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To: Bearded One who wrote (20227)	6/25/1998 1:26:00 AM
From: Charles Hughes	Respond to of 24154

>>>The more I think about all this 'integration,' and based on my programming experience, I'm starting to wonder if there even exists a useful definition of "application," much less "operating system." <<< In the past the OS was the substrate upon which you could make your computer useful in particular ways by writing 'specialized application software'. Even with the addition of generic utilities, browsers, and data processing capability, the idea of applications as the specialized software for particular businesses or professions or entertainment would still have meaning. The applications are the specific final use of this generic capability. I think a more relevant question for many of us here is whether there is a framework that lets you invent something or write some great new software and go into business to sell it without it being inevitable that MSFT will cut you off at the knees and take all the benefit of your hard work and insight and investment of capital. (If we can't have a chance to get that big paycheck someday too, then what is the point of being in this business. Better to write free software for GNU and Linux, and give it all away. Sometimes it looks to me like the last act will be like the first act - people giving away software and engineering in order to undercut a rapacious monopolist that's screwing things up - but I meant IBM back then, of course.) If the application/OS dichotomy is not able to produce that result, then we should all start agitating for changes in the patent, copyright, and antitrust laws right now to produce this desirable result. Those of us in the business that is, and maybe some of the rest of you. ------------------------------->>>>>>>>>>>>>> Also, we should all be opposing the revisions to the UCC that are in congress right now, which will allow software exploiters to sell complete crap to the public with a guarantee of protection from consumer protection laws or legal recourse of any kind. Another thing they are putting in this beast is a validation of the infamous shrink wrap license. A third is the validation of those damn accept buttons, and a fourth is the legalization of the idea that we are all buying limited licenses, and not actually buying software, something that ought to bother those of you capitalizing software purchases, if for no other reason. They apparently even have language that will allow those restrictions on some licenses against badmouthing the manufacturers to have effect. If they win that one, the bad will have authorized to finish driving out the good in American software, and there will be little point in any of us continuing to write software in this country. It is literally the end of the quality software movement that is being shoved through congress, and it looks like it is going to win. This is actually far more important than the MSFT case, important as that is. Cheers, Chaz