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Technology Stocks : How high will Microsoft fly? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: taxman who wrote (28142)	8/13/1999 8:49:00 AM
From: ToySoldier	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 74651

Taxman, It sure makes one think how many MSFT plants are on this board parading as simple MSFT investors. Anyone would be naive to think that none of the posters on this board are hidden MSFTers protecting the interests of their mother ship. It sure looks like MSFT is still focusing on illegal or immoral acts as their main strategy to move their company forward as opposed to simply focusing on creating superior solutions. With open standards becoming more and more entrenched in the industry, MSFT had better wake up and realize that their strategies of the past will not be as effective now and in the future. The tech world around MSFT has changed dramatically, the players have wised up to MSFT's games, and now MSFT had better realize it and start behaving like a mature industry player that it should be. In the meantime, their credibility and that of anyone that promotes them will be put into question in the future. And you cant really blame the employee that carried out this act, its the culture and history of the company that more so encouraged him. Just some philisophical opinions... Toy

To: taxman who wrote (28142)	8/13/1999 9:14:00 AM
From: Teflon	Respond to of 74651

Certainly is an embarrassment for MSFT. Makes me wonder what some of the management is thinking at times in Redmond...I just don't expect this type of blunder out of their organization. Teflon

To: taxman who wrote (28142)	8/13/1999 6:28:00 PM
From: Andy Thomas	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 74651

>>The Microsoft disinformation incident came to light on Wednesday when Richard Smith, the president of Phar Lap Software and a leading computer security expert, received an e-mail message from someone identifying himself as Phil Bucking of Bucking Consulting. << That MSFT developer couldn't have been too bright if he were really trying to fool Richard Smith of PharLap. FWIW Andy

To: taxman who wrote (28142)	8/13/1999 11:04:00 PM
From: gao seng	Respond to of 74651

Fake Microsoft mail raises question about AOL tactic By Martin Wolk SEATTLE, Aug 13 (Reuters) - The bitter battle over instant messaging erupted again on Friday after the disclosure that a Microsoft Corp <MSFT.O>. employee apparently used a false identity in an effort to smear archrival America Online Inc. A Microsoft executive said the smear attempt was not authorized but raised a serious issue about America Online's latest efforts to jam its rival's messaging software. Engineers from the two industry giants have been waging war since Microsoft posted its free messaging software July 22 with the promise that users could communicate with the more than 40 million users of AOL's market-dominating message system. America Online called that an intrusion and blocked the Microsoft product, but Microsoft has published at least 12 revisions of its products trying to get around the roadblocks. The latest development came to light after Richard Smith, president of Phar Lap Software Inc. in Cambridge, Mass., got an electronic mail message from a "Phil Bucking," who purported to be a consultant developing instant messaging software and raised "alarm bells" about America Online's tactics. Smith tried to find out more about his correspondent and discovered the mail message had originated within Microsoft Corp.'s network. "So in about 30 seconds I realized what the game was," Smith said. Rob Bennett, director of marketing for Microsoft's online properties, acknowledged that the message likely came from somebody at the Redmond-based software giant. "We're trying to track it down," he said. "If it did come from within our network it was most definitely the act of an individual and not someone representative of the company at all." But Bennett said Microsoft engineers had confirmed the claims made in the pseudonymous e-mail -- that America Online was exploiting a security flaw in its own software, known as a "buffer overflow" error, to disconnect users of Microsoft's rival MSN Messenger product. Smith, a security expert who has uncovered flaws in Microsoft products, said it appeared AOL was exploiting the flaw to send snippets of software code into the computers of customers who use its messaging software. The code is executed on the client computer without the user's knowledge, and a response is sent back to America Online, Smith said. Smith said one coding mistake by AOL could crash "hundreds of thousands" of computers. "They're putting their customers at risk," he said. "I don't think they should do this at all." AOL spokeswoman Tricia Primrose declined to say whether there was such a flaw in the company's software, which could allow hackers to gain access to data on individual PCs. "We're not going to get into the specific blocking tactics we are using," she said. "There is absolutely nothing we have done, are doing or will ever do with the (messaging) client or service that puts the privacy and security of our members at risk." She said the bigger issue was Microsoft's use of a fake e-mail. "We think this is appalling behavior," she said.