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To: GST who wrote (102051)	4/24/2000 6:17:00 PM
From: Eric Wells	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 164684

My windows 2000 program crashed while I attempted to reply to your post -- coincidence??? I doubt if it's a coincidence - I think that the evil computer spirits in the employ of the satanic Bill Gates are doing their best to keep you from writing anything negative about Microsoft. (okay, just joking - just trying to inject some humor here) 2) "All we did was innovate, and we will fight to protect our right to continue to do so". GST, you've hit upon one of the points that causes me to be a bit indecisive about the criminality of Microsoft's actions. You see, when Bill Gates says "the browser is a natural extension of the operating system", I have a tendency to agree with him. The technology behind browser software is actually rather simple - as proof, one can find thousands of homegrown browsers in the software development community. And since the technology is so simple, one could even make the argument that Netscape was fleecing customers by charging $49 (or whatever the price was) a copy for their browser initially. Did Microsoft bundle the browser in windows in a deliberate effort to make Netscape go out of business - or did they do so because they saw the browser technology as a natural extension of the operating system, and they saw the technology as easily implemented? Or both? Or perhaps, did some execs at Microsoft think "implement simple natural extension" and others think "kill netscape". If only life were black and white. BTW, this case goes a long way to restoring my faith in the justice system. In my view, there are many other more important issues that could be occupying the efforts of the paid staff at the DOJ (I'm not stating this in any way to justify Microsoft current position). I would applaud any effort of the DOJ to take on what passes for ethical business practices in the investment banking and brokerage industry. Thanks, -Eric