struggling for their existence. (Not to
mention the customers who are quite unhappy with their purchases).
 
--->Marketing Law 3: "The 'Blob' law"
 
Of course, this scenario won't last very long, so the big companies
have to find a solution. The solution is easy: absorb all small companies
with good ideas and pay them less money than they would earn if they
could sell it themselves.
 
--->Marketing Law 4: "The 'horse head on the cushion' law"
 
Of course, there will always be some idiots who think that they could
win the game with good products alone. Scare them, bribe them, offend
them. Try to gain patents and monopolies. Remember: if they are not
for you, they are against you. There is no middle ground.
 
--->Marketing Law 5: "The 'ticket to Florida' law"
 
Of course, you have to think about the customers who are more more
and more disappointed with the poor product quality and the arrogance
of the upper management. When the first stones fly through your window,
it may be time to move on to a better market.
 
 
Sorry, if I sound a little sarcastic... 
 
Business should help the society, and laws should help the society.
But if a company performs such an aggressive and inhuman business
policy like MS, it will hurt everybody.
 
I would say that such guys have thrown us ten years back in computer
technology....
 
Microsoft: "We proudly present: The new Windows - NOW WITH A TRASH CAN!!!" 
 
Apple: Remember that...
 
 
(Just my two cents from a guy who has worked on Apple IIs, DEC's,Amigas,
Mupids, Macs, Commodores, Acorns and Solaris workstations. Now I have
a job on a Windows NT PC, and I already hate it from the deepest inside
of my heart!)
 
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`Don't tell me about the future,' said Ford.             __
`I've been all over the future. Spend half my   |\/| /\ |__||  | | |\  |
time there. It' s the same as anywhere else.    |  ||__||\  |  | | | \ |
Anywhen else. Whatever. Just the same old       |  ||  || \  \/  | |  \|
stuff in faster cars and smellier air.'
 
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