Survival lessons: Skunks, Microsoft, and Bill Gates' 1998 Antitrust Epiphany infoworld.com
The Infoworld brigade of the press division of the nefarious internation ilk conspiracy is somewhat more active than usual this week. The leader is grey eminance Bob Metcalfe, like me an antimonopolist who has a problem with the cable guys and telcos as well as Bill & Co. This week, though, it's Bill's turn, and as you might gather from the title, there aren't a lot of punches pulled here.
Like a skunk, Microsoft is now hissing defiantly into what it mistakes for the approaching eyes of another Digital Research, VisiCorp, Software Publishing, WordPerfect, Lotus, or Novell. This time, however, Microsoft is squirting musk into the headlights of the onrushing 18-wheeler that we call the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Microsoft is squirting insults at the Department of Justice prosecutors, Federal judges, expert witnesses, and the computer industry's vast right-wing conspiracy. Gates cannot defy the Justice Department the way Bill Clinton does. Gates cannot beat Ralph Nader at the Beltway game. Gates has not yet understood the politics of his predicament nor the public opinions that power them.
When Gates says the Department of Justice is not qualified to direct software innovation, or that Microsoft is being punished for its success, he's simply not getting it. He's transfixed by the lights of the Department of Justice's onrushing 18-wheeler.
Microsoft illegally dumped, tied, and exclusively distributed Internet Explorer in violation of a specific consent degree and long-standing antitrust law. No amount of Microsoft musk is going to blind the Justice Department to this.
The long arm of the law vs. Standard Microsoft Business Practice. How will it turn out? As ever, I make no predictions. FOB Charles "Rick" Rule may no longer run the antitrust division, but plenty like him have lifetime appointments on the federal bench, thanks in no small part to current non-FOB Orrin Hatch. Hearts and Minds wise, I see it all as an educational process. Maybe it'll turn the U.S. political scene onto Objectivism, though the , er, religious aspects of that particular philosophy may prove problematic. Given that Bill took flack for the "going to Church isn't time effective" remark, the bracing Atheism of Rand might not go down to well.
Who can say? I'm sure the war will continue to provide entertainment for those who can appreciate black humor.
Cheers, Dan. |
